all the buzz about F1

curious case of the German prodigy

2011-06-01T02:27:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I have penned on my blgospot but the blame can be laid on the back of a flourishing facebook and on my apparent impatience in writing a huge chunk. ;) Nevertheless, here I go on a review rampage of the first 6 races of the 2011 F1 season as we head to Montreal in a few days time.

Just what's so right about Sebastian Vettel?
It's simpler said and even more effortlessly done. Yes, he's keeping it simple by putting his confidence on the RB7 completely and sometimes taking matters into his own hands like we saw in Monaco last week, when the team made a strategic cock up and he dug them out of the hole. The fact that he's winning even on difficult weekends and even when he's not putting the hammer down like he did many times in the past, is ominously pointing at what could be another title up his grabs. Lemme elaborate! In Sepang, Hamilton had the measure of Vettel up until Q3 when the defending champion stormed to what would later become a very important pole. Yet with DRS, KERS and the highly unpredictable Pirellis, a pole position isn't as important as it was in 2010. That's where we need to sit and laud the race craft of Vettel who didn't put a wheel wrong and went onto claim his second win of the season.

He was probably undone by a strategic glitch in China where McLaren out-thought Redbull by adapting to a faster strategy and clinching their only win this season so far. And there were murmurs of a possible Lewis Hamilton fight back but all of those were put to rest when the young German took the pole and flag, this time in the twitchy Istanbul park with unmatched precision. Catalunya was supposed to be a Redbull citadel but McLaren upgrades paid off brilliantly as Hamilton had a sniff of Sebastian all through the race when the latter was unable to pull away and pile a gap. Vettel had to defend aggressively for 40 odd laps across two stints and boy, didn't he do it well? Those were the first signs of a world champion on song and in complete control of the machinery beneath him. Hamilton had no answer.

In came the acid test, the Monaco GP. This had a McLaren victory written all over it as the narrow circuit had neither fast corners, nor medium ones and since traction was for once weighed above downforce, Redbull's chances looked slim. But what unraveled on Sunday would certainly make certain Woking hairs go grey. Vettel had a forgettable pitstop when he was mistakenly given a prime set of tyres instead of the softer ones which were needed to undercut Button. They lost around 4 secs in the pits and that along with Button's roar meant Vettel had to slot in behind the 2009 champion. Its Monaco and one has to expect a 70% chance of the deployment of safety car and unfortunately for Button, he pitted for the wrong tyres just before the SC was deployed. This gave Alonso an opportunity to pit one time less and emerge in front of the Brit, which he skillfully did. Vettel was still in the lead with 30 odd laps to go and was expected to pit sooner or later, blowing any chance of a victory but the boy decided not to listen to the team's call to box. That's the kindov championsque moves that his rivals are unable to match this season. Vettel did an amazing 56 laps on soft tyres before a lucky break came in the form of a red flag. 10 laps to go and three drivers on three different strategies were separated by just 1 sec when the flag was waived. Vettel won again!

Vettel allowed himself to cool it a bit in the Redbull pool leaving some of his rivals fuming to the thoughts of his unchallenged charge towards his second title. The trick as I said is simple. He's able to generate a one lap performance from the aerodynamically triumphant RB7 but he's also able to a put a daylight between him and his teammate which was not the case in 2010. And on Sundays, with the help of some superb pitstops or sometimes well thought moves and a bit of good fortune, he's able to lead from the front like a driver who just got the monkey off his back. Vettel won a cliff hanger of a championship finale last year but he has come of age as he's leaving no screws unturned, no stones untouched. Ofcourse you cannot discount the might of McLaren and Ferrari but if the crash kid is grabbing wins from the clutches of defeat mcuh to the horror of his bitter rivals, one would wonder what he will do on tracks which suit the RB7 best, like Silverstone, Interlagos, Nurburgring, Abu Dhabi etc.

You are in for a long season if you like wearing a Red T with Silver stripes!!!

The class of a true champion

2010-11-15T02:11:00.001-08:00

"yeah baby, this is what I was talking about" are usually the words mouthed by Sebastian Vettel after winning a race but this time, he was fighting tears. It was almost like a last gasp effort as the whole of F1 fraternity witnessed the arrival of a true champion in Seb after he fought all odds to clinch the 2010 F1 world drivers' championship by a mere 4 points from the languishing Ferrari of Fernando. I truly had belief in him even during the thick of times, that he would do it. After Korea, the morale broke when he failed to finish the race after suffering an engine blow up while leading the GP. He was then a clear 25 off Fernando and 14 off his teammate, Mark.

By winning the Brazilian GP, Seb gave himself an outside chance to atleast fight it out till the end but was still trailing by a good 15 points off Fernando who only needed to finish in the top 2 in the season finale in Abu Dhabi to seal the title. But that was not to be. Seb fended off the off-the-line punch from Lewis by maintaining track position going into turn 1. Schumacher was squeezed by his teammate and the catastrophe caused the deployment of safety car during which time, Rosberg, Petrov and Jaimie stopped for a tyre change. The decision proved to be pivotal as when Fernando pitted during lap 15, he came out behind the trio who were going to the end.

There were a lot of press against the strategy deployed by Ferrari to hold off Mark but I thought the fate was there to be sealed anyhow. I never overestimated Ferrari’s capabilities on the soft tyres. Fernando could have maximum gone for another 6 laps with the options which would have taken the lead he had of Rosberg from 15 to 18 secs (Mercedes was only lapping 0.4 slower than Ferrari on primes). 22 secs lead was needed to come, change and go out in front. Button stayed long to only leapfrog Kubica despite the fact that he was losing time against both Vettel n Hamilton but even that didn’t pay off. Button went to lap 36, Vettel 24, Hamilton 22, Alonso 15 before they all stopped. Alonso might have gone ahead of Petrov had he waited but then there was Kubica who was stopping at lap 46 only. Hence, Alonso would have been held up by one Renault or the other in either ways and more importantly he would have been behind Rosberg no matter what he did because Rosberg didn’t have to stop again and that meant all he could have managed was fifth (not enough). He lost the race in the first corner when Button got past him and by virtue of an average duct.

McLaren showcased what they are capable of in circuits where they could utilize the
superiority of their F-ducts. They and Renault were the only teams to have pulled off a move against Kobayashi IIRC. So after 55 laps of tipsy-topsy, it finished with Vettel from Hamilton, Button and Rosberg meaning the winner took it all. Fernando could only manage a seventh, four below where he had started. It was amazing to see contrasting emotions from the title contenders cos at one end, Vettel was embracing his mates in the team but there on the other end, Fernando was giving a 'sporting gesture' to Petrov for holding him for more than half the race. Seriously, the guy is a sore looser as Petrov was firstly, fighting for positions and secondly, fighting for his career. I think he has a great chance of securing a drive for 2011 with the Anglo-French squad and Seb will be more than willing to sponsor the same ;)

Redbull were the team to beat all season though they had a share of mishaps in the form of Vettel's reliability woes, Webber's DNFs etc but championships are always won over a season. Hence, I don't give too much into the gritty drives of both the Renault drivers which held Fernando at the back because in the end, Vettel was a touch unfortunate not to have sealed the title earlier. He lead the most laps in 2010 but won only five times giving a clear indication of how the machinery had failed him at times. Still, they are both the drivers'(prestige) and constructors'(revenue) champions. Yes, another car from the Adrian Newey stable has won both the championships. Bravo!

Finally, the talking point! Redbull allowed their drivers to have a go while Ferrari maintained a status quo and in the end, Redbull showed the world that championships can be won by giving equal priorities to drivers. Mark can never complain because he was atleast not treated like the way Ferrari treated Massa. Fernando as always doesn't want to fight his teammate partly because he's demanding and partly because of the aftermaths of 2007. Hence, he needs his team to get victories for him on a plate, a practice which might have fetched him silverware earlier in his career but things have changed, and for good. Fact that a genuinely popular driver has won the championship is like an icing on the cake apart from the way he did it. Ferrari has a long way to go in terms of ethics while Fernando's hand of gestures are better reserved for the streets.

And on that note, let's welcome the youngest world champion SEBASTIAN VETTEL!

Where's the championship heading?

2010-08-12T22:39:00.000-07:00

The deadening summer break is here with a two week mandatory shutdown back at the factories and no sound of the V8 for a further week. Ouch, it's so ho-hum it hurts! The intriguing races prior to the break left us fans with hope of a nail biting finish to the championship finale at Abu Dhabi with as much as five drivers and three constructors in with a shout.

Redbull is the team to beat with an unmatched qualifying pace coupled with a competitive race pace and controlled by two very good pilots behind the wheels. Vettel might be gutted post Hungary to loose out on what seemed like an easy way out to the flag but only to be undone by some inconsistent stewarding, yet again. How can they measure 10 car length? I seriously wonder! Webber meanwhile is picking up pieces very well. The odds of him winning the title are minimal but the kind of show he puts up for the fans is worth taking a look. Leading the championship is no mean feet with just seven races to go.

If there's a group of restless souls breaking their heads, it's back at Woking in the UK as the badge board says "McLaren Mercedes". They were left strangling with the so called midfield team Renault at a high downforce Hungaroring. They clearly couldn't match the Ferraris and the Redbulls on an ultimate lap and their race pace too looked sluggish. Hamilton's leading from Button by a perfect ten but Button's no easy route. So far so good at woking as McLaren is treating their drivers equally but as we all know, equality brings tension and with two British drivers at the wheels of a British car, one would be brave to place harmony alongside them. Coming up are two low downforce tracks which could help McLaren bridge the gap, like they did in Montreal.

If Ferrari is not the team to beat, surely is the team at the spotlight but how I wish for the right reasons. A controversial German GP saw the media taking a dig which looked like a verbal onslaught. Some of the questions thrown were so embarrassing that one would have to stand up and applaud the PR managers of both Fernando and Felipe. The team has cuddled behind Fernando and Massa is his rear gunner for the rest of the season which by the looks of it is advantage Spaniard over the other four contenders whom I have mentioned. A no:1 driver means he gets the upgrades first, has a better say on the testing performances, better strategy for both quali and race etc. But being Alonso the demanding personality, I doubt he would please any neutral by winning the crown for the third time anyhow.

So all five drivers are in with a chance but gone are those days when you could afford to play conservative by cruising to the championship. Just like 2007 and 2008, this one too will go down to the wire. Don't worry about the FIA test if you are a Redbull fan because I'm sure their pace comes from somewhere else, somewhere at the back. :P McLaren needs to buck up and they sure will as Spa is a power circuit. Vettel edges Webber on raw talent but is trailing the Aussie by ten points. It will be interesting to see how the strategies poise at the two England outfits though with teammates fighting and taking points off each other.

All to play for, oh yeah, bring the xmas early!

Things to ponder over post Monaco

2010-05-18T00:59:00.000-07:00

1. Alonso has mentally destroyed Massa

Though the latter had the grid advantage to the former, he really couldn’t utilize it to the full potential. Staying 4^th with the second best car on the grid is hardly an achievement whereas Fernando fought his way back to the middle of the grid. It started all at the first corner in Bahrain and from then on, Massa has only been a shadow of himself. Even though Alonso made uncanny mistakes, those were mistakes not like an overall dip in performance.

2. McLaren doesn’t have the package

If Spain was not a yardstick, then Monaco sure was. The team who always claim to be the best in slow circuits were altogether slow. Button lost 4 places in two corners whereas Lewis salvaged home some points. Lewis is suffering from a bit of Massa syndrome and bit of stupidity, as always.

3. It’s the matter of when rather than how for RBR

Adrian Newey, take a bow! What a car, I mean what a car!

6 GPs, 6 poles, 3 victories inspite of reliability woes. Now that’s the way to stamp your authority. I won’t be surprised if they wrap it up before a handful of races both the drivers and constructors championship. While Webber was untouchable as in Spain, Vettel watched his mirrors pretty well. Knowing Seb, I guess he’ll be a bit down on his head but one victory can quickly swing the pendulum in his favor.

4. Damon Hill took revenge in a lame manner

Perhaps Schumi needs to realize that his livery is no longer red but in a season were suicidal mistakes were mellowed down to mere warnings, the penalty was harsh and unjustifiable. According to the new rules, you can overtake a car between the SC line and the start line after the SC has gone into the pits which is exactly what Schumi did. Also, green flags were waved asking drivers to go racing. Damon Hill looked stupid to take the Adelaide 94 revenge cos that was really stupid.

5. Ferrari is missing the Iceman

With a fast car, maybe not the fastest, at their disposal both Alonso and Massa could have done better on the whole. 1 win out of 6 is hardly Ferrari. Alonso is making some uncanny mistakes and one too many for the team’s liking while Massa is merely a passenger. On top of it, if a repeat of Shanghai happens, all hell will break loose between the teammates and the team harmony would be found wanting, something only Kimi could bring to a team.

~kimster4life

Oz GP 2010 review: so much for crying out loud

2010-03-28T23:50:00.000-07:00

What was it? How was it? Bahrain a borefest, the latest edition of F1 doesn't allow cars to follow each other and drivers are brutally cautious, yeah right! Time to eat a big pie of the cribbing which was served for two continuous weeks and a bit of mine too :P. It was one heck of a race, maybe the best since Hungary 2006 thanks to similar circumstances as that of the latter. Slippery track, changeable conditions, inspired pit calls, jaw dropping maneuvers, futile errors all comprised a mesmerizing spectacle. As someone in the BBC crew rightly said, the highlights this Australian GP offered are enough to last a whole effing season.

Vettel looked all set for an easy pole-to-flag win until his wheelnut cut loose half way into the race which ended his aspirations at a gravel trap near turn 3. Redbull had a dismal day after starting 1-2 on the grid. Aussie home hero Webber was erratic and was far from being a contender, first being passed by Massa at the start but taking his place back before loosing out at the tyre change and finally clobbering his front onto Hamilton's McLaren. He eventually finished 9th, taking home just 2 points instead of a possible 18.

Ferrari should be all smiles after a second consecutive podium for Massa with Fernando completing a brave drive to 4th after taking a wild spin into turn 2 due to a tussle with Button and Schumi at the start, sending him to 22nd and dead last. Bravo Fernando! Some of his moves, especially against the Sauber and the Williams of Rubens were sublime. Yeah, bring more of the u-cant-follow-cars crap. Also, both the Ferrari drivers chose not to make a second pitstop which was indeed an inspired move as their set of option tyres lasted for a mammoth 50 odd laps. Tyre degradation, anyone?

Now the outfit from woking! Jenson Button seemed to have lost it in the beginning when he fell from 4th to 6th and was passed by his teammate at turn 3, but only to come back strong with an inspired pitcall by switching to options two laps earlier than anyone else. I saw him taking a wild route onto the grass just after making the pitstop but catastrophe turned superlative when he kept his McLaren on the track all day long and also earning a victory from the grasp of the then retired Vettel. Did someone say he made the mistake of his lifetime by choosing to partner Lewis? :D The real story of McLaren for the day came from Lewis Hamilton's fantastic drive and the subsequent outcry. He was called into the pits for another set of dry tyres when everyone else at the front chose not to change. Lewis lost his 3rd place and rejoined at 6, seconds behind the "tyre saving" Ferraris. He was told on the radio that he would inevitable catch the Ferraris but these days, catching a car in front is one thing, finding a way past is another. And he got his medicine.

Fernando Alonso showed off some defensive skills against a 1.5 sec a lap faster Lewis who eventually got hit from the back by Webber sending both to the gravel before both being passed by Rosberg. McLaren, I guess were right cos Lewis wouldn't manage his tyres for 50 odd laps like Button or the Ferrari drivers. Instead of not finishing the race, they gave him an opportunity to grab a podium which obviously he blew from the outset. What followed after the race was a preposterous dig at the team's failure to make the right call. That's Hamilton for you! I rest my case.

Mercedes though had a day to forget when Schumi's challenge ended with a broken front wing on lap 1 and Rosberg finishing at a conservative 5th. A lot was expected from this team but unless they come up with some drastic revamp strategies, the title aspirations are fast slipping away. Force India made hay while others were having fun as Liuzzi got a solid 7th with 6 points in the bag while Sutil's woes continued as he retired early. India's new sensation Karun Chandok managed to finish the race with a baby of a car and has brought smiles to the country. Way to go mate!

On the whole, we have seen yesterday how flamboyant F1 racing could actually get given the opportunities to "race". More of the Albert Parks and less of the snorefests would be handy. Tilke, are you listening? Sepang is on the cards next which usually offers amazing wheel-to-wheel action. Let's hope it betters Melbourne though I'm really happy from what I got down under.

~kimster4life

Enough of the 'idiotic bak-baks'

2010-01-07T03:53:00.000-08:00

As we break the walls of the decade and jump into a potentially fruitful one starting with 2010, it's really time to look back at what happened in tinsel town, one of my fav topics. The year that was, was nothing great TBH except for some Kamineys freaking out on the streets and some dropouts or 'idiots' to accompany them. :) Yes, the focus of this entry is the best film I have ever seen, and that is RajKumar Hirani's Aamir Khan starrer 3 idiots.

