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Chethan Bhagath Effect - Buy Enchanting Novels of The Most Celebrated Author of Our Time

A techie-turned writer, Chethan Bhagath still holds a sway over the reading mass of India. His novels, telling the tale of unusual turns in love affairs, is a reflection of his own experiences as a teenager, IITian, a corporate honcho as well as a writer. Two States that narrates the love-hate relations in the life of Ananya and Krish is literally an embodiment of the diversities we have in our so called Unity and the modern youth in India. On the other hand, One Night at Call Centre takes a dive into the yet unseen depths of a call centre employee's frustrated psyche. Revolution 2020 is no doubt a moral vision for the metro youth who run frantically after money and fame. The most exciting of all his novels, if I am asked, is Three Mistakes of My Life. Set against the backdrop of Gujarat, the novel vividly portrays how the three mistakes done by the hero throw his life topsy-turvy and land him in deep troubles.

Now you can buy Chethan Bhagath's, 'the biggest selling English language novelist in India's history', novels here.














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Lootera - A Leaf of Love and Life

Lootera Review :


If one day, love comes before you with all its pain and happiness, what will you call it ? Silence... Oh, anyway my answer is Lootera!!

Vikramaditya Motwane is a tested and proven director. You might have seen his 'Udaan'. And now Lootera is here. It is one among the few perfect masterpieces ever produced in Indian Cinema. While you watch Lootera, you may feel that you are reading a Tagorian lyrical outburst.

Lootera says the LOVE story of Varun, a thief and Pakhi, an innocent girl in Bengal. The story happens in the 50's, when the land acquisition law was came into effect.

The whole setting of the movie matches the period. And the plot is not crammed with characters and sub-stories. It is the story of Varun and Pakhi. All other characters are kept away from the spotlight.

Varun had a dream. He wanted to paint a masterpiece before he die. Atlast he paints it. A leaf of love and life, just for her. His Pakhi. Here you can see the most touching adaptation of O. Henry's 'The Last Leaf'.Varun achieves his dream. That too for her. So he has enough reasons to smile at death.

Buy Romantic Melodies of Lootera from Flipkart.com

Lootera says, in a soft voice, that love is life. If you love somebody, you are giving life to him/her. And your life begins there. Pakhi's smile, which you see before the end credits is Varun's love and that love keeps her alive.

Sonakshi Sinha looks prettier than ever before. Can't take your eyes away from her. Pakhi is alive in her hands. Ranveer Singh adds colour to Varun. Their onscreen chemistry has a major role in the movie.

All the technical aspects including cinematography, editing, sound etc are in well sync. Songs and background score are perfect for the mood. vikramaditya Motwane needs a special applause for the flawless art of filmmaking. If I have to point out a negative, I should say, some parts of the movie are bit slow and dragging.

I hope you all might have seen Aamir Khan-Kajol starrer 'Fannaa'. Some narrow shades of similarities can be traced in both. But no comparisons at all.

Lootera is a simple movie.It is the story of Varun and Pakhi and their own love story. Never expect any of our bollywood romantic masalas in it. Lootera is tragic, but leaves you with a smile on your face.

Tail end : When few dew drops glittered in my eyes, I just turned around. Saw a girl sitting in the back row, fighting hard to hide a monsoon of emotions. Lootera...




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The Third Sex in Indian Cinema

Anticipation, adulation and celebration—this was how Kolkata responded to Rituparno Ghosh’s films. But, this time when his new movie is released, there will be anticipation and adulation, but no more celebration. The reason—Ghosh is no more.

He never beat a new path for himself in filmdom. Nor did he try any extraordinarily brilliant technical experiments in his forte, like Satyajith Ray, his creative mentor. Yet, he hogged the headlines and caused furor in the society he lived in.  How? He had a special eye for the lives of the marginalized, and a creative fond for the underbellies of Indian society. When Ghosh set his foot on filmdom, Bengali cinema was a barren land. He turned it into a fertile soil by exploring the sentiments of the urban middle class to which he, too, belonged.

