Well behold a new "Got Groove"!......in my attempt to make this page go absolutely viral and pull in more enthusiast's to the healthy debate on movies and music that this page is essentially prevalent for, a Facebook page by the same name has been born; and so is the new-look Got Groove! In a nifty collage I pay a solemn tribute to the amazing directors of yore who have brought forward cinematic masterpieces over the time in ways mere moviegoers have not fathomed to be possible. The list is never ending, yet I tried to encompass a decent breadth of an enumeration while I'm at it. Updates shall be thrown in timely and so has been a simple Indian twist which you'll find on close observation! Apart from this, there's a new feature that might put this page truly on the mainstream. Guest Blogging! In a series called "Directors you ought to know", let me introduce my dear friend and avid movie aficionado, Prashant Rajan a.k.a Lee a.k.a Prash, as he goes gaga over Guy Ritchie's work! That shall be the next post on GotGroove. Hope you'll like it as I shall bring forth more from him and several such bloggers abound. Enjoy the reads and bookmark this page for more!
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Super Song Thaman!
..........as I write this, a track from one of Thaman's latest "Love Failure" called "Intezaare" is playing in my headphones. Headphones, yes, emphasize that....thats because if you have to truly appreciate Thaman's work, you need to dwell deep into the music, with a hint of focus and a pinch of musical know-how! Putting on a pair of good headfones is the best way to do that. A taste for melody & classy beats surely helps!
If a bit of gyaan wouldn't offend, let me quote from Wiki that Thaman has practically worked under all the music composers that contemporary Telugu Cinema has come to know. The late Chakravarty garu, the Maestro Ilayaraja, DSP, Chakri, Keeravani, Raj-Koti.... the works. A major addition to his training came under Manisharma, a composer much known for his grip on various instrumentations and expert sound engineering, for a good part of 6 years! I have googled this info before beginning this blog, only to add some solidarity to my impression of Thaman. With that much experience, one can surely be pardoned for expecting him to deliver some amazing music. And deliver, he does, in absolute profundity!
Of late, Thaman has become a household name in both the Tamizh and Telugu Film industries for scoring the soundtracks of big and quality productions. He has shot to sudden and stupendous popularity! Typically in the Telugu Film Industry, this has happened time and again. Earlier there were Raj-Koti & Keeravani who dominated the soundcharts. Then, the modern & perfect mix of classy and massy beats of Manisharma took over for a good span of time(More on this in my other blog about Manisharma). DSP proved his mettle in melody for quite sometime before mainstream demand sadly turned his lore into run-of-the-mill and bane. Chakri has always filled in the gaps and has also been dominant to an extent but his music is far from what I usually favour. However, the trend of one major composer being indomitable has been intact. Sadly, that often led to the glitter in their very compositions fading off. Thankfully Thaman proved to be the odd one out to be cracking this cliche!
Not to my surprise, many among the audiences, who usually overlook the finer nuances of music making, have dished out Thaman's music to be repetitive & monochromatic. Often acronyms like Same Song Thaman(for S.S.Thaman) have been attached to his name. Many a sophisticated aspects of his music are completely ignored and in general, the music is underrated. "Too classy" is what some pretentious music critics claim. I beg to differ though and that, alongside a general appreciation for his work, is the reason for this blog here. Let me indulge you more into the finer rivulets that make up the beautiful slipstream that his music is!
A practice now common with major mainstream composers is an aversion to the use of musical instruments as they were. Compositions of recent times have gained a flavour of techno-gadgetry as most of the sounds, even those of fundamentally bespoke instruments, are usually created using electronic instruments, or the electronic iterations of the bespoke instruments. Furthermore, a myriad varieties of modern electronic instruments are invented every other day & are put to use by composers, technicians, sound engineers, DJs, etc. To a major extent, this trend has led to music being repetitive and banal, with the sounds often redundant. A lack of simple yet charming melody and any whiff of sophisticated arrangements is another repulsive factor here. However, this is absolutely the tricky & 'turn-around' point of Thaman's music. What's interesting is the way he uses these very electronic gadgetry to create fresh and new sounds that are truly enjoyable. Essentially, all such electronic experimentation in his music is perfectly timed and corresponds with the other elements to give a wholesomely good effect. This has always been apparent with his tracks right from Kick's 'Dhim Thana' to the recent Ishtam's 'Yenmelu Indru'.
To complement these electronic sounds, Thaman usually employs brilliant sound engineering methods and musical arrangements that portray an acquired taste. Well constructed bass is always a given while the rhythms in the undertones (through keyboards or otherwise) are always special, subtle in places to emphasize the ambience of the song while predominant in other occasions to announce an onslaught of gorgeous melody! Striking examples of this are the tracks 'Dhinaku Dhin' from Mirapakay or 'Guruvaram/Adaragottu' from Dookudu. In alignment with the aforementioned electronic trickery and deft mastery over sound engineering, Thaman establishes an astounding foundation of layers for his compositions. Indeed some soul sprinkling there, as a framework is now left open for the main vocals, the melody and the bolstering instrumentation to take over.
