Rajkummar Rao is brilliant as 'Newton Kumar' in Newton.
Newton leaves you with many open questions, who is right/wrong is left to the viewer. Newton Kumar, a law-abiding and honest government official part of the electorial reserve staff is given the burdensome task of conducting election in a naxal infected forest area of Chattisgarh. Newton faces hurdle after hurdle at his election booth to get his 76 tribal voters to vote, This forms the plot of India's official entry to the Oscars this year.
The fact that Newton Kumar has high regard for the constitution and elections is justified by the poster of Ambedkar in his room. The film throws light on the problems faced by Scheduled Tribes in India, often harrassed by the men of power and authority, they have little faith in the government. They often find themselves between the government and the naxals. The film succeeds in showing the might of the Indian elections as well as it's downfalls. One of the most striking scenes of the film is a tribal shaking his head and saying nothing will change for them no matter who comes to power.
Rajkumar Rao is brilliant as the often eccentric Newton Kumar, adding his touch of mannerisms to the character. Newton is not a film that would appeal to all, but is a definite must watch for people looking for good cinema.
'ഇവനെ പാലത്തുമെന്നു തള്ളി ഇട്ടാലോ..' is what Nivin says about Althaf Salim's character in the 'Pathivayi' song in Premam. We are glad that he didn't have to come to it. We watched Althaf's directorial debut the aptly titled 'ഞണ്ടുകളുടെ നാട്ടിൽ ഒരു ഇടവേള' and loved it. A film that you can watch and enjoy along with your family and friends. While many debut film makers fall prey to stardom and mass masala subjects(read 'Kasaba'), Althaf chose to do a different theme, one on the struggles in the life of a Cancer patient and their family(read middle class). Which is something that deserves mention and applause. Not only has he highlighted the struggles, he has sketched the topic and thoughts in a humorous way, taking occasional hard hitting digs at the society we live in and the stigma that surrounds cancer. The plus of the film ultimately is the humor laid narrative and the optimism that it carries.
Njandukalude Naatil oru Idavela promotional poster.
The film starts off with a day in the life of Sheela (Shanthi Krishna), a bold women, lecturer, wife, mother of three living a peaceful life with her family somewhere in Kochi. Things take a twist as she doubts symptoms of breast cancer, she soon shares the news with her husband Chacko who immediately goes panic mode 'on'. The plot unveils as she calls up her only son Kurian from London to Kerala, who believes his parents has arranged for his marriage. The film then goes on to discuss all the events in a cancer patient's life, from breaking the news to your dear ones to different stages of chemo, hair loss, waiting for results and ultimately recovery. All these events are presented in a mature yet humorous narrative. There are often digs at the society who are often rude and compassion less to cancer patients and their family.
The beautiful and talented Shanti Krishna makes a comeback with 'Sheela Chacko'
Coming to casting, Shanti Krishna steals the show as Sheela Chacko, the bold and strong protagonist of the film. It would be hard to imagine someone else essaying the role once you have finished the film. Then there is Lal, for whom this is yet another casual role. Nivin Pauly plays a character similar to the one in Jacobinte Swargarajyam here and plays his part well. Ahaana Krishna gets some spotlight after the much loved 'Njan Steve Lopez' and lives up to her role. The rest of the cast has also played their parts well. There are some beautiful songs in the film, with 'Nanavere' being our favorite. Then there is the 'Enthavo' song. The music is by we believe a debutant Justin Varghese who has done some great work for the film. Mukesh Muraleedharan's cinematography is also something that adds to the value of the film. My wife loved the way his frames captured the beautiful 'Chacko' house with all it's plants and flowers. What we also liked about the film is the fact it doesn't revolve around one character, everyone in the Chacko family has an almost equal screen space. Lastly we should thank 'Pauly jr' productions for welcoming yet another talented director to our Industry. To summarize, The film is a family entertainer that discusses a much relevant issue in Kerala at the moment in a way that is refreshingly new and everything but depressing. Take a break in the land of crabs and watch it with your family and friends.
