The Business of Tollywood: An appreciation of film costs

"Julayi" movie collects over Rs.11 crores in Nizam region. "Eega" movie collected over Rs.15 crs. in the same region during its 50-day run. "Sudigaadu" collected over Rs.2 crores in Hyderabad region alone in its first week clocking over 91 per cent occupancy on opening weekend. So, Tollywood has had a better run this year compared to previous year as many of big-star releases turned out to be good hits starting with "Businessman". The run of Tamil film releases this year dubbed into Telugu hasn't been that great despite increasing openness and awareness of Kollywood films in Andhra Pradesh.

Now that the starting bets have been good for Tollywood, the season in the second-half of the year is hotting up with some spectacular releases lined up. "Life is Beautiful"(Shekar Kammula), "Shirdi Sai" (Nagarjuna), "Rebel" (Prabhas), "Cameraman Ganga tho Rambabu" (Pawan Kalyan) and so on...looks like September - October will see some big-ticket releases including the much-awaited multi-starrer "Seethamma Vakitlo Siri Malle Chettu" (Mahesh and Venkatesh), we'll call it "SVSMC".

Let's guess how the costing of "SVSMC" will add up. I have taken a ball-park estimate based on some simplistic back-of-the-envelope calculations of how these costs will add up and later how they will be marked to recover. They may be wrong but I hope the thought process should clarify to you how film costs generally add up in budgets which are becoming huger and monstrous. It becomes necessary to understand them because the blind bets are placed by the group who are not impervious to the speculative nature of films - the Movie Distributor. Lets see an example, first, before we conclude:

"Seethamma Vakitlo Siri Malle Chettu" Movie Costs:

Superstar Mahesh Babu's Remuneration:  Rs.8 crores.
Victory Venkatesh's Remuneration:          Rs.4 crores.
Director's Remuneration/Music Director   Rs.2 crores.
Samantha's remuneration                          Rs.1 crore.
Miscellaneous artists remuneration            Rs.2 crores.
Miscellaneous technician's remuneration    Rs.3 crores
Shooting cost for 100 Days @Rs.5 lacs    Rs.5 crores.
                                                              -----------------
Total cost so far for SVSMC                    Rs.25  crores.

Since it is unlikely that the producer will bear all the costs by self, he will take loan @ 3 per cent from the money-lenders and financiers to fund this cost. That will be about Rs.4.50 crores. Or roughly, say Rs.5 crores. That means the total cost without budgeting any contingency run-ups and other escalations by delays caused due to other reasons comes to Rs.30 crores.

We haven't added the distribution and marketing costs including the audio function which is becoming an eye-ball attracting event. Considering these, it becomes imperative to keep costs and shooting schedules under tight leash and you have to raise the buzz about the movie well-before the release so that you can out-sell and recover the costs as effectively as possible.

How do we recover the costs?
Satellite rights recover a good sum, say Rs.6-8 crores. Then comes overseas territory sales which can fetch about Rs.3-5 crores. Then comes the big stakes of Andhra Pradesh which will be sold at whopping sums. Take Nizam Region, for example. Assuming each show sells Rs.20,000/- multiplied by 7 days multiplied by 5 shows average multiplied by 350 screens will give Rs.24.50 crores. Thats how the bets will start at first- then they will negotiate it down or up based on the eyeballs and added attractions in the movie. In this whole game, commercial banks play it safe in recovery of costs - they will not fund above Rs.5 crores and get away with their interest and principal repayments well before the release of the film.

The riskiest category will be the distributor who can expect a return in binary numbers, zero or one, meaning hit or flop. If its a hit, they rake it in. If its a flop, they are finished.

But coming back to the crux of the budgets, this is broadly how they stack up and this should give you an example of how film costs are incurred, how they are marketed and how they are recovered.

"Mugamoodi" (Tamil) "Mask" (Telugu) Movie Review

"Mugamoodi" (Tamil) is dubbed as "Mask" (Telugu) released today amidst unprecedented expectations from one of the slickest directors of Kollywood - Mysskin. I watched a few Tamil movies in original in my life but I have largely followed the work of some great film-makers of the last decade like Bala, Menon, Murugadoss, KV Anand and now Mysskin. Mysskin is bibliophile, a director who infuses fire and imagination into his direction and galvanises all the 24 crafts to give an exciting cinematic output. He has made some acclaimed films like "Anjathe", "Chithiram Pesudadi". He has made a film called "Nandalala" where he brought back the orchestral beauty and composer's breath of maestro Ilayaraja. In "Mask", he prefaces with a dedication to the master Bruce Lee who's life story is somewhat revisited in the storyline.

This movie "Mask" is something that held me excited for weeks. It is worth the wait. Its the story of a normal boy Jiiva who is the best pupil in martial arts in a non-descript school run by his Master who follows Bruce Lee. Like Bruce Lee who learns Karate but later invents his own stunts by "knowing self", his master encourages Jiiva to be an original hero instead of trying to become somebody. In his journey towards discovering himself, he falls in love with Pooja Hegde (debutante) who is the daughter of a Commissioner of Police (Nasser) who is on a mission to nab a gang of masked men who kill old couples at nights and rob them of gold. In a freak incident, Jiiva wears a "mask" to woo the girl and succeeds in the capture of the some of the mysterious gangsters one night. That "mask" eventually becomes his "identity" as a superhero as he becomes the most endowed person to catch the culprits. He gets some scientific help from his grandfather played well by veteran Girish Karnad.He gets the bad guy (Narain) who turns out to be an ace adversary of his Master and eventually wins the hearts of Pooja and all. But only after knowing one last trick from his master. Quite a simple but many-layered story that has a well-conceived starcast, and a classic three-act. A dashing introduction, an interval with a big-bang and an elaborate, spectacular climax.

Mysskin is surely the master of the movie as he reveals his gripping form in all departments. He ropes in exceptional foreign talent in editing, stunts, cinematography whose work shines brightly on screen. Dialogues are crisp but not dramatic and hardly humorous. Thats the intent of the film as the director deliberately builds tension from first frame till last giving a free hand to music director "K" to experiment with a range of electrifying compositions in the moods of the film. But "K" uses both symphonies and silences to punctuate the film in all its intended nuances by the director. Already "K"'s music is a hit in Tamil with three of its main songs making it to the top while the music CD itself has all the key orchestral themes as numbers on the track. I liked the two songs that give the best relief in the film - one of them squeezes in the very first jingle Ilayaraja composed in his career. Vintage Ilayaraja continues to inspire generations of music composers. "K" is another reason to watch "Mask".

Mysskin has got most parts of the film right making it quite watchable in spite of the length of 160 minutes. It could have been shorter. He has given an intelligent film with good starcast and narrative depth that will see his fan club grow in Tollywood. He blends the best of world cinema with a Hollywood touch - but he may have done better if had dumbed some scenes and narration for lay audience. Humor and mass entertainment (on the lines of Shankar) is missing in the film. Jiiva looks good and raring to go places with this film after "Rangam". Pooja Hegde is the most covered face in Kollywood before this film but I wonder whether such adulation is deserving for her after seeing the footage. The best part of the film is that Mysskin did not show one special effect in spite of being a "superhero" film. Thats because, he wants to show that it's all in the mind - you don't have to be a Superman, Batman, I-Man or Spiderman to become a superhero in life. Know thyself and project the superhero within- is the subtle message. I will give 3.5/5.00 for "Mask" because intelligent film-making must survive.

Uncertainty is Not Injurious to Anybody!

Gregory Meyer, a commentator in Financial Times wrote last weekend that Uncertainty is the only thing markets can be certain about. This is quite suggestive that we all live on the edge - and thats what the chief executives and head honchos are paid for - you will never get to do decision-making under all knowns. You have to make decisions amidst all the mayhem and clouds on the horizon. Right now, there is lack of visibility on everything to do with Policy Decisions, Economic Growth  and Corporate Investment Climate - that the payoff for those taking even marginal/incremental risk is lilkely to hugely rewarding.



The story goes that FT archives threw up 2,877 articles with search word "uncertainty" in 2005 before the Subprime crisis. Now, well into 2012, there are 3,290 articles with the word "uncertainty". Which year is more critical? Or, more uncertain? Can't say much but there are always two categories of people who face uncertainty - in business, careers or anything to do with life. Those who accept uncertainty as a fact of life - and have a vision for the day after uncertainty blows over. Then there are those who have tunnel vision, see crisis in every oppportunity, get flummoxed by the half-dozen doomsday specialists - Roubini, Gross, Taleb, Mauldin, Faber and Soros - and then watch television and read newspapers that spell more bad news. Remember, the TRPs for bad news, and harbingers of bad news are always higher - these experts (who have an axe to grind for what they pontificate) command more eyeballs than what good news can attract. Remember, that for every General Motors that closed down for bankruptcy (and now allowed to revive), the market share went to few others in Automaker space. For every 99 companies or businesses that cannot escape the "valley of death", there will be one company or two or three that rises to market leadership. That hardly gets reported. Thats the way life is. I have always loved uncertainty - in markets, in life, in Chess and Black Jack, in relationships and in money matters. Uncertainty helps  me focus better and get back to basics.


