sudhirramakrishnan-blog

[sudhirramakrishnan-blog]

In Love with L.A. Confidential...

There’s no need for elaborate metaphors or complicated narratives - the simple truth is that Curtis Hanson’s 1997 film “L.A. Confidential” is a masterpiece and i simply love it. Here's my spoiler free tribute to this underrated masterpiece.

Adapted from James Ellroy’s third novel from his “L.A. Quartet” series of books - the movie manages to masterfully bring alive the essence of noir; which is quite rightly one of the hardest genres to portray on screen.

The film sinks deep into the glamorous yet seedy underbelly of 1950s Los Angeles - not afraid to throw light on the darker side of the fortunate & the famous.

The tone is set by a wickedly rushed introduction to the fake facade that L.A. tries very hard to project by Sid Hudgens (Danny Devito in a deliciously mischievous performance!) who is the publisher of a shamelessly deviant tabloid magazine called “Hush-Hush”.

He collaborates regularly with Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) - a cop who loves the glitz & glamour of being a “celebrity cop”; and is also the technical advisor for a popular TV Cop show. Together they plant, hustle & bust celebrities for the double purpose - of selling more copies & making sure Vincennes stays in the limelight.

The LAPD is ably headed by Capt. Dudley Smith (James Cromwell) a decorated cop who has been part of the system for a long while, who manages all the diverse characters in his department with stern authority.

His new recruits are two cops as different as chalk & cheese - Edmund Exley (Guy Pearce) a by the books police officer who wants to emulate (if not surpass) the legacy of his father, the legendary Preston Exley. Ed’s boorish behaviour & penchant for the rulebook instantly makes him unpopular to the rest of the department who are largely lethargic, with flexible morals not out of place in a college fraternity. The other new entrant Wendell “Bud” White (Russell Crowe) is an emotionally charged giant who comes from tragedy, lives life by his own primal rules and follows authority like a prized foot soldier.

Against the backdrop of real life instances of “Bloody Christmas” & the capture of gangster Mickey Cohen - the narration weaves through a wide range of characters who add their flavour to the heady mix already brewing. Chief among them are Lynn Bracken (the absolutely gorgeous Kim Basinger) who is employed by the powerful, charming yet sinister Pierce Patchett.

Crimes across the city are responsible for the lives of all these characters intertwining in a complex web of corruption, lies, deceit & chaos.

As the movie progresses, the plot escalates at a breathless pace and ultimately arrives at a smart, perhaps unexpected climax.

The film boasts of a stellar star cast, and they have churned out some of their best performances, which in turns means a brilliant ensemble looks to be effortlessly in sync.

Kevin Spacey is billed as the star of the show & he delivers a sublime performance as Vincennes, a man torn between what is right & what is easy. His nuanced expressions at key scenes make a character who is hard to dislike, highly memorable.

Russell Crowe manages to give off a feeling of being constantly on edge as he bottles a myriad of emotions under his volatile persona. His introduction to American audience could not have been better than the tortured Bud.

i reserve special praise for James Cromwell, watch the movie and you’ll know why.

Kim Basinger channels vulnerability, glamour & substance in a role the director literally wrote with her in mind. Basinger initially turned him down multiple times, but Hanson’s insistence paid off handsomely as Basinger went on to sweep awards that season - culminating in an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Finally i have to acknowledge my absolute appreciation for Guy Pearce. His Edmund Exley is character hard to root for. One cannot help but be put off by his academic approach to police work. Loathed by those around him, he has flaws & a unhealthy thirst for ambition & integrity. I can’t help but applaud his fantastic character arc & his equally sincere performance.

Curtis Hanson & writing partner Brian Helgeland won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for their cracking take on Ellroy’s crime saga by trimming the long winding novel to the right size - maintaining a tight balance on thrills, politics & characters’ motives.

Los Angeles is a crucial player in the film - and a very smart move by Hanson was to accurately replicate the era & ethos of the city, pack it with utmost detail - only to purposely relegate this in the background. This allows the human characters to marinate in the rich gravy of the essence of L.A.

Perhaps the most unfortunate twist is that this movie was released in 1997 - when the monster that was James Cameron’s Titanic was ruling the screens. A wave of popularity & misplaced affection meant Titanic managed to win Best Film & Best Director while Hanson ended up empty handed.

