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Wake up Sid Review

preethika — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:01:59 +0000

The cutest movie of 2009!!! (Not Ranbir but the movie on the whole)

Wake up Sid opens with a guy who sits with his book to study for his exams and falls asleep in the procees and before I could fall asleep, the background score just makes you feel fresh and makes you wait to see what happens next!

Base story

Sid (Ranbir – Hero) is a rich kid who once used to be a topper at school. He is now totally not interested in studies one bit. All he wants in life is to have fun, bindaas life, care free attitude and does not worry about tomorrow. Aiysha (Konkana – Heroine) is a new girl in the city who wants a have things of her own and live an independent life. How these both meet, become responsible and make their life beautiful together is what Wake up Sid is all about.

Well the movie

Sid and his friends are in their final year of college and its time for their farewell party. He loves to take photos and since he has no date for the farewell party (the setup is just a replica of a prom) clicks random pictures. This is where he meets Aiysha. Knowing that she is not a part of the college, he starts talking to her and they quickly become friends. As she is also new to the city, he decides to show her the new place and so they to go for a stroll. Here they talk about passion, how she wants to write, how he loves the monsoon which eventually leads in them sharing their mail id. As time goes by, they both become real good friends, she buys her own house, gets the job that she had wished for.

When everything seems to be fine, Sid fails in the university exams while his other friends pass. This gets him dejected, leading to a big fight at home and ends with him walking out of home. He then lands up knocking on the doors of Aiysha. As days fly, Sid learns how to cook, make his bed and also think of getting a job which he does with the help of Aiysha.

Here is the cute turn of events – Sid’s proposal to Aiysha which was once rejected by her due to his immatured and childish behaviour. makes her fall in love with him for the same reason. It definitely sounds “yeah I knew it” but how it happens is where one will enjoy.

Climax

Sid finally becomes responsible and finds a job in the magazine that he interned. This makes his parents very happy and decides to move back home. How they both express their feelings and get together is what the story ends.

Conclusion

While Hollywood movies end with french kiss, Bollywood ends with a HUG!

My review

I loved Konkana’s emotions – as usual perfect!! No draggy scenes, excellent Background score and a cute couple makes this movie worth watching.

Celebrating Iconic Fashion Photography

stephwereley — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:32:11 +0000

Fellow PR student Julie Mac manages Passionately Awkward, a blog facilitating discussions on sex, fashion and music. Julie was gracious enough to post a blog I wrote recognizing those who straddle the worlds of fine art and fashion. Check it out here!

stephwereley

Decode Sickular Lies on Indian History

zoomindianmedia — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 08:32:02 +0000

Marxists their fellow travellors sickulars, islamis, isais have a single agenda – use every trick under the trade to keep native Indians divided. Marxist historians encouraged by congress I (islami-isai) dispensation have thoughroughly subverted Indian history. Infamously their technique is called “Suppresio Veri, Suggestio Falsi” (suppress the truth, suggest falsehood).

Big idea of these rogues is to keep natives divided by deploying various affiliations: panthic like saivaite /vaishnavaite /saktha /jaina/buddhist /sikh/vedanti and language/jati/locational affiliation; this while uniting islamis/isais. It is a tribute to their deception skills and naivete of natives that by regurgitating canards the deceits have succeeded in their nefarious acts and have undermined Native Dharma.

The following note was prepared by Arun Shourie and team in response to marxist/sickular/islami-isai deceit. When faced with facts standard response from the above deceits is the classic “shoot the messenger” abuse the person rather than respond to facts.

Using this questionnaire note (Appendix 4 of book, Hindu Temples What Happened to Them), you can decode the lies and deceit peddled by communists (like ndtv, xinhua hindu/frontline), islamis, isais, sickulars (vir sanghvi, shekhar gupta types).

As this is a touchstone for locating truth, I would request those who care for native Indian wellbeing to mirror this information for maximum impact.

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE MARXIST PROFESSORS

We return to the Marxist professors with whom we started.

We have cited from eighty histories written by Muslims over a period of more than one thousand years. We have also cited several Islamic inscriptions which confirm what the historians say. The citations show how Hindu temples continued to be destroyed over a vast area and for a long time. We have added no editorial comments and given no communal twist? to the events that took place. All along, we have kept to the actual language used by the Muslim historians.

We wonder if the professors will dismiss as a mere listing of dates? the evidence we have presented. What we expect from the professors is that they will come forward with historical analysis and interpretations. so that the destruction of Hindu temples mentioned in the Muslim narratives gets explained in terms of economic or political or any other non-religious motives.

We stick to our position, namely, that it is the theology of Islam which offers the only straight-forward and satisfactory explanation of why Muslim conquerors and rulers did what they did to Hindu places of worship. We have provided full facts about that theology, as also about the history of how it took its final shape. It would be most welcome if the professors come out with their comments on the character and meaning of this theology. In fact, we look forward to a Marxist explanation of it. What were the concrete material conditions and objective historical forces which gave rise to this theology in Arabia at that time?

Next, we refer to the second point which the professors had made in their letter to The Times of India. They had said that acts of intolerance have been committed by followers of all religions?. A subsequent sentence clarified what they meant; they had in mind the Buddhist and Jain monuments and animist shrines destroyed by Hindus. As we have said, we do not share their philosophy of separating the Buddhists, the Jains and the Animists from the Hindus. But we agree to use their terms for the time being and request them to produce:

A list of epigraphs which record the destruction of Buddhist and Jain monuments and Animist shrines by any Hindu, at any time;
Citations from Hindu literary sources describing destruction of Buddhist and Jain monuments and Animist shrines by any Hindu, at any time;
The Hindu theology which says or even suggests that non-Hindu places of worship should be destroyed or desecrated or plundered, or which hails such acts as pious or meritorious;
A list of Hindu kings or commanders whom Hindus have hailed as heroes for desecrating or destroying or converting into Hindu places of worship any Buddhist or Jain monuments or Animist shrines;
A list of Buddhist and Jain monuments and Animist shrines which have been desecrated or destroyed or converted into Hindu places of worship in the remote or the recent past;
The names and places of Hindu monuments which stand on the sites occupied earlier by Buddhist or Jain monuments or Animist shrines, or which have materials from the latter embedded in their masonry;
Names of Buddhist, Jain and Animist leaders or organizations who have claimed that such and such Hindu monuments are usurpations, and demanded their restoration to the original occupants;
Names of Hindu leaders and organizations who have resisted any demand made by Buddhists or Jains or Animists for restoration of the latter’s places of worship, or called for legislation which will maintain the status quo, or cried Hinduism in danger, or staged street riots in support of their usurpations.

W e think that this sort of concrete evidence alone cane decide the question of the limits to the logic of restoration of religious sites?. There seems to be no other way. Sweeping generalizations based on slender or dubious evidence are no substitute for hard facts.

We hope that the professors will not resort to the hackneyed swear-words such as Hindu communalism,reactionary revivalism, and the rest. Swear-words offer no solutions. In any case, the time when swear-words carried weight has passed. It is no use inviting the other side to hit back in a similar manner.

If the professors fail to come out with answers to questions posed by us, and to present the evidence in support of their statements, we shall be forced to conclude that far from being serious academicians, they are cynical politicians hawking ad hoc or plausible explanations in the service of a party line. In fact, we shall be justified in saying that they are not Marxists but Stalinists. Marxism is a serious system of thought which offers consistent explanations. Stalinism, on the other hand, is an exercise in suppressio veri suggestio falsi in pursuit of a particular end.

Hindu scholars, leaders and organizations have so far ignored the loud and large-scale talk in the mass media, academia, and political circles about Hindu intolerance towards the Buddhists and the Jains and the Animists. Much damage has already been done to the image of Hinduism, and much more damage is likely to result if this talk is not challenged and stopped. How loose and irresponsible this talk can be is illustrated by the following instance.

I attended a seminar on the Mandal Commission Report held in the Gandhi Peace Foundation in October, 1990. One of the participants who spoke in support of the Report was Shri Hukam Dev Narain Singh Yadav, an MP of the Janata Dal at that time and a Minister in the Chandra Shekhar Government some time later. Speaking of Brahminical tyranny, he referred to the time ?when rivers of the blood of Buddhist monks were made to flow in the Buddhist monasteries (jab bauddha vihãroñ mêñ bauddha bhikSuoñ kê rakta kî nadiyãñ bahãî gayî thîñ).? The following dialogue took place between myself and the speaker at the end of the latters talk:

I: Could you kindly name the Buddhist monasteries where it happened, and also the time when it happened?
Speaker: I will not pretend that I know. I must have heard it from someone, or read it somewhere.
I: I give you six months for finding a single instance of Hindus murdering Buddhist monks. I am demanding only one instance, not two.
Speaker: I will try.

The speaker looked to me to be one of the finest men I had ever met. His voice had a ring of sincerity in whatever he said. His humility in presenting his point of view was more than exemplary. I expected him to remember my question and provide an answer. But two and a half years have passed and there is no word from the eminent politician occupying a high position in the public life of this country.

I know that the evidence demanded by me does not exist. It is a Big Lie being spread by Hindu-baiters. Hindus have never done what they are being accused of. My only point in mentioning the incident is that even honest people can become victims of hostile propaganda which is not countered in good time.

When the first edition of this book came out, I sent a copy of it to Professor Romila Thapar of the Jawaharlal Nehru University in her capacity as the doyen of the Marxist historians. I also addressed to her the following letter on 27 June, 1991:

I have posed a questionnaire for the school of historians which you lead. Please turn to pp. 438-441 of my recently published book (Hindu Temples: What Happened to Them, Volume II: The Islamic Evidence), a copy of which is being sent to you by registered post.

You may also read pp. 70-103 and p.i which also discuss the position of your school.