Those who abhor uncertainty should live in bunkers, wear Sunita Williams spacesuits, go for gold-digging, and give non-collaterized deposits to PSU or Private or foreign banks (which as Dr.YV Reddy succinctly put, will be lent at low cost to the Government whenever the government wants - which Dr Reddy says is the biggest con game going on in the world of banking today). The aim of this story is to look at uncertainty in new light - welcome it, it can benefit you if you are enterprising.

A K Hangal @95. RIP. Bollywood's Angelic Old Man.

AK Hangal. RIP @95. I had the fortune to meet this towering stage/film personality when he gave me an interview at CPI congress. It was a heady feeling to push my way as a sophomore journo/freelancer for "Deccan Chronicle". We met at Railway Guest House at SCR. He was charming and gentlemanly. But the caption my editor gave for this story in DC forever estranged him - it hurt him for he was a communist at heart. I pray for his peaceful soul journey wherever he is. He gave me one of my earliest press stories while I was still in journalism school - and a scoop to boast of. Even if he has essayed fewer roles, he will be remembered forever - his multiple hats as theatre personality, as Rahim Chacha in "Sholay", as a CPI activist - all gave him a halo. He is the most-loved old man of Hindi Cinema.

The Chiranjeevi Phenomenon

I wrote this piece on the occasion of Chiranjeevi's 57th birthday on August 9, 2012 which was published on http://www.frontpageindia.com/views/chiranjeevi-hero-love/36403

Chiranjeevi, the Hero we all love


When Chiranjeevi burst open his innings in Tollywood with “Praanam Khareedu” on Septemeber 22, 1978 (One month after his birthday), not many would have given him a half-chance. Tollywood was already in the grip of multiple matinee idols across multiple generations from NTR and ANR to Krishna, Shobhan Babu and Krishnam Raju besides star directors from Dasari Narayana Rao and K Vishwanath to Bapu and K Raghavendra Rao. Around the time his first movie was released, Chiranjeevi’s only claim to filmdom was as an actor struggling to find a foothold. Chiranjeevi had nothing to offer to what’s already not on fare – he is not hugely charismatic like NTR and SVR, nor had a lineage of filmy family. He could get hold of one such bargepole in the fomr of Allu Ramalingaiah when he married the latter’s daughter in 1980.


But Chiranjeevi had that killer instinct and the deep desire to create a unique position for himself – he tried various family fares playing the rogue liar in “Kothalarayudu”, the shrew-taming dummy husband in “Mogudu Kaavali” and the self-righteous do-gooder middle-class householder in “Intlo Raamayya Veedhilo Krishnayya”.

Almost all of them met with unexpected success at the most embryonic stage of his film career – one of them running for more than a year in some theatres. Fans – mostly toddlers, teenagers and housewives growing up in the anarchic years of the 1980s were hungry for a star who will project their aspirations, rebellions, frustrations and dreams on celluloid – they wanted a hero who is as rebellious as Krishnam Raju, a hero as dashing and daring as Krishna , a hero who is lovable like Shobanbabu and someone much more than all of them combined.

Chiranjeevi started feeding what the generation demanded from him very quickly acting in many movies, rotating directors and dialogue-writers and acting with the best in the industry – K Balachandar, Dasari, Raghavendra Rao, Bapu and Vishwanath. Fans loved the intensity of his eyes, the depth of his acting, and his dancing prowess quickly became the toast of a whole new generation who were fed on insipid dancing steps of veterans acting with half-opened shirts and bell-bottom trousers.

Chiranjeevi delivered the blockbuster “Khaidi” which positioned him as the new dashing hero and quickly followed more movies from Raghavendra Rao, Kodi Rama Krishna and Kodandarami Reddy – a director who relied on action dramas with light-hearted romances and the incredible storylines of ace novelist Yandamoori Veerendranath.

Chiranjeevi quickly became the darling of the masses as he belted out jubilee after jubilee hit with “Abhilaasha”, “Challenge”, “Raakshasudu” and “Marana Mridangam”. Like Amitabh Bacchan in Bollywood, movie scripts were written for him and artistes and heroines, technicians and writers all vied with one another in working with the first megastar of Tollywood.

Amongst the many trends he started, Chiranjeevi is famous for bringing in elegant dancing and stylish way of acting in tune with the rising tempo of music. He started the import of villain talent from Bollywood, and gave many technicians - choreographers (Raghava Lawrence), music directors (Mani Sharma, Raj-Koti), character actors (Amrish Puri, Prakash Raj, Kannada Prabhakar, Sarath Kumar) their major breaks.



Now with 149 films to his credit, Chiranjeevi’s career spans the most momentous period of Tollywood that marked the new decade after color productions, multi-starrers with excellent story scripts, the invasion of heroine as a star attraction, introduction of true item songs, choreography as a focal attraction of films, elevation of directors and dialogue-writers to cult status, intelligent use of fans and satellite and social media to enhance a star’s longevity, craze for audio release functions, and the undying craze for first-day-first-show tickets, heroes taking a cut in the distribution of movies as part of the remuneration, the list goes on…


Every five years or so, despite the unavoidable flops, Chiranjeevi systematically used the collective and imported talent in Tollywood to push new boundaries for himself, his family and for the industry. Today, Tollywood enjoys the best monetary status because of a huge star power and in-house talent of technicians from cinematographers and directors to music composers and story-writers, the credit goes to heroes like Chiranjeevi who pushed new boundaries for business of Tollywood.

When “Indra” was released amidst truly the first major audio event for Tollywood in the last decade, there was unprecedented frenzy – it sold close to a million cassettes on day one – there aren’t that many CDs sold even today.

Chiranjeevi, despite all the massive fan following is probably the second actor in Tollywood, after NTR, who has used the medium of Cinema to feed the adulation of the masses and gain symbiotic relationship to accelerate his family’s fortunes in Tollywood.

Because of his direct allegiance with fans, he has created many platforms to interact with them on a continuous basis. He is cognizant of the spinoffs that accrued to him over the years, and the payoffs that continue to others who turned up into films from his family – Pawan Kalyan, Allu Arjun, Ramcharan Tej.

Chiranjeevi and his brother-in-law Allu Aravind created fan clubs, organized them into strategic business units, fed their frenzy at all eventful functions, created websites that offer biographical wikipedias of the Chiranjeevi phenomenon, offered a bankable platform called “Blood Banks” which galvanized more of them into purposive actions which though met with unexpected controversies, and finally harmonized all the fans into one mega family of fans of Chiru the actor.

Even though he was lured into politics a good five years ago before he burst open on the scene with Praja Rajyam Party, Chiranjeevi is the second star-turned politican in the history of Tollywood to create some eyeball impact on the politics. Though his party fizzled out at the hustings in 2009, unable to create any impact with the themes of “social justice” and “inclusive growth”, the PR party managed to grab 17 per cent voting share of the population.

Even though he failed as a politician, Chiranjeevi continues to make attempts to avoid being sidelined by contemporary politics or where his heart lies – in Tollywood. He is now at the heart of Kapu politics in the Congress and continues to spar with the other Kapu politician Botsa in creating a position of power for himself and his community.

As a Tollywood biggie, his family continues to corner the best technicians and talent to turn out hit after hit and strive to be in heightened public currency from Pawan Kalyan’s “Gabbar Singh” to Ramcharan’s “Raccha” to Allu Arjun’s “Julayi”.

Chiranjeevi’s brother-in-law Allu Aravind who produced over 15 films (his best-ever producer) has created a triumvirate monopoly in Tollywood with control over distribution of movies along with producers Dil Raju and D Suresh Babu. As an investor, Chiranjeevi has been careful with his star remuneration and hasn’t over-invested in movies like other stars or created studios that lose money. He has invested in prime real estate and prime time television channels like MAA TV. As on date, MAA TV is rising to the top as a close contender to Gemini TV.