Ever since watching 'Gone Girl', I wanted to grab a Gillian Flynn book and read it. It was on Amazon that I came across 'The Grownup'. The deal was a steal and I bought it. The book took me around an hour and half to read. The protagonist is a street smart young women who earns a living by giving hand-jobs and doubling up as an 'Aura' expert. The story soon takes a turn as she meets Susan Burke, who wants help with her troubled step-son Miles and the 'haunted' house she believes she lives in. The rest is for you to read on. I wouldn't say it is one of the best thrillers out there, but for a story this short to keep you engaged is some gift. The author towards the end of the book leaves you with two stories to choose from, leaves you puzzled and thinking. Gillian Flynn has the uncanny ability of creating a mystery surrounding the main characters, the pattern is followed here as well. I am not an avid reader and I love reading books that are short and good. 'The Grownup' is one such book, Keep your expectations in check and this book just might end up surprising you. I will definitely read more of Gillian, 'The Gone Girl' is next. Happy reading.
There are a plethora of articles on the Internet about Sachin Tendulkar and his classic straight drive. As straight drive is to the maestro is the 'Pull' shot to Rahul Dravid. How elegantly he plays it and deserves as much if not more praise than his square cuts, cover drives and leg glances. The balance and control over the shot is amazing, as if he has pulled a million times already. The beauty of the signature Dravid pull shot is that he rarely pulls it in the air, the shots are angled down minimizing risk of being caught.
Here I came across a youtube video titled 'Bowling machine firing bouncers at team india'. The thumbnail had Suresh Raina standing against a bowling machine waiting, little did I expect Dravid to be in the video. While Suresh Raina struggles against the shortball, Gambhir does Ok. Next walks in the Wall himself and shows them how it's done. This video is a classic example separating the legends from the men.
Raina, Gambhir and Rahul Dravid face the bouncer against a bowling machine.
Here is another one from Youtube where he pulls the legendary 'Lance Klusener' to the fence.
Rahul Dravid pulls Lance Klusener delivery for four.
Most players who play the pull shot to perfection are legends, my favorite being Ricky Ponting. Ponting seems effortless pulling deliveries up and over the fence. He does it with such ease and
Let us know who plays the best Pull shots in comments. :)
I belong to that category of people who were shocked to hear that Dulquer had won the state award for his performance in Charlie. The same award that has been graced by legends like Sathyan, Bharat Gopi, Mammootty, Mohanlal, Thilakan and many others.
Dulquer Salmaan in and as 'Charlie'
Having got the DVD and having watched it a few times again, I see how Duluqer has done justice and more to the Happy-go-lucky character of 'Charlie'. The energy and small nuances he has put into the role is amazing. From the current crop of lead actors in Malayalam Cinema, I can't imagine someone else suited for the role. There are a few scenes in the movie worth mentioning that Dulquer has acted out with grace. An example would be the scene with Ranji Panicker's character Asi and Charlie having an argument over the death prank by Charlie. Charlie then explains about the thrill he got from doing the same, the dialogue delivery and nuances were brilliant in this one.
Dulquer's emotional scene from 'Charlie'.
But there are definite shades of Mohanlal in Dulquer's portrayal. How I wished Mohanlal had done 'Charlie' at his prime, no disrespect meant to Dulquer, but 'Charlie' seems to be tailor made for Mohanlal, The happy-go-lucky nomadic daring central character. I have already wrote about the same in a previous blog post.
This was one of the most anticipated projects in Travel and Transportation sector of the state last year. Everything happened in quick time, the announcement, the delivery of hydrofoil boats. This was big news back in July 2016, which was 8 months back. Many leading newspapers reported the same and touted it would be a big boost to the tourism and transportation industry. Owned by a private establishment, the Cochin Port Trust had announced they would charge a nominal fee as rent and government also announced a subsidy of Rs 1/KM in the travel fare for each person, encouraging more investments on this sector. Announced for launch in September last year, there is still no news on the project or the boats.
Newspaper clipping on Hydrofoil Boats in Malayala Manorama
The highlight of the project was that it could carry up to 130 people from Trivandrum to Calicut via Cochin in around 5 hours. Trivandrum to Kochi in 2 hours and from Kochi to Kozhikode in 3 hours, which would other wise would take around 4 hours each in minimal traffic. Though fares are a little on the higher side(1000rs - 1200), people travelling could have had the advantage of time. The boats, which are fully air-conditioned also have pantries on board.