Years later, many have hailed this film as a lost gem which was harshly neglected in the juggernaut of popularity that was the global phenomenon of Titanic. i thoroughly agree with the sentiment.

A seductive jazz fueled soundtrack adds the right amount of gold dust to the sheer brilliance that is the cinematic experience of L.A. Confidential.

Highly, highly recommended by your truly, the movie is a must watch. A seductive and (un)subtle tale which simply shouldn’t be missed.

[sudhirramakrishnan-blog]

No shit, Sherlock!!

By now most of you would’ve come across the behind the scenes “Avengers: Infinity Wars” photo... For those who didn’t here it is!

As noted by many... that’s TWO Sherlock Holmes’ in the same picture! Marvel’s pulled off quite the feat - the 2 Infinity Wars movies have probably got over SIXTY Marvel characters in them - and like Scarlett Johansson recently admitted - perhaps 30 characters in one scene alone!!!

But today i’m going to focus about the aforementioned - and a slightly different kind of superhero - everyone’s favourite Bad Boy from Baker Street - Sherlock Holmes!!

The Guinness World Records believes Sherlock is “the most portrayed movie character in movie history”. And for good reason - Arthur Conan Doyle’s creation about the stunningly gifted Englishman is a fun tale to revisit time after time - and many artists have managed to added their unique tweaks to the Holmes-ian setting.

But in the past few years - it’s probably universally accepted that Benedict Cumberbatch is the quintessential “Sherlock” - as he plays the the part to near perfection in the BBC Series. In the 4 series’ starting from July 2010 - Cumberbatch has cemented his legacy as THE Sherlock of our generation.

BUT - and this actually surprised me to no end - another Englishman actually undertook the task of relaunching Holmes & Co. on the big screen a year before the BBC series came on the small screen. Guy Ritchie brought alive his vision of the Sherlock, Dr. Watson and all the memorable characters of Holmes-ian lore. 

Guy Ritchie is known for his kinetic cinematic energy, sharp witted, quick talking characters & chaotic calmness. His stories are usually a walk on the wilder side of life & law - of protagonists with questionable moral compasses, worlds were recklessness, anarchy and confusion reign supreme. 

The Snatch director says he’s been a fan of Holmes’ since his own school days - and you can see that he wants to impose his signature stamp on the iconic detective and bring him into a rather contemporary, visceral & high energy setting. Sherlock was erstwhile considered to be a wasteful, laggard recluse who solved his cases on the basis of his supreme deduction skills and minimal exertion. Ritchie turns this notion completely on its’ head and infuses a street smart, roguish dimension to Holmes who doesn’t think twice before launching headfirst into a fist fight. 

And while this approach certainly helped the movie get a younger generation of fans flocking to the theatre - i have to admit i disliked it highly. Industrial Revolution era England is portrayed as a whimsical sandbox with no rules or a sense of right & wrong. 

Here i am compelled to comment that Steven Moffat & Mark Gatiss managed to strike the perfect note in updating the Holmes’ lore to modern day sensibilities for the BBC series - a task that Guy Ritchie fails at.

As expected - production values are high, camera work is slick & the music (Hans Zimmer) is just right. These are the hallmarks of a Guy Ritchie film and this version is a worthy addition to his repertoire of movies.

When it comes to the cast & the characters - straight off the bat, my biggest regret is that Sherlock’s fascinatingly complicated relation with his brother Mycroft is thoroughly overlooked in this outing. While the character is introduced in the sequel - i feel his inclusion here would’ve grounded the high octane proceedings to good effect.

Mark Strong plays the perfect antagonist - his arrogance & quest for power justifies his heinous actions and brings alive a wonderful sense of menace for the macabre Lord Blackwood. 

Rachel McAdams�� Irene Adler is a great supporting act - the elusive American makes a fool of Sherlock yet again. Her portrayal of the “one who gets away” is spot on! 

Jude Law as Dr. John Watson is fleshed out as a worthy partner - and perhaps even an equal - to Holmes, rather than just an assistant. His gambling, military past and medical expertise are highlighted prominently. Ritchie tries to create a viable, parallel lead and succeeds, to an extent.