By all means, he was like a truant child; curious, creative and forever unafraid to chuck stones into the placid pool that sometimes society is. Born and brought up in Kolkata, Ghosh made friends with movie-making through his father who was a documentary film maker. Starting his career with Hirer Angti, a film for children, he later made a seismic shift to movies of great intensity, the first in the list being Unish April. It explored a mother-daughter relationship and won him the national award for best feature film in 1994. He made 19 movies of which 12 won national awards.  In the mean time, he gave a go at Hindi cinema too, with movies like Chokher Bali and Rain Coat.

In 2008, Ghosh became a hot topic when he declared that he belonged to the third sex, and appeared his head being shaved off and sporting salwars, dupattas, bindis and ornaments. Unabashed to go public on his fluid sexuality, he perfected the role of a transgender in Arekti Premer Golpo, and that of a homosexual in Chitrangada. In the history of India cinema, Ghosh will be best remembered as a film-maker who spoke for subaltern. Yes, truly he is a subaltern-film maker.


                                               
 






Sreenath V S, 
Research Scholar, Indian Institute of Technology, 
Kanpur

V***na, No Longer a Swear Word!


The other day, I was chatting with one of my girl friends over a cup of tea. We discussed so many topics in which we shared a common interest. And at one point I asked her whether she had read the play The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler. Instantly, she gazed at me--her eyes blaring--and asked——   Hey, Sree! Aren’t you ashamed?”   It was really, really a shock to me. I thought an educated, high-profile girl like her would take it in its real sense. Poor I who mistook a Kerala village girl for a hi-fi one! So, I pondered very seriously on it later, and finally said to myself, “Nope. If Eve Ensler can write a book by this title, then I can surely speak about it."

That incident taught me a, too—“Don’t mention the name of body parts to girls, especially to one from Kerala." Long live Ensler, who was quite candid about her bodily experiences and considered vagina a tool for female empowerment. A playwright, feminist and an activist, Ensler is still remembered for groundbreaking work Vagina Monologues, an episodic play that was translated into some  48 languages and performed in over 140 countries.

First performed at Here Arts Center in New York City on 3 October 1996, the play is in the form of varying monologues rendered by three female characters. Each monologue speaks of one or other feminine experience, ranging from matters such as sex, love, rape, menstruation, female genital mutilation, masturbation, birth, and orgasm . The theme that recurs throughout the play is  vagina as a tool of female empowerment,and the ultimate embodiment of individuality.

Ensler says, "Everything about the patriarchal society has made women feel bad about their bodies, particularly about their sexuality." She wants all the women across the world, irrespective of their caste,colour and creed , to love their body. The more a woman loves her body, the more she turns creative and come into her own, says Ensler. And one more interesting factor before I conclude-- The work is a biological entity,too. Every year, it grows and widens its kitten of themes by adding a new monologue that highlights to a current issue affecting women around the world.


 






Sreenath V S
Research Scholar, 
IIT, Kanpur

Buy The Vagina Monologues Reprint Edition from Flipkart.com just for Rs. 318

Raanjhanaa (Ambikapathy) - Monsoon of Love

Raanjhanaa (Ambikapathy) Movie Review :

A good movie. Not a perfect one, but recommendable. That is the briefest review I provide  if you ask about Raanjhanaa (Ambikapathy in Tamil). The frontiers of different cine'woods' in India are melting down and this movie is a result of that. Raanjhanaa is obviously a Dhanush movie. Because of his soulful performance, Kundan lives on the silver-screen and in the hearts of a million moviegoers.

Raanjhanaa is a romantic movie with some differences. It is special in its plot, setting, cast, music, cinematography and an invisibly visible emotional flow. For Dhanush, the character is not at all challenging. Because he has embodied the same in many of his previous Tamil works. And of course, for Sonam too the character is somewhat similar to the one she played in Mausam. All the other co-actors, including Abhay Deol, have enacted their respective roles perfectly.

A. R Rahman's soothing music flows through the entire movie like the holy river. Since Raanjhanaa is not a repeatedly repeated stuff, the director has a point in making this love story.  The script is convincing to a great extend. But the politics thing is just half-baked. The climax part makes it stand out of the hereditary box of Indian filmy romance.

