World of Sports - The 2 months gone by

I wrote this post twice and lost both the files. Call it bad luck or fate but the whole world seems to conspire every time I am in gyaan baatofying mood.

Anyhooo,

Wimbledon 2012 came and went and is already forgotten in my memory. No one can fault me as the winners were Roger “Yawwwn” Federer and Serena “Ufff” Williams.

This was followed by a memorable London Olympics 2012 where the greatest disappointment was the record tally of medals that Team GB amassed.  Some random observations:

·         Danny Boyle’s opening ceremony sucked. BIG TIME.  There, I said it.

·         Surely cycling has to be the most boring sport in the current roster of Olympic events. Makes Indy car racing (without the mass pile up of cars) look exciting.

·         We will never see Micheal Phelps again :-( A phenomenon and easily the GOOAT for me (for the uninitiated, that’s Greatest Olympian Of All Time)

·         I am very proud of Mary Kom and her achievements and wish her well in life but seriously, women's boxing is a pathetic event. At one point, I even thought it was a non-contact sport.

·         Surprisingly, Brazil chose to send actual sportspeople instead of sexy women for their beach volleyball team. BORINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG.

·         Usain Bolt is Salman Khan in a track field. S-U-P-E-R-S-T-A-R.

US Open – so finally whiny Andy and that idiot Lendl win. Who cares? I’d personally liked Berdych to win but after 4 hrs and 58 mts on a Monday, it didn't feel bad to see Andy Murray winning the final considering the alternate ending would have seen the Other Half go bonkers for a week J

Cricket – I couldn’t be bothered to type anything worthy here but I just don’t understand the massive hype around Yuvraj Singh returning back to the Indian team. Yes, he fought a courageous battle and won it but so do millions of other cancer survivors everyday and very few get as many column inches as the southpaw. I’d much rather his cricketing skills did all the talking, starting from Sri Lanka and T20 WC.

I tip the Gayle storm to win it for the Islanders.

Pssst...Scoop corner

1.       The mystery over when Sachin Tendulkar will finally retire has been put to rest at last.  According to my sources within the Tendulkar camp, I’m hearing that there is 1 record that Sachin is hell-bent on breaking before he fades away into the sunset. The Tendulkars (Sachin and son Arjun) want to be the first and only ever father-son duo to represent the country in the same Test/ODI/T20. This blog wishes all the best to the Little Master – after all, if Rohan Gavaskar can get into the Indian side, any kid with a decent surname can.

2.       With Yash Chopra finally deciding on Jab Tak Hai Jaan as the title for his next epic love story featuring a 15, nay 50, yr old wannabe, rumours are abuzz that Madhur Bhandarkar is also on the lookout for the title of his next film.  Indian Industry is at a stand-still waiting with bated breath for the next expose by this talented film-maker as everyone knows that the title itself speaks volumes for the entire film as Satta, Fashion and Corporate can vouch for.

Early rumours that the movie will be based on the scams surrounding India’s land acquisition problem, infrastructure related corruption and scandals in Indian sports are way off the mark simply coz Zameen, Road and Khel are titles of movies that have already been made in Bollywood. 

This website is proud to break the news that the movie is mostly likely to be called MAJAHAB based on the lives of fake sanyasis.

Remember, you heard it here first.

EPL round-up

I do know that 4 games is too early to pass judgment on how the season will play out but here are my first thoughts.

Arsenal – lacked creativity in the first 2 games and look bereft of ideas but the performances against Liverpool and Southampton were heartening.  Santi is a real gem, Podolski looks like he has settled well and if we can keep Diaby fit for 40 games, we should be good to be in the top 4 and probably have a good Carling cup run. Not too convinced about the Bould revolution and everytime Per is on the ball, I start praying to the gods. Also need to give Arshavin a run-in during the CL and CARLING cU

Man Utd – have definitely strengthened over the summer and Kagawa looks good L Still waiting for RvP to get injured – maybe it will happen during the next International break. Defensively they look suspect but they  should have enough to score 1 more than the opposition. Definitely top 2 and will surely win a trophy.