By 2009 - post Iron Man - Robert Downey Jr. had become THE MAN. A string of brilliant movies (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, A Scanner Darkly, Zodiac) leading into the mega success of the Marvel film that launched a billion dollar empire, the world was literally at his feet. 

Studios were dying to get a piece of action & i suspect the decision to take on the role of Holmes was strategic positioning for Team RDJ more than artistic expression - making hay while the sun shone (blindingly, might i add). 

His performance to me seemed like an exercise rather than earnest experiment. Everyone loved his accent - i didn’t. His transformation to a skinny (bordering on gaunt) often messy Englishman - i appreciate, though. 

At this stage though, RDJ could’ve half-assed through entire movies yet producers would’ve THROWN bags of monies at him. His turnaround from being on the brink of near collapse due to his alcohol & substance abuse - to the hottest ticket in the business is perhaps most well encapsulated by this film - it almost seemed people were scared to call out what was essentially an average, yet overhyped movie.

Another pet peeve - what’s the point of a Holmes’ adaptation with a looming shadow of Moriarty - without ACTUALLY showing the damn mastermind! Ritchie sets up a major showdown for future installment(s) while teasing in the first film - a pattern visible in his King Arthur adaptation as well. 

You shouldn’t wait for tomorrow, Guy - you need to deliver right away... after all, it’s not rocket science, it’s just..... Elementary, my dear.

[sudhirramakrishnan-blog]

Wonder why it took so long...

It took DCEU 4 attempts to FINALLY get it right - and this win couldn’t come any sooner, especially after the colossal failure that was Suicide Squad*.

Wonder Woman is a fantastic movie - going off tangent to narrate an origin story within the already established arc set up in Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice. The back story is narrated in a manner which is neither too innovative, nor is too plain. Perhaps that's for good reason as well .

There’s a book i’ve always wanted to read - “The Hero with a Thousand Faces”. It’s been speculated - and indeed acknowledged by creators themselves - that this book & the “structure” it has outlined, are visible in many popular works of fiction (George Lucas in Star Wars, works by Neil Gaiman, Harry Potter, the TV series Lost - to name a few - and even musicians like Bob Dylan & Jim Morrison).

[The below review has practically no spoilers, but discretion is welcome!]

Early on we are introduced to the world of Themyscira - a mythical land hidden away from Mankind. It establishes very quickly who the Amazonian women are, and what is their essence. Young Diana is marked for greatness and everyone knows it - it’s just a matter of when & never if. Trained to become the greatest Amazonian Warrior by her aunt Antiope, Diana excels - even as her mother Queen Hippolyta is worried about her eventual fate because of the growing fear that the God of War Ares is looming over the world as we know it.

An encounter with Steve Trevor & a subsequent clash with soldiers in his pursuit makes Diana resolve to head into the World to defeat Ares once & for all. She gears up with her signature weapons - and head into London (following a brilliant boat ride scene!).

Once in the New World (of the World War 1 era) Diana quickly begins to question the ways of modern man, the (lack of) authoritative figures and flawed social & moral structures. 

In the end she faces her adversaries, learns about how mankind isn’t a complete failure - and vows to protect the world as we know it.

Gal Gadot embodies all the values Wonder Woman stands for. She brings alive Diana’s wisdom, naivete and fierceness brilliantly. Fans of the comic have stated the long wait for seeing WW on screen has been worth it because of the stellar performance by the Israeli. 

Chris Pine steals the show as Steve Trevor. His character arc is genuinely one of the best written pieces we’ve come across - i believe this even surpasses the limited pool of superhero movies and spills over to most movies we’ve encountered in our lifetimes. 

The rest of the supporting cast does a strictly commendable job. The antagonist of this film comes across as a bit weak and unexplored - an issue which plagues superhero movies in general (bar only a couple of notable exceptions).

Patty Jenkins does a stunning job and narrates an above average tale efficiently yet deftly. i read there was no single “deleted scene” in this movie - such a level of control & perfection must be applauded heavily!

Special mention to the “No Man’s Land” fight sequence - it is SPECTACULAR!!

Hopefully the duo of Gadot & Jenkins come back to take this story forward in a future installment to lend more credibility to the much maligned DC Cinematic Universe.

i’ll rate this movie 7.5 out 10.

Cheers….