Raanjhanaa is a tragedy  in the usual sense. But you will never get disappointed. It gives hope. It sings about 'a love'. A love which has more than one shade. And we could feel it...

Raanjhanaa is a multilingual hit for the thin, average-looking, extraordinary Star from South and a must watch in this monsoon. Love showers...

Mural Paintings In Kottayam


Kottayam town in Kerala has become the new abode of mural wonders. Many important places in the city have coloured with the ancient and modern tints of mural art. A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture. Here are some of the elegant mural paintings you can find on the walls of Kottayam collectorate.  Just flip through these images and feel the height of artistic expressions.













Review: Climax- A Lifeless Film on the Life of Silk

Climax Malayalam Movie Review :

When Vidya Balan's 'Dirty Picture' shook Indian box-office from tip to toe, it gave sleepless nights to the many in Mollywood. Quite naturally, they came out with 'Climax', a failed cinematic attempt on the life of Smitha, popularly known as Silk. But it's more a distorted copy than a faithful representation of Silk's life. However the filmmakers say that the movie delves into her life and probes the secret of her suicide. After watching this so called 'photocopy of Silk's life', we rued the moment we went to watch it. Anil - Kaloor Dennis team has come up with a B-grade movie in its every aspect. It is neither erotic nor emotionally appealing.

'Climax' is just a camera scanning of Sana Khan's voluptuous beauty. She reminds us of an item girl and is not truly fit for the role. The story and script are just able to evoke the feel of those midnight movies we used to watch when our parents were fast asleep. Apart from a fragile storyline and a handful of weak characters, 'Climax' even lacks the presence of a director. Anil is just there in the title and is literally not in the movie. Technical and artistic elements like camera, editing, dubbing, casting, music etc. make the movie even more pathetic. In total 'Climax' is just an amateurish attempt to cash in on the sexual appetite, even though it fails to do so.

In 'Dirty Picture', the title character is so strong and even bagged a National Award. When it comes to Climax, we feel the movie is cooked up by some necromantic filmmakers just to sell a rotten corpse. They even used original Silk Smitha on screen just to get the audience swayed, but it fails terribly.

No element is there to demand an applause. Even Sana Khan's curvaceous body can't keep the audience glued to the screen. An utter waste. That is the best box-office verdict which suits 'Climax'.


(Language Editor : Sreenath V S)

Listen To Swathi Thirunal Padams in K.S. Chithra's Voice


19th century witnessed the Golden Era of music and arts in Travancore. It was the period of  Sri Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma  (April 16, 1813 – December 25, 1846), the Maharaja  of the state of Travancore in India. He was a patron of music and was an excellent musician himself. Swathi Thirunal encouraged both Hindustani and Carnatic music, though he was essentially a maestro of the Carnatic music tradition. He is credited with composing over 400 compositions in Carnatic and Hindustani music.

Here you can listen to some of his enchanting compositions in K.S. Chithra's ethereal voice. These songs are from the album titled 'Enchanting Melodies'. If you like the songs, you can buy the album from Flipkart.com directly from here. Click on the link given below and you will be redirected to the page.

Buy Enchanting Melodies from Flipkart.com


1. Panimathi





2. Aliveni Enthu





3. Kinthu Cheivu





4. Tharu Nee





5. Poonthen





6. Jalaja Bindhu





7. Kantha Thava






8. Theliviyalum





9. Kanthanodu



Amazing Set of HD Love Wallpapers

Wallpapers can really adorn your desktop. When they are in High Definition the effect will be maximum. Here we present a Beautiful and Amazing set of HD wallpapers on Love. These wallpapers can really catch your attention and spread your emotions on screen. Here you can download the best available set of HD Love wallpapers. Just click&save.

















Review : Immanuel - A String of Advises

Immanuel Malayalam Movie Review :

After the commendable success of  'Ayalum Njanum Thammil', Lal Jose has come up with a disappointing film, 'Immanuel'. With its cliched story-line, characters, scenes, unconvincing twists etc. 'Immanuel' offers nothing interesting. It is a story that revolving around an important theme and that theme is relevant too. The target war in the corporate sector and the Job Killers are new to Malayalam Cinema. But the apt time for the subject was the recession time.

