REPURCUSSIONS OF THE OUTSIDE WORLD

Been pretty long since my last post, its not that i didn’t have any time to blog ,i just didn’t feel complete to make a post. And everyday something new happens in this mad mad world. So felt like sharing my views on some of the interesting things happening around.

SETTING AN EXAMPLE

Wondering what all this is about??? It’s the man who never fails to impress you with his acts. OBAMA is the name. He has accepted in public that his decision on choosing the cabinet members was wrong. Now tell me one President who would do that. Hats off to u MR.PRESIDENT. And news is that he has also banned smoking in the white house(being a chain smoker himself). Now thats what i call “Playing By The Rules”.

A.R.RAHMAN

I think the name says it all. Congrats to ARR for bringing the BAFTA and GOLDEN GLOBE home. and all thats left is the OSCAR. I’m sure hed bring that home too. Hats off to u Rahman ji. I wanted to make a more detailed post on Rahman, but ill do it sometime else. And have you people heard Delhi-6, if you haven’t try it and get mesmerized. Jai Ho!!!

SLUMDOG-THE BUZZ WORD

Yes, the whole world is talking about it and i am no exception. I’d say its an exceptional movie with a taut screenplay to woo the audiences. The only thing that puts me off is that it is not an INDIAN movie, it’s a Brits movie based on the INDIAN SLUMS with INDIAN actors. I do not see any fairness in the INDIAN MEDIA going gaa ga over it being an INDIAN movie. If at all it wins an OSCAR, it is going straight to Mr.Danny Boyle’s showcase and not comin to India. We should only be proud if Rahman gets 1 for his mindblowing Soundtrack,which he ultimately will. Impossible is Nothing.

GAME-SET-MATCH!!!

This years AUSTRALIAN OPEN saw some of the best tennis ever played. Big seeds crashed out in the men’s draw and for all those who expected the finals would be the most entertaining match, enter FeRNANDO VERDASCO and it was all a dream.

Whoa!!! that boy sure knows to play his aces well. He made Nadal run for his money in the Semi-Final setting the longesst ever battle down under at 5h 14m. And the end result of the semi final read 6-7,6-4,7-6,6-7,6-4. And if that wasn’t enough with just a day’s gap in between Nadal had to play RF in the FINALS. And for all those who thought

For all who thought he is old,

For all who thought he has lost it,

For all who thought he can’t be NO.1 again.

You were right. NADAL was his NEMESIS and this time down under. All federer could do was CRY at the trophy presentation ceremony, this time out of sheer frustration. NADAL is here to stay.

It wasn’t such a bad outing for INDIANS too down under. SANIA(ya you heard that right!!) and MAHESH tasted victory in the Mixed Doubles winning the title with atmost ease. Their temprament was outstanding and i was all at sea watchin SANIA play. They called all the shots!!! one should say.

AUSTRALIA DUMIN-ATED

That was the story the whole cricketing world is talking about. Australia lost the test series to South Africa 2-1 and literally speaking they lost it to one man JEAN PAUL DUMINY. The Duminy factor turned matches on its heels and knocked australia off the top position in ICC WORLD TEST & ODI RANKINGS. Duminy was just too hot to handle even for the mighty Aussies.

LIONS HUNTED

The Lankan Lions were Humbled by Dhoni’s Boys at their own backyard. The men in blue pipd the Lankans 4-1 in a 5 match ODI series and BROTHERS IN ARMS(Yusuf & Irfan Pathan) destroyed any hope of their T20 Win. Hmmn!!! the big question is WHERE IS MENDIS NOW??? it’s all for u to answer, use your imagination.

YES W.I CAN!!!

West Indies(W.I) humiliated England by bowling them out for just 51 runs in the first test at the Carribean. A lead of just 74 runs was more than enough to get an innings victory. Glimpses i shoud say of perfect fast bowling display by JR TAYLOR and CO has left England in the Ruins. Hmmn!!! Too hot to handle i guess??

SOLD OUT!!!

IPL saw yet another auction and Dhoni was jointly Pipd by KP and FREDDIE as the highest paid being sold for a record price of 1.65m(7.65 Crores). Thats a lotta money. Chennai Super Kings bagged Flintoff and The Test team of Mr.Mallya The Bangalore Royal Challengers Bagged KP. Among other big names Neeta Ambani povketed Duminy and Juhi Chawla pocketed Mortaza for $650,000 almost 12 times his base prize. All we can do is wait and watch all these Fishes in action to say who got the best catch!!!

CHEL-SACK!!!

