Anuradha Sridharan

 ** Unpopular opinion** I have been a huge fan of Thalaivar since childhood. His movies, punch lines, dialogues, and songs are a constant "repeat-u" in all these years. I usually watch his movies in the theatre within the first 2 weeks. Watched Annaathe on the first day of release on Diwali day! Now that the required context has been set, let me talk about my experience watching his latest movie. Ever since the first song was released, it has been a disappointment one after another. I was hoping for a Thalaivar intro song but it was a dance song where thalaivar just popped in and out for a few seconds. When I saw the trailer, it didn't quite intrigue me. After the movie was released, many of my friends and family members watched it in theatres - Okayish reviews from them, some did say it was violent. Somehow I didn't feel as enthusiastic as I normally would be for a Thalaivar movie and decided to watch it on OTT whenever it lands.  The movie opened on Amazon Prime tod...

  Recently, watched a beautiful Malayalam movie "19(1)(a)", with the main protagonists played by two of my favorite actors- Nithya Menon and Vijay Sethupathi. Realistic portrayal, good screenplay, beautiful Kerala locales, and more importantly, impactful writing that leaves a mark after the movie ends. I could resonate with both the characters and their opposite nature, more so with Nithya's. In one of the scenes, she says, "I have always done what others expect of me". Story of my life until my early 30s. The rebellious nature kicked in ONLY after motherhood. The extended family kept asking, "When is the good news? When are you starting a family? All your younger cousins have given birth. Why are you delaying pregnancy?". And when I did give the good news, the same extended family didn't offer any support and went about their own lives. That's when the rebel in me came alive. And I started to take charge of my life in ways that suit me and my ...

 "I remember his hammer was smashed by his sister Hela. But how did he get the ax?", I posed a serious question to K and D after watching "Thor: Love and Thunder" yesterday. Both of them burst out laughing and responded in chorus, "Already forgot Infinity war? He gets it in that movie". We had so much fun, laughing and crying while watching together. Watching Marvel movies is becoming a family activity. Though I was never a fan, I was initiated into it in the 2000s, thanks to K when the initial movies (Iron man, Spider man) were released. Slowly and steadily, I now seemed to have watched most of the movies, though I don't follow them with rigorous detail🙂 D has also started liking these movies and as someone who likes to teach, she brings me up to speed by explaining certain situations🙂 I'm content to observe and listen to her when she explains with so much passion and detail. Many parenting "gurus" and influencers pass judgments, sayin...

  "Why should a person always become a doctor or an engineer? What if that person doesn't want to be either?"- D asked me this question while we were watching the Tamil movie "Don". She had earlier watched Nanban/3 idiots as well. I told her that it isn't that way these days and there are various career options available. Though we both had fun while watching the movie (especially the scenes where SJ Surya aced it with superb voice modulation and body language), there are multiple aspects of the storytelling which I don't agree to. (1) Talent doesn't arrive overnight in a parcel In the movie, the hero realizes his talent one fine evening. He is not shown as someone who consciously works towards identifying his talent. Rather, he is shown as someone having fun, with a wish that he would identify his talent in those 4 years of Engineering. It creates a false hope in the minds of youngsters. Talent doesn't dawn on you overnight, without putting any ...

A short story left me speechless and full of thoughts today. I'm talking about "Loners", a story which is part of Amazon Prime's Putham Puthu Kaalai Vidiyaadha anthology series, written and directed by Halitha Shameem. Why this story made such an impact on me? For starters, it is a beautiful dialogue between two strangers, who felt comfortable opening up to each other. As the title card "Loners" rolls, the next frame shows the picture of a huge apartment complex. What a perfect portrayal of irony! Nalla, played by Lijomol Jose is so expressive in her thoughts and words. Yet, she is part of a Zoom session titled "Loners in lockdown". She meets Dheeran, with the nickname SkyGazer in a virtual wedding ceremony and again, in the Loners meetup. The gentle nod Nalla and SkyGazer exchange in their second virtual meetup is such a cute start to their friendship. Though Skygazer lives in a gorgeous sea facing home and a comfortable WFH IT job, he is still in...

