nayi saal, nayi shuruwat
My last post of 2006 was the most oppressive and gruesome post I have ever made. Well, it was that kind of year when nothing went right for me (that includes the final blog post too). I did have few good memories in 2006,but they are far less in count, or, are out numbered by the not-so-fond memories. I have had instances were I have burst into tears! Anyways, on the positive side, I did some travelling in US (which I didnt do in the first 2 years of my stay here), drove car for the first time and......... ! . This is exactly what I am talking about....the good memories are too less and too trivial.
Have quite a few resolutions. Main one being bringing back my weight to where it was till last summer ( have put on almost 10lbs in 6 months!) and ofcourse the graduation...which is more of a desperation than a resolution!
Saw 4 movies on the 31st.wanted to get rid of the uncontrollable urge for movies in 2006 itself ;)
Hoping 2007 brings better luck and better times for me and all!
WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!!!!!
AVS
Have quite a few resolutions. Main one being bringing back my weight to where it was till last summer ( have put on almost 10lbs in 6 months!) and ofcourse the graduation...which is more of a desperation than a resolution!
Saw 4 movies on the 31st.wanted to get rid of the uncontrollable urge for movies in 2006 itself ;)
Hoping 2007 brings better luck and better times for me and all!
WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!!!!!
AVS
inhumanity
WARNING: Very graphic content. Will be disturbing for some
I wont say he was a good person. But, he was a HUMAN and should have been treated like one......atleast in death
AVS
I wont say he was a good person. But, he was a HUMAN and should have been treated like one......atleast in death
AVS
memoirs of me
Yesterday noon, for a change, I was taking a nap in the TUC study lounge (for a change should be associated with TUC study lounge and not with 'taking a nap') and all of a sudden, out of no where and without any provocation, the memories of my first day in school came to my mind. By first day I mean the very very first day, when I went to LKG. And the most heartening part about that is I remember the day very vividly and it is so damn clear in my mind. (As clear as how I remember what I did yesterday). Like many other days and years to follow, my paati took me and to the school. Unlike as shown in the umbrella and school bag ads, I didnt want to go to school at all. I obliged to go upon the condition that my paati would stay at school with me the whole day everyday. I was comparitively emotionally restrained than what I used to be in those days. My Paati entrusted me to my teacher and she waited outside (I think she suspected something terribly wrong was gonna happen seeing me uncharecteristically quiet).
My teacher's name was Gracy and she wore a round golden frame glass and a red saree (details just to remind the readers who have survived till now to read till here about my photographic memory). All went fine till about half an hour. and I was all set to step into my new phase of life with a chalk and slate in my hand. Thats when paati might have felt safe and she decided to leave.Just as she turned, I saw paati leaving and I jumped out of my seat and rushed out bursting into tears. She told that she was not leaving but just went to drink some water but I didnt buy it. I got the plot and I insisted on going home with her. In the mean time, my teacher was trying to pull me back into the class and make me sit. I couldnt free myself from her grips. And during those days, I believed in 'action speaks louder than words' (you all know now i believe just the opposite). I just swirled the wooden slate I had in my hand at the teacher's face. It hit her face and broke her glasses but by god grace missed her eyes. I dont exactly remember if I saw blood (or rather, i dont wanna rememeber). She was completely shocked was just released me. I ran to my paati only to be slapped by her for my atrocity which amplified my cry. But atlast my perseverence paid off and I was taken back home. That marked the beginning of my academic life. Dont know if its the curse of that teacher or not, maybe thats why I am still a student even after crossing the sell by date. So when people say studies are a pain, I would say, it literally started for me from the very first day!
I would like to add one more thing here. Later, once i 'got tamed', I was Gracy teacher's favorate. I too liked her so much that I refused to attend the class when she was on leave on her marriage. Last year when I went to India, I think I saw her crossing the road when I was in the bus. I am pretty sure it was her, for I remember her very well. But again, I am not absolutely sure.The image I have of her is when she was young and its hard for me to think she would look the same even after two decades!
