"Of course" she's back

If you thought you could do away with her, you got it all wrong. Ranjini is back on Idea Star Singer after Ramya the new host was on the show for a couple of weeks after ISS 2008 began. This only goes on to show how any habit is hard to change. People who has been watching Ranjini and cursing her cannot seem to get rid of her on the show and have voted her back. Music director Sharath who was also one of the judges in the ISS 2007 panel is also back. Although I like most of his comments and his technical ability he is not one of those who you can take easy or for a ride. I have a feeling it won't be long before M G Sreekumaran also returns to the judging panel. Ouseppachan is a bore most of the time.

I have some early favorites in both male and female contestants in the show, I will wait for some more weeks when only the cream of the crop is filtered. The show gets more interesting after that happens.

IPL

Remember the horrendous days of watching Cricket Test matches on T.V where we had to wait for hours to watch a four or a sixer. Cricket both test or limited overs is a great game to play but to watch it is another thing. Ever since limited overs became the norm for competitive cricket watching cricket has been much more easier on the eye than test matches.

I also understand the beauty in playing a Test match but to watch it on T.V or from the stands can be a punishment.

My interest in cricket has waned over the years. A friend of mine and who is probably one of the best experts on the game even gave me adverse reports of the BCCI and several match fixing things of the past that made me ditch cricket for good although I always liked a good match.

The other aspect was the probability of the rate of victory for a team. Except for Australia who have been very consistent there was hardly any other teams that I thought was consistently winning. Worst of all was Ganguly's decision to field in the world cup that India reached after 20 years and lost it purely due the decision of going to field and that too after winning the toss. It was one of the most stupid decisions ever made and asking Australia to bat easily put the World cup in their lap. Australia thrashed India with the biggest scores ever in a World cup final. Who can then forget the way India struggled with under dogs Bangaldesh and even getting a bashing from them.

Enter IPL, the Indian Premier League. It has saved cricket and even got me to change my decision on abandoning cricket. In fact what IPL has served in the last one month of games has no parallel even from the limited 50 over version of the game played all these years. I have a strong feeling even the players who played IPL 20/20 may be reluctant to go back to play the 50-50 format. The Finals concluded yesterday and spectators and viewers got their money's worth. Honestly it feels a big void that there is nothing to watch on T.V from today evening onwards.

Though initially cheerleaders didn't fit in I think gradually the audience and viewers have accepted them. It still looked phony and poorly imitated from the west where even getting into the cheerleading team is considered a prestigious issue.

I have had the experience of watching live in Singapore a Pakistan vs India match live but I never enjoyed it amidst the heat and the sweat and the screaming. A friend who also went to one of the IPL matches in Chennai also had a similar story saying the noise was unbearable and one finds it difficult to appreciate the game. Even here I think imitating the shows abroad is more the norm.

However on T.V nothing came close to the entertainment IPL could deliver. If only they had cut down on the same ads being repeated all over again. But then that's how the sponsors and advertisers make their money, don't they? The excitement of watching live cricket with sixers and fours a plenty was truly a treat. Not forgetting the great, catches, bowling and dismissals. Truly IPL made this years summer vacation a great one. Looking forward to the next season.

Where's the real music?

Madonna's latest (or so called latest hit video) with Justin Timberlake SUCKS to the point of indescribable DISGUST. Is there any song these days she can promote without lacing it with sexual connotations. I am sure she will continue doing her favorite "air-humping" moves even well into her 60's or 70's to promote her singles. I am also surprised how in today's easily-accessible-porno age people want to watch her or listen to her music because of her raunchy videos. When kids these days can watch angelic beauties (half Madonna's age), off the internet doing the wildest things why would anyone want to watch Madonna do her boring fully clothed (considering what is available for free online) silly sexual moves, in the name of great-dance, or great-music, in a video? It is like someone telling oneself "Oh I am so turned on. What do I do? I know, I am going to watch Madonna's latest video." I am appalled how Madonna has made so many hits this way or has the music listening audience gone completely nuts. I am not writing about the lyrics of these songs because they are hardly worth mentioning. Madonna's sure cashing on this dumbness anyway. These crappy videos have made her one of the biggest hit makers in music. Even those who defined the rules of blues and rock the foundation of all western music (not classical) today are gradually being forgotten and lost. Music these days seems to be a "marketing-thing" more than what it is really meant to be.

