“Aal Izz Exceptional” with 3 Idiots

“Aim for Excellence,Success will follow you”

Aamir+2 Idiots+Kareena+Raju Hirani=A COMPLETE WINNER

.Christmas this time has provided a special gift from the Santa Claus in the form of 3 Idiots.Aamir Khan is back yet again with his magical touch after the 2008 Christmas Blockbuster Ghajini.This time he’s accompanied Madhavan,Sharman Joshi and Kareena Kapoor too to join his success ride.Filled with heartfelt comedy scenes and a noble message,the movie is rock solid.Never does the drama tilt off its balance.Its neither a lecture nor a lesson based on career.Its in fact a bold step challenging our sada hua academic system and the basic purpose of studying with interest.Added to that,Aamir Khan,a 44 year old playing 20 around on screen is no short of a challenge and Aamir does it with an impeccable ease.Every student and a parent can connect with this movie and that’s its USP.You get drooled in your college life throughout the film and wish ourselves to be Rancho(Aamir).Besides,the movie is a treatise to how special a bond friendship is.It shows how memorable can college days be in our short life span!The filmmaker Raj Kumar Hirani sets a bench mark with 3 Idiots for other directors to achieve.Its a wonderful cinematic journey that you wouldn’t wanna miss.

The movie starts off with Farhan(Madhavan) and Raju(Sharman Joshi) searching for their long lost friend Rancho with their classmate Chatur Ramalingam.Along their journey they recollect the moments of bliss the trio shared during their college life….Farhan is a teenager from a middle class family back ground whose family are really desperate to see him as an Engineer.Raju mean while is from a family who can’t go past a square meal a day.The first day of their college sees them being ragged and that's the first instance they get to know Rancho .In fact ,he is their room mate.Then the next day, Viru Sahastrabuddhe,(Boman Irani), college principal just gives a glance on how life is a race and how tough is it to the students ,during his first meet.There starts a series of comic events happening between the 3 of them and Virus(nickname of the principal) getting them to trouble often.Rancho is a smart free spirited guy who focuses on understanding the concepts rather than simply mugging up pages and pages like his classmate Chatur Ramalingam who’s jealous of him.This is where he gets ahead of him and many other students in college.Suddenly a student in the college hangs himself and commits suicide.The reason being the failure of project submission on the required timeline and Virus rejecting it, stating that he can show only sympathy but cant break rules for the sake of anyone.Heart broken,this forces him to commit suicide and Rancho is completely at shock.After a while under weird situations,the trio meets Pia(Kareena),daughter of Virus at her sister’s(Mona Singh) wedding.Rancho makes Pia view a new side of life and his immense joyful attitude and his commitment to friendship impresses her.

As a result love blossoms between the two.Mean while,Raju’s dad is paralyzed and suffers an attack.Rancho immediately offers timely help and Raju’s deeply moved.These are the moments here and between that make the movie so special.Then comes the preinterval scene dating back to the present life,which leaves everyone in shock regarding Rancho’s identity .Post interval,coming back to the flash back,Rancho makes everyone realize how passionate one must be about their interests without giving up to parents demands.This enthuses Farhan to explore his passion of wild life photography.He feels this is the last opportunity to have a satisfying job rather than a well paid hellish one.He also convinces his parents about his future and henceforth they give a green signal to his choice.

So few days later,Raju gets caught by Virus for some serious mischief and the latter threatens him to be rusticated from the college.He even gives him a choice between Rancho and himself, on whom to be sent off.He being clueless, jumps from the window succumbing to a serious injury.Rancho,again with Farhan come to his rescue .A Fortnight later,Raju too earns a job in an interview and is thrilled.Virus previously had ridiculed him of not worthy of getting a job and he would shave off his moustache had he got so.So,not able to bear him getting a job,his ego gets the better of him and he tries to set a paper which is so difficult ,such that he(raju) fails in the exam.This leads to some ugly sequences where he loses his temper and Pia too disapproves her father to be rude and leaves the house.Ultimately,the 3 Idiots are suspended from the college after a misunderstood incident .That night,Pia’s sister being pregnant suffers from incessant pains needing to go to the hospital urgently.Due to continuous rains,the transport comes to a standstill giving her no chance of going to the hospital.Then the trio leaving with their bags packed take notice of this situation and inform Pia.So using their limited sources with the help of Pia with the web cam,the the baby is delivered and kudos to the ideals of the director.Finally “Aal Izz Well”and impressed by humanity of the 3 Idiots t,heir suspensions are cancelled by Virus,and all successfully complete their engineering course.Unexpectedly Rancho is suddenly missing from the scene and disappears from all their lives.When the truth comes out,we feel really sympathetic for his cause. So coming back to the present,then the rest of the story lies in how Farhan and Raju win him back and  make him meet Pia.The climax is easily the high point of the film.

Aamir Khan is the soul of the movie.He is such a talented actor and this performance of great multitude proves it.He thrives on challenges and success is just a formality.He’s made it a habit.Madhavan and Sharman Joshi sparkle with Aamir sharing great vibes and proving their mettle as good actors.Kareena is excellent.She confirms it yet again that she’s the no.1 in acting.Though a limited role,she performs comedy with ease and holding her presence on screen  amidst legends like Aamir is no mean task.Boman Irani shows how classy he’s ,enacting a role of a heartless principal Virus.Omi Vaidya as Chatur Ramalingam is awesome and provides good laughs especially in the speech he recites in Hindi.Music deserves a special mention which maintains the flow of the movie instead of interrupting it.Cinematography is wonderful and so is the choreography.Most importantly, for carving out a flick like this with a child like innocence,hats off to Raj Kumar Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra. who use Chetan Bhagat’s novel to their advantage

Bollywood has had a dull year, but this movie for sure will bring smiles to the distributors ensuring good business because of its quality content.This is a gem…You’ll miss something important in life if you don’t watch this movie..So rush to the theatres!!!

RATING:5/5

Wishing all the readers a very Happy New Year…

An unwanted break?

 

The recent demands for Telangana has created a hostile atmosphere in the state dividing people with varied opinions.The root cause of the protests being students is a huge matter of concern.Students have acted in a very immature way to satisfy their demands.This has resulted in bandhs,holidays for many educational institutions thus breaking the much needed momentum in academics.This situation can be used by the students either for a break or sharpening the so- called essential skills.

                         Holidays provide an ample opportunity to students for creativity.Book Reading is a wonderful habit at any time and reading classics of Shakespeare,Sidney Sheldon,Robin Cook,John Grisham,Jeffery Archer,Erich Segal is a wonderful idea.Updating ourselves with technical knowledge  such as C,C++,Windows,Java with short term courses would help us go beyond the classroom.Reading good articles from the Internet by experts in respective fields will polish our skills.Besides, a glance of the future portions to be studied at college would keep us busy and finishing off the pending writing work may save time once the colleges reopen .Movie,documentary viewing once in a while from the video libraries avoiding the theatres could prove economical as well as entertaining.Jogging and brisk walking in the parks amid fresh air for an hour or Gym is advisable to keep the body fit.In addition,Yoga and Meditation would be best tonic to keep our minds fresh devoid any unnecessary thoughts.Listening to soulful music we enjoy would relieve us from the unduly daily life stress.Aiding our parents in the daily chores would save time for them.Ultimately it all comes to time managing balancing relaxation and our basic duties.Lets hope the unrest in the state comes to a halt very soon and we are back to our  daily routine once again.Wishing everyone A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year…

N.SRIVATHSAN

SREENIDHI ENGINEERING COLLEGE

HYDERABAD

De Dana Dan is a rib tickling laugh riot

Technorati Tags: Movie Review

The Hera Pheri Jodi work magic yet again.Priyadarshan with the trio of Akshay,Sunil Shetty and Paresh Rawal tickle your fun muscles wonderfully.This time the situations get whackier and more funnier.After a series of duds in the year,Akshay is back in full form with his lucky lady girl Katrina Kaif.The basic essence of the movie remains the same.Leave out your brains and enter the theatre.

