KABALI....DAwn...!

The Kabali fever touched its peak, making the entire world shiver and finally hit the silver screen on Friday to tremendously impressive openings.

The hype normally associated with a Rajnikanth flick is known, but this one was on a never-before scale. As Rajnikanth's contemporary image for the latest film generally turns out to be the mascot for the entire entertainment industry till the craze subsides, the grey bearded icon turned ubiquitous during the month-long promotional blitzkrieg. For the first time, Rajnikanth's image appeared on aircraft, SIM cards, limited edition cars, silver coins and where not?

A film buff can smell something fishy in the script or execution, going by the last minute (over) hype generated for the film. And unfortunately, it turned out to be true in this case...!

So much was told in the extended first half that the second half had literally very little to convey. It is perhaps for this reason that the film drifted directionless for a while. None expected a gangster movie to move on such a sluggish pace, sagging at various spots. Most of the time was spent in showing the larger-than-life Rajnikanth in slow motion, with the 'Neruppuda' BGS adding sparkle. The movie deserves to have been handled with more care and executed neatly.

The Super Star went beyond his regular stylish appearance and put in serious effort to act wherever required. Kudos to Rajnikanth and Radhika for the emotional scene when the couple reunites after 25 years. We find a lot number of characters in the film, some of them appearing from the flashback to the present. Suddenly we find it difficult to recollect their faces as well as their grey shades.

Pa. Ranjith has put in a lot of effort to extract acting from Rajnikanth. His fiery dialogues, which are known for questioning the rotten traditions, focuses on social upheaval against the bourgeois and Dalit empowerment in this film too. Rajnikanth wears suit for the entire movie and it is not without a reason. The excessive focus on Rajnikanth's attire indicates (as Radhika Apte mentions in a dialogue) that the attire indicates the growing stature of a man (read: a community as a whole). Rajni also states to the villian in the climax that his (again read: a community) development is indigestible to them. These scenes and dialogues inspire the downtrodden sections a lot.

Akin to 'Nayakan', Rajnikanth gets shot by his own, somewhat mentally unstable, man at the end. Does Rajnikanth die or not? The answer to this million dollar question is left to the viewer's imagination, as the screen darkens with a bullet sound. Though this anti-climax is against popular sentiment, Rajnikanth perhaps wanted to convey the message that gangsters will inevitably die at the end, in order to convey a message to the society.

Though endowed with enough technical values, the film grossly misses something. For the average viewer, the story is not narrated in a straight manner. And for the die-hard fan, 'that Thalaivar Rajnikanth' embedded in their mind is not fully unleashed. Finally, it satiates the thirst of neither...!

Having gone to the theatre amid darkness for the early-hour fans' show and after coming out after sunrise, it finally dawned on me that all's not as well as expected and as hyped...!

A tale of two Muslims..!

While one Muslim died on Monday, another is facing the gallows.

The entire nation hails the first one, admires him as an ace rocket scientist, likes the simple-living of the former President and prays for the peace of his soul. On the other hand, the second is hated for his anti-India stand, his dubious role in Mumbai riots and for making a mockery of the Indian judicial system.

India knows what to look for and what not to nit-pick when it comes to good men and bad men. No Indian looked at Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's religion when adoring him as his own family member. Had the divisive mindset been there, as has been projected outside the country, Kalam would have neither ascended the highest position, nor would he have become the darling of the Indians.

The other side of the coin has the Memon who has been awarded a death sentence for his role in Mumbai blasts. Whether death sentence has to be done away with is a different cup of tea on the human rights front, but the argument put forth that he has been sentenced to death only because of his religious background is absurd. Research shows that only 5 p.c. of those awarded death sentence in India so far are Muslims. Unfortunately, there are voices against the judiciary even within the country. Even people holding responsible positions wag their tongue so carelessly on such a sensitive issue. It so happens in a vibrant democracy, unless the judiciary takes offence and declares it as contempt.

The world does not have to teach secularism to our country. We know whom to admire and whom to abhor. Playing the 'Muslim card' is too old a trick and I hope the parties shun it and focus on their development, in real terms.

As a friend pointed out in a lighter vein, there is no threat to secularism in India, as long the Ramzan Haleem and Christmas plum cake titillate the taste buds of the friendly Hindus..!

Bahubali: A film of epic proportions...!

Finally, the mega movie of Tollywood is out amid huge expectations and to overwhelming response.

Not only the team's painstaking shooting and post-production effort for two years, but also the maverick marketing effort during the last two months, seem to have paid off, as the film has evoked a roaring hype on the first day. Prabhas and Rajamouli carried the film throughout on their shoulders and the result is evident. The body-builder has really slogged it out for offering a fine performance, which, without an iota of doubt, will remain the best in his career. However, I find something missing in his magnetic eyes. Is it the charm in the romance scenes or the fire in the fighting scenes? 