Talk of instruments is not consummate here if a word or two is not shared about Thaman's work on percussions. While he does excel in his placement of pieces extracted from instruments of different types, ranging; from all of the stringed entities to all of the keyboarded entities, from all of the percussions to all of the blow horns; it is his daring experimentation with percussions, both native and foreign that adds a dynamic tinge to his music. This is particularly remarkable when he does fast paced & mass numbers! 'Chandamama' from BusinessMan is textbook material for percussional music with some aspirant experiments there while mass/club tracks like 'Kalasala' from Osthe or 'Tension' from Dookudu are engrossing foot tapping numbers. What bemuses me is how he manages to make mass numbers so sing-worthy which is quite the rarety when it comes to music. Typically, another notable feature is that he lets the instruments garner a certain humble clarity that is simply classy and beautiful. Certainly, this is best observed in songs like 'Yevaro' from Bodygaurd or as earlier mentioned, 'Intezaare' from KSY/Love Failure. To instate it simply, there is no noise!
Yet in many cases, riffs-raffs as are inspired from the genres of hip-hop, electronic & lounge music exist to give the overall sound a distorted effect. However, what stands out is all the applications essentially cohere together. Each song has ONE distinct sound. Now, the final layer that permeates in is the 'vocals' bit, that is often flooded with voices rendered by the best energetic youngsters in the music industry, who've all made their mark with distinct and enjoyable voices. Case in point here is that the vocals carry with them a simple melody which is always catchy. Always hum-able and always plainly beautiful, so much so as to make you wonder where all that solemn melody vanished years ago only to reappear with Thaman's work! Reason enough to keep the playlist repeating, eh?
With whatever nano-levels of musical know-how I could garner, and relying heavily on the 'classy' taste of music I presume I've acquired, this is my contention against the argument debasing Thaman's music. A musician should focus on enjoying himself with his work rather than look at the commercial levels of achievement it has gathered. Thaman definitely feels like the boy who stayed back in the chemistry lab just to have fun with the acids & bases (and possibly, and rather quite ignorantly, blow himself up!) not because the teacher (here, the producers) imposed him to.
Thankfully today though, demand for his music persists as movie makers, with an eye for quality, exist. Much is owed to the experience & understanding of these people with respect to music. I can happily say I'm not alone in the camp then! Here's to the melody, the beat & the occasional electronic riff-raff then, Thaman!
If a bit of gyaan wouldn't offend, let me quote from Wiki that Thaman has practically worked under all the music composers that contemporary Telugu Cinema has come to know. The late Chakravarty garu, the Maestro Ilayaraja, DSP, Chakri, Keeravani, Raj-Koti.... the works. A major addition to his training came under Manisharma, a composer much known for his grip on various instrumentations and expert sound engineering, for a good part of 6 years! I have googled this info before beginning this blog, only to add some solidarity to my impression of Thaman. With that much experience, one can surely be pardoned for expecting him to deliver some amazing music. And deliver, he does, in absolute profundity!
Of late, Thaman has become a household name in both the Tamizh and Telugu Film industries for scoring the soundtracks of big and quality productions. He has shot to sudden and stupendous popularity! Typically in the Telugu Film Industry, this has happened time and again. Earlier there were Raj-Koti & Keeravani who dominated the soundcharts. Then, the modern & perfect mix of classy and massy beats of Manisharma took over for a good span of time(More on this in my other blog about Manisharma). DSP proved his mettle in melody for quite sometime before mainstream demand sadly turned his lore into run-of-the-mill and bane. Chakri has always filled in the gaps and has also been dominant to an extent but his music is far from what I usually favour. However, the trend of one major composer being indomitable has been intact. Sadly, that often led to the glitter in their very compositions fading off. Thankfully Thaman proved to be the odd one out to be cracking this cliche!
Not to my surprise, many among the audiences, who usually overlook the finer nuances of music making, have dished out Thaman's music to be repetitive & monochromatic. Often acronyms like Same Song Thaman(for S.S.Thaman) have been attached to his name. Many a sophisticated aspects of his music are completely ignored and in general, the music is underrated. "Too classy" is what some pretentious music critics claim. I beg to differ though and that, alongside a general appreciation for his work, is the reason for this blog here. Let me indulge you more into the finer rivulets that make up the beautiful slipstream that his music is!
