Endhiran

I did not want to watch this movie on the first day of its release because of the hype given by it producers (their marketing strategy is to keep on canvassing it till they take up the next project). It is because I always knew great disappointments are caused by great expectations and I did not want Endhiran to be a disappointment to me. So I gave it some time for the expectations of this movie among the audience to settle down and watched the movie nearly after a month of its release.

Since Shankar was one of the few directors whose films I love to watch, my expectations were different from the usual tamil movies as this happened to be the first science fictional movie in the Kollywood and the concept being conceived 10 years ago. And when I heard that the animation/CGI was done by people who had worked in Hollywood movies, I was a bit excited to see what Shankar had in store for Endhiran. Shankar is one of the few directors who use international technology in his films. My expectation from Rajnikanth was his performance as a Robot. This is because, only off late, he has started to do well-learned character roles like a Psychiatrist (Chandramuki), Software Architect (Shivaji) and Scientist (Endhiran). So I expected to watch how he fitted his charm, brace and style into a scientist and a robot character. I did not expect punch dialogues, hero worship dialogues especially of political intent, off-track comedies, forced song sequence into the script and cinema-logic climax as these had no room in a sci-fi movie. Summing up, Shankar’s story plot, Rajnikanth’s performance first time as a scientist and robot and the animation was what I expected before I decided to watch this movie.

When I came out after watching the movie, my friend asked me did I like the movie. I was not able to answer neither I liked the movie nor disliked the movie. For the first half, I was yawning and was asking my friend, who was watching for the third time, when the interval would come. The opening sequence was good and entirely different for a Super Star’s first appearance in the movie. It went straight into the plot where the Scientist Vasigaran works endless hours for more than 10 years to achieve his dream of inventing a humanoid robot, living to my expectation. Then romance scenes follow with a much required song sequence. Since the robot is created in the first half an hour of the movie itself, I was expecting the following sequence of the robot experiencing the human world to be interesting but it failed to entertain me. Chitti helping Sana in studying for the examinations, during the examination, Chitti recharges himself less than a minute in the rail tracks after Sana calling out its name for help, the girl saved by Chitti from fire dying since she was saved naked, Chitti helping the doctors in a very critical baby delivery process after learning human emotions and Chitti speaking with the mosquito in mosquito mode - all these scenes made me feel like I’m watching a typical tamil movie as they were sentimental and not emotional. I felt the tribal song was forced into the script. The part that actually made me stop yawning is when Chitti version 2.0 character is introduced into the plot and the scenes that followed were interesting, especially the fight between the humans and the robots were good. The Arima song was brilliant in terms of musical instruments and technology. Most of Shankar’s movies dealt with law and so there was always a court/police involved sequence in the movie and Endhiran was not exceptional. Climax was bit emotional but still I feel there was always room for better performance.

The first thing to be appreciated here is Shankar’s venture for a science fictional. Indian film industry has used graphics, animation and CGI in the movies, it’s not a new thing but never has a movie used technology right from the first frame to the very last. I could see the hard work of the technicians especially the climax and really needs to be applauded for such an effort put in tirelessly for three years. The second thing to be appreciated here is performance of Rajnikanth. He has proved himself that he’s the apt person to be called the Super Star and no one can beat this performance especially the version 2.0 robot character. Its really a huge thing for a Super Star to do this role with no hero-worship introductions along with message mixed songs, no usual style/mannerism, punch lines that follows throughout the movie and scenes like it-happens-only-in-tamil-cinema kind. Not to forget the efforts put in for endless make-ups by the King of Style. Finally, Shankar. As I told earlier, I knew what to expect from Shankar but if you ask me did if my expectations were met by Shankar in this movie, I would say no. Why because, most of movies dealt with society issues and were of Robin Hood genre where one man fighting the good cause of the nation. To list, you had Arjun in Gentleman, Arjun in Mudhalvan, Kamal in Indian, Vikram in Anniyan and finally Rajnikanth himself in Sivaji. Endhiran did not carry that genre at all in it. My expectations were a typical Shankar movie but what I saw was an altogether different Shankar.  That's why I couldn't answer whether I liked it or not.  And as any Tamil/Indian-movie-only watching group, yes he did satisfy me but as a movie buff, he did not. I have seen many robot based movies and since it was Shankar directing this movie, naturally I expected quality story and better screenplay.