'Immanuel' is the story of a man who is trying spread humanity and generosity even in the corporate sector where targets decide the existence everyone. The script is cliched in its aspect. It fails pathetically to convince the audience. Mammootty dons his run-of-the-mill role of an 'innocent god-man'. That is terribly boring. We have seen Mammootty in similar roles in films like Best Actor, Bavuttiyude Namathil, Palunku and so on. The complete setting of the movie is a fiasco. Fahad Fazil, appearing in a familiar get-up, is also an unconvincing character. But he has taken efforts to make it better within the limitations of the script. 

Performance-wise the cast is good. Cinematography also has its plus points to note. But the film is not  appealing anyway. It is actually a string of advises. Here Lal Jose fails to remember that giving advises is not the function of a movie. A religious talk or moral text is enough for that. A film should be an experience, either visual or conceptual. 

Since the ticket costs some money and the movie lasts for more than two hours, the audience has the minimum right to expect something novel and engaging. At this basic point, 'Immanuel' is a failure. Something is there, but failed to show-off that something. 

Review: Amen- A Breakthrough

Amen Malayalam Movie Review :

An excellent script cannot  make a perfect movie. But a talented filmmaker can make a classic even out of a cliched stuff. Amen is the most recent example. Lijo Jose Pellissery is a proven director. His previous works like Nayakan and City of God are enough to prove that. But Amen is a breakthrough. It alters all the familiar cinematic norms. Basic thread is a cliched love story. But the packing does all the magic. Amen ties Dante's medieval work's title, Divine Comedy with it and it is apt too. 

The whole story happens inside the Christian community in Kumarankery, a village in Alleppey.   Solomon and Sosamma are lovers. Same old conflicts are there. The whole story is tied together using a peculiar musical instrument; Klarnet. It has an important part to play in the legacy of Christians in Kerala.  Music has a vital role in this movie. All the songs in Amen bear the fragrance of the culture of Kumarankery. 

Abhinandan Ramanujam's visuals make the movie a spectacular one. One song in the movie is created using just a single shot. Camera is very live and always trying to capture something funny. In some scenes past and present are blended beautifully. 

Amen is really interesting because of its making. Each and every scene and characters are built in a different manner and presented with a novel tone. Fahad Fazil, Indrajith and everyone have made their roles memorable. Its a visual epic. 

Amen is certainly an epoch making film in the history of Malayalam cinema. A film with international standard in making. It really needs an applause. The verdict is clear. An excellent movie.



Review : Breaking News Live- A Real Heartbreaker

 Breaking News Live Malayalam Movie Review :

The name makes an illusion of something extraordinary. But when the box is open you don't even feel like sitting on those costly seats in darkness. Sudheer Ambalapaad's directorial debut, Breaking News Live has only pretty Kavya Madhavan as a show piece. Of course, she is gorgeous. But even that is boring when nothing else is there to turn our attention. As one of my friends commented, we can't find a plus in this film and that is the minus of it. 

Obviously the theme makes sense and it is relevant too. It reminds the need of essential reactions. But the way the basic plot is converted into a screenplay is really pathetic. And the cinematic version makes it completely useless. The story is based on the sexual violence against women in Kerala today. Soumya murder case happened in Kerala serves the plot of Breaking News Live. The nonlinear script structure fails pathetically to convey the theme. The premature directorial skills  can't do anything to save it.

Songs are good and the visualization also works well on the screen. Kavya Madhavan is the main attraction of the movie.  She fits well in the role of Nayna. But she is also struggling to strive forward  in a faulty script. Climax scene has close resemblance with  the restaurant fight scene in Chakde India.  No other character demands special recognition.  

The time you spend for this movie is really a waste. That is the underlined box-office verdict for Breaking News Live. Beware of it.

