Uyyala Jampala - Movie Review

I went on the first day, December 25, 2013 but returned without seeing the movie. It was sold out. I made two other attempts. Both unsuccessful. Good! That is what one wants when the producer is your brother. Anyway I made up my mind to see this movie first thing in 2014 and I am on track with that. Saw it at Prasad's Imax today with Shobhs, a 230 pm show, and it was 40% full with the audience comprising of all age groups and all of them enjoying it.

Suri is a born cry baby. Until his uncle's daughter, Umadevi is born. She is a happy child and brings laughter into his drab life. The two grow up fighting and squabbling, helping one another and getting one another into trouble. In many subtly shown moments the soft side to the rough and gruff Suri is shown as he shows his unbending loyalty to the ones he loves. But there comes a moment when he takes it upon himself to get a fine groom for his Umadevi little realizing how much he loves her. As the story progresses Umadevi tries to get the message across to him and well, as guys normally do, he gets it but a little late. Now he has to stop a wedding he fixed for her. Can he do it? Watch 'Uyyala Jampala' to find out.

'Uyyala Jampala' is light hearted, clean and fun. It has a streak of whacky humour that runs all through the movie - right till the end. It's also a subtly told love story based on affection and caring, soft emotion and warm sentiment. New faces who look their age, act and behave their age, make mistakes and realize that they did. Raj Tarun is superb as the angry, passionate Suri, Avika Gor, plays the perfect foil as the mischievous, honest and smart Umadevi. Backed by a very strong supporting cast that includes great talent such as Punarnavi (Sunitha), Peela Gangadhar (Vasu), Hanuma (Kodandam), a neat little script, fine cinematography by Vishwa, good music by Sunny M.R., razor sharp editing by the evr reliable Marthand Venkatesh, there is little the film does wrong. Debutant director Virinchi Varma tells a soft, subtle love story beautifully in well conceived scenes that grow on you for their innocence, their rustic charm and honesty. Nice to see Ram's name and Raj Tarun's name figuring in credits for screenplay and dialogue - obviously they worked on it together as a team and much thought and effort has gone into making this film. Good show guys and well done!

Certainly worth a watch.

 

Sachin, A Hundred Hundreds Now - V. Krishnaswamy

Sports journalist and commentator V. Krishnaswamy, chronicles Sachin's 100 hundreds. One after another, he puts them in perspective with the detail of the score, the situation in the game, a detailed write up of the century, and some important snippets and facts. There is also some other rather unnecessary stuff like what V. Anand and Leander Paes were doing at that time and what transpired in the world in that year which acts as a distraction and really serves no purpose.

I found some stuff which interested me in the very beginning. Sachin Tendulkar's coach Ramakant Achrekar says that Sachin's greatest attribute has been to listen, imbibe and work on his game. He just needed to be told once and he'd work on that aspect and correct himself. This is the hallmark of a true champion, a learner, a student who wanted to excel.

Rahul Dravid picks two centuries in his foreword, a double century against Australia in 2004 and the 136 against Pakistan in Chennai when India lost by 17 runs. Those, with his sensational desert storm hundreds against Australia, and the second innings hundred that ensured a fourth inning win for India against England in Chennai in 2008, chasing 387 to win are right up there for me. The 175 against Australia comes to mind but certainly the 97 against Pakistan in the World Cup in South Africa ranks equally high. One other inning I really liked was a quick fire 37 or so that he got against Australia in the Champions Trophy match that India won (probably the one where Yuvraj made a fine debut) and the manner in which he upset the Aussie bowlers including the dangerous Mcgrath.

I was looking for some quality of the champion here while reading the book and I guess I got it from Ramakant Achrekar's words. He never really had to be told anything twice. There are several quotes from many legends of the game including the greatest and if one takes away the superlatives etc Sachin is best remembered for his compact game, technical soundness, preparation, a constant willingness to learn and improve, putting game, team and country before himself, a humbleness and grace that not many have in the face of such adulation and his being grounded.