Chelsea has sprung out yet another surprise showing the door to LUIZ FELIPE SCOLARI. Just 7 months into his job SCOLARI was shown the exit by Chelsea Owner Roman Abrahamovich. It is to note that he was the third manager in 18 months. And he was sacked because they were losing…thats Saddddddddddd!!! And now Guus Hiddink is on board lets just see how long he stays or is made stay.

ON TOP!!!

Manchester United beat all odds and are now sitting pretty on the top of the Championship table. And they have gone the longest without conceding a goal. Now that’s quite an achievement. Glory Glory Man Utd!!!

AHEM BRAHMASMEE!!!

RATING:

Finally the spectacle had arrived. Bala’s magnum opus Naan kadavul was released a week ago and has surpassed all expectations. Watching it was a magical experience and such films should be entertained. It was pure cinema(more hard hitting than bala’s any other creation). The way in which he had potrayed the Underworld mafia and life of AGHORI saints makes the film worth the wait. And to top it all was some spellbinding performances from ARYA and POOJA(National awards confirmed!!!). And if all that wasn’t just enough there was Maestro Ilayaraja who made a strong impact with his superficial music. A winner of all sorts is this movie. Although the family audiences and faint hearted may call it crude, the movie is here to stay and take TAMIL CINEMA to greater heights. Ahem Brahmasmee!!!!

KABBADI KABBADI!!!

RATING:

Yet another impressive attempt on the silverscreen. Although it runs on the lines of Chak De!!, Lagaan etc…this one is fresh…very fresh. The director has coming out in flying colours with wat ever he wanted to tell the audiences. Although the climax could have been different, this one makes an impact. The comedy is impeccable esp. the one in the Parotta Stall. Watching it in Trichy made it all the more special. Awesome performances with some well etched characters this movie will always be close to your heart. And it is also based on a true story. Well done Director.

WHO’S DUNNIT????

When the indian police and government are busy finding how Pakistan was involved, there is this funny man named Yusuf Raza Gilani who amazingly is the PM of Pakistan who has found different answers for the question. The Answer is a different “NO” everytime in different voice modulations. And the biggest comedy of all is they are also declaring Kasab as a terrorist and want him handed over to them so that they could try him(What atrocious comedy!!!). Now atleast today they hav accepted 26/11 was planned in Pakistan(Finally!!!). Now they will take another year to actually plan what to do next. Phew!!

SRI RAM SENA

Pera ketta Udaney Summa Athirudhilla!!!(After hearing the name it shakes u!!! Literally). It seems their main activity is to go around kicking and creating controversies. 2 girls beaten up at a mangalore pub. Hmmn tomro its Valentines Day, i guess they will be keenly watchin as to kick whose butt and they call it MORAL Policing. Jai Muthalik!

And my brain is drained now, so until next post ALVIDA!!!

DELHI-6-Music Review

MUSIC: A.R.RAHMAN

LYRICS: PRASOON JOSHI, VIVIANNE POCHA, CLAIRE.

RATING: 

The new year has started on a high for ARR after his golden run at the golden globe awards and here he is back with his first release of 2009. The Rang de Basanti duo of Rahman and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra have joined hands once again to give us a swashbuckling album.

Masakkali (Mohit Chauhan)

The song that we got very used to in the teasers. A wonderful tune by Rahman with a tinge of naughtiness and fun quotient in it. I never did know that Mohit Chauhan could sing so well. An excellent song with the right mix and fun filled lyrics hits the bulls eye.

Bhor Bhaye (Shreya Ghoshal, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Gujri Todi)

A perfectly INDIAN kind of song with a wonderful classical influence. Might not be a big hit at an instant hearing but grows on you as u keep on hearing to this number. Shreya has sung her heart out while Ustad and Gujri todi give her great support. Some great instrumentation makes this song a classical masterpiece.

Noor (Amitabh Bachchan)

Not exactly a song. This is a small rendition by Big B. Watch out for the music playing in the backround, it is celestial.

Aarti(Tumre Bhavan Mein) (Rekha Bharadwaj, Kishori Gowariker, Shraddha Pandit, Sujata Majumdar)

A very similiar track to the one we have heard in RDB. A song to rejoice and hear along with your grand parents.

Ghenda Phool (Rekha Bharadwaj, Shraddha Pandit, Sujata Majumdar)

A marriage song for sure. Set with an oye oye oye prelude which is followed by some beats. A great improvisation by the maestro is visible from its interludes. Rekha Bhardwaj has given a great feel to the song with her mesmerising voice after Chinnamaa Chilakamma. A winner from its start goes straight into the heart.

