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Top 15 Unusual Things to See in London

January 6, 2015, 5:46 am
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I was in England for three years doing my degree. During that time, I've visited London many times, but it was always the usual famous tourist spots like Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Madame Tussauds, Trafalgar Square, Hyde Park and much more. Looking back now, I have come to realize that there are quite a few unusual spots that I have missed. If I were to revisit London someday, this are my top 15 unusual things to see there.

1) The Fake No. 10 Downing Street



Although access to the actual Downing Street is often restricted, there is No. 10 Adam Street close to The Stand, which is an exact replica of the British Prime Minister's residence.

2) Brixton Windmill



This is actually one of the six windmills that you can find in London and it has been here since 1816. Initially closed in 1934, it was restored in 2011 and is currently open to the public.

3) The thinnest house



Situated on the corner of South Terrace and Thurloe Square in Knightbridge, this seven feet house is worth up to £2m.

4) The smallest house 




No. 10 Hyde Park Place, Marble Arch is only 3 feet 6 inches wide. When it was built in the 18th century, it blocked a tiny passageway, and functioned to watch out for body snatchers at the opposite St. George's graveyard. It is now taken over by the similarly coloured Tyburn Convent next door.

5) The smallest church




Measuring merely 56 feet by 30 feet, St. Ethelburga-the-Virgin in Bishopsgate, EC2 dates back to the 13th century.

6) The smallest police station



Located  near Trafalgar Square, this circular stone station was built in the mid 20s and has space for only one officer.

 7) Leinster Terrace’s fake town house façades 



This row of fake town house façades was actually built to hide the ugly train tracks and smoke from the engine venting when the first tube line was built around these upscale area back in the 1860s.

8) Speedy’s Cafe in Camden



BBC's Sherlock fans don't need any introduction to this very normal-looking cafe. Lucky to know, the care has not exploited the fame from the popular TV show.

9) The Traffic Light Tree



This eight metre tall fake tree contains 75 computer operated traffic lights was made by French sculptor Pierre Vivant and is located in Canary Wharf.

10) St. Bride's Church



Apart from St. Paul’s Cathedral, St. Stephen’s Walbrook and St. Lawrence Jewry, this church also beautified the city's skyline. However, what makes this church truly wonderful is its tiered spire that inspired modern wedding cakes not just in England but worldwide.

11) The Thames Lions



Taking a stroll down the River Thames on the Victoria Embarkment is not unusual. But people hardly spot the carved lion heads with rings in their mouths. Sculpted in the 1860s, these Thames Lions were part of the river's flood warning system. If the Lions drink, London will sink.

12) Temple Church



Many miss this smaller church, although it is one of London's most important Christian buildings. Built in the 12th century, it served as the Knights Templar's English headquarters.

13) The Last Sewer Lamp



Located just off the Strand, this lamp was built in the 1880s and is connected to the city sewer system below. Fumes to travel up along its iron post and fuel the flame on top

14) The Victorian Operating Theater



Like many other churches in 19th century England, St. Thomas provided food, shelter and medication to the poor.  This church, however, even had its own operating theater, which back in the day would have staged a performance to avoid with no anaesthetics and what not.

15) Tower Bridge Chimney



Tower Bridge is one of London's iconic landmarks, but what makes it unusual is its chimney that has been blended in with the lamp posts lining the bridge. It is connected to one of the bridge piers which had a room with coal fire to warm the guards. 
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Top 10 Tamil Movies of 2014

January 7, 2015, 6:26 pm
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Following the end of my undergraduate studies in June, I have been spending the second half of the year catching up with all sorts of movies, so much so that I could make my own Top 10 list. Just so you know, this list is purely based on my own thoughts and not box office collections and professional critics' opinions. So let's get kicking.

12) Vadacurry



It is evident from the first few scenes itself that this is from a Venkat Prabhu school of film. He not only stars in it, but was the mentor to the director. Jai carries most of the scenes on his shoulder, branding himself as a comedic actor after the success of movies like Goa and Raja Rani. This movie also proves you do not need necessarily need Santhanam to provide comic relief in an out and out comedy film that does not require a separate comedy track. RJ Balaji does a good job in this position, or perhaps even better as his comedic timing goes straight to the punch without the Santhanam-esque long-winded dialogues that leave subtitle writers annoyed. Everything invites laughter in this film, even the villains who are not really big time criminals are amusing. Songs are pretty decent as well, although the ending could have been better by having a slightly more menacing criminal behind the whole plot.




11) Velaiyilla Pattathari



This film's trailer made it appear like an out and out typical Masala commercial entertainer with its punch dialogues, boy-next-door heroism, folk songs and family sentiments However, it is more than just that. It is also a poignant coming-of-age story. Dhanush plays a similar role as he did in Polladhavan (2007), Yaaradi Nee Mohini (2008) and Padikkadavan (2009). However, the presence of a formidable villain makes for an interesting David versus Goliath element. Though the film is racy and borderline predictable, it boldly tackles an issue most cinema goers today face - a jobless young graduate waiting for his big break. Though this is only his début, director Velraj proves he can tell a good story with a strong social message while still mixing in some commercial elements. 




10) Mundasupatti



Set in a 1980s fictional village in South India called Mundasupatti, the film depicts an entire village of highly superstitious and uneducated people who believe bad luck will befall them if they are photographed. This film makes fun of organized religion and superstition in a way that is not too in-your-face, which saved it from controversy. This could have the been as good as another satire film that came out this year, Vaayai Moodi Pesavum. However, where it falls short of critiquing society, it makes up in the comedy department.





9) Thegidi 


Ashok Selvan is like the urban, yuppie version of Vijay Sethupathi. Both make new age Tamil movies that are more artsy than commercial but still fare well at the box office. They were together in a movie in fact - last year's blockbuster Sodhu Kavum, where Vijay was the literal and figurative crazy one of the group while Ashok was the more mature and educated one. Also, Ashok played the main character in last year's Pizza 2, which is a spiritual sequel to the Vijay starer Pizza. Thegidi appears to be low budget but it still boosts a decent story, dealing with private investigating. Unlike most mainstream Tamil films that deal with blue collar crimes, this film deals with a different form of crime that we all perhaps take for granted. Also prepare yourself for the big twist at the end, which is nowhere near Pizza 2's twist, but still a decent attempt.





8) Cuckoo


This romantic drama staring Attakati Dinesh and Malavika Nair each in a role of a lifetime revolves around two visually-challenged young people who fall in love with one another. What makes this film absolutely refreshing is the fact that it does not depict the visually-impaired in an overtly sympathetic way like what you would expect from a regular artsy Tamil film. Instead, they are shown as normal everyday members of society. The hero is a singer for a band that performs at various functions, while the heroine is a trainee teacher in the midst of her teaching practice. There are many light, funny moments, and also overly melodramatic ones like the ending. This film could have been much better though, but since it the director's debut, we can give him a pass. 





7) Kochadaiiyaan



Thank our lucky stars that this film had the Superstar in it, or it might not have even taken off. The animation is unfortunately mediocre, but the movie is saved by the KS Ravikumar's engaging story and dialogues, and of course, AR Rahman's brilliant soundtrack. Thankfully this movie does not have the usual hero-worshiping dialogue that most big starers have, though the opening song does incorporate elements of it, which we can look pass thanks the beautiful accompanying music. It is difficult to understand why this had to be a motion-capture film when it could have simply been a regular animation one. You cannot really feel the 'motion' captured from the actors' performance with their animated versions looking so stiff. Perhaps its a good starter that will go on to be well developed in the future. 





6) Vaayai Moodi Pesavum


This is a satirical film that might not have worked in mainstream cinema. The second half of the film seems like a silent movie, which actually works very well. It still manages to be funny and engaging despite the lack of dialogue. The film pokes fun at many aspects of Tamil Nadu's political and social environment today - like the manipulative media, corrupt politicians, hero worship, alcoholics and of course, our excessive use of speech. Just like how the director, Balaji Mohan reinvented the Tamil rom-com genre in his debut, he introduces a completely new concept yet again added with his own style of story-telling, making the movie not just a thought-provoking piece of film but an enjoyable
one.




5) Pisasu


This film was wrongly promoted as a horror film. It is more of a ghost film which fits into the genre of psychological thriller. There are still some genuinely scary scenes, which has been executed differently by avoiding the usual blood and gore, thus destroying a few clichés along the way. It has Mysskin's name all over it with his signature camera angles, slow paced scenes, and villains who are not really evil. His obsession with all things morbid truly fits this kind of genre, as it makes for a well-made edge-of-the-seat psychological thriller. Although the big revelation during the second half of the film renders the film less than suspenseful, the climax makes up for this. 




4) Madras



Though this film still maintains all the commercial elements needed in order for a film of this genre to succeed, it does not compromise with the social reality of its setting. This is unarguably Karthi's best movie in recent times, though he does seem to stick out like a sore thumb not just as the movie star member among a group of mostly newcomers, but as a bit too chic and mature for a lower middle class young man. This revenge drama is about two friends from north Madras who despite being the most educated in their clique, end up being lured into the midst of a bloody gang war of political rivalry and betrayal which comes with living in a neighbourhood like theirs. Though the basic premise is not completely original, director Ranjith's screenplay and character development keeps us engaged throughout the film. 








3) Arima Nambi



This is a a very well-crafted urban conspiracy thriller. The suspense scenes are genuinely nail-biting thanks to the racy plot. It is hard to believe this is a debut film for the director, especially with such clever writing, excellent direction and cool camera works. This film is a rare gem in a rarely explored genre in Tamil cinema. The villain, who only comes in the second half, is truly menacing and power-greedy. Most of the high-tech talk spoken in this film is believable enough to make the movie appear as realistic as possible. The only problem with this movie is one song scene towards the end of the film that just stands out like a sore thumb.





2) Naan Sigappu Manithan



This movie came as quite a shock as it comes from the same guy that gave us the usual run-of-the-mill Tamil films like Theeradha Vilaiyattu Pillai (2010), Samar (2013). It is truly refreshing to see Vishal reinventing himself as a true actor and slowly shedding his 'mass hero' image. In this movie, he plays Indhiran, a boy next door who is not a looser but an excellent student, who hangs out with his friends at a cafe instead of a bar. The narcolepsy aspect of the story is an actual part of the whole film, just like how split personality is part of Anniyan, and not just a sickness that the hero happens to have. This illness has a major role in how the entire story plays out.




