India' Most Watched Comedy Channel

Our Annan Kattadurai Arnab'ji beats rivals like Adithya, Siripoli and Comedy Central hands down. It's all because of his high moronic debating style.

Rest of the channels are planning to stop their shows from 9 PM - 11 PM.

"THE NATION" turns on to The Newshour every week-night, because they feel it is good to have some laughter before sleep.

Free... Free.. Free!!!

Internet has given us free tools. We can get anything free in the internet. Let me try to list some, I would have missed many,

• Sending and receiving mails- It’s FREE

• Chatting with friends and strangers- It’s FREE

• Video and conference Calling- It’s FREE

• Downloading music- It’s FREE

• Downloading movies- It’s FREE

• Accessing eBooks- It’s FREE

• Television- It’s FREE

• Radio\podcast- It’s FREE

• Softwares- It’s FREE

• Publishing your writing- It’s FREE

• Advice- Always FREE

• Information – Always FREE

Are you the one who enjoys the above list? 

Then think for a while before talking or complaining about the freebies like TV, mixie, grinder, rice, goats, cows, free education, free power… given by the government to the ordinary people.

Note: The above Vijay pic from Nanban has nothing to do with the content of the article.

100th Post!!

Started torturing others in May 2011, its roughly two posts per month, my blog publishes 100th post today. All time Pageviews of 7602, wonder who are they- most of the views are by me!! or some Russian bots like yandex.ru, ourmeets..

OK, I’m not going to ponder over who came to my blog, from where, what did they do! But if you are reading this one, thanks for stopping by!!

FYI, I’m listing my least visited posts, enjoy at your own risk, :-)

Dreams always fascinate us. Most of the dreams are weird and strange. We see the happenings in the dream are unusual. This is one such dream which I got few months before. Very bad, very bad, but it’s interesting... Read More

Last week one of the greatest Indian test cricketer retired from the game, VVS Laxman, fondly called as Very Very Special Laxman, of course he was very special. Not the greatest in terms of statistics of him, but certainly the quality of his batting.. Read More 

It was an evening to remember; last Sunday I witnessed my first classical live concert by KJ Yesudas at Kamarajar Arangam. It was mesmerising voice and the 3 hour concert just went like a minute. I haven’t heard most of the songs, and also he sang few songs written by him, yes Yesudas is a lyricist now. Read More

Sometimes the drivers think to stop or not to stop in a signal. RED signal the driver is looking for the traffic cop (TC) , if there aren’t one then wizzzzz-off the road. So the RED signal becomes unimportant but the TC is. Read More

India is in the process of setting a Neutrino Observatory in Tamil Nadu, near Theni on Bodi Hills. A 1500 Feet deep, 2 KM long tunnel will be bored which will host a world ‘biggest, heaviest magnet, which will be 50,000 tonnes, four times bigger than the one in CERN, Geneva. The project will be beginning shortly as the Environment Ministry and the TN Govt gave green signal. Cost of the project Rs. 1000 Crore. Read More

****Target to reach 150 posts by end of this year****

Files in the drawer !!

The recent ruling by the Supreme Court of India on commuting the death sentence of Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan has created a wide array of arguments. This article is not to discuss about the nuances of the law, emotional reactions, social implications or political loss\gains. I would like to point out something which is a kiddish argument in this episode, which portrays the lackluster scene of a government office/officer.

FYI, the timeline on Rajiv Gandhi Assassination case-

May 21, 1991- Rajiv Gandhi assassinated.

May 20, 1992- CBI files chargesheet in the Special Court on 26 persons (This includes Nalini, Murugan, Santhan & Perarivalan).

Jan 28, 1998- The Special Court awards death sentence to all 26 persons.

May 11, 1999- Supreme Court reduced death to life sentence for 19, while sentencing Nalini, Murugan, Santhan & Perarivalan.

Oct 17, 1999- The four death row convicts send mercy petitions to the then Tamil Nadu Governor Fathima Beevi.

Oct 27, 1999- TN Governor rejects the mercy petitions without obtaining TN state cabinet’s views.

Nov 25, 1999- Madras High Court defeats TN Governor's rejection of mercy petitions. It directs the Governor to pass a fresh order after obtaining the state Cabinet's views.

Apr 19, 2000- State Cabinet chaired by then Chief Minister M Karunanidhi decides to recommend commuting the death sentence of Nalini alone.

Apr 21, 2000- TN Governor accepts Cabinet decision to commute death sentence of Nalini.

____________________________________________

Apr 28, 2000- TN State government forwards mercy petitions of Santhan, Murugan and Perarivalan to the then President KR Narayanan via Union Home Ministry (BJP led NDA).

Jun 21, 2005- Union Home Ministry (Congress led UPA) submits the mercy petitions to the then President Abdul Kalam  for consideration.

