'Kadal' - Movie Review

The movie 'Kadal' was an unparalleled beauty that, in my humble opinion, the Tamil Cinema Industry has ever seen. Just like certain new inventions that would first be rejected and pushed aside by the large public, and then finally accepted as a norm, 'Kadal' is one such movie that surpasses its time and maturity of the audience! Therefore, I am not sure if the Cinema Industry deserves such a genius movie maker like Mani Ratnam.

For those of you out there who are yet to watch this movie, the story of 'Kadal' is about the goodness in humanity and its evolution. It is sad when people simply classify it as another typical film that portrays the fight between the 'good' and the 'evil', and fail to understand the subtle message delivered by MR through this beautiful masterpiece called 'Kadal'. 

The casting was amazing. MR has brought back Arvind Swamy from his long "hiatus"! Many of you might have seen a picture of Arvind going bald and fat. But here he is, back to acting and he looks great in this movie, just like where he left off in his last movie! Arjun fits the role of a 'satan' perfectly, acting as a villain after a long time. This time we see him in a role that is quite different from all other roles he has done till now as a mass hero! Gautam and Thulasi were each also perfect for their debut roles as Thomas and Beatrice. Throughout the movie, we can actually see both the characters growing and evolving, so too our understanding of the characters in this movie.

Apart from casting, we also have to look at the excellent cinematography by Rajiv Menon. He has did it again and it's something that you have to see in the big screens to appreciate its beauty! 

Then there is ARR's music to accompany the genius cinematography! Many reviews have claimed the music to be not of ARR's usual quality. But I think it has surpassed his usual quality. I've always felt that ARR's music is an acquired taste and once acquired, you will never let go of it. His songs will be constantly be on repeat mode in your iPod for several days. That's the beauty of his music! 

What captures you the most at first is "Moongil Thottam" and then "Nenjukulle". Then comes "Magudi" to thrill you and make your hairs stand. After a few times listening, you will similarly be encaptured by "Elay Keechan" and "Adiye". And then as a grand finale, you will be mesmerised by "Anbin Vaasale"... I simply don't understand why some people would call this music as being not up to the usual standards of ARR! 

MR has captured the beautiful accent of the Tamil fishermen and their lifestyle. I really love the open-ended scenes in the movie, where much is left to your imagination and understanding, than just stating the obvious! In other movies, we often see dummy characters placed within a movie just so to praise the protagonist and claim that he is the strongest! But in 'Kadal', such messages reach the audience automatically without verbal declarations. This is what I like in this movie.

Ok, now coming to the downside of 'Kadal'. There are parts of this movie where it seems to not make much sense. For example, why should Father Sam care for Berchmans in hiding? Why didn't he call his "Church assistant" for help instead of calling the village woman? These are certainly a few loopholes, less obviously manipulated to twist the storyline in MR's favour! 

I certainly thought that the filming of the "Adiye" song could have been better. The whole sequence of the song seemed to have been filmed as if it were a stage performance. If Beatrice was to be portrayed as a child-like character, why did she look so serious in this song sequence, I fail to understand this!

Other than these two points, I fail to find any other faults in this movie. I would defintely give it 4 out 5 stars. I praise MR for his courage and perseverence, when it comes to making movies like 'Raavan' and 'Kadal'. People often tend to criticise him for lifting stories from ancient epics like Ramayanam, Mahabharatha and this time, from the Bible. But just think about it carefully. In Hollywood, films are made based on comics, fairytales, and gospel stories too. One example was Avatar, the story of which resembled Pocahontas. 

'Kadal' is a film that doesn't insult the intelligence of the audience. It was taken with the intention to convey a message greater than just a story sequence of the "good versus the evil, good triumphs over evil". It is a story about the goodness as guided by God and of the goodness guided by humanity. This message is conveyed at the climax, where even Father Sam succumbs to give up in his quest for goodness, while Thomas triumphs in finding the goodness in humanity and saving Berchmans, simply because his daughter was the sole reason for showing him that there is goodness in humanity.

I am not an avid MR fan. But I feel that he is a key person responsible for bringing the Tamil Film Industry to another whole new level! There are no cocky love scenes in this movie. There are no kuthu songs in this movie. There is "hero" or "heroine" in this movie as all characters play important roles. There is no obscenity in this movie. In total, it is a movie that doesn't taint your mind, but leaves you feeling more human at the end of this movie!

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Indra Vizha a.k.a. St. Valentine's Day!