Man City – not sure why they sold De Jong but then Javi Garcia is an able replacement.  Yaya Toure will be off to AfCON in January and they will suffer. Also not convinced about the central defence is Kompany gets injured.  Group of Death in Europe will take its toll.

Chelsea – have finally got some fresh legs and youth in the squad. Surprised to see Bertrand starting so often and again puzzled by Sturridge’s lack of playing time. Hazard seems to have fitted in well in Chelsea and if Torres starts firing, Chelsea could even win the league. Wait. I forget their defence. Worse than even Arsenal’s, I’m afraid.

Spuds – AVB is a good coach but he doesn’t seem to have learnt the lessons from his Chelsea stint. Too many changes, striking options up-front seems very bare. Adebayor isn’t gonna set the world alight and Defoe needs a lot of chances to find the back of the net. Won’t finish in top 4.

Surprise package: Everton for their wonderful start. Selling Cahill was a big shock but big Jelavic and Mirallas seem more than competent. With Fellaini and Pienaar, they could actually finish 5^th which would be creditable.

Life's like that

Early dinner - check
Hitting the bed at 10 pm - check
Alarm rings at 1 am - check
Hit snooze - check
Alarm rings again at 115 am - check
Swears at the world and wakes up to switch on ESPN - check
130 am:  Opening ceremony starts - check
2 am: This issssssssssssss sooooooooooo boring. Danny Boyle is an idiot - check
The Queen and James Bond, Rowan Atkinson...WTF - check
230 am: Industrial revolution, Music through the decades, uffffffff - check
245 am: Can't take this anymore - slightly ahead of schedule but...  - check
3am: This blows man !!!!!!!!!!!!! Switch off TV and get back to bed - check

It was EXACTLY what I thought it would be - boring, BORING, BORING :-(

So who lit the flame - Sir Roger Bannister?
So how was AR Rahman's jingle?

Yet another boring Madhur Bhandarkar movie

Knowing the director's past track record, this is what I expect from the story-line of HEROINE - full of cliches and boring to the hilt.

Small town girl - dreams big - comes to bad mean city - meets agents and random people in the hope of getting a break - struggles to make a mark - makes friends with other struggling actresses - catches the eye of an egoistic superstar - they use each other - girl makes it big - takes revenge on people who ignored her during her struggling days - takes a liking to an upcoming IPL cricketer - superstar gets insecure and jealous of her success - heroine's success gets to her head - hurts people who helped her succeed in life - cricketer starts focusing on career as he gets his big break to play for India - neglects the heroine - heroine starts hitting the bottle - goes back to aging superstar who uses her to make a comeback - heroine becomes druggie - makes one last super hit success and then commits suicide out of depression.

ROFL :)

Gangs - of - Wasseypur

What can I say about the film that hasn't already been covered in the various reviews done by mainstream critics? Nothing actually. However there are still thoughts that I need to spit out so here they are

• Took me 3 sittings to finish the movie.. and this is just Part 1. The movie is way too long.
• I absolutely loved the first 90 mts. The second part of 40 mts was relatively less engaging and the last 30 mts were a real drag. By then, I had taken more than a few snack & bio breaks only to return back & find not much has happened. Very frustrating. 
• Manoj Bajpayee is brilliant, almost as good as he was in Satya but he is overshadowed by each and every one of the side characters. Tigmanshu Dhulia is a revelation, Jaideep Ahlawat has scorching screen presence (reminded me of Hritik in Jodha Akbar though the comparison might make no sense to a lot of people),  Piyush Mishra (remember him from Maqbool) is a scene stealer and Richa Chadda, if this were Hollywood, would have been a shoo-in for a Best Supporting actress Oscar.
•  While AK has to be lauded for trying to create an epic spanning 5 decades, what must have seemed a very grand idea on paper has not been translated into reel. The movie, while still a cut above the rest of the routine fare that Bollywood churns out, is not an epic.
• The loudest taalis have to go to the sound track / background music and the dialogues.
• Sneha Khanwalkar's too-good-to-be-true sound track is probably Bollywood's finest OST - used just as it should have been. Kehke Loonga and O Womaniya are just toooooooooooooooooo good. BGM by GV Prakash is note perfect. 
• Considering the milleu & the characters that AK has etched out, it is difficult to imagine these people talking in any other language than the coarse, crude way they do in the movie. Also refreshing to not be beeped out of this colorful, expletive-laden lingo.  This is one movie I'd loved to watch 10 yrs back at RECT with my Bihari buddies. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHSUM !!!

