Argentina!!!!

My country has a decent football team but not of world cup standard, which leaves us no other options but to support other countries during World cup. But, even before I began to understand my country's frailities in football, even before I  began to understand football fully I had begun to support Argentina.

My first WC experience was the Italia 90 where Argentina were the reigning champions having won in 86'. I still remember the first match of Argentina vividly as my dad woke me up in the middle of night and showed a little man on screen and said "Thats Maradona!!!". My initial reaction was "so what?"- but suddenly this guy got the ball and atleast 4 Cameroon players surrounded him and I still cant explain what he did, but somehow he was clear of those players and had passed it to a team mate. Though Argentina lost the match(the only other match they would lose besides the final!!!), they had already occupied a little space in my brain and heart.

But, the match of the tournament was in round 32 when they had to face Brazil. I still remember my physical education teacher telling us to go home immediately after school so that we can catch the match from the start. I didnt even know where Brazil or Argentina was, didnt know they were the India-Pakistan of football, didnt know the Pele-Maradona rivalry, didnt know anything about the football team of Brazil. All I knew was that Brazil didnt have a Maradona in their ranks and so they would lose. That match was my induction into full fledged football.

After 15 minutes into the game, I began to realise that Argentina had Maradona(a legend) and ten very good players, but Brazil had 11 extrordinary players. Watching Brazilian team passing the ball was like Antakshari. Each player had a different song for the ball once it touched his feet. It was as if they were thinking of ways to kill the opposition, and Argentina was hanging by the thread. Twice Brazil came close to scoring only to be denied by the goal post.

But Maradona showed why he was considered one of the greatest players in the history of football, when he provided the pass to Caniggia for the lone winning goal after going past virtually the entire Brazilian midfield and defenders.

A Brazilian football team in full flow is a like an avalanche coming down the slopes. It is beautiful, if you are watching it and terrifying if you are standing in its way. You do not know what is going to happen next but to be fair, the players themselves do not know that either. There will be 3 players waiting for the pass unmarked only instead of passing, the ball would be thundered into the net from 40 yards!!!! And no one would have any ill will about it, because thats how they play....There is no better example to this than the winning goal Ronaldinho scored against England in 2002!!!

But thats exactly why I support its most bitter rival. Watching Argentina is like a river which has been arrested by a dam. It can be as free flowing as Brazil, or as dormant as Italy. It can be a German team, with its rugged defending and those brilliant set pieces or play total football like the Dutch. But not one moment will the team look totally out of place when playing a different style. For all its flamboyance, I have never seen a Brazilian corner as dangerous as a German, or an Italian corner, and except for Baggio magic in '90 I have never seen any Italian or German team producing a magic field goal.



I have watched all the matches of Argentina from then on in World Cups, even though Maradona played in only one match in '94 , was delirious with joy when it beat England in penalties in '98, left heart broken by that wonderful 88th minute Bergkamp goal which put Holland in semis, was ribbed for almost a year when they went out in the first round in 2002, and was furious for a week when they lost in 2006 due to bad tactics.

They have managed to scrape through the qualifying for 2010. Whats in store for me in South Africa?

I am blinded after watching Aadhavan

Warning: The following blog will be in a mixture of Tamil and English... If you dont know Tamil, thats not my fault, and if you dont understand my English thats not my fault either!!!!

Once upon a time, I was the subject of ridicule among my friends. It dosent matter whether they were my street mates, class mates or college mates. The teasing didnt stop. So i decided to take revenge on them...I did a bulk booking of Aadavan and invited all of them without knowing the consequences and gained some sort of revenge. One important member escaped!!!! ( i will bide my time.....) Anyways I feared for my life during interval, thanks to this movie.

Dei, ennangada prichanai ungalukku? Nalla thaane irundheenga? Vijay veetukku poi kadhai edhavadhu thiruduneengala?

Logic plays an important role in Aadavan, including the name change for the hero. Hero peru maadhavan, aana calcuttala avana aadavannu thaan koopiduvaanga....yennu ketaa nee enakku aadavannu oru thathuvamana badilla tamil thappu thappa pesara villain sollararaar.

Logic illama saavadicha kooda paravaa illai....Logic nu solli saavadikaraangale.....avangala Balakrishna padam paaka vekkanum!!!

Nayan Thara used to be a typical tamil heroine......summa arisi mootai maadiri vandhutu oru ezhavum pannama poiduvaa...

But now, she has reviewed her position like an MBA, and taken stock of her inadequacies, worked hard on her 'body' (on /with whts the difference) and now she is a typical Hindi heroine, summa gummunu irukkaa...aanalum oru ezhavum panna maatengara!!!!

The film starts hollywood style...suriya thanni kulla irundhu james bond kanakka oru gilma saamiyaara potu thallaraaru  , Paatellam paaditu thaan saviadikkaraaru( tamil padam ba) but ada mannichudalam....

adukkaprum summa laptop vechukittu king fisher airlines la blue tooth technology pathi ellam pesaraaru...and the only believable thing , the rifle which he uses to shoot the judge, a Barrett 82,
ada paathu thaan naan emaandhen..padathula ivlo nunukkama chinna chinna visayatha correcta senju irukkangalennu, including the bullets used...

adutha scenela nayan thaaravum, saroja deviyum kabaddi aadinnanga...aa ko, ke ko nnu edho ketta vaarthailla thittikine paatu paadikkitu.... satyam theatrela paathikitu irukken..ezhundhu aiyonnu kathalama appadiyavadu enna veliya kondu poi vituduvaangalennu yosichen!!!!