I am drawing your attention to these pages so that your school does not plead ignorance of them while maintaining silence. Of course, you are free to ignore the questionnaire as coming from a person who has had no standing in the academic world. I, however, feel that there are many people still left in this country who care for truth more than for position.

She was kind enough to reply by a letter dated 10 August 1991 which said:

Your letter of 27 June was awaiting me on my recent return to Delhi.

As regards the issues raised in the questionnaire included in your book, you are perhaps unaware of the scholarly work on the subject discussed by a variety of historians of various schools of thought. May I suggest that for a start, you might read my published lectures entitled, Cultural Transaction and Early India.

I wrote back on 31 August 1991, and stated my position as follows:

I acknowledge your letter of August 10.

I wish you had refrained from striking the pose of superiority which has been for long the hallmark of your school of historians. It does not go well with academic discipline.

For your information I have been primarily a student of ancient India’s history and culture, and gone through a good deal of source material, literary as well as archaeological. One of the reasons I have wandered into India?s medieval and modern history is that I want to know what happened to Hindu heritage at the hands of latter-day liberators?.

May I request you not to suggest any further reading of your stuff? You threaten to do so when you use the words ?for a start? while recommending your present pamphlet. I am pretty familiar with the patent lore.

I am sorry to say that your pamphlet has added nothing to my knowledge or perspective. The method of selecting facts and floating fictions is very well known to me. Christian missionaries have done far better with lesser fare.

I am not commenting on the various propositions put forward in your pamphlet. The Questionnaire which I have addressed to you was framed in a particular context. In your letter published in The Times of India dated October 2, 1986, you had stated that handing over of Sri Rama’s and Sri Krishna’s birthplaces to the Hindus, and of disused mosques to the Muslims raises the question of the limits to the logic of restoration of religious sites. How far back do we go? Can we push this to the restoration of Buddhist and Jain monuments destroyed by Hindus? Or of the pre-Hindu animist shrines? In my book I have welcomed the statement and said that the question can be answered satisfactorily only when we are prepared to face facts and a sense of proportion is restored?.

I have gone ahead and compiled historical and theological data about Islamic iconoclasm from whatever Islamic sources I could lay my hands on during the last four years. More may follow as I get at more of this source material. In an earlier volume I have provided, in a preliminary survey, a list of around two thousands Muslim monuments which are known to stand on the sites of and/or have been built with the materials of Buddhist, Brahmanical and Jain temples. The list is likely to get enlarged as I continue to look into more archaeological reports.

I have also compiled a list of Buddhist and Jain monuments supposed to have been destroyed or usurped by this or that Brahmanical sect, and Jain temples functioning at what were Brahmanical places of worship at earlier dates. I am seeking your help to enlarge the list of Buddhist and Jain monuments which were destroyed by those whom you call Hindus. Your writings and statements over the years go to show that you specialize in this subject. What I am looking for in particular is the Hindu theology which inspires acts of intolerance. I expect you to guide me to it.

My Questionnaire is not at all a challenge issued in a spirit of combat. It is only an appeal that sweeping statements should now yield place to hard facts so that we know precisely as to who did what, when, where, and under what inspiration. We should be in a position to compare the record of Islamic iconoclasm with that of Hindu iconoclasm, and draw fair conclusions regarding the character and role of the two religions. I for one am not interested in the restoration of religious sites, which I leave to the politicians.

It is nobody’s case that Hindu sects (in which I include Buddhists and Jains) did not use strong language vis-a-vis each other. Every Brahmanical sect has used strong language about other Brahmanical sects. So have the Buddhist, and the Jains, not only vis-a-vis Brahmanical sects but also about one another. The situation gets much worse when it comes to the sub-sects, whether Buddhist or Brahmanical or Jain. But strong language alone, whether in words or portrayals, is no evidence in the present context, unless it is followed by overt acts of destruction or usurpation.

Secondly, I fail to understand the logic of placing Buddhists and Jains on one side of the fence, and Brahmanical sects on the other. What about Buddhists and Jains committing acts of intolerance vis-a-vis one another? For a start, I refer you to the Mahavamsa which says that the Buddhist king, Vattagamini (29-117 BC), destroyed a Jain vihara and built a Buddhist one on the same site. In the Sravana-Belgola Epitaph of Mallishena, the renowned Jain teacher, Akalanka, says that ?in the court of the glorious king Himasitala, I overcame all crowds of Bauddhas, most of whom had a shrewd mind (vidagdha-at-mano), and I broke the (image of) Sugata with my foot (padena visphotitah) ? (EI. III, 192 for Sanskrit text and 201 for English translation). The instances can be multiplied.

Thirdly, I plead that presentation of evidence should not be an exercise in suppressio veri suggestio falsi. Your one line summary (p.18) of die Saiva inscription at Ablur is a case in pint. The inscription says clearly (El.III, 255) that the dispute arose because the Jains in a body tried to prevent a Saiva from worshipping his own image, saying Jina is the (true) deity?. The Jains also undertook to pluck up our Jina and set up Siva? if the Saiva devotee performed a miracle. And the Jains went back on their plighted word when the miracle was shown. There was a quarrel and the Jina was broken by the Saivas. What is most significant, the Jain king, Bijjala, decided in favour of the Saivas when the dispute was referred to him. He dismissed the Jains, bidding them to go without saying further words?. The story ends with the Jain king showering favours on the Saivas.

Dr. Fleet who has edited and translated this inscription along with four others found at the same place, gives summaries of two Lingayat puranas and the Jain Bijjalacharitra, and points out that the story in this inscription finds no support in the literary traditions of the two sects. Bijjal?s inscription dated AD 1162 discovered at Managoli (EI. V, 9-23) also does not support the story. The fact that the Saiva inscription at Ablur bears neither a date nor relates itself definitely to the reign of a king, makes it sound fishy. Authentic inscriptions do not usually deal in miracles. Obviously, the Saivas seem to have used the endowment of a Saiva temple in the Managoli inscription for mounting on it a story which was not related to any real events but satisfied sectarian spite.

Dr. Fleet has cited from the Lingayat sources to show that there was nothing Brahmanical about the Lingayats. They harboured hostility to Brahmans? (p.239) and their doctrines ?included the persecution and extermination of all persons whose creed differed from that of the Lingayats? (p.240). Brahmanism in any shape or form should not be held responsible for the doings of this sect. There is evidence that this sect drew its inspiration directly from Muslim missionaries who abounded on the West Coast of India at the time it took shape.

Incidentally, I have not been able to find anything relevant to the context in EI. XXVIII.1 which is mentioned in footnote 14 on page 18 of your pamphlet, along with EI.V.237. Is it a printing mistake? Kindly give me the correct reference so that I may examine the incident and credit it to your account if it is not already in my list. I hope it is not a case of strong language alone.

Finally, I suggest that all cases of Brahmanical rulers building or endowing Buddhist and Jain temples, and Buddhist and Jain rulers doing the same for Brahmanical temples, should also be compiled for obtaining a total picture of the religious scene. You are very prompt in pointing out the few cases where Hindu temples were endowed or built under Muslim patronage, whenever the large-scale destruction of Hindu temples by Muslims is brought to your notice. Why do you always fail to point out the numerous cases of Brahmanical patronage of Buddhism and Jainism, while listing the few cases of Brahmanical persecution? If a few cases of Muslim patronage can atone for large-scale Islamic iconoclasm, the numerous cases of Brahmanical patronage should be able to do the same for a few cases of Brahmanical persecution. I hope I am not illogical.

I have not received even an acknowledgement of this letter from Professor Thapar, leave alone any comments on the points raised by me. Her silence has left me sad, for I was looking forward to a fruitful dialogue.

III

Lest Professor Thapar complains that in my letter to her I have not dealt with all instances of ?Hindu intolerance? mentioned in her pamphlet, I reproduce below the entire evidence she has presented. She says:

The persecution of Buddhists in Kashmir is referred to by Hsüan Tsang, but, lest it be thought that he being a Chinese Buddhist monk was prejudiced, the testimony of KalhaNa in the Rãjatarañginî should be more acceptable. Hsüan Tsang refers to the atrocities of Mihîrakula against the Buddhists both in Punjab and in Kashmir in the sixth century AD. Hsüan Tsang may well have been exaggerating when he lists the destruction of 1,600 Buddhist stûpas and sanghãramas and the killing of many thousands of Buddhist monks and lay-followers. KalhaNa gives an even fuller account of the king killing innocent people by the hundreds. This is often dismissed by attributing the anti-Buddhist actions of Mihîrakula to his being a HûNa. But it should not be forgotten that he was also an ardent Saiva and gave grants of land in the form of agrahãras to the brahmans. In the words of KalhaNa: ?Brahmans from Gandhãra resembling himself in their habits and verily themselves the lowest of the twice-born accepted agrahãras from him.? It is possible that the recently discovered stûpa at Sanghol in Punjab, where sculpted railings were found in the vicinity of a stûpa dismantled and packed away, indicates this persecution of Buddhists in Kashmir and the wilful destruction of a vihãra, again by a Saivite king. But on this occasion the king repented and built a new monastery for the Buddhist monks.

Courtly literature, particularly plays written after the seventh century AD, is replete with invective against Buddhist and Jaina monks who are depicted as morally depraved, dishonest and altogether what one might call the scum of the earth. Mahendravarman’s MaTTavilãsa, a farce, is amongst the earliest plays. In the MudrarãkSasa of Vi?ãkhadatta, a constant refrain states that it is inauspicious to see a Jaina monk. The Prabodha-candrodaya of KRSNa Mira, a drama of the eleventh century, dwells on the theme of a Kapãlika converting a Jaina and a Buddhist monk to Saivism by offering them wine and women, both of which they are said to hanker after. In the Saiva temples at Khajuraho, Jaina monks, especially of the digambara sect, are depicted in the worst possible erotic poses. Such references and depictions do not amount to persecution but reflect a contemptuous attitude towards Jaina and Buddhist monks which they would doubtless have found very galling, particularly as they occur in the literature and art of aristocratic groups. The depiction of monks and ascetics as debauched may have been due to the court’s contempt for a variety of ascetics, some of whom were associated with socially unacceptable practices. Such depictions in courtly literature may also have been an attempt to play down the authority associated with renouncers and ascetics in the popular mind. But it is significant that the Buddhists and Jainas are more commonly made the subject of attack.