P.S. -  in case you noticed - up until i’ve ensured that there are no comparisons to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, to male superhero movies in general or highlighting the issue that Patty Jenkins is a woman. 

I didn’t even have to try hard!

A movie like Wonder Woman merits judgement on it’s own - and comes up a winner very comfortably. 

There have been some claims that the Themyscira segment is both too long/unnecessary & too short/under cooked. 

It just proves that there is criticism for the sake of it, and not because it ought to be rightly raised. 

This movie about a female super heroine directed by a woman is going to be judged more stringently from the get go. No matter how well made the film is, it’s quality & success are being questioned rather unfairly.

Despite being a Tier 1 super heroine, not all audiences across the globe will be familiar with Wonder Woman’s back story or her mythology. i found that segment just right.

To that effect - many Marvel Cinematic movies also suffer from the long drawn exposition & muddled origin stories. DC’s own film Man Of Steel couldn’t manage to avoid that pitfall.

Wonder Woman should rank right along side Captain America: First Avenger, Iron Man, Guardians Of The Galaxy & Sam Riami’s Spiderman as one of the definitive superhero movies ever made.

Which brings me to the * i added in the very first line - about Suicide Squad. 

i feel Suicide Squad is one of the worst superhero movies made in the past few years - DC tried to rush through their own version of Guardians Of The Galaxy [lovable anti heroes, diverse star cast, emphasis on soundtrack, over the top visuals et al] and failed miserably at it. Critics panned it, it’s own stars had issues with the theatrical release [cue Jared Leto whining] and fans complained loudly about the terrible distribution of screen time across multiple characters (Joker, Waller, Boomerang etc.)

YET - that movie made a staggering 745 million dollars (approx) while WW is struggling to reach the 500 million dollar despite having practically no competition in the theaters right now (it’s closest blockbuster rival is… The Mummy). 

FFS!!!

[sudhirramakrishnan-blog]

The North London Derby - a Desi Gooners’ preview.

               As Gameweek 11 kicks off this weekend, the centerpiece game is undoubtedly the North London Derby at The Emirates on Sunday. This will be the fifth time Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs’ take on Arsene Wenger’s Gunners in the League, with the Argentine aiming to be the first manager to not have lost to Arsenal in as many games.

With a sizable list of key, missing players (Moussa Dembele, Erik Lamela , Tony Alderweireld – all injury, Moussa Sissokho - due to suspension), Pochettino will have to cobble together an untested front line – perhaps even hand a first Premier League start to Harry Winks.

Talismanic striker Harry Kane is finally back from an injury – but seems to be earmarked for only a substitute appearance as he could yet be short of complete match fitness. Alli, Son & Eriksen will be hoping to step up a gear or two, with Janssen also an alternative later in the game.

Eric Dier could be moved into a makeshift centre-back role in a defence which is currently the best in the league – having conceded only 5 goals in 10 games. Danny Rose, Kyle Walker and Jan Vertonghen have been in excellent form, along with the mercurial Hugo Lloris being one of the stand out keepers of this season.

But they are up against a highly inform Arsenal team who have scored 15 goals in the past 5 games (they only failed to score against Middlesbrough) and have conceded just 10 times in the league as well.

For Arsene Wenger, the historically dreaded November started off with a morale boosting 3 2 Champions League away win over Ludogrets – and he will seek to overcome the negative November hoodoo with an affirmative win over their local rivals.

Le Professeur does have a welcome selection headache on his hands – as Theo Walcott, Santi Cazorla, Hector Bellerin and Nacho Monreal should be available for selection despite not travelling to Bulgaria mid-week. Olivier Giroud also stakes a claim to start with impressive all round performances since his return from injury with 3 goals in under 100 minutes of game time.

Still, it would seem Wenger would persist with the formation that is one of his most fluid attacking quartets over the past few years – with Alexis Sanchez spearheading a skilled, pacy midfield of Alex Iwobi, Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott. If Walcott won’t be 100% match fit – I personally won’t be surprised if he prefers Aaron Ramsey to start off at the right wing – despite the Welshman’s well documented proclivity to drift in centrally. It seems Wenger trusts Ramsey’s engine & industry make up for his annoying habit of losing the ball in attack.