AVS
My teacher's name was Gracy and she wore a round golden frame glass and a red saree (details just to remind the readers who have survived till now to read till here about my photographic memory). All went fine till about half an hour. and I was all set to step into my new phase of life with a chalk and slate in my hand. Thats when paati might have felt safe and she decided to leave.Just as she turned, I saw paati leaving and I jumped out of my seat and rushed out bursting into tears. She told that she was not leaving but just went to drink some water but I didnt buy it. I got the plot and I insisted on going home with her. In the mean time, my teacher was trying to pull me back into the class and make me sit. I couldnt free myself from her grips. And during those days, I believed in 'action speaks louder than words' (you all know now i believe just the opposite). I just swirled the wooden slate I had in my hand at the teacher's face. It hit her face and broke her glasses but by god grace missed her eyes. I dont exactly remember if I saw blood (or rather, i dont wanna rememeber). She was completely shocked was just released me. I ran to my paati only to be slapped by her for my atrocity which amplified my cry. But atlast my perseverence paid off and I was taken back home. That marked the beginning of my academic life. Dont know if its the curse of that teacher or not, maybe thats why I am still a student even after crossing the sell by date. So when people say studies are a pain, I would say, it literally started for me from the very first day!
I would like to add one more thing here. Later, once i 'got tamed', I was Gracy teacher's favorate. I too liked her so much that I refused to attend the class when she was on leave on her marriage. Last year when I went to India, I think I saw her crossing the road when I was in the bus. I am pretty sure it was her, for I remember her very well. But again, I am not absolutely sure.The image I have of her is when she was young and its hard for me to think she would look the same even after two decades!
AVS
birthday blues
Yet another year passed by. Turned 26 yesterday. Didnt have any kind of shor-hangama. No cakes, no parties. Actually i managed to surprise my roomies and friends rather than the usual other way. Basically I didnt want any celebrations. I know, age is what you feel and not the years you have spend in this world,but still 26 is a bit too old for such things. I am kinda feeling bittersweet- donno to be happy and thank god for taking me till 26th without much trouble to myself and to the world or rue the fact that still I am not out of the college.
Anyways,
Happy Birthday to Me !!!!
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Anyways,
Happy Birthday to Me !!!!
shattered idols
People who know me know that I am a big time movie buff, especially when it comes to hindi movie songs. I can, with the fear of sounding a bit arrogant, say I know almost all the hindi songs. Being a connoisseur of hindi music, you can imagine how much shattered I would have been when I came across this . All my favorate songs, all my favorate composers....didnt know that I was appreciating the wrong persons. Now I feel, It would have been better had I not realised the truth. There is indeed some bliss in ignorance! Some are so brutally picked....all they have done is just used the karaoke! And I came across the worst possible case too!
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identity crisis
Aravind Subrmanian and Aravind Subramani is one and the same person. People who dont know me still dont know who it is and those who know me still dont believe its me
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gotcha
Seems like its the season of license. Got mine couple of days back...without hearing any honk ;)
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happy deepavali
Had a great Deepavali weekend.For the first time after coming to US, I enjoyed, rather celebrated a festival,thanks to SABHA, Priya and Jaya et al. Organised and enjoyed an excellent evening of carnatic music by Sudha Ragunathan on friday and got to taste amazing kalakhand and gulab jamun on saturday. Well, infact,yesterday it got me home sick after a long time. Iyya asked me if i am coming home this dec. or not. Though she said 'many relatives asked if you r coming this year', i am pretty sure it was more of her query rather than anyone else's.Added to that the lemon rice of Priya was just like how pattiamma wud make and channa dal by Priyanka was exactly the way iyya makes it....got me all senti to go home. :(
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wishful thought
Here i am sitting in my lab at mid night with the hope of getting some work done whereas my mind seems to have other plans. Cant concentrate a wee bit, no mood to study.I am utterly distracted and my hands involunterly opens mozilla and goes to inboxes and other sports and movie sites. I wish......if all my phaltu timepasses were to turn into useful work and my useful work into timepasses, i would have graduated by now! Wish I could turn my wishes into realities!
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original mile sur mera tumhara.....atlast got it!