Evidence on the persecution of Jainas by Saiva sects comes from a variety of sources. The earliest known cave temple originally dedicated by the Jainas in Tirunelveli district was, subsequently in the seventh century, converted into a Saiva temple. This was not a case of appropriating the temple and gradually changing it. Quite clearly, the Jaina images were either destroyed or erased, sometimes only partially, and fresh Saivite images carved in the same place. In the case of the partially erased sculpture it is possible to recognize traces of the original. Where the image is totally gouged out the desecration is visible.

The Saivite saint Jñãna Sambander is attributed with having converted the PãNDya ruler from Jainism to Saivism, whereupon it is said that eight thousand Jainas were impaled by the king. This episode is represented in painting and sculpture in medieval temples and is enacted to this day in some Siva temples during their annual festival. In later times, attempts were made to appease the Jainas by royal patrons building Jaina, Saiva and VaiSNava temples in close proximity. But in these areas the Jaina temples soon fell into disrepair whilst the others flourished. Tamil Scholar V K Kalyanasundaram highlighted that the old Siddha Marga of native Indian tradition split to jaina and saiva ways.

Such activities were not restricted to a particular area. The Jaina temples of Karnataka went through a traumatic experience at the hands of the Lingãyatas or VîraSaivas in the early second millennium AD. This would explain in part why some Jaina texts have pejorative references to Basava, who founded the Vîrasaiva sect. The Jaina temples at LakkuNDi were located in the proximity of an affluent agrahãra and the VaiSNava brahmans accepted Mahãvîra as an incarnation of Brahma. Later, however, one of the temples was converted into a Saiva temple. At Huli, the temple of the five Jinas was converted into a pañcaliñgesvara Saivite temple, the five liñgas replacing the five Jina images in the sancta. Some other Jaina temples suffered the same fate. An inscription at Ablur in Dharwar eulogizes attacks on Jaina temples as retaliation for Jaina opposition to ?aivite worship. Sculpted panels at this site depict the smashing of Jaina images. In the fourteenth century the harassment of Jainas was so acute that they had to appeal for protection to the ruling power at Vijayanagara.

Inscriptions of the sixteenth century from the Srisailam area of Andhra Pradesh record the pride taken by Vîrasaiva chiefs in beheading svetãmbara Jainas. The local records of this area refer to the frequent persecution of the Jainas. In Gujarat, Jainism flourished during the reign of Kumãrapãla, but his successor persecuted the Jainas and destroyed their temples. However, Jainism was so well-established here that periodical persecution did not really shake it? (1)

She sums up: It is historically important to know why this persecution of the Buddhists and Jainas occurred in particular by the Saivas. I can only offer a few comments. At the religious level, it may have had to do with asceticism. Was Siva seen as the ascetic par excellence and the patron deity of ascetics, and were Buddhist and Jaina monks seen as imposters? Did Buddhist and Jaina monks find the worship of the lingam offensive owing to the puritanism inherent in both these systems? Yet the Tantric versions of these systems conceded to practices and ideas which were opposed to puritanism. If the hostility related only to religious differences, then it should have surfaced earlier in time. It is interesting that it begins about the middle of the first millennium AD and gains force through the centuries until Buddhism eventually fled the country and Jainism was effectively limited to a few pockets. The persecution predates the coming of Islam to these areas, so that the convenient excuse that Islamic persecution caused the decline of these religions is not applicable.(2)

Interestingly, she has refrained from mentioning the persecution of Buddhists by Pusyamitra Sunga and SaSãñka of GauDa, and the melting of idols by king Harsha of Kashmir, which had so far figured most prominently in the writings of her school. I wonder whether she has realized that those allegations have no legs to stand upon, even though others of her school continue to harp on them. In any case, it may be assumed that her present list has exhausted the entire stock-in-trade in the Marxist shop on the subject of Hindu intolerance?. I will deal with these instances, one by one.

1. She has suppressed the fact, stated by Huen Tsang, that Mihîrakula had requested the Buddhist Sangha to teach him the tenets of Buddhism. The Sangha did not assign the task to a qualified teacher but sent a monk who had the rank of a servant. Mihîrakula felt outraged at this insult and persecuted the Buddhists. It is highly doubtful if this HûNa tyrant had become a Saiva. KalhaNa sees him only as a HûNa extending patronage to bad BrãhmaNas. But even if he had, his fury had nothing to do with ?aivism. On the contrary, it was the fury of a tyrant whose ego had been hurt. Kashmir had known many Saiva kings before Mihîrakula as well as after him. None of them is known to have persecuted the Buddhists. In fact, most of them are known to have been patrons of Buddhism. The only instance she cites is that of a king who repented and rebuilt the vihãra which he had pulled down in a fit of anger. We should welcome a similar instance of some Muslim ruler who repented and rebuilt the temple he had demolished. The difference arises because while it was a temporary lapse on the part of the Kashmiran king, Muslim rulers were inspired by a permanently prescribed theology.

2. Dragging in the unfinished stûpa at Sangol in this context is totally unwarranted. No archaeologist has said that the stûpa was dismantled and packed away?. All that is known is that many stones had been finished, and were meant to be parts of a stûpa. But no one knows for sure why they were left in pits and trenches. It is no more than a speculation that perhaps a HûNa invasion was feared. No other archaeologist or historian has surmised that Mihîrakula was leading this invasion, and that he inspired fear as a ?aiva. In any case, Professor Thapar is the first to say that this represents a case of persecution of the Buddhists by a Saiva king. Her obssession has scored over her scruples.

3. The instances of Buddhist and Jain monks being made the subject of invectives in Sanskrit literature does not prove anything. Professor Thapar has herself stated in her present pamphlet that the Jain book Paumacarya denounces the BrãhmaNas as heretics and preachers of false doctrines who acquired their status through fraud (3). Shall we say that the Paumacarya invites the Jains to persecute the BrãhmaNas? I can cite many instances where the BrãhmaNas have been abused in Buddhist and Jain literature in worse language. But I will not accuse the Buddhists and Jains of persecution of the BrãhmaNas. And what about Buddhists and Jains hurling invectives on one another? Shall we say that Buddhists persecuted the Jains, and vice versa.

4. The persecution of Jains in the PãNDya country by some Saivas had nothing to do with Saivism as such, but was an expression of a nationalist conflict which I will relate shortly. What I want to point out first is that most of the royal dynasties which ruled in India, after the breakdown of the Gupta Empire and before the advent of Islamic invaders, were Saiva-Maukharîs, PuSyabhûtis, Gurjara-Pratihãras, and GãhaDavãDs of Kãnyakubja; Vãkãtakas of Nãndîvardhana and Vatsagulma; Pallavas of Kãñchipuram; Cholas of Tanjore; Chãlukyas of Vãtãpî, KalyãNa, and Veñgî; PãNDuvaM?îs of Kosala and Mekala; Kalachurîs of MãhiSmatî and Tripurî; RãshtrakûTas of MãnyakheTa; Maitrakas of Valabhi; Guhilots of Mewar; ChãhmãNas of Sãkambharî, NaDDula and Jalor; Turkî and Hindû Shãhîs of Kabul, Zabul and UdbhãNDapura; KãrkoTas and Utpalas of Kashmir; Tomaras of Haryana and Delhi; Parmãras of Malwa and Abu; Chaulukyas of Gujarat; Yãdvas of Maharashtra; Kãkatîyas of Andhra Pradesh; HoySalas of Karnataka; Chandellas of Kalinjara – to recount only the most prominent of them. The Jains are known to have flourished everywhere; not a single instance of the Jains being persecuted under any of these dynasties is known. The instance she mentions from Gujarat was only the righting of a wrong which the Jains had committed under Kumãrapala. Professor Thapar does not mention the Jain high-handedness which had preceded.

The conflict between the Jains and the Saivas in the PãNDya country has been dealt with in detail by M. Arunachalam in a monograph published eight years before Professor Thapar delivered the lectures which comprise her pamphlet(4). He has proved conclusively, with the help of epigraphic and literary evidence, that the Kalabhara invaders from Karnataka had occupied Tamil Nadu for 300 years (between AD 250 and 550), and that they subscribed to the Digambara sect of Jainism.(5) It so happened that some of the Kalabhara princes were guided by a few narrow-minded Jain ascetics, and inflicted injuries on some Saiva and VaiSNava saints and places of worship. They also took away the agrahãras which BrãhmaNas had enjoyed in earlier times.(6) And a reaction set in when the Kalabharas were overthrown. The new rulers who rose subscribed to Savisim. It was then that the Jains were persecuted in some places, and some Jain places to worship were taken over by the Saivas under the plea that these were Saiva places in the earlier period.

But the reaction was confined to the PaNDya country. Jainism continued to flourish in northern Tamil Nadu which also had been invaded by the Kalabharas, where also the Saivas and VaiSNavas had been molested by the Jains, and where also the Saivas had come to power once again. It is significant that though Buddhists also invite invectives in the same Saiva literature, no instance of Buddhists being persecuted is recorded. That was because Buddhists had never harmed the Saivas. It is also significant that the VaiSNavas of Tamil Nadu show no bitterness against the Jains though they had also suffered under Kalabhara rule.