So where are the two Hydrofoil boats, that reached Cochin from Athens, Greece. Have they been rusting to death all this time ?. The project was announced by a private establishment ‘Safe Boat Trip’ ( https://www.facebook.com/safeboattrip/ ). You can write to them asking for a speedy yet safe implementation of this project. We are not quite sure how government would be able to help in this regard.
Some people call Charlie, a modern day version of 'Unnikale or Kadha Parayam'. Many comparisons have been drawn over time about Dulquer Salman's character in Charlie and Mohanlal. No offence to DQ, but how I wished Mohanlal had done this script at his prime. The character seems to be tailor made for Mohanlal, eccentric and unpredictable characters have always been a cake walk for him.
I was watching this particular scene from Charlie when Soubin's character 'Suni' breaks into Charlie's house. The scene soon breaks into a dialogue sequence over some alcohol. This scene and the mannerisms of Dulquer reminded me of Mohanlal and I am sure that I have seen this scene many times before, especially when he says the dialogue below and the body language that goes with it,
പേരായാൽ ഒരു മജ്ജ വേണം.. കാൾ മാർക്സ്.. റോസാ ലക്സമ്പർഗ്.. വി എസ് അച്യുതാനന്ദൻ.. വി എസ് ഒപി.. ഇത് ചുമ്മാ സുനികുട്ടൻ ..
The house break-in scene from Charlie.
I remember reading this article where B Unnikrishnan compared Dulquer's character in Charlie and Mohanlal during the time of release.
Another lazy Saturday evening at our bachelor flat in Kochi when I stumbled across an old film, Utharam.
Utharam - 1988
The film was born at a time when Mammootty and investigative thrillers were a thing. The premise of the film is interesting and puzzling. A mishap kills Selina Joseph(Suparna), a budding and talented poet at her house. Planter Joseph played by Sukumaran is depressed after having lost his wife. Joseph and Selina has had a happy life together and there is little reason to suspect a suicide. Joseph is restless to know if it's a mishap or a suicide, This is when Mammotty's character Balachandran comes to the scene. A journalist and close friend of the couple, Balachandran is equally puzzled with the affairs. Joseph asks Balachandran to dig deep and solve the mystery, if any. The story of Balachandran solving the mystery of Selina's death forms the plot of this thriller.
What makes this film special is it's screenplay by MT Vasudevan Nair. A screenplay that is reminiscent of Hitchcock thrillers and a lead character that has shades of a mini Sherlock. The film is directed by V.K. Pavithran. Shankaradi, Sukumari, Parvathy and Innocent are also part of this film. This would go down easily to the list of best investigative thrillers in Malayalam cinema.
It was on Youtube that I came across this video of a Trophic cascade, after a pack of wolves were introduced to the Yellowstone National Park in the United States. A trophic cascade is a chain of events that starts at the top of a food chain and cascades down to the bottom. Watch the two videos below to know more,
The wolves and Yellowstone National Park.
The video is amazingly beautiful and intriguing. This particular Youtube channel Sustainable Human also has a few other videos on the same topic and also on nature. There was one more that caught my attention on how Whale population is critical for Oceans.
The whales and the ocean.
The video dismisses the claim that killing whales are good for fish population of the sea. The beauty of Trophic cascades are amazing. I have also read similar stories on Shark Population etc. It is amazing to read and know how nature works and rejuvenates itself. Do have a read on Trophic cascades if you love nature and our planet.
I am really fond of Animals and believe that animals needs to be treated with respect. Be it livestock or otherwise. There is growing unrest after a number of people were attacked by dogs in Kerala. People are going to extreme measures like culling and massacre of dogs, Which I feel is very immature and uncalled for. Everybody wants a hasty remedy for the stray dog menace. It is disturbing to see educated people like Kochaouseph Chitilappally of V-guard and Veegaland promoting violence against animals.
The tolerance point for me was when a group of school students in Kochi was made to take a pledge which encouraged the culling of strays. A message wrong on many different levels, It is equal to telling/reassuring a child that hurting animals is fine. I would want my children to learn compassion at school and not violence. I feel immense hatred towards the school authorities who allowed ignorant people like Jose K Maveli to speak to the children on the issue. Children should decide for themselves how they want to treat animals. Let them come to their conclusions on the subject when they grow up.