A practice now common with major mainstream composers is an aversion to the use of musical instruments as they were. Compositions of recent times have gained a flavour of techno-gadgetry as most of the sounds, even those of fundamentally bespoke instruments, are usually created using electronic instruments, or the electronic iterations of the bespoke instruments. Furthermore, a myriad varieties of modern electronic instruments are invented every other day & are put to use by composers, technicians, sound engineers, DJs, etc. To a major extent, this trend has led to music being repetitive and banal, with the sounds often redundant. A lack of simple yet charming melody and any whiff of sophisticated arrangements is another repulsive factor here. However, this is absolutely the tricky & 'turn-around' point of Thaman's music. What's interesting is the way he uses these very electronic gadgetry to create fresh and new sounds that are truly enjoyable. Essentially, all such electronic experimentation in his music is perfectly timed and corresponds with the other elements to give a wholesomely good effect. This has always been apparent with his tracks right from Kick's 'Dhim Thana' to the recent Ishtam's 'Yenmelu Indru'.
To complement these electronic sounds, Thaman usually employs brilliant sound engineering methods and musical arrangements that portray an acquired taste. Well constructed bass is always a given while the rhythms in the undertones (through keyboards or otherwise) are always special, subtle in places to emphasize the ambience of the song while predominant in other occasions to announce an onslaught of gorgeous melody! Striking examples of this are the tracks 'Dhinaku Dhin' from Mirapakay or 'Guruvaram/Adaragottu' from Dookudu. In alignment with the aforementioned electronic trickery and deft mastery over sound engineering, Thaman establishes an astounding foundation of layers for his compositions. Indeed some soul sprinkling there, as a framework is now left open for the main vocals, the melody and the bolstering instrumentation to take over.
Talk of instruments is not consummate here if a word or two is not shared about Thaman's work on percussions. While he does excel in his placement of pieces extracted from instruments of different types, ranging; from all of the stringed entities to all of the keyboarded entities, from all of the percussions to all of the blow horns; it is his daring experimentation with percussions, both native and foreign that adds a dynamic tinge to his music. This is particularly remarkable when he does fast paced & mass numbers! 'Chandamama' from BusinessMan is textbook material for percussional music with some aspirant experiments there while mass/club tracks like 'Kalasala' from Osthe or 'Tension' from Dookudu are engrossing foot tapping numbers. What bemuses me is how he manages to make mass numbers so sing-worthy which is quite the rarety when it comes to music. Typically, another notable feature is that he lets the instruments garner a certain humble clarity that is simply classy and beautiful. Certainly, this is best observed in songs like 'Yevaro' from Bodygaurd or as earlier mentioned, 'Intezaare' from KSY/Love Failure. To instate it simply, there is no noise!
Yet in many cases, riffs-raffs as are inspired from the genres of hip-hop, electronic & lounge music exist to give the overall sound a distorted effect. However, what stands out is all the applications essentially cohere together. Each song has ONE distinct sound. Now, the final layer that permeates in is the 'vocals' bit, that is often flooded with voices rendered by the best energetic youngsters in the music industry, who've all made their mark with distinct and enjoyable voices. Case in point here is that the vocals carry with them a simple melody which is always catchy. Always hum-able and always plainly beautiful, so much so as to make you wonder where all that solemn melody vanished years ago only to reappear with Thaman's work! Reason enough to keep the playlist repeating, eh?
With whatever nano-levels of musical know-how I could garner, and relying heavily on the 'classy' taste of music I presume I've acquired, this is my contention against the argument debasing Thaman's music. A musician should focus on enjoying himself with his work rather than look at the commercial levels of achievement it has gathered. Thaman definitely feels like the boy who stayed back in the chemistry lab just to have fun with the acids & bases (and possibly, and rather quite ignorantly, blow himself up!) not because the teacher (here, the producers) imposed him to.
Thankfully today though, demand for his music persists as movie makers, with an eye for quality, exist. Much is owed to the experience & understanding of these people with respect to music. I can happily say I'm not alone in the camp then! Here's to the melody, the beat & the occasional electronic riff-raff then, Thaman!
Sunday, April 1, 2012
2011's finest - The finer colors in Bollywood's Canvas!
........Well, to be fairly honest, a significant amount of work at college and a significant amount of laziness at work have put me away from being the keen movie enthusiast that I'd been......that and a dearth for theatres or mismatch in launch timings with my schedules and I'd left myself quite some catching up to do with the releases in Indian Cinema, specially from the *olly-woods of Telugu & Tamil for a major part of 2011........however, scouring through my memory, I managed to put up a list of the better Hindi ones of 2011, that have quite helped in retaining Indian Cinema's coming of age scene. Shortly, 2011 did manage to stage a platform for a lot of well scripted hyperlink movies, a genre I have a soft spot for, however, to dwell more into details, the list, not particularly in chronological order, is as follows....