Dil Gira Dafatan (Ash King, Backing Chinmayee)

Wow!!! what a song from the magic maestro. The music just grows on you as the song spans out and it is no less than a chart buster. Ash King being a London born Indian has given the right fell to the song and chinmayee as usual rocks with her voice although she has very few lines. Shows the way Rahman gets the best from his artists. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful from beginning to end, this track showcases why A.R. Rahman is the best music director in India. Thums way up for this brave and beautiful track that will move your soul!

Hey Kalaa Bandhar (Naresh Iyer, Karthik, Srinivas, Bony Chakaravarthy)

A wonderful experiment by Rahman that comes off beautifully. An entirely different song from the rest in the album, Kalaa Bandhar is given the exact feeling by its singers. The rocking Karthik, the swashbuckling Naresh Iyer and Srinivas with Rap by Bony Chakaravarthy take the song one notch up with their voices. Athough certain hummings reminds us of Yuvvraaj(the ooh hummings), it is an engaging listen. It’s odd, and has a wandering techno beat, but the quirky lyrics and the interlude with the Arabic style singing adds a nice touch. Where’s the monkey???

Rehna Tu (A.R.Rahman, Benny Dayal, Tanvi shah)

A soothing melody with amazing vocals, the voice of Rahman just lifts the song to the heavens. It is such a wonderful song that will be the new anthem for lovers from this very moment. The layered voices that support him include Rahman’s mainstay Benny Dayal and Tanvi. It’s jazzy, it’s funky, and it’s Rahman being playfully creative by combining different styles of music. We didn’t get one of those in “Ghajini” or “Yuvvraaj”, the one for which he takes the mic. His voice just puts you into a meditative trance.

Delhi-6 (Blaaze, Benny Dayal, Vivinenne Pocha, Tanvi, Claire)

Yeh Dilli hai mere Yaar!!!!…Keep singing along with this track. A perfect Hip-Hop album with some great instrumentation and mad guitaring. The “Khalbali” of Delhi-6 for sure. Yeh Delhi hai mere yaar…bas ishq mohabbat pyaar. Great job by the singers too make it an instant hit among listeners.

Arziyan(Maula Maula) (Javed Ali, Kailash Kher)

A masterful end to the album with a qawwali. javed and Kailash just blow u away with their voices in this number that takes you to another place entirely. A song in the ranks of “Kwhaja” and “Marhaban Mustapha”. A song that will long stay in your heats long after you have stopped listening to it. Absolutely a Masterpiece.

Rajster’s Top 3 of the Album:

1. Arziyan(Maula Maula).
2. Dil Giraa Daftaan.
3. Masakkali

P.S: Whoa, it was tough to leave out Rehna Tu and Delhi 6. since its just 3 i will go with the above song. It was a tough job choosing the best 3.

Rajster’s Verdict:

Just when you start thinking how high can Rahman go, the maestro strikes with Delhi-6, a wonderful mix of all generes and shows why he is the master in his trade. He raises the bar even further than what you think he can reach. That’s Rahman for you. 2009 started off well with Luck By Chance and Naan kadavul and it just got better with Delhi-6. So, what are you waiting for. Grab your Cd’s and get mesmerized.

Delhi-6- Yeh Delhi Hai Mere Yaar!!!! Rahman Style.

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE-Movie Review

STARRING: DEV PATEL, FREIDA PINTO, ANIL KAPOOR, IRFAN KHAN.

DIRECTED BY: DANNY BOYLE.

MUSIC PRODUCED & COMPOSED BY: A.R.RAHMAN.

RATING:

Whadda movie, oh my god!!!Who says a slumdog can’t win a million…Any piece of shit could do that says the movie, the only thing you gotta know is the “answers”. An adaptation of the novel “Q&A” by Vikas Swarup,this movie is woven fine by some excellent storytelling by Danny Boyle and Co.

The movie starts off with the Jamal Malik(Dev Patel) in the hotseat of the game show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire hosted by Anil Kapoor, and is about to advance to the final round when the show, which is going out over the air live, breaks for the evening. Audiences have been watching this uneducated kid from the slums advance effortlessly through question after question, and some of them are getting suspicious: How could he know all these answers? He must be cheating. So the police arrest him and torture him — and that is not too strong a word for what they do to poor Jamal — to get him to confess. But Jamal won’t confess. He can’t. He’s not cheating. He knows all these answers, and he will explain how to the police inspector (Irfan Khan).