We have had countless discussions in our bachelor flat on the topic, as usual me on the side of finding a humane and viable solution and them on the other side that killing is the only solution. My points were the following,
It is important to have the maturity to understand that the stray dog issue is not a standalone problem that Kerala faces. The number of stray dogs have increased proportionally with poor waste management strategies.
Kerala needs to immediately address and come up with better waste management solutions before we can talk on the stray dog issue.
I agree that there are vicious dogs, which is a minority again. Dogs are animals that are dependent on human beings. Instead of killing the vicious dogs, all dogs are being killed in Kerala. It is equivalent as killing all people in a place just because one person has committed a crime.
I suggest we go towards more humane solutions rather than mass culling of animals. It poorly reflects on us and sets out a bad example for the generations to come. Sterilization and widespread awareness of programs like ABC(Animal Birth Control) by government would go a long way.
More adoption drives and fund raising activities towards rehabilitation of animals.
I also questioned the genuineness of Chitilappally on the issue, which they couldn't digest. Chitilappally to them is a saint, and it is wrong to criticize him unless I myself has donated a Kidney( Which I then have to report to all news dailies ). The really sad part is the mentality that culling of dogs is fine, not a big deal.
The points they have raised and my replies are as follows,
What if you had lost a dear one ? Would you still support the stray dog menace ?
Gladly I haven't and I have never seen such dogs in my area. This might sound immature to you but I definitely don't feel an eye for an eye does any good in the world.
Dogs have bitten children while inside their homes.
It is really unfortunate that this has happened. There is no justifying this. Still it was children who were left unattended that were attacked by dogs. Parents do have to be more responsible.
If you like dogs then why don't you adopt one ?
I already have a dog at home and at present me not being home, I don't want my parents to look after another dog just because I want them to. Once I am back home I am considering adopting one from Street dog watch Trivandrum. However I have made small contributions to groups like People for Animals Trivandrum who have been working towards betterment and rehabilitation of animals. Something that I can do as of now.
If Killing of Animals is not right ? Why do you eat meat ?
The animals I eat are livestock, they are animals raised for our food needs. They are not like dogs. Dogs are not raised for food at least in India. However my take on livestock is that the way these animals are treated also has to change. These animals also have to be treated with more space. I have read somewhere that it is illegal in India even to kill an animal in view of other animals. But government doesn't have people to check if these animal regulations are in place for livestock.
If you can kill mosquitoes you can kill dogs too.
This is baseless. Mosquitoes do no good to the world or us.
Coming back to topic, I happened to see a documentary by Asianet News today, which talks in detail of these issues. This could easily be one of the best TV programs made on the issue with an open mind.
Street Dog lovers | Anweshanam 26 Oct 2016
I really wish that people and government takes inspiration from the video and work towards a humane solution to the problem. Let us not heed to people who propose for hasty solutions. We all share this world and their lives are as important.
A lesson learned while reading the book 'Think and Grow Rich'. It was a lazy Saturday night back home when I grabbed the copy that I had bought online almost an year back. The book by Napoleon Hill is a self help book and I should say that I am totally into it just after two chapters.
Into this first chapter of the book I came across the story of R.U. Darby. The story struck me real hard. I could very well relate to it. I pondered over it for almost a day. It is said that this story is famously known among insurance sellers around the globe. The story of an entrepreneur who stopped 3 feet from Gold.
Three feet from Gold inspired Cartoon.
The story stresses on the point how people are broken down by temporary defeat. I could relate to it easily and have been there umpteen times. The story goes like this, Darby and his uncle buys a mining field and tries luck at digging for a fortune, few weeks after they strike Gold. Excited, they put all their life savings and money borrowed from relatives to buying gold mining equipment. As they expected they did find more gold and by the looks of it, It looked like the biggest gold mine in the Colorado region. Soon disaster struck and they couldn't find any more gold. They dug deeper with hope until it reached a point of desperation. They decided it was time to give up, decided there was no point in going further. At this point came a man who willingly bought the mining land at a cheap price.
The new property owner however decided he will give it a shot and so he did. He sought expert advice and they found Gold 3 feet from where RU Darby and his uncle had stopped digging. If only they had gone 3 more feet deeper.