The author V. Krishnaswamy is an experienced sports journalist with 30 years of experience. He has covered more than 100 golf events, written two books on golf and four sports quiz books. As a read this book gets boring after a while. Its difficult to read about one hundred after another unless you are a die-hard Sachin fan or some kind of a numbers junkie researching for some information on Sachin's body of work represented by his centuries. But the book's objective was to chronicle the same and in that context its probably the best job that could have done. However it could have been far better without the jarring interruptions of the achievements and parallel journey V. Anand and Leander Paes. It was like listening to a tribute to a maestro in a form of music with periodic comparisons from completely different forms of music - discordant and out of frequency. Thanks Parth for lending it to me.

Harper Collins, 261 p             

Some Interesting Quotes by M.S. Dhoni

Here are some interesting quotes by MSD from the following link.

http://www.greatpersonalities.com/mahendra-singh-dhoni/

It is not about worrying. It is about whoever you face in the semis. It is not about being over confident having fear of the opponent because having said and done if we played to our potential- we can be a tough side to beat. 
 

Till now we have had made some mistakes, but from now onwards 15 minutes of madness and we can lose the match. From now on it will be tricky. 

— warning teammates not to be complacent in the semifinals / May 21, 2009

 Me playing or not playing, the team is not too bothered about it, it doesn't have a big impact. 

— on eve of the 3rd Test match against New Zealand / January 01, 0001

 

 It's a completely different side, you lose a few games, and you win some. But after all you want to go out there, you want to do and it's not as if your players are not putting in the effort 

— August 2008

Last year we were in the same situation. We needed to win our last match to reach the semifinals. It's about how you raise your level when needed. 

— on Chennai Super Kings to win their last league match in IPL 2009

 Cricket is a very cruel game, the moment you relax is when you are in trouble. 

— on Cricket / May 31, 2009

 

 I was told by a senior a few years ago. He said if somebody is appreciating you, don't hit seventh heaven. If you fall on floor, it wouldn't be good for you. So adopt a central path. I try to do so 

— on being booed by the fans during the presentation ceremony after the match against England / June 17, 2009

I'm privileged to have a team with such outstanding talent, the boys are looking forward to defending the title. It makes my task of captaining the team quite easy. 

— happy with the current Indian team / June 04, 2009

I don't think it is about the golden touch but I feel it is about what the players are doing on the field; otherwise, you would see non-playing captains more often than not. You are picking up someone who is good at that with plenty of luck. 

— on India becoming the World No. 1 Test team / December 06, 2009

 We are not thinking about the rankings or the ratings because we don't really want to play under pressure. We want to play our natural game, the whole team wants to play according to the gameplan. 

— December 02, 2009

 

Whether we are number one, two or three. it doesn't matter much. We go out to win every match. Sure we have added responsibilities and we have to maintain our standards. 

— after beating Sri Lanka in the second test match / November 27, 2009

 

Most of the guys thought that we had won the game when West Indies was seven wickets down. It was a mistake and hopefully we won't repeat that. It was closer than we thought. 

— on winning the first one day against West Indies / June 26, 2009

 

When it comes to playing for your country, you don't really need motivation to go out and perform. 

— on motivation playing West Indies / June 21, 2009

 

I'm proud to lead a team that has translated potential into performance, It's a very special feeling and reflects on our hard work over the past two years. We'd like to stay there as long as we can. 

— on India becoming World No. 1 in test cricket / December 27, 2009

 

 To be the number one team, we have to keep on doing well. The individuals who aer in form have to keep on performing and the freshers need to upgrade their skills fast. 

— on India becoming World No. 1 Test team / December 06, 2009

 We are basically a strong batting unit. We have a useful bowling attack too. We have players who can step in to bowl if our main bowlers go for runs. I think, overall, we have a balanced side, 

— Chennai Super Kings has a balanced side / March 07, 2010

 

 We have done well over the season, there have been injuries, we have missed key players, if you look at everything, we have done really well. Our bowling has improved in bits and pieces, we have done well. Youngsters are doing well. May be in one year we will also put up the best fielding side in the world. 

