Children of Heaven & Cinema Paradiso

Children of Heaven: Much wisdom often goes with fewer words. This happens to be true with this Iranian movie . The movie is about two siblings. So much less is spoken in the movie. But yet these siblings enter your hearts at ease with all those solem expressions. The plot is simple. The brother, on his way back home after repairing his sister's shoes loses them. It is a grave tragedy for them. As his father canot afford to buy her sister a new shoe. He explains it to the sister and gets her confidence too about not informing their father. Now as they attend schools in different times they agree to share the brother's sneakers. How they manage to share the shoe, while their father manages to earn some money to buy new shoes for the kids is the film all about. The director Majid Majidi using this small plot crafts a masterpiece which brings before your eyes the plight of a poor iranian family. The boy always has a expression like he is always afraid but will never give up to try. He never shows his confidence on his face. May be rather his age would not allow him. But still he handles each and every problem so daringly only to make things comfortable for each and everyone he loves. The girl on the other hand too believes in his brother as she too believes that she can't trouble her father. This little girl's portrayal as to how she helps her mother, takes care of a little Kid all adds on to make this character more lovable. small scenes like how the family shares whatever little they have with the neighbour makes the movie more lovable. There is this scene where the brother waits on the streets for his sister to return and get the shoes and run late to the school every day. Though this scene comes again and again the newness, freshness in each scene be it the expressions of the kids makes us believe the remorse yet hapless kids' struggle. Two things that i reaffirmed after watching this movie

1)If an authentic classic movie is that without even a tithe of extra noise, music, expression,focus,..then this is a perfect Example.

2)Children are really from heaven....they can melt ur heart for whatever they are.


Cinema Paradiso: Biopics are really tough. Very few movies could make you engage with them and make you ask for more. Ironically sicily has been related with one of the finest biopic ever produced-The Godfather. Cinema Paradiso also has its roots from a small town in sicily where a fifth grade boy develops a unintended fascination for movies. The movie is actually a nostalgic trip of Salvatore (also called Toto) who returns to his native town after 30 years for the funeral of his mentor. After 30 years salvatore returns to get a glimpse of all those reminiscence only with a hope as to find the real joy and love. The move starts off around the period of second world war. The boy, whose father has been taken as a prisoner of war lives with his mother and his small sister. He does small errands for the local priest. The town has a movie hall called cinema paradiso where in people flock to forget all the war woes by watching movies. All such movies are censored by the local priest to delete kissing & other profane scenes. It is during one of such censor sessions that the small boy manages to sneak and get a glimpse of the movies. However it is not movie that fascinates him. Rather it is its origin, the projector room. The operator Alfredo though at first scares the boy away later due to circumstances befriends him and become a fatherly figure or a mentorlike for him. In an accident Alfredo loses his eye sight and the operator job is given to toto for he can support his family, as the news of death of his father is confirmed. Toto grows in that projector room only surrounded by cinema. It teaches him all. At the college he falls in love with a girl called Eleana. However circumstances lead to their seperation. Now Alfredo advises him to grow out of the memories of the lost love and move to rome and make a big career. So does Toto. He becomes a succesful filmmaker. But no happiness prevails. It is then when Alfredo dies and he returns to his native after 30 years. The movie is a perfect example where the sum of parts add to a holisitc entertainment. The childhood part of salvatore is so cutely picturised showing the pranks of Toto. The sufferings of the war is brought out euphemistically via the audience reactions to the movie. That part where in salvatore returns is poignant to every frame. The dialogues be it Alfredo's advice to Toto, Toto and his mother's conversation leave a indelible impression. They are soft, simpl yet powerful.Take this for example, Toto returns to his town after 30 years where he is received by his mother and she just asks the pretty normal question "Was your Journey Safe?".For this Toto replies "it was just an hours flight".The mother replies back "You don't have to say this after 30years". Cinema Paradiso is never melodramatic. Nonetheless never misses an expression or feeling. It captures them all at the right proportions and at the right intentions. This is one movie without which the classic collections may never be complete.

The Last Bench Leitmotif.-Decade of Undecayed Friendship-Part III

The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.