I really don't have to waste my time reviewing this tedious film because by now, everyone would have seen it and appreciated the way it was made along with the message it gave away to the masses and classes combined. Just when it shattered all the box-office records any film has ever set in the country and just when "all's well" became the new anthem, in came the controversy. What's this big fuzz about credits coming from the so called intellectuals behind the book and film? The credits for the wretched media bites should indeed go to Mr. Hirani, Mr Chopra and the iconic modern day wonder of an author, Mr. Chetan Bhagat.

I follow Mr. Bhagat in twitter and TBH, he grabs a lot of attention with his witty one-liners just like his celebrated writings. But lately, I'm a bit disappointed by some of his tweets which are aimed at some of the big names in the industry. He claims that he was undone by the crew of '3 idiots' who failed to stuff in "based on the Novel 5.someone by Chetan Bhagat" during the starting credits, not the ending credits. He also claims that 70% of the movie is based on his novel. Let's take a pitstop here. I have a golden Q to Bhagat. I am a big fan of 5.someone and on the same lines, I loved watching the film as well. Most book adaptations fail to strike a chord but still 3 idiots worked wonders. Why? 5.someone is great as a book but it can't be an appealing motion picture unless the director changes the plot a bit, adds some twists and turns and incorporates some brilliant creative liberties into the screenplay.

Yes, DVC was a CC of the book, so was Angels and Demons but 3 idiots, I beg to disagree. I remember 5.someone like yesterday and I have seen '3 idiots' twice already, so please don't tell me what I know and what I don't know. I know the facts as a reader/viewer. Whatever credits being given to Mr. Bhagat is all due, nothing more nothing less. And on top of it, Hirani broke all the silence when he came on air and said that whatever he has done were based on the contract which was signed by both parties. (The contract is available to download at VV Chopra site).

So why this tamasha? Maybe Chetan was expecting his name to popup on the screen during the starting credits. I don't want to say Chetan is doing a publicity gimmick because he doesn't need any publicity for god's sake. And even if he needs, by this time, the whole of India knows that 5.someone has got something to do with the biggest grosser ever in Bollywood.

Time to take a chill pill guys!

All's indeed well that ends well and let's just hope it does.

Kerala Cafe review - kathakalati sadaram

2009-11-23T02:49:00.000-08:00

Director Renjith who conceived this idea of making 10 short films which get grounded by a coffee shop in a railway station called Kerala Cafe, has given a mammoth task to his friends, the 10 directors. It's a nice concept more than a nice film. The message is loud and clear as each story tries to send out a clear picture of nuances of life thereby taking us in a roller coaster ride through the cross section of the world we live.

I will list out the ones I thought were superlative efforts and will leave the average ones.

Movie no: 2 - Island Express - This train starts moving on an unconventional note and unrelated characters in Prithviraj, Jayasurya, Sukumari, Rahman and Raju who all convey to pay homage to their loved ones. But less we know that these were the left-overs of the biggest rail accident Kerala has ever witnessed - the 1988 Peruman tragedy. The more we get into the skin of the characters, the more we like them. The last scene where Prithvi tells her girlfriend pointing to a disintegrated Raju "he was the one who drove the train that day" is touching.

Movie no: 5 - Happy Journey - After an eternity, I could see the vintage Jagathy on screen and tell you what, it's worth 200 bucks. He's characterized as a middle aged 'flirt of the town' who tries to have a crack on a gal seated next to him in the KSRTC bus from Ernakulam to Calicut. As the story goes on, he finds the gal too strong and mysterious to be on top thus learning a strong lesson. For Jagathy's performance, the Kerala Cafe hits half-way on a high note.

Movie no: 8 - Bridge - I was taken back when I read the name of the director of this masterclass, Anwar Rasheed. The film talks about two families in parallel, one where an angry father throws away his son's pet cat into the bemire streets of cochin and the other were Salim Kumar leaves his mentally challenged mother into the streets because he couldn't take care of her anymore. Do I need to explain more? It's a classy take on defection.

Movie no: 9 – Makal – Revathy who directed this flick has penned the story as well. Though the story moves on predictable lines, it’s still worth a watch for some breathtaking visuals captured by ace cameraman Madhu Ambat and some stellar performances, especially from the kid who plays the makal character. Yes, we have seen movies like Mahanadi which were more gripping but laudable is the effort put.

Movie no: 10 – Puramkazhchakal – We are in the Idukki-Munnar route. Here we have one protagonist in Sreenivasan, who’s shown as an epitome of failed love who constantly thinks about her ex though with a lump in his throat and the second one in Mammootty who’s mysterious and tough earning a lot of irk from the people in the bus. We wonder where it’s heading before the last shot which is the most riveting and unexpected end to a cinema I have seen in a long time. And suddenly, I felt like going back and rehash the events in the bus which is excactly what the director wanted me to do.

The verdict: A pat on the back of director Renjith for coming up with an interesting concept which we haven’t seen in movies down south. Ther eare flaws obviously in the form of the other 5 films but still, Kerala Café succeeds in keeping the audien glued to the screen till the credits roll. I found myself applauding in the end which is very unlike me J. Reason – it’s a winner all the way!

Spa review: It's been long 490 days

2009-09-08T02:13:00.000-07:00

Yes yes yes!

Finally the podium celebration looked all the more lively, champagne tasted all the more better, the winner seemed all the more deserving. Kimi Raikkonen won his 18th F1 race in his career at the Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium. His last victory was at the Catalunya back in April 2008, so it's been 490 days since I had a solid reason to smile after a race. Additionally, what makes this win the sweetest of his four victories in Spa is the fact that he did it with the 3rd best car on the grid. Yeah, bring more of the Alonso-to-replace-shit!

Roll on the dice didn't really fall into Kimi's hands on saturday when he qualified 6th well behind the surprising pole sitter Fisichella of Force India. Starting on the dirty side, things were further complicated when Barrichello's engine went into an anti-stall right when the lights went. Kimi avoided him but ran wide at La Source cutting it and on to the run off area but managed to squeeze past the likes of Heidfeld and Trulli before emerging 3rd at Eau Rouge. Then came the excitement. He picked up the slipstream of Kubica and went past him with the aid of KERS across the long straight. He was second. The move looked matter-of-fact kind, that's Raikkonen! Back in the middle of the grid, there were incidents involving Algeusuari, Grosjean, Button and Lewis. All four retired the debris of the aftermath lead to the deployment of safety car.

It was a long SC stint as Kimi though a bit heavier than Fisichella who was leading, had to warm his tyres and brakes to ensure he's close enough onto the run to Eau Rouge when the SC goes in. What followed the SC period sent a chill down my spine. Kimi this time made it look all the more easy but more importantly, he was leading the race after lap 4. I wanted to scream "fuck you antis, he's here to stay". Post quali weights suggested Kimi was 2 laps heavier than Fisichella but all calculations went haywire as it turned out since Mercedez engine saves more fuel than Ferrari and hence better mileage. So both of the drivers came together for the first as well as the second pitstop, clearly sending a lot of nerves for us fans watching the action on the TV sets. Ferrari did well to ensure Kimi was ahead of Fisi after both the stops. Soft tyres worked brilliantly well but it was the KERS coupled with never-melting Ice magic that prevented Fisi from making a move with the faster car.

Vettel meanwhile was on a different strategy alltogether avoiding all the mayhem which happened at the back of the grid earlier in the race. He leapfrogged Kubica for the 3rd and final podium place. Meanwhile our man held the roaring Force India behind and claimed his triumph just 0.9 secs ahead. Forza!!! The story of the race apart from Kimi's 4th victory was that Force India got their first point of the season thanks to an ever unshakaeble Fisichella who stood virile against all odds. The updates which they had brought from Valencia worked wonders in the dense shuddery forests of Spa. From the looks of it, they are not gonna stop developing their challenger for the rest of the season. Monza cometh!

Finally, it's been a pleasure to write a review after Kimi's fantastic win. He's special at Spa which is considered to be a drivers' citadel. Kimi obviously would be bullish if asked about the 'secret' of winning here but fellow Raikkos know it better than anyone else

Kimi's the KING of SPA

Kimi just put the hammer down: Hungary review

2009-07-27T03:30:00.000-07:00

The Hungarian GP was a mixed bag for any F1 buff, some shocking events and some maginificent wheel-to-wheel racing. For a moment, I was lost in the fruitful memories and the GP names then read Spa 04, Suzuka 05, Magny 02 but with a reality check, I got the name as Hungaroring 2009. Yes, Kimi's back to the goody goody times, back to his vintage best, back to his own self.

Talking about the race, Ferrari went through a bit of trauma on the back of Felipe Massa's disturbing crash on Saturday qualifiers which send him unconscious and caused a concussion. A metal piece from Barrichello's Brawn went flying in the air and landed on Massa's visor. Luckily the thing didn't go through the visor but caused a heavy impact above the left eye of the Ferrari driver who then rammed into the tyre barriers out of any control. Massa is right now sedated after a successful skull surgery to make his recovery gradual and safe. Because the incident occurred on qualifiers, it meant no reserve driver could have replaced Massa for Sunday's race.

And Raikkonen was Ferrari's sole contention who had an average quali, ended up on the 4th row of the grid. The start was nothing short of superlatives when Raikkonen with the aid of KERS, went past Rosberg (1) and Kovailainen(2), then slid across to the middle of the track with a heavy lounge on the McLaren of Lewis Hamilton before going past Vettel in turn1 (3) and up into 4th position. In the process, he had a moment with Vettel when he was forced to turn into the Redbull driver by Webber from the left which frankly is not Kimi's mistake. The pole sitter Fernando Alonso was on fumes but was also loosing time to Lewis who already got past Webber. Alonso pitted and with that went the glimmer of chances out of the window.

Meanwhile, Lewis, Webber and Raikkonen put up a series opf good laps and Alonso's bad pitstop only meant he emerged with a broken wheel. Later he lost his front right tyre causing a havoc in the pits cos just a week back, Henry Surtees lost his life in an F2 race when a tyre from his contender's car hit his head and ofcourse Massa's incident was on the back of everyone's head. Alonso retired and the fight was left to the trio. Raikkonen n Webber pitted together but rub of the green went in Raikkonen's favor for a change. Webber had a delay and was released just in front of the roaring Ferrari but couldn't get past it. This meant Raikkonen was second behind Lewis who was yet to pit. Redbull deserved a sanction there.

From then on each of them were on a race of their own, Raikkonen trying to prevent Glock from passing him, using KERS effectively, Lewis building up a handy lead over the Ferrari and Webber standing virile against Rosberg n co. Nothing dramatic occurred and with a seventh fastest car on the grid, Kimi Raikkonen took 2nd behind Lewis and ahead of Webber. His best result of the season by a country mile thanks to the fantastic start and some serene drive towards the end. Ferrari send a huge tribute to Massa with their best result of the season. McLaren were back to the winning ways thanks to a good performance from Lewis who didn't had any first lap incident to his credit, again for a change. Meanwhile, Brawns lost ground as they struggled to get heat on the hard compounds. Vettel retired which meant Webber had the last laugh with 6 precious points.

This championship now takes an U-turn with McLaren n Ferrari taking points off both Redbull n Brawn and more is instore when F1 head to Valencia next month for the European GP.

MohanLal and Blessy strike gold: Bramaram Review

2009-07-03T02:41:00.000-07:00

Watching Blessy's latest offering, Bramaram is indeed a privilege for any movie goer as it turns out to be Mohanlal's finest performance off late. After Thanmatra when the actor-director due come together again to strike gold, I have to say their efforts are paid off.

It's just like watching any painfully powerful and contentful movie from Bharatan or Padmarajan. Lalettan is at his majestic best post interval. Infact, only his character moves through our memory lane long after the film is done. A revenge saga set in the cliches of a central kerala village through the chaos of coimbatore city, Bramaram travels a long way. I don't want to reveal even a single bit of the story as the least said, the better it's to witness this cinematic masterstroke.

Bhoomika and Lekshmi do walk-in roles but it's the newcomer Suresh Menon who springs a surprise with a top notch performance. Infact, his role is the only one that is even comparable to Lal's screentime in the whole movie. Blessy utilises the legend's charisma and screen presence to the core as it turns out to be a delight to see the Lal of late 80s and 90s, salvaging a renaissance and potrays acting brilliance at ease.

I really hope Bramaram will be seen and appreciated by the families. I care less for the mass audience, some of them who think that Bramaram is close to parallel cinema.

Yeah right???

Let's just say that Bramaram better become a hit now rather than earning a cult classic image ala Thoovanathumbikal, some 15-20 yrs down the line. The fundamental problem of Malayalee audience.......

4 stars easily

Race 6 Monaco: Ferrari resurgence

2009-05-25T00:11:00.000-07:00

It’s nice to see them grab some good points despite the fact that the title dream is all but over.

Kimi had a good race but could have been better had Ferrari boys kept it simple in the last pitstop. He qualified well, outpacing his lighter teammate but was unlucky not to start with super soft for short stint. If that’s the case, he would have defended 2^nd against Barrri. Also, Kimi said he was "happily disappointed" after the race which just summed up what kindov mental state he's in. Massa too had a steady race, almost always challenging Kimi for the podium, finishing just 2 secs off the other scarlet.

Button looks like a champion in waiting. I don’t know from where on earth he comes up with such jaw dropping pace everytime in Q3. He’s matured in driving and is consistent too. Rubens is a branded no:2 who can’t help but to just stare in disbelief.

Lewis-I-won’t-crack-Hamilton got a taste of the darker side of Monaco. With a potential podium McLaren, all he could manage yesterday was 7 positions, 5 of which due to others’ retirements. Pity! Kovalainen would be sacked before the end of the season, so would Nelson.

Next-up is Turkey, where Ferrari’s KERS and aerodynamic efficiency, might just make the difference. Kimi will be up for it, so will Massa but the question is can Ferrari get rid of shambolic errors once and for all?

Review: Defiance

2009-03-23T02:08:00.000-07:00

After two mammoth hits in Last Samurai n Blood Diamond, director Edward Zwick is back with a war epic titled "Defiance" starring the new bond, Daniel Craig. The movie is about the Jewish Bielski brothers Tuvia (Craig), Zus, Asael n Aron who flee to the shuddery forest vowing to avenge their parent's death in the hands of Germans. During holocaust, the Jews were exploited by the Germans and what happened in Poland was no different. Though initially, the brothers decide to help as many Jews as possible by taking leadership in organising refugee camps, Zus gradually begin to dislike this idea knowing that winter was fast approaching n it will only endanger their own lives by helping others. He involves in a spat with Tuvia and leaves the camp to join a Soviet Partisans group who inturn fight against the Germans.

Tuvia though choose to stay in the camp with the other jews. They move their camp whenever they are discovered by the Germans and used to supply food to the Soviet Partisans group in exchange of protection. In the end when the German airbombers attack the Jewish camp, the Soviet group abandon them thereby earning rage from Zus who inturn goes and helps his brother. The movie ends with scrren text saying, the Jews survived for another 2 years under the serene leadership of Bielski brothers with a total of 1200 souls.

This is one of those films u desperately want to like from the word go because of it's background n clichy sets. But after a spellbinding 45 mins, the film settles to a slackened pace thereby losing momentum. Daniel Craig is a revelation to say the least. The best scene in the movie is when Craig commands to his fellow descendants "And listen, pregnancies are forbidden! We can't take care of the needs of infants" with a slight grin on his face, he hits the bullseye. Also the standout scene where he gets involved in a brawl with his brother. The confrontation scenes are picturised with ounces of reality check. Since this is a true story, there's not much to comment about it's credibility apart from the fact that Jews speak to themselves in English rather than Polish. Infact, Polish is never mouthed in a movie set in Poland :) (Zus speaks in Russian to the Soviet group) The second 30 mins is a torture where screenplay goes haywire, the director too unsure of "what next". Cinematography is excellent, so is the background score.

A film not for the mass, Defiance is bold but not very beautiful.

Verdict: Hot not hottest

For the Casanovva......

2009-03-04T04:24:00.000-08:00

I needed to start my 09 bull with a bang and there I go, with our very own Lalettan's intro dialogue excerpt from the upcoming Rosshan Andrews flick 'Casanovva'. Don't laugh at the title. Casanovva is named after a man (womeniser) who lived in Italy years ago, the one who won the heart of many women. I'm struggling to open the socring, let alone many :). I have heard two peppy numbers from the movie, one is ofcourse the intro and the other one, a trendy slick rap number with a mix of semi-classical here n there. Go through the intro first and u can't help but fall for it. I'm sorry it's in Malayalam :P
"Njan Casanova! Pranayichu theerathavan ennartham

Swantham peralla, Veena pera :)
Inneleyum mazha peythirunnu
Inneleyum udayasthamayangal undayirunnu pakshe.......
avayonnum entethayirunnilla
enikku vendiyayirunnilla kaaranam.....
innale njaan pranayam arinjurinnilla
inneppozho ennilunarnna pranayathiloode njaanariyunnu
MAZHAKKU AVALUDE GHANDHAMANU, surya reshmikal avalude sparshanamanu

Vridhane 16karanakkunna asurane polum swapnam kaanan padippikkunna PRANAYAM
Aa bhashayil samsarichu thudangumbol oro divasavum nerathe thudangatte ennu aashichu pokunnu
pakalukal avasanikkathirikkatte ennu prarthichu pokunnu
ethu jeevachalathinum manassilakunna bhasha
ettavum valiya prarthana.......