The video i have been searching for online for a long time. Eversince the MITians came up with their own version of it, i realised how much i miss the original video of this one (could find only the lyrics online so far)
Check Out the Video here
Lets relive those beautiful 80s when all doordarsan telecasted was videos on national integrity,unity and social welfare like ek chidiya and mile sur and a screen with rainbow color strips with rukawat ke liye khed hai
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the long wait
I was waiting for her near the Garuda Statue. It would have been about 15mins., but I felt as if I have been waiting there for years. In a way, thats not totally untrue.It has been for some years now- ever since she flew to US 3 years back. May be I was nervous. I perspired more than ever. She sounded very confident and happy over the phone...as usual.
That made me more nervous.....
I dont knwo whether it was love at first sight. I hate to think so.Infact I dont believe think that a 7 yr old would be able to diff. friendship from love.I hated the thought of someone dismissing our love as a childish infatuation. We grew up together. Amrita was my best buddy, my childhood friend .We where there for each other in our joys and sorrows since our childhood.
There isn't anything in my life which I haven't discussed with her.And I strongly believe its the same with her too. Many a times I have wondered how much similar we were. We had the same taste of music, movies , food, dress etc. (hope she doesnt find out that I started eating non veg. just for her). We both were die hard hindi movie fans.We made sure that every friday, wherever and how ever much busy we are, we would not miss discussing the movie released that day.She was a huge fan of Sharukh just like I was of Kareena.And like many she hated her. Everytime she mentioned Sharukh, I made it a point to mention the name of Kareena that used to infuriate her. I enjoyed pissing her off, she looked more attractive with a reddened nose and staring eyes. Except for such trivial compromises and adjustments, we were just perfect together. We have never told that magical 3 words to each other......we knew that we were made for each other.
Oh! I forgot to mention the glaring difference we had. I was a momma boy and Amrita was a tomboy! I was the most introvert person one cud ever come across. "Its all because of you" She used to complain. "You are too much an introvert that others get the feeling that I am outspoken and extrovert".Though I didn't agree with it completely, if I look from her perspective, she cannot be blamed for thinking so.
All wasn't well in our love story. I still wonder how can two families who have been friends for decades can turn against each other just over a small strip of land! . Had we told our parents about our love before , I am sure they wouldnt have objected and it would have been a perfect ending for a perfect love story.......only if!
I wish my parents were not professors. I was too much disciplined and awed to even meet their eyes , forget about saying something like this against their wish. I wish I was as strong willed as she was.When her parents sent her to US for studies, it was she who convinced and consoled me that it wasnt all that bad to happen. She believed that parting for sometime would calm down the issue for a while and she was optimistic that we could sort out the problem later (many a times I wondered whether she was the superior gender among us.Well I dont mind losing out to her!)
It was her 'mail a day keeps the worries away' that kept us going. She never made me feel that she was thousands of miles away from me. "Its you I am concerned about" she used to say. She knew me better than me. She reassured in every mail that all we had to do was to wait for 4 years before she returned.Even when her parents were vehemently persuading her to get married, she managed to sway away all those with some excuse which only she could come up with.
In the mean time, though I tried to keep myself from getting into all the legal complexities of the case, I couldn’t help myself realizing that we were drying up financially. The fact that I am still a student (even while doing doctors i need to go to college!) didn’t help our cause. Nor their situation was good, but was definitely slightly better than ours.
When she returned, the first thing she did was to call me up to meet her near Garuda Statue. Though she didn’t mention anything, a tone of assurance made me feel that she sounded confident of convincing her parents.
That made me more nervous....
"HIIII".......she yelled as soon as she spotted me. It was a pain which I didn’t want to bear any longer.
"Hi Ami", I sounded feeble.
"What happened, Abhi?” her smile vanished in a second, "you look disturbed"
I felt there was no point in justifying myself. All I would have told her was about our financial crisis and how my uncle came forth with the proposal of his daughter to bail us out. But if those could make sense only to my parents and uncle,what is the point telling her.
That made me more nervous.....
I dont knwo whether it was love at first sight. I hate to think so.Infact I dont believe think that a 7 yr old would be able to diff. friendship from love.I hated the thought of someone dismissing our love as a childish infatuation. We grew up together. Amrita was my best buddy, my childhood friend .We where there for each other in our joys and sorrows since our childhood.