Now, he ponders over the next move whether to remain in politics or plunge back into movies to star in his 150th film now that the stars are aligned for his younger family members to take over Tollywood. As a towering hero in Tollywood, Chiranjeevi has been a phenomenon that’s hard to beat . But as a politician, he has been marginalized. What can beat him in happiness at this crucial birthday milestone is another movie after his own heart. Happy birthday, Chiranjeevi!
By Sridhar Sattiraju

Link: http://www.frontpageindia.com/views/chiranjeevi-hero-love/36403
http://www.frontpageindia.com/views/chiranjeevi-hero-love/36403

At School with Ruskin Bond - New Book by Ruskin Bond

Ruskin Bond is back! This time, a collection of stories and anecdotes that you may have read in some of his earlier books like "Landour Days" and "The Lamp is Lit". Alongwith some new stories to rekindle the reading habit amongst today's school kids in portly format. A refreshing read as always. Ruskin Bond speaks with authority on the subject of what a child goes through at school and what endears him or her that no longer seems so easy to decipher in this age of multiple distractions like TV and mobiles and social media. Ruskin Bond recounts what it felt like to go to school, savour the school library, discuss literature with teachers and avuncular elders. A true lover of English literature, more than the English peers, Ruskin Bond gives a delectable excursion into the world of books and authors, of birds and bees (not the variety we now associate with) and what it means to grow up in the halycon years of Shimla, Dehradun , Mussourie and other stations his family caravan took him to.

Ruskin Bond is at his masterly best whether he talks about Wodehouse, Dickens, Walpole or others who left literary trails on his style - which still remains unaffected and distinctively simple. There are legions of his fans who like what he writes without an year's back since publishing his first novel at age 17 or early. I also find there are many others who don't relish his style of writing for whatever reasons - too rustic, too prosaic, too little variety, too much of autobiographical narratives, not so vigorous and sparkling. For all those who err on the hate-side of Ruskin Bond - pick this book or give it to your ward to read it aloud  - and lets compare notes if the book doesn't hold upto its promise. I recommend this book for anyone who likes Ruskin Bond or English literature - and for those who don't like to read him too for the simple pleasures of life they forgot to relate to. For school kids, this book will be another sure-fire hit. Good to find a third publisher - Ratna Sagar - which publishes academic books - give a neat cover and an elegant font to highlight the stories that make Ruskin Bond India's best-loved English-born Indian writer in English. Its a nice gift for any parent struggling to get kids interested in books and the early trappings of reading.

At School with Ruskin Bond, price Rs.185, pub: Ratna Sagar.

The Six Olympians who did India Proud!

The Six Olympians who did India proud - pushed a door open! Each of them brought a billion smiles and earned a retirement corpus that mainstream careers cannot hope to bring! There's a time for deeper introspection. But this is a time for celebration of the few who put us at position no.55 above developed countries like Finland and developing countries like Mongolia. Sketches by my uncle Sri Sattiraju Sankaranarayana. Hope we don't forget the road to next Olympic glory is paved with herculean efforts and not just good intentions. Cheers!

"Julayi" Movie Review (Telugu)

“Julayi” is definitely one of the most anticipated movies of 2012. It is an acid test for more than a threesome – Director Trivikram who struggled with form in “Mahesh Khaleja” , Allu Arjun who didn’t deliver a hit for a while, Producer Daanayya who’s missing his crores and dusky actress Ileana D’Cruz who is unable to capitalize on her early successes in Tollywood. All four of them needed a hit to resurrect their fortunes . I can’t say whether it’s a hit but the movie doesn’t disappoint – it is quite a wholesome family fare that’s worth a watch.

Director Trivikram Srinivas is one of the star writers who sharpened his narrative skills to make an Olympic triple jump into the hall of fame in Tollywood with terrific screenplay sense, story-telling with verve and an ability to weave many genres into one film. Besides, he can write dialogues that tug your hearts and make  classes and masses clap. Naturally, he is so skilled at writing, screenwriting and directing that one of the three has to outshine the other two. It started to happen around the time when he stopped writing for others (except “Teenmaar” recently) and went into directing. There’s an eclectic mixture of Western cinematic sensibilities with Telugu nativities in most of his narratives where he played a pivotal role in giving a tailormade script. “Manmathudu” drew inspiration from Mel Gibson movie “What women want”. “Athadu” which is a gold standard in modern Tollywood DVD collection is inspired from “Assassins” and so on.

There was some trouble with “Jalsa” and “Mahesh Khaleja” because he was carried away by the star charishma of Pawan Kalyan and Mahesh Babu and the result was either a concoction of neo-Indian pseudo-mythologicals (like an Amish Tripathi novel) or an an urbane take on Naxalism and other economic issues. At heart, Trivikram is a socialist who is inspired by an array of writers from 1920s onwards and all his movies bear a stamp of egalitarianism, inclusive growth and a society that should benefit many not just a chosen few. In between, Trivikram can pack a punch of dialogues that spark off uproarious laughter with both senior and junior artistes. Over the few films he has made, Trivikram has graduated from making unoriginal, punny, school-boyish. joke-book-collection of snippets into more classy, ingenious and Wodehousian sense of humor that sticks. Nothwithstanding this long digression into Trivikram’s style and its origins as seen by a consummate bystander, “Julayi” is an outcome of a renewed Trivikram who has learnt from his experiments that were indulgent in the past. It shows Trivikram’s amazing sense of dialogues that are sharper, wittier and also a return to responsible film-making - a'la the likes of Sreenu Vaitla and Shekar Kammula. However, unlike Shekar Kammula, Trivikram has the ambidexterous knack of appealing to A-class audiences while giving what the masses want to see – non-preachy entertainment, plenty of action, dances and romance that sizzles.

“Julayi” is a balanced film in all of that – it has a huge starcast from Brahmanandam, Ali, Tanikella Bharani, MS Narayana and Kota to veteran Rajendra Prasad, Sonu Sood besides Allu Arjun and Ileana. The story is quite average but the narration is pulsating. Ravi (Allu Arjun) is a naïve youth who believes in making money in a non-linear route; he bets with his father one day that a 10k bundle of cash can be converted into 100k in just two hours. Obviously, Ravi had plans to bet on the IPL matches when he challenged his dad with the deal. His bravado leads him to an episodic run-in with professional killers led by Sonu Sood and Kota Srinivas Rao who plan to usurp a bank’s millions. It sets him off as a cat amongst pigeons because the villains realize that Ravi is a smart aleck who needs more than their mite to be outwitted. The ending is happier even if smaller - the hero polishes off the villains and returns to a cosy job that nets a salary of 25k per month. The message is loud and clear: – hardwork and accumulation of money through self-effort is sweeter than Manna from heaven or mad pursuit of speculative endeavours. The movie has  dramatic flashes of car chases, stunts and a sweet romance with Ileana and oodles of comedy with Rajendra Prasad, Brahmanandam and gang. Allu Arjun is clearly a striking style icon who has finally got a plot that showcases his acting prowessand a director who will give the outreach that he deserves. He is at ease with himself and with the mature starcast that shares the screen. According to me, he is the best dancer in Tollywood and his dancing skills need no attestations. In this movie, DSP’s music has given enough footage to Allu Arjun to get foot-loose. He excels himself again but the dance movements could have had a better frontal view than a sideward, silhouetted slideshow. He could have bettered there.

DSP’s music has topped the charts well before the movie and he has created just the right moods for all the songs. Picturisation of the songs could have been better for a couple of songs. The song before climax and the song before interval are quite vivid and memorable. Ileana would have wanted this movie to give a fresh lease of life. Unfortunately, her acting skills and the range of expressions never permit this – she is stubbornly stale and hopeless. The outage of glamor we saw of Ileana after “Kick”, I am afraid will continue nothwithstanding her role in this film. Rajendra Prasad stands out with a full-length performance that almost runs parallel to the hero – this should be heartening to all his fans.

One last word on the flaws of the film. Trivikram sometimes takes logic to onerously outlandish levels for one part of the story while implanting inscrutable logic to other parts. The manner in which the heist is done by the villains of a bank and their escape from custody with lot of bloodshed is illogical even as the hero Ravi tries to second-guess every move of the villain even as the police look downright dumb beats sanity out of mind. Nevertheless, Trivikram has taken the genre of entertainment to new highs with his characteristic ease of blending action and intelligent-looking plots with a rich ensemble of talent and still penning dialogues that haunt you forever. Even the best writers need better editors , Trivikram will realise– but for now, even 160 minutes of a not-so-sublime plot is good enough reason to open the champagne for those who like to see his report card. He’s earned an A not an A-plus and I will give atleast 3.5 out of 5 for the film.

"The Pen Commandments" by Steven Frank: Book Review

Most books on the art of writing dwell more on the rules of grammar, and the beginnings of story development, plotting, characterisation and growing the novel to the finish before making pre-publishing trips. Not many books exist in the realms of what really goes in the mind of a beginning writer - the one who has to exorcise all the demons that block the wannabe writer's creativity or over-draw it, the one who has to find the tools of trade, draw out reference material and weave the works. I have surveyed such books of tips on writing all my life. "The Elements of Style" is too pedantic even though classy. "On Writing Well" by William Zinsser is a classic and bang-on when it comes to talking about the craft of writing. "Good Writing" by Mitchell Ivers is another welcome addition to the two. "Overcoming Writer's Block" is another tiny yet memorable book on how to break out into the zone of profligate writing. However, the most enjoyable book is "The Pen Commandments" by a lesser-known high-school English teacher in US - Steven Frank.
Its a delightful book that revels in writing for fun at the level where the urge to write should strike us first - when we are still toggling between the love for language and the foundations of a commercial or scientific career.