......I LOVE YOU Njaan ninne snehikkunnu"

The point Lalettan is trying to make here is 'love can prevent someone from committing a sin, love changes one's own self, love is a superlative feeling'

Enough is enough. I can't wait to hit the theatres when Casanovva releases cos I am in love.......

50th post : Stand up for the Spa King

2008-09-08T02:54:00.001-07:00

We Kimi fans aren't baffled. A refurbished version of Kimi Raikkonen, the Kimi Raikkonen we knew, ruled La Source, Eau Rouge and Blachimont. He drew a line between men from boys in a manly circuit. To hell with qualifiers, to hell with setup, we want racing. We want circuits like Spa Francorchamps but we also want the heavens to stay shut for 3 more mins :) With sheer pace, Kimi went past his title rivals Massa and Hamilton without depending on nature fiasco. A true racer but more importantly a passionate racer who just can't settle for anything but victory. I stand up for our champion, the one and only Kimi Matias Raikkonen.

Race review - courtesy: darkmaiden

That race was just….awesome? Chilling? Breath taking? I don’t know what word describes it but the name Kimi Raikkonen says enough for me today. He was flying. And despite the crash, he’ll keep flying!

The start: Rain fell on the track hours before the grid lined up, the rain had stopped slightely for the start but it remained damp enough to cause a bit of drama at turn 1. Kimi said on Saturday that he was hoping for dry weather and knew it would be difficult if it rained. But that didn’t stop him going all out off his start line. It was one of the best grid starts up front all season, in that he later continued to use it to pass the two cars infront. As expected Kimi went around the outside for turn 1 as Heikki had a terrible start, so one job was already done, to pass that McLaren. But that was not all – Kimi wanted to pass everyone. He ran wide out of turn 1 and loved to use the extra tarmac area in the run up to Eau Rouge, as he gained a lot of speed, while Massa who stayed on the right line exiting the corner didn’t have as much speed as Kimi. Kimi already planned the night before to sort his teammate out once and for all, well at least for today, and he did it. Great move on Felipe and it was actually the first overtaking between the two on equal measures. I was clapping, and I’m sure all of you were too!

Then Lewis was next, and yes, oh yes, Kimi looked so scary in Lewis’ mirrors that it caused Lewis to spin on the second lap at turn 1 I guess! Kimi was pushing hard and ran wide at the exit again using the extra run off area, but I have a feeling that he liked to use it to gain more speed as he knew he was a lap lighter than Felipe, and so Kimi did everything he could to get as far ahead as possible. He’s a smart lad and a great racer.

Lewis pitted first then as we all expected, and I laughed. But oh no, Kimi pitted just a lap later! So yes indeed Kimi was lighter than Felipe in qualifying but by only one lap as Massa pitted in the next lap. By the time Kimi pitted though, he built up such a lead that he still came out infront of Lewis with also Felipe later behind. It was close the whole race between the Ferrari and McLaren infront but Lewis consistently showed he was quicker but Kimi drove like a bat out of hell to stay in front. It’s not the first time I’ve used that phrase, perhaps Batman can be another name for Kimi! He had a good lead of 5 seconds from Lewis and it all seemed okay. There was a long way to go so I still wasn’t predicting a Kimi win just yet.

I kept chanting, talking to Kimi as if he was there with me, “Hold it, baby, steady…fly, keep flying…”. He had a brilliant start, just exactly what he needed and what we all were waiting to see for a long, long, long time. I had completely missed the fact that Kimi had a new chassis this weekend at Spa. Since Friday I could see how much better he seemed with it. Obviously! It’s a damn brand new chassis. It took months for Kimi & co to sort his problems out, first we thought it was just qualifying like last year but then Domenicali revealed it was understeer. So bucket loads of understeer as well as qualifying issues really put Kimi in the gutter this summer. And why on earth did it take Ferrari so long to fix this? A new chassis, and voila, Kimi’s flying and fighting for wins. I was so angry when I realized this. No bloody wonder, Kimi’s been suffering. I doubt it took him 5 races to realize he’s got an understeer issue. He needed a completely new chassis. I hope everyone shuts the crap up now about his motivation, retirement and all the other bollocks they can come up with for his dismal summer.

Anyway, it being Spa and all, Kimi clearly had more adrenalin than usual as we saw from the start, which is probably where the drivers get the most adrenalin. But oh man…we were in for some ending. The second round of pitstops were very important. Kimi and Lewis both pitted on the same lap and Kimi’s stop was longer. This was logical as his first stop was shorter than Lewis’s and Kimi had to make up the ground, which he did of course with 5 hand seconds. Lewis began closing on Kimi after a while on the harder tyres, and it seemed Kimi wasn’t as comfortable with these and he was on the softer tyre at the start. But some how Kimi increased his gap at some times and held in there. I continued chanting and praying “Steady baby, keep it cool, keep focused,” and being a typical die hard fan I felt it was working hahahaha!

Felipe was settling for third place by then it seemed. With Heikki’s big drop at the start and having a drive through penalty for not avoiding an avoidable collision with Webber earlier, no one was there to stop Kimi. Only Lewis was. But the sun was shining and Kimi was flying…no one could have stopped him, even Lewis couldn’t have despite having a faster car as the sector times kept showing. Kimi and Spa together is like magic. The Iceman showed today that he owns this place and always will, even if he crashes out, he’ll take the fastest lap with him. Kimi was flying today and despite Lewis being quicker than him as the sector times showed, Kimi made it work. Until the rain came obviously.

There were some great battles meanwhile down the field, with Heikki taking most of the spot light climbing through and battling with Kubica. Lewis was praying for it to rain as he couldn’t catch Kimi, well everytime he did take a few tenths out of him, Kimi would just hit back going quicker again. It was really close, but God knows how Kimi pulled it off and managed to keep it. Not knowing whether to back off and conserve the engine for Monza, Lewis kept getting closer then dropping off. It seemed Kimi could win safely with 4 laps to go. Until Lewis’s prayer was answered…

The rain came and it was dancing time. Lewis closed in drastically in just one sector towards the end and my heart, as well as everyone else’s watching, was almost jumping through my chest! The McLaren was going to pass the Ferrari, it was just a matter of time. I wasn’t worried but just anxious. I knew Kimi would defend as well as he did. He did a brilliant job. As Lewis and Kimi braked towards the chicane, both locked wheels and Kimi remained inside on the racing line. Lewis had plenty of room, I do not care what more lies he says to the media (obviously the dumb viewers would believe him which is why he says it). Kimi allowed the whole kerb for Lewis. Lewis had the option to drive along the kerb. But he didn’t. He probably got worried about contact and cut the chicane. But he definitely had room. Kimi’s the most fair and decent racer out there, never ever been involved in cheeky tactics or incidents or penalties, so Lewis can waffle all he likes to justify cutting the corner.

At the time, I was fuming and believed he cut it and gained an advantage. Then the replay was shown and Kimi actually re-passed Lewis, it was just for one second before Lewis immediately passed Kimi gain before getting to the next corner. Kimi hardly had a chance to take his position back. I do not know the rules very well, but a reader here named Soren mentioned a ruling that you cannot re-pass until the next corner. We’ll find out about this, and see whether that’s why the FIA penalized Lewis. There’s probably more to it, we’ll found out soon enough as McLaren typically appeal against the decision.

But oh my goodness, my heart was thumping like mad even more. I’d love to hear what you guys were doing! I kept chanting “Steady Kimi, hold it hold it hold it…” and Kimi and Lewis were at it like we haven’t seen in ages! Absolutely brilliant! Only a track like Spa could give that entertainment. Opportunities were written all over the place between the two fighters. Kimi took his usual aggressive outside line again for turn 1 and tried to get Lewis back, his front wing touched Lewis’ rear right wheel it seems but it no major contact and they continued on up to Eau Rouge. The rain was getting heavier and I nearly had a heartattack! Imagine the adrenalin between the actual racers!

Both guys were wobbling and dancing and Kimi was just going mad, running on the run-off areas everywhere! Lewis ran off onto the grass somewhere and that seemed the only chance Kimi could run off with it. But as they moved on, the track became harder and harder to stick on. Lewis and Kimi both slipped and with the backmarker Williams just ahead, Kimi took evasive action to avoid hitting Lewis by just inches! Kimi got back infront and then spun but managed to get back on track without losing too much ground. Oh dear. Lewis was ahead and Kimi was not going to settle for second, no bloody way. Settle for second with Lewis next to him on the top step of the podium? No thanks!

That’s Kimi for you. The same Kimi that we all adored since his younger days at McLaren. Risking it - all for the win, or nothing. That’s the kind of passion you can never get bored off. People said he had changed, he is lacking. No. Just no.

The corner where Kimi ran wide and spun and then crashed – Lewis also had a tiny moment there as the videos just barely show. The puddles and no traction control just caught Kimi out, this time. He was too eager on the exit to get back to Lewis before the finish and no TC meant he was off. He crashed into the wall and, oh, my heart sank with the thousands of other fans watching. Head in my hands! “Oh Kimi….Kimi……damnit, damn you all to hell!” Just joking, I didn’t really say the last part. But yeah, it’s just the fact that Kimi didn’t get to the finish in P1 and hold that trophy, see his smile, which hurt the most. The main thing, and the only thing we should be happy about is that Kimi is happy in his car finally. He was going to win at Spa again. He won it. Don’t worry about the points or whatever, he won this one, and just because the results won’t give credit to him, doesn’t mean he didn’t perform as he should have. He did what he is made for. Gotta praise it. Would you have rather Kimi settle for second? And what if he did, and Lewis being penalized and all, would you liked Kimi to inherit the win like that? Nah. His instincts were right. Oh my word…I love you Kimi. Love you so much. Never ever change! You did the right thing. Massa inherited victory in the end; he was a good boy to play it safe in that rain, good boy, don’t want to ruin it all by spinning off and Ferrari are lucky he was there. It’s kind of funny how after all that, with Kimi owning the field at Spa again, Massa ended up winning it.

And should Kimi back Massa for the title now? No! They both have chances. Instead of being 23 points off Lewis in the title, Kimi is now 19 compared to Massa’s 2. As soon as it’s mathematically impossible for Kimi to win the title, then Ferrari can ask him for a favour. Just as they did with Massa last year, who was actually out of contention by Monza. I expect Ferrari to treat Kimi with the same respect, and at least let Kimi have the chance to fight Lewis one more time. Kimi is happy with the car, it’s a bit late (thanks for helping him out Ferrari, could have done it sooner though you think!) but it’ll be just cruel to take it away from him so soon. I don’t know how Heikki can put up with it at McLaren, being Lewis’s bitch. It was satisfying to see Heikki hold Lewis up in the race, hehe. Kimi for sure won’t as long as it makes no difference to Massa’s situation. And damn right, Kimi said after the race he’s going to try and win all the races. I can’t help feeling the FIA just penalized Lewis to butter up the championship drama. Nothing more, nothing less. The biggest winner today was Heidfeld who was in 9th position before the last 3 laps! He must be pretty chuffed.

With Lewis’s prayers for rain being met, my prayers of course were kind of answered in the end afterall. I just wanted Kimi to go mad and have fun on his favourite track. He looked like he did, didn’t he? So I can’t complain. It had been such a long time, but there was the Kimi we’ve been longing to see. So I couldn’t be happier. He was there all along, it’s just that damn car of his held him back for months. He even said to ITV before the race that he knows he’s fast, it’s just been difficult getting everything working together. Today was proof that he was indeed held back and he just let rip today. Awesome! And you see what happens when Kimi lets it all out? He flies, and his teammate, and the faster McLaren, don’t have an answer. Not at Spa at least. I’m going to go to Spa next year, I’ll try my hardest to go and to see the magic in real life, just once at least. Every Kimi fan should experience it. I'll admit that I really wanted to cry once Kimi hit the wall. I can't be positive about it all. It really, really, really hurt. Even more so than the hard days at McLaren. It felt a bit like Nurburgring 2005. But this one hurt the most, simply because it took a lot of time and effort and courage. Kimi wasn't lacking confidence today, he's that guy who pulled off the last lap win in Japan 2005 remember. It was just...jinxed I guess. I'll be going through all the pictures tonight, and having already seen one of Kimi with what looks like tears on his cute cheeks, I'll probably cry to be honest!

Let's get on with it. What's has happened, nothing can change it. It’ll be a great battle for Kimi to fight in the next two months, now going to Monza next weekend. He had a new engine today at Spa like Hamilton, and Massa had his Valencia one. I think Monza will be hard to win for Kimi, unless he changes his engine. He might aswell just go for it and have fun as I said. That’s up to him and depends on whether he feels he can qualify decently at Monza. Kimi took pole at the Italian circuit in 2006 with a win-less McLaren car. He finished 2^nd behind Schumacher. Last year of course Kimi had a big accident in practice at Monza and his neck injury affected his race but he still came 3^rd. It’s going to be exciting.

I hold a toast to Kimi for what he did today – may he always be happy and content with his instincts and have all the fun he can in the remaining 5 races of 2008. He kept his word by going pedal to the metal this weekend. He’ll keep his word about winning the next races. So cheers and... KEEP FLYING KIMI!!!!!!!

Time to refurbish for Kimi

2008-08-25T04:05:00.000-07:00

Yeah, we have seen enough. Right from some dismal tyre strategies, getting bottled up behind traffic, engine blow up, exhaust failure, people ramming from the back i.e all Kimi has managed this season apart from 2 storming wins, were some nightmarish outings. One more fiasco in his resume and he'll be out of contention. And we Kimi fans hate to say it but there's every possibility now that Ferrari will clobber around one driver and that's not Raikkonen. What a disaster. What a shame. Are we missing something here in giving a clear cut analysis? Indeed we are

A Kimi basher would never hesitate to write Kimi off when trailing Lewis by 13 points with just 6 races to go. And a Kimi lover would point to 07 and say "it's not over until it's over". Actually, it's a bit of both this season for my man. He has made some uncanny mistakes this season and his performance on the whole has been a bit disappointing. I have to stress that 'bit' a little bit more cos for all we know, KIMI RAIKKONEN is not a happy man driving that Ferrari. Let's do a time travel to July.

Race at Silverstone. At one point, Kimi took precious seconds off the then winner Hamilton before stop 1. Then, disaster struck Kimi n Ferrari when the team chose to keep Raikkonen on the worn-out tyres there by making a complete misjudgment of the weather. There went out of the window the victory hopes and ultimately, Kimi finished a lap down to Lewis. A pity but indeed we knew that Raikkonen was qualifying well and also had phenomenal race pace. Ferrari did mid-season testing in Hockenheim where everyone expected them to go one step higher. Instead, during the race in Germany, Ferrari slumped to 3rd and 6th. Then came Hungary, Kimi again failed to qualify in the front row, bottled behind Alonso forever and ultimately finished 3rd thanks to Massa's engine blow up. In Valencia, picture became much clearer. Kimi just couldn't put heat on tyres for a single lap run which is very crucial for Q3. On the other Ferrari, Massa who is known to be a better qualifier is winning races from pole. Grey hair!!!

As I mentioned, in the Hockenheim test, Ferrari picked up some aero developments which looked good but soemtimes look can be deceptive. Whatever developments Ferrari has put in F2008, have played into the hands of Massa. Wait a min. There isn't any conspiracy involved here. All I say is Massa was the beneficiary for his 'hard on tyres' kindov approach. Kimi's natural instincts and smooth style doesn't seem to pay off with that trolley. Okay, this is my analysis. I don't give a fuck if people think blaming the car is all I can do. Raikkonen is serene and under-estimate him at your peril. Kimi is down but nobody can stump him that easily. There's a test awaiting Ferrari post Spa and let me assure you, we'll see Kimi coming out from the ashes and winning races again. Whether it will be good enough for a second successive title or not, time will tell.

Request to Ferrari : Don't make it a cake walk for Lewis by demoting Kimi to a supporting role. You will pay a hefty fine not only in WDC.

Hunga'boring' : Race 11 review

2008-08-11T22:01:00.000-07:00

I'm really happy for Heikki and seen myself applauding to his maiden victory though I think that's all due for him this season. It was clearly looking like another Lewis triumph over Heikki. The saying goes like "There's nothing like luck, u have to be at the right time n the right place to be lucky". How true! Heikki was there at the right place to gain from Massa's heart braking engine blow up just 3 laps away from what looked like a thumping Ferrari win. People who think that this will be a come back by Heikki wud be disappointed sooner or later. But on the given day, he closed a gap of 24 secs after Lewis blew his tyres to mere 6.7 secs to Felipe. So, Heikki was fast and would have definitely made Felipe push. Having said that, Ferrari's engines are looking worse than MP4-20's :) Massa, u have got a case.

Kimi on the other hand was fast as always but was bottled up behind Alonso for the lion's share of the race. Well, it's Hungary after all. Kimi, u too got a case. Let me defend Kimi by inclining to the technical aspects of that track. U can't afford top lose downforce in Hungary due to it's demand on aerodynamic grip. The problem following a car and being in the dirty air is that the car behind lose grip and tyres start to grain inturn reducing grip. Well, Ferrari or any other car for that matter would struggle to keep the gap so as to get into the slipstream of the car in front. That explains why Raikkonen was stuck behind Fernando.

