Lingaa - A Movie Review

Watched Lingaa yesterday night.. Had tickets for 11am show but didn't take off from office to watch a Rajni movie.. Would have if I was able to get an earlier show.. In certain theatres there were shows from 1am yesterday... I think everyone knows the cast and crew of the movie.. 

It was always nice to watch Rajni movie on the first day... Each dialogue would be lapped up by his loyal fans.. This movie starts off that way in the introduction song.. Rajni looks stylish... The song doesn't have the punch that you expect in a typical Rajni intro song... Also felt like seeing Amitabh dancing - you all know how it is.. 

Started watching shouting thalaivaa... slowly the enthusiasm dies down.. not much punch in the first half.. Santhanam shines well in the first half and the second... 

When the first half ends you feel exhausted.. It's a bit long... The train fight sequence is well choreographed.. But there are certain scenes were it is clear that there is dupe being used for the sequence... Anushka looks beautiful... 

Second half is also predictable.. We know who the villain is and we also know what he is upto and we also know that our hero will stop him.. We didn't want Rajni to look like Golden Star NBK.. Agreed he has done such things in his earlier films but things have evolved... People laugh at stunts like he jumping with a bike from a cliff on top of an hot air balloon and doing a bicycle kick on a nitrogen bomb :(

Lingaa is a typical Rajni movie - He gets dragged into a situation which he is not initially keen to take up.. then understands the situation after hearing going through the flashback where he gives up all his wealth.. destroys the villain and saves the people... We continue to watch it because it has Rajni.. One main thing missing is that Rajni doesn't have a strong villain in this movie... 

Sonakshi Sinha is ok.. other support casts do their bit.. nothing great to talk about.. Karunakaran is just hanging in there.. not much to do.. There are certain scenes where it is obvious that Anushka is taller than Rajni.. what was Randy doing? 

Making - I expected the dam to look like a set but it wasn't that bad.. Many shots have been taken in an actual dam.. which was good.. Otherwise nothing great to talk about... Except Mona mona don't like any other song... Rahman lets down... 

Some scenes are good in a typical way - where Rajni talks about being contended with what he has or that everyone has to leave something behind when they leave... you expect these in Rajni movies.. 

Overall the saving grace were Rajni and Santhanam comedy... The movie is way too long.. 

Should you watch it.. we all watch any Rajni movie.. Will I watch it again - No, even though I had tickets for today morning, didn't go... Heard that there were tickets available in counter in certain theaters today itself.. 

Phil Hughes - A Life cut short

Phil Hughes, was an hardworking cricketer. He is not someone who was bestowed with natural talent but had to work really hard to make his way up. 

He scored loads of runs in first class cricket which ensured he came to the Australian team at a very young age(for Australian standards) of 19 and also become the youngest player to score 2 centuries in two innings of a test. 

He was about to make a come back to the Australian side for the test match series against India in place of injured Michael Clarke. 

That's when on 25th November a bouncer from Sean Abbott hit the left side of his back neck. The helmet doesn't cover this space. This is where the vertebral artery that takes blood to the brain is located which split and caused him to collapse immediately. He was administered CPR on the ground and taken to the hospital where he had undergone surgeries. However, on 27th November he passed away. Thus becoming the first cricketer at first class level to die because of an injury while batting. 

There are few deaths of cricketers that had affected me - Dhruv Pandove was the first. He was touted as the next Tendulkar. He was breaking many of Tendulkar's records in the age cricket and in first class cricket. He was killed in an accident when he was 18 years old. I was eagerly following his progress when this happened. The under 19 trophy in India is named after him now. Raman Lamba was the second when he was killed while fielding at short leg in a club match in Bangladesh. He was completely out of reckoning to play for the country and also was not a regular for Delhi Ranji team when this happened. And finally Phil Hughes'. 

This incident will have a huge impact on the way cricket is played (for a few months at least). Players will be more cautious in playing the hook or pull. There will be lot more ducking and swaying. The helmet design will definitely be relooked at to make it more safer. Not sure if we will have a HANS device like in car racing. Read that New Zealander's didn't bowl even one bouncer in the test against Pakistan which was on going at the time of Hughes death. The India Australia test series is also rescheduled and first test at Gabba is moved as the second and it is also pushed out by few days. 

The manufacturer of the helmet that Hughes was wearing at the time of the injury issued a statement that Hughes was not wearing the latest model. To me this was an accident that cut a life short. 

Coming to Sean Abbott who bowled the bouncer. I really feel for him. He is only 22 and will always have the guilt of bowling the bouncer which killed Hughes. Even though it was not intended to injure him. I had an accident(the person got injured and luckily it was nothing major) when driving a car and took me a long time to get back into the car. And the first time I did, I was completely shaken and mentally drained. 

Every cricketer and Cricket Australia has offered him all the support he needs but I am sure he will be undergoing counselling from professionals. However, it will take him sometime to get back to bowling. It is going to be very difficult for him to come back to bowling. 

Kaaviya Thalaivan - A Movie Review

Watched Kaaviya Thalaivan on the first day night show. 

Movie is set in the 1930s and 40s. The cast includes Nasser, Siddharth, Prithviraj and Vedika. 

Nasser runs a theatre company in which Siddharth and Prithviraj are part of. Ponvannan who was playing the lead role (raja part) in all the dramas is sent out of the company and it is between Siddharth and Prithiviraj to take up the lead role. 

Siddharth is selected over Prithviraj and there starts the Prithviraj's enmity towards Siddharth. Add Vedika into the mix with a two one sided loves and things get out of hand. To the extend that Prithviraj ensures Siddharth is kicked out of the company and also the climax. 

The movie doesn't show the great acting talents or details of the theatre during that period. It is just a movie of how two people who grow up together fall apart. Not sure why this movie needed a 40s setting? 

Siddharth impregnates two people in the movie - First a daughter of a Zamindar (Why did I get a feeling that this girl had a mustache? ) and second is Vedika and in between wavers becomes a drunkard and also becomes a patriotic person to stage only patriotic dramas. 

Prithviraj on the other hand makes it big in the theatre world and makes a lot of money before he starts losing it all in the theatre itself. 

Vedika has nothing much to do. Even though some people claim that she has a character with substance. Why did she fall for Siddharth that she wanted to bear his child is a question that you are left with - Just because the hero who she doesn't see for years becomes patriotic? 

Music is good and Rahman has ensured it brings the 40s feel to the movie. 

On the whole I didn't see much in the movie. It was a simple story which didn't require a 40s setting. It was only OK.