"Pen Commandments" gives all the kickstarting tools and tenets of writing ourselves to potential, giving some outstanding examples of shiny writing mostly from the high school students of his class. You can well figure out that Steven Frank must have polished most pieces of composition and creative writing that he puts out for our perusal. There are anecdotes, commandments of biblical value and there are countless examples of appropriate grammatical rules intermixed with inviolable style rules. I read this piece almost two Olympics back and still find it a happy bunker to bury my head into whenever I need a resurrection of creativity. It is more elegant and stylish, contemporary and fun to read than a New Yorker piece or an Arthur Plotnick's repost in "Spunk & Bite" ("Strunk and White"). I don't know why Steven Frank never attempted more books after such a dramatic flash of brilliance in the book. "The Pen Commandments" will surprise you and permanently leave you with an incurable love for the English language - it deserves to be widely-read - not just in High Schools but by all who push their pen for any cause.

"Onamaalu" Movie Review (Telugu)

"Onamaalu" in Telugu is an expression used for learning the first letters of the alphabet in school. It is the latest film starring veteran actor Rajendra Prasad. He is an actor who has always had a time-neutral following from NRIs and Indian Residents alike because of associating himself with the most celebrated directors of creative cinema. He has worked with Bapu, Vamshi, Jandhyala, EVV, Krishna Reddy and Krishna Vamshee and has starred in some of the most preciously-revered DVD films of all time in Tollywood. According to me, his defining work in the second avatar as a mature, aged artiste came in the last four films - One, was "Aa Naluguru" (literally means, "those four people who carry our corpse after we are gone"). Second, "Mee Sreyobhilaashi" ("Your Well-Wisher"). Third, "Quick Gun Murugan" (which became a flippant Hollywood co-production that got him international fame). "Ayyare" came and went, but not so much adulation greeted him because he was hardly present in the first half. Now, "Onamaalu" is a fitting fifth film that will enshrine Rajendra Prasad forever in the hearts of Telugu audience. It is a different film and requires a context and patience thats hard to come by in today's multiplex and theatre-controlled environment where the big star movies alone run.

What's the story all about? Its about the scorching pace of Urbanisation and its undermining influence on the source of our values rooted in village. So, Rajendra Prasad is a retired master who gives holistic value-based education in a village in AP and trains batch after batch of students. He is happy being part of a village ecosystem where everyone from Sarpanch to the Post-master live in simple living and high thinking and more importantly, benevolent sharing of the good and the bad, rising above religious and sectarian difference. Time flies and we cut to the scene where, after the passing of his wife Kalyani, he is persuaded to re-locate to the US with his son's family. As he yearns to come back to re-visit his roots in the village, he returns only to find the idealistic world of his former village turned upside down - mass migration of the young generation, deserted look at the school where he taught and apathy of the village folks to what's going on at large. Technology drift has put a spanner in most careers like that of a postman and the teacher, while there's no more large-heartedness of the people and the rustic charms were visibly absent. Does he recreate the old magic? Can he connect with today's generation in loving their roots and going back to the source? That takes the brief climax of the film in a narrative that's reasonably good with occasional flashbacks and cross-flashbacks - take it like "pitta kathalu" (short-story within long story).

There are some hard-hitting dialogues by Mohd Khadeer Babu on the current scenario of nuclear families, hitech lives with low-touch approach, our continuous debasement of everything traditional thinking its not modern.Director K.Kranthi Madhav has characterised well a gentle story of a teacher who teaches all his pupils to be good samaritans without caring about monetary gains. The highlight of the film is the flashback with one batch of pupils taught by Rajendra Prasad - who are quite apart from each other but end up with the value system thats fallen on deaf ears today. Koti has given excellent songs and BGM score. He lifts off the tunes from Adimieus and "Secret Garden" albums, embellishes them with Indian instrumentation to give a memorable feel to the mood of the film. If you want to see a different film with some preachy content, the film will surprise you with the depth and the tearsjerker - you will have to use the handkerchief many times - the content is that touching even if sometimes didactic. Movie length is ideal for the theme - just 125 minutes in all. But watching the film made me nostalgic about the village life. Its heartening to see some memorable old artists like Giri Babu and Chalapathi Rao get meaty and affectionate roles. Rajendra Prasad steals the thunder, yet again  - he has reinvented himself to stay relevant for the times. Comedy is intertwined with the narrative and quite okay.

There are some exceptional scenes in the film which promote tolerance of all religions. No wonder, most sectarian violence or acts of religious hatred and bigotry happen outside of villages in India Today, in cities and towns, hardly ever in villages. The movie also makes fantastic commentary on the generation of NRIs and RIs who, on one hand, send off their kids to opulent schools without knowing what they teach and whether what they teach is relevant to our society or not. On the other hand, they either pack off their parents to Retirement Homes or Old Age Homes or send them lumpsum remittances to upend their maintenance needs while staying apart. The result: they are running away from the source of their origins (parents) and making kids alienated from the very source that made their worlds. Both these trends are gnawing at the roots. There are some soul-searching questions on what constitutes modernity and what is the end-use of all modern-day-living which will go well with the elite. Powerful statements are made on the way some hi-tech schools teach our kids - that milk actually comes in sachets, water actually originates in bottles and rice comes in sacks. Many years ago, Uncle Anant Pai told us that it is important to know the route to your roots through the history and value system thats relevant in India - thats what got him interested to combat the onslaught of Marvel comics  - of Batman and Phantom and Superman comics with relevant and man-making content of Indian stories through Amar Chitra Katha. This movie is closest to that attempt on celluloid. Though there have been movies like "Devasthaanam" etc. in recent past, this movie is more effective. But I doubt, producer and director Kranti Madhav will make enough money. But some movies are always made with the heart- not with an eye on satellite rights. A movie like "Aa Naluguru" or "Sankarabharanam" was never made with a lucrative motive - that they are still watched and count amongst classics is all that matters. Watch this movie too with that expectation - it is far better than "Devasthaanam" because Rajendra Prasad, unlike SPB doesn't over-act. And it makes far more relevant points, despite being didactic.

London Olympics 2012 - The Empire Strikes Back!

London Dreams woke me and my wife at 1.20 pm yesterday night. It was definitely worth a watch. The opening ceremony of 2012 London Olympics was smashing and stylish and proved to be a recession-free demonstration of everything that is British - that strikes a chord in colonial cousins in India or anywhere else they ruled for 200 years. I liked the whole theme engineered by Danny Boyle - the man behind "Slumdog Millionaire". He has chosen the most enduring British Icons that stood the test of time and created a brilliant, concise, ravenous and thoroughly stylish ballad thats almost putative to the viewers at large. The stiff upper lip, the sophisticated humour ( I dare not use "humor" here), the organised rehearsals behind those generous expressions and the general sense of Old world British Pride was all there in PDA format (Public Display of Affectation of being an Imperialist). Everything was precisely spick n span, prim n proper.

I can sense a lot of reading and meticulous brainstorming went into the selection of the icons and idioms that flowed after one another starting with River Thames, Origins of English people across Ireland/Scotland/Other "shires", Birth of the English language, Lord Nelson, William Shakespeare, Magna Carta, the unrivalled British Navy (which ruled the sea shores since Napoleon was defeated), the Industrial Revolution, British Royalty, Cricket, Charles Dickens, Winston Churchill, Humprey Boghart, Peter Pan, Harry Potter, James Bond, members of Beatles, Eurythmics/The Queen (Annie Lennox), British Queen Elizabeth, the movie industry here - call it BAFTA or Lollywood (London's Hollywood). The juxtaposing of Mr Bean with London Symphonic Orchestra was almost magical and rhapsodic. Loved the scale and the execution of all things considered British at the most picturesque ceremony. Yes, 2008 Beijing Olympics was still grander and vulgar display of Affluence by a growing Superpower, but London Olympics Ceremony was a spirited display by a nation that ruled the world once. London hosted Olympics in 1908 (when even my grandfather was not born, the 3rd Modern Olympics) and in 1948 immediately after the World War. In the period since 1948, Britain's pound and sterling pride only dwindled and diminished in value. This was a perfect opportunity to showcase the British phenomenon that as Niall Ferguson wrote in his epic book on "The Empire" gave modern living a chance through a language that thrives from incorporating expressions from other languages, a democracy that paved the way for many others to follow and a business culture that is engraved forever. Whoever thought that Britain is just the 54th state of the United States should re-view the Youtube clippings of the Opening ceremony and re-read history of the world that Britain made.