1) Jigarthanda



After a stunning debut through Pizza (2012), Karthik Subbaraj has proven himself as an auteur for Tamil cinema with his this comedy cum gangster film. In this genre-defining film, we see a raw and gritty gangster film that is as comical as it is violent. The film is packed with a series of twists and turns that keep audiences at the edge of their seats. The structure of the film is very unconventional that some might not be able to stomach the sudden change in genre after the intermission, although those who have come to like Karthik's earlier attempt of a twist in Pizza might actually appreciate the uniqueness that he is trying here. Bobby Simha truly stuns us with a career-defining performance here after having played a dummy in Sodhu Kavvum (2013) and a comical villain in Neram (2013). Moviegoers can definitely expect more from both him and the director in the future.




Honourable Mentions:





1) Sarabham

2) Kaviya Thalaivan

3) Kaththi
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Ten Unusual Places To Visit in Kuala Lumpur

January 12, 2015, 5:03 am
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Everyone knows about the Twin Towers, the KL Tower, the famous museums, the iconic religious sites, the popular malls and cultural landmarks. Kuala Lumpur is a city rich in history and even when you think you have seen and experienced everything our capital has to offer, it still finds a way to surprise you. Here is a list of Ten Unusual Places To Visit in Kuala Lumpur.

1) Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve

Yes, right in the middle of the cosmopolitan city is this 11 hectare rainforest preserve, one of the smallest in the world. Hike across its wooden bridges and you can see wild animals such as monkeys and all kinds of birds. Trees are also labelled so they can be easily recognized. Just outside the forest, there is an orchid plantation, nature centre, herb garden, botanical garden, jogging trail and much more.


2) Gothic church

Gothic churches are no longer just native to Europe and America. We have one right here in the capital. Built during the colonial period, the Church of Holy Rosary has every Gothic feature in the book such as beautifully crafted stained windows that depict Biblical stories, a tall steeple and plaster vaulting.


3) A traditional village in the middle of the city

Sprawling over almost a 250 acres, Kampung Baru is a traditional Malay village in the middle of the modern city. Here, you will find traditional Malay wooden houses with their little orchards and farms set against the backdrop of the city's skyscrapers.


4) Smallest Hindu temple

Fondly known as Pudu Pillayar or Court Hill Vinayagar Temple, this Ganesha temple is probably not as well known as the more bigger Hindu temples in the city. However, it is built on a three adjoining cornered slope, which is very auspicious. Despite its popularity among devotees, the temple cannot be renovated due to its close proximity to other large buildings in the area.


5) Coconut trees in the city

The only place where you can find coconuts in the city centre is in the grounds of the Jamek Mosque, one of the oldest in the city.


6) A piece of Mecca 

You can see the 1964 Keswa, the door curtain of the Ka’aba which is changed every year displayed at the Islamic Arts Museum Kuala Lumpur.


7) Dine in the dark

Here is one of the few restaurants in the world where you can enjoy a one of a kind dining experience made up of a four-course dinner. The staff consists of visually impaired individuals


8) Hidden hot spring

Located along a road aptly named Jalan Air Panas in the suburbs of Setapak, the hot spring is opened to the public with an entrance fee of just RM1.

  

9) The underground shopping mall

Merdeka Square is famous for its historical significance as well as the Moorish-looking Sultan Abdul Samad Building that contrasts the nearby Tudor-styled Selangor Club. Not known to many, Merdeka Square Plaza, one of the capital's many malls, is found below the former cricket field. 


10) The remains of a colonial prison 

Contrary to popular belief, the historical Pudu Jail was not completely demolished. You can still see its iconic arched gateway facade, although its walls that once had the longest mural in the world is gone along with the main building.

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Ten Unusual Places To Visit in Penang

January 15, 2015, 5:52 am
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You have probably visited Penang's many cultural enclaves, shopping malls, beaches, hawker centres and other famous attractions countless of times. The Orient of the East has a lot more to offer. Here are ten offbeat places in Prince of Wales Island to visit. 

1) A colonial mansion


Suffolk House is probably the only well-maintained and well-furnished colonial residence in Malaysia that is open to the public. Kellie's Castle in Perak was never completed while Kinarut Mansion in Sabah is just ruins. This Euro-Indian Georgian detached double-storey mansion was once the residence of Sir Francis Light, founder of Penang.

2) The Jewish cemetery


Before the evacuation of the Penang Jewish community to Singapore during the Japanese invasion, the island was home to many Jews. Still open for burial, the cemetery's oldest tomb dates back to 1835 while the newest is dated 2011.

3) The most beautiful KFC



This KFC restaurant is probably the most beautiful in Malaysia, and perhaps the world. It used to the mansion of Lim Cheng Teik, who became the youngest Municipal Commissioner in history. This former mansion was designed by architect Henry Alfred Neubronner:

4) Jerejak Island



This 362 hectare island south-east of Penang is a former leper asylum. It can be accessed today
via ferry from Bayan Lepas. There is a memorial dedicated to two Imperial Russian Navy crew members who died during the Battle of Penang. In the 70s, a maximum security prison was set up here, earning the island the title Alcatraz of Malaysia.

5) A Northern Indian temple



Almost all Hindu temples in Penang cater for Tamil-speaking congregation and feature South Indian architecture. Unlike them, the Sri Kunj Bihari Mandir along Penang Road is probably the only Northern Indian Hindu temple in the state. Built in 1833 for settlers from Bihar, the temple still caters to Hindi-speaking devotees of Punjabi, Gujarat, Sindhi, Bengali and Bhaiya communities.

6) A turtle sanctuary



When people thing of turtle preservation, Terengganu comes to mind. However, Penang also has its own lesser known turtle sanctuary at Keranchut Beach. Green Sea Turtles can be seen here from April and August, while Olive Ridley Turtles come here sometime between September to February. The sanctuary keeps hatched turtles until they are mature enough to be released into the wild.

7) A canopy walkway



Penang is not all food and culture. There is a National Park, which is the smallest in the world but can still house a 250 metre long canopy walkway. At a height of 15 metres, you can look down on the various preserved flora and fauna the rainforest has to offer at a bird's eye view.

8) An interactive museum 



Since Malaysians love taking and posing for pictures, it is a surprise this is not yet what Maddame Tussauds is for London. Apart from posing with 3D murals and trick artwork, visitors can learn about Penang's history and diversity from its various exhibits. 

9) A statue of a British monarch



Queen Victoria Memorial Statue was built by the local Chinese three decades after he passing as they considered themselves the her subjects back in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Other places in Penang such as Victoria Green field, Victoria Street, Victoria Memorial Clock Tower, Victoria Peer, Victoria Inn, Queensbay and Victoria Road are also named after the Queen. 

10) A haunted hill



Often featured on many Asia's top 10 scariest places lists, Ghost Hill has a War Museum that is the sight of many apparitions over the years. Built by the British in the 1930s as a military fortress, it fell to the Japanese during World War II. The hill was then made a prisoner camp where countless people were tortured and even beheaded. 




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12 Things You Don't Know About Kelantan

February 21, 2015, 2:26 am
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1. It has its own unique Malay dialect

Every region in Malaysia has its own variety of the Malay language. However, there is no denying that the Kelantanese dialect is the most divergent variety of the language. This is probably because the Kelantan-Pattani region is isolated from the rest of the Malay world by mountains and rivers.


Source: http://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahasa_Melayu_Kelantan

2. It has its own currency

Issued by the state government, this currency is said to be in line with the Islamic gold dinar concept. However, the federal government denies its use for legal tender, stating the Ringgit Malaysia is the only legal tender currency in Kelantan and Malaysia as a whole. At the moment, the currency is most predominately used for Zakat payment and marriage dowry.


Source: http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Malaysia/Story/A1Story20100814-232042.html

3. It has the largest Malay population in the country

Kelantan is part of the conservative Malay heartland, with over 95% of the state's population being Malays. It is often considered the cradle of Malay culture, preserving rich local traditions like kite-flying, top-spinning, bird singing, Batik making, Songket weaving and silver crafts manufacturing.

Source: http://travelinkelantan.blogspot.com/2010/01/kelantan-cradle-of-malay-culture.html

4. It is home to one the longest Sleeping Buddha statues in the world

Found in Wat Photivihan, a Buddhist temple in the Tumpat district, this statue is 40 meters in length. The temple is a mainly Thai temple, which is evident from its name, architecture and the majority of its devotees. 

Source: http://travelinkelantan.blogspot.com/2008/08/place-of-interest-sleeping-buddha.html

5. It is the largest producer of teachers

Which is why it is so hard for Kelantanese teachers to be transferred back to their home state. With about 60 000 fresh graduates every year, a large portion of them are serving outside the state.

Source: http://www2.hmetro.com.my/articles/Kelantanpengeluarguruterbesar/Article/

6. It has the lowest unemployment rate in the country

The Department of Statistics revealed that the unemployment rate in Kelantan is the lowest in Malaysia with only 2.2 % compared to the national rate of 4.0%.

Source: http://dialograkyat.blogspot.com/2010/11/kadar-pengangguran-kelantan-paling.html

7. It has the most non-Chinese learners of Mandarin in the country

Following in the footsteps of former Chief Minister, the late Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who sent five of his grandchildren to Chinese medium schools, many citizens of this Malay-majority state are sending their children to such schools themselves. 

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/st/print/1593342

8. Most of its signboards are in both Roman and Jawi scripts

The Kelantan state government has enforced local authorities to enforce the use of the Jawi in not only signboards but also in official reports.

Source: http://ww1.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2008&dt=1118&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Muka_Hadapan&pg=mh_06.htm

9. Its ad billboards feature female models and celebrities wearing the headscarf

While advertisement agencies might use the exact same billboards for a specific product in different parts of Malaysia, they are also obligated to make different ones exclusively for Kelantan. In accodring to the state's laws, the billboards there can only feature women in the headscarf.

Source: http://ismihana.blogspot.com/2011/11/papan-iklan-pun-berdakwah.html

10. It has the largest number of AIDS and HIV patients in the country

Statistics from the Ministry of Health show that for every 100 000 citizens, 29 out of them have the disease. This is highter than the average rate for the whole of Malaysia, which is 13 for every 100 000 citizens. 


Source: http://ww1.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2011&dt=0916&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Dalam_Negeri&pg=dn_08.htm

11. It tops the list of local pornographic website visitors


In 2014, a porn website called Pornhub revealed that Kelantan's capital, Kota Bharu spends the most time on to its website, losing to another east coast city, Kuala Terengganu. The average time spent browsing pornography in these cities were higher than the average time for the whole of Malaysia itself.




Source: http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/12/16/Malaysia-porn-stats-east-global/

12. It has the most polygamists in the country

The high number of registrations for polygamy is probably due to flexibility in terms of polygamy laws in the state.

Source: http://www.sistersinislam.org.my/news.php?item.80.27
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Sabah Roundabouts

February 25, 2015, 5:10 am
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1) Tambunan



2) Penampang



3) Papar



4) Pitas



5) Kunak



6) Jesselton



7) Tawau



8) Beaufort



9) Tuaran



10) Tambunan



11) Bukit Bendera




12) Sandakan



13) Sandakan



14) Sandakan



15) Sandakan



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Five Tamil Film Directors We Wish Would Make More Movies!