I have no doubt that John Milton was very much our kinda person. We the EcCEntereic guys. Dictionary defines eccentric as deviating from the recognized or customary character, practice, etc.; irregular; erratic; peculiar; odd: We were all of that. To start off in Laloo style if sitting in the last benches was a crime or a demeaning act no class room should have last bench. But as much u can't do away with those last benches, so can't you with people who relish them. Relish for what??. Damn the tamil movies for always showing the college lives in a poor taste and the last benches in even deceitful taste. They are all but just cinematic and we never induldged in anything of that sorts.

We knew what we wanted out of each class we attended. Coincidentally it was the same that we were expecting from each and every class we had attended.ATTENDANCE. It is a ceremony which usually happens at the end of the class or sometimes at the very beginning. In any case of a one hour class you just need to wait for that one second to answer up ur called name. so you are still the recluse for the remaining 3599 seconds. Now being a recluse within certain boundaries sitting in a paradise of our own without getting disturbed by the hell surrounding you for a time period of almost an hour is no Joke. It is in a art by itself.

Many a professor have this habit of throwing intermittent questions to the classroom while teaching. And any time such questions prop up and before he completes the question only his eyes will drool over the last benches and the constant adage would append any question "Anyone from the last benches". Now you have to be intact like the Gladiators. All last benchers will bend down and see very much seriously into the diaries, notebooks, whatever they managed to grab it up for the class. You will have to create a impression as if no last bench exists. You will not relent until the professor goes to the next step of calling out individuals. Now if you are wearing a bright colour shirt or have a tonsured head sort of things there is a very much chance that you will get caught. Because no professor likes calling out names of the last benchers. they simply call "you yellow shirt", "you mottai" etc. Now if it is you who get fixed you will slowly raise your eyes from those empty pages of ur diary and rise slowly from your seat. You don't get excited or frightened of any kind. We just hold the attitude "Okay you want to play this again. Well am game". You do not give any definitive expression of knowing or not knowing the answer. You will just be as numb as possible. Never ever try to understand the question. There is a possibility that u totally misunderstand the question and goof up with stupid answers. So just apply the simple rules. Be expressionless, do not utter a word. May be the best choice is stare at the wall. You know no sorrow is not passable. All this only till your neighbour friend who all this while was a bit laughing outside and praying inside to not to be called gets caught. Now he also stands and you got a companion. Now you can transfix your stare from the walls to your neighbor friends eyes. And the routine continues till the whole bunch of last benchers are on their legs. Now you have every right to loosen up your body language and stare straight in to the face of the professor literally asking "When the hell would you guys grow up"?????". Now this is kind of battle. You keep winning each battle until the final war of degree is won. At any point of time you never lose your heart. Be assertive enough to Tame any professor. The ultimate achievement is when professors understand that we want nothing but attendance and they could grant that with only looks and not calling out the names. But what is important is that many a front benchers too will not know the answer. They always lived under our shadow.

When all these drama gets over you get back to your business. You open you diary and start refining your signature. You keep practicing and refining them by signing your name page affter page. When that gets a bit tedious and you feel you are tired of that, you pull up one of your neighbour friend for a game of word building. Now that is a highly literary game. In any case do not forget to give the regular momentary glances at your professor. Only just to mark your presence in the class. Meanwhile you sort out various issues like whether or not to attend the next class, prvious night dinner accounts settlement, wherzz the destination for lunch, why some gal is looking too good today, pursuing your artisitc abilities by trying to draw some meaningul figures and logos, wrting down your name in bold, italics, etc.

There are lot of activities happening there. somtimes something can really get so good.
Crosswords. simply the best. Just shows the height of literary activities happening at the top of the class. kavithaihal. Now that you have professors, pandus all around you , you simply have enough reasons to shun this materialistic world and enter your own utopian world. Then words flow out to create all those memorable poems. Still remember the poem by this guy duniya who was yet again nicknamed "Loosu". The poem was about his infatuation (or was it the real love?) for another real loosu. the poem was touchy, comedic and classic. No doubt that such gems would have never seen the light of the day if it was not for the Last bench leitmotif. So much the last bench has become an integral part of our college life. In any classroom and any circumstance our legs would only move towards the last benches. because that is where exactly our hearts are. The divine place where we had enough time for everything but to study. But who the heck wanted to study. The holy place where we learnt the virtues of patience. The place where we learnt every sorrow is passable, as every class will have to end. The place where we dreamt of all those unattainable loves. The place which definitely made us being more knowledgeable if not for being more educated.