— after India won the ODI series 2-1 against South Africa / February 27, 2010

In practice the bowlers are bowling well but in match situations they are unable to execute the plans 
— saying their players lack confidence / March 26, 2010

 

 Though batting is our main strength, we should get the best XI on the field with more bowling options, who can contribute a couple of overs, if any of the main bowlers struggles for form 

— thinks bowling is not a worry for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2010 / March 08, 2010

We reached the final and the semifinal in the first two editions. We can win the title but need to play to our potential. But then, given the kind of format Twenty20 cricket is, you cannot guarantee success. Things can change very quickly. You can have good days and the not so good ones. 

— believes that Chennai Super Kings can win IPL 2010 if they play to their potential / March 07, 2010

 

 I'm just a soldier and I'm supposed to play. I'm not the one making decisions. I can't be giving opinions. As a player, my job is to go out and play and nothing else. 

— when asked on his views on the IPL controversy / April 24, 2010

 

 If you stay cool and calm, it helps the bowler. He looks up to me when things are not going right, and if he finds me cool and calm, then he gets more confidence. It doesn't help if I go and yell at the players. In international cricket, body language is very important. So I try and keep my emotions under check. 

— saying body language is crucial in international cricket / April 23, 2010

 

I was very specific to him and told him that he should not cross a few boundaries. If you want to irritate someone, that should be the opposition and not your side, 

— joking about Sreesanth's antics in the warm up game / February 17, 2011

 

 For a change we won't be considered underdogs. Usually we have been playing under pressure and that has been a part of Indian cricket. But for the last few years, we have changed the meaning of pressure into added responsibility. We are looking at the tournament in a positive way. We will stick to the basics and hope to do well. We have got the potential. 

— saying India are the favorites to win the 2011 World Cup / February 02, 2011

 

 It's important to win, obviously, and especially against teams like Afghanistan, UAE, Kenya and all because you're expected to win and that puts you under more pressure. So I'm really happy with the win and also to see the kind of cricket that they played. They batted really well after losing the first three wickets, their middle order was really good. And they were not letting anything go when their were fielding and bowling and it is a really good sign to see them play the way they did. 

— praising the Afghanistan team after defeating them at the 2010 Twenty20 World Cup / May 01, 2010

 It's all about coping with the challenges that come to you. I think it's a very intent English squad and they have outdone us quite a few times, so they must have prepared well for this tournament, 

— ahead of their match against England / February 26, 2011

 

Being a co-host will always bring a lot of expectations. But we do not get bogged down by expectations. The important thing is to do the process right. We always look to put more emphasis on the process, rather than on winning, and this is what has made us a successful team. 

— on the day before their first match of the World Cup campaign against Bangladesh / February 18, 2011

I need to blame myself, I am the leader of the side. I am the main culprit so of course I blame myself. 

— takes the blame for the test series loss against Australia at the end of the third test / January 15, 2012

 

 Australia are a very strong side and very expressive on the field. But it's about how we prepare for the game to achieve what we want. In the process, we hope to give our best. 

— is geared up for the quarterfinal against Australia / March 20, 2011

The easiest thing to do for me right now is to quit the captaincy and stay part of the side. That's running away from responsibility that's upon us. Of course there are others who will decide. There is BCCI and other administrative people who look into that. For me, my responsibility is to get the team together and be prepared for the next Test match. 

— saying he won't run away from responsibility after India lost the third test against England / December 09, 2012

 

 As a leader this is a challenge thrown at me. It is always good to lead a side when you are performing well. That is not the time you need a leader. Leading a side is all about when the team is not doing well. To try to gel the team together. To back the youngsters, back the seniors. Try to move in the right direction. 