March 29, 2015, 3:40 am
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1) Rajiv Menon

Though primarily a cinematographer, Rajiv Menon has so far directed two films, Minsara Kanavu (1997) and Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000). Both films were critically and commercially successful, with his directorial debut receiving four National Film Awards. His second film earned him the  Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Director and Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Film. Another Menon, Gautham Menon also worked as Rajiv's assistant director before directing his own movies. Rajiv is still going strong as a cinematographer though he is yet to return to script-writing and directing. 

2) Kathir

Before there was Gautham Menon and Selvaraghavan, there was Kathir who could came anywhere close to rivaling Mani Ratnam in the genre of romance. He is the man who gave us Kadhal Desam (1996) and Kadhalar Dhinam (1999). He often collaborates with AR Rahman, who has given us some of his best tunes during the 90s while working with Kathir. He was supposed to make a comeback with either Srikanth or Shaam but there has been no word on this new project. 

3) Santosh Sivan

Another cinematographer turned director, Santosh Sivan focuses more on his first career then his second, despite having directed some of the most daring and critically acclaimed Tamil films in recent times. His films mostly fall into the alternative cinema category, which is probably why they are more famous for making rounds at international film festivals instead of making money at the box office. Four of his ten directorials are in Tamil, all of them featuring female main characters with The Terrorist (1997), Malli (1998), Navarasa (2005) and Ceylon (2013). 

4) Priyadharshan 

Yes, he is more popular now as the director who remakes his own and others' Malayalam blockbusters of the past for Bollywood. He also rarely works in Tamil cinema, although he has given us some of the most critically acclaimed and daringly unique Tamil films in recent years. He made his debut in Tamil cinema with Gopura Vasalile (1991), one of the earliest Tamil-language black comedies. Then, he made films featuring female lead characters with Snegithiye (2000) and Lesa Lesa (2003), which is rare in Tamil cinema. His most recent Tamil film is the National Award-winning drama film, Kachivaram (2008) which also earned him the Best Director Award at the Filmfare Awards. He is yet to make another Tamil film. 

5) Siddique

This Malayalam filmmaker has only made five Tamil films, all of them remakes of his own Malayalam blockbusters. His films are always commercial masala flicks but not the no-brainer type. Three of them have become both critical and commercial family entertainers that  are famous for boosting their main leads' careers. Engal Anna (2004) and Kaavalan (2011) provided Vijaykanth and Vijay with their much needed comebacks, while Friends (2001) helped make Surya the movie star he is today. Siddique continues to be more active in Malayalam cinema as there is no word on his next Tamil-language venture. 

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Most Beautiful Structures in Putrajaya

May 3, 2015, 3:08 am
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Located 25 km south of Kuala Lumpur, this new planned city now serves as the federal administrative center of Malaysia. Due to overcrowding in Kuala Lumpur, the seat of government was shifted here in the late 20th century by the administration of former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Muhammad's plan. Although Putrajaya is now Malaysia's third Federal Territory, Kuala Lumpur still remains the country's commercial and financial centre apart from the seat of the King and Parliament. The city's name is derived from the Sanskrit words "putra" which means "prince" after Malaysia's first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, and "jaya" which is "success". Since it is a planned city and the new administrative centre, a lot of planning has gone into ensuring it reflects Malaysia's status as one of the most developed nation in the third world. Here is a list of some of the most beautiful structures you can find in Putrajaya. 

Government Buildings

By 2012, most of the government's headquarters have shifted from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya, apart from the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Works and Ministry of International Trade and Industry. Here are some of the most beautiful governmental buildings this new city houses:

1. Perdana Putra 




2. Palace of Justice



3. Ministry of Finance



4. Wisma Putra




5. Putrajaya International Convention Center 



6. Perdana Library



7. Perbadanan Putra Complex



8. Suruhanjaya Tenaga Building



9. Ministry of Tourism and Culture 



10. Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities



11. Judiciary Affairs Division



12. Wisma Sumber Asli



13. Youth and Sports Ministry



14. Ministry of Home Affairs



15. Ministry of the Federal Territories



Monuments


1. Putrajaya Landmark



2. Millennium Monument 



Places of Worship 


1. Putra Mosque



2. Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque



Official Residences 


1. Seri Perdana



2. Melawati Palace



3. Darul Ehsan Palace



Bridges


1. Putra Bridge



2. Seri Gemilang Bridge


3. Seri Saujana Bridge



4. Seri Setia Bridge



5. Seri Wawasan Bridge



Recreation


1. Selera Putra



2. Putra Botanical Gardens



3. Putra Wetlands Park



4. Putrajaya Moroccan Pavilion 



5. Putrajaya Lake



6. Pullman Lakeside




Upcoming Developments


1. Putrajaya Hindu Temple



2. Putrajaya Residential Waterfront 



3. Ecologically-designed retail and commercial area


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Top 10 Passport Trivia

May 31, 2015, 4:11 am
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1) Sweden's passport is not only the most powerful in the world but it also one of the most highly sought-after travel documents in the black market, which can cost up to 6,000 pounds compared to the 28 pounds fee to make or renew it legally.



2) The costliest passport fee is the Turkish one with a whopping 166 pounds, while the UAE passport is the cheapest at only 9 pounds.



3) The Malaysian passport, which is the eighth most powerful in the world, is the first to include biometric features which is now being followed by most other countries.



4) Austrians are allowed to have two copies of their passport to circumvent certain travel restrictions.



5) The Nicaraguan passport allegedly is the least forgeable travel document in the world with almost 90 security features, including bi-dimensional barcodes, holograms and watermarks.



6) The Finnish passport has a mini-flip-book-like feature of a walking moose.



7) The Canadian passport has certain features which can be seen under black light for authentication.



8) Afghanistan has the fewest visa-free access at 28 countries.



9) Sweden, Finland, UK and Germany have the most visa-free access at 174 countries.


10) Hong Kong issues two types of passports; the Overseas British National passport for its permanent residents who were born there when it was still a British colony,  and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport, which is a Chinese passport. 








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Singapore in Malaysia: Before and After the Merger

June 6, 2015, 7:14 am
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Introduction

While Singapore was still a British colony, Malaya (now Peninsular Malaysia) was already an independent nation. So, when Tunku Abdul Rahman, the Malaysian prime minister proposed a merger between Malaya, North Borneo (now Sabah), Sarawak, Brunei and Singapore, the Singaporean prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, who was also the president of the People's Action Party (PAP) at that time happily welcomed the idea. 

Why was Lee Kuan Yew so open to idea of Malaysia? There are a few theories. It is said this was his attempt to save Singapore from leftist political parties in the island state. The Singaporean Socialist Front, Labour Front and Singapore People's Party were against the merger as they viewed it as the British's attempt to remain in power. The leftists had already won elections in Hong Lin and Anson constituencies in Singapore, making the PAP more vulnerable. A merger would save Singapore from the leftists and the PAP from losing power.

Before Merger

Some historians go as far as to suggest that it was Lee Kuan Yew who allegedly first proposed a merger between Singapore and the rest of Malaya, not the Tunku or the British. Fearing left wing politicians in Singapore growing in power and influence after the elections in Hong Lin and Anson, Lee wrote a paper on the formation of a new federation on May 9, 1961. In the paper, he wrote ":..a plan to create a federation of these three territories must be tactfully and gradually introduced into the minds of the people of the three territories, and should be presented as a desire of the people living in the region, and not initiated by the British. In fact, Sabah and Sarawak's inclusion in Malaysia was to compensate by the Malay and other native numbers in these two states against the Chinese population across both sides of the causeway which was as large as the Malay population.

Meanwhile in Malaya, Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman was not very keen in merging with the Chinse-dominated Singapore. This would increase the number of Chinese citizens in the country, hurting Malay political dominance in Malaya which is what the Tunku's party relies on to stay in power. Malaya, with its strong anti-communist stand has managed to contain Communist influence during the Malayan Emergency unlike Singapore with its substantial Communist influence. Singapore's strong leaning towards left wing politics, encouraging the British to ensure Malaysia absorbs Singapore to drown the Communists' power.

Lee Kuan Yew knew something had to be done and sacked left-leaning PAP members who were not loyal to his leadership. Most of them joined the opposition Socialist Front, which both the British and Lee linked to Communism. Fearing the opposition's growing influence, Lee had to do something before the September 1963 elections. So, one year earlier, he put forth the referendum for Singapore's merger into the Federation of Malaysia. Right before the elections, the British carried out Operation Coldstone where all left-wing politicians including Communists were arrested. With the success of the Operation, PAP won the 1963 elections.

In Malaya, Tunku Abdul Rahman still feared that a Communist Singapore would eventually serve as a haven for Communist militants, paving a way for the ideology to spread to Malaya as well. As a compromise, he proposed that a new federation be formed by merging Malaya and Singapore with the British's three Borneo territories to form Malaysia. The main political leaders of these three territories were A.M. Azahari of Brunei, Donald Stephens of North Borneo (modern day Sabah) and Ong Kee Hui of Sarawak were all against Malaysia. In fact, it is an ope secret in Sabah that Lee Kuan Yew promised Donald Stephens the position of Deputy Prime Minister when Lee was Prime Minister of Malaysia one day, making it possible for Stephens to become Prime Minister one day. Sarawak too eventually agreed to join Malaysia as the way to independence since its Anti-Cession Movement failed. Brunei rejected the merger after the Brunei Revolt.

Three days after the Singapore Referendum, Lee announced on radio that Singaporeans clearly wanted to join Malaysia. Together with Sabah and Sarawak,Lee declared their de facto independence from the British on August 31 alongside Malaya's Independence Day against the Tunku's desire. Later that year, Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak merged to form Malaysia.

After Merger 

Once Malaysia was formed, the new country had two Prime Ministers, Tunku as Prime Minister of the whole of Malaysia at the federal level and Lee Prime Minister of Singapore but with the same status as the Chief Minister of other states in the Federation. With Singapore as a member of the Malaysian Federation, it had shared powers with the federal government. Defense, foreign relations and internal security were under the federal government. Education and labour were under the state government. Meanwhile, economy, industry and manufacturing would be shared responsibilities.

However, two years after the merger, several problems arose. For one, Singapore's state government was not happy with the federal government competing with its position as an international industrial and trade center and wished to remain a free port. Also, the predominantly Chinese, Singapore-based PAP was gearing up to compete with the ruling United Malay National Organization (UMNO) at the federal level. Lee quickly tried to replace the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) as the representative party of the Chinese, calling MCA the "Money Collecting Association" and UMNO's submissive. 