Now, if I do a postmortem of Steve Salter's gumptious commentary for Star Sports, I might end up harebrained. Let's see why

After quali "Kimi is 6th, well, there shud be Qs asked abt his motivation"

After lap 10 "Just look at the crash helmets of Raikkonen n Alonso, Raikkonen I have to say is as aggressive as it cud possibly get"

After lap 20 or so "I think Raikkonen is a demotivated driver, where is the old Kimi?"

After 2nd stop "Now, we are seeing the Raikkonen we know"

Just understand the basic conflicts of opinions coming from the same person. Steve slater is an energetic guy and is a Kimi admirer but let's face it, he's magnifying the mistakes made by Kimi and trying to make the whole episode a bit dramatic just because Kimi's the WDC now. In Germany he said "I can see only two men fighting for WDC" n now in Hungary"I can see only Massa n Lewis".....gosh, spare him!!! Now, why I brought Steve in here is cos that's what some of the pundits and some neutrals are thinking, that Kimi has got attitude problem, he's defied of hunger, motivation yada yada yada......But let me stress this, Kimi's same attitude is praised by the same people when he wins a race n they don't have any right to cum n criticize it now.Lucky? To be honest, he was but only because of Massa's engine failure but we need to understand that he was lured of the same thing so many times. Let him for once be at the sending end. He deserves it. His charge on Glock reminded many critics that he's not f****** lazy out there, neither a sissy as some think n he has the balls to be fast. His determination didn't go anywhere for fuck sake.

Now coming to Massa, he surprised some of his leading bashers like me with a superlative move on the over-confident Lewis. His best drive so far but let's see whether he can continue this. What was Lewis thinking by taking a tighter line into turn1??? I think he's overdue of some curse for this dialogue in Hockenheim "Massa didn't defend too well and if it wud have been the other way around, blah blah blah"......Now he knows. Infact, Lewis had the right statement but was wrong in him saying that about his rival. The fact remains the same for Lewis. He's still a rookie in managing his tyres on a hot track. Remember Turkey, Brazil! I have seen McLaren's argument that there was debry on the track. Oh god, when are they gonna stop bullshitting? Lewis was lapping 0.5sec slower than Felipe before the screw up and it's pretty sure, he ate his front left. There is only one guy who had a puncture and that's Lewis. Bridgestone had warned Lewis in Turkey if u remember. So, there u go.

Kimi needs to get the qualifying right from now on cos we all know he has the pace to beat the hell out of everyone else out there for the race. Modern F1 brings more reliable chassis n less excitement and that only means, u have to be at the front row before the start. Having said that, u have to question the Ferrari strategy again for fueling Kimi 20 liters (4 laps) more than Massa. None of them got it right on Saturday n stupidities like these are bound to be punished in Monaco n Hungary. Massa was simply outstanding but one has to look at his consistency from now on. Lewis would try his level best to mask his mistakes by blaming debry for which I have no other say but to let him hear "get a life". Meanwhile, Heikki can have a sigh of relief after some lackluster races.

Next race : European GP , new track in Valencia : Aug 24th

Ferrari bite dust in Germany : Race 10 review

2008-07-21T09:16:00.000-07:00

It's all out in open. McLaren has put in some worthy changes into the MP4-23 to make it work even on the high-aerodynamic circuits like Hockenheim n when they found the sweet spot, Ferrari yesterday found no answers. It's hard to believe that they took a wrong route midway into the championship, where they actually should have bettered the performance advantage possessed in France. Lewis Hamilton was flying and was unstoppable on the raceday piling up a huge gap over the struggling Massa but was proved a worthy winner yesterday when Macca made a strategic blunder. They kept Lewis when the pitlane was open during the SC period, n Lewis had to struggle his way up there after.

Ferrari on the other hand were indeed at a loss for explaining what got screwed up in the F2008. Taking Kimi's issues into account, Kimi for once screwed up his setup and was suffering from a lot of understeer which inturn caused oversteer while correcting. On top of this debacle, the F2008 was struggling for aerodynamic grip which is supposedly one of their strengths. Massa simply couldn't find the pace which he promised after qualifiers. How on earth wud u loose 0.7 secs a lap to Lewis while starting alongside him? Massa needs to explain this and maybe one more. A piteous attempt to take back the lost position from Lewis saw him taking a tour to the grass. Ferrari boss would have been wondering "The way he blocked Lewis in the first place won't win him championships"..........how true it is.

Back to my man, Kimi did pretty well on Sunday considering his fiasco earlier on qualifiers. Starting from sixth and on the dirty part of the track, he had to struggle to keep up with the BMW of Kubica. Trademark Kimi showed us his strength at the end of each stint. Even that pitlane pile up didn't let him down. Rather, from 12th position after second stop, he came back to grab a well deserved 6th. Post race Kimi had this to say "I was struggling for grip all day.....only during the end, I was able to manage the car" n with this limping Ferrari, he got past Kubica as well. Nice one Kimi but concentrate more on the setup now cos we all know u are a great racer but things should fit into place before that. Let me excuse him anyways for his very first technical drubbing in Ferrari. Happens :)

Coming from a home victory, Lewis looked the man to beat on the fast roaring MP4-23. His drive from 5th to finish on the top step of the podium after Macca's lame attempt to optimize their strategy, was indeed worth watching. I have been blabbering till now about Macca's team orders and none listened. Heikki Kovailainen in the same car with no problems at all, simply let Lewis pass as if his life depended on providing the platform for a Lewis victory. I swear to all Macca fans yet again that there's no "absolute equality" bullshit in McLaren and they have simply gathered to put all their money on one man. BMW though would wish to see their qualification woes end cos otherwise, they no longer wud be able to split the Ferraris n the Maccas in the WCC.

On the whole, it was a good drive from Kimi but clearly nowhere near he wanted to be in the end. Massa lacks the spark when he face adversities which was always the case right from the moment he stepped into Ferrari shoes. Lewis is proving that he can indeed control his chuntering and drive when it matters and will be a pain for us in this rest of the season. Next stop is Hungary, traditionally a Macca track. Ferrari needs to sit down n trace back the flaws in their developments which made them clobber by McLaren in the German wave. I'm aggrieved by Kimi's winless streak but sometimes, I have to live with it.

Standings:

Lewis 58
Felipe 54
Kimi 51

JTYJN review - Retrospective yet Adorable

2008-07-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

When most of the over-hyped extravaganzas become colossal flops by failing to connect a chord with the audience, JTYJN has come out as a big relief. Introducing Imran Khan bearing the nephew tag of two famous filmy names, Abbas Tyrewala who apparently did make his debut as well, is fully justified. Aamir Khan n Mansoor Khan financed this flick under Aamir's own banner. The film opens big and is reportedly doing great business in all the multiplexes . Let's see why!

The story of Jai and Aditi is told by a group of friends to a newcomer in the gang just for the sake of killing time when they wait for someone's arrival in the Chatrapati Sivaji Airport in Bombay. Initially being skeptical about the boring love stories, Mala the stranger gradually finds herself hasty and eager to know more as it goes. Jai and Aditi are mates from college who are close to each other so much so that they don't need anyone else to share their feelings. Everyone including their friends and their parents think they are deeply in love and will get married if urged. Aditi's parents invite Jai to her home and start talking about his future plans. That's when they realise neither Aditi nor Jai are interested in getting married and they didn't even consider they are in love.

Now having revealed what's their relationship is all about, our protagonists think of finding a better half for each other. Aditi helps Jai to find the sizzling Meghna on a party but only to find herself in disarray and in a sea of jealousy. Meanwhile, Aditi is also hooked up with Sushant by her parents and expectedly, this brings a tiff b/w Jai and Aditi. Gradually, they realise how desperately both of them need to get back on terms. Knowing Jai to be soft and kind-hearted soul, his mother is relieved the fact that he is not following his father's way. Apparently, Jai is from the Rathore family of Ranchaur whose men are known for being virile and daring. The rest of the film is all about how the couple eventually sort out the problems and also how Jai manages to break her mother's heart :P

Okay, I'm not being soft here cos JTYJN doesn't dare to be different. Infact, the story is a rehash of KKHH, Ishq Vishq and many of the pot boilers from the south including Niram. But what makes the film work is the novelty in screenplay and some stellar performances from the lead pair. Watch out for the scene where Aditi motivates Jai to fight her enemy or that scene where Jai's mother talks to her 'husband on the foto' n expressing her despair over her son's current dilemma. Nasserudin shah plays his hilarious 'dead' father and is a treat to watch. Imran is presented well while the director is careful enough not to expose his weakness which is undoubtedly a chocolate boy attire. Genelia has continued from where she left in Santosh Subramaniam. Pranky, bad tempered, bubbly antics along with the spontaneity she brings in her character, add to the highlights of the film. The rest of the cast have all done their part well.

Rahman's music is a rage. 'Pappu can't dance saala' is well choreographed and oozes the whole atmosphere as long as it lasts. I won't be surprised if u feel like dancing to it's ever-so peppy tune. 'Kabhi Kabhi Aditi' is refreshing where we see the Rahman we know. Abbas Tyrewala has done a commendable job in his first venture. On the downside, the climax is very filmy which we are seeing for the umpteenth time. It's lengthy as if we are onto an endless voyage with no U-turns in the ride. There are some sleazy dialogues mouthed by all the characters the stupidity of which is credited only to Bollywood. Yet JTYJN is a breezy entertainer which doesn't promise to be something which it's not n also it succeeds to achieve the target, which is to satisfy the youth.

Rating : 3.5/5.....Go for it

Kimi & Photographer - The altercation

2008-07-09T12:38:00.000-07:00

Some cockeyed arm-chair experts have a lot to say about Raikkonen's crude behavior towards the photographer when he pushed him to the ground. The latter was desperately taking a close snap of the Iceman believe it or not, leaning onto Kimi's race stuffs and that too just before the race (see the controversial snap below). I'm throughly amazed by the anti-Kimi press and others who consider Lewis is a saint and Fernando no loudmouth, making a fuzz about this incident. Well, all I have to say is Raikkonen like any other human being in this world has every right to show his emotions no matter whether he's living upto the nickname Iceman or not.

I never knew that Kimi should not wilt under such frivolous act by a pass-by photographer.He was not sane enough to let the race driver have his 'personal space' n all Lewis fanatics say "Kimi is insane n doesn't deserve the Iceman tag". I'm speechless. Kimi is the people's champion and was given the Iceman tag in 2003 due to his sheer raw pace and ofcourse his 'never mind' cool composure on/off the track. In those days where drivers were seen busy lamenting bad races, cursing their own teams, chiseling others out of glory, there stood a man called Kimi Raikkonen from the tiny country of Finland doing less talking and more driving.

It's not the first time Kimi lost his cool and involved in a brawl. The famous 'push' of the race Marshall (I don't remember which GP) is still somewhere in the back of my mind and also the late-night wrangle in a Spanish pub was no different. But it's his private life n Kimi himself had a tiff with McLaren boss Ron Dennis for interfering in his training regime and preventing him from having fun. From what I saw all these years, Kimi is the fittest man around.

So let's face it, Kimi did hurt a photographer. As Ferrari mentioned his behavior was completely understandable because a driver goes through the turmoil and needs to get into the groove minutes before racing to incur undisturbed concentration. And Kimi was deprived of the most important thing in an F1 driver's life, concentration. They die for it, they calculate the minutest lapse in the car by only having it and they would do any harebrained antic to get it back. I mean absolutely anybody.

Martin Brundle can relate to the above statement better than anyone else. Whenever he's in the middle of ITV's famous grid walk, I have seen that lots of drivers just ignore him. Do u think the drivers are shy to have a say about the race or even about their strategy? No way! That's where u see dedication. I'm a lover of this sport purely because there is no other sport in which one experiences 4G of pressure and a weight loss of almost 5 Kgs in 90 mins. But pls let them drive!

Having said that, let's rehash Brazil 06 gridwalk by Martin
Martin : Kimi, u missed the speech by Pele on Michael?
Kimi : Yeah
Martin : Why?
Kimi : I was having a shit!!!!!!!
Martin (shameful laugh) : Thank u for that

The impassive Manmohan Singh would have laughed at it. My point is, Kimi is known as Iceman for what he's on track and for how he handles the media. Take a look at this statement while addressing the British media
"I don’t mind what people think too much. If they ask nice questions then yes, but for sure if they ask stupid questions, I won’t answer and they will think I’m a dickhead"

He's also the insane party animal, he's the Iceman and we all love him for what he is n we don't hate him for what he just did cos that's the way it is :)
U have any probs???

Lewis won it but did Kimi lose it? British GP review

2008-07-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

The answer is probably Yes cos I have to take a dig at Ferrari's tyre strategy or a tyre-poker for Kimi during the first pitstops and I'm afraid they did a poor job. Kimi was closing in on Lewis lap after lap to almost 1 sec just before the stop and we expected a tyre change for Kimi. Down in McLaren, the pit crew rightly changed Lewis' intermediates while in the far end, Ferrari decided to keep the already worn-out intermediates in Kimi's F2008. They would have expected the rain to stop but I think that was a logical error as it was getting very dark as if the heavens was just about to open. From then on, Kimi lost 2 secs and even 4 secs at times to Lewis. Infact, he had to give way for Heikki and Heidfeld after some time. Let's have a driver analysis of the British GP

Lewis Hamilton - I hate to say it but it was a good show from him after some "no shows" in Canada and France. The indisputable beneficiary of the chaos in the Ferrari pitlane. He was fast after the second stint as well but had a spin just after hitting the standing water on the track. He has been OK in wets considering his mess up in China and Europe last year.

Kimi Raikkonen - I feel for this unlucky man who had a scant consolation in the fastest lap times but he couldn't have done any better given the circumstances. He too had spins and it was no easy after the pitstop with worn-out intermediates. Having said that, his pass on one of the best wet weather drivers Alonso was something spectacular. I say so cos just after Kimi got past Alonso, we saw Heikki in a superior McLaren struggling to get past the double world champion for 3 laps or so. Kimi collected 13 points from two unfortunate races and I think it's a sign - a sign for more to come.

Heikki Kovalainen - He had a good start holding up Kimi and making Hamilton's life easy through the inside of turn 1 but that was just about it. I think he's struggling to overtake an evenly matched car and like Canada where he lost a place to Massa, Heidfeld overtook him while he was trying to get pass Kimi. McLaren say we should not underestimate Heikki but from what we saw till now, Heikki is very much a back-up driver to Lewis unless proved wrong.

Felipe Massa - Probably he has gone into the record books for the most number of spins in a race. He just couldn't control the car on the wet conditions and was struggling for grip even on the straights. How many races have u seen Massa spinning unconditionally? I think 3 Australia, Malaysia and now Britain. I would say without TC, life is getting one big fuck for the Brazilian and it's a big surprise that he didn't hit anything after all these spin cycles other than chasing down a rabbit.

Okay, Lewis is back with a victory and I believe he would have read my previous blog which might have been a wake-up call :). Wait a min, with this win, he's back on the limelight and I wouldn't be surprised if he screws up yet again in Germany. Kimi bemoans the tyre strategy but is ready to move on. We would have never known how much pressure would Hamilton had to soak had Kimi put the right tyres. We would never know and the Hamilton fanatics compare him with greats...........let them. The season is long!

Standings

1. Hamailton 48
2. Massa 48
3. Raikkonen 48
4. Kubica 46

Next race : German GP, Hockenheim Sunday, 20th July

The bragging rookie in trouble

2008-06-25T19:23:00.000-07:00

McLaren victimized! Lewis conspiracy theory! I wonder how much more shit the British press can throw on themselves by claiming to question FIA's integrity. Lewis Hamilton suffered his 3rd penalty of the season for cutting short the only chicane in Magny Cours in the middle of his pass on Vettel and it has understandably irked the Lewis' baby (aka ITV) n many more of the arrogant and self-opinionated English media. Let me clarify something for all you "little bragger" followers. The stewards are not blind and they could have had only one call for this entire incident and that's to penalize Lewis for not making a pass but keeping that advantage by straight-lining the chicane. I don't know how else you would want the FIA to react especially when the McLaren team seemed uninterested in letting Lewis to back-off nor to have a talk with the FIA seeking a clarification. Unfortunately, the team was seen busy trying to bypass the rules and there they are doing a 2007 all over again.

The problem with Lewis is that he's bathed in the glory of an unexpectedly good rookie season but fast he has to understand that with limelight come shadows. Time and again, he claims that he's mentally tough and is ready to face any uphill task in the pinnacle of motorsport. Well, it doesn't look like he's doing one after the French GP and it looked worse when the darling of the media simply refused to comment on the race when he had a bad day at the office. Also, Lewis doesn't understand what to say when. When the team stumbled in one of the previous races, Lewis seemed to have taken the responsibility by saying "Yeah, I let the team down". Those who think that he has gone one step higher are on the wrong side. Infact, it would have been much better had he came in front of the Canadian press and admitted "Yeah, I made a mess and ruined someone's race". The contrasting opinions may call for a psycho-treatment but that's not the case. When the things are going well, people tend to over-react and the opposite happens when they understand that it's not the things alone but u urself haven't done the bit correctly.

