Yes, that’s what the new magazine is called. Started by Nivi and friends, The Banyan Trees is a monthly online/on-demand print magazine housing a lot of creative content from fiction, poetry, columns and photography. The first issue was out on November 1st and here it is. Read on, spread the word and come back every month for more.
And this is where we see the Part II of The Perfect AR Rahman Concert. Part I is here.
16. Aathangara Marame (Kizhaku Cheemayile):
The rural tone is done so incredibly well that they made sure they captured the rural milieu well on screen. Even with those faces!
17. Kannaikatti Kollade (Iruvar):
Doesn’t this actually remind you of MGR singing one of his gracefully self referential hit song? No one could have done justice to this other than Hariharan.
18. Kabhi Kabhi Aditi (Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na):
Because not only the Aditis, but every lovable girl felt better after this song. A sure shot heart winner.
19. Thenmerku (Karuthama):
Have you ever listened to this song in full volume, in a super awesome sound system with a sub woofer and all that jazz? Please do, and then you’ll realize why this needs to be heard on stage.
20. Mellisaye
For once – and it’s a huge achievement, mind you – you can’t help but pay attention to the song and not to Shilpa Shetty. I think the makers deliberately made her look bad. Like Baazigar bad!
21. Enna Solla Pogirai (Kandukondain Kandukondain):
It’s tough to single out a song from a five star album. But then Shankar Mahadevan comes to your rescue.
22. Pettai Rap (Kadhalan):
Because it brought in a new genre in Indian music. And what super awesome lyrics! I don’t know if Suresh Peters is around, but Blaaze can probably do justice.
23. Delhi 6 (Delhi 6):
This saw Rahman returning to top form after a long long time. Heck, this was seriously in the league of Roja, Thiruda Thiruda etc.
24. Pachai Nirame (Alaipayuthey):
Hariharan’s vocals. Those little nuances by Clinton here and there. And the lyrics that make you wonder about the greatest mysteries. Like how does the whole world conspire to give its best for Mani Ratnam.
25. Do Kadam (Meenaxi):
Because you can’t listen to underrated gems on TV, radio etc. They are possible only at concerts like these.
26. Taxi (Sakarakatti):
Rahman’s experimentation knows no bounds and it succeeds amazingly well in this number by Benny Dayal.
27. Khwaja (Jodha Akbar):
It’s beautiful and by his own admission, it is one of his all time favorite numbers.
28. Kadhal Rojave (Roja):
Even if it’s too late, Rahman’s signature debut has to be reproduced. Just for those flute interludes!
29. Vellai Pookal (Kannathil Muthamittal):
Lets give one more to Rahman. And this time, I am sure it’s everyone’s favorite.
30. Maro Maro (Boys):
You need that kind of reverberation at the end of a concert. It’s an anthem, however cheesy the lyrics!
31. Fanaa (Yuva):
Because anyone would love to get destroyed in Rahman’s music! And with this club friendly song that needs no remix, you do exactly that.
32. Malarodu Malar (Bombay):
There isn’t a better theme song. And I personally feel Vande Mataram has been overused and if you really need an ending that talks about national integration etc, this one more than does your job!
Now all there is left to do is pray. Pray that this concert comes alive!
Karthik coined this phrase – Rahman Realization Point – wherein you finally became one with the genius of A.R Rahman. The moment of truth when it would have struck you that here is someone special. Someone whose sound will transcend borders within and out of the world. It could have happened with the very first masterpiece – Roja – but those days kids my age were trying to learn the six times tables. So what we went through was as much as a Rahman Realization Point as it was a Music Realization Point.
I remember listening to Roja for hours on the tape recorder. A white colored cassette – if I remember correctly – was played over and over again, sitting on top of the showcase in the living room, while mom and dad were having their afternoon siesta. I remember learning to look at the inlay cards for details of the song and remarking to mom how great Hariharan’s voice sounded. The year was 1992 and that was the time I started listening to music. Not just A.R Rahman. Similar patterns followed with Uzhavan, Thiruda Thiruda, Gentleman, Pudhiya Mugam, Bombay and Rangeela. But the maturity to spot the Rahman Realization Point, didn’t quite happen, mainly because, I was not aware what kind of an era existed in music before Rahman. And then the exposure to Ilaiyaraja happened. Nadeem Shravan, Jatin Lalit, Anu Malik etc etc of the mid 90s. And then, on reevaluating, you reach the Rahman Realization Point.