Despite Lee's attempts, the PAP won only one of the nine seats it was contesting with a majority of a mere 808 votes in Malaysia's biggest constituency while MCA won 27 seats, 9 more than it did in the 1959 elections. With both sides playing the race card for votes, communal riots broke out in Singapore on July 21, 1964. Eventually, a two-year Alliance-PAP truce was made where the PAP would stop raising sensitive Malay issues in public.

While UMNO was already part of a strong coalition called the Alliance Party alongside the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) and the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), PAP knew it had to garner support from the politically strong Malay heartland. Therefore, it worked together with multiracial parties in Peninsular Malaysia such as People's Progressive Party (PPP) and the United Democratic Party (now GERAKAN) to form the Malaysian Solidarity Convention, which opposed affirmative action for Malays. 

Racial polarization increased in Malaysia with ultras on both sides of the political spectrum. In the end, it was Tan Siew Sin, the president of MCA and Tan Tong Hye, the secretary-general of the Alliance Party who suggested to the Tunku that Singapore be separated from the Federation. With Singapore's exit, Stephens, now Chief Minister of Sabah wanted to review his state's participation in the Federation. He was swiftly sent away to Australia as High Commissioner, before returning to serve as Governor years later.

Conclusion

As we can see, there was a similar trend in the events before and after the merger. When the PAP was the ruling party, it did all in its power to eliminate any political threats, going as far as merging with a larger country to stay in power. However, once it became the opposition, the only state where it stayed in power was unceremoniously expelled so that the ruling party can stay in power. Funny how things work out, particularly in politics. 

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Proposed Alternate Malaysias

June 9, 2015, 3:49 am
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1. Malayan Union

The Malayan Union was the successor to British Malaya in order to unify all the different states in the Malay Peninsular, apart from Singapore, under one government. Under this new administration, Malaya would become a Crown Colony under a British Governor with the Malay rules conceding all their powers to the British Crown except in religious affairs.The political status of the Malay rulers were reduced with British Residents replacing them as the head of the State Councils. Although, the State Councils for each state was maintained, they lost their limited autonomy as they became merely an extension of the Federal government. After protests from nationalist groups, the Union was modified into the Federation of Malaya, which still excluded Singapore and restored most of the Malay rulers' power.


2. Malaya - Singapore 

This was the proposed country which would have included Singapore into Malaya again. It was first proposed when the British worked together with the aristocracy and conservatives to form the Anglo-Malay Proposals which further polarized the different ethnic groups in Malaya, restricted citizenship to non-natives, separated Singapore from the rest of Malaya and delayed independence. The All-Malaya Council of Joint Action, which comprised of various left-winged anti-colonial political groups from the moderate Malayan Democratic Union and Malay Nationalist Party to the radical Malayan Communist Party, proposed an alternative People's Constitution that would combat all of these issues. Despite having organized a successful protest called the All-Malayan Hartal, the British ignored the Council's demands and began to ban all left wing organizations following the armed rebellion of the Communist Party and the eventual declaration of the Malayan Emergency. By then, the Federation of Malaya was put into action and Singapore would be forever politically separated from the rest of the country. 




3) People's Democratic Republic of Malaya


After the British ignored the All-Malaya Council of Joint Action's People's Constitution, the Malayan Communist Party revived its military wing, the Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army. Originally a resistance movement worked with the British to fight the Japanese during World War II, it was renamed the Malayan Races Liberation Army and declared the Anti-British National Liberation War, which the British called the Malayan Emergency. The Malayan Communist Party intended to form a Communist republic in Malaya by which included Singapore. During the Baling Talks, the Communist Party proposed the government to recognize it as a legitimate political party, which was refused. Following its declining influence and power, the concept of the People's Democratic Republic of Malaya eventually died out. 



3. Johore

Before independence, the Anglophile Sultan Ibrahim of Johor was uncomfortable with his state being part of the Federation of Malaya. He wrote to The Straits Times in 1953 voicing his doubts on Johor's future as part of an independent Malaya. He supported the continuation of Johor as an independent British protectorate with its own British Adviser.The Sultan's supporters soon formed a secessionist movement called Persatuan Kebangsaan Melayu Johor (PKMJ) with the Sultan's relative, Ungku Abdullah bin Omar as its president. However, the Alliance Party's influence under Tunku Abdul Rahman's leadership proved to be too powerful, and Sultan Ibrahim moved to London, leaving behind crown prince Tunku Ismail as regent. Ungku Abdullah urged Tunku Ismail to not sign the Malayan Federal Constitution but was ignored. Tunku Abdul Rahman then invited Sultan Ibrahim to become the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia, but the Sultan declined allegedly due to old age and his wish to spend his final years in retirement. With most of his party members crossing over to the Alliance, Ungku Abdullah disbanded his party before independence. Had Tunku Ismail not sign the Constitution, Johor would not have become part of Malaya and even Malaysia.



5. Indonesia Raya

Indonesia Raya was a concept that intended to unite all races with Malay roots by merging together the British territories in the Malay Peninsular, Borneo and the Dutch East Indies. It was first proposed in the late 1920s by graduates and students of the famous Sultan Idris Teacher Training College but was forgotten after the Japanese Occupation. In the 1950s, important Indonesian figures such as Sukarno and Muhammad Yamin strongly opposed the formation Malaysia, terming it a British puppet state to reestablish neo-colonialism in Southeast Asia to hamper the growth of Indonesia. This hostile political stance led to the Indonesia–Malaysia Confrontation. The fall of Sukarno and the rise of General Suharto finally led to peace between the two nations, with both acknowledging each other's sovereignty. 






6. North Borneo Federation

The North Borneo Federation was a proposed post-decolonization alternative which would have made up of British Sarawak, British North Borneo (now Sabah) and the British protectorate of Brunei. Originally proposed by Brunei's People Party president, A. M. Azahari, he was seeking the unification of all Borneo territories under British rule to form an independent leftist North Kalimantan state with the Sultan of Brunei as the constitutional monarch. This would make the people of Broneo strong enough to resist Malay political domination and Chinese economical domination. After the failed Brunei Revolt, the proposed country died out. The Sultanate of Brunei was more in favour of joining Malaysia than forming the North Borneo Federation. However, disagreements regarding the Sultan's seniority in succession as Agong and disputes over oil royalties prevented Brunei from joining Malaysia.



7. Prince of Wales Island

Before independence, the Straits Chines in Penang initiated an active secessionist movement as they associated themselves more with the British rather than the Malays of the mainland. The term 'pendatang' or 'foreigners' often used to refer to their community especially offended them since they were mostly born in Penang and saw the island as their home. They first made their voiced heard in the 1940s during the proposal to amend the Banishment Ordinance, which would allow the government to banish those born in the Straits Settlements to their ancestral homeland. However, the secessionist movement eventually died out following the Malayan Emergency when the British started to ban all left-winged movements in an attempt to combat Communism.



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Top 10 Uprisings That Would Have Changed Malaysia

June 13, 2015, 1:18 am
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1) 1915 Sepoy Mutiny

Also known as the Mutiny of the 5th Native Light Infantry, almost 900 Indian soldiers known as Sepoys went against the British in Singapore during World War I. Lasting almost seven days, the mutiny resulted in the deaths of almost 50 British soldiers and locals. The threat of the mutiny was finally neutralized by the involvement of the Allied forces' navy. Since there are no existing reports on the Sepoys during their trial, the cause of the mutiny still remains unknown till today.

Alternate reality: However, had it been successful, the British would have lost control over Singapore, its main colony in the region, and the uprising would have spread all across Malaya and other British colonies and protectorates in the area.

The public executions of convicted Sepoy mutineers at Outram Road, Singapore in March 1915.


2) Rise of the Johorean Royalists

Before independence, the Anglophile Sultan Ibrahim of Johor was uncomfortable with his state being part of the Federation of Malaya. He wrote to The Straits Times in 1953 voicing his doubts on Johor's future as part of an independent Malaya. He supported the continuation of Johor as an independent British protectorate with its own British Adviser.The Sultan's supporters soon formed a secessionist movement called Persatuan Kebangsaan Melayu Johor (PKMJ) with the Sultan's relative, Ungku Abdullah bin Omar as its president. However, the Alliance Party's influence under Tunku Abdul Rahman's leadership proved to be too powerful, and Sultan Ibrahim moved to London, leaving behind crown prince Tunku Ismail as regent. Ungku Abdullah urged Tunku Ismail to not sign the Malayan Federal Constitution but was ignored. Tunku Abdul Rahman then invited Sultan Ibrahim to become the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia, but the Sultan declined allegedly due to old age and his wish to spend his final years in retirement. With most of his party members crossing over to the Alliance, Ungku Abdullah disbanded his party before independence.

Alternate reality: Had Tunku Ismail not sign the Constitution, Johor would not have become part of Malaya and even Malaysia.

His Royal Highness Sultan Ibrahim of Johor

3) Indonesia Raya Sentiments

Following the end of the Japanese Occupation, the British returned and worked together with the Malay aristocracy and conservatives to form a new united Malaya which would guarantee their economic interests would be protected. Fearing that anti-colonial sentiments would inspire an open armed rebellion similar to the fight of independence against the Dutch in the East Indies, the British had to compromise with royals and conservatives to limit rights for immigrant groups while still delaying independence. Meanwhile, certain left wing organizations

Alternate reality: Had the British refused to work together with the aristocracy and conservatives to launch pro-British politics, the idea of Indonesia Raya would have caught on and Malaysia and Indonesia would have become one big country.

The concept of Indonesia Raya


4) All Malayan Hartal

After World War II, the British were ready to leave their colonies, but not without guaranteeing their local strategic and economic interests would be well protected. Therefore, they resolved to leave behind pro-British governments to succeed them. To ensure the cooperation of the Malay aristocracy and conservatives in Malaya and protect their military bases in Singapore, the British split off Chinese-dominated Singapore from the rest of Malaya and governing it as a crown colony. Many anti-colonial organizations came together to form the All Malaya Joint Council of Action and proposed their own People's Constitution, that not only called for Singapore to be part of Malaya, but for more accessible citizenship for immigrant groups and all Malayans to be called Malays. This would ensure a clearer path towards independence. The Council then organized the All Malayan Hartal to protest the British and it was a grand success both in Malaya and Singapore. However, the British did not grant any concussions to the Council when the radical Malayan Communist Party, which was a member of the Council, decided to launch an armed rebellion. With the declaration of the Malayan Emergency, the Council was dissolved and other left wing organizations banned out of fear of Communist influence. Since then, Malayan politics was dominated by conservatives and pro-British groups. Just like the Malayan Union, the Federation excluded Singapore, despite its traditional links to Malaya.

