And the winner is.....

Airtel Super Singer show has been the talk of the town in last few months. The grand Finale took place in Chennai today and the three finalists "Renu", "Ajish" and "ravi" performed live.

To put it in a nut shell, it was mind blowing. And the winner of the title is,

Super Singer,

"Ajish".

Of course, this is what many of us would have predicted.

There were two rounds today.

1st round:

Ajish - Ninaithu Ninaithu (7G), Renu - Nenjodu Kalandhidu (Kadhal Konden) and Ravi - Kan munne (Thulluvadho Ilamai). All three performed really well and Renu's song selection wasn't appealing even though she sang it really well.

2nd round:

Ajish - Sangeetha Jaadhi mullai (Kadhal Oviyam), Renu - Hairama (Rangeela) and Ravi - Kallai mattum kandal (Dasa).

Ravi's performance in this round was definitely not his best and it is mainly because of song selection i guess. I was not impressed. But Renu, with her honey soaked voice sang Hairama so so beautifully. It was out-of-the-world singing. Ajish - Wow.... Mind blowing... I would rate his singing in this round as his best till date. Everything was perfect in his singing this time. I usually get disappointed with his voice (nasal voice. Not open singing). But he excelled in this round. Kudos!!!

What disappointed me here was Renu finishing at 3rd place. Even though I knew that she cannot be the winner, i expected her to be the runner. But Ravi took that spot!! However, Ravi deserved that spot for his consistence. He has been the only singer to be consistent throughout the show. Thumbs Up!!!

So what else... We soon can hear Ajish's voice in Yuvan's album.

Congratulations Ajish!! Wish you all the best!!!

Going by what people on the stage spoke, I guess all three finalists would get a chance to sing in Tamil Films. If so, I'm very much happy and i'm eager to hear Renu's voice! Yes, she was my favorite! :-)

Regards,
Vinith...

Keywords: Airtel super singer finals, finale, renu, ravi, ajish, ajeesh, vijay tv super singer, grand finale

Awards or Insults?

A funny thing that has happened recently in Tamil Nadu is the announcement of “Kalai Mamani” awards for cine artists for their contribution (????) to Tamil Cinema. A decade ago, Kalai Mamani award was observed as one of the most prestigious awards. But now this has turned out to be an insult to some recipients and to the award itself. The award has lost its respect.

Insulting the Award:

Couple of years ago when I read “Kalai Mamani” awards for Surya, Jyothika and few other artists, I couldn’t stop laughing and I pitied the award.

Then last year it was irritating to see Trisha’s name in the award list. (For beach dance?)

This nonsense has gone one step further this year. I feel that it is an insult to “Kalai Mamani Award” that they have included Simbu, Asin, Nayanthara, Vaiyapuri and most interestingly Kanja Karuppu, Jayam Ravi etc in the list.

What have Asin, Nayantara and Kanja Karuppu achieved in Tamil Cinema? Most of them have not even completed 5 years in Filmdom. How the hell are they eligible for this prestigious (?) award? Most of them do not know to speak Tamil properly. Nonsense!!!!

Insulting the recipients:

And the most insulting part is the yesteryear actor, our very own PadmaShri, PadmaBushan “Saroja Devi” has been included in the list along with these kiddos. Lol. I feel it as an insult to Saroja Devi.

Does it take 54 years to accept Saroja Devi as an actor and her contribution to Tamil Films? She has already been felicitated with PadmaShri (1969) four decades ago and Padma Bhushan (1992) one and a half decade ago. Now, this is certainly an insult to her. I don’t know how she feels. But as a fan, I feel that she has been insulted.

"KalaiMamani" Simbu

"KalaiMamani" Kanja Karuppu

"KalaiMamani" Asin

"KalaiMamani" Nayanthara

"KalaiMamani" Saroja Devi....

Sounds great... Isn't it??


Future list:

Don’t be surprised if you see Perarasu, J K Ritheesh in the 2009 Kalai Mamani Awards list. It may happen.

Wake up TN Govt!!!

Tags: Kalaimamani award asin nayanthara simbu, Saroja devi, Kalaimamani Sarojadevi, Kalaimamani awards 2008.


Angry, :x :x :x

Vini…

Double Delight!!!

The nail biting moments in Oscars have ended up very positively..... I was one of the millions of people who were watching Oscar moments live....

India's Oscar Dream has come true!!!