There isn't anything in my life which I haven't discussed with her.And I strongly believe its the same with her too. Many a times I have wondered how much similar we were. We had the same taste of music, movies , food, dress etc. (hope she doesnt find out that I started eating non veg. just for her). We both were die hard hindi movie fans.We made sure that every friday, wherever and how ever much busy we are, we would not miss discussing the movie released that day.She was a huge fan of Sharukh just like I was of Kareena.And like many she hated her. Everytime she mentioned Sharukh, I made it a point to mention the name of Kareena that used to infuriate her. I enjoyed pissing her off, she looked more attractive with a reddened nose and staring eyes. Except for such trivial compromises and adjustments, we were just perfect together. We have never told that magical 3 words to each other......we knew that we were made for each other.
Oh! I forgot to mention the glaring difference we had. I was a momma boy and Amrita was a tomboy! I was the most introvert person one cud ever come across. "Its all because of you" She used to complain. "You are too much an introvert that others get the feeling that I am outspoken and extrovert".Though I didn't agree with it completely, if I look from her perspective, she cannot be blamed for thinking so.
All wasn't well in our love story. I still wonder how can two families who have been friends for decades can turn against each other just over a small strip of land! . Had we told our parents about our love before , I am sure they wouldnt have objected and it would have been a perfect ending for a perfect love story.......only if!
I wish my parents were not professors. I was too much disciplined and awed to even meet their eyes , forget about saying something like this against their wish. I wish I was as strong willed as she was.When her parents sent her to US for studies, it was she who convinced and consoled me that it wasnt all that bad to happen. She believed that parting for sometime would calm down the issue for a while and she was optimistic that we could sort out the problem later (many a times I wondered whether she was the superior gender among us.Well I dont mind losing out to her!)
It was her 'mail a day keeps the worries away' that kept us going. She never made me feel that she was thousands of miles away from me. "Its you I am concerned about" she used to say. She knew me better than me. She reassured in every mail that all we had to do was to wait for 4 years before she returned.Even when her parents were vehemently persuading her to get married, she managed to sway away all those with some excuse which only she could come up with.
In the mean time, though I tried to keep myself from getting into all the legal complexities of the case, I couldn’t help myself realizing that we were drying up financially. The fact that I am still a student (even while doing doctors i need to go to college!) didn’t help our cause. Nor their situation was good, but was definitely slightly better than ours.
When she returned, the first thing she did was to call me up to meet her near Garuda Statue. Though she didn’t mention anything, a tone of assurance made me feel that she sounded confident of convincing her parents.
That made me more nervous....
"HIIII".......she yelled as soon as she spotted me. It was a pain which I didn’t want to bear any longer.
"Hi Ami", I sounded feeble.
"What happened, Abhi?” her smile vanished in a second, "you look disturbed"
I felt there was no point in justifying myself. All I would have told her was about our financial crisis and how my uncle came forth with the proposal of his daughter to bail us out. But if those could make sense only to my parents and uncle,what is the point telling her.
"Is everything alright?" I heard her as I was trying in vain to come up with some words.
"I am engaged".
(Product of the long acting sessions we used to have in undergrad. Dedicating this to the 'actor' amongst us. Its just for u PC !!! )
AVS
(Product of the long acting sessions we used to have in undergrad. Dedicating this to the 'actor' amongst us. Its just for u PC !!! )
AVS
independence day thoughts
Today is the independece day for both of us - 2nd one for me and 60th one for India.It was on a 15th Aug. that i left India in search of better life and enlightment to this land of opportunities.
What all did i achieve in this 2 years of independent life?
Learned cooking: To my surprise, I exceeded my own expectations as a cook. Hereafter I wont starve to death if left alone at home. Also i can guarentee that no one would die of food poisoning or malnutrition eating my food.(except may be a rare chance of Hypernatremia)
What all did i achieve in this 2 years of independent life?
Learned cooking: To my surprise, I exceeded my own expectations as a cook. Hereafter I wont starve to death if left alone at home. Also i can guarentee that no one would die of food poisoning or malnutrition eating my food.(except may be a rare chance of Hypernatremia)
Became social: I have become more social with people. Given how much of an incorrigible introvert i was, it is indeed a commandable transformation in me.