The very great pleasures of watching Slumdog Millionaire comes in discovering Jamal’s life…His entire life, that leads him to this stage where an answer could fetch him 20 million rupees. There is never a dull moment as all the scenes are woven together with such finesse that u keep carving for more. To add A.R.Rahman’s music is the fourth musketeer in the movie. His soundtracks are just awesome and makes u feel good. The acting by all the indian born actors is just awesome esp. that of the kids who play Jamal and his brother Salim at various incarnations. Their engaging acting and Danny Boyle’s verve of storytelling makes this movie an engaging watch no matter how predictable its ending is!!!. A must watch FEEL GOOD entertainer for all.

Hats off!! to Danny Boyle and Co-Director Loveleen Tandon for this Amazing movie.

JULY…AS IT WAS

Many a happenings takin place in this past month…some good,some bad but all u could ask for…lets peek-a-boo into the past months happenings in a flash

NADAL mowed FEDERRER to lift the Wimbledon trophy…so long for the Federrer era.

Jaane tu…ya jaane na…released and Imran Khan won accolades all over.

The music kings were back with their albums…be it Ilayaraja,ARR,Yuvan or Harris…all gave their best shot in their released albums.

Men in Blue lost as usual in yet another Final…Asia Cup was the occasion and SL,the opponents.

Lewis Hamilton was back in the title hunt after a couple of wins in F1.

How can i miss this, the political drama unfolded in the trust vote which eventually the Govt. survived but left thoughts pondering in many a minds.

INDIA was having a BLAST, 25 bombs in a space of 2 days at 2 different locations, Bangalore and Ahmedabad were made scapegoats. And Surat had scares of unexploded bombs, 20 bombs found and defused.

The Dark Knight released all over and the late Heath Ledger frightened all over with his dark potrayal of THE JOKER…an OSCAR in the reconing.

Federrer is on the Verge of being dethroned from his Numero Uno position.

South Africa won against England to gain the lead in the test series.

India saw their batsmen fail by being crushed to their third worst defeat in all cricketing years…thanks to magical spin bowling by the Mendis-Murli duo…both being equally deadly.

Dasavatharam completed 50 days worldwide and is breaking all records worldwide.

Kuselan has released and is recieving rave reviews.

So with an action packed July all we expect is August to be much more thrilling and rivetting as July…watch out Federrer is going down!!!

SAKKARAKATTI-Music Review

MUSIC: A.R.RAHMAN

LYRICS: NA.MUTHUKUMAR, VAALI, PA.VIJAY, BLAAZE

RATING:

The maestro is back this time in Tamil to make u dance to his tunes with some hip shaking, mind blowing music with all the experimentation’s you can ask for in a Rahman album all of it which gives it a fresh feel. Some songs will take time to sink in as all Rahman songs do but all songs are sure to make u tap ur feet.

Chinnamma (Benny Dayal, Chinmayii)

Adapted from ARR’s earlier film in Hindi “Meenaxi” this song sets off with a brilliant flute composition and Benny Dayal just dazzles with this number. He is the highlight of the song taking over the music and lyrics , just gets you with his haunting voice. Chinmayii falls a little short to cope up with Benny but has done nothing wrong. The background music and percussion’s just blends with the song that is ought to be a huge hit among the masses.

Elay (Naresh Iyer, Krish)

A song that starts off with traces of “Roobaroo” from RDB but then the guitar strumming and violin  which have become Rahman’s obsession just takes over and is the main attraction of the song overshadowing great vocals from both singers. Naresh and Krish do what they do best and this song can go on to become Mustafa Mustafa-Part 2. Na.Muthukumar’s lyrics are just right to make this song click among the youngistan’s.

I Miss U Da (Chinmayii,Indai Haza)

This song is brilliantly set up with Chinmayii chanting the “Eminee…” with her amazing voice and just pulls you into this song. Rahman has done a great job with the background instrumentation to give a unique feel to this song. Chinmayii has put in a lot of effort into the song to give the perfect feel for the song. A song that will be popular among the radio stations.

Marudhaani (Madhushree,A.R.Rahman,Henry)

Rahman proves he is king of melody with this special number which has excellent vocals of Madhushree who has worked hard to get her pronunciations right. ARR disappoints his fans by not singing a number but his humming and perfect background musical support gives a great boost to this wonderful composition from the master. As a fan of ARR i would have loved to see him sing a whole number in this album but you cannot take anything away from this magical piece of melody.