நட்பின் பரிணாம வளர்ச்சி-பாகம் II ..The BASICs

முரண் என்றொரு வார்த்தை உள்ளது தமிழில். எனக்கு மிகவும் பிடித்த ஓர் வார்த்தை. இரவு பகல்,காலை மாலை, வெயில் குளிர்,காய் கனி எல்லாம் முரண்பட்டவை. ஆயினும் ஒவ்வொன்றும் அழகே. பிறிதொன்றோடு ஒப்பிட இயலாத தனி தனி அழகும் சுவையுமுடையது அவைகள். பெரும்பாலும் புறக்கணிக்க இயலாத இன்றியமையாமை ஆகிவிடுகின்றன் அவைகள். அதி காலையும் அந்தி மாலையும் எப்பொழுதும் கிறக்கம் தரும் கவிதை ஊற்றுகளாகும். ஆழ யோசித்தால் அவை தம் தனி தன்மைகளே அவைகள் முரண் பட்டிருக்க காரணம் ஆகும். மனிதர்கள் மட்டும் விதி விலக்கல்லவே. ஆறாம் அறிவுடைய ஒரே காரணத்தால் மனிதன் கொண்ட முரண்கள் மோதல்கட்கு உட்படுத்தப் படுகின்றன்.

அது போலவே தான் fantastic 14 இல் உள்ள ஒவ்வொருவருமே. ஒவ்வொறுவரும் முரணே. இருப்பினும் பத்தாண்டு காலமாக எங்களை பிணைந்திருக்க செய்திருக்கின்றன சில பல அடிப்படை விசயங்கள். The BASICS. எவ்வளவு தான் உயரப் பறந்தாலும் ஊர்க்குருவி பருந்து ஆக முடியாதுனு சொல்லுவாங்க. நாங்க எல்லாம் ஊர்க்குருவியானாலும் சரி பருந்தானாலும் சரி நாங்க பறக்குறது தான் உயரம்னு சொல்றவங்க. இதை நீங்க confidence nu சொல்லலாம். இல்லை திமிர் பிடித்த தெனாவட்டுனும் சொல்லலாம். அதை தங்களின் எண்ணப் பிதற்றலுகளுக்கே விட்டு விடுகிறேன். நாங்க அதை “நாங்க எல்லாம் BASIC ஆவே” அப்படினு தான் சொல்லிக்குவோம். சில forward mails வரும். 50 facts about men னு குளிக்க மாட்டாங்க, துணியை துவைச்சு போட்டுக்க மாட்டாங்க அப்படி இப்படினு. ஆவைகள் பெரும்பாலும் கூடுதல் சுவைக்காக சற்றே exaggerate செய்யப்பட்டிருக்கும். ஆனால் இந்த facts about “எங்க Basic’s” எல்லாம் உண்மையே. உண்மையை தவிர வேறொன்றுமில்லை. இதை சொல்வதில் எனக்கு எந்த கவலையுமில்லை. Fantastic 14 ல இருக்க மத்தவங்க..hmm..அவங்கள பத்தி எனக்கு கவலை இல்லை. ஏன்னா நாங்க எல்லாம் BASIC ஆவே அப்படி தான்.

Disclaimer:

The following characteristic are very much the character of each and every guy of the fantastic 14.

1) நாங்க எல்லாருமே ரொம்ப understanding. ஆனால் பிரச்சனை என்னவென்றால் எங்களோட அந்த understanding eh யாருமே understand பண்ணுறதில்லை. With an incredible sense of understanding and when we move to the next step people obviously get a feeling that we never understood what we had crossed. And this fact does not apply to academics.