Made friends: Made good friends and that too quite a lot in count...from all parts of india (Infact a couple of them would directly walk into my list of all time best buddies). They have made my stay in US enjoyable.Always indebted to u all !!!
Once a vegan, still a vegan: The only thing my buddies back home challenged and I vehemently opposed is that I wud turn into a meat eater.Thankfully I have managed to cling on to my belief and live healthy here .And I can say the same abt my abstinence from alcohol and smoke.
But the sad part is other than these, i cannot think of any other creditable thing I have manged in US.(well, i cannot include orkut here though it has become an indispensible part of my life here)
But the sad part is other than these, i cannot think of any other creditable thing I have manged in US.(well, i cannot include orkut here though it has become an indispensible part of my life here)
I am still the person who hates school and studies, who is mad abt movies and cricket, and who would keep on talking non stop once initiated and one who loves to sleep long hours.
Now the most cliched question which pops up on the 15th aug. and 26th jan. resurfaces again in a broader and personnal sense: Have we/me utilised our/my freedom fully and wisely?.......with a bit of shame and dissapointment i would say NO!!
JAI HIND to all INDIANS around the world
AVS
most eligible bachelor
Scene: UDF, Cincinnati
Charecters: Me, Roomie, Friend
Roomie (to Friend) : U know, tat girl has a huge crush on u... u better watchout
Me (sarcastically) : Yeah right...not only her, many girls seems to be lattu over him, isnt it?
Friend blushing.......Me & Roomie chortling
Friend: But one thing is for sure, Aravind is the most eligible bachelor in UC!
Me (delighted) : Thanks yaar...so nice of u to say so
Roomie: Him??? but y??
Friend: Becoz we both have graduated.......hahahaha!!!!
I was sooo heart broken that it rendered me deaf to the huge guffaw the other two were having!!
AVS
Charecters: Me, Roomie, Friend
Roomie (to Friend) : U know, tat girl has a huge crush on u... u better watchout
Me (sarcastically) : Yeah right...not only her, many girls seems to be lattu over him, isnt it?
Friend blushing.......Me & Roomie chortling
Friend: But one thing is for sure, Aravind is the most eligible bachelor in UC!
Me (delighted) : Thanks yaar...so nice of u to say so
Roomie: Him??? but y??
Friend: Becoz we both have graduated.......hahahaha!!!!
I was sooo heart broken that it rendered me deaf to the huge guffaw the other two were having!!
AVS
me in hogwarts
Am not a HP fan and I know very little about the Hogwarts house (except that Harry is in Gryffindor).So, I suppose being in Hufflepuff is not tat bad!! Atleast my traits which got me in there look good :)
Which Hogwarts house will you be sorted into?
AVS
copied with permission without shame
Just when i had ran out of all ideas or topics or link to blog about, just when i thought of shutting down this blog due to literary exhaustion, just when cob web stared appearing in my blog due to inactivity...i found a life saver.
I am thinking about...
how to get me away from infront of this comp. and get some work done
I said…
rather lied...that i am really busy now a days
I want to…
go to Chicago, NY and Houston in summer....not able to work it out though
I wish...
i had a laptop if my bank balance was as rich as my desires. Need one urgently
I hear…
fellow grads whining the same way as I do about how thesis work and life in general sucks!
I wonder...
how I manage to find time to see one movie a day and not work on my thesis
I regret...
anything and everything in life. Life is all about improvising.
I am...
a normal,just one the millions who have come to this world with limited dreams and aspirations in life
I dance...
like a man with two left feet
I sing...
always and everywhere
I am not always...
a good company to hangout or party with
Food...
is not a thing to be wasted at all
I write...
just for the heck of it.Others do,so should I !
My passion...
cricket.....cant imagine a life without them
I confuse...
Jessica Sara Parker?...or is it Sara Jessica Parker???
I need...
a break....from everything.Wish I could go on hibernation or so!
AVS
I am thinking about...
how to get me away from infront of this comp. and get some work done
I said…
rather lied...that i am really busy now a days
I want to…
go to Chicago, NY and Houston in summer....not able to work it out though
I wish...
i had a laptop if my bank balance was as rich as my desires. Need one urgently
I hear…
fellow grads whining the same way as I do about how thesis work and life in general sucks!