ARR has won two Oscar Awards for both Original Score and Best Song category.... It's not a delight... It is Double Delight!!! Rasool Pookutty has also won Oscar for India!!! It was very thrilling to see ARR on Oscar Stage!! Phenomenal.... Great.... Achivement.... We are proud!!! At last, the question mark here has been replaced by an Oscar!!! Kudos!!!



It was moving to see an Indian on Oscar Stage. It was emotional. It was a magical moment. The moment is one of the best moments for India. It was a great to see ARR with thunderous applause.

Love you Rahman!!! Thank you so much for bringing home The Oscars!!!

Congratulations!!!!!

You are the Indian of this Year!!!!

And the most beautiful moment is that Rahman said few words in Tamil on the Stage. I think this is the first time our very own Tamil reaches Oscar Stage. A R Rahman said,

"எல்லாப் புகழும் இறைவனுக்கே"

This is the dream of every Indian, every Tamilian. This has been fulfilled by our AR Rahman.

Tags: A R Rahman Oscar, ARR Oscar, Indian Oscar dream, India Oscar, AR Rehman OScar, AR Rahman wins oscar, Slumdog Millionaire Oscar Awards, Oscar Awards for ARR, Oscar Awards for Slumdog Millionaire.


Excited...
Vini....

Another Diamond in ARR's Crown

The success of ARR's score for Slumdog Millaionaire continues. A R Rahman wins BAFTA (The British Academy of Film and Television Arts) for best musical score. Another Diamond in ARR's Crown.

It's known that he has already bagged LAFCA (Los Angles Film Critics Awards) and Golden Globe Award for best Original Score for the movie Slumdog Millionaire. Now, our hero is on his way to bag Oscar Award for Best Original Score. Let's put across our sincere prayers!

Now, that GG on the right and BAFTA on the left of his crown, will Oscar come in the center??? Countdown Starts!!!!


Wish him all the best!!!!

Regards,
Vini...

Naan Kadavul - Movie Review

Discussing the story of Naan Kadavul may become a spoiler. Hence I've decided not to reveal the story here. I'm sharing my opinion on this movie.

First 20 mins was excellent. But movie miserably fails to move on with a good screenplay. There were good scenes too in the first half. Overall the first half was little boring to me. First 5-10 mins in the second of made me regret for the money i spent to watch this movie. No. I was wrong. There comes the turning point, soon after the second half starts. The next 40-50 mins of the movie including the climax is stunning and never seen in Tamil Cinema (or even in Indian Cinema). Bala, as usual excells in characterization. Wonderful attempt Bala :thumbsup:

With scary looks and husky voice Arya has done his best. Except for few mantras and some hindi dialogues, he has nothing to speak/act in the movie. However, he makes his presence felt. Good job man!

Pooja steals the show with her extraordinary performance. Kudos to bala for getting the best out of her. Award nichayam.

Bala’s touch in movies like Pithamagan is not seen much in this movie. But then, there are few scenes which are never seen in cinema. Bala has captured the feel/emotion/lives of those “kai vida pattavargal” (orphans) very beautifully! Words fail to express the impact that it creates in one’s hearts. There are some questions that are asked against god in this movie. Questions may sound valid for atheists.

Music and Camera:
Raja proves that he is god once again in this movie. :clap: :bow: :fall_at_his_feet: His music in second half is terrific. Right from the intro of Arya , where the camera travels from top angle till the climax, the cinematography is outstanding. :clap:

Negative points:
* Why does Bala need 2+ years to make this movie? (108 heroines change pannina aagathaan seiyum :P )
* Playing old songs where few characters imitate MGR, Sivaji, Rajni etc :banghead: Does this kinda sensitive movie require such elements??? :argh: It was boring to see :fatigue:
* Arya comes hardly for 30-45 mins. Bala could have given more importance to Arya's role.
* Only two out of six songs have been included. Injustice to Raaja's composition.


Verdict: A very different cinema that captures the world of “abandoned” which we’ve never seen in tamil cinema. It also brings the business of cunning people behind those orphans to limelight. Barring those few boring scenes, movie is definitely worth watching! Second half elevates the movie. Naan Kadavul - boring at times, stunning at times, funny at times, disturbing at times, scary at times. Overall - worth watching many times.

PS: I strongly recommend you not to watch it with kids or weak hearts.

Indians' Oscar Dream is just 30 Days away

A R Rahman has been nominated for Oscar Award. Yes, he has made the whole India proud by notching up three Oscar Nominations.

