Mercedes Benz

In a country like India, were the number of the Mercedes that roll on the streets in a city can be numbered; owning one is still a matter of pride. Though I knew that the Mercedes stands as a landmark in automobile engineering, my first hand experience was something memorable. My maternal uncle, quite fond of cars, branded as good for nothing by many, with sheer hard work for over 15 years, earned his Merc. I went with him for a ride, last time I visited him. He brought us to a highway, and waited for some time for the traffic to give him enough space to let the engine throttle. Then, when he accelerated, it was nothing short of being in the cockpit itself. The sudden rush of adrenalin when the car gathers speed; it is something which I cannot forget. The car accelerated in a matter of split seconds, but to sit in a car which can do so, well that was definitely a tough tough ride for him.

Malayalam Movie Reviews

Daivathinte Vikrithikal (God's Mischief)

Directed by Lenin Rajendaran an acclaimed contemporary Malayalam film director; this one definitely bears a strong impression of M Mukandan's novel by the same name. It’s a story set in a town in northern part of Kerala (God’s own country) were the remnants of the by-gone French colonization still have left a mark. It’s the story of a dreamer, played by Raghuvaran, a magician by profession. The movie made me feel nostalgic, a strong sense of nostalgia for all what was close to me. His dreams never saw light, he did not prosper as a magician, but he left behind a legacy, a legacy for the people of his land. They were indebted, so are we, to someone, to some place…

It won the state award for the best Film in 1992

Rathri Mazha (Night Rain)

Directed again by Lenin Rajendaran, this movie is very lyrical, poetic and gives wings to the expressions of an artist. If we discount the internet romance and its nuances in the movie, the rest of the ensemble engages the audience directly, just like an artist. Also, the non-linear story narration adds to the flights of fantasy. Superb performance, it’s a call to the artist in each one of us…

Koshy's

It has a charm, an old world charm, which most cannot resist. Koshy's on St. mark's Road has been there for ages, and its patrons can't stop talking about it. The food, a delicacy; the ambience, a delight. Call it your own college cafe, call it your favorite hangout place, call it a cornver in the city to sip your coffee and read your book, call it whatever you feel like, Koshy will live up to the image always.

The chequered table cloth, the minced mutton on toast, the special Koshy's cofffee, and some 200-300 dishes on and off the menu are a absolute delight to savor anytime. In fact I usually order the breakfast menu even for lunch and for dinner too...

There are all sorts of people who flock here, its not any One's den, but everyone finds space. I too found my space, and its quite cozy too.

Slumdog Millionaire


The name of the movie has two parts – ‘Slumdog’ sounds more like a Hip-Hop band and the second part ‘Millionaire’ does not gel with the first part. Well, the movie too in many ways has two distinct parts – the reality show “Who wants to become a Millionaire’ and how the whole game is linked to the life of a ‘Slumdog’. The movie based on a novel ‘Q & A’ by Vikas Swarup and is directed by Danny Boyle who made critically acclaimed movies like – Trainspotting, The Beach…But If what you are looking for is life and its ways in the slums of Bombay, the movie you are looking for is ‘Salaam Bombay’ by Mira Nair. Released in 1988, nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards, is by far an intriguing account which is bound to capture your imagination. Slumdog, runs into some cliché sequences, which I do not blame completely on the movie, because it’s a limitation of the novel from were its adapted. The OST for Slumdog Millionaire does deserve a special mention which has won at the Golden Globes, USA.



































The Secret of the Grain/LA GRAINE ET LE MULET – French, Arabic and Russian

Acclaimed movie the year by director Abdel Kechiche, also rated as the best French movie of the year. More than anything else it’s an insight into the lives of the Arabic community (North African immigrants) at port of Sete’ and their place in the society they adopted, the French society. Its quite an interesting movie from many angles, first of all I am quite sure that the screenplay in its original language would have a greater affect on the audience who can understand the language and nuances w/o the subtitles. Also, equally interesting is the camera work and sequence of events. The climax is very subtle, the movie operates on multiple levels, very beautifully revealed during the course of time. The movie pays very close attention to details just like a book, in fact the party organized by Slimane’s wife, there is so much focus on how the various members chew and eat their food. So was the case with the belly dancing by Rym. The actors look very much their characters, nothing forced…My personal favorite performances were by Slimane and Rym(Hafsia Herzi).