Alternate reality: Had the British taken Hartal seriously, another coalition of political parties would have been chosen to rule an independent Malaya. Also, Singapore would continue to be politically and socially similar to the rest of Malaya, allowing it to stay within the federation.

A cartoon poster of Hartal.


5) Penang Secessionist Movement 

In the 1940s, the British proposed to amend the Banishment Ordinance, which would allow the government to banish those born in the Straits Settlements to their ancestral homeland. This made many Straits Chinese in Penang unhappy as they viewed Penang as their home and not China. Furthermore, the term 'pendatang' or 'foreigners' used by Malay conservatives was particularly offensive to them who saw Penang as their one and only true home. Also, the Straits Chinese associated themselves more with the British rather than with the Malays of the mainland. All these led them to initiate a secessionist movement. However, the secessionist movement eventually died out following the Malayan Emergency when the British started to ban all left-winged movements in an attempt to combat Communism.

Alternate reality: Had the secessionist movement been successful, Penang would have been a British Overseas Territory with Queen Elizabeth II as its monarch, or maybe an independent republic like Singapore.

Penang in the 1940s. 


6) Malayan Emergency

Despite being labelled an 'emergency' to allow tin mining industries and rubber plantations to claim losses, this Communist uprising was a full-fledged guerrilla war. Termed as the Anti-British National Liberation War by the Malayan Communist Party (MCP), this conflict between its military arm, the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA), and the Commonwealth armed forces lasted from 1948 to 1960. It ended with the Communists' defeat. This still remains the only war where the West won and the Communist lost.

Alternate reality: Had this war been won by the MNLA like the Vietnam War, Malaysia would have become the Communist People's Democratic Republic of Malaya with Singapore in it and things would have been radically different then they are now.

Malayan and New Zealand soldiers on a jungle patrol, c1957


7) Anti-cession movement of Sarawak

After the Jappanese Occupation ended, Sarawakian king, Rajah Charles Vyner Brooke ceded his kingdom to the British as a crown colony. This was a violation of a provision in the 1941 Constitution of Sarawak which specified self-rule for the kingdom if the heir apparent Anthony Brooke was not crowned the next king, which its citizens had expected to lead to independence. Without consulting the indigenous people or the consent of local leaders, the British declared Sarawak a crown colony on 1 July 1946. In retaliation, a secret organization called Rukun 13 assassinated the Sarawakian British Governor. But still, the British ruled Sarawak until it was given self-rule on the 31st of August 1963 and the subsequent formation of Malaysia on 16 September that year.

Alternate reality: Had the anti-cession movement succeeded, Sarawak would have become a British protectorate with Anthony Brooke as king. If the state still joined Malaysia, we might have had a white Agong too if that is even possible.

A demonstration in Sarawak. 


8) Brunei Revolt 

The Brunei People's Party supported joining the Federation of Malaysia. However, it feared the domination of the political influence of Malay supremacists in Malaya (now Peninsular Malaysia) and the economical power of Chinese merchants in Singapore. Therefore, it had one condition; all three Borneo territories, which are Brunei, Sarawak and North Borneo (now Sabah) were to be unified to form one state - North Kalimantan under one sultan, the Sultan of Brunei. That way, the 1.5 million natives of these states will be powerful enough to resist any political or economical domination. Before elections were even held in Brunei, the Brunei People's Party formed a military wing called the North Kalimantan National Army which organized the Brunei Revolt. Once the North Kalimantan Army was defeated and the Brunei People's Party leaders exiled, the Sultan of Brunei subsequently decided to not join Malaysia.

Alternate reality: Had the Brunei Revolt not taken place, Brunei would have become another state in Malaysia. Also, there would not have been Sabah or Sarawak, but a larger state called North Kalimantan with its own Sultan.

The 50th Anniversary of the Brunei Revolt


9) Malaysian Communist Insurgency

Despite the Malayan Natonal Liberation Army's defeat in 1960 at the hands of the Commonwealth armed forces, the Malayan Communist Party's leader Chin Peng renewed the insurgency seven years later. Known as the Communist Insurgency War, this second Communist uprising also failed even though other Commonwealth forces had withdraw from Malaysia by then. The Insurgency ended in 1989 with the signing of the Peace Accord in Haadyai, Thailand and the 1990 Bintulu peace agreement.

Alternate reality: Similar to the Malayan Emergency, had this second Communist uprising been successful, there is that possibility that we would have become a Communist republic.

The National Monument being repaired after bombings by Communist Militants. 


10) Rise of Singapore

While Singapore was a state within Malaysia, it started to see that there was no economic advantage to them. The main reason why Singapore was so desperate for a merger in the first place was because it believed it could not survive with the resource-rich hinterland that is Peninsular Malaysia. The Malaysian constitution was almost rewritten, transforming Malaysia from a federation into a confederation with the federal government providing more autonomy to the state government. Singapore's state government was to have all the powers it owned during its years of self-government between 1959 and 1963 before joining Malaysia. The federal government would only be in charge of defence and foreign relations, just like the British had been. Both federal and state governments would share internal security responsibilities. Also, Singapore citizens would be disallowed to participate in politics outside the island and mainland Malaysian citizens would not be allowed to take part in the island-state. This sounded like a good idea, but the federal government still wanted Singapore to contribute its tax revenue to the federal government. This meant Singapore would almost be like another country's colony again, only this time Malaysia's and not the British's. In the end, Singapore's separation from the rest of the federation was inevitable.

Alternate reality: This means had the merger continued, Singapore would be to Malaysia what Hong Kong and Macau are to China these days.

A Straits Times headlining the expulsion of the state. 

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Baahubali: Some Predictions on The Story

June 13, 2015, 6:13 am
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So the trailer for the latest Indian film, Baahubali has come out recently. Like most Tamil film trailers, it does not give audiences any idea on what the story is about, which is a good strategy as it heightens our curiosity. However, it compensates that by giving us snippets of the grand scale of its production. Most of the sets and special effects we see are most definitely a first in Indian cinema. 


The film is described as an epic war film. Despite its title, the film is not about the Jain religious figure which shares its name. As revealed by the cast and crew, the film is a fictional story and Baahubali literally translates into "the one with strong arms." Due to its length, the film is split into two parts, with this trailer being for the first part, hence its tagline "The Beginning." 

Here are screenshots from the trailer that might allow us to predict what the film's story is about. 

We are first shown an aerial shot of the kingdom where the story probably takes place. From an interview with Karan Johar, who will be releasing the Hindi version, it is hinted that film is probably based on Vedic stories. 

 From interviews, members of the cast and crew reveal that the story is about the battle of two brothers, Shivudu and Palvaalthevan for their kingdom's throne. 

Seriously, the graphic shots are simply stunning. 

Anushka Shetty plays Devasena. This is perhaps her only scene in the trailer. She probably plays the love interest of the older character Prabhas plays, now imprisoned after her stepson, Palvaalthevan has taken over the throne. 

There is no information on what character Rohini plays. From her costume, one can speculate that it is a tribal woman who probably adopted the younger Prabhas after he was banished from the palace or maybe survived a murder attempt. 

 The first shot of Prabhas who plays dual roles - Amarendra Baahubali and Shivudu. Both characters are probably father and son, with the latter being Devasena's husband and might have been murdered in a plot to take over the throne. 

Growing up in a jungle tribe, it is apparent that Baahubali is a very strong and agile young man. Imagine watching this scene in the cinema in 3D with the accompanying background music!

This looks like what might be scenes from a fantasy duet between Baahubali and Avanthika, the warrior princess played by Tamannaah, the second female lead.  

Hopefully the song sequence fits in well with the story and is not forced into it for commercial value. A film of such a big scale deserves to be given a mature treatment if it is to be appreciated across India and the Indian diaspora. 


There are scenes with snow, showing that the film not only takes place in ancient South India. This surely gives the story and the film as a whole a much richer look. 

One of the first scenes of war. Large sets were erected in Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad to shoot certain war sequences like this one. 

There is no information on whose statue this is since both Prabhas and Ranaa spot relatively similar looks in this film. 

There is a possibility this is the older Prabhas, Amarenda Baahubali, before being killed by his enemies. One line in the trailer even describes a character, albeit off camera, as Bahubaali's son. 

Another CGI-enhanced scene that can simply take your breath away. The production quality clearly surpassses that of the director SS Rajamouli's previous endavour, Maaveeran. 

 Sathyaraj sports a Tonsured look for his role as Kattappa in the film . From the look of the sword, it is safe to say the production team did not leave out a single detail in making sure every cent of the budget was used to the fullest. 


Nassar plays Pingala Devan, a negative role with a disabled arm. He described his role as the main catalyst behind Palvaalthevan's evil doings, maybe like what Shakuni is to the Kauravas. 

You just have to check out this CGI bull! 

Many characters in the trailer spot from Shivite looks. Even Prabhas is seen holding a large Shiva Lingam over his shoulders in the movie poster.  

Watch the trailer in HD on YouTube. Almost every scene like this looks like a beautiful painting depicting South Indian civilization in medieval times. 

"Who am I?!" Prabhas screaming this line put many fans to rest who were worried this was just a Telugu film dubbed into Tamil. 

Ranaa admitted he was chosen for the part because of his looks. The filmmakers had to go with an actor that could match Prabhas' height and physique if they wanted the film to have a proper villain. 


It is easy to see how epic this war scene is going to be. 

The trailer has many snippets of the various war sequences in the film. They do see in par with those in Braveheart and Ben-Hur. 

 Actress Ramya Krishnan plays Sivagami, another important role in the film. She might be the stepmother of Shivudu and mother of Palvaalthevan. Seeing how close she seems to a younger Pingala Devan, she could be related to him, maybe his sister.  

It is hard to say with all the makeup, but this might be weapons merchant Aslam Khan, the character played by Sudeep. It is reported that he will have a fight scene with Sathyaraj's character. 

From the look of the film, let's hope it has more of a dark and gritty vibe similar to historical epics such as Gladiator and Asoka rather than the playful nature of typical Indian ones. 

A lot of work must have gone into shooting battle scenes such as this one. 


For his role in the film, Ranaa had to go on a strict high-protein diet and intense muscle bulking to match his co-star, Prabhas' sturdy figure. 

  For each role, Prabhas is reported to spot two different looks; a large, beefed-up body for Baahubali's character, and a a more lean frame for Shivudu.

Some battle shots from the trailer like this one does remind us of the Hollywood flick, 300, although this film might not be as violent as that one to attract family audiences. 

If you haven't already, feel free to feast your eyes to the film's trailer below:

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Top 10 Parts of the Harry Potter Books That Should Have Been In The Movies

October 29, 2015, 4:35 am
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I often find myself caught up in arguments with people who claim that why should they read a novel, no matter how good it is, when there is a movie adaptation in the making. As a book lover, naturally I would disagree with the motion. I often cite the Harry Potter saga as a good example. Yes, the movies are incredible but it is the books that truly give the whole Harry Potter universe its magic. For instance, there are crucial parts from the book that are left out in the movies. The inclusion of these parts would have made the movies much darker and interesting, in my humble opinion of course. So, here is my list of Top 10 Parts of the Harry Potter Books That Should Have Been In The Movies in no particular order.