• Best Original Score - Slumdog Millionaire
• Best Original Song - Jai ho
• Best Original Song - Oh Saya

Trivia:

• Slumdog Millionaire has won 10 nominations in total.
• There is only one competitor for "Best Original Song" category. A track from Wall E has been nominated with these two songs of Rahman. That indirectly assures that we've won the Award.

Let us put across our prayers and wishes!

I did not think it will get there, it’s unbelievable, says our humbleness personified AR Rahman.

Wish AR Rahman All the Very Best!!!

And, remember,

India's dream of winning an Oscar is just 30 days away.

Exultantly proud and joyful,
Vini...

A Phenomenal Indian has made every Indian Proud

A.R.Rahman wins "2008 L.A Film Critics Award"

A.R.Rahman is a phenomenal in Indian Music. Every year, he wins some awards or recognitions and makes his fans happy. But this year, for a change, his achievement brings us a great joy and pride. This news makes not only his fans happy but also every Indian. This news not only makes you happy, but also makes you feel proud.

Our legend has won an International Award by working for the movie "Slumdog Millionaire". Yes, this Legend has won "2008 L.A Film Critics Award" for best musical score for the movie "Slumdog Millionaire". He has made the whole nation proud.

This news has made me very happy. I'm elated. I'm proud. I can proudly say to my e-pals (of various countries) that our music director has won an international award.

Congratulations to A.R.Rahman for this acheivement and hearty thanks to him for making us proud.

It's widely said that "any actor who gets a nod from the LA critics is sure to win a nomination from the Academy". I wish this comes true. I wish him all the best. Hope he brings home an Oscar!

Ref:

http://www.imdb.com/news/ni0624377/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/12/10/daniel-day-lewis-film-swe_n_76033.html

On Cloud nine,

Vini...

A threatening SMS

Friday - 8 Serial Blasts in Bangalore - 3 feared dead
---------
Saturday - 14 Serial Blasts in Ahmedabad - 30 Dead
---------
Next????

This is the headlines in all the dailies in India. Not only that, this has been the talk in every town in India.

People in major cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkatta, Delhi are living in fear, they are hesitating to go outside, they are worried about their relatives living in the other cities.

At this situation of high fear gripping the people in INDIA, there is an SMS which is being forwarded among people in India. Even I received this SMS. I was totally pissed off on reading this SMS and hence writing this post.

The SMS is "Next attack in Chennai? Terrorists are forming the word BACK. Bangalore Ahmedabad Chennai Kolkatta. They have announced red alert all over India today. Please stay safe. Dont go outside"

I have surfed enough to check if this is true and have confirmed that this is just a fake news which is being spread by some jobless people. Will people not be put under high tension through this SMS?

My instinct says that this is an attempt by some yougsters to ridicule others. Do they enjoy sending this kind of SMS and putting people under hyper tension. What pleasure are they getting in sending such idiotic SMS?

Some of my friends said that this SMS could actually be a caution given to people in Chennai and Kolkatta. But I don't think so.

May god save my country from Terrorists also from such jobless people who indulge in this kind of activities!!!

Did you receive this SMS? If so, I request you to delete this immediately, please do not forward it to others! Thanks!

Regards,
Vinith

Kuselan – Music Review – Why GVP?

One of the much awaited movies of the year is Superstar’s KUSELAN which is the remake of Malayalam classic “Kadha parayum pol”. Young talent GV Prakash has set tunes for Kuselan.
GVP’s tunes for this movie evince that this young talent is not matured enough to compose songs for a Superstar movie. Yes, the songs disappoint. However, the “Rajni” factor would make these songs a big hit.

Cinema cinema – Shankar Mahadevan – Sonorous Orchestration.
The overall orchestration reminds you of Mudhalvane song especially the chorus in the prelude. Shankar Mahadevan, as usual, has sung with a good energy. Rajni fans would surely enjoy the lyrics of Vaali that praise Cinema and Rajnikanth. “avar uruvam paru elimai, andha elimai thane avarukku vaimai… Thalai ganathidatha thalaivan, engal annan mattum than” is an example.

Sollamma – Hariharan, Sujatha – Pleasant Melody, pick of the album.
This song is the pick of the album. Hariharan’s and Sujatha’s rendition is definitely a plus. A neat melody with mild orchestration. Uniqueness in tune and freshness in the song are certainly missing.

Charai – Shreya Ghosal – Cool
A decent tune with shreya’s charming vocals. Good orchestration. The song is worth listening.