"Turning Points" by APJ Abdul Kalam: Glimpses of a People's President (Book Review)

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam was India's eleventh President of India and also recepient of Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and also Bharat Ratna. Like Abraham Lincoln of the United States, he was famous even before he ascended to the Presidency, first as a rocket-missile man and later as an upright President - probably, the best the country has ever known. It was also one of the rockiest tenures for any President with the exception of probably Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy and Babu Rajendra Prasad.  Now, after serving as one of India's best-loved Presidents, APJ Abdul Kalaam has released a highly-readable memoir of his journey through the greatest challenges of his life and career - "Turning Points". Its a worthy sequel to "Wings of Fire"  - the first book that created publishing history. The royalties that acccue from the time the book was released can make it one of the best-selling books by a public figure in India - reaching the commanding heights of success.

"Turning Points" is a sparkling and stimulating read from APJ. In less than two hundred pages, the books covers all the milestones of his remarkable career without repeating much of what he said in earlier books - some of which are million-dollar best-sellers. He covers in fourteen chapters all that he wanted to say with a simplicity that marks his personality that now bears his writing out. Eight turning points, seen before Presidency and one after demitting his office, are covered in one chapter with a childlike innocence. Most of the facets that are covered only go to highlight and extend his astonishing ability to connect to the masses - especially middle-class, elites and children of India. He toured 21 states during his Presidency with the exception of only Lakshadweep, has brought Rashtrapathi Bhavan into the e-governance framework that he had grander designs to revitalise and recast for bringing greater accountability.

Its meant to be a tell-all, threadbare account of some of his most controversial decision - the dissolution of the Bihar Assembly, the returning of the bill relating to Office of Profit, the capital punishment decisions of Afzal Guru (on which he was silent), the decision to invite Dr.Singh in 2004 when it could have swung in favor of a foreign citizen Sonia Gandhi. Again, APJ is stoically brief in his analysis of those days that set the country's opposition on fire against Sonia's nomination to the Prime Ministership. Some of these chapters are weakest - in the sense that the ex-President tries to put a non-controversial treatment, choosing to be concise rather than be elaborate and hence, controversial.

History will always remember Presidents and Public figures who are courageous and sterling torch-bearers of integrity, honesty and competence. On that count, APJ scores the finest in recent memory of how a President has conducted himself in public life. Whether it is in meeting more Parliamentarians, State Ministers and Governors, or returning every gift, every single gift he ever received. Talking about why he is reluctant to receive gifts from anyone, he recalls the lasting influence in this matter was his father.  Quoting extensively from Manu Smrithi and holy works of Musllim saints, he quotes that, "When the Almighty appoints a person to a position, He takes care of his provision. If a person takes anything beyond that, it is an illegal gain." He paraphrases Manu again on why one must not accept gifts: No individual must accept gifts for the reason that it places the acceptor under an obligation to the giver and ultimately results in making a person commit immoral or illegal acts. Thats an exceptional value system for any Public figure and APJ has inspired a generation with his behaviour at Rasthrapathi Bhavan.

"Turning Points" is sure to climb the top-seller list because of a very balanced and yet erudite rendition of a productive and inspirational life. APJ has been engagingly fluent in many aspects that are seldom discussed by one public figure - be it education, technology, scientific pursuits, religious tolerance, raising standards of governance and accountability for Parliamentarians and Ministers, Anna Hazare movement, world peace and disarmament. He has a view on most aspects that are bordering on world citizenship and egalatarianism and altruism. All this, with a sense of humility and positivity thats infectious. Even if he hasn't been re-considered for the post of Presidency this time around, APJ's words of wisdom and his vision for making India a Developed Superpower by 2020 resonate well with India's public. I only wish his books get widely translated and read in all languages of the country. The books is not perfect to a fault, but it will not disappoint you, dear reader, whatever be your age or qualification. More power to you, APJ.

Turning Points: A Journey through Challenges by A.P.J Abdul Kalam. Pub: Harper Collins, pp.182, price Rs.199.00

Rajesh Khanna R.I.P. The Original Superstar

Rajesh Khanna. Usually Anand. Kabhi Kabhi Gum. Made blockbusters out of living life for others. Became the First Superstar and encouraged the Next Superstar big time. Shows his large-heartedness at the time. Gave Musical mileage to Kishore Kumar, RD Burman and lyricists. His taste for music was so great that his solo songs with melancholic touch are still playing at cocktail parties and get-togeth...ers with karoake mikes. His band of music goes magically well with nostalgia and single-malt whiskey parties. Without an iota of remix temptations - so much for his blend of music. Rajesh Khanna. Anybody with such a rich timber-sounding filmy name ought to have a whole generation of fresh graduates, housewives and self-employed abide by his name. And so it was with many in my family - my parents and closer elders included. He has taken the pre-liberalisation era of limited opportunities to new cinematic highs by taking a dagger to the hearts of men - and endeared himself to the ladies as a forlorn lover. Of course, this may have encouraged alcoholism and primitive brands of Teacher's whiskey - jocularly called "preacher's whiskey". Rajesh Khanna - also pushed the door open for South-Indian producers and directors and artists (other than heroines) who are not usually mobile. He was also protective of his persona till the very last - similar to Shobanbabu in Tollywood - not acting much in roles below that of the main protagonist. He has his lows in personal life but the highs make it a life worth being celebrated and remembered for. RIP.

 

 

"Cocktail" (Hindi) Movie Review

"Cocktail" is another experiment that brings back the genre of metrosexual romance with the chemistry of a much publicised starcast - Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone and debutante Diana Penty. Homi Adajania is the director and he ropes in the writer-director Imtiaz Ali and another writer to pen the story. Imtiaz Ali is quite unpredictable in his scripts; most of his movies in the past from "Jab We Met" or "Love Aaj Kal" or "Rock Star" have been fluent opuses on love that remains unrequitted till the very end. In this movie, "Cocktail", Imtiaz Ali harnesses his talent at tweaking emotions of love a bit further, he creates a rapport between two girls - Deepika and Diana - then creates a rift between them later through Saif because both the girls want all of him. All this with some common and some bizarre family extensions for all the three.

The treatment is different and title-apt. Homi Adajania uses the laisse~z fare settings of London to weave the characterisations of the three principal actors the way he moulds the story - Deepika as bold and tempestuous, Diana as cautious and conservative and Saif as the quintessential Don Juan - till they all decide to do a flip-flop, in the interest of a happy ending that comes after 146 minutes of a cocktail of emotions. Pun intended. In between, the roles of Bomman Irani and Dimple Kapadia which could have infused variety and connectivity with elderly audiences had they stayed on course a few more minutes. There is also a constant tussle between the BGM score of the impressive duo Saliem-Sulemaan and the intermixed loud jingles of Pritham - despite one or two sonorous songs by Pritham towards the climax, BGM by SS is defining the key moods and moments of the film.

All the three Deepika, Saif and Diana get their share of hogging the limelight but Diana's character is weakest and inconsistent - it is because she is a looker and not an actor. Deepika shines brightest in the second half and tries to carry the film as if it is hers - with audacious dressing, bikini, uninhibitive acting. But at crucial competitive camera movements, our ageing hero Saif Ali Khan shoots from the hip every line that lingers. What he delivers with his eyes and face make it one of his best - he dominates even the hyperactive Bomman Irani sometimes. On the whole, the movie is a multiplex biopic with fast music, good visuals from London and Cape Town and easy fun that is a little more complicated. Could have been shorter - wonder what the Telugu Editor Sreekar Prasad was doing.

"The Intouchables" (English) Movie Dubbed from French

"The Intouchables" is a remarkable French film that swept the top honors last year at all film awards. The standi outside the screen reminds viewers that this film has collected Rs.2000 crores from 40 million viewers world wide - that means more people than what the entire India pay to watch any movie made in India paying per ticket Rs.18 to Rs.500 on any given day. I went without any idea what it was about except that it is a dubbed film from France. No known actors or crew to kill for. The result was hugely satisfying and worth watching. Its a tale of a bond developing between an aristocratic Parisian Phillipe who is quadraplegic (meaning unable to move hands or legs) and his assistant Driss, an African-origin janitor who is reluctantly pulled into the job.

After the movie rolls on, with English subtitles (whose tenses and verbs sometimes do not tally with the audio version of language), the story-telling is vivacious and infectious - the first joke comes within two minutes, then another and another and before you realise that sparks are flying between the two men, the laughter gets uproarious and roof-top-blowing kind. Don't get me wrong, the sense of friendship between the two men is pretty straightforward - they connect to each other's world and discuss everything under the sun - including women, sex, paraglidiing, modern art, parenting, spending habits, theatre and music. They bat for each other despite huge class, wealth and race inequalities.