I attended his Jai Ho concert last Sunday and it was quite a wonderful experience, listening to him live, despite the shoddy start and organization skills of MARG that left a lot to be desired. The suspense of “Guess the next song” was quite exciting and I decided to compile a list of songs that just cannot be missed in a liveconcert. Not in any particular order though. Remember this is an ideal list. A lot of this really happening in future concerts depends on the singers available, the location of the concert, time etc. This is basically The Perfect A.R Rahman Concert that may never be possible. Part I goes here:
1. Oruvan Oruvan (Muthu):
The quintessential concert kick starter, that ruled all his concerts during his prime and when SPB was indispensable in them. Nowadays replaced by the second song in my list, I still feel, this is as perfect a start as it can get.
2. Jaage Hain (Guru):
Definitely not a bad start. I think both these songs can be used depending on the location of the concert. The first one works wonderfully in the south and this one gets everyone goose-bumpy right at the start on the other side of the Vindhyas.
3. Rang De Basanti (Rang De Basanti):
No other song will get your adrenaline rushing as much as this one does. With the unconventional combination of Daler Mehndi and Chitra, this song is a winner right from the start.
4. Usillampatti Penkutti (Gentleman):
Because, this was a time when Shahul Hameed’s voice was the best thing since sliced bread. Oh, how much we miss him!
5. Endrendrum Punnagai (Alaipayuthey):
An evergreen track from an evergreen album, the regular riffs notwithstanding, still emerges as a song that just has to be heard on stage.
6. Kya Kare Kya Na Kare (Rangeela):
And no one does it like Udit Narayan. And you’ve got to hear the lilting middle stanzas live with the moonlight upon you.
7. Nila Kaigirathu (Indra):
Well, Harini is a Goddess and I wonder why no one realizes it. I prefer this over Hariharan’s version. Period.
8. Chandralekha (Thiruda Thiruda):
Even if you leave out every other song in this list, I don’t think this one would ever suffer that fate. A song composed specially for the stage, the original singer – Anupama – used to make an appearance just for this one. And past Sunday, Shweta Pandit performed the same with equal elan.
9. Yoon hi Chala (Swades):
If there ever was a song made for a road trip in the two lane highways of India, then this is it.
10. Chaiyya Chaiyya (Dil Se):
A song that made it to the soundtrack of a Hollywood heist flick, with lyrics inspired by Bulleh Shah and picturized on top of a train with two great dancers. This is the real thing.
11. Ruut Aa Gayi Re (1947 Earth):
It’s really really tough job to choose a track from one of the best albums from Rahman. And because we are talking about a live concert, this one wins it hands down.
12. O Saya (Slumdog Millionaire):
This one is a sure shot winner as soon as it starts. If only there was someone as talented as M.I.A to accompany Rahman on stage. But going by the way Tanvi, Shweta Pandit and Neeti Mohan performed on Sunday – brilliance – her shoes can easily be filled. Rahman’s proteges seem to be as special as himself.
13. Kappaleri Poyachu (Indian):
Oh that chorus! That drum roll! Shouldn’t it be seen to be believed?!
14. Ramta Jogi (Taal):
If you’re high, then there isn’t a better Rahman composition that compliments the feeling better. And Sukhwinder Singh proves why his absence would be costly in any Rahman concert.
15. Azhagana Rakshasiye (Mudhalvan):
Because Reethi Gowla is as beautiful as it is ageless. And did I mention Harini is a Goddess?
So that’s Part I done. Let this sink in before we get to Part II.
Do you believe in love? “It’s love, not Santa Claus”, says Tom, in a pivotal scene in the movie. But hey, it just might be something like that. Love is probably like this largely brilliant conspiracy we are all made to believe. Or is it not?