There you have it....my take on the finest Bollywood movies from last year! Apologies for going over the word limits in certain areas; accolades were surely required. I might have surely missed out a flick or two. Do feel free to append them in your comments, alongside whatever ranting that you might feel like doing. Here's to more from this year & here's to the mere gut of a film maker in a challenging Bollywood to make a good film that he believes in, against all odds!
- Shaitaan - well now, it has become customary(thankfully) for the small cult of fresh & inspiring movie makers that has been founded & propagated by Anurag Kashyap and to a major extent now, produced by him, to shell out one properly good movie every year. It includes cast that has been spawned by him onto one of his earlier ventures, all talented newbies in the film fraternity, exceptional cinematography with principles imported from some of the finest from around the world, catchy OSTs that just rejuvenate an already well planned and scripted storyline! It is indeed ironic of me to begin the list with this Bejoy Nambiar directed venture, which I've not yet seen, but from what all I've garnered through reviews, tweets and promos, this is definitely one worthy addition to that cult!
- Delhi Belly - if not to generate a stylish cult following, trying in his own way to produce quality cinema and garnering huge applaud from a wider audiences for his efforts in return is Aamir Khan. So much so that it almost tempts me to plead the Bachchans, & the other mighty Khans to learn a thing or two from him & his tastes. Albeit for a sense of 'acceptability' that his brigade has shown so far, this year Aamir Khan productions has gone the whole hog and started experimenting with cinema for the good of, well, cinema itself! This one stands out to be one of the best dark sarcastic comedies I've ever witnessed in Indian Cinema, with svelte dialogue(yes, expletives included), acerbic yet rib tickling screenplay & some of the most striking cinematographic trysts you would come across! With a tongue in cheek-ish OST too, I cant recollect another classy sarcastic hindi comedy where I was losing my bowels out of sheer laughter!
- Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara - well this one was a cliche, albeit one that you dont find in the Indian Cinema front. A classic well shot romantic comedy 'travelogue'. It has all the ingredients going for it.....Spain, 3 childhood friends meeting, before one of them's getting married, for a long time re-union, some adventure sports, classic cars, 2 beautiful women who walk into the story, lots of tango and senoritas, d legendary tomantina & the bull run! It also has all the spot-on cinematic ingredients, Zoya Akhtar's deft direction & screenplay, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's beautiful OST, marvellous cinematography that Spain, in every inch and ounce, deserves, some crisp editing, dialogue & a stereotypical(albeit nice) storyline. For starters, for a class-movie-starved Indian cinematic scene, this brilliantly works & it worked! What also tugged at my heart more is a slightly superior notch in subtlety when it came to some of the screenplay, some of the OST's integration, (specially when characters had to overcome their fears, apprehensions & rediscover themselves...the splendour of the scenes only emphasized by Javed Akhtar's poetry) & amazing renditions by Farhan Akhtar & Hrithik Roshan
- Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster - what grabbed me with this sinister tale of love, betrayal, revenge & caprice is the casting. Somehow, it struck a unique chord with the set of people on board for this project that it just embellishes the dialogue, screenplay and above all, the performances, more so, to be in fine tune with the story & the director's vision. Randeep Hooda, the quintessential crook is the only cliche among the lead trio, where Mahie Gill and Jimmy Shergill bring in a very fresh wickedness to the whole scene, that I've seldom enjoyed elsewhere. The movie is unrefined by a slight margin yet boasts of good cinematography and has the novelty of pristine wild locations & dialogue!
- Shor in the City - To begin with a humble disclaimer, despite this being made by a set of young brilliant asst.directors from the Telugu Film Industry who happened to mesmerize me through an erstwhile Telugu hit, I impartially liked this film for its content and some very intriguing screenplay. The domineering screenplay, closely aided by brilliant cinematography and decent background score take this quintessential hyperlink drama to a sizzling level. In scenes like, when they prevent a kid from grabbing an exposed bomb or when the NRI grabs his chance to shoot the goons who've been pesking him, you are left gasping aloud, for they have been shot with utmost intensity. It does have underlying implications of dark humour, & is very much a tantalizing drama!
- Not Another Love Story - RGV, a real crime-love story that recently came into light, Bollywood & the casting couch; & dead bodies cut into 'several' pieces! The perfect recipe for a classic Indo-noir thriller! Of late, it has become customary 'not' to expect a good movie from the RGV camp but if you look at it closely, those directed by himself have been truly scorchers for RGV & thriller fanatics in common(more on this in my other blog about RGV!) Interestingly, RGV tries experimenting with some other touches in this flick like montages, freeze frame shots & dark eroticism. As a final touch, trust Mahie Gill (who is seemingly becoming a noir favourite of mine) to oomph up things in just the right amount!