 In summary, 3.5 stars out of 5. Bring on Part 2 !!!!!!!!!

Note to Anurag Kashyap - coming out with individual DVDs for both parts is plain stupidity and reeks of desperation to milk the few fans who'd be willing to invest hard earned money on the DVD.

Random ramblings on sequels...and TDKR

You know what they say about never stretching a good thing... that's my exact take on sequels. You can almost always never win when you do a sequel of a successful movie. The reasons are aplenty: often the initial hit was mostly by fluke...Many a times the follow-up is so hyped up that its almost impossible to live up to the sky-high expectations. Even if its otherwise, why spoil a good thing, why not go out on a high?
I can list out so many films I liked that went steadily downhill - Pirates, Shrek, Spider-man, Speed, Fast and the Furious, Mission Impossible (before Part 4)  - that I still can't comprehend how the studios commissioned the mind numbing/manipulative sequels that followed and how the gullible public continued to set the cash registers tinkling for these tired franchises.

In the midst of this mayhem, it's such a relief to see the odd Part 2/3 movie which is an improvement on the original...Like The Bourne flicks, Toy Story and now Nolan's Batman series. Batman Begins was brilliant but The Dark Knight raised the bar way beyond anyone's wildest achievements. My first reaction when I heard about a Part 3 was ARE THEY FREAKIN' MAD? There was no way TDKR could hope to top TDK but if early reviews are any indication, looks like Part 3 isn't the disaster I feared it would become, as James here indicates.

The only catch: the 165 mts running time (with no songs too)

Down nostalgia lane: The Dark Knight was my 1st movie in IMAX (London...sigh...) and the 1st movie both me and the OH gave a 5/5 rating.

Nothing is better than nonsense

Aamir Khan is one of the most grating public personalities I have seen. He goes missing for 9 months of the year but when he needs the media, he comes out of his sojourn and turns on the charm offensive. He's made a career out of being manipulative. My views on SATYAMEVA JAYATE are well documented but the way he promotes his movies also gets my goat....Does he really think people (not the crazy, mad fans but the average Joe) can't see through this nonsense?

Watching THE FRONT ROW where Anupama Chopra is talking to Aamir Khan and everything I've heard so far sounds F-A-K-E.  STOP THIS NONSENSE NOW PLEASE....

PS: Did anyone catch him casually slip in that "Anu"?
PPS: Why is Anupama Chopra fawning over Aamir Khan? Coz she's married to Vidhu Vinod Chopra who owed Aamir a lot for bailing him out with 3 Idiots after that debacle called Eklavya

Early reports

Cocktail - Mokkai except for Diana Penty *drooool*
Billa 2 - double Mokkai :-( :-(

What to do? Naan E or Amazing Spider-man wonly this weekend !!!!

What's happening in life - 1

I saw, I said "Hello" and smiled at him but he didn't respond back :(

Anyway, its good enough that he and I (and his spouse actually) were the only people in the shop save the salespeople.

No - I respect an individual's right to privacy so i did not click photographs and I definitely did not seek out an autograph.

There, my most recent brush with fame - all of 8 secs of it.

PS: For all the female following of this blog (I'm guessing its 3), yes, he's very handsome, unassuming, simple and has a mysterious aura about him.
PPS: Sorry, we're talking about The Wall

All's well that ends well(?)

So, the real Spain finally did turn up at Euro 2012. 'Twas a real pity they have to deny us this flair till the finals but better late than never.