Often many of us, I know one for myself have many times stopped 3 feet from gold. We give up easily. We are often desperate and give up easily, who knows if you push 3 more feet and end up striking a fortune. This lesson is embedded to me right now, I will not easily give up from now. I will push myself a little more.
I have always had entrepreneurship dreams, this is one lesson every wanna be entrepreneur should read about. The striking part of the story is that Darby learned from his mistakes and later founded one of the biggest insurance companies in the US.
More than a documentary, 'Before the Flood' is a message to the world from Leonardo Dicaprio. A message that if we don't act now, we are doomed before we know it. Before the Flood is Leo's journey around the globe in the past two years and the shocking revelations that he came across.
The documentary is very bold and there are some very strong allegations and criticism made against corporations and politicians in the US. Even Barack Obama is not spared. Leo takes a lot of criticism heads on as well, like the conversation with Sunita Narain, who heavily criticized US and it's lifestyle for global warming. There are also bits and parts of media clippings that criticize UN for selecting him as an ambassador.
A few scenes from the documentary
The positive note about the documentary is that it doesn't stop at highlighting global warming issues, it goes a step ahead and provides solutions. Solutions that are viable. Loved the Elon Musk entry and him suggesting that 100 Tesla model Giga factories would solve the energy issues with the world.
Media and some might call him and 'Before the Flood' a publicity stunt. Stunt or not, Leo has done something very few people have done. He is doing his part and creating awareness. This documentary again is not about Leonardo Dicaprio, it is about each and everyone of us. How we can make a contribution even if small to decrease global warming. 20-25 years from now when it's too late, there will be Leo with a wry smile on his face that reads 'I told ya losers'. Let us hope we doesn't get to that point.
I write this with the extreme guilt of having watched the pirated copy of this beautiful film. This guilt I feel is a testimony to the film itself. When I watched Guppy's trailer for the first time I knew something different was on offer. I was to watch the film in cinemas, work and laziness had the best of me.
The DVD released a couple of days back and my Facebook wall is full of Guppy posts now. People saying how good it is and regretting not having watched it. I checked if the film is available to rent out on YouTube, sadly it wasn't. Hence the urge to grab a pirated copy. So I managed to get a 480p version of the film and started watching it.
The film is starts off with the start of day in Guppy's life, a boy in his teens living with his handicapped mother. Then starts the 'Thira Thira' song, which I liked a lot. The song takes you through the life of the seashore village. Few beautiful aerial shots are the highlight of the song. Guppy earns his livelihood from selling Guppy fishes to people in town, He saves money to buy his mother a new wheel chair. All is well for Guppy when Thejas Varky played by Tovino comes to start the construction of a new railway over-bridge. Guppy and Varky gets into a rift and what follows forms the story of Guppy.
Chethanlal in Guppy
The casting of the film is really good, from Chethanlal, Tovino, Alencier Ley, Sreenivasan, Rohini, Sudheer Karamana. The child actors who played Guppy's friends deserves a mention here. They all were really natural in their scenes. Chetanlal is someone Malayalam Cinema can look forward too in the future. Tovino again through this film reminds us of his presence. I hope he does more such films in the future and finds his rightful place in the industry.
The film has some of the most beautiful frames in recent times. The art team has put in a lot of blood and sweat and it really adds to the beauty of the film. The music is something I really really really loved, from peppy tracks like 'Thira Thira' and 'Gabrielinite' to the soulful and my personal favorite 'Mizhikal Thulumbiyo' sung by Masala Coffee's very own Sooraj Santhosh. The songs have found a place in my favorite track list already. The music director is Vishnu Vijay, who I feel is a debutant. Man what a debut if it is one ! You will go places Vishnu. All the very best brother.
Mizhikal Thulumbiyo - Guppy Song
John Paul George, You are an extremely talented director. Guppy is a testimony to this fact. Wishing you the very best for future films. I am sure people will flock in for your movies to come.
Next time this team is back with a film, I will be in theater. I have already ordered the DVD version from Amazon. I suggest everyone who feels bad about not watching this film in theatre should buy a copy for themselves. The DVD would just cost you around Rs 130, half of what a 1GB internet pack costs you. Trust me 'Guppy' is a film that deserves to be watched in High Definition. But if somebody from the team is reading this, next time please have a rental release on Youtube as well.