STORY

Akshay Kumar and Suneil Shetty are two carefree men settled in Singapore.They lack spice in life but always believe that life will give them an oppurtunity to become rich.Akshay works as a care taker in a millionaire’s house while Suneil works as a courier agent.Akshay is very dissatisfied with his treatment in his owners house but he couldn’t do much to escape from this mundane routine as his father borrowed money from the former for Akshay’s education and failed to return it due to his untimely death.Both are having girl friends in the form of Katrina and Sameera Reddy.Katrina and Sameera come from rich backgrounds.Their parents normally want them to marry a rich person.Their respective parents try arranging a marriage for both of them and Katrina ,Sameera warn their partners that this is the last chance for them to get together if not they had to part ways.

                                     Akshay was seemingly helpless.He starts planning out a few ideas with Suneil Shetty to earn quick and easy money for a tension free life satisfying their lady loves.Cashing on the love the owner of Akshay’s workplace ,has for her dog,they kidnap it.Their plans go  awry when the dog escapes in the middle of the journey and returns back to the house.They still don't have a knowledge of it though.They scribble in the owner’s house that she had to pay a ransom of 1 crore to avoid death.She gives a police complaint and mistakes that Akshay is kidnapped.Akshay believing his life is settled calls Katrina to join him in a hotel until they get the money.He was shell shocked to see his kidnapping news in the headlines realizing they were in a big mess with neither the dog nor the money.Then the entry of Paresh Rawal and many other characters rallying around him turn you into splits.The script is ultimately the tricks the Roadside Romeo's try to win their girls.As like his other movies, “De Dana Dan” borrows its source from a Malayalam film “Vettom”.

PERFORMANCES

Akki works big time in this comic caper.He proves yet again his ease in handling comic movies.Suneil Shetty after a lull seems to have earned his comic timing back and shares good chemistry with Akki.Katrina Kaif is stunning in the songs and adds the glamour quotient to the script well along with an impressive Sameera Reddy.Paresh Rawal as a corrupt businessman performs his part with an admirable ease.The supporting cast including Johnny Lever,Rajpal Yadav,Chunky Pandey and many more do a sincere job to entertain the crowds.Priyadarshan has handled an average script admirably well to his advantage and his mettle in creating comic situations out of no where comes to the fore in Dana Dan.The music is quite good by Pritam who has delivered great numbers this year.Gale Lag  Jaa and Paisa stand out among the songs.The cinematography is quite good capturing Singapore at its very best.The climax sequence too is shot really well and kudos to the producers for investing on a good Director and a comic script without any compromises on the budget.

What works for De Dana Dan?

• The Hera Pheri combination
• Picturisation of music
• Hard-core comedy

What doesn’t work?

• Excessive length
• Too many characters
• Repetitive story line

Ultimately what an aam aadmi wants is pure entertainment  keeping his worries away and enjoying the 2 1/2 hours to the fullest.De Dana Dan is a winner among the first benchers and family crowds for sure and the cast do every bit to satisfy the audience.Don't miss this!

 

Paa is a heartful masterpiece

Bollywood has truly come of age.Its blessed with extraordinary talent but most importantly its being used now.Movies are focussing on rare and unique themes which are being appreciated by an intelligent audience.Paa is no different.Based on a rare disease named Progeria it speaks volumes on human emotions.It doesn’t get preachy in the process,infact Balki’s work contains many funny and light moments connectable to our daily life.

STORY

Vidya is a gynacolologist by profession.Amol Aarte is meanwhile an aspiring politician who wants to change the face of India and remove corruption.Both love each other but unknowingly Vidya gets pregnant.She is in a dilemma on whether to give birth to the child which might affect both their careers.Here Amol isn’t convinced about having a child and in turn wants her to abort the child as he wants to focus on his future.Vidya though is very much disappointed by Amol’s irresponsibility sheand both break up.Vidya decides to give birth to the child with the help of her mother.Her problems doesn’t end with this.She gives birth to a baby boy Auro suffering from a one in a million disease Progeria which is accelerated ageing with premature death.She is heart broken.But still she puts up a brave face and makes him grow like a normal child.Few years later Auro accidentally meets his father who is a famous M.P by then known for his great visionary.Rest of the story deals with the bonding of Amol and Auro and the weird eqations they share.Ultimately,Auro comes to know the truth of Amol being his father and is desperate to see his mom and dad patch up.The rest of the story deals under what circumstances Vidya and Amol had to face and show their love for Auro.


PERFORMANCES

Abhishek as Amol shows an immensely growing actor getting better movie by movie.Vidya is simply superb as a mom who had to face
many difficulties in life.Amitabh Bachchan pitches in a career best performance as Auro.His sterling on screen presence at such an age speaks volumes of the legend’s class.Arundhati Naag as Vidya’s mom fits the bill perfectly. The classmates of Auro perform very well.Though the actors have given in marvellous performances,this is R.Balki’s film and full marks to him for extracting the best out of his cast.The simplicity in the narrative style of the movie is beautiful.The music by Ilayaraaja is soothing and a treat for the ears.The film’s theme is such that it doesn’t require a lavish setting, but still ,the locations impress..Infact the movie nears perfection in most of the departments.

What works for the movie?

• Amitabh’s awesome performance
• Music
• Balki’s direction
• Unique theme

What doesn’t work?

• The political track of Amol
• Lack of pace in the script

Ultimately Paa is endearing experience which is so rare in these times.It will move everyone with a heart.It shows how delicate human emotions and relationships are,infact it pays a tribute to it.Go for it without any more suspicion.Dont miss it!!
RATING:4/5

Kurbaan sends a bold message on global terrorism

Well,this birthday the movie i chose was Kurbaan.The trailers,the cast,the theme made it all the more interesting.After the movie,i felt probably this this was the best thing i planned for my b’day.

Directed by Rensil D’Silva

Produced by Karan Johar, Hiroo Johar

Written by Rensil D’Silva, Niranjan Iyengar, Anurag Kashyap

Starring Saif Ali Khan
Kareena Kapoor
Rupinder Nagra
Om Puri
Kirron Kher
Vivek Oberoi

Music by Salim-Sulaiman

Cinematography Hemant Chaturvedi

Distributed by UTV Motion Pictures

Country India

Language Hindi

Movie



Kurbaan takes it ideals from Fanaa and New York but turns out to be much better than the other 2.Avantika is a proffessor settled in the US.Her father’s heart attack forces her to come back to her homeland India.There she meets Ehsaan Khan with whom her love life blossoms.But Avantika is called back to return to the US and as a result,Ehsaan and Avantika decide to marry.Avantika’s father has apprehensions about giving his daughter to a Musilm but later reconciles and accepts their proposal.The scene then shifts back to New York where they both settle in a beside an Indian neighbour.The neighbour invites them to a party to their house.A few days later a girl named Salma(a girl in the neighbourhood whom she had dinner with) in the name of giving sweets to Avantika, expresses the danger of being killed by her husband.She further tells to inform the news to Salma’s only friend Rihaana who works as a TV reporter and is in a relationship with Riyaz.Avantika conveys Salma’s message to Rihaana. Avantika soon realises their neighbours are nothing but terrorists and killing innocent lives in the name of god. She gets trapped in a game plotted by none other than her husband Ehsaan Khan.She realises that she was nothing but a tool used by Ehsaan.By the time she knows this ,she’s a pregnant.She even comes to know that the flight by which Rihaanaa was travelling that night was the next on the list of the terrorist attack.She informs this to her by voicemail,but it becomes too late and the latter loses her life in the airline crash.Heart broken journalist Riyaz is determined to find out the roots of the attack.Now he recognises Avantika’s voice message that night and intelligently gets close to Ehsaan to revenge his partner’s death.Avantika and Riyaaz plan out things so delicately to reveal this dreaded truth out though the former is under house arrest.By the time they try their tricks,the gang plans out another triple attack in 3 stations.Then the climax reveals whether Avantika and Riyaz are successful in their attempt.But ultimately Kurbaan is a love story,believe me it is.