Giroud could possibly summoned as  battering ram to bully the Spurs’ defense in the last 30 minutes of play – especially if Arsenal are in need of a winner or an equalizer. I personally feel Wenger trusts Giroud’s maturity & ability – hence there is/seems to be an unspoken understanding that the former Montpellier hitman will only be used sparingly in big games as a “Plan B” – for which I deeply admire the much maligned striker.

Shkodran Mustafi has fit in seamlessly alongside the sublime Laurent Koscielny, proving to be one of the best summer transfers of the season.  Barring injury, Hector Bellerin is pretty much assured of his spot, while there could be a late call between Nacho Monreal and the quietly impressive Kieran Gibbs. Petr Cech will take over as the goal keeper in the League.

The midfield duo could be the toughest to pick – as Cazorla’s availability could be a late decision to take. Coquelin is virtually assured of his start as the chief Central Defensive Midfielder. Xhaka’s defensive record & unfortunate reputation to pick up bookings have been vocally addressed by Arsene in the build up to the game – so this could be a very delicate tight rope to balance on.

On a personal note – I have been one of the lucky Gooners invited to the first ever official screening of the North London Derby screening in Mumbai (at Mehboob Studios, Bandra) by Arsenal in India. It has been announced that Club Legend and everyone’s favourite Gunner Robert Pires will be at the screening as well, where I’m sure the thousand plus strong army of Desi Gooners will make it an evening to remember. Arsenal Mumbai have been consistently brilliant as they organize Arsenal match screenings & i’m thoroughly confident they’ll step up a notch or two on such a momentous occasion.

I’m quietly confidently of a 2 0 win over Tottenham. It would be a delicious feat to inflict the first League defeat of the 10 game old season on Spurs and assure yet another weekend ends with us on top of the table!

I hope to follow up my experience of the game & the screening with another post as well, after Sunday! I sincerely wish it’s the final act of what has been a wonderful birthday week for me! I hope we all ensure not just that North London Is Red – but also Mumbai Is Red!

Till next time! Come On You Gunners!

Up The Arsenal.

Twitter - https://twitter.com/ApnaArsenal 

Twitter - https://twitter.com/SudhirRamaK

[sudhirramakrishnan-blog]

Suicide Squad - Square Peg in a Round Hole!

It’s been a rather long break since I last blogged! i recently saw Suicide Squad – and what with the polarizing opinions about it – i thought it’d be a neat topic to share my views about. I’ll try to keep the post as spoiler free as i can but I’d still advise discretion to those who haven’t seen it yet. (Note – an idiot spoiled the movie for me, I hope he spills hot coffee all over himself, jerk). [i proof read the post again - don’t think i’ve actually given out any spoilers - so carry on happily!]

Ever since the “Bohemian Rhapsody” Trailer came out – in January 2016 (man, time FLIES!) Suicide Squad was a very a interesting concept that a LOT of people were looking forward to!

An unlikely, bunch of anti heroes who have been rounded up to actually be the good guys and get the chance to seek some redemption . A movie which is part of a larger cinematic universe – which occurs AFTER the events of a MAJOR event which had the Tier 1 superheroes saving the world – but who are inexplicably missing when YET another world threatening problem comes up? And all this backed by an excellent soundtrack packed with unique, obscure, peppy songs! Now isn’t that the most UNIQUE idea in the history of ever!! :|

Unlikely “straight man” thrust into leadership who always thinks about his family – CHECK!

Hot Female anti heroine buried under layers of paint – CHECK!

Nasty, misunderstood Green Monster – CHECK!

Wisecracking little shit who’s good at combat – CHECK!

Seemingly benevolent “bad guy” who’s really nice, but also capable of eliminating a dozen foot soldiers if angered enough - CHECK! CHECK! CHECK!

And this right here is my biggest problem with the DCEU (DC Extended Universe) – they’re in it only cause they don’t want to be left behind. They’re forever playing catch up – and they’re repeating formula which is already done to death.