I wonder...
how I manage to find time to see one movie a day and not work on my thesis
I regret...
anything and everything in life. Life is all about improvising.
I am...
a normal,just one the millions who have come to this world with limited dreams and aspirations in life
I dance...
like a man with two left feet
I sing...
always and everywhere
I am not always...
a good company to hangout or party with
Food...
is not a thing to be wasted at all
I write...
just for the heck of it.Others do,so should I !
My passion...
cricket.....cant imagine a life without them
I confuse...
Jessica Sara Parker?...or is it Sara Jessica Parker???
I need...
a break....from everything.Wish I could go on hibernation or so!
AVS
daivathinte vikruthikal
Just when i thought God has his fun only with humans, I came across this.
Astonishing.........painfully astonishing, for i dont expect it to survive, though i sincerely wish to be proved wrong.
AVS
Astonishing.........painfully astonishing, for i dont expect it to survive, though i sincerely wish to be proved wrong.
AVS
what does my birth date mean
I am not a serious believer in online predictions about u, ur future, ur nature etc etc. But off late i have come across few stuffs which makes me feel " how true it is about me!"
Here is one such...
| My Birthdate: November 20 |
 You are a virtual roller coaster of emotions, and most people enjoy the ride. Your mood tends to set the tone of the room, and when you're happy, this is a good thing. When you get in a dark mood, watch out - it's very hard to get you out of it. It's sometimes hard for you to cheer up, and your gloom can be contagious. Your strength: Your warm heart Your weakness: Trouble controlling your emotions Your power color: Black Your power symbol: Musical note Your power month: February |
top 5 tamil movies
This posting has been overdue by a long time, almost an year to be pricise!! Neverthless better late than never!
This one also not necesserly in order of preference.
1) ANBE SIVAM
Director: Sundar.C
Cast: Kamal Hassan, Madhavan etc
Argubily one of the best movies to be released in the 21st century. Only a master like Kamal cud hv managed to make a movie like this. And it was pleasently surprising to see Madhavan given equal footage in the movie and more surprising to see him managing to hold his foothold even in the presence of the genuis. Kamal has often been accused of ghost directing his movies and this is one movie where it was visibly evident. the possiblilty of a mediocre director like Sundar.C directing this movie is as strong as uganda winning world cup cricket.
2) HEY RAM
Director: Kamal Hassan
Cast: Kamal Hassan, Shahrukh Khan etc
Yet another master piece from the supremo. A imaginary story of a man who was all set to assasinate gandhiji until destiny had it say. A controversial movie for its anti-gandhian stand though i felt that it really glorified gandhiji and his beliefs. Unfortunate that people couldnt see it in that perspective. A truely international class movie which was ahead of its time.
3) IRUVAR
Director: Mani Ratnam
Cast: Mohanlal,Prakash Raj,Aishwarya Rai etc
Another movie ahead of its time made by Mani Ratnam. The movie was based on the real life story of MGR and now CM Karunanidhi. This movie started Mohanlal in the role of MGR and Prakash Raj as Karunanidhi. Aishwarya Rai marked her debut with this one. It was really gutsy of Mani Ratnam to make such a senstive topic into a movie tat too at a time when DMK was the ruling party in TN. Both the leading men were excellent in their roles and it was rather surprising to me that only Prakash Raj managed to get the national award for best supporting actor. It also had heavenly music by ARR. "Narumugaye" is my alltime favorate song. Even today i listen to it atleast once a day.
4) MAHANADHI
Director: Santhana Bharathi
Cast: Kamal Hassan, Sukanya etc
The story of a father of 2 teenagers who was betrayed and lost everything in his life including his kids. Another senstive and powerful performance by Kamal was the highlight of the film. The scene were he confronts his daughter in sonakachi still hurts me. Not many movies have managed to emotionally haunt me, but this one tops the list. If i am to list the nightmerish experiences i dont want to have in my life, this would be one. All blame on Kamal for making me feel its soo real.