— after India lost the third test against England to go 1-2 in the series / December 09, 2012

Of course. Test cricket is the real cricket. 

— when asked if he is still interested in test cricket / January 31, 2012

 It's not like he has become coach and we have lost two series, and all the blame needs to go to him. 

- doesn't like to blame the new coach Duncan Fletcher for the consecutive series loss against England and Australia / January 15,

Captain Cool, The M.S.Dhoni Story - Gulu Ezekiel

This book was a huge disappointment. There is tons of stuff to write about Dhoni. What Gulu Ezekiel did was to turn it into a narration of all the events that happened to Dhoni in his career in a linear and chronological manner that one gets the feeling that one is looking at a compilation of statistics with some description of each event thrown in. From this tour he went there and from there to here and scored so much....it is a compilation of his career statistics which is a huge disappointment because one could have written so much about India's greatest cricketing captain and perhaps one of the greatest performing icons who brings all of cricket's highest principles alive - responsibility, humility, courage, nobility, compassion, resilience, efficiency and so much more. To reduce him to numbers and facts, is not doing any justice to him at all.

The one line that stayed with me was the one line that Gulu quoted - The Cup is ours - Dhoni said before the 2011 World Cup edition and it was for this setting the team's goal, the common purpose that I have been searching high and low. Sehwag said it I know but now I know Dhoni said it too and its a wonderful change from captains who always said that they will play good cricket - one would think that is their job. But to set the goal - to win - that is what makes great captains.

I was zipping through the stats, the order of the matches with the odd opinion or comment thrown in and it was like breezing through a list of all that he did. Now that is one way not to do justice to MSD because his greatness has been that he has never been about figures - it has always been about the team. He has sacrificed his game, absorbed the pressure, let others take the credit, balanced the energy so well that in the end it was the team that won. What any book on MSD needs to do is highlight that aspect, that rare aspect of this person, which is what makes him so special. His sacrifice, selflessness, at putting the country ahead of him always, his magical capability to win matches, to make match winners out of mediocre performers, to instill self belief into performers who are losing hope and belief, are all out there. The wins, the magical moments, the twists, the choices he made, the words he said - to me that is what makes Dhoni. That is what makes him an outstanding leader and an outstanding citizen worthy of the highest praise. That is where Gulu missed the trick and stuck to the safe route of chronicling the journey.

I'd think that even if there had been a collection of Dhoni's words in the press, he makes amazing sense each time he speaks, making a statement even in the manner he spoke in Hindi after the first T20 World Cup win, the book would have been far richer. One need not even analyse what he said, a mere presentation of his quotes is good enough. I was seriously looking at the making of the man, what he thinks and why he does what he does, and in that respect I was pretty let down. 'Captain Cool' is not what I was looking for certainly when I wanted to read about MSD. I am also surprised that there are very few collections of his quotes, his interviews, on the net, which are a wealth of information. There is one site that seemed to have some though. Check this out.
http://www.greatpersonalities.com/mahendra-singh-dhoni/

Sinhagad Climb - A Satisfying End to The Year

On the 29th of December, 2013, late at night, we were o take a call on whether to trek up the Sinhagad hill, something which we would do with great relish when we were younger. The general mood was that we should, but as the evening came upon us, we decided that we better give it a go by. I called Parth, the main mover of the plan, and told him it was off. He was ok with the idea and said that he'd go anyway with Maria and Neha.

Sun rise at Sinhagad

Barely ten minutes later it struck me that I better do this for myself. I have been struggling with my weight, my fitness, my knee and shoulder problem and all sorts of things and I thought that I better attempt this now before I fall further in my own esteem. I called Parth and told him I was on. He said that the party was now reduced to two - me and him. He'd pick me at 630 a.m.

Parth waiting and wondering if he did right in getting me along

It was pretty dark at 6 and a faint light crept in at 630. Parth was on time as usual and we drove to Sinhagad, a half hour drive. We started the climb - it normally takes an hour and 20 minutes perhaps but in my current shape I expected it to be longer.