In any case, Professor Thapar should have mentioned the persecution of Saivas practised earlier by the PaNDya king who was a Jain to start with, and who later on converted to ?aivism and persecuted the Jains. This is another instance of suppressio vari suggestio falsi practised very often by her school. Obviously, these persecutions had nothing to do with either Jainism or Saivism, and were no more than the expressions of a king’s personal predisposition.

Interestingly, the Persecution of Jains in the PaNDya country finds mention only in Saiva literature, and is not corroborated by Jain literature of the same or subsequent period. Specialists of South India?s history such as K.A.N. Sastri have dismissed the whole story as a Saiva braggadocio without any basis in fact. The atrocities of the Islamic invaders, on the other hand, find mention not only in Muslim histories but also in contemporary Hindu literature. At any rate, these few instances cannot overshadow the fact that Jains and Saivas have lived in perfect amity for a very long time, and over large areas. What is more important, neither Jains nor Saivas have any theology sanctioning persecution of people belonging to other religious persuasions. Aberrations should be seen as aberrations, unless we are out to make mountains out of molehills.

5. As regards her statement that Buddhism eventually fled the country and Jainism was effectively confined to few pockets? as a result of Hindu persecution in pre-Islamic days, one simply feels flabbergasted in the face of such colossal ignorance on the part of a professor of history. As regards Buddhism, we are quoting what Dr. B.R. Ambedkar has to say on the subject. After observing that the Persian word ‘but’ meaning ‘idol’ is derived from Buddha, He writes: Thus the origin of the word indicates that in the Muslim mind idol worship had come to be identified with the religion of Buddha. To the Muslims they were one and the same thing. The mission to break idols thus became the mission to destroy Buddhism. Islam destroyed Buddhism not only in India but wherever it went. Bactria, Parthia, Afghanistan, Gandhara and Chinese Turkestan in all these countries Islam destroyed Buddhism.(7) More precisely: The Muslim invaders sacked the Buddhist universities of Nalanda [etc.] They razed to the ground Buddhist monasteries with which the country was studded. The monks fled away in thousands. A very large number were killed outright by the Muslim commanders.(8) D.D. Kosambi, a historian of her own Marxist school, confirms that Nalanda was sacked by a handful of Muslim raiders under Mohammed bin Bakhtyar Khalji about AD 1200 and that the tremendous complex at Sarnath which had grown up on the site of the first Buddhist sermon was wrecked beyond recovery, thus ending a continuous tradition of refuge and meeting-place for ascetics which went back to the centuries before Buddha.(9)

She would do well to read some histories of Buddhism and Jainism in this country to know that 1) Buddhism was flourishing all over the country when the Islamic invaders arrived on the scene; 2) both Buddhism and Jainism were being patronised by kings whom the Marxist lable as Hindus; 3) Buddhist monks fled to Nepal and Tibet only after thousands of them were massacred, and their monasteries destroyed by the Islamic marauders; 4) Buddhism continued to flourish all over Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka till attacked by the armies of Islam in the fourteenth century; 5) Buddhism did not survive the Islamic assault because, unlike Brahmanism and Jainism, it was centred round monasteries and monks; 6) Jainism has continued to flourish till today all over north India, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat as it did in the pre-Islamic period, in spite of prolonged Islamic persecution; and 7) there is evidence of a large number of Jain temples being destroyed in the Muslim invasions of southern Bihar and Jharkhand as well as of western and northern Bengal, during the thirteenth and subsequent centuries.

It is nobody’s case that there was never any conflict among the sects and sub-sects of Sanãtana Dharma. Some instances of persecution were indeed there. Our plea is that they should be seen in a proper perspective, and not exaggerated in order to whitewash or counter-balance the record of Islamic intolerance. Firstly, the instances are few and far between when compared to those listed in Islamic annals. Secondly, those instances are spread over several millennia while the fourteen centuries of Islam stand crowded with religious crimes of all sorts. Thirdly, none of those instances were inspired by a theology, while in the case of Islam a theology of intolerance has continued to question the character of Muslim kings who happened to be tolerant. Fourthly, Jains were not always the victims of persecution; they were persecutors as well once in a while. Lastly, no king or commander or saint who showed intolerance has been a Hindu hero, while Islam has hailed as heroes only those characters who excelled in intolerance.

It is not an accident that Professor Thapar’s pamphlet consists of I. H. Qureishi Memorial Lecture, 1987, delivered in the St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. Ishdaq Husain Qureishi was a professor of medieval Indian history in this college when I was a student in another college of the same university. He was a well-known intellectual of the Muslim League and famous for floating the proposition that Hindus were far better off under Muslim rule than they were under that of their own princes in pre-Islamic India. He migrated to Pakistan after Partition, and was that country’s Minister of Education for a term. He functioned, to the end of his life, as an apologist of Islamic imperialism as is evident from the numerous works of research he wrote or guided. One can hardly expect proper knowledge or perspective from professors who are patronized by such platforms.

Footnotes:

1 Cultural Transaction and Early India: Tradition and Patronage, Oxford University Press, Delhi, 1987, pp. 16-18.

2 Ibid., p. 19.

3 Ibid., P. 15.

4 The Kalabharas in the Pandiya country and their Impact on the Life and Letters there, University of Madras, 1979.

5 Ibid., pp. 29-34.

6 Ibid., pp. 95-100.

7 Writings and Speeches, published by the Government of Maharashtra, Volume 3. p. 229 (in the Chapter ?The Decline and Fall of Buddhism.?)

8 Ibid., pp. 229-30.

9 The Culture and Civilization of Ancient India, New Delhi, 1984, p. 18.

(For a more detailed information on marxist rogues like romila thapar, one can read Arun Shourie’s book eminent historians, where Arun Shourie meticulously documented the deceit techniques of these so called historians and their loot)

Promising movies yet to come.......

Local — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:10:06 +0000

3 Idiots

‘Three Idiots tells the story of three friends whose dismal grade point averages at their college influence their friendship, romance and career choices. It is rumored to be loosely based on a famous novel, Five Point Someone by Indian writer Chetan Bhagat.

The movie is directed by Rajkumar Hirani ( Munnabhai, Munnabhai 2) and stars Aamir Khan, Sharman Joshi aswell as Madhavan. It is ‘the’ most anticipated movie of the year and is expect to hit the cinemas on the 25th of December ( exactly 1 year from ‘Ghajini’). It will be Aamir Khan’s second movie in a calendar year something he hasn’t done since 1999.

Also interesting to see is Kareena Kapoor who also stars in the movie as Aamir’s love interest. This will be the first time they will be seen together on screen, and already there is a hype after the release of the video for the song ‘Zoobi Doobi’ which is picturized on the pair.

Last words: This movie will surely break some box office records !!!

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Teen Patti

Teen Patti brings together the two legends, Amitabh Bachchan and Sir Ben Kingsley. The movie also stars Madhavan (again) and Sushmita Sen.

Teen Patti is a fast paced thriller which has gambling as its back drop.

Ben Kingsley, who essays Perci Trachtenberg, widely regarded as the word’s greatest living mathematician, meets Venkat, played by Amitabh Bachchan, a reclusive math genius from India, at a high rolling casino in London. Venkat tells Perci about an equation that could not only change the dialogue on mathematics forever, but one that has already left an indelible impression of guilt – for many painful reasons – on Venkat’s life.

Their are rumours that this movie is similar to ‘21′ but with no promos or videos out nothing can be proved yet. The music is given by Salim Suliaman and hence is hoped to be par with their recent chart breaking tunes and songs.

The movie is due to release mid February next year.

Last Words : Can’t wait ….

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My Name is KHAN

Directed by none other than Karan Johar and starring Shahrukh Khan and Kajol this movie is the biggest movie to hit the screen early next year (12th Febuary, same as Teen Patti). This will be Karan Johar’s first movie as a director in 4 years after Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gum.

Rizwan Khan (Tanay Chheda) is a Muslim child he grew up with his mother (Zarina Wahab) in the Borivali section of Mumbai. Rizwan has Asperger syndrome. As an adult (Shahrukh Khan), Rizwan falls in love with a Hindu single mother, Mandira (Kajol) who …lives in San Francisco. While not focusing on the events of 9/11, the storyline explores the period afterwards. At that time, authorities arrest and detain Rizwan, after interpreting the visible aspects of his condition as “suspicious” behavior. After his arrest, he meets Radha (Sheetal Menon), a therapist who helps him overcome the ordeal. Rizwan then begins a journey to find and meet President Barack Obama (Christopher B. Duncan) in order to clear his name.

The music is given my Shankar Ehsan Loy (who recently got average response for the music of London Dreams) and will be hoping to start the next year on high.

Last Words: Lets wait and see

(Note: Extracts from sites taken.. lol and havent proof read it .. )

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Kurbaan - Movie Review

prashhant — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:03:32 +0000

A lot have been said and shown about terrorism in films today. Kurbaan is no different than that. The film boasts of a love story having terrorism backdrop. A cast like real life couple Saif-Kareena along with Vivek Oberoi supported by tremendous publicity blitzkrieg – that’s Kurbaan for you. One can’t help but to draw parallels between Kurbaan and Fanaa + New York. The film is too predictable at times but most importantly – It still works.

Ahsaan (Saif – praiseworthy) is a professor working in an Indian University who falls in love with a fellow professor Avantika(Kareena – Gorgeous and exceptionally brilliant). With a few ‘feel-good’ sequences they tie the knot soon to make the story flow. Avantika gets an offer from an University in US. So the couple shifts there. After going to NY the they find a home with an Indian neighborhood. The muslim family living in front of them is bit of a mystery for Kareena as the women there are always under fear and men keep giving suspicious looks. Soon Kareena finds that the family is part of a terrorist outfit. Things get worst when she comes to know that her hubby is also one of them.She finds herself in a house arrest. uff. There is one guy Riyaz (Vivek – controlled this time) whose girlfriend gets killed in a terrorist attack which was planned by the same people that Avantika is dealing with. With intentions of a revenge (sans police) he joins the terrorist group and takes help of Avantika to leak critical info to him. This part of the movie is thrilling and really watchable. Rest of the story is how Riyaz and Avantika succeed in their efforts and destroy the terrorist group.