The absolute FLOOD of superhero movies in the past 5 years means there are hardly any new patterns left to explore. GoTG was a fresh take on a genre which was seemingly going stale. Iron Man came out in 2008 - which kicked off the “superhero multiverse” which had it’s first major Ensemble movie (The Avengers) in 2012. This was after 4 other movies which gradually introduced more heroes & villains to gradually set up The Avengers. DC’s Man Of Steel itself came out in 2013. DC was already playing to catch up - and they delivered a very average movie. Then came Batman vs Superman: Dawn Of Justice [Incidentally, it should’ve been Superman vs Batman - seeing as it was more of a sequel to MoS than anything else]. Under immense fan & studio pressure, with reshoots, edits forced due to all sorts of pressure - BvS turned out to be an underwhelming experience as well. Before BvS came out - Ben Affleck’s Batman was supposedly the Achilles heel that would weaken the whole plot - and it was trolled mercilessly & universally. In the end - his steadfast portrayal turned out to be the movie’s center of gravity. In under a year - DC has launched it’s version of GoTG - and the response is polarizing like never before. Critics are rightly frustrated by the weird pacing, erratic tone, an under-cooked, over garnished script & predictable finale. Fans are claiming that critics are harsher on DC than on Marvel - and saying the positive aspects of Suicide Squad are being completely overshadowed. Both parties have equally good points & equal weaknesses.  Jared Leto - who played The Joker - now claims his role was cut short very extensively, while a fan has actually threatened to sue Warner Brothers & DC under the pretext of “false advertising” as they hyped up The Joker’s role front & center in the movie’s marketing campaign blitzkrieg - but he was barely featured in the actual film. The inevitable blame game of Director vs Studio is also already underway, albeit under the surface if not in full public view. All this also puts ENORMOUS pressure on the next 2 DC movies - Wonder Woman & Justice League (incidentally they’ve rushed again & showed off a trailer for it - a movie to be released in NOVEMBER 2017!!!) My personal take is - the DCEU is a text book example of what happens when one gives into peer pressure.  They’re absolutely not focusing on the goodness within themselves - but trying to copy the template set out by others. In the chaos that ensures when everybody comes in with their ideas - this becomes a case of “too many cooks spoil the broth”! Incidentally now a days i see multiple instances of the below analogy happening:

there’s an arms race to establish supremacy, with all parties trying their best to stockpile as many weapons & ammunition that they can lay their hands on. This threatens not only those who are actually involved - but also everyone around them who have no foreseeable role in the actual war - but are gearing up because they don’t want to be left behind or left exposed in the future.

Do you actually need the weapons? Have you thought of a strategy or a contingency/scaleability plan? Have you thought how you will use your resources AFTER you’ve given an arm and a leg just to make sure no one else gets them? Do you actually have a solid plan - and not just a fancy, jargon filled elevator pitch?

One clear instance is the DCEU vs MCU cinematic battle. The other is in football - with Manchester being the epicenter of a hypercharged, money infested war in the Premier League. The 2 Mancunian clubs have spent over almost a 140m pounds on 2 players in the past week alone - they have outstripped entire LEAGUES with such a shopping splurge. i don’t question the source of the funds at all - they’re entitled to spend their earnings. However it’s still a RIDICULOUS PROPOSITION!!!

Some of the fall out is already visible - Bastain Schweinsteiger was heralded as a World Cup Final winning messiah & lavished with fees no one in their right minds would pay to him. Now he’s surplus to requirements & a liability because very few clubs will be able to match those unnecessarily stratospheric wages. He’s out of reach financially & footbalistically to people who could actually use him - because of the idiotic decision taken last year.

A bigger fall out is Ashley Williams & Yannick Bolaise being purchased by Everton for a combined 38m pounds! i’m certainly not blaming the Manchester clubs alone for this - but they’ve systematically ruined logic & perceived “value” with their annual shopping splurges!!

i sincerely hope Suicide Squad is considered good, bad or otherwise & rated on it’s own merit - although in this real world, it’ll be very, very hard to. Will Smith & Joel Kinnaman are the stand out actors, while Margot Robbie brings to life a version of Harley Quinn that most of us fantasized envisioned for long. Special mention to Viola Davies - she absolutely and totally OWNS Amanda Waller. The “preppy vs gritty” tone jars the movie at multiple points. The desperate use of “catchy” music only ended up reminding me of GoTG. Do wait after the movie for a “mid credits” scene which (obviously) tries it’s best to take the story forward. [not only is it actually weird & redundant, it’s also thoroughly confusing]. No “post credits” scene - so hope i helped you save time!! i’d give the movie 5 out of 10, with a very heavy & generous heart! (If you’ve actually managed to read this long - the winning lottery numbers for tonight’s big jackpot are 983 34 96 191)

i’m going to force you to read this & give me your feedback! make sure you share along with everybody else, cause as a great woman once said...