The movie was chiseled to perfection by the master sculptor S.S. Rajamouli, who appears in every frame of the movie in the form of his trademark grandeur. It's the turn of the audience to watch awe-struck as the scenes navigate through the picturesque waterfalls to the exuberant palace via the snow-capped mountains.  In some scenes, it is hard to tell the real scenes from those created in the studios through computer graphics. The aerial depiction of Fort Mahishmathi appears to have drawn inspiration from his previous flick 'Magadheera'.

Hunk Rana as the cruel king Bhallala Deva talks little, but evokes a sense of fear and repulsion. Snow white Tamannah Bhatia moved beyond hip-shaking to portray a powerful role by wielding the sword. Expected Anushka Shetty to don the 'Arundhati-like' royal look yet again, but as the aged queen, imprisoned and shackled for 25 years, she presents a dignified role.

The film clearly takes Telugu film-making to a rung higher. In spite of the all the hype and the film's ability to maintain it till the end, there's something that an ardent Rajamouli follower will find missing. The hero enters the heavily-guarded fort in no time, making a mockery of the multi-layer security system. Similarly, when he walks up to his shackled mother, the overwhelming emotion in the face of Anushka is clearly missing. The war in the flashback takes a lot of time, but still does not sag. The film proceeds on expected lines and there's almost nothing that is not unpredictable. The only thing unpredictable is when the curtain comes down with a thud, alongside a message that 'Bahubali 2' will be released in 2016.

At the end, the hero rescues his mother from the cruel king. No points for guessing that the sequel will focus on senior Prabhas wedding Anushka in the flashback and the junior Prabhas killing Rana to avenge his father's death. Sathyaraj, Ramya Krishna, Nasser have powerful portrayals, while Rohini and Sudeep leave a mark. M.M. Keeravani's indelible impression is hard to miss in the background score, rather than the songs. The loud cheers that Rajamouli's brief appearance as a bartender evoked from the audience is indicative of his growing visibility, especially on television and social media in the recent months.

After 2 hours and 45 minutes, one finds the end very tame and sudden, with nothing great achieved till then. The 'divide-into-two-parts' might have been a result of the elaborate script and the lengthy taking, but it has to be seen if Rajamouli & Co will be able to retain audience interest on the sequel. On a positive note, the unit has enough scope to mould the sequel going by the response to the first part.

Hope the hype does not kill the real interest of the audience...!

Rangarajan: Time for 'Power Play'

Rangarajan: Time for 'Power Play': Time for 'Power' Play...! Pawan Kalyan, the 'Power Star' of Telugu tinsel town would not have imagined in his wildes...

Time for 'Power Play'

Time for 'Power' Play...!

Pawan Kalyan, the 'Power Star' of Telugu tinsel town would not have imagined in his wildest of dreams that he would make his political foray immediately after the state's bifurcation and address the public ahead of the general elections.

In spite of whether he was nurturing political ambitions or not since many years, state bifurcation set the stage  for his entry, going by his power-packed, yet so-so, address on Friday.  In fact, the state's haphazard division, leaving all the stakeholders finding themselves in a 'lose-lose' situation, was a perfect disaster recipe for the entry of as many aspirants into the poll arena. No, there is no reference whatsoever here to the Jai Samaikyandhra Party of Nallari Kirankumar Reddy, who conveniently dozed off after the impressive public meeting at Rajahmundry, failing to cash in on the initial euphoria.

This is all about the 'Jana Sena' party launched by Pawan Kalyan. By spreading the newly-coined word 'Pawanism' well in advance, the actor cleverly sent feelers among his fans, community and well-wishers that something is seriously in store. If we go back five to six years, we can recollect instances where Pawan's social consciousness surfaced in the form of his expression of agony and fight for a cause. At least, unlike Chiranjeevi who spoke of 'Samajika Nyayam' only before the launch of his party, Pawan dwelt on key issues much much before. Concern is okay, which can be channelised into action by launching a voluntary organisation or supporting a charitable institution. But choosing a political platform, in the garb of social service, is a dangerous game and a 'One Way Entry', where running away is hardly an option. His social concern notwithstanding, he was never reckoned a serious player in the political game, nor would he have considered himself one. Chiranjeevi set us a good example of how to launch a party and a still-good example of how not to bring down the curtains on it.

Whatever is about Pawanism and his seriousness on politics, Chiranjeevi's Praja Rajyam Party episode will continue to cast a shadow on the junior Konidella. His much-hyped announcements, policy statements made with 'punch' dialogues and future goals will all be taken with a pinch of salt. Already, people are commenting his entry as 'Anna poyi Thammudu vache daam daam daam...', a colloquial saying that indicates that one has gone and the other has come, nothing serious about it....

From whose bow has this 'Pawan' arrow emerged was another question pondered over by many. On the face of it, his 'Congress Hatao' indicated his hatred for Congress. But, not all could attribute his move immediately to the TDP, as Congress is known for playing such mind games. By helping Chiranjeevi launch Praja Rajyam as the 'main opponent' to the incumbent Congress, it engineered a split in the anti-Congress votes that would have otherwise gone to the TDP in 2009. And now the DNA Party. Little does one doubt on whose gene the YSR Congress has inherited...!

