"Added Value" by Peter Church Book Review

In the age of diminishing attention spans, Peter Church pens a delectable book on thirty of India's modern capitalist entrepreneurs with a social bias. I have attended the book launch in Mumbai recently where some of the subjects covered in the book turned up to share their versions of what was the tipping point in their careers, what are their current concerns and what do they see next for themselves. Peter Church, being a head of one of the leading legal firms, does a Boswell by listing his observations and piquant remarks in an anecdotal way- not judging the entrepreneurs as they unfold their dreamy past but making them up in a story-telling fashion such that the story ends with all the crisp details and gives us the big picture, almost ending at the juncture at which they were about to soar. Brilliant read and gives enough titbits that add salt to any conversation about India's new crop of Billion Dollar entrepreneurs. You will know more than a thing or two about each of the icons covered in this business.

"Jhummandi Naadam" Movie Review

"Jhummandi Naadam" is a wasted exercise by K Raghavendra Rao to showcase his old skills at pumping thee prime looks of heroines. In this movie also, he makes the heroine look like a horticulture farm. The movie lacks all elements of drama, story, screenplay. Even the songs are dawdy duets and don't seem to have the magic that K R is renowned for. Movie can be given a miss. Manchu Manoj is looking good but Keeravani's music sounds repetitive unlike his "Vedam"outpput.

"Villain" Movie Review or "Raavanan" Movie Review

"Raavanan" or "Villain" movie tries to break new ground in showing villain as hero and hero as villain. It assembles an ace team who are at Mani "Sir"s beck and call - AR Rehman, Santosh Sivan and a starcast that's contracted to give super-profits even if they show up once. `Ramayana' comes alive in this movie and throws up some dazzling moments - but Mani is losing touch with evocative themes and entertainment in the pursuit of cinematic excellence and artistry.  No wonder they are not firing at BO. Vikram shows more versatility than Aiswarya.

"The Karate Kid" Movie Review

"The Karate Kid" is a charmingly good movie which shows China in a sweet spot as they are in - set in Beijing  with Kungfu and rich culture as backdrop, not GDP-hungry Shanghai. Jackie Chan returns in the remake of the movie with the same title made in 1984. He excels as the Kungfu Master and shows his subtle side with impeccable grace, while child superstar Jaden Smith proves his mettle again and takes his acting talent to new highs with range of emotions. Its an evergreen inspiring plot of growing up years and will be the perfect film to kickstart the academic year for kids. The movie has some breathtaking imagery from China's picturesque locations including The Wall and Wu Dong province. The movie has universal appeal and has the right mix of humor, entertainment, emotions and action sequences with clean narration by Director Harald Zwart. Sure to be a blockbuster. Music is another high for "Titanic" music director James Horner.

"Rajneeti" Movie Review

"Rajneeti" is barely watchable with an intriguing plot of political rivalry between two families represented by lot of actors who saw better days. Before you realise that there's a lot of overdone plot, and needless deaths and over-simplified political undertones and utter lack of innovation in script and storytelling, you can find better pastime in trying to correlated all the characters in the cast with the who's who of Mahabharata. I could count nine characters. Prakash Jha delivers a below-par performance as there's nothing novel about the movie. Arjun Rampal is thoroughly convincing while Ranbir Kapoor comes up with another fine performance. Katrina Kaif  - much ado is more about her resemblance to madamji. But its not all that groundbreaking. There's neither "Neeti" nor "Rajneeti" about the movie but mindless violence at a numbingly slow pace.

"Vedam" Movie Review

"Vedam" is a rare treat by Director Krish which packages the gist of scriptures - human values that matter most amidst poverty and plenty through five characters who see life through five different perspectives. But all the five characters played by Nagayya (Textile weaver), Anushka (prostitute), Manoj (Rockband guitarist), Manoj Bajpai (Muslim who thinks he is treated like a terrorist) and Allu Arjun (Cable Raju who lives in slum but lives it up by lying about his lifestyle for a good cause - wooing his rich girl friend). All characterisations are done with lot of conviction and care and though the movie is lacking in entertainment, it is hard-hitting and touches your soul at times with humanity in each frame, without dialogues that sound didactic. Within 150 minutes, Krish makes his points succinctly well with enough justification in story, characters and their worlds which converge in a climax which is a bit violent. Allu Arjun outshines everybody but there are some good cameos by Posani Krishna Murali and Brahmanandam which stand out. Keeravani scores a lifetime high note in this movie with rich compositions and impressive background scores. Krish presents his movie with level-wise script and that itself is a great innovation for Telugu cinema. He also does great justice as a dialogue-writer and a screenplay-writer.He has endeavoured to give a rare delicacy to Telugu audience not used to having such storylines in commercial format. Its going to be talked about for a long time.

Hitler's Private Library - the books that shaped his life by Timothy W.Ryback

I don't believe this  - but Hitler who is better known for burning people and books - was actually devouring one volume per night - and amassed a library collection of no less than 16000 volumes. And so, timothy W.Ryback for the first time, offers a systematic examination of all th books that shaped Hitler's life. The volumes in his library spring to life in this sparkling book - because of th exhaustive notes captured - those made by Hitler on the marginalia - the comments, the exclamation marks, the questions and underlinings, even the dirty thumbprints from the remains of the First World War - which are so revealing. Written with verve, the book gives us a superb view of Hitler's evolution - and unparalleled insights into his emotional and intellectual world. Must read, even if you have read Mein Kampf.