Endhiran is not a typical tamil movie - it’s the first of its kind in Indian cinema.

Endhiran is not a typical Rajnikanth movie - no style/mannerism/punch dialogues.

Endhiran is not a typical Shankar movie - no Robin Hood/no message for society.

It is of a different class that makes the movie to stand out but I would conclude that there is always room for better performance and hoping that one day tamil cinema would come of out the commercialization mind set and start setting new trends.

தமிழ் மொழி

ரொம்ப நாளா தமிழ ப்ளாக் எழுதணும்னு ஆசை. ஆனா என்ன எழுதறதுன்னு தெரியல. அப்படியே எழுத எதாவது கரு கிடைச்சா, அத எப்படி எழுதறதுன்னு தெரியல - அதாவது ப்ளாக் முழுசும் சுத்த தமிழ எழுதறத இல்ல ஆங்கிலம் கலந்து எழுதறத. எப்படியோ, தமிழ ப்ளாக் எழுதணும் என்ற ஆசை இப்படியாவது நிறைவேருச்சினா சரி. இந்த ப்ளாக்கை தமிழ எழுதறதற்கு காரணமே ஒரு தமிழ் வார்த்தை தாங்க.

என்னோட அலுவலகம் முன்னாடி நுங்கம்பாக்கத்துல இருந்துச்சு. நான் புரசைவாக்கத்துல இருக்கிறதுனால இது பக்கம இருந்துச்சு. ஆனா இப்போ அலுவலகத்த தரமணிக்கு மாத்திட்டாங்க. இப்போ நான் புரசைவாக்கத்துல இருந்து பேருந்துல சென்ட்ரல் வந்து பூங்கா ரயில் நிலையதில்லிருந்து பறக்கும் ரயில தரமணிக்கு வரேன். ரயில் பயணம் எனக்கு புதுசில்ல. ஏன்ன நான் கல்லூரிக்கு ரயில தான் நாலு வருஷம் போனேன். ஆனா பேருந்துல போறது பல வருஷம் கழிச்சு. இப்போ சென்னைல பேருந்து எல்லாம் முன்ன மாதிரி கிடையாது. இப்போ பல பேருந்துக்கு கதவு இருக்கு. முன்ன மாதிரி பூட்போர்ட் அடிக்க முடியாது. இப்போ AC வசதி எல்லாம் பேருந்துல இருக்கு. நான் AC பேருந்துல போனது இது தான் முதல் தடவ. குறிப்புக்கு வரேன்.

பொதுவா படிக்கட்டு பக்கத்துல இருக்கிற இருக்கை வயசானவங்களுக்கும் உடல் ஊனமுற்றோர்க்கும் முன்னுரிமை. இதுக்காக அந்த இருக்கை மேல இன்னார்க்கு முன்னுரிமையினு எழுதிருப்பாங்க. அண்மையில் நான் பேருந்துல போகும் பொது, உடல் ஊனமுற்றோர்க்கு அவங்க உபயோகித்திருந்த வார்த்தை பார்த்து நான் ஆச்சிரியப்படேன். அது என்ன வார்த்தை தெரியுமா? மாற்று திறனாளிகள். கொஞ்சம் நேரம் இந்த வார்த்தைய பத்தி யோசித்துப்பார்த்தேன் - மாற்று திறனாளிகள். திறன்ன ஆங்கிலத்துல abilityனு அர்த்தம். நமக்கு எல்லாருக்கும் திறன் இருக்குங்க. நடக்க திறன். ஓட திறன். பேச திறன். பார்க்க திறன். வேலை செய்ய திறன். கேட்க திறன். நுகர திறன். ஆனா இதுல எதாவது ஒரு திறன் இல்லாதவங்க தான் மாற்று திறனாளிகள்னு கூப்பிடுறாங்க. எதாவது ஒரு திறன் இல்லைன்றது இல்லாமை. ஆனா நம்ம தமிழ் மொழி இப்படி போன்றவர்களுடைய இல்லாமைய மறைத்து இருக்கிறதை சுட்டி காட்ட தான் இப்படி ஒரு பெயர் கொடுத்திற்காங்க.