Yes, Spain were clearly the better team and Italy started slowly but the 4-0 scoreline does no justice to the hard-work, graft and occasional craft that the Italians showed. Motta's injury was an absolute disaster and denied us the grand-stand finish but still the Italians can return home proud and they have the base for a good, solid team in Brazil 2014.

My team of the tournament (4-1-3-2)

Buffon
Lahm, Pepe, Ramos, Alba
Xabi Alonso (captain)
Ozil, Pirlo, Iniesta
Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic

Coach: Cesare Prandelli

Subs:Casillas, Hummels, Coentrao, Fabregas, Sneijder, Balotelli

PS:  After watching the Champions League in Ten Sports where the pundits are more clowns with no insightful punditry, it was a relief to hear Frank Lebouef. Also Neo's coverage of the Euros was excellent. Keep it up !!

Andres Iniesta - Euro 2012 MVP???????????

You've got to be kidding me... I can think of atleast 20 players who've had better tournaments

Jordi Alba, Sergio Ramos, Xabi Alonso, Cesc Fabregas, Andrea Pirlo, Claudio Marchisio, Ricardo Montolivo, Mario Balotelli, Federico Balzaretti, Gigi Buffon, Phillip Lahm, Mesut Ozil, Fabio Coentrao, Joao Moutinho, Steven Gerrard, Wesley Sneijder, Dario Srna, Alan Dzagoev, Andriy Shevchenko, Zlatan Ibrahimovic....

Cup tournaments and shifting loyalties

2008 was the year when Pep started putting his imprint on Barcelona. The Blaugrana were such a brilliant team that it was impossible to see beyong Spain in Euro 2008. Besides, wasn't it time for the perenially under-achieving Spain to announce themselves on the World stage. And so, I supported them and they ended up victorious.

By 2010, the Spanish brand of tiki-taka was, let's all agree, getting a little tiresome and despite the fact that we all knew they would win the WC, a big part of me shifted loyalties.  Despite boasting of successive generations of brilliant footballers, the Flying Dutchmen had always flattered to deceive. Infighting and huge egos had always been their bane but under Marwijk, it looked like they had put it all aside to fight together. I rooted for the Oranje until that shocking final when Nigel De Jong set out to kick the Spaniards from the whistle. I didn't quite enjoy Spain winning the tournament with boring but controlled wins but it was still deserved.

Come 2012, I returned back to my roots. I first fell in love with The Fatherland in 1986. Maradona was at his imperious best and I still remember watching the final at my uncle's (actually, my mom's uncle's) place in Kailasapuram. It was Doordarshan those days but still the atmosphere at the Aztec stadium could be sensed/felt on TV. I have vivid memories of Rummenige and Voller pulling us back to 2-2 before Burruchago scored that breakaway winner which was an absolute dagger to my heart. Flash forward to 1990 and Lothar Matthaus lifting the WC was at that point in time, my greatest high in football. Die Mannschaft under Klinsmann were a joy to watch in 2006 but under Low, they've gone farther and this brave & fearless team now play with a certain intensity that is difficult to cope with. Its been 22 years since Germany last won a trophy & so I supported them in Euro 2012. Alas !!

Along the way, between 1986 and 2008, I've also come to admire the Italians a lot. Post 1990, a lot of the Germans like Matthaus and Klinsmann played for Inter and that made me follow Serie A and the Azzuri regularly. In fact, the first fan shirt I owned was of the Azzuri. During those days when I played central defence at school, my biggest idols in football were not the goal-scoring heros but the solid, defensive rocks Cannavaro and Maldini. While catenaccio is often reviled by the pundits, I've always been fascinated by the organisation and discipline that it involves. Between 1994 when the Italians finished runners-up in the WC, 2002 when we had to suffer the ignominy of getting knocked out in Rd 2 & finally winning the WC in 2006, every Italian fan will vouch for the fact that supporting the team is a roller-coaster ride. 