2) ஏதாவது மிக மிக தவிர்க்க முடியாத காரணத்துக்காக மட்டும் தான் காலையில் சில நேரங்களில் எழுந்திருப்போம். இது ஏற்கனவே சொன்னது தான். ஆனால் எழுந்துவிட்ட ஒரே காரணத்துக்காக கடமையைச் செய்து முடித்துவிட மாட்டோம். We have the knack of dismissing any pending duty to be silly just for the cause of sleeping. This very much applies to academics.

3) பொதுவாக மற்றவர் புண்படும்படியாக நாங்கள் பேசவோ , செயல்களில் ஈடுபடவோ மாட்டோம். ஆனால் நிறைய பேசுவோம், நிறைய செயல்களில் ஈடுபடுவோம். அவ்வகையில் மற்றவர் புண்படும்படியாக ஏதேனும் நிகழ்ந்துவிட்டால் பாவ மன்னிப்பு கேட்க கூட தயங்க மாட்டோம். பிரச்சனை என்னவென்றால் மற்றவர்கட்கு மேலும் புண்ணாகலாம். We don’t hurt until some one really comes to us and tell that he is really hurt. You know I was saying we highly understand.

4) வாத்தியார்களை நாங்க ரொம்ப மதிப்போம். ஆனால் அவங்க தான் எங்களை மதிக்கறதே இல்லை. ஆதலால் அவ்வை சொன்ன மாதிரி மதியாதார் தலைவாசல் மிதியாதே னு பின்பற்றுவோம். இதை புரிஞ்சிக்காம வாத்திகளும் I & U Grade களா குடுத்து தள்ளுங்க. அப்போதெல்லாம் வள்ளுவன் சொன்னதை போல இன்னா செய்தாரை ஒறுத்து விடுவோம். அந்த வகையில் எதிரிக்கும் நண்மை செய்யும் குணம் கொண்டோம்.

5) பெண்களை பிடிக்கும்.

6) வீண் சண்டைக்குப் போக மாட்டோம். வம்புச் சன்டைக்கும் போக மாட்டோம்.ஆனால் வம்பு பண்ணிகிட்டே இருப்போம்.

7) சினிமா பார்ப்போம். மற்றவர்கள் மாதிரி வெறும் மூன்று மணி நேர பொழுது போக்காக மட்டுமல்ல. சினிமாவில் பார்க்கும் character களை நிஜ மனிதர்களுக்கு superimpose பண்ணி இன்னும் நிறைய களி கொள்வோம். I will bet you will get life time entertainments this way. J.மத்தபடி சினிமா பார்த்து கற்றுகொண்ட விசயம் வாழ்க்கையை எங்கள் அளவு படிக்காத பல பேர் சினிமா எடுத்து torture பண்ணுறானுங்க.

8) களவும் கற்று மற . அந்த வாக்கின் பெரும்பகுதியை கடந்துவிட்டோம். இன்னும் “மற” மட்டுமே பாக்கி. But I should say here that whatever we learn we learn it to the roots.

9) காதல். என்ன சொல்ல?அது ஆணித்தரனமாக எங்கள் யாரிடமும் இல்லாததே காரணம் என்று நினைக்கிறேன் இந்த “நட்பின் பரிணாம வளர்ச்சிக்கு”

10) நகைச்சுவை உணர்வு கொஞம் அதிகம் எங்களுக்கு. எத்தகு நிகழ்வாயினும்

அதன் தாக்கம் சிறிது நேரமே தாக்குப்பிடிக்கும் எங்களிடம். பின் அவை நிச்சயமாக நகைச்சுவையாக்கப் பட்டுவிடும். This is a very contagious habit we possess.

இன்று காலம் எத்துனை மாற்றங்களை எங்களுக்குள் ஏற்படுத்தி இருந்தாலும் இப்படியாக எங்களுக்குனு ஒரு உலகம், அதுல நாங்க எல்லாம் ஒரு type ஆன villainy hero. நாங்க எல்லாம் ரொம்ப நல்லவங்க. அப்படிங்கிற கூட்டுக்குள் வாழ்வதையே விரும்பறோம். மேலும் பரிணாமம் தொடரும்.