PERFORMANCES

Saif Ali Khan takes giant leaps as an actor with kurbaan.Kareena as usual is top class and shows her acting prowess to the fullest extent.Their chemistry is burning hot and works wonders for the movie.Om Puri is commanding.Kirron Kher is first rate.The surprise package is Vivek Oberoi who pitches in a memorable performance with great sincerity.In fact all actors have fitted the bill perfectly,credits to the casting director.Rensil’D'Silva couldn’t have chosen a better script than Kurbaan.His freshness impresses.The dialogues in the movie are top class and no less are the lyrics in the songs lending novelty to the situations well.Salim-Sulaiman have composed some wonderful tunes for this movie especially Shukran Allah and Kurbaan Hua.The Cinematography of the movie is top class capturing beautiful locations of India and the US remarkably.The movie is truly a Bollywood’s answer to Hollywood.Such is the quailty of this movie.Previous movies on terrorism dealt only with the emotional aspect of terrorism but this movie highlights the basic psyche of terrorists and the solution to it.It sends down a novel message.Coming to the location,casting,music Kurbaan is a winner all the way.

+ves and -ves

What works for Kurbaan?

* Kareena’s acting
* Vivek Oberoi
* Salim Sulaiman’s music
* The suppporting cast
* Direction
* Production values

Whats against Kurbaan?

* Too straight
* Violent second half
* 2:37 min running time

K’Jo has done it this time too.Dharma productions is yet again successful in bringing out a quality film.Go watch this movie to see the Indian actors proving their mettle and equally world class production values.Kurbaan should be a treat to watch.It has its own charm despite the theme of terrorism.Leave out those baseless comedy capers,come out and watch Kurbaan for an ultimate answer and I’m sure you wont come out dissaopinted.

Rating:4/5

Tribute to our "chacha" this very memorable day

Oh God! Probably this is the last children’s day I have celebrated being a child(I’ll be 18 by Nov 27). Down the memory lane, children’s day has been full of cherishable and beautiful moments that can be treasured life-long. The innocence, purity of childhood is so unbelievable and so touching that we long for those days we spent as a child. Probably that’s the basic reason our Chacha Nehru loved children to a great extent. We hardly retain the charm growing as an elderly person. Our minds get polluted with unnecessary thoughts that lead into a mundane life. The ultimate purpose of life, honesty and truthfulness holds no value in this heartless society. People tell to move on with life but hardly anyone realizes what we are leaving behind. For now, let’s forget these harsh realities and spring back those moments of bliss during childhood..

Abdul Kalam’s statement that children can convert a nation from nothing to everything holds true to a great extent. Let’s spare a thought to think what we are today is because of our childhood. Let’s bring back the joy seeing our glorious childhood, recall the cry for not going to school, not doing homework, for not finishing our tiffin boxes. Let’s open our old family album which is in dust for long and be a child again for this one day. We’re so much in stress such that we hardly have time for such small things. But these small things are the ones which make life special. If you’re a parent, see yourself in your daughter/son and share their happiness. We also as citizens could do our bit to the helpless children who hardly have any luxury in life. Let’s make their life special and the satisfaction we get is immeasurable. Life always provides us opportunities, for nurturing a good individual probably childhood is one. Inspirations are so many in lives…take the late Princess Diana, Mother Theresa. They never expected anything back for what they did. So all the kids out there, enjoy these moments, you have life only once, so is childhood, live it to the fullest, realize your responsibilities and be a happy person in any situation,come what may.The below article has been exclusively written by Nehru for children.So,have a glance in his own words to how much he loved children.


Love and Happiness: Nehru's Letter To Children
By Jawaharlal Nehru









Dear Children,



I like being with children and talking to them and, even more, playing with them. For the moment I forget that I am terribly old and it is very long ago since I was a child.



But when I sit down to write, I cannot forget my age and the distance that separates you from me. Old people have a habit of delivering sermons and good advice to the young.



I remember that I disliked this very much long ago when I was a boy. So I suppose you do not like it very much either. Grown-ups also have a habit of appearing to be very wise, even though very few of them possess much wisdom. I have not yet quite made up my mind whether I am wise or not.



Sometimes listening to others I feel that I must be wise and brilliant and important. Then, looking at myself, I begin to doubt this. In any event, people who are wise do not talk about their wisdom and do not behave as if they were very superior persons...



What then shall I write about? If you were with me, I would love to talk to you about this beautiful world of ours, about flowers, trees, birds, animals, stars, mountains, glaciers and all the other beautiful things that surround us in the world. We have all this beauty all around us and yet we, who are grown-ups, often forget about it and lose ourselves in our arguments or in our quarrels. We sit in our offices and imagine that we are doing very important work.



I hope you will be more sensible and open your eyes and ears to this beauty and life that surrounds you. Can you recognise the flowers by their names and the birds by their singing? How easy it is to make friends with them and with everything in nature, if you go to them affectionately and with friendship. You must have read many fairy tales and stories of long ago. But the world itself is the greatest fairy tale and story of adventure that was ever written. Only we must have eyes to see and ears to hear and a mind that opens out to the life and beauty of the world.



Grown-ups have a strange way of putting themselves in compartments and groups. They build barriers... of religion, caste, colour, party, nation, province, language, customs and of rich and poor. Thus they live in prisons of their own making. Fortunately, children do not know much about these barriers, which separate. They play and work with each other and it is only when they grow up that they begin to learn about these barriers from their elders. I hope you will take a long time in growing up...



Some months ago, the children of Japan wrote to me and asked me to send them an elephant. I sent them a beautiful elephant on behalf of the children of India... This noble animal became a symbol of India to them and a link between them and the children of India.



I was very happy that this gift of ours gave so much joy to so many children of Japan, and made them think of our country... remember that everywhere there are children like you going to school and work and play, and sometimes quarrelling but always making friends again. You can read about these countries in your books, and when you grow up many of you will visit them. Go there as friends and you will find friends to greet you.



You know we had a very great man amongst us. He was called Mahatma Gandhi. But we used to call him affectionately Bapuji. He was wise, but he did not show off his wisdom. He was simple and childlike in many ways and he loved children... he taught us to face the world cheerfully and with laughter.



Our country is a very big country and there is a great deal to be done by all of us. If each one of us does his or her little bit, then all this mounts up and the country prospers and goes ahead fast.



I have tried to talk to you in this letter as if you were sitting near me, and I have written more than I intended.




Jawaharlal Nehru December 3, 1949

Imtiaz Ali recreates magic...back with a bang

Sorry guys ,i'm quite late with the review.The well hyped flick has opened up to full houses all over India and rest of the world.Its cast,music,direction,dialogues,production values have all worked wonders for the movie.So here's the analysis of "LOVE AAJ KAL".