நம்ம கிட்ட இல்லாத ஒரு திறன் - மாற்று திறன். வேற எந்த மொழிலாவது இப்படி ஒரு அழைப்பு பெயர் இருக்கா? ஆங்கிலத்துல visually/physically challenged னு ஒரு அழைப்பு இருக்கு. ஆனா இந்த வார்த்தை இல்லாமையாதான் குறிக்குது. People with special needs னு சொன்னாகூட தேவைங்கறது ஒரு இல்லாமையே.

சரி. மாற்று திறனாளின்ற வார்த்தைக்கு ஆங்கிலத்துல மொழிபெயர்ப்பு என்ன? மாற்றுக்கு different னு சொல்ல முடியாது. ஏன்ன ன வித்தியாசம் என்று அர்த்தம். மாற்று என்ற வார்த்தையின் வேர் சொல் மாறு அல்லது மாறுதல். CHANGE. இத வச்சி ஒரு வார்த்தை அமைச்சா changing ability னு சொல்லாமா? இல்லை. மாற்று திறனாளி என்ற வார்த்தை தரும் அர்த்தம் ஆங்கில வார்த்தைக்கு இல்ல. இது தாங்க வேற எந்த மொழிக்கும் இல்லாத சிறப்பு நம்ம தமிழ் மொழிக்கு மட்டும் இருக்கிற சிறப்பு.

நான் ஒரு மொழி பைத்தியம் கிடையாதுங்க. தமிழன் தமிழ் மொழில மட்டும் தான் பேசணும் என்ற பறைசாற்றுபவன் இல்லைங்க. ஆனா தமிழ இருக்க இப்படிப்பட்ட சிறப்பை எடுதுக்காட்டதான் இந்த ப்ளாக்யை எழுதிறேன். வாழ்க தமிழ்!!!

Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa

Pathetic was the word I wanted to use till I neared the climax of this movie. A typical Gautham Vasudev Menon movie - excellent photography but snail pace tempo. The costumes were vibrant in colors for the leading pair. I even liked the choice of blue color for the hero’s bike.

My mood was a bit frustrated from the beginning of the movie. As usual of any Gautham Menon movies, there were too much detail on each scene and I felt the frames were running slower than 15fps. I was expecting something to happen in the marriage as the movie was nearing the interval. I had a few, a very few laughs in the first half. And the twist at the interval has just increased the tempo of the movie to 15.1 fps.

The choice of heroine could have been better since Trisha was horrible in the saree – primary reason being her walk like the Platypus on the land. One rarely gets to see good female actors who could act rather than entertain. Even then, if you find one, it would be only one or two movie where they would have acted.

When the hero goes to meet the heroine after being released from the police station, all my mind was expecting that both will get caught red-handed by someone - now that would have made the movie really interesting. (I really loved and laughed my stomach out when the hero gets caught by the heroine’s mother when they were together in a home in 7G Rainbow Colony movie – I guess I was the only person laughing out loud when that scene came in the movie because to me that is interesting because any viewer would be guessing what would be happen next and it’s in the hands of the director to show the aftermath in a way that the viewers shouldn’t expect it).

One more applause should be given to the director as he had livened the reason why the heroine rejects the love of the hero suddenly. That part is a bit illogical but that’s the way these girls are and I’m not surprised of such a behavior from the heroine. (There would also be a similar behavior of the hero in Gautham’s earlier movie Varanam Aayiram where the hero would suddenly go berserk after he returns from America and then getting addicted to drugs – Gautham should really work on his script).