Unlike Lewis, you don't see the other rookies Kubica, Piquet, Heikki endlessly courting fame because they just keep their heads down and drive. It's not over yet. In an interview for ITV, Lewis claimed he doesn't give a damn about the media and that the media always bring u up and pull u down. Oh, I didn't know that! If he doesn't care much about the media then why on earth there was a pity monish in front of the camera "To all my fans, please don't believe what these guys are saying. Nobody can crack me". Can't crack u? Well, u just got a big hole in your heart, a hole much due to blustering and chuntering and that too right in the middle which looks uglier than the one Raikkonen bore in his Ferrari's exhaust last weekend.

Kimi 'exhaust' ed while Felipe rejoice : Race 8 review

2008-06-23T08:12:00.000-07:00

Oh dear! Oh dear! Oh dear!
Just when it looked Kimi was gonna beat the hell out of everybody in Magny Cours, there came the reliability demon in the form of a broken exhaust on lap 35. Not so long before that, Kimi piled up a gap of 6.7 secs to his fellow teammate Massa and was on a class of his own posting the quickest lap time as well. The right rear body work of the F2008 was completed burned causing a big hole in the exhaust region (see pic) preventing Kimi from getting the full HP. As per the commentators, he was losing atleast 40 HP to Massa on the long straight. Being the Iceman, Kimi didn't crumble under pressure and nor did Ferrari when they asked him to stay on track with "let's see what's gonna happen" manner. Balls of Ice :) He did stay on and finished the race in second some 18 secs behind, after letting Felipe pass him. Heartbreak, one has to say when u see a sure shot win slip away but I'm relieved(so does the Iceman) to see him grab some points after a 2 race drought, which might prove precious when the counting's done in Brazil.

You can't get enough of Hamilton and his love affair with the FIA. He is one of the very few to be handed penalties in back to back races. Bearing the 10 place grid penalty from Canada for hitting Iceman, his task was far from over when he started on P13. On lap 2, Lewis got past Vettel on the straight leading to the Nurburgring chicane but was adjudged to have gained an advantage by straight-lining the chicane (see pic) and was given a drive-through penalty which ultimately wrecked his race. Not a pretty sign for the McLaren team after they felt that he had already passed Vettel before cutting chicane. I can't comment on the fairness of the penalty cos like many other TV viewers, I too saw only Lewis' onboard view of the incident. The stewards claim that they have had info from the hidden cameras on track (which are unavailable to the outside world) and that Hamilton was issued the most lenient of the 3 forms of punishment. Having said that, his driving was not that aggressive and was a letdown with a stupid 3-stop strategy.

Massa though conceded he was "lucky" to win after admitting that Raikkonen was too quick for him in the early part of the race. The drive of the day came from Toyota's Jarno Trulli who finished on the podium behind the two Ferraris. His experience and never say die attitude paid off when he saw through challenges from Alonso and Kovalainen for the fight for podium.

Now we head back to the classic Silverstone circuit for the British grand prix. Kimi most likely will change his engine but will not be penalised as per the new rules which allow u to change one engine in the season with no grid penalty. It's Lewis' home track but I can't see him having any chance of winning a race before Valencia or even Monza. Massa has leap frogged Kubica for the lead of the WDC, 4th different driver to do so this season. Are we in for a fierce battle? Yes we are!!!

Standings after race 8/18

1. Felipe Massa 48 points
2. Robert Kubica 46 points
3. Kimi Raikkonen 43 points

Next race : British GP, Silverstone

Kimi brands 'big mouth' stupid

2008-06-18T14:03:00.000-07:00

Raikkonen, the man of few words finally caught in the off-race politics. I can't say he was cribbing but he definitely was seen pissed off in the Ferrari paddock post Canadian GP. This is what he said about the pitlane shunt with Lewis "Maybe I'm not the best person to say about anybody hitting from the back after the mistake I made in Monaco. I also understand that these are two different situations one on the racing speed, loosing car control and hitting somebody and the other under speed controlled circumstances. It's a bit stupid to see someone ramming into your back in a pitlane. I didn't expect this."

Wow! The irony is that Lewis made even Kimi speak :) The 'big mouth', as we Kimi fanatics mercifully call Lewis, just cannot stop talking. I'm afraid, he's on the Alonso way just ranting about what he did and what he didn't. As in the previous blog, I have pointed that he spoke a lot about the MP4-23's pace and that he was breezing to victory. I'm gutted to see such an arrogant shameless self-obsessed F1 driver, I mean u can't just keep boasting when u have just ruined someone's race. Look at Kimi, he always shuts his mouth and drives and he's still winning. F1 is the only sport where the so-called "mind games" never work and I don't see any point in Lewis blabbering like a kid when he hasn't won anything in the sport. Well, all I can say is barking dogs won't bite.

Time to get a life Lewis

Lewis screwed Kimi's bid for win : Race 7 review

2008-06-08T16:16:00.000-07:00

Kimi Raikkonen, who looked the likely winner of the Canadian GP and who clocked the fastest lap of the race, was reduced to disgust by a spoiled brat from Briton. Just when it looked the race was gonna be interesting, in came Hamilton who rammed his McLaren on the back of the halted Ferrari of Kimi who along with Kubica was waiting for the red light to go off in the pitlane exit (see photo). It was such an amateurish maneuver from an F1 driver who not only spoiled his but that of his main title rival as well. Schoolboy stuff!!! It's interesting to see that the Hamilton family has now completed the trifecta of destroying aPorsche, a Ferrari and a Mercedez :)
Watch the mess which Lewis made
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ap--XNi5sak

I was so annoyed that the situation was all set for a good race with Kimi n Kubica on the same line, Lewis on 3rd and it would have been a good fight but for Lewis' self-obsession. He keeps saying "I can adapt to any situation" "I let the team down".....I would ask him to adapt to the basics of F1. We all accept that the pitlane exit rule is stupid but if a 21 year Robert Kubica, let aone Kimi, can have the presence of mind to see that it's RED, why can't Hamilton after winning 6 races in his career, see that. If everyone else is following it, no matter how stupid it is, u have to follow. Inspite of all these, there came Lewis again posing for the itv camera n saying "It looked like an easy win for me....I was breezing".........haha......I came to know how much self-obsessed one can get after seeing this spoiled brat

Now coming onto Kimi

People say that his cool gesture of letting Hamilton hear "hey dumb boy, look it was RED n not GREEN" reminded them of Senna. Some drivers would have just went on and slapped Hamilton but a gentleman he is, Kimi didn't use a foul word but a sarcastic gesture. Hats off to u Kimi.....time n again, u proved that u are the Mr cool. And for those who say, Kimi deserved this after hitting Sutil in Monaco, I feel really sorry to say that u cant compare a racing incident with a silly incident. I too feel bad about Force India team not to win any points but during a race, someone just lost braking and that too not deliberately......hey, these things happen!

One clear comparison from 2007 and 2008

Lewis then had Alonso to guide him how to set his car up even when they were enjoying "absolute equality" (thanks to Ron Dennis for preventing me from searching the dictionary) but now with the whole team backing only him and using Heikki as a back-up driver, Lewis is still struggling to compete with Ferrari (that's where absolute equality crap can be found). Just because of him, they lost a former champion n now McLaren is limping in 3rd position in constructors championship. One thing Lewis has to do from now on is just forget all these cameras n start thinking about how you can win races. Though hes not a great driver, he has the potential of winning races

Finally,

I'm really happy for Robert that he could win a race after all these struggle. He had a chance and he grabbed it with both hands which is a sign of a good driver. Nick Hiedfeld seem to enjoy playing second fiddle to his younger teammate. I'm sure BMW are gonna beat the crap out of McLaren for the Constructors championship.

Standings :
1. Robert Kubica 42 points
2. Felipe Massa 38 points
3. Lewis Hamilton 38 points
4. Kimi Raikkonen 35 points
5. Nick Heidfeld 28 points

Next Race : French GP Magny Cours Circuit, 22nd June

Lewis broke the jinx : Race 6 review

2008-06-02T09:23:00.000-07:00

McLaren and Lewis Hamilton put an end to the winless streak in the streets of Monte Carlo even after a start from row 2 on the grid. After loosing the first 2 positions in the qualifiers to the two Ferraris of Raikkonen and Massa, Lewis looked good right from the start to clinch a surprise. To add more spice to the matters, it rained. A wet race in a tight circuit like that of Monaco is the last thing a driver would want considering the fact that a little mixup can make your title chances go for a toss. That's exactly what happened to Kimi when a badly timed safety car and a drive through penalty along with some not-so-common mistakes ruined his whole race. The same is somewhat true for Massa as well as he had to settle behind the BMW of Kubica for a 3rd.

Raikkonen was driving more like a world champion. Hold on, what I mean is he was not so much worried about the victory but just tried to drag points out of the Ferrari which lacked pace at the right moment. I really hope that the 'Alonso' demon won't come and influence the Iceman inturn making him a defensive driver. But knowing Kimi, I doubt whether he will continue to drive like a champion rather he'll enact a Suzuka 05 or a Spa 03 or even a Shanghai 07. Massa though is the clear beneficial from his team mate's downfall. He is now a point adrift from Kimi who trails Lewis by 3. The championship fight is already exciting and I'm sure there will be more to see when F1 goes to Circuit Gillles Villneuve in Canada.

Next race: Canadian GP, Montreal Sunday 8th June

Felipe rules Turkey : Race 5 review

2008-05-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

It all fell into pieces for Felipe Massa as he completed his Turkey hat-trick in round 5 of the World Formula1 championship in Istanbul. Though the drive was nowhere near a superlative one, he did manage to pull off quite a few seconds from the fast roaring McLaren of Lewis Hamilton for whom he "gave way" in lap 35. 3rd place was the best Kimi could hope for in an uneventful weekend with a second race engine. So, it's again scarlet vs silver for the top step of the podium or will it change when F1 returns to Monaco in 2 weeks time?

Lewis went with an unfamiliar 3stop strategy in an otherwise bumpy long sweeping track of Istanbul. I use the word unfamiliar cos he did had his troubles in the same track last year caused by some hard act on the tyres, credited only to Lewis' driving style. After the warning from Bridgestone, McLaren rightly added 1 more stop in his strategy book which eventually shaded a win. Massa had pace but I wonder there were some grey hairs in the Ferrari pit when Hamilton overtook him quite "easily" but that we better assume is a 'knowingly let through' as he was aware of Hamilton's plans. The Iceman lost some places in the start but soon made it up and eventually finished on the podium but more importantly, defends his lead on the championship.

So, let's leave Turkey behind and move to Monte Carlo to a circuit where the average speed is as low as 180 kph. McLaren usually have the upperhand in those so called street circuits but can Ferrari triumph for the fifth time in a row? That's the big Q.........let's wait n watch

Standings Drivers

1. Kimi Raikkonen 35
2. Lewis Hamilton 28
3. Felipe Massa 28

Standings Constructors

1. Ferrari 63
2. BMW 44
3. McLaren 42

Next Race : Monaco GP Sunday 25th May

Milestones reached by Kimi after Spanish G.P!

2008-04-28T23:14:00.000-07:00

Kimi Raikkonen gained his second hat-trick (pole, win and fastest lap) of his F1 career after last year's Australian Grand Prix, equalling the score of his teammate Felipe Massa, who recorded his two hat-tricks last year, in Bahrain and Spain. At the top of the all-time chart, with the most number of hat-tricks, is Michael Schumacher, with 22.

Kimi is set to possibly be the most successful Finnish F1 driver in history. With his 51st podium finish, Raikkonen equals his countryman Mika Hakkinen at the ninth all-time spot. Next stop is Niki Lauda, with 54 podiums.

Kimi's total number of fastest laps reached 26 - he has set more fastest laps than any other driver except Michael Schumacher with 76, Alain Prost with 41, Nigel Mansell with 30 and Jim Clark with 28.

Kimi recorded his 15th pole position, and he is now in the 16th spot on the all-time records. Raikkonen didn't start from pole since Belgium last year.

Kimi is 9th in the highest championship points ranking, having passed Nigel Mansell:

1369 Michael Schumacher
798.5 Alain Prost
614 Ayrton Senna
527 David Coulthard
519 Rubens Barrichello
496 Fernando Alonso
485.5 Nelson Piquet
485 Kimi Räikkönen
482 Nigel Mansell
420.5 Niki Lauda
420 Mika Häkkinen

Race 4 Barcelona : Kimi's perfect treble

2008-04-27T22:40:00.000-07:00

POLE, WIN & FASTEST LAP : It looks like nothing in the world can stop the Iceman for the time being. Right from Friday's free practice session to the flag, he couldn't have done any better in the Circuit de Catalunya. Kimi had a superb start going through the clear part of the start-finish straight chased down by the equally quick scarlet of Massa but since they were no way interested in racing any harder, the positions remained the same through the first corner. Earlier, Massa made a great pass on Alonso who didn't had a clear run and had to live with the constant pressure from the quicker McLaren of Lewis in the fourth place. So, Ferrari did eventually had a 1-2 but the lap times look a bit deceptive. Maybe, they didn't want to push too much when there was no necessity of doing so or maybe the 'safety car touring' for 10 mins would have enabled the likes of McLaren n BMW to close down the gap a bit. Nevertheless, no reliability woes anymore nor any grey hairs seen in the Ferrari pitcrew.

McLaren came up with a mixed bad as Heikki Kovalainen survived a puncture half-way through the race causing his McLaren to kiss the tyre wall at 140 mph (see photo) but luckily, no serious injury is reported as the Finn was taken for premilinary medical check-up. Lewis Hamilton was all over Felipe Massa's Ferrari just after the safety car went to pits but considering Catalunya is a Ferrari track with long sweeping corners n a long straight, there was nothing more he could do other than maintaining the gap to just 1 sec. Robert Kubica was also in a chasing mood all the way from lap 1 where he lost a place to Lewis but McLaren and BMW looked on par. The team though didn't had to worry too much as not a lot is expected from them even now. Alonso with a surprising front row start failed to finish after his Renault engine gave up in lap 22 much to the horror of the raucous Spanish crowd.

Apart from the Heikki's shunt, the Spanish GP wasn't an eventful one but can't take anything away from what Heidfeld did to Fisichella after 7 laps of frustration. That infact was the one and only overtaking maneuver in the whole race. Ferrari will travel to Turkey with a big smile on their face after second consecutive 1-2 and bagging a lead on both drivers' and constructors' championship. McLaren would be exhausted after following the scarlets for 66 laps with not much hope either. Kimi Raikkonen, as lots of F1 fanatics say, is enjoying a single horse race to the championship and it's his title to loose now without doubt but let's wait n watch whether Massa or Lewis can come up with some goods or not.

As they stand after race 4 of 18:

1. K. Raikkonen 29
2. L. Hamilton 20
3. R. Kubica 19
4. F. Massa 18
5. N. Heidfeld 16

Next Race : Turkish GP - Sunday, May 11th

Race 3 Review : Bahrain GP

2008-04-07T01:52:00.000-07:00

Till Bahrain, Ferrari and McLeran had a win apiece which clearly showed how much preparations they did during the winter testing. Wait a min, before jumping the gun let me tell you, there is one more team who had true pace and that's none other than BMW. They clinched their third consecutive podium of the season. As Kimi rightly said, it's a three way fight for the crown. Robert Kubica's maiden pole glory however didn't help him too much in the race when Massa swift pass him before the first corner. Then in lap 2, he probably had his biggest challenge in an F1 car till date and that is to keep the current World Champion Kimi Raikkonen behind him. Well, he couldn't do that understandably but the way Kimi went pass Robert through the outside of turn 1 (see photo) had a glimpse of the Iceman's 2005 suzuka victory where he overtook Fisichella in the last lap in the same fashion. On the whole, Kimi didn't had a spectacular weekend having failed to qualify in the front row of the grid and at times struggling to get the right balance in his F2008 but nevertheless, clinching second on a bad weekend is actually pretty good.

Massa though had a flawless race but having said that it's nowhere near an emphatic one cos he almost started from pole when Kubica failed to gain advantage earlier in the race. As we know a clear air in front of the leader is always an advantage and you can easily pull away from the rest of the field. Massa did answer his critics eventually but another DNF would be one too many as Kimi is already leading the World Championship with 19 points. The big loser however was the most over-rated driver in F1's history, Lewis Hamilton. How on earth did he fail to engage the engine setting before a grandprix start? This boy needs to keep his feet firmly on ground before he starts aiming for more than what hes capable of. Later in the race, he was given a run for the money by our very own 'Force India's Fisichella' for almost 3-4 laps. I was so pissed off with Hamilton's antics and his "dismissing wave" of Fisichella, that I desperately wanted to land in that McLaren cockpit and tell him "dude, rather than you lapping him, hes also fighting for positions. Why the f*** are you complaining?"

One thing is clear from Bahrain, McLaren are only 3rd fastest in circuits which have long straights and sweeping corners. They have their work cut out before F1 moves to Europe in 3 weeks time. Ferrari is on the moon with a 1-2 finish and how well they managed to keep Raikkonen's '2nd race' engine serene all through the weekend. BMW and Marrio Theissen would be smiling now after grabbing their first pole in 50 years. The 2008 season is actually unfolding in the most bizarre fashion. Lets wait and see in Catalunya!