The principal cast deliver strong performances. Kirron Kher and Om Puri are brilliant amongst the supporting cast. Salim-Suleimaan’s music is already topping the charts (I hope you have listened to it). Overall I can say the movie is a good watch. Not bad at all. No wonder Mr. Karan Johar is already laughing

Malayan: Film review

nandhu — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:27:48 +0000

A persuasive case has been made that there exists, in Tamil cinema, a ‘new wave’ of film-making. Malayan, starring Karan, is a movie that borrows liberally all the symbols of the new wave, but none of its substance. And if you are the sort of person, who can’t be bothered about the existence or the absence of the new wave, a persuasive case can be made out why you should avoid Malayan.

Karan, who has pitched himself, with moderate success, as the hero of dry-land Tamil Nadu (Sivakasi, Virudhunagar and thereabouts), is here a worker at a cracker factory. His titular character always appears with uncombed hair, a stubble that never seems to grow into a fully-formed beard and a torn banian. The factory owner is played by Sarath Babu, who is involved in a rivalry with another factory owner. Much of the first half is spend in establishing this rivalry, in which Malayan is caught up in.

Malayan is also in love with a girl played by Shammu. Director M P Gopi’s decision to lend the romantic scenes some decidedly unfunny humour robs the movie of its emotional vitality.

Karan’s character is stuck with near-angelic qualities, which can be as irritating as the manic, cliched villainy of his arch-rivals. The shrill, ennui-inducing way the message of loyalty and the need for hope for the toiling masses is delivered at end (you have to be awake till the climax if you want experience the slow progression from mere irritation to utter ridiculousness) also falls flat.

And so, even as the debate on the new wave rages on, it is clear that the challenge is not from the more conventional forms of film-making, but from the rotten parts of the ‘movement’ itself.

KARAN JOHAR-ABOVE BOX OFFICE

mathurneha — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:38:44 +0000

Never mind that his production house Dharma Productions has just delivered a big hit in `Wake Up Sid`. Director-producer Karan Johar says he has matured over the years and Box Office collections are no longer the only driving factor for him.

At the age of 37, karan says “Frankly, I am over and above Box Office today. With age and some dose of maturity coming in, I truly believe that I have grown as a filmmaker and hence I am not just looking at crores out there,” .

While working on “Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge”, during the Switzerland schedule of the film, one day Shah Rukh suggested to Karan to direct his own film. That was how his debut “Kuch Kuch Hota Hain” was born. The film ended up, as one of the biggest blockbusters of all time and Karan was a superstar director before he realized it.

UPCOMING PROJECTS:

Karan has half a dozen films lined up for release in the months to come. After `Wake Up Sid`, debutant Rensil D`Souza`s `Kurbaan` is next. He is also speeding up Tarun Mansukhani`s animation flick `Koochie Koochie Hota Hai` and `Dostana 2`.

Siddharth Malhotra`s `Stepmom` remake is already on floors while debutant director Punit Malhotra`s `I Hate Love Stories` is in pre-production stage. Newcomer Karan Malhotra has been entrusted with directing an “Agneepath” remake.

Karan`s own directorial venture `My Name Is Khan` would be releasing in early 2010.

“I guess numbers just get lost after a point in time while the quality of a product is remembered. I have learnt that the remembrance a film gets is far more important than what you end up gaining in the first weekend.

Karan is happy to be following the mantra of making quality films without worrying much about the cash register.

No wonder many first-time filmmakers working with him are happy to be in an environment that challenges and motivates them to make something worth remembering. Wake Up Sid` opened well but what is even more heartening is that it is still being loved and watched weeks after its release.

Karan is happy with flying colors both critically and commercially with the success of “wake up sid”!!

TALKIG ABOUT DHARMA PRODUCTIONS:

Along with box-office returns, the worth of a movie is measured by its accolades from fans, peers and critics alike. Our every release at Dharma Productions is beginning to find this worth not only in India but also abroad.

पुलिस ने बंद कराई रितिक की पार्टी

khaskhabar — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:58:14 +0000

बॉलीवुड अभिनेता रितिक रोशन की मां पिंकी रोशन का बर्थडे 22 अक्टूबर को था। तब तो एक छोटी सी डिनर पार्टी कर ली गई थीं। लेकिन अपने दोस्तों के लिए रितिक ने बडी पार्टी का इंतजाम किया संडे नाइट को। जूहु स्थित रितिक के घर पर आयोजित इस पार्टी में बॉलीवुड के हर बडे सितारे को बुलाया गया था। इनमें शाहरूख-गौरी, सैफ-करीना, करण जौहर, संजय लीला भंसाली, कुनाल कपूर, जीतेंद्र, तुषार, जावेद खान, आशुतोष-सुनीता गोवारिकर, प्रियंका चोपडा, कंगना राणावत , अमीषा पटेल और कैटरीना कैफ जैसे सितारे शामिल थे। पार्टी की मस्ती में ये लोग आसपास रहने वाले लोगों को भी भूल गए। म्यूजिक का शोर-शराबा जब हद से पार हो गया, तो लोगों ने पुलिस बुला ली। रात 3 बजे पुलिस आई और पार्टी बंद करवाई गई। इस मामले में जब पुलिस से पूछा गया, तो उनका जवाब था कि हमने रितिक को चेतावनी देकर पार्टी को बंद करा दिया लेकिन कोई केस दर्ज नहीं किया गया हैं।

ALIEN: ANTECEDENTES

Alfie — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:59:15 +0000

“El terror es un virus del espacio exterior”

William Burroughs

Ridley Scott en 1979 realizó la que sin duda puede ser una de sus obras maestras, hablo de “ALIEN”. Eso fue gracias a Alan Ladd Jr., que es uno de los productores y directivos con más olfato que ha tenido la industria de Hollywood, y que por aquel entonces estaba al frente de la 20th Century Fox, El guión, escrito por Dan O’Bannon y Ronald Shusett, fue de mano en mano hasta que cayó en las de Walter Hill, Gordon Carroll y David Giler, que por aquel entonces habían fundado la productora Brandywine. O’Bannon tras regresar de París, al haber abandonado el intento de adaptar la magna obra de Frank Herbert ”DUNE” a la gran pantalla, se veía en la necesidad de vender un guión, según reconoce él mismo en el making off del DVD de “Alien” realizado por Charles de Lauzirika. En ese proyecto habían coincidido Alejandro Jodorosky, Christopher Foss y Hans Rudi Giger durante dos años. Así que se puso manos a la obra y empezó a escribir. Es variada la bibliografía que habla del proyecto “Memory”, que versa sobre un bombardero B-17 durante la segunda Guerra Mundial cuya tripulación se verá atacada por unos extraños seres, como el punto de inicio de este obra maestra. Pero no es así, se pudo ver dos años después en un film de animación realizado en 1981 por director Gerald Potterton llamado “HEAVY METAL”.

Se trata de un largometraje que es una homenaje al mundo del cómic. Su estructura es simple. Está integrado por varios episodios y uno de ellos es el que da forma al conjunto y sirve de nexo. El escrito por O’Bannon se llama “B-17″ Allí encontraremos ese guión llamado “Memory”. En él podremos ver el mal cosificado en una bola verde entra en el bombardero y transforma en zombis a los soldados caídos en la batalla. El final, mejor que lo visionéis por vuestra cuenta.

En el documental de Lauzirika el productor asociado Ivor Powell declara, sin temor a equivocarse, que de una manera consciente o inconsciente Dan y Ronald recogieron ideas de varias películas. Así que siguiendo esta idea, se hace imprescindible bucear en la filmoteca para buscar los verdaderos antecedentes de esta obra definitiva. Hay que añadir que en ningún momento, tanto sus guionistas como su director o productores, incluido Powell, han reconocido públicamente que los referentes de “ALIEN” sean los que vamos a analizar en este post. El guión escrito por Dan O’Bannon y Ronald Shusett “Star Beast”, como se llamó en un principio y que nació pensado como un largometraje de serie B, está lleno de referencias y homenajes a otros clásicos del género, pero que tras caer el libreto en manos de la Brandywine, se transformó en una cult movie. El marco conceptual no es muy amplio, y tres serán los padrastros del octavo pasajero. En primer lugar vamos a reparar en el largometraje dirigido en 1958 por Edwar L. Cahn llamado “IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE“.

El film nos traslada al año 1973 y vemos como la nave Challenge 141 se avería en el planeta Marte. A su rescate mandan una segunda nave comandada por el coronel Van Heusen. Cuando llegan a allí descubren que el coronel Edward Carruther de los comandos espaciales de los EEUU es el único superviviente. Así que le culpan de la muerte del resto de su tripulación y le traen de regreso a la tierra para someterle a un juicio. Lo que no sabe Van Heusen es que a su nave ha subido un polizonte con el que se verá las caras.

Jerome Bixby, guionista del film, al igual que Ronald Shusett y Dan O’Bannon responsables del libreto de “Alien” explora el miedo al intruso y lo estructuran en dos partes claramente diferenciadas. En la primera parte de “IT” asistimos a un duelo intelectual entre ambos coroneles. Van Heusen trata de extraer la verdad a Edward y quiere que acabe declarándose culpable de haber asesinado al resto de la tripulación. Distinguiéndose de “el octavo pasajero” en que se trata de una supuesta misión de salvamento. Pero en ambos casos presenciaremos una segunda parte cuyo motor es jugar con ese temor, librándose una autentica batalla campal entre el alienígena y las respectivas tripulaciones.