  Many people had messaged me, asking me to watch this new Malayalam movie "The Great Indian Kitchen" streaming on Neestream . Since I'm a big proponent of home cooking and its importance in today's times, I was eager to watch this movie after seeing the trailer.  I'm sure every woman in India who watched this movie would have been able to relate to atleast a few scenes and nodding their heads - either their own personal experiences or the observations they have had with respect to the lives of their mothers/MILs/aunts.  After watching a new movie, I usually watch a few reviews of the movie on Youtube. In one such review , the reviewer mentioned that there were no names given to any of the characters. I realized this fact ONLY after watching the review.  Apart from the actual preparation of the food, all the other work that is involved is highlighted so beautifully in the movie - chopping veggies, cleaning dishes, clearing the dining table, clearing the kitchen co...

No, I’m not referring to Nirupa Roy, Farida Jalal or Reema Lagoo. I’m talking about the top heroines of 80s and 90s who are now keeping themselves busy by promoting junk foods for children. Turn on the TV and you’ll see them in food related channels like FoodFood and kids’ targeted channels like Pogo and Cartoon Network - running behind an active child and feeding them some junk or the other. Here's the list of such Bollywood moms, that I compiled from ads I remembered: Sonali Bendre - Dr.Oetker Fun Foods Kajol and Shilpa Shetty - Yakult Karishma Kapoor - McCain snacks Juhi Chawla - Kelloggs Chocos Karishma Kapoor - Kelloggs Chocos Karishma Kapoor - Danone Flavoured Yoghurt  Madhuri Dixit - Maggi noodles (If I have missed out on anyone, do let me know. Will add to this list) To all those beautiful Bollywood moms, here’s my 3-part appeal: 1. Whatever packaged food you are promoting, please give it to your children and other family members for a...

The first 20 minutes, I was angry, thinking why the hell this father is forcing his dreams upon his young daughters and torturing them. But as the movie unfolds, there’s one particular scene where the two girls crib to their friend, who is about to get married at a tender age of 14. The friend replies, “ Your father has a dream for you which will help you build an identity for yourself. What about the unlucky girls like us who are expected to learn to do household chores, cooking, marry someone whom we haven’t even met and then disappear? ” This emotional scene changes the course of the movie. And it vanquished my initial anger too. Dangal is certainly one of the best Bollywood movies I have seen in recent times. The spirit of the movie is so positive - hard work, persistence, determination, un-wavered focus and a pillar of strength in a father who's unrelenting and full of hope. With each wrestling match, you support Geeta wholeheartedly for a win (though you know it is a mov...

I've always been a fan of Tamil movies with simple love stories - be it the youthful Kaadhal Desam, the scintillating Minsaara Kanavu or the emotional Mouna Raagam. But off late, such movies have become a rarity, what with populistic heroism oriented films dominating the industry. No wonder, I didn't see many new Tamil movies in 2009.  I cannot watch  a movie where the hero is larger than life, beating up the villains left, right and center, and blurting out punch dialogues like no-one else's business. The only exception to this rule is ofcourse, the evergreen Super Star Rajni. In such a boring scenario, Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya (VTV) feels like the first few drops of the monsoon rain. Having fallen in love with the music of this movie for over a month now, I couldn't wait to see how the songs have been picturized. Moreover, the promos of this movie have also been very interesting. I always liked the films of Gowtham Menon and he has moved up the ranks to become my fa...

It's been almost a year since I watched a Tamil movie in a cinema theatre, the last one being Vaaranam Aayiram. By the time I realize a movie is good enough, it's already out of the theatre in Bangalore. Nevertheless, I ensure I don't miss out on good Bollywood movies. On our wedding anniversary, hubby and I took a day off from work and decided to watch either Love Aaj Kal or Kaminey. I'm so glad we choose the former. LAK is worth a one time watch as I like Saif's acting in such kind of movies. Hum Tum is one of my favorite movies in this genre. As everyone had already mentioned in their reviews, the "Kal" portion was just too good. Saif as a Punjabi has done a tremendous job, so does the actress essaying the role of Harleen Kaur. I couldn't believe when I came to know she is from Brazil. She fitted the role of a Punjabi girl perfectly. I never liked Deepika as an actress as I find her acting and voice to be too artificial. But she wasn't that bad ...