[sudhirramakrishnan-blog]

Whodunit?!?!

My latest fascination is drawing parallels to link the most disparate of topics to each other. And quite conveniently i think my latest Blogmint assignment on “Talvar” the movie is just like the focal point of the movie – I’m supposed to tell you what about happened without exactly err… telling you about what happened.

(nailed it! )

Okay now let me justify – so Blogmint organized an exclusive screening of Meghna Gulzar’s latest whodunit at Lightbox, Santa Cruz...                                 

i got my invite via a phone call less than 24 hours before the actual screening..

(cue Mission Impossible theme song -  “Agent Ramakrishnan, your assignment, should you choose to accept it…)

As much as I tried to sound like I was the type of guy who was “busy” on a Friday evening to the lady on the phone, I went from “I’ll have to think about it...” to “Yes, you can confirm my name for the screening!!!” in lesser time than it takes for Jose Mourinho to launch into a rant against the referees / medical staff / Arsene Wenger/ a Computer/ school going ball boys / the weather / Vaastu Shastra after a bad result.

(EDIT: for the non football lot – I’m dead serious. Really, click on these links to know more.)

As happens always – Central suburb inhabitant that I am, i had to travel to the “perennially cool” Western side of Mumbai to reach the venue of the screening.

BUT this time I have GOT to admit, an underground, 50 odd seater, luxuriously furnished theater is a wicked cool venue to travel to. And to be in the select audience for such a high profile movie being screened a WHOLE WEEK before its commercial release is nothing short of awesomesauce.

(also their canteen was stacked with excellent snacks from a very popular Bandra eatery so *yayy*)

I’ve always proclaimed my favorite part of these blogger meets is interacting with the fellow attendees. The main focus apart – it’s fun to chat up with everyone and know what they write about, how they go about managing their professional lives along with their prolific blogging “personas”. I always seek tips on how to manage time effectively & how to “position” oneself in this aggressively emerging lifestyle, and many a Blogminter is gracious enough to teach me something new.

The screening itself was very well managed with practically no fanfare. For more than one reason – there was neither any promotional material related to the movie nor any press junket in sight. A quick set of instructions & the movie started rolling!

The entire movie has a very visceral undercurrent to it – there is absolutely no warning before the entire pace of a scene changes from one extreme to the other. In a setting where no flashy gimmicks/items numbers/gratuitous romance or violence can be introduced – the film does a remarkable job of keeping the viewer hooked. Irrfan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Sohum Shah, Neeraj Kabi deliver top, top quality performances that ought sweep the major acting honours in all the award functions. Gulzar saab’s lyrics coupled with Vishal Bharadwaj’s earthy tunes & Rekha Bharadwaj’s pitch perfect voice makes for an incredibly haunting background score.

What I will say is – no sane reviewer worth his/her salt will declare this movie with a rating of anything under 3.5 out of 5. As hard as is it for you to believe that i’m *not* shamelessly plugging the film – this movie is an absolute treat.

Just to give you an even better idea at how amazing our opportunity was – the screening after ours was attended by Hindi Cinema royalty – Asha Parekh and Helen, among others…

(I felt particularly proud that no one dared disturb them for autographs or ask for silly pictures/selfies)

Once outside Lightbox I got yet another chance to chat up with fellow Blogminters Aziz, Monish, Sanjay, Rohit, Monica, Steve & others!

Hope you enjoy Talvar - in theatres on Friday, October 2nd, 2015 - as i did! 

As always - i’m looking forward to hearing from you in the comments section! 

Cheers!

Sudhir ( https://twitter.com/SudhirRamaK)

P.S.: Kudos to production team for the movie title wordplay! Take a bow, son!

[sudhirramakrishnan-blog]

Mere naye #kabaddikabuddy

Mere naye #kabaddikabuddy!

I’ve always been a huge sports fan – like most boys & girls – I too have dreamed of being an elite athlete, winning global accolades, being adored & applauded by one and all! Of scoring a beautiful, match winning goal, to score the winning runs in a crucial cricket match, to score that perfect smash shot in table tennis – and taking everyone’s breath away for that pulsating moment – followed by a raucous din while I myself collapse in sheer joy!