Directed by Imtiaz Ali

Produced by Saif Ali Khan
Dinesh Vijan

Starring
Saif Ali Khan as Jai Vardhan Singh/ Younger days Veer Singh
Deepika Padukone as Meera Pundit
Rishi Kapoor
Rahul Khanna
Giselle Monteiro
Vir Das
Florence Brudenell-Bruce

Music by Pritam

Cinematography Natarajan Subramaniam

Distributed by Illuminati Films Pvt Ltd

STORY

Jai Vardhan and Meera are carefree lovers who know nothing about commitment,sincerity in love.They date for a few months in London and then decide to break up in the wake of shaping up their careers and decide to give a party for that.Jai there meets Veer Singh,the party co-ordinator who narrates his tale of love situated in those sweet 50's.Then the movie picturises a beautiful parallel between these two love stories and draws out the similarities,changes in both the eras.The scene now dates back to Punjab where Veer Singh's love Harleen is present.Their love shows how expressions speak for themselves rather than mere talk.Then the story moves on to Delhi where Meera pursues her career and Jai continues his jobless,chilling days in London.Veer Singh is desperate for Jai to understand the meaning of love and realise his true love.He by then falls for a British girl.Meera too zeroes on Vikram,her boss as a partner. Jai with his fiancee decide to go on a holiday to India and decides to surprise Meera.Meera and Jai then have a day off from their partners in Delhi and have fun roaming around.Time closes on in for Meera to take a final decison on her choice for a better half.So Meera warns Jai to stop being in touch with her and go ahead in their lives.Meanwhile Veer Singh in his tale,tries every trick to woo Harleen.Harleen then departs to Kolkatta leaving Punjab and Jai too follows suite to win his love.Harleen too accepts him and this love comes under great scrutiny from her parents.In the other story,Meera marries Vikram and invites Jai too on the occassion.Both are still confused on their interests.Both really miss each other in life.To add another dramatic twist,Jai has a good career on hand in contrast with Meera who wants to meet Jai the final time.But isn't it too late for confession?Does Jai realise his inner truth?Will their love last the distance?Will Veer Singh be able to convince Harleen's parents?forms an interesting warm climax.




PERFORMANCES
Saif Ali Khan gives a career best performance fitting into the double role amicably well.Deepika Padukone gives a honest performance and tries her every bit make the character look natural.Giselle Monterio,the Brazilian model is the surprise package of the movie.With hardly any dialogues at her disposal she gives a handful,impressive performance as a Punjabi girl.Rishi Kapoor's mature performance adds a bonus for the movie and he really induces life into his role.Rahul Khanna gives a modest performance.Neetu Kapoor's special appearance at the end is sweet.The supporting cast have done well enough to support the lead pair.Saif's chemistry on screen with Giselle and Deepika rocks onscreen.Music by Pritam is pleasing and he tops the chart with this album especially with the song "Chor Bazaari".Irshad Kamil,the lyric writer does an extremely professional job.Imtiaz Ali is masterful at storytelling and the parallel between modern and previous era's is depicted beautifully.Dialogues are really simple and thoughtful.The production values just add to the glitz of this flick perfectly.Barring all, screenplay looks a bit wagging though.Still the movie is a sure winner and will rake in the moolah perfectly.

PLUS POINTS OF THE MOVIE

Saif Ali Khan and Rishi Kapooer's expertise
Deepika's performance
Giselle's charm
The maturity with which the script is handled
Imtiaz Ali's dialogues,direction

WHAT DOESEN'T WORK?

Wagging screenplay
Average second half

OVERALL ANALYSIS:
We can see the truth glaring in front of us.The plus points are too much to outweigh the negatives.It has its heart at the right place.A really matured take on relationships.Will work wonders with the youth and convince the aged well.The freshness is simply superb with this one..Well, I am falling short of words....if you haven't seen this..just step out and watch it the nearest cinema hall.These movies are rare and come once in a lifetime....Go Go JAI HO!!

RATING:4.25/5

Katich and Ponting put Australia on top

Day 2 witnessed more drama.Australia piled on the agony for England despite the latter building up a healthy total of 435.Katich and Ponting scored chance less hundreds to take Australia to 249/1,thus in a commanding position on the second day.England worked really hard but Australia always had an answer to them.The lack of swing and poor direction lead to a dismal show by England.



Ending on a healthy 336/7,England tail continued the onslaught on the patchy Australian bowlers.Johnson sent back Broad early but Anderson and Swann put in a display of sensible batting.They did really well to take their team past 400 and put the kangaroos on the backseat.Anderson made 24 and Swann made 47 to power England to 435.Australia need a solid start to pep England back and the openers Phil Hughes and Katich did exactly that.Australia were 39/0 by lunch but the onus was on England to continue to their positivity.




England came back from lunch firing.Flintoff bowled a fiery spell of fast bowling and removed a dangerous looking Phil Hughes for 36.There were a few nervous moments later but such was Australia's determination they didn't even offer them a half chance.Katich and Ponting batted splendidly and built the innings step by step,session by session.The left hand-right hand combination did it for the kangaroos.It was a delight to watch them bat.England didn't have any joy though and were left spellbound.Australia built a perfect platform for a 500+ score.Well still England can make amends with a good performance in the morning session of the third day.

Honours even on day one

Ashes has begun.Such was the intensity between the both teams that both were trying to roll upon each other.England always had managed a good run rate for which they eventually managed a healthy 336/7.Looking in Australia's point of view,they just managed to put the breaks when required but in doing so, they failed to keep a lid on the runs.





Strauss won the toss and and batted on a good Cardiff pitch.England lost Cook early to Ben Hilfenhaus.Bopara and Strauss entertained a lively crowd for a while.The joy was short lived by Mitchell Johnson when Bopara was bamboozled by a slower one.Strauss too departed after a 23 run partnership with Pieterson to Johnson again.England were 97/3 at lunch with Australia looking good.Collingwood and Pieterson revived the English in the second session putting in a 100+ partnership.Nathan Hauritz and a few part time spinners couldn't pick up even a single wicket in the session.So,Round 2 belonged entirely to the English team.



Australia and England fought it neck to neck in the final session.Both teams weren't ready to give an inch.Collingwood completed a wonderful fifty and got out to the impressive Ben Hilfenhaus.Pieterson too followed suite for an enterprising 69 with Nathan Hauritz getting the prize wicket.Then started a counter attack by Flintoff and Prior who matched each other shot to shot,ball to ball leaving Australia bewildered.They managed 86 runs in 15 odd overs taking England past the 300 mark.Peter Siddle who was wicket less till then pulled Australia back into this one with a fiery spell capturing Prior and Flintoff.Broad and Anderson then negotiated a few balls to ensuring no further damage.It was a great start for what is going to be an intensely fought series.

for live commentary from the BBC click
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/bbc_radio_five_live_sports_extra

Ashes battle kicks off today

All the pre-match talk is being put into dust as the mother of all battles, only second to India vs Pak though, commences today.Cricket is back in business but in its unique form now.Australia and England have had a gloomy season till.England suffered a humiliating 5-0 loss in Australia but they are fitter,stronger both physically and mentally to test the fading cricket giants.Australia too with their young team are ready to prove a point to the critics.This series has taken the "home of cricket" England by a storm.Everyone has something to say or comment about in the series and will continue to do so in the future.Watching it as a neutral spectator makes me all the more excited.To go for the predictions,i would favour England a notch ahead of the kangaroos but just.My college too begins in the third week of August,so i wont miss any action of this high drama.I just cant wait for it to begin.Stay glued to your television sets and be ready to view an evenly balanced contest.

Kambakkht Ishq does just enough to tickle your funny bones!!

Directed by : Sabbir Khan


Produced by: Sajid Nadiadwala


Written by : Anvita Dutt Guptan ,Ishita Moitra,Sabbir Khan


Starring: Akshay Kumar,Kareena Kapoor,Aftab Shivdasani, Amrita Arora


Music by: Anu Malik


Release date: July 3, 2009

Well,the movie season is back with a bang.New York and then now Kambhaqt Ishq...To begin with,this movie is a rip off a Tamil movie Pammal K Sammandam starring Kamal Haasan and Simran.The plot is basically the same but the latter has been shot and promoted at a lavish scale.