Someone please save the music from her.

Is man really the most superior of all living beings?

Although we had a big and unusual downpour on March 31'st, Chennai is reeling under the heat of the summer with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees (over 100 degrees Fahrenheit). The humidity is so high that you start sweating immediately after your bath. For the past few days the high temperatures are causing low pressure points fuelling tiny showers. Thanks to the sea nearby a steady breeze in the evenings is a comfort.

But be it the arid hot unforgiving summer or the wet rainy days in Chennai it amazes me how animals and birds carry on their daily lives in the open. When humans are unable to go on with their lives without the comfort of air-conditioning, air-coolers and fans running non-stop indoors, small animals, birds and insects go about their lives in the open as if they are untouched by anything or without any complaints. I do understand that they feel heat and cold too but unlike the humans who have adjusted school and college sessions to suit climatic changes, running off to the hills for cooler climates the other creatures with lesser senses than humans seem to go on unperturbed under the open sky 24/7/365. So who is really superior man or animal? Or is this a reminder of our weaknesses to throw away our ego and vanity and stop calling ourselves masters of the universe?

Watch this movie if you haven't

I stopped writing my movie reviews on Amazon.com since last October (that was a long time ago!) as I was planning my own movie review site. However that project doesn't even seem to be taking off. But here's a movie that I cannot help writing about. In fact I am not going to review it as it will turn out to be a spoiler for those of you who haven't seen the movie yet. That said, if there is one movie that you need to be watching it MUST be "Cloverfield".

The sheer beauty and creativity of the screenplay is wonderful. Like I wrote earlier anything I mention further would only spoil the movie if you were to watch. This is one of those movies you must not even watch the trailer. I didn't. I think it is Stanely Kubrick who doesn't release theatrical trailers and I don't think that is a bad idea. All I had seen was the poster (image above) which gave me an impression it was some alien vs humans movie. Full marks to the director Matt Reeves and the crew for what they have delivered. This movie has great scope for a sequel and I cannot wait to watch that one too.

Beg, borrow, steal or download, you cannot afford to miss "Cloverfield".

A friend whose mention is long overdue

He is none other than cartoonist Sajjive Balakrishnan popularly known as as Sajjive to his friends or "Fatso", who is a senior official at the Income Tax Department at Ernakulam. Apart from his skill as one of the best caricature cartoonists of our country today I also admire his writing skills. He has two blogs in Malayalam but I also wish he starts a blog in the English language for his fans. He is also a man who lives heartily, loves to eat and loves music too. He confessed how one day he woke up at 1.00 AM to finish off whatever food that was available in the kitchen and the on the dining table. As of now he gladly confesses there is no one heavier than him in the IT department in Ernakulam. Here is a caricature of myself, Chaithanya and Jaya that he did in 2005. It might have taken him just 10 minutes or less to complete.



Sajjive's wife Lekha is an accomplished singer who also sang for Illayaraja during her heydays. Two of her hits are: 1. "Vandhal Vandhal Rajakumari" from Bagyaraj's film "Oru Oorila Oru Raajakumari" and 2. "Ippo enna thevai, Thappa enna paarvai" from the Tamil movie "Makkal Atchi" starring Mammooty. I recall watching an old performance of Lekha's on the Malayalam DD channel and I couldn't help admiring and comparing her voice to that of veteran singer Vani Jayaram. If there is any singer whose voice can come close or resemble Vani Jayaram's voice it should be Lekha's. It is unfortunate she doesn't sing for movies any more.