Uno de los aciertos de Bixby y que explotarán Shusett y O’Bannon será la introducción de la vida cotidiana en la trama, así podremos ver escenas de la tripulación comiendo. Por cierto, que aquí quiero hacer un especial inciso. Prestad atención a la imagen, porque hay un detalle muy relevante que denota el momento en el que está realizado el largometraje. Se puede apreciar que su producción es previa al movimiento de la liberación femenina, al ver que las mujeres integrantes de la tripulación la doctora Mary Royce y Ann Anderson son las que sirven la comida. Poseen un rol muy servicial. Mientras que en el clásico de Scott todo está en el centro y cada uno se sirve a sí mismo. Y lo llevará al extremo al dar una gran importancia a la mujer en el film, es en este punto donde se encuentra la principal innovación de “Alien”. Será una mujer la que protagonice uno de los clímax y catarsis más fascinantes del cine de ciencia-ficción, así asistiremos a los veinte minutos finales más interesantes vistos hasta el momento, aunque muchos vieron en la figura de Sigourney Weaver a una mujer muy andrógina.

La principal baza de “IT” es que no muestran por completo a la criatura, y muestra muchos de los ataques jugando con las sombras y con el fuera de campo, otorgando al conjunto un aire muy expresionista. El paradigma lo encontramos en la escena de la muerte de Joe Kienholtz que os recordará, en cierta medida, a la muerte de Brett en “Alien”, tanto por la planificación como por la ejecución de la toma.

Otro elemento tomado por Shuttet y O’Bannon es que la criatura se mueve por las conducciones de aire de la nave, allí es donde se esconde. Jack Calber al igual que el capitán Dallas se adentrarán en ellas en busca de la criatura. Las diferencias estriban en el armamento y el destino del personaje. Mientras que Jack porta una pistola y consigue salir vivo, Dallas será dado por muerto y se defiende con un lanzallamas. Esto es así salvo en la versión del director donde Ripley al final de la cinta le encuentra vivo, aunque ha servido para otros menesteres.

La estrucura espacial de la nave le sirve a los guionistas como elemento generador de suspense y viene impuesta por el diseño de la nave. En el caso de Bixby estaremos ante una relación vertical a diferecia de “Alien” que es horizontal. Pero el extraterrestre en “IT” a pesar de estar en una posición inferior consigue mantener en jaque a la tripulación, y el guionista propone escenas de infarto jugando con las escotillas que separan los diversos espacios de la nave. Mientras que en ”El octavo pasajero” a pesar de que la nave posee una estructura que tiende a lo horizontal, juega con los mismos elementos espaciales (compuertas y escotillas) para generar suspense. Así en ambos casos, estos elementos estructurales del decorado servirán para marcar los territorios de las criaturas y será donde darán caza a los humanos.

Como en tantas otras películas de serie B, el fuego sigue siendo una de las armas preferidas por los humanos como defensa. Así Jack Calber cuando queda atrapado en un subnivel de la nave, se defiende con una autógena, y en el clásico de Scott será el lanzallamas una de las herramientas más usadas contra el extraterrestre.

Otro elemento tomado por los artífices de “Alien” de la estructura del guión son las transiciones. En ellas podremos ver como las naves, tanto la Challenge como la Nostromo, pasan por delante del encuadre y sirviendo como elementos de sintáxis narrativa.

En cuanto al desarrollo del climax en ambos casos son muy parecidos. En el caso de Cahn, la tripulación optará por ponerse el traje espacial y abrir las compuertas para vaciar de oxigeno la nave y matar al extraterrestre. Mientras que en la cinta de Scott, Ripley acabará también enfundándose el traje espacial, en una escena cargada de alto contenido sexual, para acabar expulsando a la criatura abriendo la exclusa y despresurizando la nave de salvamento.

En 1965 el director italiano Mario Bava realizaba su obra magna “TERROR EN EL ESPACIO“. En EEUU se distribuyó bajo el auspicio de American International con el nombre de “El planeta de los vampiros”. Está basada en el relato “One night of 21 hours” escrito por Renato Pestriniero publicado en la revista de ciencia ficción “Interplanet 3″.

La acción arranca cuando dos naves la Argos y la Galiot descienden sobre un planeta inhóspito, desolado y lleno de niebla para investigar una señal que están recibiendo. Las tripulaciones están emocionadas porque andan buscando nuevas formas de vida inteligente.

Durante el aterrizaje tendrán problemas porque son atraídos por una gran fuerza gravitatoria, superando el momento de fuerza G 7 (sic) y además, perderán el contacto entre ellas. Una vez en la superficie del planeta los integrantes de la Galliot llaman pidiendo auxilio a la Argos. Estos organizan una expedición de salvamento y salen a su encuentro. La sorpresa vendrá cuando descubran que tras salir del trance en el que entraron al descender sobre el planeta se mataron entre ellos. Los paralelismos con este film, de estética más kitsch y llena de colorido saturado, son más que evidentes, y van más allá de de lo puramente argumental. Los podemos encontrar en la escena del aterrizaje.

También en las imágenes de la nave en tierra.

Pero son evidentes en el desarrollo del guión, ya que cuando quieren acudir a rescatar a la tripulación de la Galliot la nave se ha estropeado y deben repararla. Este hecho les obliga a realizar una expedición a pie, integrada en este caso por cuatro miembros de la Argos, para adentrarse en el inhóspito planeta.

En ambos casos hay una secuencia dedicada a enterrar a los miembros fallecidos.

Así como los momentos reflexivos del capitán Mark Markary con el ordenador central de la nave sobre las distintas alternativas que tienen para solventar la situación.

O la escena de Garr en la enfermería rodeado por el capitán de la nave y parte de la tripulación, como el doctor Karan o la bella Sanya .

Los personajes de Tiona y Sanya distan bastante de los dos personajes femeninos de “IT! The terror from beyond space”, hablo la doctora Mary Royce y de Ann Anderson. Para acercarse más a la teniente Ripley o a la oficial Lambert de “Alien”. A medida que avanzamos en el año de producción la evolución del rol femenino en las películas es más que palpable.

Pero además descubren una nave espacial y serán en este caso también tres miembros de la Argos, el capitán Mark, Tania y Kell, los encargados de acudir a explorar en su interior, igual que harán Dallas, Lambert y Kane. Pero es más, sorprendentemente en su interior descubrirán también el fósil de un humanoide fallecido.

Podremos encontrar una diferencia argumental entre “Alien” y “Terror en el espacio” en el mensaje. Mientras que en el caso de Scott es una advertencia en el de Bava es un engaño, porque lo que desean los alienígenas es salvar su raza porque su sol se está apagando y les necesitan para sobrevivir. Así llegamos a la última coincidencia argumental, el plan que traza el capitán Mark es poner cargas de plutonio y desintegrar la Galliot con todos los muertos vivientes dentro.

Un año más tarde, en 1966, Curtis Harrington escribía y dirigía el inquietante largometraje llamado “EL PLANETA SANGRIENTO“, con todo un elenco de lujo Dennis Hooper, John Saxo o Basil Rathbone. Esta basada a su vez en la película dirigida por Otar Koberidze y Mikhail Karzhukov llamada “Mechte navstrechu“, aunque no esté acreditado el origen de la trama en los títulos de crédito. Lo verdaderamente curioso es que Mikhail se encargó de realizar los efectos especiales de esta cinta. Harrington contó con Roger Corman y Samuel Z. Arkoff, dos instituciones en el género, para levantar el proyecto y crear esta joya de la serie B.

Sitúa la acción en el año 1990. El Instituto Internacional de Tecnología Espacial se dedica a explorar otros planetas. Al igual que en los casos anteriores reciben un mensaje de un planeta ubicado en un sistema solar distinto del nuestro, en el que nos avisan que van a enviar a un embajador.

Pero su nave se avería. El embajador alienígena se ve obligado a realizar un aterrizaje de emergencia en Marte y mandarnos un mensaje de socorro. Pero la pregunta que surge es…¿vendrá en son de paz? Obviamente no. Así que los protagonistas se traslarán hasta la base lunar “Luna 7″. Desde allí despegará la nave Océano que irá a su encuentro.

Aunque el destino de la misión se verá truncado por una explosión solar que la dañará. El problema es que la Océano 2 no está lista aún, pero al intrépido Allan Brenner se le ocurre un descabellado plan para acudir al rescate de su amada Laura James que va a bordo de la Océano. Para ello irá acompañado de su fiel compañero Tony Barrata en la Midio hasta situarse en la órbita de Marte. Una vez allí aterrizarían en Fogos que es uno de sus satélites, para posteriormente saltar a Marte y terminar de realizar el rescate. Brenner descubrirá que la nave nodriza se estrelló en el planeta rojo mientras que la de emergencia aterrizó en Fogos, y así rescatarán así a la única superviviente de la nave extraterrestre.

Lo malo es que ahora son tres, y en el vehículo de rescate de la Midio sólo hay espacio para dos. Así tras jugárselo a cara o cruz, Tony se queda esperando a la nave Océano 2 mientras que Allan y la extraterrestre aterrizarán en Marte para rescatar a los del Océano. A partir de este momento de la trama es cuando empieza a jugar con la idea del extraño dentro del grupo, en este caso es más reducido que en “Alien”. Pronto descubrirán que la alienígena se alimenta de sangre tras matar al astronauta Paul Grant.

Al igual que en ”Alien” y en los casos precedentes asistiremos a una ceremonia fúnebre, que en este caso es tan conmovedora como la de Kane.