- Rockstar - there was noir, there was sarcastic comedy, there was good drama & there were hyperlink movies! As an outcry to all the finely established genres that Bollywood tried embracing last year(with much success too), Imtiaz Ali, gave us this! Perplexing, intriguing, fascinating, charming & bedazzling to me, I was so impressed that I'd scripted a blog as an ode to this flick. So I'll save the accolades for elsewhere and briefly enumerate what all you should be watching this movie for! - Ranbir Kapoor, the music, the montages, production designing, the jagged screenplay, cinematography & above all, the intensity. The sheer intensity! Perfectly helps if you've loved (and lost too!)
- That Girl In Yellow Boots - to be honest, I had humongous expectations for this one, which also falls into the erstwhile mentioned Anurag Kashyap genre of Indian films, what with its astounding critical acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival, Anurag's passionate homework & his dedicated casting of his wife & now, an acquired actor, Kalki. However, I surmise poor financing is the issue, the movie was a bit low on production values. Interestingly, the movie utilizes that to a raw-unfinished effect that emphasizes the undertone of an edgy intriguing thriller with a shocking revelation at the very end. Everything else appends to this rawness, shaky yet focused cinematography, flimsy dialogue & an OST derived from the forgotten hinterlands of India. In her silence, desperate and longing gazes, restlessness and patience in equal measures, Kalki revels and is a treat to watch. All the other unrefined bits, I surmise, are intentional!
- Dhobighat(Mumbai Diaries) - For purist cinema goers & drama lovers who look for characters that aren't shallow and a plot that is layered with connections, hyperlinks & intimations, this is pop-corn material! A slow, sublime drama basing itself on a set of beautifully portrayed characters(much credit goes to the careful casting & the actors themselves) and nicely timed screenplay make it a riveting watch. Another good part is the way B/W & color cinematography(which also happens to be textbook purist material) are interspersed; it helps in layering the different stories vertically thus letting one comprehend and empathize with them well. Kiran Rao's debut venture is truly very thoughtful, sophisticated and pleasant! And yep, this comes from the Aamir Khan camp, and with that,another note of appreciation has to go to the only Khan of bollywood who's dedicated to quality cinema, the way it should be!
- 7 Khoon Maaf - I dont want to be stereotyping a very nascent revolution of good movies in Bollywood already, but variety and similarity has me in a helpless state. As for this one, it falls into the Vishal Bhardwaj genre of cinema, which has over the time(okay, since d last 6-7 years) proved its worth. This is a man of miracle and exceptional talent. And very obviously, true love for cinema. Based on an acclaimed Ruskin Bond novel, this one is a lesson in cinema making! Every little element is so carefully crafted & tailored, that you can only draw comparisons with the finest of works on canvas. The details in the movie, both apparent & non-apparent technical stuff, are meticulously thought out & the exquisite brocade of them is polished with sophistication. Another exceptional point being Vishal's composition which is so befitting. Brilliant visuals, brilliant screenplay, terrific storytelling & Priyanka Chopra's (in my book, after Aishwarya, the best female actor Bollywood has) best performance till date sum it up! Unfortunately it also happens to be a highly forgotten and overlooked film.
The lesser favourites -
- I Am - I am yet to watch this acclaimed hyperlink film which took the National Award for best feature film of 2011. Its a sociological drama, involving well written characters & storytelling,with some proven actors on the cast. Going by the early reviews & the award it bagged, it should be a treat to watch!
- No One Killed Jessica - This one is a thrilling drama, based on d facts of a horrific crime committed in the national capital. Some of the performances in the film are worth noting for, while other good details like d cinematography make it a good watch. The director has lost to the temptation of adding a lot of emotional drama to the flick thus, in my book, slightly condensing the film's snob value. Vidya Balan, the acquired actor, who has proven time and again with her choices that she's a person of taste, delivers well in this, quite contrary to Rani Mukherji.
- Tanu Weds Manu - Well before you cry foul, let me agree that this is just another plain jane romantic comedy with an abused story & Kangana Ranaut's over acting antics. Yet for the delicate use of dialogue, screenplay, cinematography and a very compelling OST, it stands out of the crowd as a peaceful watch. And Madhavan is truly adorable as he revels in that innocent character!
- The Dirty Picture - Given Ekta Kapoor's other offerings in this year, I was hugely dissappointed with the unrefined way this movie has been treated. It had Vidya Balan bravely taking up a role others wouldnt even ponder, & a sizzling dialogue that left audiences crackling in theatres, yet a level of sophistication was much desired. However, Milan Luthria's interesting narration style, where he consummates the story perfectly at the end in the dialogue, (also seen in Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai) remains!