நட்பின் பரிணாம வளர்ச்சி-பாகம் I

ithu just beta version. Complete version soon.

கையளவு மனசுக்குள் தான்

உண்மைகள் பலவும்

வையத்தளவு உணர்வுகளும்

உலகறிந்திடாது உறங்குகின்றன.

உண்மையி னிடத்து உணர்வுகளும்

உணர்வி னிடத்து உண்மைகளும்

ஊமை யாகிடாத உன்னத

உறவு நட்ப தாகும்.

ஊரும் உறவும் அறிவாய்

உயிர் கொடுத்த தாயால்

உன்னை நீ அறிவாய்

உளமது கொண்ட நட்பால்.

Decade of Undecayed Friendship-Part I

It all started in August 1997. That’s when i stepped in to the humungous campus of College of Engineering Guindy, Anna University. It is a moment I cherished like never before. All my 17 years of past life looked so silly suddenly. First time I defied my dad's decision when he asked me to pursue Computer science engineering in REC . Nothing wrong. How else could one feel when you are going to study the second most sought after engineering discipline in the state's highest regarded campus? You have managed to top among lakhs of students to get into this coveted institute. And now it is universally accepted that I am the cream of Tamil Nadu. People around you are convinced that you have achieved almost everything in your life. Now that I am in Anna University my life is more safe, settled and secure. Enough reasons to be exhilarated. Stop it. All wrong. Wrong in all ways. No point in resurrecting those days. The mistakes were done and the damages were quite severe. It was severe to the extent of jeopardizing each and every aspect of your life. You have very few reasons to still keep hoping and fight back. I am no hypocrite in saying that friends were that for me. Because there were this so called friends who were so similar to me with so much same worries and miseries. That simply explains how understandings of friends were we? Hahahha…. may be konjam nahaichvayaha sollanumna..we were 5 people. Engalukku padippu na ennane theryathu. aana aasai irunthuchu mela padikkanum nu. So B.E kullayae higher studies padichom. puriyathavanghalukku a big sorrry. but go ahead the story will be more interesting. The story of “Decade of Undecayed Friendhip”.

It is very natural that certain relationships cannot be explained. The reason for that is that such relations become so omnipotent and omnipresent that it looks like almost does not exist, at least superficially. Hence u can't explain which does not seem to exist. Ippadi intha kathaya philosophical eh kondu pohalaam. Aana naangha basic eh appadi pattavangha illayae. Appadi aaha patta oru nanbarhalin pattalam patriya kathai ithu.

We would be the perfect cast if Steven Soderberg plans to return back to create the next mission of Danny Ocean. Ocean’s 14. If not Ocean’s 14 we were and are at least the Fantastic 14's. So you got it right, 14 members in the gang. Lets make things a bit clear here. Let me not take false pride that we 14 guys were and are the thickest of the friends for the last 10 years. Take for example my case, I happened to move along and join with this gang only from the second year of my college. So goes the case with few other members. But in any case under the current scenarios we have grown up our relations to the extent that we have been friends for centuries. So decade or less than decade of togetherness is just the superficious number. But the quality of friendship is like that one which has been immortal for centuries. No philosophy. controlllllll.

Ellathukkum oru pillayar suzhi irukkanum. Undoubtedly it was the two highly CIVILized guys. But it finally got rooted in because of Eight ECcEntric guys. To cut a long story short. ECE pasangha general eh nalla padikkaravangha. Civil pasangalum appadi thaan. irunthaalum namakku therinjha pasangah appadi pattavanghala illama poyitaangha. It was like those guys were more talented in various other aspects than studies. So CIVIL oda saerntha ECE um manakka arambichathu. Approm civil oda oors , roommates ECE oda oors roomamtes nu gang full form aahi set aahi rembha manakka aarambichuthu. Oorellam ore manam. suthatha theru illa. paarkatha cinema illa. pannatha saettai illa. CUT. Next shot

A peek into Fantastic 14's one day:

But for one or two guy the whole gang had no bloody necessity to start of the day by waking before 8:25 A.M . The problem with one or two guy was either they were too good (or had problems of insomnia). And the problem with the rest was we were also good enough to wake up at 8:25 A.M and go to the 8:30 A.M class at 8:45 A.M. Puriyuthu. Late eh poena vaathiyar ulla viduvara nu kaetkareengha? Appadi oru situation leh naangha 8:25 ku enthirikkave maatom. So no problem. So only for necessities, like missing out a class will lead to "I "grade or "U" grade (both grades are equivalent to failing) and with great stress only we would start our day by 8:25 A.M. Else waking up around cool 12 noon was the norm. You know you can't sleep in the terrace after that. It really gets too hot around 12. So you wake up at 12 noon and find that the guy who had gone for the 8:30 class is back and sleeping. Either he had enough of classes for the day or enough of aapu's for the day. In any case college for the day is over, but for some extreme reasons. So next target is lunch. Being in the rolls of mess was not a regular aspect. Hence we move out to Adayar or surrounding areas with our limited bikes. Now with the bikes there were two strict rules. Reservation is a priority. And whoever rides the bike will fill in the fuel. These are not like government rules. Strict rules. You ride and you will fill in fuel, though it is a different case altogether as to where from and how you source the fuel. So after a biryani or any sort of vivacious lunch you get so tired and u take a short nap. Short nap for 3- 4 hours. By the time you wake up its almost 7 P.M in the nite. Such a pleasant time to wake up you know. So all or available members gather to plan for the nite. Here is where the real problem starts. Too many opinions would flow in. The broader plan remains simple. Booze, Dinner, Movie, Mokkai (Mokkai means the art of unrelenting conversation you have over hours over various subjects. it could last as long as anything between one hour to 4 or 5 hours. The only conditions are that the subjects we discuss should be as useless as possible, and you take rounds in picking up on individuals. A great art though). Now that the broader plan of booze, dinner, movie, mokkai remains the same every day we just don't do everything every day. May be a combination of movie & mokkai, booze and mokkai, whatsoever fits economically and physically accessible for that day. But we were an immensely talented group and we never found it difficult to do all those activities in the same day and again and again. So after all master plans its time to be fresh and as presentable as possible. So at around 8:30 in the night after pushing some guys who love wandering with towels to dress up the real day starts. Depending on the availability of time you chose to sit or stand and drink amap (as much as possible) and again depending upon time have dinner in a restaurant or a roadside makeshift hotel, during which a couple of good samaritans would eat as soon as possible and move early to fetch the movie tickets. Basically we love to see good movies. But since we had no control in bringing out good movies we just were happy to settle down with those were coming out. In other words we will see all the movies. If my memory is intact, once remember a last bench activity of trying to list down the movies we had watched. And the figure came to something around 285 or 385 for 3 years. So the movie gets over and it is 1 A.M midnight. You are still so fresh and with loads of energy. Again suggestions start to pour in for the next move. Finally everyone decides to meet up at HI LOOK the 24 hour snacks bar. So 1:30 am at Hi look you order bread omlettes and juices and start off with the art called mokkai. This can be enhanced by midnight boozes possessed at premium prices & morning triplicane mess pongal ambitions. In any case the momentum is set and goes on strongly. It goes on and one when slowly one by one starts to retreat. But there are a few notorious guys who would not relent and keep the thread going. In midst of the mokkai you would have vowed to eat B'fast that day after ages. So you keep mokkifying till 6 am and start off to triplicane the bachelor's haven and diner's delight. Here again we do what we know best. Eat. Eat at least 4-5 varieties at least in minimum 3-4 hotels or mess as generally they are called. It is such a relishing experience that you just want to go to bed so much so happily. And that’s what you exactly do. Go to sleep. 7 A.M. Good Night.