STORY:

Viraj Shergill(Akshay Kumar) is a stunt man working for Hollywood movies.Lucky Shergill(Aftab Shivdasani)is Viraj's lone brother. Simrata Rai(Kareena Kapoor) meanwhile is an aspiring surgeon and a part time super model who is a feminist feels men are fit for nothing.Kamini(Amrita Arora) is Simrita's best friend and takes her advice for almost everything.Lucky and Kamini are dating each other and sparks fly when they engage each other much to the dislike of Viraj and Simrita.Viraj and Simrita dont at all get along. Both of them try their own weird tricks to break the marriage of Lucky and Kamaini.Here comes the twist.Viraj is injured during a fatal fire accident and had to undergo a stomach operation under the co-ordination of none other than his foe/enmy (call it whatever) Simrita Rai.Simrita unintentionally drops her watch in Viraj's tummy and lands up in big trouble.More trouble lands up when his X-ray report gets thrown in to a wrong person.The watch was gifted to Simrita by Dolly(Kiron Kher) which has an alarm of the mantra told during Hindu marriage rituals "Om Mangalam".Viraj does everything to find out the source of the mantra "Om Mangalam".Then the rest of the story deals with how Simrita skillfully woos Viraj to save her pride.But she some where feels Viraj likeable but ends up cheating herself.Will she realise it? Will she able to win Viraj?Why does she wants Viraj back? forms the crux of the story.

PERFORMANCES:

Akshay Kumar is the backbone of the movie.He's back to fine form and makes this work big time.Kareena Kapoor looks great in the movie and excels as Simrita.Aftab & Amrita make a good pair and do justice to the given roles.Kiron Kher disappoints and Javed Jaffrey too doesn't get it right this time around.The special appearances by Denise Richards, Brandon Routh ,Sylvester Stallone and Holly Valance fall flat and don't fit in the script well.The music too falls short of expectations.Debutante Director Sabbir Khan gives a sincere effort though.


HOW WAS THE MOVIE?

Though the movie has many flaws and setbacks,its definitely watchable for the credible performances from the lead pair.The comic tracks in parts are really funny.The first half promises good humour while the second half stammers.Go to the hall without any expectations and chances are that you wont come out disappointed.

RATING: 2.5/5

A decision taken in life........finally

Career is something which a student has to take up for achieving personal satisfaction and happiness.This article is just a peep-in on how i finally backed my final decision,i.e engineering at SRM.Despite having limited choices to make my decision,i made a complete mess of it.My brain was hearing and facing all kind of chin music.I was getting all kinds of advice from all sorts of people adding to my misery...





I had three choices firstly Amrita,Eamcet,SRM.Amrita was ruled out at the earliest due to unavailability of seats in Coimbatore and Bangalore.I had only Kerala one left which was quite mediocre.So Amrita was removed off my list at the beginning.Then i got an OK rank/score in EAMCET i.e neither too good nor too bad making the matters worse.But a local college would prevent any kind of homesickness,i mean at least the satisfaction of reaching home's there.The local colleges though were good but not great.That made me unwillingly go to SRM counseling to block my seat for the safer side.Now i had done that and 2 more weeks to have the final go at my choice.Both sides of the coin had its share of advantages and disadvantages,but time was closing in and the choice had to be made.......After a series of uncertainties i was firm to join SRM.


Sustainability of our jobs is quite important in our lives.So a good background always adds as a bonus to students in such situations.This factor and the lackluster quality of education indeed made me go against the local colleges .I am not infact telling that SRM is the best in providing a good base ,but just hinting that it is the best of all choices available for me.So i hope my decision is justified.I am looking forward to perform at my best of the abilities in SRM and set up a path for a successful career.....

A purposeful “New York” lives up to the expectations

NEW YORK
Directed by Kabir Khan

Produced by Aditya Chopra

Starring John Abraham

Katrina Kaif

Neil Nitin Mukesh

Irfan Khan

Nawazuddin Siddiqui

Music by Pritam

Cinematography Aseem Mishra

Editing by Rameshwar S. Bhagat

Distributed by Yash Raj Films

Release date(s) June 26, 2009

Running time 153 min.

Country India

Language Hindi / English

New York catches your pulse and emotions perfectly.......

STORY:

New York has come out as a much expected film after the multiplex fiasco.The film deals with how the 9/11 effect on the normal daily life and never steps a foot wrong.Omar(Neil),Sameer(John) and Maya(Katrina) are good buddies in college.Omar is a disciplined brat while Sam and Maya are cool with a carefree attitude.Omar falls in love with Maya but is forced to leave her out as Sameer and Maya are fond of each other.Ad mist this love triangle,the World Trade Center blasts rock the country and changes their life completely.Omar stays away from Sam and Maya while Sam gets thrown in the detention center as a suspect bomber of the 9/11 blasts.He is subjected to repeated torture by the FBI.Later though, he was released due to lack of evidence against him.Sam and Maya then get married but Sam takes a wrong route to regain his pride in the society.His friend Omar though was unaware of this truth.Roshan(Irfan Khan),FBI officer then purposely catches hold of innocent Omar and sends him to Sam as an undercover FBI agent.Sam and Maya by then have a child.Maya works as a civil right activist.Omar then uses his wits to stay in Sam’s house to keep a check on his activities.Then will Omar be successful in changing Sam?Which wrong route does Sam take up?Will Maya get to know the truth? forms an enthralling ride.

PERFORMANCES

The cast does it all for the movie.Neil as Omar who brings out a career best performance is the heart of the movie.John too is not very much behind with a sincere heart warming performance.Katrina as Maya looks stunning and does her part to the best of her abilities.Irrfan Khan,as ever dependable gives a stunning and a controlled performance.The supporting actors also do nothing wrong and do justice to their roles.The background score is apt.Pritam does very well with his compositions.Kabir Khan,the director does his job to near perfection.

MOVIE

This movie offers something for everyone.It simultaneously entertains,thrills,makes us cry and a lot more.The freshness of the performances of the cast is pleasing.The locales and production values are wonderful by Yashraj & Co.Thumbs up for all the sincere effort the unit has put in and it shows onscreen.Quite a meaningful flick,considering the recent tensions between Indians particularly Muslims in the US and Australia.Go watch this one and you’ll come out smiling & having your every penny worthy.

RATING:

****/*****

South Indian damsels reigning Bollywood

Bollywood fortunately has a bulk of talent from all sides of the country. Here we try to glorify the south Indian queens who have made it, going to make it and who almost made it big in Bollywood. This is a tribute to the hard work and commitment shown by these angels…….



Sridevi has been a force to reckon with in the Indian film fraternity. Shree Amma Iyengar/Sridevi was born in Sivakasi,Tamil Nadu to Mr.Ayyapan and Mrs.Rajeswari on August 13, 1963. She admirably made her mark in the south industry acting in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam before her stint with the Bollywood. Acting from the age of 5, she has won innumerable laurels with her credible talent. She did her first Hindi film in 1978 and has never looked back since then. Her charm is unforgettable in movies such as Chandni, Mr. India, Judaai to name a few. She bid good bye to this industry in 1997 and married noted producer Boney Kapoor. She had a brief stint with the small screen too as “Malini Iyer” and her husband is now planning to re-launch her with a sequel to 1987 runaway hit Mr. India. She is now a mother to 2 daughters, Jhanvi and Khushi. She’s been a gifted child and her success is all possible due to her hard work, efficiency and commitment. None can ever take her place from our hearts……..That’s her charisma on screen.