Bahrain Results

Pos  Driver        Team                      Time
1.  Massa         Ferrari               (B)  1h31:06.970
 2.  Raikkonen     Ferrari               (B)  +     3.339
3.  Kubica        BMW Sauber            (B)  +     4.998
4.  Heidfeld      BMW Sauber            (B)  +     8.409
5.  Kovalainen    McLaren-Mercedes      (B)  +    26.789
6.  Trulli        Toyota                (B)  +    41.314
7.  Webber        Red Bull-Renault      (B)  +    45.473
8.  Rosberg       Williams-Toyota       (B)  +    55.889
9.  Glock         Toyota                (B)  +  1:09.500
10.  Alonso        Renault               (B)  +  1:17.181
11.  Barrichello   Honda                 (B)  +  1:17.862
12.  Fisichella    Force India-Ferrari   (B)  +     1 lap
13.  Hamilton      McLaren-Mercedes      (B)  +     1 lap
14.  Nakajima      Williams-Toyota       (B)  +     1 lap
15.  Bourdais      Toro Rosso-Ferrari    (B)  +     1 lap
16.  Davidson      Super Aguri-Honda     (B)  +     1 lap
17.  Sato          Super Aguri-Honda     (B)  +     1 lap
18.  Coulthard     Red Bull-Renault      (B)  +     1 lap
19.  Sutil         Force India-Ferrari   (B)  +    2 laps

Fastest lap: Kovalainen, 1:33.193

Drivers' Standings

1. Raikkonen 19
2. Heidfeld 16
3. Hamilton 14

Next Race : Spanish GP, Barcelona : Sunday, 27th Apr

Race 2 Malaysia : Kimi triumphs

2008-03-24T05:45:00.000-07:00

He was rampant all weekend and it almost looked like he'll walk away with it until Felipe claimed pole by a staggering o.4 sec margin. But then you have to rely on the iceman to get pass his teammate sometime during the race especially when the latter is struggling big time with loss of TC. I am very much pleased with the way the world champion drove precisely just before and after Felipe went to the pits. In the first stint, Kimi was able to hold onto a 2 sec gap with his teammate but after that the real Kimi stole the limelight with a scorcher of a lap.

McLarens though were clearly off the pace with Hamilton struggling to get temperature on tyres during the first stint and Kovalainen enjoying a race of his own. BMW was again throwing some surprises with jaw dropping pace just when it mattered. Kudos to Kubica and Heidfeld. Trulli is upbeat after an unexpected 4th.

Force India finally finished a race with Fisichella on 12th position. Let me tell you, Vijay Mallya with all the money in the world would be ecstatic after this result as he is aware of the fact that a point finish is not too far away. On the whole, Malaysian GP wasn't a great race but was definitely a come back one for the champions from Maranello

Keep flying Kimi!

Drivers' standing after 2 races

1. Lewis 14 points
2. Kimi 11 points
3. Nick 11 points
4. Heikki 10 points
5. Robert 8 points

Next Race : Bahrain GP, Sunday April 6th

Formula1 Race 1 Australia Review

2008-03-16T22:08:00.000-07:00

What a splendid start to the season and at the end of the day, F1 was a bigger winner than maybe Hamilton who had a perfect race from pole to flag.

Results

Hamilton
Heidfeld
Rosberg
Alonso
Kovalainen
Nakajima
Bourdais
Raikkonen

Ferrari

Dismal Dismal Dismal..........that's the way it should be after both their cars had engine problems which was unlikely as they had no signs of glitches during the winter testing. Kimi finished 8th after I can't say an abysmal race but an eventful won nevertheless. Storming through the field in the first lap, gaining places, overtaking Alonso and Barrichello before losing his way while training to get pass Kovalainen. You know by how many points did he win the championship last year? haha......Kimi will take that one point. Massa is struggling big time and needs to adapt quickly to the TC less driving. He made a mess of it during the first 2 or 3 corners itself. Bad day at the office for the Maranello team

McLaren

The big winners by far! Despite Kovalainen failing to stick to second place which he had under control for a long time during the race, McLaren seemed to have the advantage over Ferrari all weekend. Lewis Hamilton had good 56 laps right from pole. Thanks to the bulletproof reliability, both the McLarens finished , Hamilton 1st and Kovy 5th. They are showing signs of giving a tough battle to Ferrari all the way to Brazil

BMW

Kindov mixed bag! Kubica had a nightmare of a race and it's not only because he failed to finish. There is no excuse for losing seconds to the pole sitter when you start from row1 of the grid. He was yards behind Hamilton after 3 or 4 laps which inturn was bottling up the Ferraris behind. Heidfeld though had a clam and quite race finishing in the podium yet again. On the whole, BMW is posing a threat to Ferrari if not McLaren

Next Race : Malaysia 23rd March, 12.30 PM Star Sports

Kimi in F1's 'Hall of Fame'

2008-02-21T22:11:00.000-08:00

Fast-tracked into the sport with the shortest CV on four wheels, the unknown newcomer who came from nowhere and said next to nothing immediately proved he knew exactly what he was doing: driving a Formula One car as fast as it could possibly go. The car couldn't always keep up with his talent and it took seven seasons for Kimi 'Iceman' Raikkonen to become World Champion. Notoriously inanimate and uncommunicative, the silent speedster's frozen expression in fact masked the hidden depths in one of the coolest, most original characters in the sport's history...

Kimi Matias Raikkonen spent his childhood in a house built by his great grandfather in Espoo, a suburb of the Finnish capital, Helsinki. To provide for Kimi, born on October 17, 1979, and his older brother Rami, their hard-working parents Matti and Paula toiled, respectively, as a road builder and an office clerk. Money was scarce but the Raikkonens were a happy family and their humble homestead surrounded by open countryside was an ideal environment for the two rambunctious youngsters to flex their racing muscles. At first (when Kimi was just three years old) the brothers tore around on miniature motocross bikes fitted with training wheels. A move to karts paved the way for Kimi (who began competitive karting at 10) and Rami (who eventually became a successful rally driver) to make rapid progress in motorsport, though it came at a cost. Matti had to work nights as a taxi driver and nightclub bouncer and funds diverted to karting meant plans to replace the outside lavatory with a proper bathroom in the family home had to be postponed.

Kimi, a reluctant student who used his schoolbag as a sled to slide down snow-covered hills, enjoyed winter sports, especially ice hockey, though he eventually gave it up because he hated getting up for early-morning practice. At 16 he left school and enrolled in a course for mechanics, believing this skill might be the only way to stay involved in motorsport. Very soon his mechanical expertise, and the need for family funding, became superfluous, as Kimi's natural talent for driving fast led to sponsored rides.

Following a rapid series of successes in Finnish, Nordic and European karting, he jumped into a racing car and promptly won two British-based Formula Renault championships. In the fall of 2000, despite having just 23 car races to his name, he was given a test by the Sauber Formula One team. Impressed by his immediate pace and assured approach, Sauber shrewdly signed the 21-year old to drive for them in 2001. His having short-circuited the conventional route to the top provoked fierce debate over his right, let alone his readiness, to race at the pinnacle of motorsport. Raikkonen rapidly silenced his critics (he finished sixth in his Grand Prix debut) and attracted the attention of McLaren, who saw him as a likely successor to the retiring two-time champion, Mika Hakkinen.

One Finn after another proved to be a good thing for McLaren, for whom Kimi the 'Iceman' never gave less than his maximum, always driving to a personal limit that at least equalled, sometimes exceeded, the best of his peers. Experts endlessly praised his seamless, straightforward, mostly mistake-free style. "I never really think about what I'm doing," Kimi said in a rare outburst of self-analysis. "I just do it."

His five seasons at McLaren coincided with a period of unevenly performing, often unreliable, cars. Yet he finished second in the championship twice (2003 and 2005), won nine races and finished in the top three on 36 occasions. His podium appearances and subsequent TV interviews exposed him to public scrutiny under which he tended to squirm and fidget, tugging his ears, rubbing his nose and trying to hide beneath his baseball cap. He seldom smiled, spoke sparingly in a mumbled monotone, then all but ran for the nearest exit.

Yet in his private life the poker-faced enigma's icy reserve was prone to spectacular bouts of thawing out. 'Drunken Race Ace Kimi Bounced Out Of Lapdance Club For Fiddling With His Gearstick!' shrieked a headline in a British tabloid newspaper. Spanish media gleefully reported that the vodka-loving Flying Finn was found lying fast asleep outside a bar embracing an inflatable rubber dolphin. In Monaco he was filmed cavorting on a yacht, swaying unsteadily on the upper deck then falling onto a lower level where he landed on his head.

"What I do in my private life doesn't make me drive any slower," the free-spirited speedster insisted. In truth, the Iceman's private life was running smoothly and he was well-settled on the domestic front, having in 2004 married Jenni Dahlman, a gorgeous Finnish fashion model and former Miss Scandinavia. At their sumptuous Swiss home there was plenty of room for their two dogs and Kimi's car collection. Asked to name his most prized possessions, he replied: "My wife and my Ferrari Enzo."

In 2007 he began driving a Ferrari Formula One car for a living, having been hired (for a reported $41 million a year) to fill the considerable void left by the departing seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher, whose unrivalled work ethic and team leadership qualities were not part of a Raikkonen repertoire that seemed more akin to another past champion. A week before his debut with the team, Ferrari's new recruit was in Finland, winning a dangerous snowmobile race he had entered under the alias of 'James Hunt.' When the same 'James Hunt' later competed in a powerboat race dressed in a gorilla suit Kimi said he invoked the name of his hero as a riposte to the media sensationalization of his private life.

He got off to a fast start with Ferrari, winning the season-opener from pole position, though by the penultimate race he was third in the driver standings, behind the McLaren team mates Fernando Alonso, seeking a third successive title, and Lewis Hamilton, the record-breaking rookie. Though Raikkonen had won more races, five to their four apiece, he remained the long shot among the trio of contenders at the final race, in Brazil. The phlegmatic Finn delivered sensationally, winning the race and the 2007 World Drivers' Championship by a single point.

On the podium the new champion swigged as much champagne as he sprayed and, grinning at last, the Iceman broke his silence with a veritable torrent of words. "I'm very happy. I came from pretty much nothing but my family, friends and sponsors helped me get here. People will probably look differently at me and make up more stories about me. But I am going to lead my life as I want and that's it."

Jodhaa Akbar.......flamboyance redefined

2008-02-17T21:04:00.000-08:00

What I look for, while watching a movie are some absorbing scenes which I can take back in my heart leaving from the theater and Ashutosh Gowariker's Jodhaa Akbar did succeed to do exactly that. A three and a half hour long epic saga is one of the evidences of dauntless film making. The film is a roller coaster ride which starts with a bang in the "battlefield of Panipat" then blossoming through Jodha-Akbar love episode before ending up as a thriller. Traversing through the life of emperor Akbar and princess Jodhaa, JA has all the ingredients of making it big worldwide.

Jellaludin Mohammed Akbar (Hrithik) is forced to marry a Rajput Princess Jodhaa to restructure the political disarray in the empire and thus proves a point to the religious bias which was then in a very ominous state as it is now. This doesn't go down well with the other Mughal protagonists including his brother in law Sherrafudin who wanted to attack "Dilli" with the help of Jodha's cousin Sujamal. The film suddenly takes a twist and starts to focus on the swaggering journey of the lead pair and their love life. Well, it's a treat to watch Hrithik where he steals the screen with his sheer presence. Watch him on that scene where he reveals to Ash that he is illiterate or that scene where he tames an elephant or even in the climax scene where he rips the villain aided by some thunderbolt action scenes.

The film's other main highlights are undoubtedly Rehman's refershing tunes and timely background score, Kiran Deohan's magical camera placings the battle scenes are proofs, Gowariker's skillful direction watch out for that beautifully choreographed sword fight between Hrithik and Ash. Talking about Aiswarya, she is at her best in JA and surprisingly enough, she has carved out a terrific performance as the loving begum of Akbar. The lead pair just carry from where they left in Dhoom2 and both of them need a pat on their backs for etching out such wonderful on-screen chemistry. The support cast are adequate with none of them failing to live up to the script. The first half needs some trimming as there are too many subplots which one may find as overdose of emotions yet I found those easier than taking my eyes off Shehenshah, Hrithik.

The film picks up extremely well in the start of the second half, where Akbar goes to Jodhaa's house for a reunion after she was shown his back for an allegedly fabricated sin on her part. Akbar, repenting on his decision, choose to tie up the loose ends on his post-marriage session. In these scenes, Hrithik and Ash complement each other well enough that they succeed to hold the movie together. Meanwhile, Akbar needs to face Sherrafudin to avoid anymore bloodshed for the fight of Delhi and Agra which forms the rest of the movie.

As always, Gowariker's song picturisation is commendable especially the Azeem-O-Shaam song in which people from all over Hindustan praise Akbar for his down to earth behavior and benign attitude towards the poor. Sumptuous sets and lavishly thrown out costumes are some features of the song. The love-saga of Jodhaa and Akbar move in fine lines and are self explanatory by a long way which is good as the audience won't get fagged up by heavy doses of stressful dialogues. Coming to the controversial part, to be very honest, I don't give a damn about a film-maker interpreting history as long as he keeps you interested in a 210 mins marathon run. If some people are so much worried about history, then why can't they preserve it or document it rather then waiting for someone to make a film and then to start cribbing on it? It's extremely disheartening to see the film not being screened in Rajasthan and MP for some reasons which are made to be sensitive rather than being one.

In every possible way, Jodhaa Akbar is a fruitful and engaging love story and I strongly recommend people to watch it atleast once if not twice. There are just too many reasons for not to ditch this film. Ashutosh Gowariker after Lagaan and Swades has gone places with this howling tale of love which would go down as one of the best movies ever made in Indian Film Industry......

Rating : 4.5 / 5

Calcutta News review (from sify.com)

2008-01-29T22:08:00.000-08:00

Hi, I watched Blessy's latest offering 'Calcutta News' in Dhanya theatre, Tvm and let me tell you, it was a wonderful experience to witness brave film making in Malayalam cinema which happens rarely. This review from sify somehow is very appealing and stands close to my view about the film. Rather than writing my own, I thought I could share this with you. Enjoy the review.

Blessy the pathbreaking director in modern Malayalam cinema has come out with his fourth film in six years, Calcutta News which is as good as his previous oeuvres. The writer and director this time holds a mirror to metropolitan India's ugly underbelly of trafficking in women and how a middle class girl from Kerala gets caught in it.

It is riveting cinema and exhibits emotional depth and visual richness aided by lovely music, razor sharp script, superb camera, slick editing and above all knock-out performances from the lovable lead of Dileep and Meera. Blessy is able to bring savvy freshness to form hitherto unexplored. The story and settings are entirely different from the earlier films of the director which were basically family stories set in lower middleclass milieu in Kerala. Here it is a love story set against a big city like Kolkata and the plot unfolds like a thriller and has to be appreciated for tackling a relevant theme with a sensitive portrayal.

Ajit Thomas (Dileep) is an acclaimed investigative television anchor and producer with a leading channel 'Calcutta News', and is the son of a former footballer who grew up in Kolkata. His team at the channel includes news assistant Smita (Vimala Raman), and anchors Aruna (Manasa) and Sheela (Brinda). Ajit is a lovable guy who lives in a flat with his mom and sister and is active member of the Malayalee Samajam led by a comical president (Innocent) and his wife ( Bindu Panickkar) One day Ajit bumps into a newly married Malayalee couple while on work in a tram, but the guy is hostile when he tries to introduce himself as a Mallu! However, while editing the news, he is shocked to find that an unidentified body found near Kalighat resembles the rude guy he met in the tram.

Ajit's investigative nature comes into the fore as he goes about finding the mystery behind the brutal murder of the guy. The guy was Hari (Indrajith), who had married an orphan Krishnapriya (Meera Jasmine) from Pattambi and brought her to Kolkata, before his brutal murder. Krishnapriya is unaware of her husband's job or what he does for a living and is shattered to know about his death. However hope floats into her life after Ajit sort of becomes her protector and also gets attracted to her for her innocence and their mutual love for music.

Meanwhile Ajit finds that there is something rotten and discovers that Hari was one of the henchman in a sex racket that traps innocent girls and sells them to a one-arm bearded guy (Kathal Krishnamoorthy) who operates from Sonagachi, the largest red-light area in eastern India! Ajit along with his friends try to unravel the sex racket using their television channel, which leads to the bearded guy kidnapping Krishnapriya and taking her to his den in Songachi! Can Ajit in hot pursuit get through the maze of nightmarish and confusing alleys and by-lanes of Songachi to reach his lady love?

The film makes a strong statement against the trafficking of women and sex trade in big cities which are dependent on the gullible girls from villages across India including Kerala who are lured into it by middle men who con them into marriage. Blessy has a solid straightforward plot with an emotional core that pulls your heart strings like his previous films. Blessy has told it in a realistic manner through the eyes of his protagonist Ajit Thomas an ordinary journalist with guts and determination.

You cannot take your eyes off Ajit Thomas, played brilliantly by Dileep with a new hair style, glasses and looking every inch a television reporter who is expressive and riveting. The director has fleshed out his protagonist background adequately explaining his reason for falling in love with a country girl and making it believable. Meera is splendid pitching her act just right and portrays Krishnapriya's strength and vulnerability beautifully. Indrajith has the right look and menace required for his character,Thambi Antony as doctor is impressive, Vimala is wasted while Krishnamoorthy creates fear as the sex trader.