1. Professor Trelawney's First Prophecy 

In the movies, Neville is only given much importance in the final one. However, in the fifth book, we learn of a prophecy that led to Voldermort attempting to kill Harry. Professor Trelawney predicts that the only one who would have the ability to destroy the Dark Lord will be born at the end of July, 1980 to a set of parents who had thrice defied Voldemort and survived. This description fits both Harry and Neville. Since there were two babies who could fulfill the prophecy, Voldemort tried to eliminate both Neville and Harry at once. Fun fact: It was Snape, a loyal Death Eater at the time, who overheard the prophecy being made to Dumbledore at the Hog’s Head Inn and relayed this incomplete information to Voldemort. Only when he realized that he had unintentionally set his Dark Lord upon the Potters did he volunteer to become Dumbledore's double agent. For some reason, Voldemort saw his fellow half-blood as the bigger threat and chose to go after Harry himself while sending a group of Death Eaters after the pure blooded Neville.



2. Neville's Parents

Neville's backstory is just as tragic as Harry's. Around the same time Voldemort went after the Potters, he sent the Lestranges and Barty Crouch Jr to attack the Longbottoms. Neville's parents were tortured with the Cruciatus Curse and were eventually driven insane. Since then, Frank and Alice Longbottom have been institutionalized at St. Mungo's wizarding hospital, and Neville was raised by his grandmother. Although not as wicked as the Dursleys, Neville's grandmother keeps chiding him for not living up to his parents' legacy, partly becoming the reason for his lack of self-confidence during his early years at Hogwarts. Neville visits his parents regularly although they do not recognize their son.



3. Winky, The Crouch Family's House Elf

If there is a character that can truly capture the hardship elves face better than Dobby, it is the Crouch house elf, Winky. In the fourth book, she is sacked by Barty Crouch Sr. after he finds out that she failed to guard his fugitive son, Barty Jr. as instructed. Unlike Dobby who cherishes his freedom, Winky undergoes depression and turns to drinking when she relocates to Hogwarts. For years, she served the Crouch family loyally, even going so far as to care for the dangerous Barty Crouch Jr. who was put under his father's Imperius Curse to prevent him from rejoining the Death Eaters. Out of love for her young master, Winky successfully persuaded Barty Sr. to reward his son's good behaviour by taking him to the World Cup, which led to his escape and rejoining Voldemort. Despite Winky's screams and pleas, Barty Sr. coldly dismissed her. Barty Sr. mistreatment of the elf whose family loyally served his for generations led to Hermione setting up the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare (S.P.E.W.) to fight for elves' freedom. Winky's depression worsens when she learns her older master had been murdered by her young one.



4. Peter Pettigrew's Death

Throughout the book and movie series, Pettigrew a.k.a Wormtail is portrayed as nothing more than a cowardly traitor. Despite being their friend since Hogwarts, he was the one responsible for leading Voldemort to the Potters' location and then left Sirius Black to take the blame. After being exposed to have been hiding as Ron's pet rat for years, he escapes once again after Harry stopped Sirius and Remus from killing him. In the following book, Wormtail sacrifices his own hand in a ritual to resurrect Voldermort, and the Dark Lord would replace his hand with a beautiful silver one. All these are in the movies. However, what they left out was the part where Wormtail tries to prevent Harry from fleeing Malfoy Manor by strangling him. Only when Harry reminds him of the life debt he owes him does Wormtail stop. Then, that magical artificial arm of his strangles him to death for doing something right for once in his life and betraying Voldermort.



5. The Gaunts

It would have been interesting to see more of Voldemort's origin story since it is his family history that triggers his villainy. As revealed in the second book, Voldemort is a direct descendant of racist Salazar Slytherin. Only in the sixth book do we learn that his maternal family is the result of generations of inbreeding, which explains the mental instability that runs in the family. Merope, his mother, lived a horrible life under her racist father, Marvolo and psychopathic brother, Morfin. Desperate for human affection, Merope used a love potion on the handsome muggle, Tom Riddle Senior, who then left her after her spell weakened. Not wanting to return to her family who would kill her for eloping with a Muggle, the heartbroken Merope eventually succumbed to death at the orphanage that took a young Tom Riddle Jr. in. No wonder even Harry felt a bit of pity for Voldemort. A vengeful, teenage Voldemort would later return to the birthplace of his parents to murder his father's muggle family and frame his maternal uncle for the crime.



6. Petunia's Yearning For The Wizarding World

Petunia might have disliked her sister for having magical powers, but it was fueled more by jealousy rather than fear of the unknown. In the last book, it is revealed she even wrote to Dumbledore to accept her into Hogwarts, but he kindly turned her down. She also knows more about the Wizarding World than she cares to expose. She knows about Azkaban, Dementors and who knows what more. But that is not the end of their correspondence. Years later, after the Dementor attack on Dudley, Dumbledore sends Petunia a Howler to remind her that Harry must stay with her in order to remain protected by Lily’s bloodline.



7. Percy’s Feud and Reconciliation With His Family 

It appears that the Weasley brothers only have red hair in common. In other ways, they cannot be more different. Take Percy for instance. He is worlds apart from Fred and George. Just like his eldest brother, Bill, Percy was both a prefect and Head Boy during his time at Hogwarts. However, unlike Percy, he was very ambitious and chose his career over his family. His father did not take his quick rise through the Ministry of Magic lightly, as he saw it as a way for the Minister to keep a watch on the members of Dumbledore's Army. Percy ever wrote to Ron to congratulate him on becoming a prefect and advised him to keep away from Harry since he no longer sees eye to eye with the Ministry. Percy only sees the error of his ways after the fall of the Ministry and came to join his family during the Battle of Hogwarts. However, he did not have time to reconcile with his brother, Fred who dies during the fight.



8. Any Chance For Sirius?

Sirius' death in the fifth book marks the lost of the closest person to a loving family member Harry has after only two years of knowing him. In the last few chapters, we see how desperate he is to still keep Sirius in his life by looking at the magic mirror he has been given. He even goes to Nearly Headless Nick to ask if there is any chance Sirius would return to the human world as a ghost. Nick explains that only wizards who fear death might choose to return as ghosts, and such a fearless person like Sirius would unlikely do something like that despite his love for Harry. After apologising to Harry for not being of much help, Nick leaves for the End-of-Term Feast, leaving Harry further distraught.


9. The Marauders 

The Marauders are more than the inventors of the Marauder's Map. The movies ignored an entire backstory about James, Sirius, Lupin and Pettigrew's a.k.a The Marauders' school days. I mean sure there was that few-seconds flashback during Harry's Occlumency class which showed the four friends tormenting Snape, but that was it. There is a whole chapter on this in the fifth book. Since their best friend was a werewolf, James, Sirius and Pettigrew became unregistered Animagi just to keep him company. We know how things end for all four Marauders, but they were merely a bunch of really naughty and borderline mean students at school. Sirius almost caused Snape's death by luring him into the Shrieking Shack where Lupin was going through his werewolf transformation. It would have been interesting if the movies explored this a bit so viewers can see where Snape's mixed feelings for Harry comes from. 



10. The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore

Another backstory that was left out of the movies, it would have been interesting to learn that the all-perfect Dumbledore was actually very much human. He is considered the most powerful wizard to have ever lived and was the only person Voldemort ever feared. There was a reason Dumbledore hardly mentions his family throughout the series. His early years were very much troubled. His father, Percival was sentenced to Azkaban where he later died after attacking a group of Muggle boys who harassed his daughter, Ariana when they witnessed her performing magic. His first few years at Hogwarts were met with rumours of him being as violent as his father. Despite this, Dumbledore grew to become an exceptionally excellent student, becoming Head Boy and making many other achievements. It was only after his mother's accidental death at the hands of his traumatized sister did his life take a turn for the worst. Back at his hometown, Dumbledore became friends with the overly ambitious Gellert Grindelwald who influenced him on world domination by wizards for the betterment of society. An eventual falling out between the two led to a violent duel, in which Ariana was caught between the crossfire and died. Grindelwald fled, leaving behind a devastated Dumbledore, who swore to never trust himself in matters of power. This is probably why he rejected offers on becoming Minister of Magic countless times. While Dumbledore became a professor at Hogwarts, Grindelwald went on to wreck havoc across the world. Dumbledore tracked his old friend down and defeated him in a duel, despite the latter possessing the all-powerful Elder Wand. Dumbledore kept the Elder Wand for himself while Grindelwald was imprisoned in Nurmengard. Years later,  Dumbledore managed to track down one of Voldemort's Horcruxes in the form of Marvolo Gaunt's ancestral ring, which was made up of the Resurrection Stone, which could allow anyone to communicate with the dead. Desperate to see his family again, Dumbledore forgot that the ring was cursed and put it on. Despite his great powers, the curse spread throughout his body. Knowing that he would die anyway, Dumbledore orchestrated his own death to save Harry and the rest of the wizarding world from Voldemort.


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Marjon Chronicles 1: The Submission

November 20, 2015, 2:30 am
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I remember this happening like it was only yesterday. It was submission day for one of our final assignments. I was at the computer lounge on campus after sending in mine. I was waiting for one of my good friends, A to e-mail me hers for me to print and send in on her behalf. There was only about half an hour left and still no word from A. I was getting nervous, and so were our other friends, B and C, who A had also commissioned to help out in case she could not make it to campus that day. 

And then, like literally 10 minutes before the deadline, she sends her stuff. But the 'last minute mafia' were lining up at the printer. So we had to wait for our turn too while the clock was ticking. Seriously, things were tensed. Finally, we got to the printer, printed out everything, but my stapler was out of bullets. After asking about half a dozen people for their stapler, we finally found one. 5 minutes left. Then we realized, B had not changed her name from the cover. Once again, back to the computer. 4 minutes left. Edited my cover. 3 minutes left. Have to wait to use the printer again. 2 minutes. Printed out the cover. 

Then, tragedy strikes: library card out of credit. Borrowed someone else's card and promised to pay them back later. 1 minute left. Printed out cover. 45 seconds left. Clipped everything together. And then, I was like...

"Aku tak boleh lari, C. Kasut ni ketat..."

"Takpa wei. Biar aku lari.."

"Tapi, kau pakai jubah..."

20 seconds left. In storms B, the hero of the day.

"Takpe, C. Kau lari lambat (kuangsam). Biar aku pergi!"