Asin Thottumkal has taken the audience by storm with her unforgettable presence and her undefiable beauty.Now a leading actress in the South Indian film industry,she started her career with a Malayalam film Narendra Makan Jayakanthan Vaka in a supporting role.She entered Tollywood with Amma Nanna ,O Tanil Ammaye portraying the role of a Tamil girl and won a Filmfare award for her fine work and offers poured in since then for Asin.She gave a tough ride for all the leading ladies in the South.Ghajini provided a major break for Asin starring with Nayanatara and Surya. Then she became more choosy on her roles and her films started getting good responses. Dashavataram, magnum opus of K.S.Ravi Kumar opposite legend Kamal Haasan proved her mettle as an actress and the film opened to huge box office collections worldwide. This was just her first taste of big success.Future,though had much in store for her.She then went on essaying the same role (Kalpana)in the Hindi version of the movie Ghajini opposite Aamir Khan and it turned out to be the highest grosser in Indian film history. She is now giving sleepless nights to the likes of Katrina, Aishwarya ,Deepika.She has a Hollywood project in hand opposite Kamal Haasan again and another Vipul Shah’s “London Dreams” playing the love interest of Salman and Ajay Devgan.She is a serious talent capable of achieving the heights of yesteryear actresses such as SriDevi, Hema Malini, Nargis and all. She has barely done 20 movies but she’s carved her own niche in this glam world.


Deepika Padukone born to noted badminton player Prakash Padukone is having a dream run in her career.Deepika was quite successful model before her foray as an actress.She starred in a music video opposite Himesh.She made her debut with the Kannada film Aishwarya opposite Upendra.Farah Khan then roped her in for Om Shanti Om opposite the Baadshah Shahrukh.She made the best use of her luck,opportunity call it whatever,this film went on to be an international hit and her acting abilities won her almost an award in each of the main stram award ceremonies.Offers flooded in and she joined the big league of the highest paid actresses in this industry.She almost appeared in every advertisement,forget any brand.This glam doll then acted opposite Ranbir in Bachna Ae Haseeno and is now dating him.Her next big one was with Akshay Kumar starrer Chandni Chowk to China.It flopped miserably but she’s now pinning hopes on Love Aaj Kal with Saif stated for a July 31 release.Her acting abilities plus her beauty could take her ,places.



Hema Malini,the dream girl was born as a gift to.S.R. Chakravarty and Jaya on 16 October 1948 in Ammankudi,Tamil Nadu. She’s one of the ladies who wooed the audiences with her slim and attractive personality. A trained Bharatanatyam dancer,she always was notable for her ease in doing comic roles, more so with her husband Dharmendra.. She marked a glorious entry into Hindi films with Sapnon Ka Saudagar in 1968 and appearing in over 150 films in a career span of 40 years, she has starred in a large number of hit films, and her performances in both commercial and art house cinema were often recognized. Sholay,Seetha aur Geetha, Johnny mera naam, The Burning Train just shows her acting prowess and the wide variety in her choices.She married Dharmendra on 2 May 1980 and gave birth to Esha and Ahana.She then gave a few hits like Naseeb, Satte pe Satta,The Burning Train and took a break from acting in 1988.She tried out her luck as a director with Dil Aashna Hai starring Shahrukh Khan and the late Divya Bharati.She joined active politics from then and coached her daughter Esha to be classical dancer.She’s an inspiration and the dream girl still sizzles with her slim figure…….


Trisha Krishnan is a leading actress in the Tamil and Telugu industry. She shot to fame with a cameo in Prashant-Simran starrer Jodi. Priyadarshan then caste her as a leading actress in Tamil movie Lesa Lesa.This movie gathered good responses and a flurry of offers since then ensured no setbacks in a glorious career. She kept her good performances going in Tollywood and she’s acted with all the major heroes in the south except for Rajini and Kamal Hasaan.Abhiyum Naanum released in 2008 brought out her best performance till date and her simplicity just rocks. This looked great and Akshay Kumar was convinced to cast her in his next movie Khatta Meeta to be directed by Priya Darshan .She’s a confident girl and looks to carry her good run in Hindi films too. Let’s wish her success in all her attempts! Keep it going!!



Vidya Balan was born in Palakkad, Kerala in a Tamil Iyer family to P. R. Balan, who is the Vice President of ETC Channel and a housewife mother.Vidya Balan was previously an actor in advertisements.Balan started her film career with a Bengali film in 2001 titled Bhalo Theko and later was supposedly signed for a couple of movies in Tamil.Reasons undisclosed,she was dropped from both of them.That indeed turned out as a blessing in disguise for her career as she had something better and exciting in store for her future.She debuted in Bollywood through Parineeta(2005) which the critics acclaim as her best performance till date.She went on to star in box office hits like Lage Raho Munnabhai,Guru,Hey Baby and Bhool Bhulaiyya.Her film Eklavya,though wasn't a commercial success went on to be nominated as India's official entry to the Oscars.She's often criticized for her wardrobe selection.Barring all these,she's a charming presence on the big screen and more than a handful at acting.

New York audio released

After the stupendous success of the music of ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’, the music of NEW YORK is out at a store near you. The movie releases on 26th June in theaters worldwide.Pritam is back to wielding his magic with this wonderful album.The whole film is centered on friendship making the album more fresh and youthful.Here's the details on what this album has in store for you!

Hai Junoon:This wonderful number gives a rocking start to the album.K.K is back with his charisma and he just spins magic to this number.This number dates you back to sweet times spent with your friends.Probably the best one in the album..

Mere Sang:Sunidhi Chauhan voices this melodious number filled with hope and gives you strength.A perfect number as a follow up to Hai Junoon.Sets you in a good mood with a different feel to it.

Tune Jo Na KahaAnother Chauhan,this time Mohit the Masakkali singer to render a slow romantic duet which might remain ever lasting in your heart.His unique voice adds versatility to this wonderful album.

Aye Saye Mere A Sufi rock number sung and composed by Pankaj Awasthi.Though this track doesn't live up to the previous songs,this song has wonderful lyrics penned by Junaid Wasi and has an emotional feel attached to it.

New York Theme:This score captures the soul of the movie and the musical instruments used give a great international feel.

Remix versions:The remix versions of the songs are well paced and keeps you going and we need not be surprised if these tracks rock the dance floor.

Well,the music is gonna top the charts.No matter how the movie fares,this score will definitely win over audiences for its uniqueness.Pritam after a lull bounces back well.

Rating:3.25/5

Amitabh and Ranbir in brand new looks

Amitabh is back to his unique best.R.Balki, the Cheeni Kum director’s new venture will see Amitabh playing son to Abhishek Bachchan and Vidya Balan.Amitabh’s role will be such that he’ll be ageing more quickly than a normal human life. Sources reveal that special make up artistes have flown in from US and ready shock the audiences. In fact he’s been traveling like an under cover agent covered with a towel to hide his look. But doesn’t this suggest the similarity between “The Curious case of Benjamin Button”? Well we have to wait for quite a while to reveal the secrets. Now, just be amazed to see the snap below….Big B is surely young and raring



Ranbir Kapoor too joins the list to don a turban in his new film Rocket Singh. This movie brings back the Chak De India pair of director and writer Shimit Amin and Jaideep Sahni.This movie is sure to provide rib tickling comedy to the viewers.Yash Raj films will be producing this comedy flick and the female lead is still kept in wraps.

TREAT FOR MOVIE BUFFS

Bollywood has probably come out of its dull patch and is ready to bring in the crowds after the multiplex issue finally was sorted out.This year Bollywood is going for the off beat and variety movies to test its fate at the box office.The bucks are too running high on these flicks.Here's a glimpse on what can we expect of these much hyped movies....

NEW YORK

Well this movie surely boasts of an efficient star cast with the likes of John Abraham,Neil,Katrina and the dependable Irfan Khan.Trailers suggest this movie has the back drop of 9/11 attacks and the ill treatment of Indians and basically Muslims in New York and how innocent lives get into danger.John Abraham is baring it all for this movie while the chemistry between the lead pair looks like it'll set the big screen on fire.Katrina Kaif probably for the first time takes the challenge of doing a performance oriented role while John will look to cement his place in this industry carving his own niche and Neil continues to experiment with his roles.Expect an intense drama like never before and with yashraj films producing it ensures that there'll not be any compromises in the production value.