Uchaal- The Celebration of Unity

With the ethereal grace of the fading sun, a tune of wind came out. Not alone. There was the vibrating drum beats in the background. They were approaching the Mulluva colony; Oorali Kuruma people for the commencing of another Uchaal.

Uchaal is a tribal festival of Wayanad, Kerala. It is celebrated only among the Kuruma tribes. And the venue of the festival is the Mulluva Kuruma colony in Paakkam, Waynad.

The Kuruma tribe is one among the prominent tribal groups in Kerala. They have their own unique culture, occupation and life style. They have an ancestral root which is called Nayadikal(Hunters). Since every community has their own customs, style and festivals, their story may not be unique. But the way they celebrate all these and cultural identity which is revealed during those festivities are worth studying. Those festivals are not exactly like other common festivals of modern times. Each has a distinct style, set of customs, beliefs and rituals. Uchaal is one of the major festivals of this tribe. It is celebrated in the month of February. Three-days long celebrations will be there. Kurumas from every nook and corner will come to the colony for the festival.

Thappakkali
Uchaal is their Hunting festival. Two divisions of the Kuruma tribe, MulluvaKuruma and OoraliKuruma celebrate it together. Oorali people congregates at the Mulluva colony with drums, songs and dance. They performe their own Thappakkali on the ground near the Mulluva colony. For this they use drums, flute and rhythmic movements. After their performance it is Mulluva’s turn. Their performance is very different and has a good order and coordination. That dance form, Vattakkali, is considered to be one among the major folk art forms in Kerala. They will dance till early morning. Then again thappakkali begins.

There is a shrine nearby. Main rituals will be performed there. A never ending water source called keni is there in the colony. This pure water and the surrounding place bear a mark of holiness in their mind.
Mulluva leader is the head of all celebrations and rituals. The oracle will talk to the leader and people. “It is more like a democratic parliamentary system. People share their problems and needs with the god through a mediator or an oracle and pray for a good future,” says John, a social activist working for the welfare of the tribe.

Food is the main attraction of the festival. Mulluva people will make a grand feast for the Ooralis in the festival days. In the early period they used to hunt and fish in the forest. Since the laws are strict now they use chicken only. “Years before,the festival was really joyful and people celebrated it with utmost interest and dedication. People used to sing, dance, eat and drink. Lot of food was available. But now the condition has changed. The olden day charm is missing,” says Kappi, the present leader of the colony.

Vattakkali
Each and every ritual and art form performed with the festival can be viewed as symbols of their unity, past prosperity and never ending hope. “When they perform vattakkali, the way they hold each other reflects their belief in unity which is inherited as a cultural strength,” John adds.

Uchaal is a merry making festival accompanied by religious rituals. At the end of the festival, Mulluva Kurumas will distribute rice as remuneration to the Ooralis. Oorali leader will receive it and distribute among his people. The whole expense of the festival will be on the Mulluvas.

“The younger generation doesn’t feel the need of preserving these cultural treasures. Their attitude towards the festival is not promising. Many consider these traditions and celebrations as something which make them inferior or uncivilized,” says Sareesh, an educated youth from the tribe.

It is the present scenario. May be we are witnessing the twilight. As the drum beats fade, a tradition may be losing something which is of their own and something which cannot be restored.


“When we respect our blood ancestors and our spiritual ancestors, we feel rooted. If we find ways to cherish and develop our spiritual heritage, we will avoid the kind of alienation that is destroying society, and we will become whole again. ... Learning to touch deeply the jewels of our own tradition will allow us to understand and appreciate the values of other traditions, and this will benefit everyone.” 
― ThichNhatHanh, Living Buddha, Living Christ

Photos : Nideesh Babu

Review: Celluloid - A Perfect Tribute

Review of Malayalam Movie Celluloid :


Kamal's latest movie Celluloid has become a hot topic in the state. It has bagged seven state awards and a handful of controversies too. Celluloid is the story of Dr. J. C Daniel, the father of Malayalam Cinema and Rosy,Malayalam film industry's first ever heroine. J. C Daniel made the first Malayalam movie, Vigathakumaran. Cinema was his life. And he lost both. The social setup which was prevalent in Kerala had crucified the lives of few innocent people who had tried to surpass the inhuman boundaries of caste and creed for cinema. Kamal's Celluloid is based on the novel Nashta Naayika by Vinu Abraham (which is about the story of Rosy) and the biography of J. C Daniel by Chelangatt Gopalakrishnan.