Its quite incredulous that this movie should have been made in one of the most racist countries in the world. The hilarity of the film can't be emphasised in few sequences - it hits with a frequency that surprises you. There is a shot in which Driss accompanies Phillipe to an Art Exhibition - and Philippe stares at an artwork that has a splash of red in white background and agrees to buy it for 30,000 Euros (not that the French regard Euros as worthwhile currency). Driss says, as if to make a statement on how arbitrary art valuations abound these days, he could paint the same painting for same amount or more, and give blue additionally. In a twist of poetic justice, Driss indeed works on an abstract painting that Philippe pushes in the art mart for 11000 Euros, more out of affection to cheer up Driss.

Scenes like this make the film a charm. What endears the film to the audience, evidenced by the huge audience count so far worldwide, is the universality of the emotions - fear, tears, laughter, sense of achievement, sacrifice, learning from mistakes, serendipidity, fear of trying something for the first time.

The two lead characters are played dexterously well by Francois Cluzet and Omar Sy. Francois Cluzet is the diffident, depressant patient whose limbs are lifeless, so he can only speak and animate his face - he does it masterfully. Omar Sy as Driss, becomes the arms and legs for Philippe - he steals the thunder often, lights up the screen with occasional wisecracks, experiments with boredom and breaks out of the shackles of the mind more than Philippe. His acting resonates as well as the screen presence of guys like Eddie Murphy, Will Smith.

Music  by Ludovico Einaudi is another asset to the film - you get to hear almost all the classical masterpieces from Vivaldi to Beethoven. In between chatting up at the chateaus, lovely piano music is at play most times when the scenes shift to the picturesque French countryside. On the whole, the movie is fun and inspiring - if you have elders who are of restrictive movements because of whatever reasons and can't do without a daily dose of Prozac and Restil, take them to this movie - it will cheer them as an Indian Masala film. I am told that in 1914, ninety percent of all films distributed worldwide were French Films. By 1928, eight five percent of all films distributed were American films. Thats how Americans killed the heart of Euro cinema. Movies like this will help buck the trend.

"David Billa" (Tamil/Telugu) Movie Review

"David Billa" is supposed to be a prequel to the "Billa" franchise. Directed by Chakri Toleti. Telugu folks should know this guy. He was the smiley kid who waits for Kamal Hassan's perfect "Bhangima" in "Sagara Sangamam". Yes, the sa me guy grew up and made "Eenadu" (Remake of "Wednesday"). And now, "David Billa" with Ajit Sir. To be fair, the movie has got everything on the face of it - a kill...er app franchise, excellent technical team of editors, screenplay writers and cinematographers. And some terrific music by Yuvan Shankar Raja. It has a less obese Ajit who is seen as less conceitful than what the character demanded in "The Gambler". To top it, a bevy of villains from Rahman to Sudanshu Pandey. Sudanshu Pandey is definitely a find - he is suave, intense yet subtle and stylish - combines the looks of Kabir Bedi with Mukesh Rushi. He is one of the reasons to see the film. But Ajit does monotonous acting - there is no improvisation and no new swagger and chutzpah that he usually embellishes his portrayal with.

The story unfolds the usual way a Don emerges - a refugee from Sri Lanka, odd jobs of smuggling, working as a retainer, and then climbing up the ladder. We have seen this movie before, you get the feeling. Chakri Toleti, no doubt, has got the talent for intelligent film-making but his sensibilities are more shaped by Hollywood than by native touches. So, the movie seems like a concise procession of stylish visuals with fancy massage girls, slush money, drug-levelled suitcases, and slick gunshots and neck-stabbings. The biggest drawback is lack of entertainment. Romance is also hugely amiss - atleast one of the two girls is good-looking but apart from giving avuncular glances and dont-mess-with-me looks, Ajith comes a cropper there. There seems to be some problem of re-inventing himself for the masses and plots like that of a Don wont help. Chakri Toleti should attempt varied plots to show his talent. The only redeeming feature for me has been Yuvan Shankar Raja - his BGM music is outstanding. You can give the movie a miss because its all gloss and no substance.

"Eega" (Housefly) Movie Review (Telugu)/"Makkhi" Movie Review

"Eega" means housefly in Telugu. Thats the name of SS Rajamouli's latest and most-ambitious film till date. Its the most common and harmless insect heavily spotted even in concrete jungles and unlike mosquitoes and other blood-sucking pests, it is not carnivorous and usually doesn't harm humans - it is a very fidgety creature and moves at lightning speed, hardly stays anchored at a place beyond few seconds. To make a movie on a housefly is itself audacious and insane, nobody has done it ever in Indian Films. In the west, there have been many superhero films and maybe movies on rats, monkeys, sharks, bears and deadly snakes, but not on an insect so insignificant as a housefly - its amongst the lowliest of the lot but has a picturesque body - an amber red head, two hairline whiskers, two mini hands used to navigate direction, two wings that seem to generate sound an equivalent of a helicopter taking off when in motoring mode, and an identifiable body and legs. It has the most athletic body in insect world and director Rajamouli has studied the world of houseflies to the core, except a few lapses which I will come to later. "Eega" is definitely worth a watch once for the fabulous effort to make a superhero out of an urban pest - the director has spared no effort to finetune the movie - in Special Effects, technical departments of art and cinematography, in performances by the lead starcast in which Kannada actor Sudeep excels himself, and in overall pace of the film.

Rajamouli generally lets the story line out in the pre-release buzz. So the story is well-known before: Boy (Naani) meets girl (Samantha). Both fall in love. Enter Villain (Sudeep) who lusts after the girl, kills the boy. Boy gets reborn as "Eega" and takes revenge. Quite a simple and ordinary story, isn't it? But the execution is grander and the classic three-act structure, which Rajamouli always followed, is present here too. The movie is actually a special effects movie and the effects have a running time of more than 100 minutes - that can sometimes tire the viewer. Most of the action sequences are between the "Eega" and the villain; the director applies good logicality to how a harmless housefly can wreak havoc and throw your world upside down if you mess with its lover - it will attack you at the most unexpected places when you are least prepared, like in a steam bath tub when your face protrudes out of the heat tub and all your limbs are dissembled to atttack the insect crawling on your face. Rajamouli creates more scenes like this - when the villain is driving at high-speed, making a board presentation, trying to woo Samantha, or just sleeping. "Eega" just buzzes around, pricks the sense organs and drives out the peace out of Sudeep's mind. Quite wonderfully captured these stunts with amazing detail and Hollywood-style craft. The director uses the well-known laws of physics and some aspects of biology and chemistry in the friction shown between the two characters - Eega and Sudeep.

Most of the movie, MM Keeravani (MM Kreem as known in Bollywood) has given an outstanding BGM score that heightens the impact of the SFX and the moods. Quite rarely, Keeravani stops himself, seldom seen in our movies, to let the foreground become background - meaning, the score becomes silent when the heroine Samantha tries to communicate with the hero-housefly or when the housefly is plotting the next move against Sudeep. Those moments of silence, and the early part of the movie which builds up the romance between Naani and Samantha are the cutest reels of the film. Very few lapses on the part of Rajamouli - his clarity of thought and execution, screenplay (with extended help), characterisation and pacing of the film are terrific. Where he fails is in the entertainment this time - he cuts the romantic part of the film, which he could have shown more with the "Eega" or Naani in relapse which could have endeared the masses. He cuts the most beautiful, melodious song of the movie (probably, the decade) - "Nene Naanine..." to less than two minutes, and allows just two other songs to flourish. He hasn't inputed any comedy track in the film, that can prove costly to its success. A Telugu film without comedy struggles to get repeat audiences. When you spend Rs.43 crores on eye-popping graphics, you should have atleast 15 minutes of comedy. Another drawback in the basic plot: the villain kills the hero first, but the re-incarnated hero with all his killer antics creates fear in the villain's mind but fails to kindle any sense of remorse or regret. Besides, the heroine, after knowing her lover has come back as the housefly, enjoys the company of the housefly. How does a woman co-habit with a housefly? To pun, how does a housewife co-habit with a housefly? Thats absurd.

Well, enough of hyperventilative analysis of a movie that is breathtaking in effects but falls short on practicality and comedy, excels in performances by Sudeep and Samantha. It is most definitely watchable once, and by all kids. Its a proud addition to the creative power of Tollywood. An experiment that earned its spurs for Rajamouli.

"The Amazing Spiderman" Movie Review (138 Minutes)

“The Amazing Spiderman” comes back with an unfamiliar bang and unhurried charm. Andrew Garfield (remember the skinny guy who played the CFO in Facebook “The Social Network”?) replaces the effable Tobey Maguire, and Emmy Stone replaces Kirsten Dunst. Director Mark Webb seems to love his surname so much that he ought to make a webby film out of it. He has done a pretty decent job of building a credible first take on the Spiderman. It delves on the improbable origins of Peter Parker in the annals of cross-genetics and how Peter’s father helps Dr. Curtis Connors in his research using complicated calculus formulae that go into making alogirithms that alter biologically.