Is there really such a thing called 'love'? Or is it just another human construct? Well, let's just put aside these intellectual arguments about the existence of 'love' and just celebrate it shall we? :)

The 14th of February of every year is celebrated as St. Valentine's Day, as he was the sole proponent of 'love' and 'marriage' in an empire, which banned marital relations and unions of couples. He conducted marriages of many couples underground without the knowledge of the ruling empire, who then later sentenced him to death on the 14th of February! After the fall of the empire, all was forgotten except the deeds of Saint Valentine, whose death day was forever commemorated as St. Valentine's Day! 

Despite the religious background of the Saint, we can find similar festivals celebrating the unions of lovers in other cultures too, especially in Hinduism! 

Too often in India amongst the so-called saintly "gurus", accusations are thrown at "St. Valentine's Day" as being the propellent for erosion of Indian tradition. But very few people are aware of the fact that in our same Indian tradition, there were many festivals that celebrated love.

One such festival was called "Indra Vizha", also referred to as Vasantha Vizha (i.e. Spring Festival). It was a time of the year where many youngsters, both men and women, held competitions, danced, sang, and celebrated the festival by expressing their love and feelings to their lovers! Many young men and women courted each other during this festival, which was celebrated for 28 days!!

There are references to such festivals during the Chola period and even way back! One can find such references in Tamil literature treatises, maybe even in the Puranas. 

The Indian culture has never been against 'love' and 'marriage'. In fact, it has celebrated the sacred union of two souls! Otherwise, why would we have such elaborate marriage ceremonies that last for days?! Why would we have such festivals like the Indra Vizha?!

This year, I am going to make it a point not to wish anyone Happy Valentine's Day... Because it is not a day we are celebrating Valentine the Saint. But it is the day we celebrate 'love' that is the main ingredient for the survival of the species called Homo Sapiens!

How so, you ask? Amongst all the species in this world, humans and certain species of birds are the only ones who are capable of 'loving' each other. The feeling of attachment, care for the other and togetherness is what makes the "husband" and the "wife" of the species to stick together till they raise their offspring to maturity! So this feeling, which we have chosen to call 'love', is fundamental to the continued survival of our species. Without love, there will be no mankind. 

 

In Hinduism, the importance and joy of 'love' is illustrated in our ancient scriptures called 'Puranas'. Be it the way Sati courted Lord Shiva, or the way Lord Shiva courted the re-born Sati as Parvati, or the way Krishna eloped with Rukmini...

Our Gods did show us the feats they performed to win the hearts and hands their loved ones! So to summarise, 'love' is actually rampant in our culture! :) So it's time to celebrate 'love' and express your feelings to your loved ones!! :) 

So why did I decide not to wish anyone "Happy Valentine"? Well, I want it to be a special day that will only be celebrated with my soulmate. If I go around wishing it to everyone whom I care and love as a dear friend, then it wouldn't be a special day anymore. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't accept wishes of Valentine's Day from my friends. :) I only want to emphasize that if I were to wish Happy Valentine's Day to someone, then that person would definitely have a special place in my heart. 


P.S.: So let's just be clear here. In this post, I wasn't writing about the 'love' you have for your mum, dad, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, cousin, nephew, friend, best friend, BFF, boy who is a friend, or a girl who is a friend!!  

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Young Criminals of India...

In Mumbai, a 16-year-old boy, together with his childhood friend, suffocates and kills his grandmother in order to get their hands on the money and gold  kept in their household, worth about Rs. 5.14 lakhs.

In Solapur of Maharashtra, a teenage construction worker rapes a 13-month-old baby.

In the Dahar village of the Panipat district, a young 14-year-old boy of Class VII, lures a 4-year-old girl to his house and rapes her. 

What happened to these juvenile delinquents of India after their conviction? Were they sent to correctional rehabs for character reform and psychiatric treatments? Were they reprimanded and punished rightfully? 

The answer is simply, NO!

Clearly, there needs to be a reform in the system and laws governing the conviction of juvenile delinquents in India. 

So why all of a sudden are we talking about juvenile delinquency in India?  Simply because the number of crimes committed by people as young as 16 to 18 years old have been increasing for the past few years.

There is also this false notion of blaming the society for turning such wonderful, innocent children into hardened criminals! Well, guess what? Only less than 10% of the total number of juvenile criminals are homeless and lack parental guidance. The rest? They are normal students/young workers like everybody else, who have families and friends. The case examples I gave in the beginning of this post prove this point. 

So what is the need for a reform now? At the moment, a person below 18 years of age is considered a minor. Therefore, if a person under 18 commits a crime, he/she can go scot free, without spending any jail term. They will be sent to correctional centres for rehabilitation and any psychiatric attention needed. 