Grabs the wretched assignment, runs like freaking Forrest Gump to the submission office. Meanwhile, the rest of us are praying that she makes it in time. B comes back, her full set of teeth on display like a Colgate commercial with the submission slip that shows the submission time literally 1 second away from the deadline.

Such memories. I wonder if I can ever return to that time. To the comfort of the company of people who really got me. We had our fair share of ups and downs, but what made it either fun or bearable was the thought that we were in this together, through thick and thin. C, please come back to us. Can we go back?
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Marjon Chronicles 2: The Daydreamer

November 20, 2015, 3:36 am
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I remember it happening like it was just yesterday. Eight of us traveled to Edinburgh for the Christmas break of 2010. We had the time of our lives. Before going back to campus in Plymouth, we stopped by at London for some exciting Boxing Day shopping. 

It was Christmas Eve in London and the city was freezing cold. My friends and I left our hotel in the evening and headed to Trafalgar Square to see the large Christmas tree there. Thank God we had a senior with us to guide us through London's complicated underground Tube service. I tried looking at the Tube map to see how to get from one place to the next so it will be easy when I travel to London someday on my own. I just got dizzy looking at it. That's a problem for future Kangga, I thought. Present Kangga can relax at the moment. 

Present Kangga had no idea what God had in store for him. 

So this is how the journey was to be made. From Bayswater Tube Station, we had to take the District Line to Notting Hill Gate. Once at Notting Hill, we had to change to the Central Line and head for Oxford Street. At Oxford Street, we had to change lines yet again to the Bakerloo Line that would take us straight to Trafalgar Square. If you are following me correctly, you will realize we had to change Lines not once, not twice, but three times to get from our hotel to our destination. Sounds simple? It's not. 

Bear in mind this is my first time riding the Tube. Unlike our Malaysian MRT system, there are no interesting sights to see through the windows because it is all underground. Nevertheless, I was fascinated by the people on the Tube. There were hardly any locals. People from all around the world came to London to study, work or stay permanently. It was like Kuala Lumpur on steroids. Also, I kept looking out for brick walls along the Tube line which used to be passageways for former Tube stations that had since been closed. Did I mention I am also an avid daydreamer? 

I was sitting quite far away from the rest of my group during our trip from from Notting Hill Gate to Oxford Street. As I got carried away with my daydreaming, I had not noticed my friends getting down at Oxford Street. It was only at St. Paul's Cathedral station that I realized my friends were nowhere in sight.

Here I was; first time in the heart of London.. all alone... separated from my friends. Panicing seemed like the most acceptable, if not right response at the time. Still, I kept trying to get my head to calm down, although my head never agrees with my heart. I get down at the station I was at. I look into the Tube map on the walls. I got dizzy again. Well at least this was not Paris, or Rome, or some city where I don't know the local language. 

I then ask this one pak cik waiting for the next train. I will never forget his response. 

"Excuse me, sir. Can you tell me where I can see the Christmas tree lighting?" That's right. I did not even remember the name of the station I was supposed to get down at. Before I could even finish my question, he took up his hand, kind of like his way of saying, don't bother me, I'm not interested in helping you. Ass. 

I go up to the counter and ask the person there how do I get to the Christmas tree lighting, hoping that in such a large city, there will only be one major Christmas tree lighting tonight. The really nice counter person, who was a young black man pointed out that the lighting will be at Trafalgar Square. He had a thick accent which I could barely understand. Might as well be lost in Paris or Rome, right? What I could make out was I had to take the Tube to Soho and then change Lines or something. So I made it to Soho. This time I looked at the Tube map and it was a direct line to Trafalgar. Thank God Almighty. 

I took the next Tube there and was reunited with my friends, whose first response was to laugh at my face. Still, I could see it in their eyes that they were relived that I was okay. Or maybe that's just how I try to remind myself I have good friends. 

Lesson of the story is; there is a place and time for everything, including daydreaming. That's what boring classes at school are for. Stay alert, especially if you are traveling for the first time in a foreign land. 
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Marjon Chronicles 3: The Spice Girls Fan

November 24, 2015, 10:54 pm
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I remember it as if it was only yesterday. I was stressed out because of my dissertation. I had to redo part of an entire chapter. To calm myself down, I decided to listen to a Glee playlist on Glee. I assumed nobody was at home since it was rather quiet and played the music on full volume. 

At about 7 or so in the evening, I left my room to take a shower with my laptop still playing the music. Showering with some therapeutic shower gel also calms me down immensely. When I got out of the shower, I noticed my downstairs housemate, Dublin, had returned home and was with a couple of his drunkard friends. At the moment, I was not sure why, but they were laughing their hearts out at something. 

As I climbed the stairs to my room, I could hear Glee's cover version of the Spice Girls''Tell Me What You Want' song blasting away. Not exactly a personal favourite  but I was in the shower while the song was playing. I suddenly remembered that it is not cool for people my age to be fans of the Spice Girls because they are seen as a kind of 'guilty pleasure' option of music. Funny story, the song was featured in a Glee episode all about guilty pleasure songs. 

After getting dressed, I went back downstairs to the kitchen to prepare my dinner. Dublin came in to get something from the fridge and commented on how he had no idea I was a Spice Girls fan. I was too occupied with slicing stuff that I just nodded and smiled. 

Then later, the two guys in his room were leaving. As they passed by the kitchen, they started singing out loud, "Tell me what you want, what you really really want!" Up till that point, I had never seen them acting so crazy while sober. Anyway, I was too busy thinking about my dissertation to realize why they were singing such an uncool song out loud. 

It was only after I started bumping into them every now and then, and they would sing, "I wanna... I wanna... I wanna..." that I finally realized - oh, these donkeys are making fun of me. Oh well, if I had so much acne that my face looked like a slice of stinky pepperoni pizza, I would go around finding a reason to make fun of others to make myself feel better. 

Note to self; never leave your laptop on full volume with a YouTube playlist in the background without knowing what the next song might be. 





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'The Invisible Ones' Book Review, by Stef Penney

November 30, 2015, 5:11 am
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Reading 'The Invinsible Ones' is like going on a long holiday. You enjoy it at first, but then you get to the middle and you're like, when is this going to end? Then, once you reach the end, you're like, why did this have to end? It was so good! 

The story is told through the perspective of two characters who take the wheel through alternate chapters. The first main character is Ray Lovell, a part-Gypsy private investigator who is hired by a Gypsy man to find his missing daughter whom her husband, Ivo and his bigoted father, Tene claim had run away six years ago after giving birth to a sickly child, Christo. The second main character is Jimmy Janko a.k.a JJ, Ivo's teenage relative who looks up to him as a father figure. It is interesting to read about these two characters who are very similar and yet different. Ray is the outsider who is partly and insider to this community. On the other hand, JJ is an insider who is conflicted about his own culture in relation to how the outside world views his world. 

I love a good mystery, which this story has. But it is more than just that. The story also explores the lives of Gypsies in England, and how they are prejudiced towards outsiders and vice versa. There is one part where Jimmy brings home a classmate, who views his family's trailer and lifestyle as a whole in a weird manner, making him almost feeling ashamed of being Gypsy. You can't help but feel sorry for Jimmy. It doesn't help that his great-uncle, Tene is always preaching about Gypsy culture, as if it is superior to everything else. So, an ardent mystery lover like me will be left feeling cheated halfway through this book. But I beg you to carry on.

Don't worry because the book is not really an in-dept study on Gypsy culture, but it does show readers how and why these people can be very private and even wary of people who are not part of their community. Because of the mutual prejudice that exists, Gypsies mostly keep to themselves. This is especially the case for the Jankos who are not part of a large travelling community but are rather living on the edge of mainstream society. 

Something else that drives the story is how the Jankos are plagued with an illness they call their 'family curse', which is a form of hereditary blood disorder passed on through mothers which has killed almost every male family member before they make it to adulthood. Only Ivo survived this following a miraculous recovery. However, his young son, Christo is now afflicted by it, much to Tene's disappointment since he is the last surviving Janko male to carry the family name. Jimmy is technically not a Janko since his last name is Smith. But the family curse is more than the blood disorder, what with Ivo's own sister, Christina having died in a road accident while she was a child. While investigating, Ray cannot help but feel sorry and intrigued that a family can be plagued with so much misfortune. 

Ray's investigation forces him to become more and more involved with the Jankos. He also slowly unearths many skeletons, both literal and figurative which Ivo and Tene would prefer to keep hidden. In the process, Ray also becomes attracted to one of the Jankos, Lulu, who has committed the ultimate Gypsy sin; like Ray's father, she had abandoned travelling and became a house Gypsy. JJ also becomes fascinated with Ray's line of work and aspires to be like him one day. 

I guessed the ending a few paragraphs before the big reveal. But then again, I am always on the lookout for big twists. It was still a big 'oh crap' moment for me. It was far darker and far more disturbing than I had anticipated, which only makes it all worth it. Definitely recommend this to mystery lovers who like a little bit of drama in their stories. 



SPOILER ALERT:

One night, Ivo goes missing after he is supposed to be tested at a hospital that is treating Christo. Because of this, JJ and his mother are forced to adopt the little boy. They then decide to abandon the travelling life and live in a proper house for Christo's health. 

Ray also eventually tracks down the missing girl, who has remarried and living happily in Wales. She also reveals that she cannot be the mother of Christo since she is barren, which makes sense considering the fact that the sickness is passed down through mothers. Christo's mother has to be a Janko.

Nothing is proven, but it is hinted that that the skeletons found belong to the real Ivo, who never made it passed puberty and actually died of the disease. The person pretending to be Ivo all along was Christina, his long-presumed dead sister. Tene probably did this to save the family line. He actually let his missing daughter-in-law run away, probably impregnated his own son (daughter, whatever), all to make sure his grandson was pure blooded. 

Twisted, isn't it? Hope you will enjoy this book!
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Top 12 Tamil Films of 2015 (with NO spoilers!)

December 25, 2015, 10:03 pm
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Please don't hate on me if your favourite movie of the year did not make this list. I only watch what movie they show at my local cinema or if its DVD is out on rental. That is why certain critically acclaimed movies like Kaaka Muttai are not featured here because I have no way of watching it. Anyway, it has been a good year for Kollywood, with some really good and high quality films. So let's check it out. 

1) Indru Netru Naalai



"Okay, so which set of American films has Kollywood decided to rip-off this time?" is what most people might have thought condescendingly when they learned there was going to be a Tamil time travel film. Kudos to debut director Ravi Kumar. R for shutting up those eye-rolling critics with a completely original, if not fresh take on the genre. It still maintains certain masala features like a love angle, the comedic sidekick and a gangster villain. Despite not being the perfect time travel film, films like this should be supported so that more of it can be made in the future.