It has been 2 years ever since Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix movie was released. I have watched the 5 DVDs over and over again and couldn't wait for Half blood Prince movie to be released. It was a disappointment that the release was postponed for nearly 7 months. When it was officially announced that the release date is July 16th, I decided that I should watch it on the very first day before tonnes of reviews pop up everywhere on the Internet. Having searched through the ticket booking sites a week ahead, the tickets were opened for sale only 3 days earlier in PVR Cinemas. I was eagerly awaiting the evening and was pretty excited to watch HP6 on the first day. At the end of the movie, I wondered if this hype was all really worth it. First the positives of this movie. A fantastic opening where the Muggles were being attacked by death eaters. The collapsing of the bridge was shot really well. The actor who portrayed the role of Horace Slughorn was perfectly fitting and h...

Ever since Aamir announced that he would be remaking the Tamil blockbuster "Ghajini", I had been waiting to watch it. I absolutely loved the Tamil version where Surya did a remarkable job and ofcourse Asin portrayed a beautiful role. A couple of songs by Harris are still playing in my iPod as my favorites. Talking about the Hindi version of "Ghajini", I'm completely in love with the romantic melody "Guzarish". Sonu Nigam's hummings throughout this song is just too good. Only Rahman can offer such magic to ears. Although I'm not a fan of "Behka" (I still prefer "Oru Maalai" from Tamil), "Kaise Mujhe" makes up for it - a haunting sad song and an excellent instrumental rendition. There is not much of a change in the screenplay except for the climax. Aamir fits the role perfectly as the one with short term memory loss, chasing the villains and bashing them. But I'm highly disappointed with the younger looking Aamir...

I have never watched a movie in a cinema theater a day before any exam but I always wanted to give it a try. Exams come and go all the time but a free premiere show ticket of the much awaited movie doesn't land in one's hands everyday. This is exactly what happened to me last Friday, an opportunity to watch "Jodha Akbar". With two exams lined up on Saturday, it was a difficult yet daring choice if you ask me. I took it and now I don't regret it. Those 4-5 hours of preparation wouldn't have made any big difference to my performance, anyway. Jodha Akbar is a superb movie for its grandeur and magnificent picturization of the forts and battlefields, the colors and wonderful costumes and ofcourse, the brilliant music by Rahman. Ash and Hrithik have portrayed their characters so well that I don't think anyone else could have fit their roles. The songs have been beautifully picturized, especially the "Marhaba" song. For a person who managed to learn Hin...

Very few films make a deep impact. Even after coming out of the movie hall, you tend to be in a state of rigorous thinking and pondering over the message broadcasted by the storyline. I happened to watch one such incredible movie last night. People have written excellent reviews about "Taare Zameen Par" in the past one month. Having been a big fan of Aamir Khan from my childhood, how could I afford to miss his first directorial venture! TZP will make you laugh, cry, reminisce childhood memories, go back to school life, think about our class mates, the irritating everyday grind named homework and much more. The storyline portrays the pressures faced by kids and how they miss out on having fun in the most important phase of life called childhood. Blame it on the parents, teachers, education system, competition or whatever! The pressure is only on the increasing side and no wonder, kids also face the symptoms of stress and depression. The protogonist Ishaan displays different sh...

I've been wanting to watch Chak De India ever since the movie got released. With a single day weekend and unwillingness to go to the other end of the city just for the sake of a movie, a trip to PVR cinemas had been disappointing, with the movie shows running house full. So my hubby and I decided to drive down to Innovative multiplex to watch Chak De. We were shocked with the ticket prices for a multiplex so far from city - silver class for 180 and gold class for 200. Heights of inflation, I swear! We had some time to dispense before the movie starts. What better time than now to visit Homeworld! With the huge banners and advertising in the newspapers, we cannot miss this chance. It's a massive complex with a variety of options for home decor. Anything and everything you need for a house is out there. The display pieces are wonderful but not the prices, ofcourse! The less expensive furniture models are of poor quality. The display pieces had many cracks and very easy to figure ...