This is what will happen to the juvenile in Nirbhaya's case as well. Sources say that this minor is the person who has committed the most heinous acts to the 23-year-old girl. So even if the 5 accused are sentenced to death, this 6th accused may only get 3-years of rehab! 

So is it time to change the law and make the age of criminal responsibility, 16? Or should the current system be further improved and sustained to ensure that juvenile delinquents get the maximum attention they need, so as to return to society, fully reformed? Or is it time to impose more severe punishment for juvenile delinquents, so that it would serve to be an effective deterrent?

In my opinion, I believe that 16-year-olds are capable of making their own decisions. In today's world, a 16-year-old knows as much as a 21-year-old (probably!) of yesterday's world! So it is definitely time to change the law. I hope that the Indian government takes appropriate steps to bring about this change of law. 

Easier said than done!

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Vishwaroopam - Advitiiya Anubhavam

© Wikipedia

Since the day I heard about Vishwaroopam, I wasn't that keen in watching this movie, to be honest! I found Kamal too obnoxious a person, and so I didn't find the interest in me to go watch this movie in the theatres. At the most, I just wanted to watch it when it came online in a clear, dvd print. 

Oh boy, was I wrong! Not about Kamal being obnoxious! He always is a show-off, know-it-all! But that is what's interesting about him. If he wasn't like that, then he wouldn't be Kamal Haasan, right? 

I was wrong about the movie, though. Obviously, there is something about this movie that made such a big hoo-ha amongst the people of Tamil Nadu, especially the Muslim community. Not only did it become a law and order problem, but it also became an issue in which politics stepped in as well! 

Does a work of art need to suffer so much just because it "hurts" the sentiments of a certain group of people? All the movie did was show what was happening in reality! And that too not some incident happening in Tamil Nadu, but in Afghanistan!! 

How could people come to the conclusion that they have the power to ban a movie, that too, a work of art? There are so many things that are worth banning! How about banning human trafficking? Drug trafficking? Pollution? Nobody comes forward to protest for banning such things. Nobody lodges a petition in the High Court for banning such things. But they do for a mere movie! 

Are these people ashamed of their faith? What is the need to get on the defensive, if they are true Muslims? The movie was screened in Canada, nothing happened there. The movie was screened in Kerala, nothing there either. When the movie screened in Hyderabad, which has a significant amount of Muslim population, but nothing happened there either!!

The Hindi movie, Kurbaan (Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor, 2009 film), also contained similar references to the Muslim faith, terrorism, suicide bombing, etc. Although it was a flop, the movie did not face any opposition from the Muslim community except for the fact that a Muslim petitioned in the High Court of Bombay for obscenity in two of the songs in Kurbaan. 

Thuppaki was another movie that had its throat under the knife! The Muslim community didn't like the idea of having Muslims portrayed as terrorist and traitors. But isn't that already happening around the globe, with a very small percentage of the Muslims? Why do they have to take it personally?

I have now seen Vishwaroopam. Although they have censored a few scenes from the movie, I still think that people, especially the Muslims, haven't really understood the message of the movie. The people have failed to take a good look at the protagonist of the movie, who is also of a Muslim descent but from India, risking his life to save countless innocent people of America! 

Kamal has shown that a true Indian Muslim is a person who is true to his faith and also true to his country, through this movie. 

All religions in this world have two faces. One that we are all proud of. Another that we all either refuse to accept or deny its existence. In Hinduism, we are proud of everything except the age-old practice of casteism, and any other practices that deny the equality between a man and a woman. In Islam, although the scripture says a lot of good things that the Muslims are proud of, terrorism and killing innocent people in the name of God is something they have to be ashamed of. 

I neither like this movie, nor do I dislike it. I simply wanted to contribute my share of $15 to watch this work of art, instead of choosing to watch it online. This is my form of silent protest against the Muslim protestors and the Amma's TN government who are against this movie being released.

(PS: The word advitiiya means 'unique' and anubhavam means 'experience'. I used Sanskrit words just because the title of this film is also a Sanskrit word.)

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Dedicated to Nirbhaya - Delhi Gang-Rape

Amanat... Daamini... Nirbhaya... 

Everyone is talking about the braveheart of India...

She is not the only Nirbhaya. There are millions of Nirbhayas living in India and all over the world, whose voices were not heard or not at all made available to those of us who read the news and have access to social media sites. My heart goes out to all the girls and young children who have suffered at the hands of barbarians. As a woman, I am proud and as a human being, I am utterly ashamed.