Prithviraj shines in the roles of J.C Daniel and Haris Daniel. But in some moments we will see Mr. Prithviraj himself on the screen. But it doesn't affect the pace and emotion of the movie. Mamtha, Chandni, Sreenivasan, Sreejith Ravi etc. have done their best.

Venu serves a beautiful visual feast. M. Jayachandran's music demands special mention. It takes the audience back to the exact period. Lyrics, music and vocals blend beautifully.

When comes to the box office verdict, Celluloid is a must watch. If you are ready to ignore few factual errors, script problems and directorial faults, Celluloid is a true tribute to the father of Malayalam Cinema. And it marks the powerful return of Kamal as a fantastic filmmaker.


Evergreen Melodies In Malayalam - Part 2


Film music of Kerala in particular is the most popular form of music in the state. Kerala has a rich tradition of Carnatic Music. That legacy reflects in Malayalam Film music also. India's top singers like Yesudas, K S Chithra, Hariharan, P Jayachandran etc are from Malayalam. Malayalam film music is a treasury. Countless maestros have drawn beautiful world of music with all the popular, classical and folk elements.

Click here to listen to Evergreen Melodies In Malayalam- Part 1

Here you can listen to another  top 10 evergreen hits in Malayalam. These are some of the purest melodies released after the 80s.  You will fall in love with these soothing melodies. You will touch the string of romance, pain, nostalgia and every single shade of life.

Evergreen Melodies in Malayalam- Mp3 Collection Part 2- Listen Online


Kandu Njan Mizhikalil - Abhimanyu (1991)





Chemboove Poove - Kalapani (1996)




Varuvanilla - Manichitrathazhu (1993)




Ponnilkulichu Ninnu- Sallapam (1996)




Mele Mele Manam- No. 1 Sneehatheeram Banglore North (1995) 




Mazhavilkothumpil- Advaitham (1991)





Moovanthi Thazhvarayil- Kanmadam (1998)






Raree Rareeram Raro - Onnu Muthal Poojyam Vare (1986)




Chandana Manivathil - Marikkunnilla Njan (1988)




Koothambalathil Vacho - Appu (1990)



How To Add A Flying Twitter Bird To Your Blog


Social networking sites can really help you in enhancing the traffic on your blog. Let me introduce a cute little flying Twitter bird for your blogger blog. I hope you have already seen the one on this page.This is not just a flying bird widget. Once a reader places his/her cursor on this bird it will show two options. One is to tweet your post on Twitter and other is to follow you in twitter. I am sure that this cute little bird can attract you reader. Because it will fly down and up with every single scroll. So a click is guaranteed. Your traffic will multiple easily. And of course, this bird will make your blog more lively.




Let me explain the method.


  1. Open your blogger account.
  2. Select Template -> Edit HTML
  3. Press Ctrl+F and search for the following code
</body>

   






 4.  Then copy the following code and paste it below the </body> code.

<!-- Twitter Bird start Factsnframes.com --> <script src='http://yourjavascript.com/1523826141/Flying twitter bird.js' type='text/javascript'>
</script> <script type='text/javascript'> var twitterAccount = "Add your Twitter name here"; var tweetThisText = " <data:blog.pageTitle/>: <data:blog.url/> "; tripleflapInit(); </script> <span style='font-size:11px;position:absolute;'/><a href='http://www.factsnframes.com/' target='_blank'>Twitter Bird Gadget</a> <!-- Twitter Bird end Factsnframes.com --> 

     5. Then replace the sentence  "Add your Twitter name here"  with your twitter name.
         Eg: "factsnframes"
     6. Ok. Now click on Save Template at the bottom of your page.

We are done! Just go to your blog homepage and see how nice this little bird flying all around your blog. If there is any problem, just leave comment below. Enjoy...