P.S: Forgive the over-usage of the word hyperlink. A vocab rookie that I am, I've yet to discover a synonym for the word. Basically these hyperlink films have a set of stories interspersed with each other, each having a connection to the other, yet individual in nature. They usually make for the best of dramas!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Anthems for Nostalgia!
As the title says, this little post is surely about those anthems that take you down a road filled with memories from the past, and faint tinges of the flavours from many a reminisces of moments gone by that you'd better have frozen and brought back time and again.....be it for the pain they had that taught u things, the sorrow they brought that strengthened you or the joy they carried that you grope for in every moment now....ever wanted to capture these memories in HD and play them again on your tab.....how amazing would that be!....well, mayn't be "bio-technically" possible for now, but if you would ask for a sublime song that might stir up such an HD panorama in your imagination, then I have a little list for you that might just be right . Here it goes -
- Enativo Ragalu - Golconda High School/Kalyani Malik - This sublime track, which actually talks of nostalgia with its lovely lyrics, is a definite tread down the road to some childhood memories.....specially, the title line-up in the beginning sequence in the movie being so well shot.........watch it, more so, if you love telugu movies!
- The Drugs Dont Work - The Verve - one of the classic numbers of 90s Alternative Rock, falls amongst the greats by RadioHead and others from the 90s scene.....this one, with a mellowy violin base in the background and Richard Ashcroft's voice backed up by some subtle string and drumwork is definitely a good treat!
- Darling Pretty - Mark Knopfler/Dire Straits - possibly among the greatest rock songs of all time, think rock and melody and this one's surely gonna tick all the right boxes, a myriad set of instruments, strings work being the most titillating, its as beautiful as it says, "its time to go home...". As they say, going home is always beautiful!
- Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd - one of my frnds always said, tis song is a perfect respite at d end of a tiring day at work, it takes you to the best moment in the past and induces psychedelia like no other.....in short, inner peace! Well, I reckon, he's right to the core. About the musical jugglery involved in this track?...well, its usual Pink Floyd. Enuf Said!
- Midnight Bottle - Colbie Caillat -this one for sure, is about that beautiful night you spent with some vine, on a beach, in the arms of your loved one, which you'd want to go back to like right now. Colbie masters her usual country music notes, a humdrum guitar note and her charming voice for company. Worth shedding a tiny tear with, for that special someone.
- Winds of Change - Scorpions - that was the best of times, that was the worst of times......this one can perfectly reflect that transition period in your life, which taught you a lot, which had a lot of joy and pain to offer, and which made you what you are today! And yeah, just to spice it all up, throw an amazingly awkward moment shared with some friends! d Best bit abt this song being that enchanting whistle followed by typical enjoyable classic scorpions' stuff!
- Mustafa Mustafa - ARR/Kaadhal Desam - this for most contemporary Indian music afficianados, is the quintessential college-graduation nostalgic song....with very apt lyrics, and soundtrack ranging 4m pure vocal artistry to subtle instrumentation gimmickry to college band gala-ness and ARR's mellowy voice to complete the package.
- Lazarus - Porcupine Tree/Weird Anxiety - This is a personal addition 4m one f my experiences - as the hotshot band of my college performed an acoustic version of this on the day of graduation - albeit the actual one shoots a few notches higher with an amazing piano note to keep consistent company to the already truly uplifting vocal tone thats indeed a revelation......one of Ptree's finest indeed!
- Say Hello, Wave GoodBye - David Grey - Another personal addition of mine as it takes me back to a very quick and short, yet a memorable vacation spent back home with my favorite cousins.....this track was perfectly the ode to that time.....subtle, floating in the air only more so with David's emphatic voice and all topped up with a hidden layer of sublime emotions!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Y "Jootha Hi Sahi" works for me!
More often than not, I'm quite unabashedly the one standing out of the crowd trying to salvage some actually, really good movie or song from astute calumny from the brigade of so-called film reviewer fraternity, atleast that lying within the Indian hinterland. This has led me to lose much prevalent respect for almost all of the Indian Movie Journos save for a very few who still take pleasure in watching and writing about a movie like a purist.
A movie, however bad it might be, takes struggle and effort in its fabrication and usually, save for very exemplary cases, there is atleast one or two aspects of the movie that deserve appreciation. This is a fact seldom realized by the aforementioned fraternity. And hence, I no longer follow them. I decided to invest my quality time rather in watching bits and pieces of another movie than wasting my time on reviews. Save for those by Roger Ebert. And maybe other such greats whom I'm yet to read. Thats because, Ebert leads me onto finding newer movies that nobody else would have even thought of suggesting audiences and thus keeps me engaged onto more, usually, better movies. Which other reviewer of present day would suggest me a F&*k film called “Emmannuelle” just for its colour and other technical jugglery which in fact is amazing! More on Ebert later.