Al igual que pasaba en “Terror en el espacio” todo el léxico del film está lleno de palabras con aires pseudocientífico para dar idea de novedoso y futurista que es todo. Así encontramos líneas de guión tan jugosas como: ”Según el factor DH de la carta de navegación hemos recorrido 75.000 millas rumbo a Marte. Continuamos en línea perpendicular hacia el sol. A medida que nos aproximamos a Marte su color se convierte en más tibio, lo que nos sugiere una intensa oxidación de las sustancias terrosas”. Aunque hay que reconocer que en el caso de Mario Bava es más acentuado si cabe, llegando a ser muy divertido: “Sin embargo, siguen haciendo señales. La localización es más clara ahora. En mi opinión el punto tiene que ser 15 grados cerca coaxial alfa nueve. Exacto. Las coordenadas espaciales concuerdan con las del teletoscopio” Y la Argos posee artilugios tan novedosos como un desviador de meteoritos inversor del campo y la tripulación mide las distancias en quarsec (sic). Al igual que pasa en “Alien” el ordenador de abordo les marca la rutina, y se comunica con señales luminosas, como podemos ver en la escena del desayuno en la que Dallas es llamado por Madre, ya que la luz amarilla es sólo para llamarle a él. En el largometraje de Harrington también pasa, sólo que además les marca la rutina diaria (periodo de descanso, comida, etc.)

En este caso las transiciones que podemos ver del cohete son escasas y no marcan tanto la pauta del ritmo narrativo, como si ocurre en casos previos o como se puede ver en “Alien”

Al igual que pasaba en los casos anteriormente mencionados, los ataques nunca se ven en plano general, aunque en este caso y marcando una clara diferencia no hay el menor reparo en mostrar planos generales de la alienígena, sobre todo por su aspecto humanoide.

En “Alien” será el oficial médico “Ash” el encargado de velar porque llegue a la Tierra el espécimen en perfecto estado. Llegando a las últimas consecuencias, al igual que en el film de Curtis Harrington, y el encargado de llevar esa gran tarea será el comandante Anders Brockman que justificará y protegerá a la voraz extraterrestre. Ash y Brockman, son auténticos quintacolumnistas dentro de sus tripulaciones. Entienden las órdenes que les han encomendado y comprenden que se trata en ambos casos de un espécimen valioso, y que la ciencia no ha estudiado nada parecido, por eso, por encima de todo debe llegar en perfecto estado a la Tierra.

Piensa que es valiosa, le encanta y le parece fascinante. Incluso cree que actúa de forma correcta dentro de su escala de valores. Así que sus conceptos morales puede que sean distintos. Por todo ello no hay que matarla.

Y la última coincidencia es que se trata de una Reina, que pone huevos.

Como conclusión se puede decir que esta historia de mineros espaciales luchando con una bestia posee realmente dos cosas novedosas, una el ciclo biológico, muy bien descrito y llevado a la pantalla gracias a los increíbles diseños de Giger, y en segundo lugar que el quintacolumnista sea un robot, el personaje de Ash, porque el personaje del traidor ya estaba en alguna de los referentes, y esto fue todo obra del guionista y productor Walter Hill, como reconoce Ronald Shusett y Gordon Caroll en el making off sobre “Alien”

Puedes continuar leyendo el monográfico en:

LA CRIATURA PERFECTA
NARRATIVA FÍLMICA

Waking Up to Sid

Nitin Khanna — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 16:38:34 +0000

So, the movie ‘Wake up Sid’ is a look at today’s Youth and their abhorrence to the 9 to 5 job culture. It is a good portrayal of dreams and winning them and yet, many will see it as critical of the way today’s Generation is leading their lives, waking up late, shunning responsibility and not learning ‘Family values’.

Indeed, it is true that at our ages our parents were more mature, responsible and career-oriented, but allow me to show you a side which the movie only hinted at but did not explore as it devoted time to the Love story enmeshed in it. Does anyone realize that today, the average age of a person to remain a child has gone a lot further! There are many influences towards that- the increasing demands of education being one; it is impossible to get a decent job in today’s scenario with at least two degrees tucked in your belt, proof of that comes from my discovery that the taxi driver, who drove us from Guwahati to Shillong when I first came here, was a Graduate in English Literature and yet not able to secure a good job in Welcome to Shillong. Its amazing how we can proudly jump from one level of Education to another without ever gaining any real Education, vis-a-vis, experience in Life. In that sense we remain Children at least till such ages when our parents we looked at by their parents as Adults who had secured jobs and were starting families. Another influence pushing towards this attitude is the advent of Pleasure. Today, the amount of devices and methods to get sensory pleasures is a huge set. My Father first used a computer in His Masters Degree while I got mine in Class 6th. Obviously this affects our choices and level of enjoyment. Any one with a computer today listens to the latest songs and watches the latest movies at the click of the mouse, while our parents specially took out time and permission from their parents to enjoy such pleasures. Finally, we today have a lot more services which can be accessed via more comfortable means, thereby pushing us away from the real action of getting up and standing in that long queue to book that train ticket. Who is to blame? No One! Society has been consistently pushing these amenities into the hands of its children. Parents will keep loving their children and considering them children as long as they stay in their parental homes and pursue higher standards of education before getting real jobs and learning real values. You will say- “But what of those parents who push their children and make them work hard??” Read on…

The second reason why we are so misunderstood is that today, our Education System is competitive, Our Society, open-minded and pushing our creative talents but our “Traditional” look at a career still points towards a limited set of supposedly “valuable” and good careers such as Engineering, Medical and Accounts. It is this stereotyping of jobs which, at the same time both encourages our creativity and limits it. There are enough Summer camps in school to make students believe that art is a viable career yet enough pressure during exams to cause suicides even in Class 7th students. This ping-pong battle between passions and “consistent source of income” causes a messed up attitude amongst children and shows in their callousness towards life and insistence on living in the world of games and fairy tale love stories. In short, todays Youth is up for many challenges but is not encouraged to take risks. In light of this, I laud Konkona Sen’s role in the Movie, who takes a huge risk at one point of life and is courageous enough to make sure that she’s successful.

This debate and the future of the Indian Child has only two possible outcomes- the parents suddenly realize that the best way to rear children is to give them more responsibility, sooner, so that they learn how to live at nearly the same time as their parents did. This is akin to what happens in many western societies where no job is looked down at and children learn the value of menial labor earlier than their counterparts in India. Alternatively, parents will continue to crib about their children yet keep pushing them towards more books and learning without understanding. That model will only yield a generation which prefers to live in the gaming world and wake up late in the afternoons.

I wonder where India is headed…

Socialnetworking gurudev bhav!

bhondamaster — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 08:03:16 +0000

Bhnonda Ma’Star says …
Don’t be distracted by his picture, just don’t go on his looksand size , he does not have the curve, colour or figure, na amma’ don’ mistaken him to be karan johar, but yes… his name has karan and he has the johar .

I must be very austere about this gentleman, his name is bhanuprakash urf bhanukaran kolluru….Don’t think naam me kya rakha hai, ask him anything about socialnetworking and you get all the information, he also preened me to some extent on this medium of communication – “Traditional media had always promised us millions of Reach but no one bothered to measure or did not have any tools to measure the reach with qualitative analysis. Social Media PR which is so called “New Media” in India comes with Reach and a strong influence….” Bhonda Ma’Star was really happy da’s, Bhondaana looo…wed the way he expressed his views on Online PR and Traditional PR. Gave him bhonda water and weaved some gyaan.

Na’ people will not share the entire discussion episode with you.

Please feel free to visit his blog and speak to him for he is AN EXPERT DEALT.

Bhonda Ma’Star CALLS HIM THE GURU FOR CORPORATE INDIA…Mind it! Don’t believe me!!

Check and experience for yourself.

http://rudhrakssh.wordpress.com

Bhondana Tips:

• Risk is only once, success is for ever.
• Experience healthy change.

The Courage of Glenn Beck

ricktom — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:06:20 +0000

I was watching the Glenn Beck program. As I sat there glued to the TV, I was moved by the outspoken position that Mr. Beck espoused regard who we trust, who we look to for help, and who we respect.

As a believer in Jesus Christ, I say yes and Amen to the statements Mr. Beck made during this program. If you want to see more you can find it at www.glennbeck.com. I would highly recommend that you hear the words of this program.

In these last days, any voice that will lift up the name of Jesus Christ without shame is a hero in my book. It takes courage to show the world what side of the fence you stand on.

I will add this. Muslims will lie to you if it suits there purpose. They have that right given to them from the Karan. So if you are believing them to tell the truth about anything, then you will be deceived. I guess I realized that because they want to bring destruction to Israel. They are believing that this will bring the promised Messiah. For them the Messiah will come in the form of the Antichrist. This seems to fit the fact that as a form of torture and execution, Islam uses beheading for this to achieve the deed.

Look at this: And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
(Rev 20:4 NKJV)

Did you notice the wording. These were beheaded saints. The people who would refuse to convert to the world religion and follow the Antichrist. So it is interesting to understand just what is coming down the pike for the world.

Here is a video that you may want to watch to get a better understanding. Click here to watch the video.
It could challenge your thinking.

And that’s the way I see it today!

coke project

karamme — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:59:49 +0000

View this document on Scribd

Kanagvel Kaakka: What does the poster say?

Visitor Blogs — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 18:14:27 +0000

போஸ்டர் பாரு… ஒன்பது போடு!