A good deal of time gets spent in establishing how Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) goes on to investigate his roots from adopted father Martin Sheen (always good to see him back in any cameo), meets Dr Curtis Connors, gets bitten by a genetically altered spider and shoots webs at will and walks on walls and jumps from one skyscraper to another in union-jack-red-and-black attire that still looks like an urbane swimming trunk. What can get a spider? A Lizard. And so, the villain Dr.Connors becomes a giant mutant lizard that stomps the streets of New York and pulverizes people and caravans of cars like a Godzilla – most of the stunts between the Spiderman and the giant lizard are nightly in nature. I wonder if this is deliberately done to counter the ensuing next big release of the Summer is Batman’s “The Dark Knight rises”. Nevertheless, the plot moves on to more complex matters – the lizard-man becomes more menacing and engulfing for mankind and our friendly Spiderman gets help from New York Police just in time to thwart Dr.Connor’s dangerous tricks. In between, a decent romance between Andrew Garfield and Emmy Stone that is more prolonged than seen in Spidey movies (without a love triangle).

How Good is the characterization and the performances? To be fair, Andrew Garfield gives a towering performance that will appeal well to the fans of the Marvel Comic character. Early versions of Spiderman starring Tobey Maguire had a genuine likeability about him so it kind of grew on you with an earthy and credulous touch. Present version takes off on the same path of first part of Spiderman released in 2002, takes a long time to establish the family background, the upbringing, and then the accidental transformation of a boy-next-door into discovering the webby instincts. The scenes showing the adhesive nature of the superhero’s hands and feet, and the commanding horsepower of his routine actions resulting in weird consequences like glass-shattering, basket-ball goal-post smashing are eye-popping and well-picturised. Even a simple act of googling his own spidey behavior results in the unraveling of the keyboard letters which is intense and believable. The origins of a superhero and the coming of his age were never shown so fluently in any movie before. Those sequences bind you more the friendliness and acuteness of this character. Most humor is embedded in these initial sequences, afterwards the plot gets thicker and serious with the unbearable tightness of being Spiderman getting to Peter Parker’s head. Character-wise, Martin Sheen, Sally Field and Rhys Ifans (who plays Dr.Connors) play their parts flawlessly. Dr.Connors character lacks texture and depth and definitely comes nowhere close to the swagger of the villain seen in first three Spidey movies. That is the major flaw in this movie – the villain’s characterization lacks substance and enough justification and as if there’s a late realization of this, Director Mark Webb shows him just after the movie’s primary title credits in conversation with another invincible power as to how to betray Spiderman yet again.

How Good is the 3-D Effect? Not that good. Except in one of the final stunts where the giant lizard leaps out of nowhere to browbeat the Spiderman, I could not perceive the third dimension with any telling effect. These days, the camera work in 2-D is so exceptional that one need not wear 3-D glasses to feel you are walking in the air with Spiderman over the nightly skyscrapers of the Manhattan, or “touch” that totempole of an Empire State Building or puke a web on the villain’s face. That’s a bit disappointing. Andrew Garfield, as I said before, has worked his lanky frame to give a unique tilt to the character, almost as incredibly as Tobey Maguire does. I am sure the shutterbags will soon report how Andrew has also done gymnastics, martial arts, weights and high-end cardio to stand out as an agile Spiderman – who needs to move at top velocity, in non-linear fashion, at tangent to gravity, within vertical limits. The effort shows - like one pose where he literally does a Shirshasana.

Is there anything else to rave about? Yes, there is. James Horner- that majestic Music composer – the only stalwart who scored award-winning music on a par with John Williams – has scored memorable BGM. Its on Sony Classical and I am going to own one.

I went with low expectations, having watched all of the three Spidey films. This one was quite watchable with few guffaws and one or two Indian tricks. One is Irrfan Khan – it is quite a forgettable role, I wonder if it can be even called a cameo as memorable as what he did in “Slumdog Millionaire”.

Of course, we Indians cannot match Hollywood in SFX or scripting or storyboarding or marketing of a franchise. The spiderman and other comic heroes will continue to make money. The First Spiderman walked away with $400 million at the Box-Office. In India, it collected Rs.26.2 crs. The second, Rs.33.4 crs and the third, Rs.68 crs. All this, when the Income Tax Officers didn’t adjust the Cost Inflation Index for the four years very high between 2002-2007. And we Indians, we will continue to make films that please us not what the world watches. If they make about Spiders, we will make about houseflies. So be it. As far as “The Amazing Spiderman” goes, the Rupee depreciation is going to assure that with 1000 screens hit with the movie (762 screens for “Avatar”), Hollywood is going to rake it even more. Well done, Mark Webb.

Book Review: The Bilderberg Conspiracy-Inside the World's Most Powerful Secret Society by H.Paul Jeffers

When it comes to conspiracy theories, nobody brings out better books than American Writers be it Naomi Klein, Noam Chomsky, John Perkins ("The Confessions of an Economic Hit Man"). There is a voyeur in me that seeks out more such books. My latest find and I must recommend this whole-heartedly is a book by H Paul Jeffers - "The Bilderberg Conspiracy". The Bilderberg is today considered the world's most secret society and also its most powerful comprising the most well-known and famous politicians, businessmen and businesswomen, media owners, celebrities, heads of state, His and Her Holinesses and other Royalty.

As the theory goes, this group called the Bilderberg group has been growing in membership (albeit restrictive to accomodate only the most powerful clique on the planet) ever since the group first met in 1954. The book explains, in spine-chilling detail almost all the major meetings ever convened by the group, at the hotel(s) during the two day retreats at select frequency (annual). What does the group want? Secrecy and Access by its members to the world's resources, permits, and corridors of decision-making to push the group's common and indwividual interests- both political, social and economical. Much of the headline-making events after the World War-II - the Bretton Woods agreement, the UN and the Security Council composition, the Cuban Missile crisis, the Vietnam war, the rumblings of currrency regimes changing from sterling pound to Gold standard, gold standard to dollar, the creation of the "Euro", the oil crisis of the 1970s, the battering of the pound in 1997 and the over-throwing of the Margaret Thatcher government, the list goes on...all these are engineered by the Bilderberg Group. This has had its toll on the stability of world governments, the banking system and the overall functioning of the world capital markets as we see now.


Who are the current members of this group? Henry Kissinger, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Melinda Gates (wife of Bill Gates), David Rockfeller (yes son of John D Rockfeller), Paul Wolfowitz (thats right, World Bank), Donald Rumsfeld, Tony Blair...You will be surprised the list now includes me and more influential men and women - Ben Bernanke, (Fed Chairman) Thomas Friedman (world's richest journalist? and also the most idiotic!), Paul Volcker (Ex-Fed Chairman), George Soros (quite believable, because he treks the entire world on specious lecture tours which benefit him more than his society), Walter Wriston (Citigroup Ex-Chairman). So, you see, the elite Bilderberg group virtually leaves out few men and women who move the world and this group, according to well-documented research by the author has met 56 times after 1954 almost every year. The last time they met was in June 2008 - in the aftermath of the banking crisis and the decisions taken are well-noted by now. The author has brought out the pulsating sense of what usually goes on in most meetings and the expanse of the stuff that gets discussed which is itself an agenda that topples governments, eases out presidents, and rankles cabinets of sovereign republics.


To be fair, this is breath-takingly revealing and damning of what goes on in world and foreign affairs today and you get the feeling its all true and happening. You will definitely feel there's more you like to know and get informed about this secretive society which is not ritualistic like Freemasons or racisti like Klux Klux Klan. Paul Jeffers has done painstaking research, scenting the trails left by legendary trackers of Bilderberg group like Daniel Estulin, Jim Tucker, Conrad Black, and Tony Gosling. Your world view changes after reading this book and the iconic society because the decisions taken seem to be pushing the personal agenda of this group of all-powerful people under the veils of democracy, open society, free trade and free press, and a vigilant judciary. Seventreen chapters, two hundred and thirty two pages long, racy details pop out per page that is both intense and credible, this book will not allow you to sleep well because the details unearthed are both disturbing and annoying. Would you like to hear that The Economist survey is borne out of a Bilderberg activist? That Richard Nixon was sacked as President not by Watergate Scandal but because the Bilderberg club wanted Nixon out so that "their" man - Gerald Ford can be in. That Berlin Wall was broken down out of this club's resolve. That the agenda of media is aligned to few elite members' interests - US News, Washington Post, etc. That the idea of joining Greece and Portugal and Spain into European Union was "on" since 1957. That Margaret Thatcher was overthrown because she didn't allow UK to join the European Union.