Technically it is Blessy's best film. The veteran cameraman S.Kumar has been able to capture the grimness of Songachi and its myriad alleys and the majesty of old Kolkatta its trams, Howrah Bridge, Kalighat, Oberoi Grand and its elegance amazingly. Count among other plus points Vijay Shankar's fast cuts, Ranjit Ambadi's make-up especially of Dileep and Manu Jagadh's art work and choice of locations essential for the story.

And the biggest factor working for the film is the music of Debojyoti Mishra, based on classical forms and definitely there is a Bengali feel to it which Kerala listeners love (Remember Salil Chowdhary influence in Malayalam film songs of the 70's and 80's). Music is part of the film as they are married to the visuals by the lyrics of Vaylar Sarathchandra Varma with the melodious - Engino Vanna Panchavarnakili…. and the peppy Kannadi Kootile Kowmara Thumbi…. being the pick of the lot. The background score of Ouseappachan adds to the rich fare which makes the film gel.

Calcutta News is a vital, sardonic and disturbingly brave attempt within the commercial film format at good meaningful cinema that also entertains. Great going Blessy!

Verdict: Very Good

Bheema......It's Vikram all the way !

2008-01-20T23:25:00.000-08:00

Finally, the long awaited Vikram starrer has hit the screens and opened up to 100% collection all over Chennai city and Coimbatore. Hardly the initial collections talk about the quality of a Tamil flick which has turned out to be a pot-boiler. Director Linguswamy who has given us some memorable films like Run, Sandakozhi etc this time though seem to loose it in the middle. There is neither any story in Bheema nor any eye-catching events.

Here goes the story, Sekar (vikram) joins the gang of Chinna (prakash raj) after a riveting encounter with a common enemy, drawing praise from the latter. Chinna as revealed later in the first half, seemed to be the role model of Sekar the moment after he came to rescue his family under crisis some 15 years ago. From then on, Sekar tries to imitate Chinna in his mannerisms, his dialect and virtually everything in turn treating him as his childhood hero. As the years go by, Sekar's only aim turns out be joining Chinna's gang in which he succeeds. Periyavar (reghuvaran) and Chinna share a long fought enmity between themselves which give way to lots of well choreographed fight sequences between the two gangs in the first half. Soon Sekar meets Charu (Trisha) but doesn't fall in love immediately nor gets tempted by her anatomy unlike any other masala entertainer in Tamil. Meanwhile, the cops lead by Ashish Vidyarti initiate a mission called "Mission Bheema" thanks to Sekar's nickname, to eradicate gang wars in the city. The rest is all about how Bheema's love life affects his 'gunda' life and how he fights the odds.

The wafer thin script is the major setback for Bheema let alone the blood and gore all the way through the movie. It's evident that the director tried to make a stylish action thriller but little he knew that unless and until you provide enough substance in the script, the audience won't fall for the character Bheema. First half really tests your patience with virtually nothing happening other than three songs and action. The characterizations of Sekar and Chinna are adequate yet one has to feel for the half-baked role offered to Trisha. Second half is quite engaging and it has a prefect end which is shot in a different yet appealing manner. Harris Jeyraj's soulful music is a treat for your ears 'mudhal mazhai' being the pick of the lot. Rajasekhar's slick photography, Vikram's daring looks, Prakash Raj's adequate performance all add to Bheema's spice.

This is a role tailor made for Vikram as he is able to hold the otherwise wanting script in his able shoulders. His way of confronting enemies has a Vikram style written all over it. Even in songs, he doesn't look jaded nor predictable. From Linguswamy, we do expect a much better film though he hasn't really taken too many risks like what he did for "Jee" which could have seen the movie go flat and smell sand in the first few days. Yes, it is a pacca action masala. Still, I wonder what could have been the fate of Bheema w/o Chiyyan.

Verdict : Watch it for Vikram

Review - OSO & Saawariya

2007-11-15T02:37:00.000-08:00

Om Shanti Om.....senseless entertainer

The second directorial venture by Farah Khan simply exceeded my expectations in virtually all departments except screenplay. But do we care so much about the script if the movie keeps you interested? No! And that's exactly OSO's advantage which played into the hands of none other than SRK. It's all about reincarnation and that fine line between mystery and reality.

The film is set in the backdrop of 70s where they use the old Bombay studios to portrait the vintage Hindi cinema. SRK plays a junior artist and he fits like a T in the role with superb comic timing and then there is Deepika who is the "dreamy girl" in celluloid. Both of them die under mysterious circumstances when our villain Arjun Rampal come to know that Deepika is carrying his baby. Having spent lacs of rupees on a future project titled Om Shanti Om, producer Rampal couldn't afford to waste the money because the heroine is pregnant. The argument between them leads to a fatal incident and phew Deepika and SRK who comes to help her in between, die.

Meanwhile, SRK reincarnates as the son of another top hero and later becomes the hottest star the country has ever seen. The rest is all about how he confronts Arjun Ramphal to death. There is a surprise in the climax which is good enough to win the audience's hearts. The story is as old as the Shahjahan n Mumtaz epic but the undisputed strength of OSO is its surprises which includes a song with 30 odd Bollywood stars, those sumptuous sets, well-packaged dance numbers, riveting climax and ofcourse SRK's new attire. On the whole, it's not a bad idea to spend some penny on this pot boiler which I am sure will satisfy all kinds of audience.

Saawariya.......Simply pathetic

A classicalexample of a much hyped disaster is Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya starring Ranbir and Sonam Kapoor. The film doesn't deserve to be reviewed but I just want to show how angry I was watching oops tolerating it. Getting inspired from an English short story which talks about romance in 4 nights, is not really an excuse to make such pathetic films. The whole film hams all the way and is undoubtedly one of the worst films in Hindi cinema.

The script is wafer thin and I wonder the whole thing could have been wrapped up in 1 hour. A bar dancer falls in love with a Muslim girl in an artificially created city but the girl is waiting for her lover for the past one year. Yep, that's the story and in the last scene the girl goes away with her sweet heart much to the horror of Ranbir Kapoor. Even colorful sets and beautifully choreographed songs doesn't help the cause for this ill-made film but Bhansali should have had some sanity for stretching it beyond 2 hours. The biggest problem is that Saawariya is a musical just like Jhoom Barabar Jhoom or Jaan-e-Mann for which the audience has no option but to ditch.

Sonam Kapoor looks promising but is more unfortunate to have a wasted debut like this. Ranbir Kapoor exaggerates his mannerisms which is the last thing expected from a debutant. After that cult classic Black, Saawariya is undoubtedly Bhansali's biggest mistake till date and it's not because it's a flop. I don't really care if an average movie bombs but when the media and newspapers keep shouting about one flick, there is every chance that people expect something new. Bhansali may have recovered the movies' cost thanks to the very hype but what about my 200 bucks. It's not even worth watching for free. There can only be Saawariya like Saawariya because I don't think any director is as crazy as Bhansali to make such a crap in the name of romance. Don't ever watch it even on T.V........

Season Review

2007-10-29T23:08:00.000-07:00

In 2006, it was a head on collision between Ferrari and Renault but in 2007, the lot seemed to favor the Woking based team against the Scuderia. Again, its all proved wrong as Formula 1 the sport, emerged triumphant after a difficult season. Take a look at the season review by going through the top 4 drivers

KIMI RAIKKONEN (2006 5th - 2007 World Champion)

The long talked about unlucky magnet of F1 finally turned things around with a new team after a dismal mid season. He started off well as a champion doing the talking in Melbourne but when the new Bridgestone tires took a toll on his driving, he slipped to 4th place in the championship after 7 races. Then in Magny Cours a hard fought victory saw Kimi getting adapted to the tyre setup. Its no looking back from then on, back to back victories in Spa and Shanghai held Raikkonen in contention for the final show down in Interlagos with a 7 point deficit. Just like what Prost did to Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet in '86, Kimi came from behind to clinch his very first drivers' championship leading a Ferrari 1-2 in Brazil. He kept his focus by alowing his driving to do all the talking and didn't look carried away by the spy saga. Now we know why hes called the "Iceman". He never melts.
Verdict: Breathtaking comeback !

LEWIS HAMILTON (2006 DNP - 2007 2nd)

From race 1 to race 15, he simply was a reason to watch F1 in 2007. 12 podiums in his rookie year is something you cannot ask for from any driver but he gave it all. Again, many might think that Hamilton was backed by an awesome Mclaren MP422 chassis, infact it's true but it takes a lot of skill and determination to beat your 2 time champion teammate. Having said that, it is far from a perfect year for this Briton as pressure got the better of him in China and Brazil. It would take a dismal performance to concede the title having lead Kimi by 17 points after race 15. Yes, the combination of stupidity both from him and his team, with some lack of fortunes means Hamilton had to settle for second.
Verdict: Good one but not good enough !

FERNANDO ALONSO (2006 1st - 2007 3rd)

Alonso would have meant business in the last two years but this time around, I have to change it to "disgrace". If there is someone who would have lost all his armory from his Arsenal, it has to be Alonso. I can understand, the so called Hamilton favoritism in McLaren but what I don't understand is Alonso's dismal cribbing against his own team and even blackmailing them in the spy scandal. Its a pity that a double world champion lacks dignity. By this time, Alonso should have emerged as a dictator and should have brought his presence felt in McLaren. 4 wins is not enough to win you the championship but nevertheless he seems to be happy to lose to Kimi rather to Lewis.
Verdict: Shut the **** up and drive !

FELIPE MASSA (2006 3rd - 2007 4th)

Its a bit surprising to see Massa slipping by a place in an year after winning more races than what he has done in 2006. I have to say, he is not in the Kimi, Schumi league cos he has always won from pole. That is a clear sign of the complacency he feels when starting from pole and the nerves when starting from somewhere else. Malaysia and Europe are indeed black spots in an otherwise OK season. Honestly, we don't expect too much from Massa and yeah the supporting role to Kimi he played in Brazil is worth mentioning. Ferrari still has belief in him and had put an end to all the speculation regarding Alonso's arrival by giving him a further 3 year deal.
Verdict: Could have been better !

A superlative drive to glory......

2007-10-22T03:16:00.000-07:00

Who would have predicted this when he was 17 points behind the then leader Hamilton with only 2 races to go? I always knew Kimi Raikkonen is one man who never gives up nor be complacement while he is in the cock-pit. But even my strongest notion about Kimi couldn't help me from facing the reality which was a McLaren driver would win the drivers' championship. Well, that was not to be.

A Ferrari 1-2 was just what Kimi and Massa could manage and rest depended highly on the two silver McLarens. Going into the first corner, Hamilton was passed by Raikkonen and even by his teammate going into second. Still it was his championship to lose from there. Clearly an experience driver wouldn't have risked himself with an ambitious move on the third placed Alonso when you actually have no space to pass. A rookie mistake costed him 4th 5th and 6th places and Lewis slumped to 7. Even then, the McLaren being a superior car is supposed to cut the field and move ahead but that is not expected when you are struggling to change the gears.

Kimi being notified by Ferrari about Lewis' hard show, quickly put his Scarlet onto a series of scorching laps and got pass his teammate which some may think as an already planned Ferrari antic. Whatever it was, Kimi took the chequered flag ahead of Massa and Alonso and Lewis who was a distant 7th. Job done but it took some time for the calculations to really hit the Iceman and when it did, he came out of the cock pit jubilant and not knowing what to do. Kimi drove a Champion's drive and didn't put a wheel wrong when it mattered most. He should have been a "former champion" by now but fortune was always showing its back on him.

Well, I am ecstatic or rather relieved to see my screams for the 'flying finn' finally getting paid off.

Congrats KIMI for becoming the 2007 Formula 1 World Champion.....

World Championship standings, round 17 and final

2007-10-22T03:11:00.000-07:00

           
Drivers:                    Constructors:             
1. Raikkonen    110         1.  Ferrari              204
2.  Hamilton     109        2.  BMW Sauber           101
3.  Alonso       109        3.  Renault               51
4.  Massa         94        4.  Williams-Toyota       33
5.  Heidfeld      61        5.  Red Bull-Renault      24
6.  Kubica        39        6.  Toyota                13
7.  Kovalainen    30        7.  Toro Rosso-Ferrari     8
8.  Fisichella    21        8.  Honda                  6
9.  Rosberg       20        9.  Super Aguri-Honda      4
10.  Coulthard     14       10.  Spyker-Ferrari         1
11.  Wurz          13       11.  McLaren-Mercedes       -
12.  Webber        10    
13.  Trulli         8    
14.  Vettel         6    
15.  Button         6    
16.  R.Schumacher   5    
17.  Sato           4    
18.  Liuzzi         3    
19.  Sutil          1

WoRlD cHaMpIoN.........finally !

2007-10-21T22:16:00.000-07:00

Courtesy: Evenstar Saima

Sunday - Race Day - KIMI 2007 WORLD CHAMPION!

Ferrari have their new Champion and Kimi smiles as destiny's child, and the 2007 F1 World Championship is well deserved to him.

Kimi Raikkonen : perseverance won the title

"For sure we were not in the strongest position as some point of the season, (but) we always believed we can recover, we always believed we can do a better job than the others," said Raikkonen. Even in hard times we stick together and never give up. We saw at the end that although we were a long way behind, we knew we could win the championship."

"I have to thank the team, they did a great job, not just today but all year," Raikkonen said. "We always worked hard and improved the situation, we had perfect team work, we had a hard fight with Massa all year and he was unfortunate not being in the fight any more.

"The sponsors have been a big bonus for us, they have done a great job for us, improving the fuel and everything, for sure I am going to enjoy today. I am very happy. I got a very good start, we were side by side with Felipe but we didn't want to race too hard," he explained. "I got past Hamilton and then he went off and I knew we had a chance then.

"We had good speed with the car, taking it easy, saving the car and tyres, we could have gone faster. Perfect work from the team, it paid off very well so thanks very much.

"I wasn't really 100 percent sure, we weren't sure if someone needed to stop in front of Lewis. He was seventh and even though I finished, there were other people who needed to finish, it took a long time to hear I had finally won. After the last few races we scored some good points, it has been a good finish to the season, great work for everybody. I am very happy: it was an amazing day."

An amazing day indeed! Fantastic stuff from you Kimi. Absolutely fantastic. Congratulations to the Iceman - the man who we have supported no matter what situation we were in. I believed you would win it today and never for a second doubted you. A big hug from me goes out to all the Kimi fans out there - congratulations guys! Go on, don't be shy, leave a comment and tell us your thoughts about the race, and your feelings when watching Kimi pronounced as world champion. I couldn't hold my tears in! Keep Flying Kimi - we adore you!

All eyes on the 3-D finale in Interlagos........

2007-10-18T01:26:00.000-07:00

What more can you ask for? In a season dominated by spygate scandals, off camera cribbings and moreover Ferrari - Mclaren head on collisions, a 3 way title fight in the very last grandprix just add to the spice. I have my doubts whether this has been the best season racing vise but nevertheless it is a season which gave just too many things to digest in one stretch. All said and done, here are the relative possibilities for the 3 drivers to win the title

For Kimi to win - Need to finsih 1st or 2nd hoping that both the McLarens would take out each other and also hoping for his teammate to sandwich between himself and one of the McLarens in the worst case

For Alonso to win - Have to beat Hamilton by a margin of 4 points by keeping Kimi behind. If he wins and lewis comes third, job done

For Lewis to win - Just have to beat Kimi and Fernando no mater where you finish. Also he can afford to go out with a more strategic approach

Millions watching not necessarily among the raucous Sao Paulo crowd but they know they just have to get a glimpse of the season finale and see 3 drivers battling out hard...............

When and Where can u see

Qualifying - ESPN Live 20th October 21.30 hrs IST
Race - Star Sports Live 21st October 21.30 hrs IST

Laga Chunari Mein Daag - deceptive !

2007-10-13T23:15:00.000-07:00

Pradeep Sarkar has come out with a melodrama, trying to tell the story of the journey of a Banarasi woman in his latest flick, Lagaa Chunari Mein Daag(LCMD). A lot would be expected from Sarkar after his superb execution of the cult classic, Parineeta which also gave Bollywood a promising actress, Vidya Balan. So lets see how the film has faired with me atleast.

First thing first, LCMD is painfully dragging in the first half causing the audience to yawn and murmur and unfolds into a mediocre masala in the latter half. The director tries to make the transition of a lady from a 'girl-next door' image to an 'Escort' (u know what I mean) with so much despair. This in undoubtedly the most critical part of the film and I have to say the film fails to convince the very transition. The girl being the elder of the two sisters, has to deal with lots of household issues, the same old "makaan, bigli ki bill, do waqt ki roti blah blah blah" which we are seeing for the umpteenth time. So Rani makes a move to Mumbai in search of money and being underqualified for a white-corner job, finds it hard to sustain. She tries to make living out of jobs which she herself is not comfortable with. A leading call center MD uses her to his advantage and tells her "u might not be qualified but ur anatomy is good" which along with the desperation for money prompts our heroine to enter the bemire world of prostitution.

One question to the director. You have just put a question mark on certain Indian women that they are smutty enough to go into pros without even trying hard to make a living. Accepted that Rani is doing all these for her family but didn't she find a better way or shouldn't she atleast try for a better way? A big blatant NO is the director's answer! I think he himself was so desperate to tell a story on prostitution but in that case he shouldn't have taken the pain to convince the audience "this is how women shift to call girls" and then failing miserably to do so. The first half tests your patience unlike the second where Kunal Kapoor and Konkona provides some lighter moments, the saving grace one has to say.