And now the Pawan factor. Why not Pawan be another arrow from the Congress bow. The doubt did not persist for long and it was evident sooner than later that it, in fact, was waiting for long in the TDP's quiver. If the alliance materialises, Pawan is expected to wean away 'youth votes' from Jagan's kitty and also help consolidate Kapu/Balija votes in favour of the TDP. In one way, it is now Chandrababu's turn to enact a YSR of 2009...!

Only time will tell if it is 'Anukoola Pawan' or not...!

JAGGA REDDY: Alone in a crowd..!

Why nobody takes Jagga Reddy seriously?

The Telangana region, including the state capital of Hyderabad, has been witness to the same old rhetoric of separatists for the last nine years. There are the slogan shouting students, agitating employees, demonstrating advocates and rabble-rousing politicians. But one politician has made his voice clearly heard, a diametrically opposite view of the (majority) popular one, and has escaped physical assault (?!) all these days. He is Jagga Reddy, MLA of Sangareddy in Medak district. Unfortunately, his voice is lost in the din.

Though Hyderabad is half-filled with settlers from Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, nobody opens their mouth to respond to, let alone condemn, the provocative statements and derogatory remarks on them by Telangana protagonists, for the fear of having stones pelted at their houses and inviting agitators to squat at their doorsteps. It is sure that half of Hyderabadis do not want separate Telangana, but who gives them a damn? Even the Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) has made it clear that it is against bifurcation, which more or less reflects the stand of the Hyderabad's Muslim population.

Almost all the legislators from Telangana have taken a uniform stand on Telangana, willingly or due to compulsion, coercion or for not wanting to ruffle feathers. Jagga Reddy, on the other hand, has made it clear that a separate Telangana will not serve any purpose and in fact, make things worse for the state. When the backwardness theory backfired, as proved point-by-point by Sri Krishna Commission that 'Telangana is not the only backward region in the state', the protagonists of separation stood by self-rule to push their demand ahead. "A mere aspiration to be separate will never stand in the long run", is Jagga Reddy's point, but whatever point he has made failed to hit the nail hard, thanks to the separatists among the media representatives who have covered his programmes.

The separatists have a version to stand by, whether right or not, thus consistently pushing their demand ahead. In the same vein, they have a responsibility to lend an ear to the people having an opinion different from theirs. As a different view is always met with violence, people stopped talking ill of separation, the lone exception being Jagga Reddy. Perhaps, he has not been attacked so far, for the sole reason that he is a fellow Telanganaite...!

MODI MASTAN OF GUJARAT

NARENDRA MODI PROVES TO BE TOUGH AGAIN

As the Gujarat election results came out, it has been proved yet again that the Congress party's tom-tom about the "communal face" of Narendra Modi has fallen flat.

The average citizen of Gujarat has enjoyed the delicious taste of development and communalism is hardly a subject matter worth reckoning for him. For Congress leaders, secularism apparently means enhanced funds for developing Madarasas, special treatment to Muslims and posing for shutterbugs by donning skull caps in Muslim dominated areas. But, Modi looked beyond such cosmetic steps to bag the average Muslim's confidence. No special treatment and no pumping in additional funds, but solid, concrete development to make their lives better. It is this equalitarian attitude towards all his citizens (not 'voters') that made Modi an acceptable face in the state.

Winning a consecutive third battle of ballots is a near-impossible thing, especially in these days of coalition politics, where the pushes and pulls from unfriendly allies takes the fizz out of power kick. For Manmohan Singh, a strong adherent to Coalition Dharma, following the issues agreed upon with the alliance partners is of paramount importance, rather than national interest.

But for Modi, who is the single-man Government in Gujarat, public administration is a cake walk, as he is clear with his strategies, coherent in his policy announcements, committed to his ideology and determined to implementation. As principal fetches princely interest when invested properly, the ten years of sincere administration has fetched him another five years of rule as 'interest'. His investment portfolio includes development agenda, welfare programmes, non-appeasement of any section of the society and keeping away unscrupulous elements known to create hatred in the name of religion, be they Hindus or Muslims.

The number of seats bagged and the vote share clearly surprises many, leaving indications that development-seeking Muslims too would have voted for him. The newly-enrolled voters would have clearly no idea of Godhra or post-Godhra riots and it has been the job of the Congress to keep the issue boiling. What other explanation can the party offer for failing to wrest power for the fifth consecutive time in Gujarat?

When the counting was still on, a senior union minister taunted him, saying that Modi magic did not work this time as the number of seats the BJP might win could be down from the corresponding figure in the last elections. And Modi surpassed it with ease, proving that the Congress strategists will have to do more than such hair-splitting analyses...!

Like the 3D campaign which he popularised during the polls, Modi's victory has a three-dimensional aspect i.e., single-handed effort to bring Gujarat  into the BJP's kitty, looking up to higher political aspirations for himself and last, but not the least, consolidating the slogan "Development more important than religion".

Armed with this thumping victory, Modi has silenced his critics and is now expected to cast an eye on the Delhi Gaddi...! I hear the energetic Modi shouting at the top of his voice, "Here I come, 2014...!"