Though it has been categorized under the romcoms, (500) Days of Summer is much more spectacular than a run of the mill romantic comedy. It’s a funny, satirical, sad and introspective examination of two people with different perspectives of their relationship.
Tom(Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is the typical guy. Constantly in search of the one – he likes to call soulmate – and making it his only mission in life. He can also be impressed pretty easily. There is a sequence where Summer tells him that she likes The Smiths and sings out a line from the song he is listening. He is immediately floored, not just because she liked the same music, but the lines she chose to sing. In another instance, it might not say much about anything at all. He is so elated when he decides she is the one that he does a Bollywood-ish song and dance routine with all those extras in the background. He is the one passionate and emotional about their relationship, who needs to be reminded of their existence as a couple at regular intervals.
But Summer – played by the irressistable Zooey Deschanel(who has adorned my wallpaper even during her Trillian and Bridge to Terabithia days) – doesn’t make it any easier for him. Summer is not the typical girl. But she is typical in the sense that guys like Tom end up finding girls like Summer. She doesn’t believe in love because she doesn’t want the heartaches, the emotions, the troubles etc. Summer doesn’t like the serious stuff. Everything goes for her as long as both of them are happy and enjoying their time together. So when she feels different and walks out, Tom is unable to handle the inexplicable situation he finds himself in – his soul-mate is gone.
At first glance, it’s hard to tell what we or more importantly Tom, has learned from this experience but the basic premise is that love may exist, but there is no such things as miracles or fate. In fact the final narration spells it out for us. If we understand that nothing is meant to be, we would make this life of ours, and others, much easier on this planet.
The soundtrack is definitely a collection! The writing is brilliant and quite worthy of an Oscar nomination. The Academy has this bad habit of ignoring some of the finest screenplays that come out much earlier in the year. In 2007, Zodiac was widely ignored and in 2008, In Bruges sank without a trace. Both the movies(and their writing more so), extremely underrated. I hope (500) doesn’t follow suit.
(500) is quite a satisfying movie and gives its genre a whole new twist. If they make a sequel titled (500) Days of Autumn, I’ll be first in queue.
The sea’s only gifts are harsh blows, and occasionally the chance to feel strong. Now I don’t know much about the sea, but I do know that that’s the way it is here. And I also know how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong but to feel strong. To measure yourself at least once. To find yourself at least once in the most ancient of human conditions. Facing the blind death stone alone, with nothing to help you but your hands and your own head.
Now you could say that Christopher McCandless was screwed up in his head. And I might just agree with you. But what he sure did was give all of us a great story that makes us think about life and trivial pursuits we are constantly after. We only talk about how stupid we are to run after wealth, career, wants and needs and etc. The next instant we find ourselves going back to the routine.
Alexander Supertramp, like he wished to be called, wanted to experience life on the road, in the wild. When he talks about career, dismissing it as a twentieth century creation that he doesn’t want to be part of, you know exactly what he is talking about because you can relate to it and somehow you find the urge to agree. And then you look around yourself and to avoid the embarrassment, banish it as an irresponsible comment by an immature young man.
I had not discovered Kristen Stewart outside of the numerous polls on Sexiest Women Alive and Maxim Top 100s. Though she appears for roughly 15 minutes, it’s not just an appearance. A subtle performance played to perfection, and maybe the only reason is that she probably played herself. Now if only she gets meatier roles outside of crap like Twilight and Edward Cullen chic-vamp-lits. And what more, she gets to sing the best song(below) from a truly awesome soundtrack(Mostly songs written by Eddi Vedder exclusively for the movie – but not this one).
It could be perfectly argued that when Chris did face the blind death stone, his head did not exactly help him. But then these are speculations and the big picture is far from just a story of a screwball graduate. There is some takeaway for anyone that watches this story. You may not witness a paradigm shift in perspective and complete that Rubik’s cube. But you’ll surely be presented with some good moves.
He says this:
I will miss you too, but you are wrong if you think that the joy of life comes principally from the joy of human relationships. God’s place is all around us, it is in everything and in anything we can experience. People just need to change the way they look at things.