Aug 12, 2011- Union Home Ministry communicates to state Government about President's (Prathibha Patel) decision to reject mercy petitions.

____________________________________________

Aug 26, 2011- Execution of three convicts fixed for September 9, 2011.

Aug 30, 2011- Tamil Nadu Assembly (AIADMK govt.) adopts resolution urging the President to commute the death sentence of the three.

Aug 30, 2011- Madras High Court stays execution of Santhan, Murugan and Perarivalan on their plea. Petitions transferred to Supreme Court later.

May 1, 2012- Supreme Court says it would hear the petitions of three convicts.

Feb 18, 2014- Supreme Court commutes the death sentence on grounds of delay in disposing their mercy pleas. The court also says the appropriate government may consider releasing the convicts under their constitutional powers.

Feb 19, 2014- TN State Cabinet decides to release Santhan, Murugan, Perarivalan, Nalini, Robert Pious, Jayakumar and Ravichandran. It then sends its decision to Centre. 

If you look at the above timeline, there is a delay in 10 Years & 9 Months - 5 Years 1 Month with the Home Ministry and 5 Years 8 Months with President. Being a highest constitutional authority, the delay by President cannot be questioned. But when we look into reason why the Home Ministry sat on it for such a long time (5 Year and 1 Month) is laughable. This shows the sorry state of our bureaucracy.

The Reason-

…..shortly after the receipt of the mercy petitions in 2000, a note was prepared but thereafter the file was lying in the drawer of some officer of the Ministry of Home Affairs, and, hence, could not be processed.

You can find the above reason mentioned in the Feb 18, 2014 Supreme Court judgment. 

Check the page 9 in this link http://judis.nic.in/supremecourt/imgs1.aspx?filename=41228

Image sourced from - Ministry of External Affairs - www.mea.gov.in

Cleo from 5 to 7 (France, 1962)

Directed by: Agnes Varda | Starring: Corinne Matchand | Language: French | Genre: Drama | Country : France | Year : 1962

A French film directed by Agnes Varda, starring Corinne Marchand in the lead role as Florence “Cleo” Victoire. What will you feel when a film starts with a top-angle shot of a tarot card in the color and the very next shot in the black-white? You’ll definitely get interested, that’s how I felt when I started to watch this film. 

Cleo an upcoming pop singer meets a tarot card reader asking about her future. The reader predicts illness for Cleo. In reality that evening Cleo is expecting a call from his doctor, who is going to give her medical results. The rest of the film is her wait for the result. 

As you would have guessed from the film title, the story happens from 5 PM to 7 PM. Well nothing comic or action happens in that period, if it is so it could have been ended as a regular conventional movie. The film goes on to portray the fear of Cleo, how she is preparing herself for the test result as she fears cancer. She meets various people who influence her in good and bad ways. Some let her down and few gives hope.

From the initial scenes of the tarot card reader, she goes to a coffee shop with her maid Angela, and then to her home, there she meets her lover, along with her musician and song writer. She feels no one cares about her illness and everyone has their own chores to do. Exhausted by the people around her, she starts to roam around Paris. Meeting one of her model friend, Dorothee, who sympathizes with her, but couldn't be with her. As the hour closes she meets a soldier in the park. The both travel to the hospital for the result.

The movie is separated into chapters of 10 – 15 mins. We see Cleo (Corinne Marchand) in every frame. The camera follows her all the way. Thankfully as every Paris-based film, we don’t see the Eiffel Tower. Every frame in the film is a picture perfect shot. The camera doesn't shy away when it covers the wide city landscapes. 

For long time I was waiting for this kind of film. This film doesn't have start-buildup-climax. It is just shows two hours in one’s life. Simple.

Trailer

Other French films in FilmBulb You Might like,

Amour | Z | Blue is the Warmest Color

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Who is this Wendy Doniger ? Sweet or karam !!

Who is this Wendy Doniger ?. Honestly before a week I don't know who she was, if you would have asked about her then- My reply will be is it sweet or karam.

I'm not much of a reader. A daily dose of newspaper fills my appetite of reading. This brings me to the question about Wendy Doniger, do I need to care about her work being pulled by the publisher?.

I see headlines in newspaper and FB status messages like "Republic of Barbarians", "Democracy Trashed", "Nation of Intolerance"... Hold on pasangala, India is not the only country in the world to pose ban or challenge a literature or art work.

When I saw the subject matter in the concerned book, it is about Hinduism. "The Hindus: Alternate History". Uuuuuffffff come on give me a kit-kat. Why are these westerners so obsessed with religions from East !! This is a different matter to be discussed.

Hinduism has survived many incidents, in fact bigger than a book. It is so diverse that anything is possible.

Correct me if I'm wrong, the book was challenged and the publisher pulled the book from the shelves and it was nor any government or court order ?.