5) SERVER SUNDARAM
Director: R.Krishnan & S. Panju
Cast: Nagesh,K.R.Vijaya,Muthuraman etc
The story of a hotel waiter boy becoming a movie superstar. I suppose this was the first movie in which Nagesh acted as the hero. What makes this movie interesting is that the message of this one, even decades after its making, is still revelent. Dont you think u lose your simple life, your close ones once you go after the comforts of life? These are the kind of movies which i would call evergreen, were the revelence to the topic doesnt fade away even years after its making.
There are many more movies I would have liked to add , like Kannathil Muthamittal, Roja, Nayagan etc. If the readers have noticed a bias or excessive laudation from my part for Kamal and Mani Ratnam,then, I would like to add that its intentional. because I consider these two greats to be in a league of their own much above anyone else in tamil filmdom. On any given day, I would prefer watching the crapiest of Kamal or Mani Ratnam movie over any others best.Also,its quite sad that most of these movie bombed big time at the box office.Maybe, we audience havnet grown to that level of maturity to apretiate good movies.
AVS
This one also not necesserly in order of preference.
1) ANBE SIVAM
Director: Sundar.C
Cast: Kamal Hassan, Madhavan etc
Argubily one of the best movies to be released in the 21st century. Only a master like Kamal cud hv managed to make a movie like this. And it was pleasently surprising to see Madhavan given equal footage in the movie and more surprising to see him managing to hold his foothold even in the presence of the genuis. Kamal has often been accused of ghost directing his movies and this is one movie where it was visibly evident. the possiblilty of a mediocre director like Sundar.C directing this movie is as strong as uganda winning world cup cricket.
2) HEY RAM
Director: Kamal Hassan
Cast: Kamal Hassan, Shahrukh Khan etc
Yet another master piece from the supremo. A imaginary story of a man who was all set to assasinate gandhiji until destiny had it say. A controversial movie for its anti-gandhian stand though i felt that it really glorified gandhiji and his beliefs. Unfortunate that people couldnt see it in that perspective. A truely international class movie which was ahead of its time.
3) IRUVAR
Director: Mani Ratnam
Cast: Mohanlal,Prakash Raj,Aishwarya Rai etc
Another movie ahead of its time made by Mani Ratnam. The movie was based on the real life story of MGR and now CM Karunanidhi. This movie started Mohanlal in the role of MGR and Prakash Raj as Karunanidhi. Aishwarya Rai marked her debut with this one. It was really gutsy of Mani Ratnam to make such a senstive topic into a movie tat too at a time when DMK was the ruling party in TN. Both the leading men were excellent in their roles and it was rather surprising to me that only Prakash Raj managed to get the national award for best supporting actor. It also had heavenly music by ARR. "Narumugaye" is my alltime favorate song. Even today i listen to it atleast once a day.
4) MAHANADHI
Director: Santhana Bharathi
Cast: Kamal Hassan, Sukanya etc
The story of a father of 2 teenagers who was betrayed and lost everything in his life including his kids. Another senstive and powerful performance by Kamal was the highlight of the film. The scene were he confronts his daughter in sonakachi still hurts me. Not many movies have managed to emotionally haunt me, but this one tops the list. If i am to list the nightmerish experiences i dont want to have in my life, this would be one. All blame on Kamal for making me feel its soo real.
5) SERVER SUNDARAM
Director: R.Krishnan & S. Panju
Cast: Nagesh,K.R.Vijaya,Muthuraman etc
The story of a hotel waiter boy becoming a movie superstar. I suppose this was the first movie in which Nagesh acted as the hero. What makes this movie interesting is that the message of this one, even decades after its making, is still revelent. Dont you think u lose your simple life, your close ones once you go after the comforts of life? These are the kind of movies which i would call evergreen, were the revelence to the topic doesnt fade away even years after its making.
There are many more movies I would have liked to add , like Kannathil Muthamittal, Roja, Nayagan etc. If the readers have noticed a bias or excessive laudation from my part for Kamal and Mani Ratnam,then, I would like to add that its intentional. because I consider these two greats to be in a league of their own much above anyone else in tamil filmdom. On any given day, I would prefer watching the crapiest of Kamal or Mani Ratnam movie over any others best.Also,its quite sad that most of these movie bombed big time at the box office.Maybe, we audience havnet grown to that level of maturity to apretiate good movies.
AVS
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