The saga which began 10 years ago (it's 4 years back when it all began for me) has finally ended. I finished reading the Deathly Hallows in a span of three days last week and was completely enthralled in the quick narration of events that kept me glued to the book for long hours.It was a fitting end and all the loose plots were tied together beautifully by Rowling. Not even once did I feel that the pace was slow or slacking. It was action and magic right from the first page. Potter fans who haven't finished the book yet, please don't read further. There might be some spoilers that I might talk about. As always, the story begins at the Privet Drive but Harry, Ron and Hermione are not to board the Hogwarts Express this time. Many people die in this book, first ones being Mad Eye Moody and Hedwig. Hagrid escapes by a whisker. The story unfolds with Death Eaters disrupting Bill and Fleur's wedding party. The trio escapes to Grimmauld Palace, seeking shelter and Kreacher bec...

Yay....I'm going to grab my copy of the seventh book tomorrow (prebooked it in advance 3 weeks ago). Unfortunately, I cannot go to the bookstore at 6.30 AM and collect my copy as I have my MBA classes and on top of it, my midterm accounting exam. More than the anxiety of exams, I'm excited about the Deathly Hallows :-) That's what a Harry Potter book can do! The way I got hold of the "Half Blood Prince" was a complete surprise. To read it in detail, check out my hubby's blog link below. He has given a beautiful narration of how events unfolded on that day. http://chells.blogspot.com/2005/07/art-of-living.html I'm also thrilled about the movie "Order of the phoenix" that I will be watching tomorrow. The promos look superb. Looking forward to Dumbledore's army, the crucial attack at the ministry of magic and most importantly, the duelling between Dumbledore and Voldemort. It's sad that the series is coming to an end. Let's just hope tha...

It's not just my blog that didn't get my attention but my health as well. The past one month has been exciting and busy that finally had it's toll on my health. I was down with migraine in the past three days. Let's not talk about the bad migraine but the good and exciting events happening around. First and foremost, I've got an admission into PGSEM programme of IIM, Bangalore. Exciting would be a simple word to explain the feeling. I'm thrilled. Classes are going great and keeps me quite busy. I'm getting used to balance sheets, strategic case studies, supply and demand curves etc etc. The best part is that back-to-school feeling after 5 long years of work. Ok, that's an indirect way of saying that I've completed 5 years of professional work life on July 1st. I watched the most hyped film of the century, Shivaji. I'm a very big fan of Rajni and have watched most of his movies umpteen number of times. Shivaji had many typical Rajni scenes and di...

A lovely cloud cover in the evening followed by thunder and lightning eventually leads to heavy rains lashing the city. Such evenings are perfect to remain inside the cosy comforts of one's home and welcome the monsoons and not to roam around the busy roads. On Friday evening, I got stuck for about 2 hours waiting for the rains to stop, asking every auto driver to take me to my place and finally, with one auto driver agreeing, little did I know the mess is not over yet. There was a huge traffic jam and the auto driver refused to drive further. Thinking it's just another half a km, I started walking. A few steps further, I noticed this waterlog; knee feet deep it was! With no other route to take, I started walking, with my heavy bag lurking on my right shoulder. I managed to cross this pool of water and rushed home. Never make the mistake of hanging out in the shopping malls or multiplexes like me on a rainy night. It's been raining movies as well. In the past week, I've...

It's a Saturday night. You have already had a nice afternoon nap for two hours. Your friend who was chatting with you has gone back home. You have surfed through channels enough. You are in no mood to watch an awards ceremony in Sony Max. Your dusty book shelf is not alluring. Your hubby seems to be experimenting with kubuntu installation on the home PC. What do you do? Why not watch a movie in a cable channel which you haven't watched at all? After all, you are intrigued by the "loosu penne" song. So what if the movie has passed the intermission stage? I did watch the latter half of the movie "Vallavan" and a new realization has dawned on me. I feel I have understood the eternal truth. The truth that there couldn't be a worse movie ever made in the history of world cinema. Thanks, Mr.Simbu for helping me realize this fact. I'm so grateful to you. I really admire the guts in you to make such a crappy movie and on top of that, showing a placard in the...