Women are continuously told to behave properly. They are always criticised for wearing inappropriate outfits. Curfews are imposed on women for their "safety". But NOBODY disciplines and punishes the men for their inappropriate behaviour. Instead, they are given all the freedom that has been denied for women. Half the population of this world roam freely and yet the other half of the population live in fear.

(This image is not owned by me.)

There is no point in blaming the society, the system, the men, the women, and what not! Everybody is at fault here. Yes, even the mothers who blindly support their dear sons and for having raised them in such a manner, instilling no respect for women in them... Yes, even mothers are to be blamed. 

I have no words to describe the hurt and disgust I feel after this event. Many events have occurred, which have been even more brutal than this one! It took me a long time to get over this event and now although I feel alright, I hope that more can be done to ensure women's safety in India. It's high time we wake up and put a stop to this. No matter whoever you are who is reading this, I beg you to please treat both men and women equally! We are all humans! Just because we women look different from the men doesn't mean we are from a totally different planet! 

I am utterly crushed by this event, and yet I also have never felt more rebellious in my feministic views!

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First post of 2013 :)

My first post for the new year as usual. Whether I am regular or not in keeping my blog updates coming along. But I surely post something on every new year! This new year has begun very well for me. 

On the eve, I paid a visit to Sri Sivan Temple in Geylang East Ave 2. It was a beautiful darshan on a rainy and cold day. But I was satisfied like never before. My wishes of going to India and especially Thiruvannamalai Temple have been fulfilled. I wanted to thank God for that and also to pray for a prosperous 2013. 

New Year was spent at home this year. But I had a good time talking with my mum and sis. Nothing equals the joy of talking to both of them. My life would be empty without my mum and sis. Dad, of course, is a person who isn't very close to any of us. But he surely loves us, his family. We too love him and want him to be happy. But he doesn't spend time with us everyday. Most of the times, it is not the amount of time you spend with each other but the quality of time is what matters. I wish this year, he does spend some quality time with us, despite whatever distance that falls between us. 

This will be an important year for me, I think. Not only will I get my first job this year, but there is a slight possibility that other things may happen. Yes, I am talking about the prospect of a marriage. But it wouldn't happen so fast and I wouldn't let it happen too fast. I have still not gained enough clarity in my mind to think about marriage. I would, once I get a good job and start planning my future. I hope everything goes well this year. I've prayed to Lord Shiva to show me the right way and I will tread along with His guidance :) 

Be it solar rays or polar shifts, I pray that this Earth be healed and remain peaceful. The prospect of such events happening really does make us feel that life is short and that it is no use worrying about petty things. Let's enjoy life and do good for others. In this way, life will be peaceful and satisfied.

Happy New Year 2013!! :)

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Departing note...

The time is nearing to an end, giving way to a new beginning. I feel like I've emerged from a cocoon once again, new and fresh, ready to face the real world once again. This time I hope I will succeed. 

I've really enjoyed my time in this foreign land. It's a place I can call my own and relate to on a personal level because I've spent a part of my life here. I've lived independently, having had the chance to spread out my wings a little and take a flight. But that time is coming to an end and I don't know if I would ever be able to fly freely like this again in my life. Fifty years from now, if I'm still alive, if you ask me when was your happiest moment in your life, I guess Australia would be my potential answer. Only time will tell.

I would recommend this journey to anyone. It has been an eye-opening experience for me, having come to know more about myself through this journey. I know that this is not enough. I want to travel the world and discover more about it. So this is just the beginning, not really an end. 

Although I can't wait to get back to my life in Singapore, I can't help but feel a little sad. Departures are really hard, and I really hate it. But I am impelled to share here that that moment when I hugged my mum when I left Singapore for the first time last year on 21st July 2011 is still in my mind. That was the saddest moment in my life and in comparison, this departure from my room in Sydney is nothing! 

While attachments to desires, places, and people are inevitable, it really makes me think that there will come a point in time where it all has to come to an end. Nothing is permanent in this world and nothing remains the same all the time. One lesson I've learnt during my stay here is not to get too attached to things, places and people. Attachment is inevitable, so the least I can do is to reduce it as much as I can.  

I'm blessed to have gotten this opportunity to experience a little freedom, away from life in which I have to live for others too. Here, I truly lived for myself. But I got to say, there is a special joy in living for others too. I guess there should be a balance in life. 

I think my next post might be after I reach Singapore in about 5 weeks' time :) Until then...

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My wish... For the 25th time...