Om Zaarare – Daler Mahendi, Chithra, Sadhana Sargam – Mediocre
Tune seems to be okay but doesn’t really stand out. Daler’s rendition fails to impress you. This song again reminds you of “Vaaji vaaji” song of his uncle’s composition. Why GVP?

Perinba – Kailahs kher, Prasanna – Already played
No big difference between composer’s first composition “Veyilodu vilayadi” and this song.

Verdict of Vinith:

A mediocre album. GVP has not done something great to Kuselan. It’s P.Vasu’s mistake that he roped GVP in for this movie. Vidyasagar-Vasu-Rajni trio would have done something better for Kuselan.

A treat to Rajni fans but not to Music lovers. Better luck next time GVP!

Regards,

Vinith

Dasavatharam Movie Review

At last, the most awaited movie of the year is out. Does it live up to the expectations?

Fantastic 15 minutes

Movie kicks off with Kamal’s speech in a meeting. He narrates a story of Clash between Saivam (Siva) and Vainavam (Vishnu) which happened in 1200 AD. The Chola King (Napoleon), a devotee of Lord Shiva issues an order to remove the Lord Vishnu’s Idol from a temple and to put it under the sea. Rangaraja Nambi (Kamal) appears on the screen saying "Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan" and fights against the men but in vain. Chola King issues Nambi a warning that he’ll leave Nambi alive if says “Om Namachivaya” once else Nambi will also get under the sea along the Idol. Nambi’s wife Kothai (Asin) and other relatives ask him to say “Om Namachivaya” to save his life. Silence for few seconds. Kamal starts saying “Om……”, however he ends up saying “Namo Narayanaya”. Kallai Mattum song starts. Nambi is tied to the idol and thrown into the sea. This breathtaking first 15 Minutes is the best part of the movie. Kallai mattum song picturization song is really good.

Then comes the US based scientist Govind Ramasamy (Kamal) who is a part of the team that produces biological weapons. They develop a deadly virus (Vial hereafter) for anti-social elements. Govind later realizes that his boss Sethu is trying to sell this Vial to a terrorist group. Now Govind’s plans to recover the Vial from being sold to the terrorists start. By mistake, the Vial gets parceled to India. The villain group sends Fletcher (Kamal), an ex-CIA to recover the Vial from Govind. Now, the chasing episode starts and moves the screenplay. Aandal (Asin), Krishnaveni Patti (Kamal), Japanese Karathe Master (Kamal), Telugu CBI Officer (Kamal), Kalifulla (Kamal), Vincent Poovarahan (Kamal), Avthar Singh (Kamal) join the screenplay.

The chasing game looks interesting at first and gradually becomes boring especially in the second half. Kamal as Fletcher has done a wonderful job. He has concentrated very much in his accent, body language.

Fletcher follows Govind wherever goes. In train, in Lorry, in Jeep, in Car. Cinematic. Where is the Logic?

A bullet takes away the cancer from Avathar Singh. Hard to believe!

Fletcher and Govind are the two predominant characters that move the screenplay. Other characters of Kamal are nothing but “Idai sorugal”. Singer, Dalit man, Tall afghan, Japanese characters stay unconnected and fail to make an impact in audience.

Few directorial touches

Tsunami that nullifies the bio-weapon. The Idol under the sea creates Tsunami to save Crores of lives. This is where Kamal relates this 20^th Century happenings with 12^th Century. The argument between Aandal and Govind on Tsunami is noteworthy.

Krishnaveni patti, crying on looking at the corpse of Vincent thinking that he is her son Aaravamudhan,

The young age Asin-Kamal becoming life partners near the rock (This rock is the Idol to which Nambi was tied. The Nambi-Kothai Separation happened in 1200 AD). This one is really amazing!

Why and where Dasavatharam disappoints?

The traditional smuggling story is the main part of the movie. Hero tries to save the deadly virus from villain. Such a hyped up movie doesn’t have a strong storyline.

Instead of placing Pasupathy as Vincent, Raghuvaran (late) as Afghan, Janakaraj as CBI Officer and Mahanadhi Paatti as Krishnaveni, Kamal himself has acted in all the roles. You call it a difference? Huh!

As I mentioned earlier, many roles of Kamal stay unconnected and fails to catch a place in your heart.

BGM doesn’t really stand out except for the first 15 mins.

What did Telugu CBI Officer achieve? He was employed to investigate, but was he successful? He was mere a comedian in the movie.