Karan's Kanagavel Kaakka: Tamil Films: Movie Posters: Cinema Ads

அது என்ன! ஸ்கர்ட்டும் இல்லாமல், ஷார்ட்சும் இல்லாமல் இரண்டுக்கும் நடுவாந்தரமான ஆடை?
கடற்கரையில் பச்சை புல்வெளி எப்படி சென்னையில் சாத்தியமில்லையோ… அது போல் பீச் வாலிபாலில் இந்தியா ஒலிம்பிக் பதக்கம் வாங்குவதும் சாத்தியமில்லை.
மிஸ்டி மே & கெரி வால்ஷ் போல் இருவர் கொண்ட அணியில் ஏன் ஐவர்! ஒரு வேளை பஞ்ச பாண்டவர் கதையோ? பா ராகவனாருக்கே வெளிச்சம்.
திருவளர் செல்வன் போல் வசனகர்த்தா பாராவும் வினைத் தொகை; காலங்காட்டும் இடைநிலை, விகுதி முதலியன மறைந்து நிற்றலால், இவை முக்காலத்திற்கும் விரிக்கப்படக் கூடியன. (வெண்)பா(ம்)கின்ற, பாடும், பாடிய என முக்காலத்திற்கும் விரிக்கக்கூடிய வகையில் இவை அமைந்துள்ளன.
பாராவின் ஒன்பது கட்டளைகள் பிரசித்தம். இது நாயகன் கரணின் சட்டையில் 99
தன் தலையில் கைவைக்கக்கூடாது என்பார்கள். கன் வைக்கலாம்.
அடைக்கப்பட்ட நூல்வேலி கம்பி கட்டத்திற்குள்ளிருந்து வெளியே குதிக்க பெண் கையை நீட்டுவது போஸ்டர் சங்கேதம்
அதற்கும் ரகசிய வீடியோ கேமிரா வைத்து CCTV மூலம் கண்காணிப்பது கலிகாலம்
வேல் எதைக் குறிக்கிறது என்று சொல்லவும் வேணுமோ?

Movie Review: LIFE PARTNER by FENIL SETA

fenilseta — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 09:35:08 +0000

A month and a half back, I had mentioned in my Kambakkht Ishq review as to how it’s disgusting to se

Movie Review: LIFE PARTNER by TARAN ADARSH

fenilseta — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 04:51:32 +0000

By Taran Adarsh, August 12, 2009 – 22:14 IST A few questions cross your mind when you’re

Emraan Hashmi's Perspective!

mathurneha — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:34:58 +0000

Basking in the success of Raaz- The Mystery continues and all geared up for Tum Mile, Emraan Hashmi brand is no more repetetive. Emraan considers his latest film a milestone in his career. “I can safely say the role is very different because, for the first time, my wife, Bhatt saab and everyone who watched the film were moved to tears at the end of it! I’ve also made a drastic transformation in terms of my looks. And do his fans like it? Just because an actor does something in some of his films, it doesn’t mean he has to do it all the time! All I can say is, you will not miss the kiss,” says Emraan.

emraan hasmi

He narrates the instance of an elderly couple telling him that all his films were A-rated and that they were apprehensive of watching them with the family. “I was very disturbed and have since then decided to
move away from erotic thrillers,” he says.

He’s also been doing a lot of films with the Bhatts – is that a conscious decision? “I have done seven films with the Bhatts and I’m comfortable with them because they’re family. I don’t care what others think about it because I do films I believe in. I’ve done films with others too, but most of my successes have been with the Bhatt camp. We’re a team and it helps me in my career. I will be doing at least two films with the Bhatts every year,” says Emraan Hashmi.

And even when the biggest of stars are doing only multi-starrers, Emraan’s doing only solo films. He finds solo films are more risky and love the challenge of that gamble.

And not yet being on Koffee with Karan – isn’t it considered a sign of having arrived in Bollywood? He simply abandoned the idea and because he believes in himself.

When Kajol came on Koffee With Karan-Season2

mathurneha — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:09:42 +0000

What was new about Koffee with Karan- Season 2? Nothing! The show was still about Karan and people he loves and admires.. Same coffee different day… Same different controversies but double the amount of fun and excitement! Older, wiser, 3 kilos thinner and raring to go, Karan johar returned with the second season of Koffee with Karan and as usual he promised to serve his coffee really HOT!!

kajol and Karan

Shahrukh Khan, Kajol and Rani Mukherjee come together on screen after a period of ten years after Karan’s directorial debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hain and they still managed to recreate the same magic! There was a trio talk about KANK, KBC, Mallika Sherawat and the hottest couple in Bollywood-Ash and Abhishek.. A lot of gossip, a lot of special moments and a lot of fun. The three friends in Karan’s company were unstoppable.

The three superstars were also outwitted by the host in the rapid fire round, in which they were made to answer the toughest questions. It was really exciting watching the three superstars indulging in gossips, teasing each other, laughing, having serious conversations and fighting for the new and improved coffee hamper on the first episode of Koffee with Karan!

Malayan - Karan New Tamil Movie Trailer

tamilposters — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 18:00:00 +0000

Produced by Three Sun Films, Malyan has Karan and Kanchivaram fame Shammu in the lead. Directed by Gopi, a former assistant of S.A Chandrasekhar, the film has the fireworks factories of Sivakasi as the backdrop

Click here for more malayan images

Malayan Movie Trailer | Tamil cinema Malayan Video | Kollywood cinema Malayaln Trailer | Karan’s new movie Malayan Video

Bollywood update

geekgirl415 — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 06:56:34 +0000

My sister and I drove past the My Name is Khan set, which has taken over 2 homes on Green’s drive, twice on Tues and I went again on Weds. We actually saw the groupies interviewed in this updated news article. And tonight they were filming in the Healdsburg Plaza and I was stuck at work. Ugh!

Updated 7/2 – Healdsburg Tribune Article, Press Democrat Photo Gallery.

Katrina Kaif replaces Priyanka Chopra in Dostana 2

Yoshita — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:38:51 +0000

Katrina Kaif won’t be penning a book about winning friends and influencing people anytime soon. She has nudged out Priyanka Chopra to star in Dostana 2. This new friendship isn’t likely to find favour with her boyfriend Salman Khan either. His equation with John Abraham and Abhishek Bachchan has been volatile, to say the least. Priyanka is out of the picture, literally speaking, as she waltzed off into the sunset with Bobby Deol in Dostana. That brought her track to a shuddering halt, making way for a new actress to star in the money-spinner sequel. Karan Johar, the papa of goodwill in the industry, has zeroed in on Katrina for the new threesome. A source said, “Karan Johar considered casting Priyanka in Dostana 2, but she falls in love with Bobby Deol in the first film. Karan has finally zeroed in on Katrina. He has cast Abhay Deol, Ritesh Deshmukh and Shreyas Talpade as well. There is a possibility of Shreyas and Ritesh doing the gay act for the film.” The choice of film gives out a subtle message about Sallu and Kat’s explosive relationship. Katrina seems to be less and less concerned about his approval. The source added, “The most interesting part is that Salman’s girlfriend will now be working with two of Salman’s foes – Ahishek and John. Even though the rumours about John and Katrina are still doing the rounds. This proves that Katrina is standing her own ground and no longer cares about Salman’s likes and dislikes. This will sure add fuel to the grapevine.” Though Katrina Kaif simply denied the story, this is surely an interesting dostana to watch out for. Director Tarun Mansukhani chose not to reply after we messaged him the story.

Eesa Audio Release

patron4u — Thu, 14 May 2009 13:31:30 +0000

Eesa Audio has been launched here at Chennai with the maestro and oscar winner A.R. Rahman heading the function. Jiiva, Karan, jeyakumar also joined the function. Eesa is an upcoming movie that stars Vignesh and Lakshana. The film’s music is composed by Haran, son of noted musician and music troupe owner Sridhar.

The first song ‘Aahayam Idimuzhakka’ brings the easy style and musical prowess of Periya Karuppu Thevar and Mukesh to the fore. There is nothing radically new in the tune; it is an usual tappankoothu. Haran, Nancy Vincent and Udit Narayan join to render another fast-paced, similarly composed number ‘Vettaruva Kannazhagi’. Harish Raghavendra and Bombay Jayashree come together for the first time for the duet ‘Orumurai Nee Paarthal’. More than the musical ingredients, the chemistry between the singers and their expert rendition brings about an exclusivity to the song. Prashanthini, Mukesh, Naresh Iyer’s ‘Unnalathan Naanum Vazhven’ is an enjoyable. Kennedy, Jayashree Kumar and Mukesh’s ‘Yaaradi nee Mohini’ too is a well-knit composition.

Earlier During a press meet, JK, the producer of this film, mentioned that Eesa will turn out to be Vignesh’s stepping-stone to success and stardom. The movie is being produced with much grandeur and JK has spent lavishly to ensure that the movie thrills the audiences and proves to be commercially successful. Vignesh plays a character called Sudalesan, which is said to be very different from his earlier roles. Vignesh’s role would get him the fame and applause which Kamal and Vikram received for their roles in 16 Vayathinile and Pithamagan respectively, says the confident producer.

Haran makes his debut as a music director with Eesa. Lyrics are by Na. Muthukumar and Kabilan. Cinematography is by R.B. Balaganesh and stunts are by Dragon Singli. Kadhal Kandhas does the dance choreography. The movie is due to release in June.

Tara Sharma is Expecting

mathurneha — Thu, 14 May 2009 09:07:35 +0000

Actress Tara Sharma is expecting and doesn’t feel shy at all to let the world know it. The actress is even keen to do endorsement for
pregnancy or baby products, violating the notion that a married or pregnant woman don’t have career. The actress recently had done a photo-shoot for a childcare magazine with her baby bump.

Interestingly, Tara has also sported the role of pregnant woman in her film Suno Na, which is scheduled for release. And for that as well the Tara thinks that she can do the authentic publicity. Tara says that the role prepared her for her real life role.

Tara’s other upcoming film is Mocktale, also set for release. Well at this point we can say she is really getting some good PR for her films with this baby act.

Unfortunately, she had to opt out of Rensil D’Silva’s film. On that note Tara said, “Unfortunately I had to back out of Karan’s film with Rensil as the shoot was delayed and my 8th month would be too late to
fly to and shoot in NYC. But they were all so lovely about it so I definitely hope to work with Karan and Rensil in the future…for now of course, Roopak and my priority is our home production heehe…our baby!”

Proud of Motherhood…why not?