Wow! I honestly cannot believe that 25 years of my life has passed! I wonder what I've achieved so far and what I want to achieve from here on. Second time, I'm away from my dear family and friends on this day. I really wish I were back home for turning 25 years old! 

It seems like an important birthday. It seems like I have to step on into a new era of my life. I will be finishing my graduate studies end of this year and hope to have a job in my hands at least before March 2013. Life will soon become mechanical and then there are things to do in your life. 

I don't know how to get past this milestone. I don't know if I will get a new job, and a good one too. I don't know if I will meet the right person. I don't know what the future has in store for me. All I wish for is for my loved ones to be always happy in their lives and that God's grace be upon all of us... :) That's all I wish for my birthday in 2012 :)

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Updates

It's been a month since I was back here in Singapore. It was an awesome vacation! I did have a great time this time. I also have a clearer direction in life right now, like never before. This is something that I didn't expect. I have always been searching for a niche in this life. Now I've found it. But I'm scared I'll grow tired of it. I just hope that my goals get stronger with time.

Right now my goal is to finish my foundation course in accounting. Next year, I'll be completing an application to take up professional courses in CPA Australia. I also have to find a suitable job in the accounting or financing industry. These are my goals for now. Working for three years and becoming a CPA. It's not going to happen overnight, but I'm glad this pathway is much clearer to me now than ever before. Thank you God! 

I'll be heading back to Sydney in a few days and I hope that the time flies fast. I miss Singapore already. This makes it even more clear that I am going to stay in Singapore, at least for the next few years till I finish my CPA. 

That's it for updates till now. :)

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Ranting after a long time!

Hey guys!! Look at me, I'm such a lazy pig! I haven't updated my blog for quite some time!!! Sigh... Well, hope after this entry I'll start updating regularly. 

It's been a great semester so far. Things are all falling in place slowly. Now it's finally time for exams and then back to Singapore for the holidays! :) I simply can't wait to get back home! Living away from family and friends is no easy thing. At the same time it has made me realise a lot of things.

Living by myself has also given me the confidence to be able to survive on my own. The only difference will be that I will be surviving on my own hard-earned money than my dad's hard-earned money. I still feel a little guilty on that.

I just want to talk of the things that annoy me the most these days. Starting with the first thing, I want to say that I finally realise why some people I know always lie when asked if they had done well for the exam. They feign incompetence, and then they will get an A. Not only that. Even during the middle of the semester, when asked how they are doing in terms of studying for the upcoming tests, they would again feign their lack of interest or their lack of understanding in the subjects concerned.

Up till today, I've never really understood why they do this. Today I realise it because I wish I had lied to my friends and told them that I can't understand all the subjects either! Because I just hate the constant buggings!! 

I hate the fact that people expect me to feed them with answers, while they don't take the effort to study!! Why do they do this? I don't know. But I think the best way to avoid them is to either tell them off early on itself, or to just feign incompetence :)

The next thing that is annoying me is the people who behave inconsiderately. Seriously man, what's wrong with people these days? I don't know if it is me who is being impatient and irritated easily, or is it that the people are purely inconsiderate? Simple things like apologising if they are late for lecture, a simple thank you when help is given, just simple polite behaviours. All these is too much to ask these days.

The next one. (I know! I have a whole list of things that have been bugging my heart). My Financial Accounting (FA) lecturers are simply too boring! Seriously, where do they find these people from? FA is supposed to be a very interesting subject!! It's supposed to be taught to us, in a way that it instills enthusiasm in our hearts. But what do they do? 

For a university that is claimed to be the top university for Accounting in Australia, why are the lecturers for an important subject like FA really boring? Not only are they boring, they have absolutely no good presentation skills. They just read off from the presentation slides! Don't mistake me guys! I have had absolutely brilliant lecturers in Macquarie Uni! 

Well, I'm going to write out to the department heavily criticising the lecturers. They have played absolutely no role in my learning. I have learned myself. I have studied myself. I could easily survive without their lectures. I saw no point in attending their lectures, except merely for the reason of attendance. This isn't how lecturers should be like.

The most annoying thing within an university is the state of the toilets in the campus! Don't even get me started on it! I'm really worried about the future because even the basic hygiene is being disregarded in the public toilets. Can they be any cleaner??

I think this is enough rambling for today. I promise that my next post will not be a rambling like this. I think I'll stick with once or twice a year with all such ramblings :) 

Alright guys! An early disclaimer. I guess I won't be updating my blog for another month or so, what with the exams coming and preparations that need to be done to clear out my room and pack my stuff. Have a great June holidays to my fellow teacher friends!! :) Stay happy and healthy always!! :) Kudos!

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