Now tell who is Wendy Doniger- Avange Erode pakkam elle Thuthokudi pakkam irugange.

Black Orpheus ( Brazil, 1959 )

Country: Brazil
Direction: Marcel Camus
Starring: Breno Mello, Marpessa Dawn
Language: Portuguese
Year: 1959

This will be the first Brazilian film introduction in FilmBulb, but not the first South American film. We have already discussed films like Maria Full of Grace, Machacha... Black Orpheus is a romantic genre film, based on the Greek mythology- Orpheus and Eurydice.

As legend says Orpheus is the greatest musician. Both Orpheus and Eurydice are happily married. Eurydice is bitten by a snake and dies. Heart-broke Orpheus plays mournful music to which the gods take pity on him and let him to travel underworld. The gods let Orpheus to take Eurydice with him, but under a condition that he shouldn't turn back and see her till they reach the upper world. They travel, with only Orpheus in the upper world turns back in excitement, whereas Eurydice is still not in and so she is lost for ever.

The film doesn't take the entire legend as such, but it is modern version mixed with the Brazilian samba music in the backdrop of the Rio Carnival.

On the eve of the Rio Carnival, Orfeu (Breno Mello) meets Eurydice (Marpessa Dawn). This is love at first sight. Eurydice is visiting her cousin in Orpheus’ neighborhood. Orpheus wants to get rid of his money minded, nagging girlfriend Mira. He finds a sense of warmth with Eurydice, who in turn is followed by a ghost like figure, which she calls Death. In the day of the carnival Mira gets to know about their romantics and tries to assault Eurydice. Followed by the Death and Mira, Eurydice runs for her life in the midst of the carnival. Did their love succeed is the story.

Right from the titles to the end credits it's music all the way. Almost all the characters dance. The story is so simple and because it is visually filmed very well one can watch the film even without subtitles. Even if you are not aware of the Greek legend (as I wasn't), you’ll like this film for its story telling. Towards the end it might be haunting.

The locales of the neighborhood- call it as a ghetto or the Rio suburb looks different. Do people live in such places!. It’s a hilly place, but still near the city. This acts a wonderful and scenic backdrop.

Marpessa Dawn as Eurydice has to be one of beautiful faces that the cinema ever produced. As the film, she is has a innocent looking beautiful face. It's pity that she didn't act in more films. Contrary to the Greek legend there are twists and turns in the film.

Trailer 

My Dinner with Andre (USA, 1981)

Language: English | Genre: Drama | Direction: Louis Malle | Staring: Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn | Year: 1981

I always felt proud by seeing some unique films. If you look back to FilmBulb posts, you can witness the uniqueness of the films which I tried to introduce- To name few- Baraka, Russian Ark. My Dinner with Andre is one such unique film. This shouldn't be considered as a normal film, because there is no conventional 3-part Hollywood-ish story telling. 

Louis Malle

The plot is simple. Two playwrights meet after several years in a dinner and their talking is the film. Isn’t that simple enough!. While the subject-matter of the film is very lite, but the subjects they discuss becomes interesting. Directed by Louis Malle. Written and acted by Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn. 

Andre Gregory

The film starts with Wallace (They acted with their same name!) walking in the streets of New York, with his voice over suggesting how tough the life of the playwright is, informing about his daily activities, his struggle to earn and how the art is superseded by the need of money. His voice over informs us about Andre and why he is meeting him. Louis Malle is a French director, so no wonder the voice over of Wallace travels throughout the film.

Wallace Shawn

Within 10 mins of the start both the characters are on the table for the dinner and the rest 100 mins is their conversation. I know it might sound odd, but that’s the film.

Andre starts the conversation by sharing his experiences in Poland, his experiences in Sahara desert, travelling to India, his take on surrealist art and his traveling to Findhorn, Scotland- where they talk with plants and insects. 

The talk slowly moves to death and manipulative characters. They discuss about the courtesy talk, which we always start when we meet someone- is a dream world which we create, because we can’t be direct and we end up saying weird things. The other things they touch in the conversation is how when a group of people gather together for a party. And all they talk is nonsense, grotesque things and insane jokes. 

The talk moves into deeper insights of the human relationships and how in the normal life we are faking it. Writing about the conversation in details will be a spoiler. Let me tell you this one, which I liked the most and also which I always thought about- “making a habit”. I personally feel, making something as a habit will limit or prevent my -selves to learn or gain new knowledge. So I never concentrate or put my mind to one thing, I always keep a wavering mind and activity.

Having talked about all these fantasy and philosophical talk, Wallace takes the talk to the square one; he tries to redirect Andre to the reality. Did Andre agree to disagree is to see for yourselves in the film.

With all the 100 minutes of talking, the film can be quite heavy if you don’t follow of what both Andre and Wallace are talking about. If you like those, I’m sure you’ll be making notes of it.

Trailer

**Let me know your comments**

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