Verdict of Vinith:

Dasavatharam certainly fails to live up to the expectation. But still, the movie can be watched once. (But, I have planned to watch it one more time, especially for the first 15 Mins). Kamal doesn’t have to take so much of pain to don 10 roles in which at least 6 roles go unnoticed.

Star Rating: 3.5 Stars.

Please feel free to drop in your valuable comments.

Regards,

Vinith

Dasavatharam Fever Grips

There are very few movies in Tamil which set very big expectations before they hit the screens. Dasavatharam is one such movie in recent days. Dasavatharam is the talk of the town now. Every fan of Tamil cinema is awaiting its release in June. No secret is revealed out yet. But still so many rumors are being spread out about this movie and its theme. We have to wait till June to see if these so called rumors are facts or fiction. Let’s have a quick overview on this movie, budget etc.

Music – a letdown
Music plays a vital role in offbeat movies like Dasavatharam. Songs of this movie were not up to the marks and have disappointed most of the Tamil audiences. All the sites, blogs (including my blogJ) have rated this as a mediocre album and it doesn’t really stand out. Many fans have raised a question “Why Himesh”. Yes, why did Kamal choose Himesh to set tunes? Why did Ulaga Nayagan treat this movie, which is said to be the milestone not only in his career, but also in Film industry with such an average music? Hope at least Devi Prasad comes out with an extraordinary BGM for this movie.
Anyways, let’s forget about the Music and speak something about the movie.

Budget of the movie
Initially when the movie was started, the budget was set as INR.30Cr. But later on, it exceeded the proposed budget. The latest buzz in Kollywood says that the budget has touched 100Cr. Kamal is paid 7Cr as salary for this movie according to sources on web.

Roles that our "Nayagan" plays:
As each one of us knows, Kamal plays 10 different characters in this movie. As a Tamilian, I am very much proud that this versatile actor is the first actor in the world to don ten incarnations in a single movie. The secrecy which they have been maintaining since the first day of shoot is laudable. There are so many stories revolving in and around Tamilnadu. I went through some sites to collect the info on the roles which the actor plays. While Kamal plays only 10 roles in the movie, I am wondering that I managed to collect 15 different roles. Following are the roles don by Kamal in Dasavatharam (as said by those sites).

1. Sri Ramanujar
2. President Bush
3. An Afghan leader
4. Lankan Tamil
5. An old lady
6. A young lady
7. A doctor
8. A police officer
9. A Robber
10. Japanese
11. Chinese
12. A black
13. Daler Mehndi
14. A fighter
15. A scientist

So nothing is final until you watch the movie in June. The secret still remains secret.

Awards that Kamal may bag:
Buzz that has been revolving around ever since the movie hit the floors is Kamal will receive Oscar Award for his performance in Dasavatharam. If it happens, Kamal will be the 2nd Indian to bag this Award, with Satyajit Ray, who was the first Indian and till date the only Indian to have received this prestigious award.

Kamal may receive National Award as well from Indian Government. Other awards which may knock his door include, TN – State Award, Filmfare Award, Cannes Award, CIFF Award etc. We got to wait for one more year to get the results.J

Few other movies which hyped to high and their results:

Movie and Year: Sivaji, 2007
Hype and the result: Created a very big hype last year by this time, but failed to live up to the expectations. Rajni factor saved the movie.
Box-office result: Blockbuster

Movie and Year: Anniyan, 2005
Hype and the result: With big expectations, movie turned out to be an ordinary movie with a strong message which is usual with Shankar.
Box-office result: Blockbuster

Movie and Year: Pudhupettai, 2006
Hype and the result: Not much hyped as the previous two but people were waiting for this for a long time which turned out to be utter garbage despite the positive reviews. Movie had an extraordinary music by Yuvan.
Box-office result: Flop

Movie and Year: Vettaiyadu Vilayadu, 2006
Hype and the result: The movie would not have had such a big hype if it was released on time. Its delay made it big. Well received by audience with mixed review.
Box-office result: Super hit

Conclusion:
To conclude, even if it fails to impress you as a movie, Kamal would certainly satisfy Tamil audiences to a great extent with his phenomenal performances in ten different roles. I hope both the actor and movie satisfy the audience and create a new history in World Cinema.
All the best to “Dasavatharam Team”.

Are you suffering from Dasavatharam Fever? Feel free to drop in your comments and suggestions. Or mail to visionofvinith@gmail.com