…and goes on to realize the following:
Happiness is only real, when shared.
Now you do the math.
Jim, that’s not the way to do it, Jim. I am not sure what they get out of it, is it peace of mind, dissolution of responsibilities, or plain sadistic pleasure in passing down the injustice that was meted out to you a few decades ago. I see it happening everywhere, Jim. It is sad to see when people today use their mobile phones, their laptops, their social networks, their automatic cars and designer labels but still their minds and hearts operate in 1960s mode. It is as if they deliberately fattened up a pig for slaughter, right from the day it was born, it was fed, made to wear nice clothes, made to look good, was given minimal education, was showed off to kin and rest of the suburb, made to look good, made sure the onset of menarche was celebrated, made to look good, never asked what it wants or how it wants, made to look good and then sent off. I hate the whole process Jim, I mean why is the whole process so unfair especially during these times.
She was a good kid Jim. Yes, Jim, did you notice I used the past tense? Yes, she was a good kid. She is not a kid anymore. I knew her when she was a kid, Jim. She used to help her parents with all the chores at the fast food shop downstairs. Remember the house, Jim? They served some good stuff over there which I used to eat after I returned from college. I used to order them from the balcony shouting out in front of some fifteen customers all of them gathered around the mobile stall and got them delivered to the house on the first floor, which was quite a deserved favor as we had given our premises for the mobile stall without collecting any rent. The kid used to deliver them more often than not. Sometimes her mom but I remember receiving the stuff from the kid mostly. She was a shy kid, Jim who used to call me anna and I quite liked that. A pretty face that hid a lot of wit, Jim. The other time I used to spot her was at 7.15 am at the bus stop outside the temple. She would walk past me to her school, the shy permanent smile intact, a light school bag hanging behind her, while I and a few other guys would have gathered around discussing engineering mechanics, the latest Rahman album and the new girl in our bus that used to board at Ashok Pillar. She was a kid, Jim, she probably was in the eighth grade. Or the seventh? I guess eighth would be more like it, neither too low nor too high. Yes, she was in eighth grade, Jim. I hardly spoke to her, our conversations limited to questions regarding her school, or what I want from the fast food stall or what I want for dinner. Or rather if I approve of what was made for dinner. That went on for exactly a month, Jim. My granddad and aunt were away in California and I lived alone in that 4000 odd sq. ft house for a month. So lunch was taken care of in college and dinner was home cooked from their place. So she used to come home trotting, sharp at 8.30 pm, carrying my dinner carrier that had delicious Tambrahm home cooked meals. I used to take it from her and wish her goodbye. This was routine for one month Jim, between the 15th of July to the 15th of August 2005.
She was that same kid I met yesterday, Jim. I attended her wedding and probably I was the only one that wore a dull face in that sea of people, each one of them, happy and gay in their finest clothes listening to a third grade singer singing Malgova Mambayam so admirably well that he wouldn’t even make it to the auditions of Indian Idol 5. That kid could hardly speak, Jim, for she did not even know how to formally introduce her husband to all those unsuspecting people climbing the dais to wish her good luck in life, of which she needs plenty or maybe not with that small world her parents have chosen for themselves and herself. She just smiled and tried to do a formal introduction before the groom himself saved his face. This is what I did not like, Jim. Has she even attained the legal age, Jim? I would never know. I would never know what she did to deserve this and I did not like one bit of it. They refuse to let her grow up and see the world, Jim. How cruel of them? And she doesn’t even realize. They kill the girl, Jim. They kill the girl before she becomes a woman. Yes Jim, that’s what they do.
(As you can see, am still suffering from a David Foster Wallace hangover and am not even done yet. A shameless attempt at imitation on an issue close to the heart)
Twestival will hit Chennai soon, sometime in September 2009.
Check http://chennai.twestival.com for updates!
For more information on Twestival, visit the official website at http://twestival.com or join the Facebook group!
This one stays in your mind. For much longer, after the end credits. You have no idea what just happened but when you look back, the whole thing falls into place beautifully. This one makes you do a lot of work. It doesn’t spoon feed you a single thing.