Guys are always sentimental than the meek girls (meek but not sentimental?!?!? – well that’s how modern girls are). The director should be applauded for the hero did not marry till then whereas the ‘innocent’ heroine had. The only part of the movie where I felt the tempo of the movie in good pace was when the hero meets the heroine after 2 years in America. And I loved the background score by A.R. Rahman for that scene – really proved that he’s a true recipient of an Oscar.

I was bit happy that the movie did not end as any usual love story but keeping the failure as ‘the’ stepping stone for the hero to succeed in his career. I would say that the world needs girls at least for the guys to succeed in their careers than a guy finding his true love which one rarely finds and if he finds, he finds it to be a mirage in the end.

So to conclude, if anyone wants to watch the movie, please watch the movie at the possible highest forward speed in your DVD player. Look out for A.R. Rahman’s BGM and Manoj Paramhamsa’s handy works of the camera. As of any Gautham Vasudev Menon’s movie, good storyline but could have concentrated more on the screenplay so that the story would have been told in a very interesting and better way.

Cannot open user default database. Login failed. Login failed for user ‘UserName’. (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 4064)

Obliviously, I deleted the database which I had set as the default database to my login in SQL Server 2008. To change it, I double-clicked on my login under Security -> Logins but it threw me an error stating unable to login to default database. After a headache of 20 minutes, I found the solution:

1. In the Connect to Server window, click on the Options button.

2. Under the Connection Properties tab, type the name of the existing database or the default database (usually 'master') at 'Connect to database:' option. (Drop-down will again try to connect so its no use of trying).

3. Then click Connect. Voila!

Thought this might be helpful than to try other sqlcmd options from the command prompt.

HE LOVED HER II

They were working in the same office but different project teams so he hardly noticed her but he was noticed among everyone because of his brace and charm. Her project got over and her team was dissolved. Everyone of that team was integrated to the other existing team and she was moved to his team. Only then he came to know that such a girl existed. When she started to witness his brace and charm closer every day, she longed to become his friend. And the longing grew every time she heard him joking and commenting with his peers. He never talked with her expect officially and that too happened once a while as both of their jobs were different in the team. Whenever she talked with him officially, his responses were always short and to the point and she used to wonder whether her longing would be fulfilled.

He was only aware of her presence until he saw how she behaved with others especially with the male peers. He started to respect her and admire her. When she volunteered to buy drinks for everyone during an inter-office game practice, he thought she was special. He then started sending her forwarded mails and started chatting with her using the internal jabber. She was really surprised at his initiative to talk with her because he had always spoken very little and officially. At first, she couldn’t understand him and most of the time she was confused on what he was talking about. However, their conversation over the jabber grew day by day. To certain extent, they had the same likes and dislikes. At one point, he admitted to her that he saw a mirror image of himself in her. When she heard that, she was so overjoyed that it became one of the best moments in her life. That day, her wish of becoming his friend was on the verge of being fulfilled.

Though he used to talk so much over the internal jabber but in person, he talked only official matters to her. She was always surprised how he could maintain two different behaviors, one on the chat and the other off the chat. She found the answer on the day she sat next to him in the office bus. She had changed her residence and it was on his way to home/office. In the initial days, her friend used to reserve a seat for her. Then, once her friend’s shift timings had changed, she would get the seats in the last row only since those were the least preferred ones. On that particular day, there was a seat available next to him. She first hesitated but then decided to take the seat after he acknowledged her presence with a smile. He slowly started speaking with her and on that day she came to know that he can talk non-stop. He spoke everything under the sun and she was amazed how much he knew about. Their relationship on the bus grew day by day and it became a routine for them that he started to reserve a seat for her.

To him, though he was friend to everyone in his team, he never considered anybody as his friend since he never exposed his real feelings to anybody. To her, though she had many friends and some were very close to her, she never had a friend only to herself. When these two people met, they touched each other’s longings, unconsciously.