I know many a people by now would have developed a hatred for our gang. Hold on. This is just to explain how raw we can be. But every one gets refined with time and more relations. But the basics remain as I had said in the beginning. Nalla Pasanga Naangha. That will and is remaining for the world to see. This is not the end of the story. There are a lot of branch stories. Like any other gang of friends we had every aspect and every character, the hero’s, the Romeo’s, The small fights, the ultimate fights, the most memorable happenings, The exquisite trips & tours, solliya kathalhal, sollatha kathalhal, vaangiya vadaihal, etc. The difference may be that we always go the extremes and we don’t stay too long on course. The final word is that you cannot carry everything every time in life. That is a fact and was also the same with us. We have lost, forgot whole lot f stuffs. But our friendship remains intact. Now that’s the fantastic 14 for you. And how incomplete it would be to not talk about all those girl’s factor. A related key note feature is that Internet was then a rapidly growing phenomenon. It would not be false to say that we were the one’s to have seen this internet phenomenon grow up. And the Internet in it’s own way did influence the lives of lot of us. All the more I want to write. But this is in itself such a big post. So I propose this solution.

I WILL TRY & WRITE SEPARATE POSTS ABOUT THOSE BLOCKED PHRASES. They definitely deserve one. And i get chances to write more. :)

Super Star - The Boss

I write this post with the music of recently released Sivaji movie flowing through my ear. I don't know the reasons. But for some reason this man magnet named Rajinikant- more profusely known to be the Superstar-always attracts me as ever. Cinema in itself being a more powerful media to influence a layman like me, and this man has only utilised the medium to powerfully influence many a layman like me. I remember reading an article during the days when chandramukhi was released and was running in the theatres. It was about a software engineer narrating his experience of watching the movie with his 4 year old child. He narrates as how once he saw rajini on the screen he turns childish at par with his 4 year old child and starts explaining the great prowess of this man called superstar. The father of a 4 year old child , who never rememebers telling any story in the past to his child just goes about telling all fancy stories about the world of superstar . And thus goes the narration. Thus is the case with every fan(atic) of Rajini Kanth. He can make you feel childish yet as powerful as the sun, as big as the world and the list goes on. He can make you feel everything you envisage in all your secret dreams. And all the more imprtant is he can do it in an adroitly convicing manner. So this is not a silly post to just heap praises on a man i like and may not be liked by many other. As in any case am only trying to find the logic for such an advertent attraction towards this man. The reasons may be as varied as to be the simple natural stylish looks, to his unparalleled comic deliveries, to his powerful acting prowess and many so such things. This is one hero who can make you laugh your heart out with his simple antics, fast paced deliveries. This is one guy who can act any emotion out of his eyes. Though most of his movies are acceptedly action masala flicks, who cares as fas you are so much entertained that you just can't wait to hear the next news about this man's world. No doubt this man had his share of failures both in cinema and politics. But all those does not in any way undermine the mammoth achievements this guy has managed to achieve. It simply needs a character to achieve things of this sort and still keep people gasping for more. As some one says you may not even have to quench the thirst of the people . All that you need is to keep the people thirsty. But this guy had done more than that. You will still not find more powerful heroic scenes than a Bhasha Movie or a Annamalai movie. Though i have to admit that i have grown a lil bit to be seriously affected by them now. But in those adolescent age those were so simply contagious. Contagious for the right reason. It pumped in you an attitude to be the winner. Winner of glory. There are whole lot of people who with all their learned logics simply write off this guy. No offences meant to them . But one of the several criticism against this man is that he is a monotonously masala film making star. But people tend to forget the past and easily in case of abhor situations. if one happens to look back to the initial stages of his career one would be stumbled to see the variety of roles he had portrayed and the magic he had created with those roles. Be it the villain character in numerous movies, or french bearded flirtatious friend of the Hero, or a man who struggles through all his life (here the character's lifetime from the age of 6to that of 60 years is captured and Superstar simply captivates you), or an angry doting one handed brother, or a sexist old man. He had done them all and done them in all so manner to simply make you like,love and want more of him. He has with all these achievements built a fort of his own. He is in a place where no one can deny anything. But still he tries as much as possible to do only one thing. Entertain as much as possible the layman. That those will always keep him the emperor. Even by pure economics he is the emperor. For the amount of money his films can churn. All that i wish now is that i get a chance to see Sivaji day one as has been the case with most recent Rajini Movies.