The climb

The first part is a gradual climb but deceptively so because it always knocked the wind out of me. But this time was really bad. Barely ten minutes into the climb and I was gasping for breath. Anyway we plodded on, Parth waiting patiently for me, as I struggled up and up, and up. Until I could do it no more. My breath was gone, my legs gave up, and I say down on a rock. Parth waited, not saying a word, which is a brilliant way to push me. I rested, got up and plodded on again.

Parth waiting

There were times when I could do nothing but take the next step, that I could see nothing but the next step. I had no energy for a photo, to do anything else but climb, and I did it, step by step.

Me resting and waiting for my breath to catch me

I would identify stretches of ten feet and take those ten steps and then the next. Thankfully a couple joined us and distracted me enough - they spoke as if they were part of some play or some Woody Allen movie - all intellectual questions and answers.

Limbu sharbat

Don't you think our perspective to life changes with our weight, asked the young man. It depends, said the young lass. They were living in the US and were also pondering on whether  San Diego was a better option or someplace else. Once they faded out I decided to distract myself with some music and played some in my mobile. One hour forty minutes of sheer effort later, perhaps as many as five stops on the way (never before did I stop, but then I was fifteen kilos lesser), I reached the top and dragged myself across.

Sinhagad conquered!

Ah, bliss!

Parth waiting

This climb meant more to me than many things and I was glad I did it. I was also glad that Parth motivated me in his quiet way, only once enquiring if I was in any pain. I said no, it was just breath. A refreshing limbu sharbat, and then we climbed some more to the first hut where the maushi gave us hot onion pakoda and masala chai.

The way down

But up there on the hill was a breeze that was to die for - it makes the whole climb worth it. We enjoyed the bhajji and chai and started back.

Onion pakoda and chai

I trekked slowly now, careful not to twist my wobbly knee.

Kids climbing

 On the way down we encountered school kids by the bus loads, running up the climb with school bags on their backs! And then I saw another group of young men singing patriotic songs and carrying an orange flag - a scene out of any period film. Crazy. We stopped once for masala butter milk and slowly descended, creaky joints and all.

Parth waiting - on way down

This climb meant much to me at the end of the year. Another of those things that remind you that you can do it, that you are stronger and better than you think you are. I know how much I pushed myself and there were times when I worried about my capability to take it. But I did it and that is all that matters. I am so glad that I had Parth for company and I must say that he is one hell of a man-manager, never letting me wallow into any self-pity and always being just a shout ahead.

Parth waiting again - for the last time!

Good stuff Parth and thanks a lot man. You don't know what this means to me. The fact that I did it on 30th gives me time to let the feeling sink in and meet the New Year with hope, with courage and with confidence. And also promise myself to be in better shape the next time.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

The first book for the year 2014. Revisited the classic written in 1865 and could not help wondering what Lewis Carroll was thinking of when he wrote that book. I get the feeling that Salman Rushdie might have been influenced by this work because reading Salman Rushdie is a bit like this - only a bit more complex.

Indialog, Rs. 75, 118 p

Alice slips off into dreamland and sees a white rabbit hurrying off down a hole while checking on its watch. Alice follows the white rabbit and that opens up a world that brings stuff that shrinks her and grows her, all kinds of creatures including a blue caterpillar, little Bill the lizard, a mad hatter, a hare, a dormouse who are stuck at a tea party forever because they had a tiff with time, a mock turtle that's always sad and who had a teacher who 'tortoise', a duchess and her pepper-crazy cook, a queen and king of a pack of cards, a Cheshire cat that disappears leaving its smile behind, a game of croquet that is played with live hedgehogs and flamingos and finally, a courtroom drama to end it all. Try thinking up something like this!