LOVE AAJ KAL

Saif Ali Khan is trying his luck as a producer with this movie.Saif and Deepika are ready to set the screen alive.Jab we met director Imtiaz ali promises an entertaining love story in which Saif is playing a role of a Sardarji and this movie takes on the couple's journey of love.Saif Ali Khan and Deepika too are in desperate need of a blockbuster and lets hope it has all the ingredients to be one. The first look of the movie promises a nice and a fresh feel which in fact worked for the director’s earlier Jab we met. Well, even though the movie seems to be hitting the right notes among the audiences, it’s bound to face tough competition. Expect a chilling heart warming movie with good music.

KAMINEY

Vishal Bharadwaj,the director of the movie has his own brand of movies with a touch of commercial elements in it. Maqbool, Omkara are just examples of his versatility. Shahid is mean while playing a double role in the movie pairing with the charming Priyanka Chopra while Taare Zameen Par script writer Amol Gupte is playing the bad guy. The public interest generating to this movie is astounding and surely gonna give a tough fight for the other movies releasing around the same time. Expect an action packed thriller with wonderful performances from the cast.



LONDON DREAMS

Vipul Shah is back after a gap from his previous movie Namastey London. The “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam” heroes Salman Khan,Ajay Devgan are back together again with Ghajini girl Asin.Music, well has been composed by the academy award winner A.R.Rahman. Rumours of a link up between Asin and Salman were doing all the rounds giving the movie some kind of publicity despite denial from both the lead actors. The movie’s based on a music band “London Dreams” which is introducing MTV VJ Ranvijay as an actor.Salman probably needs to get a break from his flop run which has continued over 2 years. Expect a unique and a fresh musical and great on screen chemistry between Salman and Asin……

KAMBHAQT ISHQ

After a long wait the movie’s ready to entertain us. Akshay and Kareena pair up for the 7th time in this Sajid Nadiadwala’s summer treat. With guest appearances of Sylvester Stallone and other major Hollywood actors this movie falls nothing short of having an international appeal. Kareena, who’s playing a supermodel too is gonna sizzle in a bikini.The presence of Amrita Arora and Aftab Shivdasani too will add glitz to the movie.Expect a commercial ,entertaining fun based movie .


KITES

Hrithik Roshan, Barbara Mori and Kangana Ranaut star in this big budget venture which is set for a Diwali release..This movie is releasing after almost an year after Hrithik’s previous “Jodha Akbar” ,so the expectations are soaring up and the wait seems to be worthy Rakesh Roshan and director Anurag Basu have left no stone unturned for this movie to reach out to the audiences worldwide and the promotion of the movie in Cannes too evoked a good response.Expect a beautiful love story and eye catchy action sequences.

MY NAME IS KHAN


The successful combination of Karan Johar,Shahrukh and Kajol are back with a message oriented movie again on backdrops of 9/11 attacks and the ill treatment of Muslims and so on. Shahrukh is infact co-producing the movie along with Karan Johar.The latest buzz is that FOX studios are willing to distribute the movie and the talks are on with KJo.The movie is slated for a year end release in 2nd week of December. Expected power packed performances from this golden jodi.

THREE IDIOTS

Raj Kumar Hirani after his famous Munnabhai series is back with a comic caper again.This film boasts of a wonderful star cast including Aamir Khan,Madhavan,Kareena Kapoor .This flick is inspired from the famous novel “Five point Someone” penned by Chetan Bhagat which highlights a journey of 3 guys in IIT with Aamir’s love interest played by Kareena.The movie is slated for a Christmas release competing with Shahrukh once again.The battle begins again .Expect a youthful college fun movie.

FADING CRICKET GIANTS KNOCKED OUT OF ICC T-20

Australia winner of three world cups, one champion’s trophy and the owner of No.1 spot have now failed to qualify even for a super 8 spot in the mega T-20event. This defeat will hurt them till years, not because they lost, the way they have lost .Sri Lanka playing their first match in tournament won the toss and put Australia into bat. The kangaroos were starring down the barrel from the very first over with David Warner getting out for a 3 ball duck. Watson and Ponting then took the attack to the bowlers until Mendis appeared in the scene. This spelled disaster for Aussies, lost Ponting to Mendis and then never got going. Watson too followed suit in his next over. Malinga then bowled a slower one which rattled the stumps and it was now Haddin’s turn to head back. Clarke too didn’t last much either got out to an excellent reflex catch by new comer Udana. The Hussey’s brothers ticked the scoreboard on for a brief period before Mendis got Hussey cheaply. David Hussey was trying his best and Johnson came in and provided some impetus to the Australian innings. Aussies suddenly looked to get more than 150 and Brett lee joined the party with 15 off 5 balls and few lower order contributions helped them to pile on 159/9 a far outcry from the position they were previously in.Mendis and Malinga picked three wickets apiece while Murali couldn't pick any.



Jayasuriya and Dilshan opened the account for the Lankan reply.Dilshan batted like a champion and looked in ominous form while Jayasuriya was taking his time to settle in. But he was sent back by Brett Lee with Warner taking an athletic catch.Sangakkara and Dilshan ensured no further hiccups and gained control over an under strength Australian attack. Dilshan completed a strokeful fifty in 26 balls until Clarke bowled him out. Jayawardene couldn’t spend enough time either in the middle and gave his wicket to the impressive Nathan Hauritz.Australia looked like pulling them back with the wicket of Chamara Silva too but the calm and composed Sangakkara was too good to allow the kangaroos to snatch this one.Mubarak and the newly appointed captain ensured a comprehensive 6 wicket win with an over to spare. This probably marks the death of a domination lasted probably over 2 decades.

England outplay Pakistan cruising to a 48 run win

The hosts were in dire danger of missing out of the Super 8 stage. England turned in a lion hearted performance to bring them back in the hunt. This match was played on the same pitch as South Africa and Scotland did. So the pitch and conditions tempted Younis Khan to put England into bat. England lost Bopara in the very second over. Pieterson who missed out the opening match came at No.3 position. England never looked back again. Wright and Pieterson took the charge on Pakistan giving England a dream start. Wright was severe off Yasir Arafat and he powered to 34 runs in mere 16 balls. Gul got his yorker right and cleaned him up. This dismissal hardly deterred England. The promising Owais Shah continued the good work with the rampaging Pieterson. Afridi briefly threatened to bring down the run flow. Both the batsman kept the going smooth though with big hits once in a while. England always looked commanding until Gul came back with his gem of a delivery. Pakistan fielded horribly fumbling chances, missing run outs,nothing was going for them. England just when looked like would go on to make 200 got a jolt from Saeed Ajmal removing Collingwood and Pieterson off successive deliveries. Maschereunus and Foster ran in hard and set the Pakistani’s a challenging 185/5.Pakistan had only themselves to blame giving in a below par infact disastrous performance with an over hyped bowling attack which surprisingly didn’t find a place for Tanvir.