So, judge visaraanai commission vekkaraaram, adulla villain maatikuvaanam... adanaala surya saavadikka( nammala illa judge a) veetukku velaikkaraana poraaru!!! Anga athai ponnu nayan thara..... ( judge thaan appanu surya aim pannum podhe audienceku therinju pochu) ivlo original kadhaiya idu varaikkum tamil cinema paathathe illa...

Judgekku bomb vechu adu vedichukkum bodhu judge escape aaga...ada surya thaan vechaarunnu nayan thara nancy drew kanakka kandu pidikka...udanne surya judge thaan enga appa naan thaan un maaman paiyannu oru twist vechu alekka maadila irundu keezha kudikkaraaru...

simla special kamal maadiri sollanumna balcony seatla irundhu paathu irundhen, definitely temptation thaangama naanum kudichu iruppen!!!!!

idukkaprum oru 45 nimisham enna panradhunnu theriyama oru 3 paatu nadulla konjam scenes( edukkunnu yaaravadhu ketenga..aadavan dvd veetukku mailla anupuven...be careful!!!!!) ellam fit panni straighta climax kootikittu director varaar.....

climax la summa villain summa rocket launcher vechu mela cranela thongitu irukkara car (which has judge and 9 thara) mela oru rocket vidaraar. Whereas i marvelled at the replica of Barrett, idu telegu pada comedy...adu neraa kuthikkitu time bomb maadiri count down aagudhu!!!!..... sunny deol would have surely asked for the remake rights for this movie after watching this scene alone!!!!!!

ada surya summa kaila pudungitu helicopterla poi kuthi vidaraaram....to quote a fav dialogue i encountered in blogs..shabba shekaru shethutaan....

Somebody once said, whatever happens happens for the good...so whatever good can come out of this movie besides me taking revenge?

This movie can be written off as a total loss during the next financial year!!!! and ivlo selavu senju eduthu irukkanga...summa oru 100 kodi write off pannidalam!!!! I think this will be better explained by our own George Soros Mr. hesh.... ennaba...idha coreeta explain pannidu annatha...koindhainga konjam ariva valthukkatum...okva?

Ippo oru SMS kelvi..correcta badil solrvangulukku onnum kediyaadhu...aana thappa badil solravangala kulukkal muraiyil select panni katti pottu, Ashoka padam( shahrukh padam illa prem padam) forcilbleaa paaka veppom.....

Aadhavan padathula ethanai thadavai, 9 thara decentaa dress potukittu vandhaanga?

a. .25
b. -3.56
c. Dress potu kittu vandhaangala?? sollave illa!!!!
d. sorry sir, naan paadhi padathulaye thoongiten.

Judges decision will be final....

P.S: Padathula graphics panni Surya 10 vayasu paiyana varaare, ada pathi yen eduvume sollalainnu ida padikkum podhu yaaravadhu nenecheenganaa..ada blue tooth technology vechu kandu pidichu veetukku "veerasamy padam poster" anupiduven.....jaakaradhai!!!!!!

Attention Surya!!!

Surya? or is it Suriya? whatever it is, what happened to you? You charmed us with your dancing or the lack of it in "nerukku ner". You had us in splits with your comedy in Poovellam Kettupar and Pithamagan. You proved that you can act with Nandha and made sure that it wasnt a flash in the pan with Kaakha Kaakha and Mounam Pesiyadhe. You did a "kamal" with Perazhagan,Vaaranam Aayiram though it wasnt even near him, we appreciated the honesty in your effort, and once again you proved that you are trying to be different. You looked suave in Ghajini and looked like the next door guy in Sillendru Or Kadhal,Aayutha Ezhuthu and we loved you.

Then came Ayan.

We were shocked!!! But there were one or two saving graces in the film, the story line was unusual for a tamil film, and you were the only saving grace along with one or two songs by Harris.

If Ayan was a minor blip in your career, Aadavan is a major blip.... How could you make such a terrible mistake that too with Jyothika by your side, who is known for selecting good stories?

We do like to watch you on screen, but just when we thought you are gonna follow in the footsteps of Kamal, you start following the footsteps of Vijay!!!

One simple advice. You are good, but you have made it this far because of your hard work. Now if you slack off and expect us to watch these kind of movies, it wouldnt be long before you would be put in the "Vikram" bracket!!!!!

BLUE- 5 in 1

I consider myself a film buff, and watch lots of movies, and generally look more into a film than just a storyline. Granted it took 3 viewings of Matrix to understand the movie, but i was blown away by the trailer itself that i didnt mind going to the movie again and again.

I have always wondered why is that Indian movies especially Bollywood, try to imitate Hollywood and fail miserably in the process. We have our own USPs and within that limit we do possess a fantastic list of directors who really know how to tell a story interestingly and also provide the technical back up which makes a great film.

You might be wondering by now, just what the hell this guy is upto....Well, pardon me for all my thoughts given above because I happened to watch a movie called 'BLUE'.

How to make a bollywood movie like BLUE? You shouldnt accuse the director that he blindly copied from the movie 'Into the Blue'(slick editing-of the title by the way)

1. He takes the main plot of Into the Blue.

2. Creates 3 characters, Sanjay, Akshay and Zayed,

3. For Sanjay's scenes alone copies from "shoot em up"

4. For Zayed's scenes copies from 'fast and the furious' and torque

5. For Akshay's scenes copies from Hitch and Broken Arrow.

Wait a minute, we have Lara Dutta and Katrina Kaif(special appearence) here....whats the difference? Lara comes in a bikini and Katrina doesnt!!!!( i think it should have been given to Lara for special appearence!!!)

A word to the director...Hollywood movies do get released in India... and people go and watch them. Please try to get some obscure movie and copy it rather than hit movies!!!!!!!