Dear Comrade

Two Sensational Bonuses

Needed a midweek unwind. All other options seemed to be heavy. Dear Comrade was a natural choice

The only expectation was to just savour, Vijay Deverakonda, the star. The energy, the screen presence and warmth that he exudes was there to be experienced, and hopefully will be leveraged into diverse roles in the future. 

The quaint Rashmika Mandanna, part playful, part mischievous, part vulnerable, part timid and wholly enigmatic, tosses up a kaleidoscope of emotions, firing up, even the most minuscule muscle on her face to  conjure a magical performance. Wow.

Justin Prabhakaran, sensational score, the songs and the BGM, lifts the movie up several notches. Ilayaraja would have approved of some of those lovely violin pieces in the background score. Some segments were so good, that I wanted to close my eyes and listen just to the music. 

The story within the story could have been leveraged with a better screenplay. The beauty of the love story is marred by excessive violence. 

Vijay Devarakonda,  will have to learn to grow out of Arjun Reddy image, and not commit mistakes like Vikram, who did not choose roles well. He could take a lesson or two from Vijay Sethupathi.

Alex in Wonderland

Alexander the Comic Alexander Babu Arulanthu

An overwhelming experience

Thanks to two Ganesh's, Ganesh Nerur for his post in November 2018 on the show and then Ganesh Krishnamoorthy for surprising me with the ticket for almost the last show or is it the last?

The good news for all the fans is that Come September!, Alex's Wonderland is coming on Amazon Prime. 

The last time, I had experienced, the entire audience on their feet was 2005, Summer,  Minskoff theatre, Broadway, Fiddler on the Roof. A standing ovation by 1621 people at the end of each and every scene, is something, that is something that I can never forget. 

Alex's show did not have a provision to stand up after every sequence, and, therefore the  long standing ovation at the end of the show. It is such a liberating experience to clap with happiness and all the energy you have. 

Alex's Wonderland, is our wonderland, far more significant, then Alex or ourselves. There is no doubt about Alex's comedic abilities, I thought the Wonderland, of the Tamil Film Music, he opened up, far outweighs those fleeting laughs we had yesterday.

While I have been hearing Ilayaraja or Rahman or Viswanathan all these years, after this show, I will start listening to them with a little more attention. Alex's love for music and musicians's is one of divinity. 

In 2006(I think), Ilayaraja, sang "Naan Thedum Sevanthi Poo Ithu" at a concert. We had been hearing that song for about 17 years, but what happened on that day, was an indescribable experience, I was just wondering how I had missed the magic of this song all these years. The rendition was magical on that night and Raja went to on sing that song once more.

Alex did something similar to me yesterday, as he unraveled an appreciation course on the specialties of important contributions of notable Tamil Film musicians. Alex the comic is a 'Rasika' at heart, a connoisseur. He just so beautifully mixed it with wit, sarcasm and an underlying lament. I could not help but choke at this references to Malaysia Vasudevan. 

The most frustrating part of the show had to be those lovely introductions to the wonderful songs had to be cut short for those comic interludes. You really wished those songs were all completed and you just started yearning, if this could be converted to a music concert!!!

Well, Ilayaraja, Malaysia Vasudevan, Seerakazhi Govindarajan, MS Viswanthan, Kamal hassan, SPB, Yesudas and Rahman will never be the same for me again.

As Alex, non nonchalantly removed his shoes, and put on an artistically designed Islamic cap and rendered, "Khawaja Re Khwaja', the universe approved of it.

Alexander the Comic, we were all blessed.

Looking forward to your new shows..

Super 30

Driving away the demons, within

A teacher, is a teacher, is a teacher.

Are we really good at a subject or do we assume we are not good at it?  The latter is a significant possibility.

Good teacher's kindle your interest, get you involved, and help you experience goosebumps as you start understanding and expand your understanding of the subject. They invoke curiosity and enable a framework of  learning, sometimes perpetually, for the rest of your life.

Super 30, a biopic, based on Anand Kumar, a teacher, a true torch bearer of the downtrodden, makes you wish there were innumerable teachers replicated like him. 

I think the magic of Anand Kumar, did not lie in Mathematics, but a Himalayan empathy, that helps him understand the student's psyche and drive away the demon's within.

In a knock out ' Masala' sequence or moment, a high point, the student's rise to the occasion to dispel their doubts within and conquer their minds. I hope this sequence is played out in every education institution and corporate outfit. As a recruiter and somebody who has inducted a significant number of students from Premier institutions(Tier 1), Self Doubts tend to linger despite stamp of premier institutions.

Anand Kumar's experiment is very important in a country which is obsessed with reservations. Anand Kumar, empowered students  from the economically backward, with knowledge and armed them to be the first amongst equals. Reservations encourages a culture of entitlement, which does not foster competence.

How about a huge network of schools for the underprivileged, early on in their life, and unleashing them into the open competition without reservations. The true objective of making them competent and self reliant would have been achieved. 

More importantly a significant quotient of self respect is induced into the person and the system.

Would I want a free lunch, Probably Not!!!

This is a must watch for every one from all walks of life. The movie is made in an easily understandable format which can be enjoyed by everybody. Go for it. 

Thanks to Sridhar Sattiraju and Baradwaj Rangan for their reviews. I may have just missed watching this.

The Great Hack

A MUST WATCH DOCUMENTARY, on the TRUMP, CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA, FACEBOOK collaboration. Discover for yourself, if you are a 'PERSUADABLE', what would be a WEAPONS GRADE COMMUNICATION STRATEGY,  How an election campaign can leverage FEAR and ANGER. It was fascinating to know that Donald Trump used 5.9 million visuals against only 66000 visual used by Hillary Clinton in her campaign. The swing in the last US presidential may have been caused by just 70000 voters ('persuadables') in key states. Streaming on Netflix.