2) Bahubaali: The Beginning



So this is the Indian Ben-Hur. India's answer to Hollywood's 300. An Indian epic great enough to rival Gladiator. This is not a Ridley Scott film. It is still very much a South Indian one. The best way to describe this one is as a 90s Dreamworks animated film like Prince of Egypt or Sinbad but in life-action form. The premise is actually very basic - a lost prince raised by a tribe in the jungle who falls in love with a warrior girl and eventually learns the truth of his birth. But thanks to director SS Rajamouli, the whole treatment of the subject matter has been given a new light. The movie ends with a cliff hanger. I can hardly wait for the sequel to hit cinemas next year. 

3) O Kadhal Kanmani



Yes, this is a film about a live-in relationship that does not condemn it, nor does it preach it. Ace director Mani Ratnam explores the theme of living together by still considering the idea's sensitivity given the conservative society the film is made for. After two other highly critical romance films made almost two decades apart from one another, Mani Ratnam proves he can still create a love story even for the latest generation of urban Indians by understanding their influences and aspirations on marriage and tradition. Despite the nature of its subject, its a film with carefully crafted premarital sex scenes with no form of vulgarity or even any lip-locking.

4) Uttama Villain


This film's unique narrative of close to three hours in length and slow screenplay must have been a turnoff to some audiences. It is easy to love Kamal Hassan the actor, but it takes certain effort to truly appreciate Kamal Hassan the writer. His script is so heavy with different layers and substance that the the alternating between what is real and what is reel is blurred when we can hardly tell apart the narrative from the meta narrative. What better way to make a satire about mortality than through a movie about an actor with terminal cancer playing a character in a movie within a movie who is immortal. The transition in mood from slapstick comedy to emotionally dramatic is hard to follow and could have been improved, but this is a film that any movie lover would love.

5) Thani Oruvan



One mistake that most heavily plot-driven movies do is that they focus too much on the twists and turns that they leave no space for character development. That is not the case for this film which has probably the most well-rounded characters, even the villain. No. Especially the villain. Never before has a villain been given such importance in Tamil cinema. You understand where he is coming from. You understand why he is doing all the bad things he does. M. Raja has really made the rivalry between the hero and villain in his first ever original film one of the best in recent years. This is the end result when a director hires proper writers, in this case Subha, to co-write the story with him.

6) Maya



Most Tamil horror films of recent years have been horror-comedy types. This one is unique in the sense that it is a horror-thriller. Not to mention this is by far the scariest Tamil horror film many has watched. Arjun plays a cartoonist for a magazine and he narrates the story of a mental hospital that has had mysterious deaths over the years. One of the deaths is that of a patient named Maya. The movie also deals with young single mother Apsara who does ads. How are the lives of Arjun and Apsara interlinked and their connection to Maya is what makes up the crux of the story. 

7) Yagavariyimun Naa Kaaka



Two things prevented this film from being the ultimate gangster film that it should have been. One; the unnecessarily long romance portion. Two: the identity of the real villain who was responsible for the chain of events that drives the film's story. It was almost like the director decided to throw in a big surprise in the climax for shock value. However, the best twist ends always come with little clues hidden throughout the story. Despite this, the second half of the film has everything a gangster film needs for audiences to be at the edge of their seats, rooting for the hero to save the day.

8) Thoonga Vanam



This film did what Vishwaroopam failed to do. Despite being set within the span of 24 hours in one a limited number of settings, Thoonga Vanam grabs your attention and never lets it go. If only Kamal Hassan understands this and leaves directing to his associates while concentrating on story writing, all his films would do much better. What makes this film different from other Tamil thrillers is that it is strictly a genre film with no song sequences or love angles. The film does feel a bit a claustrophobic towards the end even though it moves between different areas of the same nightclub. If only the film had a bigger budget, the sets could have been made at a much grander scale to truly fit the classiness of the story. Trisha, who dubs for herself in this film, manages to shake off the lover girl persona successfully with some great action scenes. Other cast members like Prakash Raj and Sampath also play much more convincing villains than the usual one-dimensional ones they have played in the average masala films. 

9) Yennai Arindhal



Being the last part of director Gautham Menon's police trilogy, this film is clearly the weakest of the three, although it is much more well-made compared to most Tamil cop flicks these days. It lacks a moving protagonist like in Kaaka Kaaka that audiences can connect with. It is also low on style and suspense that made Vettaiyadu Vilayadu one of the best police procedural films in Indian cinema. The film focused much on the protagonist, which is what this cop trilogy is all about. But it does not explore the organ trafficking subplot as well as the gangster and serial killer subplots were explored in the two earlier installments. The fate of the main heroine also comes off as as repeated plot device, although that is understandable since this film is an extension of the previous two films. All in all, this is far from being a bad, or even a mediocre film, but considering it is a Gautham Menon film, it should have been much higher on this list.

10) Papanasam


It pains me to put this movie so low in the list but then again, it is a remake of the Malayalam blockbuster, Drisyam. So, it does not get credit on its own. Nevertheless, what a movie this was! If it had been an original film, it would have been somewhere in the Top 3. But still, thanks to the legendary Kamal Hassan, the movie gets a small twist of its own at the end. The film is about how a family try to cover up the murder of a sex maniac, whose mother turns out to be a renowned police officer who ends up investigating the disappearance of her own son. If you thought the cat-and-mouse game between the hero and villain in recent films like Thani Oruvan and Yennai Arindhaal was thrilling, you have seen nothing yet. Just watch Kamal and Asha Sarath's characters trying to outwit each other from one scene to another. Just went you thought Asha has managed to figure out Kamal's tricks, Kamal somehow manages to be many steps ahead of them. A thrilling watch. 

11) Oru Naal Iravil


Sekar is locked up in a garage with a sex worker one night. The rickshaw driver that was supposed to come pick him up does not show up and this leads to a series of problems for everyone involved. This is one of the many Malayalam remakes on this list. Like Papanasam, this one has a few significant changes of its own to make it more thrilling. It is significantly shorter than the original version, since the director is a renowned film editor who knows what scenes to keep and what to snip out. The film could have been better than the original had the different point of views did not seem too disjointed. Unlike the different perspectives, the different characters are conveniently linked to one another, though. Despite these drawbacks, the film keeps you at the edge of your seat all through the way. 


12) 36 Vayathile



After eight years, the queen is back to take her throne. This film is realistic enough to be a true story. The heroine's dreams and aspirations are not larger than life. She years to be respected by her husband, to be admired by her daughter, and to run a successful organic farm in her apartments' terrace. The only reason this film is not higher up on this list is because it is a remake of a Malayalam blockbuster, so it looses points there for originality. But Jyothika still brings in her own interpretation of the character, which takes us on her journey to unearth her own identity as a member of the society she is apart of.

Honourable mentions:

1) Kirumi
2) Kuttram Kadhithal
3) Enakkul Oruvan
4) Naanum Rowdythan
5) Rajathanthiram
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Achcham Yenbathu Madamaiyada Trailer Discussion: What It Might Be About?

January 17, 2016, 1:26 am
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So last year, I did a somewhat similar entry for Yennai Arindhal and you can say, some of my predictions came true. Being a Gautham Menon die-hard fan, I cannot resist predicting what the story is about based on the new trailer.

But before we get to that, can I just say how excited I am for this film? Its Gautham and the maestro AR Rahman teaming up again after 2010's Vinnaithandi Varuvaaya, which also starred Simbu. It would be great to see what magic they will be creating this time.

So, let's list down what we already know about the film:

a) Gautham described the film as starting as a "love story" but then enters a "violent, action space."

b) The film is inspired by the scene in The Godfather, where Michael Corleone plots revenge against the corrupt policeman McCluskey.

c) Unlike Gautham's police trilogy, the cop is the antagonist in this film.

d) It is partly a road film.

e) It is not a sequel to Vinnaithandi Varuvaaya. So, we don't get to find out how Karthik got Jessie's new number. Sorry, VTV fans. 


The trailer's opening shot. It's Simbu sitting by the beach. Cool and breezy surroundings. Gives a VTV vibe doesn't it? 



The very next shot is our hero driving in on a motorbike as his friends cheer him on. Maybe Simbu plays a biker, or a guy going on a road trip?



Looks like our traveler taking a break during his trip? But who is that looking on at him? Could it be our female lead? 



Introducing Manjima Mohan. So we see her riding along with Simbu. Perhaps she is her companion on his trip? 



Judging by the pillars of this house, it is probably one in the countryside. It can't be Simbu's own home since he looks too urban to be from the village. Perhaps it is one of his stopovers? 



Yes, that's choreographer Satish, who was supposed to debut as a hero in one of Gautham's cancelled project. Looks like he will be playing Simbu's best friend and sidekick in the film. 



This has got to be the dance moves for one peppy number by the genius whose name we can see on the screen!



Although Gautham has confirmed this is not a sequel to VTV, he did mention in interviews that the hero is kind of a continuation of the Karthik character. 



Check out the house. Doesn't it look like the one from VTV, but which new wooden fences? Or is Gautham just teasing us here? 



We can't really tell how big a role do Simbu's friends play in the movie. But Satish appears to be the one closest to him who appears in many shots in the trailer. 



It's night time. Almost nothing good happens at night in a Gautham Menon film. Karthik breaks up with Jessie in VTV at night. Sameera gets abducted in Nadunisi Naaygal at night. What could possibly happen here? 



This scene just screams Gautham Menon! The hero looking thoughfully at the heroine as they are enjoying a meal. 


Our heroine. She does kind of look like Anjali, doesn't she? 



Another stopover during the trip? So maybe our heroine is indeed our hero's companion.



We don't see the hero and heroine together in a shot where they are not travelling. Maybe she hitchhikes him and they fall in love while on their trip?



Now we see the action kicking in. Simbu is being held at gunshot by someone. 



With the hero (probably) being a biker, most of the action might revolve around riding. 



If you don't recognize this guy, they you are not a Gautham Menon fan!



This is our first shot of who might be the main antagonist; a police officer played by Baba Sehgal. We know from his name tag that he is called Kammath. No idea who he is beating up here, though. It can't be Simbu since the person is wearing glasses. 



Ok, but now he beats up Simbu. 



There are also a few shots of this guy in a doctor's coat attacking Simbu. Wonder what his role is.



Then there is this scene which is sure going to be intense - Simbu driving a truck with Satish which meats with an accident. 



This final shot speaks volumes. Simbu's character gets into some trouble during his travels and it leads to a great adventure. He seems to be hiding from something... or someone... in what seems like a hospital. 

The trailer has no dialogues, unlike the teaser. Instead, it features the song "Thalli Pogathey" throughout the video, which is already a big, trending hit. This simply heightens our expectations and teases us more on what the story might be about. I can hardly wait. Can you? 

Link to the trailer below:




Link to the trailer for the Telugu version below:


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