Football has been my favoured sport over the years. Football – and my beloved Arsenal – has taught me many a valuable life lesson. But as I grew older – and hope I add wiser :D – I read more & more about the sport, about the people associated , their lives & their roles. I learnt more economics & finance through football than my post graduation classes! Sports Marketing is a highly fascinating aspect that I recently picked upon – and when Blogmint offered the chance to interact with ProKabaddi team Patna Pirates and Sun Pharma Marketing Head Vikram Ahluwalia I jumped at the opportunity!

https://twitter.com/LifstyleProBlog and I were the first ones to arrive at the lavish ITC Grand Central, where the Patna Pirates had laid siege! We were greeted by Sharath Nair – from the Sports Marketing division at Volini. Him & the rest of the team were busy making last minute arrangements to make sure the Pirates. Gradually the other writers trickled in & pleasantries were exchanged. I was highly impressed by the variety of bloggers who had been invited. Right away, I was imagining what their blogs & posts would be like!

Soon Rakesh Kumar, Ravi Dalal & Girish Ernak arrived to much fanfare. Mr. Ahluwalia played the role of the perfect host & warmly greeted us all. He passionately spoke about Volini’s various sporting associations – right from the Mumbai Marathon to various grass root initiatives. He talked of their latest association with the increasingly popular ProKabaddi format. Volini Pain relief partners of Patna Pirates and their collaboration with Patna Pirates – and kabaddi – felt wonderfully “organic” to me. It hardly felt like a tacked on band-wagon partnership that was tacked along by corporate myopia that we’re so used to now a days.

                                          Mr. Vikram Ahluwalia Rakesh spoke about the widespread change brought about by the ProKabaddi format – right from the surface the game is now played on till the various mediums the sport is now followed on, by the legions of fans – new & old. How the players struggled with obscurity in the years gone by and how they’re so popular, that once he was recognized in South Africa! His deep love for the sport shone through every little anecdote he shared. He’s not just the “captain” of the Patna outfit – but his protective nature, his warmth & his leadership was very evident from the way he spoke of all his team mates.

                                          Captain commands his court!

The next guest at the panel was Shyamal Vallabhjee. My jealousy meter was off the charts as Shyamal the “Sports Scientist” rattled off the illustrious list of athletes & sporting organizations’ he’s worked with over the years. How he spoke of “pain management” as a whole new branch of study being explored in today’s competitive sporting environment was exceptionally captivating. Volini is the No. 1 Doctor’s recommended pain (relief) brand and Shyamal’s alliance with them felt very “real”. An hour long Q&A session followed after and the all the months of preparation for kabaddi came in handy as the players smartly dodged & navigated their way through the sheer range of the questions thrown at them by the bloggers! Mr. Ahluwalia and Shyamal weren’t spared either – but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised when the session wrapped up after more than an hour! So engrossed were we that I was definitely impressed by how a room full of people could discuss “kabaddi” in such an intricate manner! Interspread throughout the meet were short quizzes, a Marathi chat between me and Kalyan boy Girish and banter! Also, a small exclusive was the new as yet unaired Volini TV advertisement starring Rakesh & team. Also, using “tweet beam” the live tweeted event was being broadcast on TVs in our vicinity and it was a matter of pride we generated a stir on Twitter, with #kabaddikabuddy, #PatnaPirates, #LePanga, #MyVolini & ITC Hotels were trending all through the afternoon!

Lunch followed and it was great to see all the panelists mingling with us, discussing everything from social media strategy, Bollywood , cricket to taking the perfect selfies!

                    Ravi, Girish, Me, Captain & Chirag (thank you Pranay!) But the highlight surely had to be the impromptu kabaddi match between the Pirates & the bloggers!

*Disclaimer – No Bloggers were harmed in the making of this video!* :D :D

(and had something happened, we always had Volini at hand! Therefore pain does not stand a chance!)

As a great day ended…. I’m glad I took up Blogmint’s offer to “Le Panga”!

Cheers!

Sudhir Ramakrishnan

https://twitter.com/SudhirRamaK

[sudhirramakrishnan-blog]

Pirates vs Bloggers!!