Albeit a bit verbose than required, the above prologue leads me onto my current slandering of the reviewers in protection of one more recent favourite of mine, Jootha Hi Sahi. A run of the mill, rom-com to many, who casually miss the quaintly subtler and rib tickling yet pleasing aspects of this beautiful romance that for me, beats any loud and brash Dabangg-y flick anyday! When was the last time we saw such a finely crafted romance in Bollywood that also somehow manages to cover up on all other technical aspects? I cant recollect for one, save for Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, which coincidentally happens to be from the same production house and has most of the crew from the movie on discussion here.
For starters, the movie uses London to such an appeasing effect. London, like many European cities, like Munich, Berlin, Madrid, etc somehow, has this unique way of blending ancient and modern cultures to contrive a certain charm that exudes melancholy, romance and a lot of other emotions just within the spatial ambience. Interestingly, throwing in an Indian Community, an antique Indian book shop run by a knowledgeable guy who stammers in front of beautiful women, a bitchy girlfriend, a girl with a broken heart looking for respite, falsely in the form of death and later on finding it through a friend on telephone, a crazy neighbourhood with a pregnant Pakistani girl and her Japanese boyfriend, and delicate splattering of gay men struggling to find right matches and we have one of the most originally designed characters in Hindi Cinema since Raj and Simran.
Add on London with all its charm, and we have a slightly cliched yet quite enjoyable stage to deal with. From there on, we have the plain and simple, yet appealing story that portrays all the nuances of a vulnerable guy and girl, who dont think they're good enough for their love interests trying to woo each other and finally finding themselves in each other's arms. There is subtle humour amidst all this, some truly original script and dialogue, which adroitly stays away from the cliché and screenplay that lends for some really fine moments to sit back and actually relish. For instance, isn't the beginning where the protagonist's apartment is introduced amidst classic London neighbourhoods and a Tissot Billboard overlooking, the stuff of classic and artistic cinema? Add to that adept editing and cinematography ensure, whats written on paper has been shown well.
Particular mention goes to the writer and lead actress Pakhi who has scripted the movie as well as rendered the much needed “beauty in trouble” character to Mishka, in the film. Its indeed refreshing to see an actress so naturally beautiful amidst all the scimpily clad red carpet brigade and then, talented to an amusing effect indeed.
However, there is nothing really ground breaking about all this, but a much needed vacation with laid back chairs and delicious gourmet in your ancestral home isn't ground breaking either. I hope you get the drift!
Whats benchmark setting, though, is the OST of the film and the way it has been used in the film. Between gorgeous frames, like the one that kicks off the song Hello Hello or the one that intoduces the aforementioned apartment, and apt screenplay, the OST, in usual A.R.Rahman fashion, adds a subtle charm to where-ever its employed. A deeper literary comment is needed to critique the OST professionally but all one can say is finding the finer aspects of the music is quite a revelation to the ardent music lover.
I could be a staunch ARR follower yet I've hated to bits certain other movies that he composed music for. My following for the Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na team notwithstanding, for all its subtle yet sparkling bits, for its amazing OST, the quaint yet involving script and screenplay that in situations, one can empathise with, and the lovely characterization and the essential fact that its a romantic comedy (disclaimer alert: I'm not the girly guy who has a penchant for all things that girls like), Jootha Hi Sahi works for me. And as such, any movie with atleast a couple of aspects to watch out for, works for me!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Hipsters!!!
....dont be baffled by the title as this is no ode to the hippies with those Volkswagen Minibuses and "No War" logos...but actually a listing showing a few pretty cool and funky hip-hop and R &B numbers that have failed to bore me even if it was the gazillionth time I listened to them......
- Marylin Monroe - ARR - quite technically tailored by ARR with very good melody, nice hip-hop bits, and a very melancholic female voice in the backgrounds!
- Senorita - Justin Timberlake - much of Timberlake's work has a lot of appreciation, but this one has some of his original Memphis feel where he's still a kid jamming in little pubs and making the local ladies go gaga over his voice, specially the spanish-mexican women from the video.
- Iragai Pole/Yevan Di Unna Petham - Yuvan Shankar Raja - quite freshly since Yuvan has been trying some proper hip hop numbers and when he found the right tune to match both these wonderful numbers....one, juvenile and the second, menacing!
- Empire State of Mind - JayZ/Alicia Keys - with a perfect percussion set-up and the charming voice of Alicia comprehending Jay-Z's stylishly scripted raps.....and a befitting dedication to the city of stars and starlets and indeed, the concrete jungle where dreams come true...NYC!