I remember after watching Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, I was wondering how it would be if someone in India made a movie like that. And now, Vishal Baradwaj has just done it. Don’t miss it.
Watch out for that scene where Charlie, played by an unbelievably awesome Shahid Kapoor, guitar in hand, looks down upon every kamina in the movie and says, “tum bale kutte kitne bade kamine ho….!”
“Right now, terrorists are planning to assassinate a presidential candidate. My wife and daughter have been kidnapped… and people that I work with may be involved in both. I’m Federal Agent Jack Bauer, and today is the longest day of my life.” – Jack Bauer monologue in the opening episode of most seasons.
What is it with these men with initials JB? James Bond. Jason Bourne. And now Jack Bauer. I am not even sure if it was a conscious decision by their respective creators. Somewhere down the line, Tom Clancy missed the drift and named his agent Jack Ryan. And so he never got to the cult status the other three undeniably enjoy. Hard luck Mr. Ryan.
The problem with Ian Fleming’s James Bond is that, he is a show off. He needs to constantly show off his skills. He simply has the urge to flaunt his license to kill. And though he is known to follow the adage, “kill first, ask questions later”, he wastes just too much time chasing women and having sex. He rarely gets injured. Or should I say never? Till about Casino Royale, which was the twenty first movie, we never got to see the other side of James Bond. Superheroes need a back story. It makes them dark and vulnerable. Perfection is not good. And in the case of James Bond, it is unexplained, unwarranted perfection.
That is where Jason Bourne comes in. Back story? Well, that is exactly what he is trying to figure out. He is smart, can kill, and run for his life. He devises inventive techniques to get out of a situation, sometimes scientific, sometimes practical, sometimes both that you instantly idolize him. Bourne is unmoved, emotionally and mentally strong in all situations. And he avoids physical damage to himself with unbelievable precision compared to the other two. He travels between countries as if he just took a Virar fast from Andheri. He is a wonderful schemer, and his presence of mind can give Jackie Chan’s limbs an inferiority complex. And of course, Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon gave us three cracker of movies with some kickass soundtrack. That just did it.
Jack Bauer is ruthless. He has a long history, and often, whether you like it or not, he has a family to protect along with his country. Yes, Jack is loud and more dramatic than the above two. Yes, Jack has tremendous stamina compared to the above two. Yes, Jack is your quintessential Indian B-movie hero who doesn’t eat a single bullet in an ambush, who operates amidst immense physical and mental pain and he has only 24 hours to do all that. Hey, even Jason Bourne took a holiday in Goa!? However, there is magic realism when it comes to Jack Bauer(Not the magic realism wrt cinema, but just a literal meaning). He doesn’t operate alone. He has a whole counter terrorism unit, the government etc. working to provide him with every resource. That way, he has people covering and backing him up. It does bring in a little bit of credibility to the proceedings, though not entirely. But Jack doesn’t waste time. He doesn’t use inscrutable techniques the way Bourne does sometimes. He is plain, raw, in your face and thinks the world is simple where men are either black or white. And that is why Jack Bauer is way cooler!
All said and done, am still waiting for the Bourne sequel that Matt Damon has signed up for. And I am definitely looking forward to Daniel Craig’s third outing as James Bond. For the sheer opulence involved. And am also waiting for season 8, when our own B movie hero Mr. Anil Kapoor, appears on 24!
There is a scene in Love Aaj Kal, where Jai (Saif Ali Khan) is discussing his problem with Veer Singh (Rishi Kapoor). Now the fact is, Imtiaz Ali can write kickass lines straight out of your daily life. Jai says, ” Zyada der dukh nahin rah sakta. Defective piece hoon main. Phat se teek ho jaaoonga!”
Now that exactly seems to be my problem. Or the bigger question – Is that a problem at all?
P.S
I have much more to write about this movie but cannot write anything that hasn’t already been written. It’s wonderful to say the least. Why don’t we get to see such realistic urban portrayal in Tamil cinema? Can someone who is not named Mani Ratnam/Gautam Menon make such a movie? Please.
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