Naan Eppodhu (Reena Bharadwaj)

Great percussion’s and some wonderful music by the maestro take this melodious number to the next level. Although Reena Bharadwaj’s voice is so soothing it sometimes makes you feel she wasn’t suited for the song. Nevertheless another melody from Rahman’s fort.

Taxi Taxi (Benny Dayal,Blaaze,Viviane Chaixe,Javed Ali)

Wow!!!Wat a song…just makes you dance with its initial hearing. Blaaze proves why he is the best in business and sets up this songs for the singers and Benny Dayal and Rashid Ali yet again prove their mettle. The french utterings in the middle of the song by Viviane Chaixe just blends perfectly with the song. A peppy number which has all the variations which is surely going to be the Anthem for youngsters in the coming days.

Rajster’s top 3 of the Album

1. Chinnama
2. I Miss U Da
3. Taxi Taxi

Rajster’s Verdict:

A typical ARR album which is fresh,peppy,fun and has all the right ingredients to make it a clear hit among the masses. Rahman yet again works up his magic in compositions and Shantanu could not ask for a better way to kick start his career in kollywood…and ARR proves that he is still the best in Business…

ADA-A WAY OF LIFE-Music Review

ADA-A WAY OF LIFE

MUSIC: A.R.RAHMAN

LYRICS: RAQUEEB ALAM, NUSRAT BADR

RATING: 4/5

A.R Rahman is back after a decent gap and he has not disappointed his fans. The focus is on melody and the maestro as usual has spent a lot time on improving the instrumentation and overall quality as it is evident in the final product. This album is for the typical Rahman fan and will not please the rap junkies.

Mehrbaan (A.R Rahman)

Rahman has sung this mesmerizing song. This is sure to become a major hit of 2008. The lyrics of Raqeeb Alam are equally impressive.The song starts with an impressive piano piece before Rahman gets into his groove. There is a bit of the brit group coldplay in the song.

Mehrbaan (Instrumental)

Rahman must have realized that this was the best song in the album and decided to release a Instrumental version of the song. Sanjeev Thomas impresses with his guitar skills.

Ishq Ada (Rashid Ali)

Rashid Ali is another new comer from the A.R Rahman school of music. This is a jazzy song with an impressive rhythm to it. The guitar interlude just flows through the song. Rashid Ali pleads and begs in this song with some sufi influence.

Hawa Sun Hawa (Sony Nigam and Alka Yagnik)

Another impressive melody sung by the extremely talented Sonu Nigam and Alka Yagnik. Naveen as usual produces magic with his flute. The song reminds me of Rahman from his “Dil Se” days. Alka takes the song to the next level with her haunting voice.

Gum Sum (Sonu Nigam and Alka Yagnik)

A rhythmic tabla based song. Rahman has stuck to the same magical pair of Sonu Nigam and Alka Yagnik and the end result is another good song. The song is free flowing and pleasant.

Gulfisha ( Sonu Nigam , Sunidhi Chauhan and Viviane)

Sunidhi has always impressed me and this song has only proves that she is a versatile singer. This is a highly stylish song and she has fitted very well into it. Sonu is at his best as usual.

Tu Mera Hai (Chithra , Sukhwinder Singh and Naresh Iyer)

Another impressive song sung by the evergreen Chithra. Sukhwinder gives her good company. Naresh Iyer has become a standard inclusion in all Rahman albums even though he is not utilized to his fullest extent in this musical score. The song changes track and slowly transforms into a Ghazal.

Hai Dard ( Udit Narayan)

A sad song and Udit fits the bill perfectly. Pay close attention to the heavy metal piece and the Arabic interlude in the middle. This is an average song but Udit elevates the song into something much more than that with his soulful rendition.

Ishq Ada ( Parul Mishra)

Parul is another newcomer. I liked this song better than the male version. There is a sense of innocence in Parul’s voice which makes it more natural and refreshing.

Milo Wahan Wahan(Alka Yagnik and Jayachandran)

Another sad song but the sorrow is so meticulously depicted by both the music director and the singers. Jayachandran and Alka sing their hearts out in an extremely controlled rendition in this highly melodramatic but melodious song which only Rahman can create.

Top 3 of the Album

1. Meherbaan( Both Versions)
2. Ishq Ada Hai ( Male Version)
3. Milo Wahan Wahan

It is a perfect album with blends of all kinds of music. Some songs takes time to get a catch on you like all Rahman songs do, you gotta keep listening to the tracks again and again to know how good they are. Much like slow poison stuff. Grab a cd and join this melodious and melancholy ride into the world of A.R.Rahman. A good Album if not the Best. A.R.Rahman again proves he is the king of music.