- Umbrella - Rihanna/JayZ - begins with an amazing clash of the cymbals and then takes on with a subtly cool humdrum beat and Rihanna's electric voice....definitely, the limelight shot for Rihanna.........closely followed by her other hits like Disturbia/Hard for supercoolness!
Friday, January 7, 2011
Indian Cinema: and it's coming of age!!!
scene #1 - in the backgrounds....the composer going at full force on the entire keyset of the piano from one end to the other......a hero and a heroine (atleast thts wht d protagonists are familiar as) running in utter slow motion and when they meet the camera zooms past to show a pair of flowers shaking hither and thither.......
scene #2 - a female chorus in the background yelling 'aaa' in stratospherical tones.....clouds and thunders in the sky going berserk as if it were armageddon....clashing waves.....a hurt hero(usually with a gazillion bullets shelled into his abdomen) fighting against the uber-powerful antagonist who never fails to die in the end....and a bunch of the hero's folks praying for him at the nearest temple in full commitment...
.....till quite sometime, this was what the Indian cinema offered...save for quite a few number of examples that earn deep respects given the age of their making and their being fabulous (read - director specific or actor specific) ........however, of late, with no specific time-line moment depicting this, Indian cinema changed for good. Slowly adapting to better standards of technical work, art and dialogue as well as styles of depiction either by pure original creation or inspiration from the ubiquitous Hollywood or other cinema arenas.....Indian cinema indeed arrived.
However, this significantly caught my eye particularly in 2010, with either me acquiring a taste in cinema or the arrival of certain examples that proved this fact.
The holy examples being Vinaithaandi Varuvaaya, Raavan, Udaan, Khaleja, Prasthaanam, Orange, Rakta Charithra 1 & 2, Vedam, et al.....cumulatively for the way they handle simple, rebellious, fundamental and controversial subjects with utmost care, bravery, commitment and finesse......a few highlights on these masterpieces
.....Nevertheless, as long as stubborn technicians remain who stick to what they do and believe in good art, good, quality Indian Cinema is here to stay!
scene #2 - a female chorus in the background yelling 'aaa' in stratospherical tones.....clouds and thunders in the sky going berserk as if it were armageddon....clashing waves.....a hurt hero(usually with a gazillion bullets shelled into his abdomen) fighting against the uber-powerful antagonist who never fails to die in the end....and a bunch of the hero's folks praying for him at the nearest temple in full commitment...
.....till quite sometime, this was what the Indian cinema offered...save for quite a few number of examples that earn deep respects given the age of their making and their being fabulous (read - director specific or actor specific) ........however, of late, with no specific time-line moment depicting this, Indian cinema changed for good. Slowly adapting to better standards of technical work, art and dialogue as well as styles of depiction either by pure original creation or inspiration from the ubiquitous Hollywood or other cinema arenas.....Indian cinema indeed arrived.
However, this significantly caught my eye particularly in 2010, with either me acquiring a taste in cinema or the arrival of certain examples that proved this fact.
The holy examples being Vinaithaandi Varuvaaya, Raavan, Udaan, Khaleja, Prasthaanam, Orange, Rakta Charithra 1 & 2, Vedam, et al.....cumulatively for the way they handle simple, rebellious, fundamental and controversial subjects with utmost care, bravery, commitment and finesse......a few highlights on these masterpieces
- VTV - for the really delicate subject and the way Gautam Menon handles it, specifically the songs, the picturesque frames, the amazing music score, and the entire beauty of it being a foslan anthem!
- Raavan - for the sheer intensity portrayed by Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bacchan, Vikram and the other cast, besides fabulous frames, the close quarters photography and the haunting end
- Udaan - the photography that apes a clogged yet focused style, the OST and for a certain moment when the underdog bloke takes a strike against his suppressive dad.
- Khaleja - for the honest representation of a very intellectual subject with decent mix of commercial fun and amazing artwork that redefines traditions, the cinematography that feels like its a smooth ballet run, the catchy dialogue and Mahesh's well versed attempt at reinventing himself.
- Prasthaanam - if there's one thing thats mesmerising about this film, its DevaKatta's terrific dialogue work while a grown up Sarvanand also impresses well besides Sai Kumar in his best self.
- Orange - again a delicate and intellectual subject handled very impressively, and the way this movie with its class and art catches you the second time u watch it around, nice OST too.
- RC 1 & 2 - for sheer thrills, a Tarantino/Robert Rodrigues-ishh crime drama, the sheer guts of RGV in making it, brilliantly thought-out frames and a brilliant combo in Vivek and Surya!
- Vedam - one more very interesting subject, specially watchable for some delectable frames, screenplay and hugely mature work by M.M.Kreem and Arjun, Manoj and Anushka
.....Nevertheless, as long as stubborn technicians remain who stick to what they do and believe in good art, good, quality Indian Cinema is here to stay!
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