Which brings us back full circle to the finals of Euro 2012 - who am I gonna support? The Azzuri, of course :)

Pass Pass Bore Bore

This is a random rant which I composed at 330 am after watching Spain struggle past Portugal but was too tired to post so doing it now.

• Vicente Del Bosque has completely lost the plot in terms of his team selection. He is more Tinkerman than Low and Ranieri
• Negredo hardly had any match time in the group stages & then he was thrown into the deep-end in a critical semi-final match. Needless to say, he played like a donkey...and speaking of donkeys, Pique looks like a shadow of his club version. Puyol is missed.
• What does Llorente need to do to get match-time? He's had a long season with Bilbao and his fitness dipped towards the end of the season but he brings a different dimension to this Spanish attack
• Jordi Alba is a brilliant left back. Barca have got a steal at 14m Euros.
• Xavi has had an average Euro 2012 and was shocking in the semis. Looks like age is catching up with him - Time for Cesc to step up for both club and country.
• While Xavi and Iniesta are wonderful for Barca, its Messi who makes them look brilliant. Messi drops down deep, collects the ball from midfield, drags the central defender out creating space for the other 2 in the Barca frontline (Pedro or Alexis or Villa) and sometimes just runs at the other defenders trying to beat them. NO ONE DOES THAT FOR SPAIN. Without that end product, all the tiki taka is pretty pointless
• Xabi Alonso has been the heartbeat for Spain these last 3 weeks, everything good goes through him and his range of long passes are almost Scholes-esque. My candidate for best player in the tournament.

How should Spain line-up against Italy in the finals (though it won't happen knowing Del Bosque)

 

Casillas

Arbeloa-Pique-Ramos-Alba

Xabi-Busquets

Navas-Silva-Iniesta

Torres

Fabregas, Xavi, Pedro and Llorente to come off the bench if needed

Saguni

Considering the anticipation and hype around a Karthi film these days, Saguni had so much going for it prior to its release that it would have taken an almost herculean effort by a director to screw it up....and my, my, Shankar Dayal almost achieves the impossible.

When I first saw Nerukku Ner, I dismissed Surya as another star-son who would vanish before I could finish saying Abracadabra. My mother predicted that a star was born - and till this day, she reminds me of how wrong I was.

However when Karthi made his debut in Paruthiveeran, I had no douts that I was watching a super-star. While I've been none too happy with his choice of movies since then be it Payya (the most pointless, non-happening road-movie made), Naan Mahaan Alla (cliched 80s masala fare) or even  Siruthai (utterly regressive, vulgar and nauseating), I'll be the first to admit that Karthi was the ONLY saving grace in all these rubbish movies.

Having said that, Saguni feels like one of those train journeys where it all starts pleasantly with a nice & light breakfast, happy newspaper reading, some eye candy as your companion in the next seat but you soon know that s&@t is going to hit the roof. In the 2nd half, the movie hurtles like a runaway train with a dead engine driver and its just a matter of time before it derails and you wake up with a nasty gash on your face and a horrible migraine.

What works

• The new lean & mean Kamal who can actually dance
• A very engaging first half with a refreshing narrative style
• One of the cameos and an extended guest appearance, both by 2 charming ladies :-)
• ....but most importantly, the brilliant chemistry between Kamal and Rajini

What doesn't work

• Sridevi :-(  She's tall, leggy, has lovely droopy eyes but is saddled with a thankless, ridiculously under-written role where she has a total screen timing of less than 15 mts (incl. 2 songs)
• The supporting characters are mere caricatures and it was paycheck acting at its best/worst by Perumal, Bhupathi and Ramani aachi
• The ludicrousness of the plot in the 2nd half
• GV Prakash's music except Manasellam (Sonu's back!!)

Point to ponder
Before a film is released, do the crew sit together and view their final product? Should they try to involve focus groups and get feedback?

Verdict: 2.5/5
Watch the 1st half and then run for life (or)
Give the movie a skip and watch all the funny moments in Aditya or Sirippoli in 6 months time