The match was set up for an interesting chase but definitely the balance tilted in advantage of the hosts . In came the 19 year old Shehzad and Salman Butt to opent he innings. Maschereunus was intentionally was used by the England captain due to lack of his pace on the ball to bowl the first over. Shehzad was out caught by Collingwood in the opening over. Butt looked in good touch and the new batsman Akmal was never allowed to settle through. It required just 2 balls for Stuart Broad and England to send them back packing to the pavilion. Malik and Younis were bailing out Pakistan from a hapless 41/3 but probably at a slower rate which in the end cost heavily for Pakistan. Malik didn’t do justice to his ability and got out to Luke Wright at a crucial juncture Younis waged a lone battle and he was regularly in short of partners. Good consistent bowling and Pakistan’s shocking shot selection helped England move ahead(almost) to the Super 8 stage with a 48 run “super” win.The latest news is that

Scotland crash out of the tournament

Scotland gave New Zealand a reasonable scare in their first outing. So, SA would have done well to not take them lightly. Graeme Smith and his men after a good run of IPL came to England with great hopes. Scotland won the toss, putting in South Africa. Kallis opened with Smith with Gibbs being sent in the middle order. They were cautious in their first few balls but opened up grandly. Kallis got a handful of boundaries through the covers and he was the more attacking partner. Smith was no less charging on to the spinners and smacking them out of the park. They gave a 85 run foundation to the side before both departed to the guile of Scotland spinner Majid-Ul-Haq. This infact slowed down the tempo for quite a while. A B Devilliers showed his class and gave no respite for the Scottish bowlers. Gibbs was done in by flight of Watson and was easily stumped. Morkel and Devilliers had an outstanding partnership. A B Devilliers lost his partner Morkel who mistimed a shot and got out. Boucher came in and he was out due to a fielding gem by Coetzer in what we can call the catch of the tournament. South Africa annihilated Scotland to post a healthy total of 211/5 Devilliers top scoring with a 34 ball 79.




Scotland’s reply had nothing to particularly discuss about.They collapsed to13/4 inside 3 overs and that was it for Scottish. All bowlers chipped in with wickets and their ground fielding as usual was world class. Coetzer played a gutsy hand scoring 42 off 32 in a beleaguered chase. Scotland gave up even before getting a three figure total.It was an ultimate collapse quite contrasting to their first showing.As a result they bid good bye to the T-20 world cup with a huge 130 run loss…..

Defending champions off to a strong start

Well India would have been a touch nervous entering into the match considering the upsets generated in the first few matches of the tournament.Bangladesh have beaten India at a similar stage in 2007 and still that defeat hurts Indian cricket.Dhoni,nevertheless looked confident,won the toss and chose to bat on a good Trent bridge pitch even though there was no match won by the team defending their target in this event.India opted for an extra fifth bowler with Ojha playing and R.P.Singh getting the royal axe.Sehwag wasn't fit for this opener while Zaheer returned to the side after an injury.Rohit and Gambhir gave a solid start with Rohit doing the bulk of the scoring and Gambhir providing boundaries when required.Spin was introduced and rohit trying to dominate them ,threw away his wicket.Dhoni came at one down and stabilised the score.But the run rate was always kept under check by the spinners.Dhoni wasn't at his fluent best and gambhir too with his high standards couldn't keep the runs ticking in.Dhoni just when was looking dangerous was done in by Naem.Yuvraj came to the crease with the indian team at 113/2 after 15 overs.He just did what was expected of him.India's last four overs yielded 59 runs and Yuvraj smacked 4 sixes off a 18 ball 41 and Irfan too didn't do that badly either.India powered on to a big total of 180/5.



Bangladesh would have had eyes on a quick start to chase this one.Siddique and Tamim Iqbal brought back memeories of 2007 world cup scoring at a great rate.Yusuf was vital in breaking that partnership removing the dangerous Tamim Iqbal.Ashraful couldn't get his touch back and thus hold out to Gambhir off Ishant.Ojha then stepped into the party and ripped off 2 quick wickets of Siddique and all rounder Shakib-Al-Hasan.Bangladesh could never quite recover and Ojha turned a remarkable spell and picked up 4 useful wickets,priceless indeed.Zaheer didn't do that badly and all other bowlers chipped in with useful performances.Though yuvraj fumbled a chance he more than made up for it by picking a great catches offered by Naem and Mahmudullah.India completed a comfortable 25 run win without any major hiccups.GO GO India!!

Australia overwhelmed by West Indies

We were in day two of ICC t-20 world cup.A scratchy West Indian team had to play an under strength Australia.The pitch looked good for batting,Ponting won the toss and chose to bat first.West indies got a rocking start to their world cup campaign.All rounder Watson and ponting were done in by jerome Taylor.David Warner though set the scoreboard alive with strong hits.Clarke too followed suit to the pavilion leaving Australia in tantrums.Warner found a suitable partner in Haddin and put on a 50+ partnership,later Haddin departed at 81-4 at the end of 12th over.Australia decided to take the charge and David Hussey showed his class with hefty hits.In the mean while Warner in trying to up the anti, departed after a well made 63.Then Hussey bro's looked dangerous and put on 30 runs in no time.After D Hussey's dismissal Johnson was sent in to boost the score,it couldn't happen though.Micheal Hussey once again showed his true colours and West Indies's average fielding effort lifted Australia to a defendable 169/7.



Gayle and Fletcher had a tall target to chase.They began destructively scoring at a hefty pace.Australian bowlers were thrown apart with the counter attack.Gayle found back his lost form and it was just what the doctor ordered for them.Australia's fielding stumbled under vigorous pressure and they didn't help themselves with Micheal Hussey spilling a chance offered by Fletcher.They smacked 75 runs of the powerplay making it a no contest.Gayle played the innings of his life well aided by Fletcher who completed a glorious fifty.Gayle mustered 88 off 50 balls with 6 sixers.By the time the openers departed very little was left to do for the middle order.West Indies finished the target with around 4 overs to spare.Well it just wasn't Australia's day.Gayle unsurprisingly bagged the man of the match for his whirlwind knock.Captain's opinions after this roller coaster match .........


Ponting: "I didnt think it was a bad total to be honest but when Chris and Adrian came out batting as they did there, it was going to be hard for us. They just went with the flow. They threw caution to the wind; they outplayed us ..."
Gayle: We weren't best on the outfield but 170 was gettable. I have to give credit to Fletcher. He played really really well. I looked to bat till 15 overs and the game should be settled by then. I am disappointed on how I got out ..We just have to rally again, put this game behind and try to win against Sri Lanka. It's not over yet."

Scotland thrashed by New Zealand despite a reasonable show

The rain gods weren't smiling today either.The rain poured down for over 2 hours destroying the most part of the match.Finally there was some respite for the crowds and the match was reduced to 7 overs by the umpires.Newzealand lead by Mc Cullum in the absence of Vettori put Scotland into bat in rainy conditions.This reduced match truly provided some hope to clinch an upset again and they almost did.Scotland began a counter attack and runs flowed heavily.They were going at a great pace of 10+ runs an over.Thanks to their top 3 RR Watson, NS Poonia and KJ Coetzer.Every bowler got a thrashing by the Scottish players.Vettori was truly missed.A good last over by Butler helped them to at least not worsen the damage done.Scotland managed a huge 89/4.











Mc Cullum and Ryder got Newzealand off to a memorable start.Scotland were left spell bound by the NZ openers.Ryder especially scored 33 of 12 setting the run rate up for the chase.Mc Cullum too did a good job scoring 18 off just seven.The departure of these two players created a sense of nervousness in the dug out.Oram too couldn't last long either.Scotland looked like it would pull them back.But the cool Ross Taylor and Styris finished the job for their team and that too with an over to spare.Scotland didn't get the tight overs in and their fielding too wasn't up to the mark.Newzealand was too good for Scotland.But still it was more exciting than expected.Here's what the captains felt after the match........


Hamilton: "We had plenty of runs. We had a plan of around 75-80, but it just didn't come off in the end. We were well aware of New Zealand's potential but we didn't execute our plans quite well. "

McCullum: "We were pretty nervous at around half time. They put us under pressure, we need to rectify our bowling a bit. We didn't have a lot of time to get ourselves in, but Ryder struck the ball really well. We needed a 11-an-over towards the end, but in the context of the game that's pretty under-par. Hopefully, we can put our best performance against South Africa."