As per the author, the main goal of this group is to create a new world government controlled by a wealthy elite and officials of global corporations (like BP) - to have a world bank, a global currency, centralized political control, world wide free trade and so on. Reading this book so finely investigated and penned will make you read more into the actions of the "elite" who make headlines. For example, why did Hillary Clinton go to Myanmar? What is the real agenda of Melinda Gates who administers free vaccines through Bill Gates and Melinda Foundation? Why does Henry Kissinger who is so anti-India waxing so eloquently on China nowadays? My point is, if Bilderberg conspiracy is true, then there should be more transparency to the group's meetings and its proceedings because it concerns all of us. I now know most answers to why some events really happened - and you will also find out why - even if you don't agree fully, if you read this book.

The Bilderberg Conspiracy by H.Paul Jeffers published by Citadel Press Kensington, pp.234.

Book Review: "Bureaucrazy Gets Crazier: IAS Unmasked" by M.K.Kaw

IAS or the Indian Administrative Service is not just the biggest national pastime (as a combined number of more than a half million seekers write the Prelims every year), it is also the most entertaining and epicentric nucleus of policy-making in India. Even if there's no vertical accountability to "We, the People of India", these Babus have a world of their own - they read The Economist, play golf, attend AMP courses at Harvard, take study sabbaticals at INSEAD and take a ransom to do just do their job. They are easily the most-wide read amongst India's intellectuals and share a world almost like a Bilderberg or a Freemason society.

M.K.Kaw is a retired IAS officer who has been there, done that. He gives a promising preview that entertains as much as it informs in this cheeky book that is sure to be lapped up by all bureaucracy members. M.K.Kaw worked in Himachal Pradesh as well as New Delhi in various postings from Finance Secretary to the Central Pay Commission. The present book is a sequel to an earlier book "Bureaucrazy" published in 1993. It is more elegant, presentable, and full of wit in Wodehousean fashion. Divided into seven parts, and populated with 47 chapters. There is one chapter almost on every conceivable facet of bureaucracy - the ways and means of wives of IAS officers, from egoistic officers like Seshan to diffident members, the need to have Godfathers, to "sir" your officers, the anatomy of corruption, etc. There is only one flaw: while profusely witty and analytical, there's a lot of "bharichaara" and fraternity on the whimsical ways in which the Babus have been ruling our country long after the British Babus have left. Easy read.

Bureaucrazy Gets Crazier: IAS Unmasked by M.K.Kaw, pp.196, pub: Konark publishers, price: Rs.250/-.

"Shakuni" (Telugu) "Saguni" (Tamil) Movie Review

“Shakuni” is an interesting title of Karthi’s new film named after the most interesting character in Mahabharata. Despite being a dubbed film (“Saguni” in Tamil), it was  marketed well by Telugu producer Bellamkonda Suresh and generated quite a buzz before other big releases lined up like “Eega” and “Julai”. Its worth the excitement and hype – “Shakuni” played by Karthi, is quite a combination of a convincing political thriller and a light-hearted comedy with romance getting short shrift.

Director N Shankar Dayal creates a credible story that has many layers, backs it with a racy screenplay and great characterizations. Just like Shakuni who, after being wronged by Duryodhana befriends him and eventually brings him to a war that destroys him and his clan, Karthi plays the role of a modern Shakuni. He takes a different path to dethrone Prakash Raj. But why? His only asset is an ancestral home that is now under threat of getting demolished due to a metro rail project awarded to a protégé of Chief Minister Prakash Raj. Karthi seeks the help of the CM but gets shunted out. He then realizes like all voters who vote for cash/expectations that its time to change the king – he pushes one pawn after another, motivates an auto-rickshaw fleet owner (Radhika) to become a corporator and eventually a mayor, then moulds a roadside soothsayer (Nazar) into becoming a Billionaire Godman (he funds the elections) and finally, resurrects the fortunes of a jail inmate in Chenchalguda (rings a bell?) - the inmate (Kota Srinivasa Rao) builds new cadre, fights the elections to defeat Prakash Raj and becomes the new CM.

The transition from a helpless youth to a master strategist in the political affairs of a state is essayed brilliantly by Karthi. As a brother of Super Star Soorya, he hasn’t got much to prove so far with films smacking of off-beat love stories and tribal roles but this movie shows him in better light. He uses his confusingly crooked smile and  confident screen presence with great effect. A role to remember for Karthi; Telugu dubbing in his own voice will endear him more to the masses and classes. A role that runs parallel to him throughout the movie is that of popular Tamil Comedian Santhanam – he is so under-stated, mellowed, raunchy and yet classy – unlike what we associate with Tamil comedians. This must be his finest performance till date. Kota Srinivasa Rao outshines Prakash Raj, and similarly, Radhika outclasses Nazar. Praneetha has got good screen presence but has to improve her looks, heroines have got to reduce the glare of their eyes if they have to connect with the masses.

GV Prakash Kumar, surprise, surprise, creates pleasant music in the film as well as above-par BGM. If the movie becomes a hit, I am sure it will be remade in Hindi, the plot is so irresistible and contemporary with most of its punctuation playing out in our political circles. Dialogues are terrific commentary and have the sharpness expected of a political thriller without being over-the-top. Even though 158 minutes is unusually long, the momentum gathered after the first half do not make it seem arduously long. If at all, the first 30 minutes could have been trimmed; Director tried to create a thin romantic track that is almost invisible in the drama of the politics that engulfs the second half.

After “Rangam” last year, I was quite excited to go for this movie and feel it’s a fine effort worth the time. Such films come but rarely from Tollywood directors – they rarely make story the real hero. This is a wholesome family fare.

I want to be President of India, not Prime Minister!

When the country's next-deserving Prime Minister no longer aspires the job but instead goes for the post of President - it should tell you something about the risk-averseness setting in - even for politicians. An office of power (PM) is less attractive than an office of ornamental power (President), it seems.


An office like Presidency gets you the top perks (a plush residence built by Edward Lutyens and two terrific residences in Secunderabad and Shimla plus a salary of Rs.1.50 lacs p.m that hardly gets spent plus an upkeep cost within a budgeted Rs.22.5 crs.p.a. plus overseas junkets which was highest during the current president's rule) and is the best retirement plan for any politician. Pranab Mukherjee may have had it in him to seek active politics but this move hints that nobody is interested in becoming a PM anymore - it involves too many risks of decision-making, scams, reputational damages and thankless jobs and finally, you are not even in the driving seat. What the hell! Might as well enjoy getting chauffer-driven official state car of custom-built heavily armoured Mercedes Benz S600 (W221) Pullman Guard.

But this is a good sign - it means politicians are getting risk-averse and the bottom of the establishment cycle with multiple headwinds blowing in the corridors of business, society, economy, legislature, media and judiciary is somewhere visible. I am an optimist at heart, and feel this phase will pass soon - we will emerge stronger. Too much pessimism is also unsustainable.

"Corporate Karate" & "Building Brand You" Book Reviews

There have been an explosion of books written by Indians of late. While most of the works of fiction are turning out to be metro reads and portable imitations of best-sellers by authors like Chetan Bhagat, Amish Tripathi and Aswhin Sanghi, there is good output from less-renowned writers on non-fiction. Amongst the many books on corporate survival, there are two interesting books which help novices and sophamores.

"Corporate Karate: The Secret Art of Corporate Self-Defence" by Dwayne Lemos will pleasantly surprise you. The author uses plain, crisp copy-writing vocabulary to craft bite-sized paras on how to navigate your way through the corporate jungle. In all 250 tips on everything from freelancing to using a brief case vs.laptop or when to use leaves, how to greet and how avoid  a burnout, it has quite a bit of sagely wisdom thats surprisingly great copy to read and amazing fun to read. Even seasoned careerists will find more nuggets of wisdom in this book than atttending HRD network summits. Rupees Ninety Five is just and added inducement to lap this book in few tea breaks. What I like more about this book, is the no-nonsense approach while giving some insider tips on how to rise to the top navigating the jerks and sharks. He definitely seems to know what's happening in today's organisations  - a variety of them in fact. That should stand you well during crises. Published by BPI India.

Another book: "Building Brand You!" by Mamata R Talukdar and Sanjiv S Chaudhary gives you a more direct low-down on workstation management, social networking, boss handling, carrying yourselves in appearance/meetings/reviews/parties. There's lot of basic advice thats common-sensical and sometimes didactic. But as we say, such books are hard to come by  - the nearest equivalent of a bible for career-builders in the last few years is Subrato Bagchi's "The Professional" which gives as much lifetime wisdom as what any Indian professional can get to stay and thrive in a job. This book is not as much fun as the first book I referred to but still may be basic wisdom and should be reading for anyone getting into his or her first 90 days on the job. Priced at Rs.195.00 and published by Rupa Publications.