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, the author who wrote under the pseudonym of Lewis Caroll was a mathematician and a writer, and he writes brilliantly. It is a tale full of clever twists and great wit. Apparently he told the story in its first form when he went on a boat ride with the three young daughters of Vice Chancellor Liddell. When one of the young daughters Alice (10) asked him to write it down for her he did, and then revised it and well, here we have this book.

I am glad I started the year with this book because it does make one feel high, feel like wanting to try to be like that. You know, its never too late to read the old classics again. They are far better than some of the stuff we read these days. Now to watch the movie.

The Year That Was 2013

Recap of some of the stuff I did in 2013.

Places I visited - Visited Manthani with Mohan, Did a heritage walk around Pune with Kalpak, Goa with the cricket team and explored nooks and corners with Vidyuth, Shimoga with the cricket team and explored the zoo and old sites with Riaz, Chirala with Shobhs and Anjali, Vid and family, Warangal with Nalini and checked out the fort, temple and school, Shobhs and Anjali came too, Golconda, Qutb Shahi many times, Satrasala with Vasu and Ranjan, Chowmahalla with Huma, Anita, Raja, Shobhs and Sagar, Osho Park with Prarthana, Shobhs and Anjali, Panhala Fort, Mahalakshmi temple with Pooja, Prarthana, Shobhs and Anjali, Deccan Trails with the whole gang, Chennai!

Bleak stuff!

Wrote 396 blog posts which is an increase from last years 373. What did I write about?

Read and reviewed 51 books. More careful with my selection of books though. Especially enjoyed reading the classics - Of Mice and Men, My Experiments with Truth, The Snow Leopard, Between Clay and Dust by Mohammed Farooqui. In non-fiction I enjoyed reading The Checklist Manifesto, The Big Leap, City of Djinns and Age of Kali. Among the Indian authors I read The Foreigner by Arun Joshi, The Better Man by Anita Nair which was one of the best. I also enjoyed reading Jump Cut  by Krishna Shastri Devulapalli. I am glad I re-read the short stories of O'Henry and Maupassant.

Watched and reviewed 75 or so movies. Particularly enjoyed The Bicycle Thief, On the Waterfront, Lincoln, Bombay Talkies, Django Unchained, Lunchbox, Bananas, Shanghai are some that I liked. Bananas made me laugh like crazy and I liked it the most!

Went to three music concerts - Zakir Hussain at Goa, Wadali Brothers at Chowmahalla. Both outstanding. Missed on my annual concert at Bangalore.

Conducted a Creative Writing workshop for school children of the age of 10-15 at Oakridge High School and enjoyed the experience. Taught me much about how writing itself.

Interviewed some interesting people - Parth Gokhale, Dr. Nalini Nargunkar, Anjali who gave me the perspective of life as seen by a five and a half year old. I actually interviewed mr. M.R. Baig, cricket coach and Dr. R. Patnaik, a leading dermatologist as well. Need to publish them.

There were talks at Advanta, HSBCOBC, Wilfin Tech, Mars, UoH, Leadership, CMR, Vitesse. One event where I was in conversation with Krishna Shastri Devulapalli and Mohana Krishna Indraganti. in talks and workshops I probably interacted with about 700 people.

It was a strange year that left me feeling rather empty and low on fuel midpoint. Luckily the energy picked up again and I feel as good and as rejuvenated as ever. Nothing can sum up the year end better than this - I ended the year with two acts of physical nature that give me great strength. One that I could bowl for almost 20 minutes without my shoulder hurting (I am now hoping to play a game) and the other, climbing Sinhagad on the 30th of December (more in detail!). Two acts that give me much hope and comfort.

Also signing a contract for 50 Not Out was a huge relief! My writing career was looking to be under threat until then.

The new things that I did - writing sub titles for a movie was interesting. Doing a writing workshop for kids as young as 6 or 7 years old was even more so. Driving from Hyderabad to Pune alone was another. Doing corporate workshops by myself is another.

Much thanks is owed to my family and friends for keeping the faith and for keeping me going, for making me laugh.