Abhishek Bachchan has only few scenes in the movie but he takes his character far too seriously and is a liability in an already crappy melodrama. Konkona is good, Kunal is good too but it's Rani who is supposed to be the heart and soul of the film, who fails to gain sympathy from the audience. A happy ending is the last thing the already fagged audience wanted to see after a dismal 150 mins. The film is too lengthy and is neither a commercial product nor an intellectual take on one of the most sensitive and malefic evils. The script is the weakest link but yeah the dialogues are equally awful. LCMD gives away a deceptive message to Indian women and I feel they shouldn't take it. A pat on the back for Aditya Chopra for putting his money on a subject dating back to 1960 :-). I am asking him, why on earth?

Verdict: Worth a miss !

Raceday - KIMI triumphs !

2007-10-07T22:46:00.001-07:00

Courtesy: Evenstar Saima

2007 Chinese Grand Prix

Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso kept the world championship battle alive by finishing first and second in the Chinese Grand Prix, while Lewis Hamilton retired after going off the road in the pit entry.

The result closes Alonso to within four points of Hamilton going into the final round, with Raikkonen a further three points adrift.

Hamilton had dominated the wet opening stages, but stayed out too long on extremely worn intermediates tyres, and ran wide into the gravel in the pitlane entry when he finally tried to make a stop. The McLaren became beached in the gravel and the championship leader was out of the race.

As Hamilton began to suffer badly with tyre wear, Raikkonen closed right in on the leader. The McLaren was sliding around wildly and lapping 10 seconds slower than it had earlier on.

After rebuffing several of Raikkonen's passing attempts, Hamilton eventually ran wide at Turn 8 on lap 28, allowing the Ferrari through.

Raikkonen then pulled away by up to six seconds per lap as Hamilton struggled, and Alonso - who finally passed Massa at the hairpin on lap 26 - closed in on his title rival at an even faster rate.

I knew Kimi would be victorious. What a fantastic performance - he made all the difference when it counted before his first pit stop and never stopped pushing till the end.

He was indeed the heaviest of the top four in qualifying, so it outlines his qualifying lap in particular, compared to Lewis' light run for pole, as quite impressive. He was also struggling a little with the slippery track but kept control and put pressure on Hamilton. It was an emotional win of Kimi's, personally to me, because sometimes dreams do come true for once and our dream was for Kimi to win this race. It felt right and justified after the poor circumstances at Japan, and most importantly - he deserved it! No matter how frustrating this season has been for the fans with the interference of huge egos, bitching, court rooms and penalties, Kimi brought a smile to my face. The fans there must have loved it. The race itself was brilliant with plenty of battles going on and superb drives.

We knew Kimi could do it and congratulations to him, the team, and the fans.
~ Keep flying Kimi!

gif picture by SaimaAzam"> Quotes

-Raikkonen hopes Brazil win brings title
Kimi Raikkonen - 1st: "I am very happy! It is a really great result for me and the whole team, who done a truly excellent job," said Raikkonen. who gave Ferrari their 200th victory in Formula One. "We needed this win and we got it. At the start of the race, I had a lot of understeer but then the situation improved.

I was one of the last to switch to dry tyres but this was a help as after a little while the rain began to fall again. Even after the second stop I had a bit of understeer, but as before, the situation improved in the final stages. I knew Alonso was very quick but I was in full control of the situation. The car overall was working well both in the wet and in the dry. Last week in Fuji, we were unlucky but today things went right for us.

"We have had yet another example that in this sport anything can happen. The situation in the drivers' classification is still difficult, but I will try everything to win in Brazil, even if the final outcome does not just depend on what we do. It should be a great battle, very hard to predict and interesting."

Sunday quotes: Ferrari - Felipe Massa - 3rd: "All in all, finishing on the podium in a race like this is very important and I am very happy for the team. There is one race to go: anything can happen and we must continue to work to stay ahead of our rivals."

Jean Todt: "It is great to be able to celebrate Scuderia Ferrari's two hundredth victory in Formula 1, here in Shanghai, at the end of a difficult race, further complicated by the unpredictability of the changes in the weather. Kimi brings his total tally of the season to five and this is the team's eighth. He drove an extraordinary race, without committing the slightest error."

Luca Baldisserri: "This was probably one of the most difficult races of the season, characterized by very unstable weather, with the rain coming and going. After the first pit stop, Kimi gradually made up ground on Hamilton and could have got past earlier but for the yellow flags. Then, as the track was drying, Kimi stepped up the pace and controlled a possible attack from Alonso."

Classified:
Pos  Driver        Team                    Time
 1.  Raikkonen     Ferrari            (B)  1h37:58.395
2.  Alonso        McLaren-Mercedes   (B)  +     9.800
3.  Massa         Ferrari            (B)  +    12.800
4.  Vettel        Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B)  +    53.500
5.  Button        Honda              (B)  +    68.600
6.  Liuzzi        Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B)  +    73.600
7.  Heidfeld      BMW Sauber         (B)  +    74.200
8.  Coulthard     Red Bull-Renault   (B)  +    80.700
9.  Kovalainen    Renault            (B)  +    81.100
10.  Webber        Red Bull-Renault   (B)  +    84.600
11.  Fisichella    Renault            (B)  +    86.600
12.  Wurz          Williams-Toyota    (B)  +    1 Lap
13.  Trulli        Toyota             (B)  +    1 Lap
14.  Sato          Super Aguri-Honda  (B)  +    1 Lap
15.  Barrichello   Honda              (B)  +    1 Lap
16.  Rosberg       Williams-Toyota    (B)  +    2 Laps
17.  Yamamoto      Spyker-Ferrari     (B)  +    3 Laps

Fastest lap: Massa, 1:37.454

Not classified/retirements:
Driver        Team                      On lap
Kubica        BMW Sauber         (B)     34
Hamilton      McLaren-Mercedes   (B)     31
R.Schumacher  Toyota             (B)     26
Sutil         Spyker-Ferrari     (B)     25
Davidson      Super Aguri-Honda  (B)     12

An interesting season so far?

2007-09-28T06:24:00.000-07:00

Formula 1 has always been a force to reckon when we learn more about the sport itself. Unlike Cricket, Hockey, Football this sport is a consequence of so many brains working as a team and providing the best they can for 2 people, the drivers. Also, there is a lot of money involved not in organizing it but to get the best out of your car. Formula 1 is special......

Let's take a look at the 2007 season so far with 14 races completed and 3 drivers battling the hell out of each other to gain supremacy. As if everything was planned earlier, this time also there are only 2 teams who can provide a car which can triumph in any circuit. Ferrari and McLaren. After the "loss" of Schumacher who had retired after a stupendous career, Ferrari found their new supremo in Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn has already proved that he is the fastest driver on track by far when things go right. When I say things going right, it definitely won't mean running out of power like in Spain or suffering a mechanical failure as happened in Germany. We may expect all these in any team but Ferrari. This time around, the car is just not performing well when needed unlike their nearest rival, McLaren.

Inspite of all these discomforts, Kimi was able to win 4 races and finish on podium on 5 occasions. Good job but is it enough? Definitely not when your rivals are giving 100% reliability on track. Talking about the Finn's rivals, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso are a touch lucky to see their silver McLaren finish in each and every race. The Spaniard may be a world champion but he lacks providing that extra comfort level to the whole team which Schumi used to give when he was in Ferrari. Alonso just cannot find himself out of controversies, the latest being the spy-saga. I would be shocked like hell if I see him drive for McLaren next year. Ron Dennis might have pissed off big time after expecting so much from a double world champion and seeing him crib like a baby after each race. Comeon dude, accept that a rookie is beating the crap out of you and you are just not good enough.

Rookie? who? Lewis Hamilton, the first black driver to race in Formula 1, means business. 11 podiums in 14 races is just exceptional but having said that, I have to admit, McLaren never looked like a limping gadget. For sure, it has done wonders for Lewis' career but to outpace Alonso was something special. He maybe Ron's baby but he has the passion when out on track, on his own which we see in the Schumis and Kimis. He is one to watch out for even if he doesn't win the championship this time.

So the fight between the top 3 drivers may have captivated so many souls who have F1 in their blood. But let's face it, this season has been utterly boring from the racing point of view. Time and again we see a driver taking chequered flag from pole. Not a good sight for those who wish to see pure racing. We have to blame the FIA for all these simply because a Formula 1 car, nowadays, does everything for you. The driver just have to press the throttle as much as possible and the car won't slip or slide in any tough corner. The traction control provided in the car just get the better of those warn out tyres and we seldom see overtaking. Hence, the driver can show his true colors rarely. For someone like Raikkonen, just going from start to finish as if he is having his own race is just crappy. In 2005, we might have seen him overtake Fisichella in the last lap of an F1 race but I am confident, we are not gonna see that this time around. Now, the FIA seems to have learned and they are all set to ban traction control in 2008 season. Wow ! That would provide some interesting spectacles which you may repeat umpteen times or maybe it will take you to the Schumi or Senna era where nothing but bravery was the key.

Let's wait and see !

Nadiya Kollapetta Rathri........a throbbing ride all the way !

2007-08-14T05:03:00.000-07:00

After a disappointing “Pathaka” K. Madhu has bounced back with a well etched out Suresh Gopi starrer Naadiya Kollapetta Rathri (NKR). As the name suggests, it is a full fledged investigation story with twists and turns aided by lot of blood. Not a pleasing sight for kids or elders when you see three cute babes stranded to death and amazingly in the same compartment of a train. The story starts off in a train and ends up in a train as well. The producer would have spent some extra penny to shoot those illustrious scenes in a train but some, quite evidently are nothing but good use of sets or good art direction.

What you expect from a Suresh Gopi thriller is what you get in NKR though it can be a path-breaking film just like his previous Chintamani Kolacase. If blood, gore and mouth watering violence were the trademark of that Shaji Kailas film, K. Madhu doesn’t go haywire with the script but instead provides us a classic thriller. The story starts with the crew of RACT, a railway crime investigating team lead by Gopi himself attack a passenger terrorist and kill him. Perfect introduction. I just cannot remember his screen name because it is a tongue twisterJ. Upon extreme pressure and demand, the RACT team starts the reinvestigation of some murders which happened under mysterious circumstances. They kick start their campaign with the investigation of the crime whose victims were Nadiya (Kavya) and 2 other gals which occurred a month back.

Nadiya who is good at shooting is found unconscious after being stabbed in the 1^st A.C compartment. She is taken to hospital but the doctors declare her “brain dead”. Nadira is her twin sister and she almost loses her heart out after seeing her sister’s condition. She has her interest cut down in classical dance and even her mannerisms are just the other side of what you see in Nadiya who is bold. Kavya to be fair has given justice to her double role and it would be the very first appreciation which I as a viewer give her over all these yearsJ. There are a lot of characters involved and it is evident from the moment go that each of them has a part to play in the crucial climax where things are unfolded in a break-neck pace.

Suresh Gopi will obviously unfold the mystery but it’s the path he follows to do so which makes you feel, “yeah this is something different” and finally the answer to “who is the killer” can’t be said in one word cos the killer is beyond your imagination. To be honest, the two murders one of a dancer and the other of an NDTV reporter have hardly anything to do with the original story. Being clever, the director reveals the Nadiya mystery only in the end picking his order to perfection cos otherwise the audience would feel as if there were a plethora of events which were completely a wastage of time. It is here you see the role of an experienced director in K. Madhu when he handles those otherwise difficult scenes with ease.

The script by A.K Sajan after Chintamani Kolacase has lived up to the standards set by the other investigative thrillers. Infact, it is amazing to see how he had managed to pen a story like this and tie up the loose strings which could have affected the totality of the film. Background score is just awful and it tests your patience undoubtedly. The cast and crew are just fine with Kavya and Suresh Gopi sharing the bulk of the credit. Suresh Gopi’s costume designer needs a pat on his back to make a jaded old “commissioner” look handsome. Cotton shirts, trendy jeans and on top of that sunglasses makes our Hero look younger. On the whole, NKR is a spell binding thriller for around 150 mins though it has its downside as well which I don’t want to mention. It won’t disappoint you.

My verdict: A superb thriller !

McLaren : "Take your ass off the car"

2007-08-08T06:53:00.000-07:00

McLaren has reportedly given their Spanish driver Fernando Alonso an option to leave the team after this season. What has prompted them to spit a statement like this to a former champion? Simple, its the Spaniard's attitude in and out of the track which has given him the penalty he deserved. He was never a happy man driving the McLaren especially when he was outpaced and shadowed by a rookie out of all people. He wouldn't have expected this on his entry to McLaren.

Alonso naturally would have expected a #1 status in the team after back to back championship wins with Renault. What received him was something he wouldn't have guessed even in his wildest dreams. Lewis Hamilton a born talent, drove his heart out in his first 9 races and finished in the podium each time. Stunning !

What left was "Alonso's cribbing". Day in day out if you look at the F1 websites all over, there will be news about the McLaren drivers' drift. Even, there was a speculation about he leaving the team in between the season but that is now unlikely. Nevertheless, Ron Dennis seems to be pissed off cos of the rivalry between Lewis and Fernando. Never know, who he is gonna be ditched from the team but right now the lot seems to have gone in Alonso's way.

Fernando Alonso having done a marathon "pitstop" in Hungary has just proved how dirty F1 tricks can get. Impeding his teammate from driving a hot lap was the last thing expected from a driver, especially when there were only minutes to go before the qualifier ends. Absolutely ridiculous as some newspapers pointed out except in Spain.

Someone needs to go to the double world champion and teach him the definitions of words like "dignity", "teamwork", "team - first of all" and of course "maturity". In Alonso's case fortune didn't favor the brave when he won the title rather it was fortune's turn to misbehave and that too twice. At the end of the day, its Alonso who is the loser and as some pointed out, a disgrace to Formula 1.

Grow up dude........

Kimi back with the resurgence and so is Ferrari !

2007-07-09T02:43:00.000-07:00

The best way to get the better of your critics is to keep your mouth shut and perform, none other than Kimi would know it better. Its an answer for those who said "Kimi doesn't have it in him". Well, can they say this now? They can't. Two thumping victories have confirmed his return to the centre stage. One leading the Ferrari 1-2 in the beautiful Magny Cours, and the most recent one in Silverstone in front of Lewis Hamilton's home crowd. Thats a sweet victory, no two opinions.

Its his 12th career victory and 3rd of the season which 95,000 odd British fans witnessed and boy, did he drive the crap out of his rivals. Pipping out the McLarens in 2nd and 3rd positions is no easy job especially after being at the receiving end for most of the season. He had his misfortunes honestly when his Scarlet Ferrari refused to pull off at Spain and when a traffic studded Monaco G.P saw him finishing 8th and being lapped by the McLarens. That hurts and it did hurt him but thats when you see a champion carving his way through the stupendous circuit in Silverstone for the 60th time and on his way breaking the 4 winless ducks on the same circuit.

It didn't start well for the team from Italy as Feilpe Massa suffered an "unknown" problem which the Ferrari techies failed to explain, in the initial lap forcing all the cars to warm up one more lap reducing the count to 59. He did a wonderful job to finsh at 5th having pulled off a series of overtaking maneuvers and posting the second best lap time after Kimster. Kimi, behind Lewis didn't allow the leader to pull away with a lighter car rather kept up with the McLaren and almost getting the better of the rival just before Lewis made his first stop. But then Lewis was overshadowed and outpaced by both Kimi and Fernando. It was an end of what you call a virtual dream for a rookie to win in front of his home crowd.

Surprisingly, it was Alonso with a shorter pitstop (6.3 sec), who managed to come in front of the Iceman after and he further extended the lead from the Ferrari driver to 5.8 seconds before going for a longer 2nd stop. And that's when you see the flying finn indeed flying. 6 stunning laps and one would ask, where is Fernando? After lap 44 when Kimi exited the pitlane for the second time, he was 4.3 secs ahead of Alonso and unless he makes a mistake or two, Kimi was sure to finish ahead of all. 60 flawless laps and that registered victory no: 12 for the Iceman. The local boy was a further 35 secs away substantiating how far McLaren are lagging behind their rivals.

Santander British G.P :

Winner: Kimi Raikkonen from Fernando Alonso

Fastest Lap: Kimi Raikkonen

Kimi is the man to beat !!!

Jhoom Barabar Jhoom - frivolous

2007-06-18T01:17:00.000-07:00

Time and again, I am making the same mistake. A pleasant Sunday evening turned out to be one to forget after watching Shaad Ali’s latest offering, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. There is lot said and done about bollywood love pastries. But when its from the prestigious Yash Raj banner, who have given us some memorable films earlier, we tend to get carried away. Same happened to me when I really had some better works to do yesterday………………if one ask me, why KK? Can’t blame him.
So lets dig the crap ! The film kick starts with Abhshek joining Priety to share a table in the busiest London Railway station, both waiting for their relatives/friends who are on the way from Birmingham. Alas, the train is 2 hrs late. Abhishek, a typical Punjabi, outspoken, cool dude, decides to engage himself with the cute looking gal sitting next to him. They start telling each other their respective stories about how they met their fiancées, Lara and Bobby. These lead to some flashback scenes which comprises of two lovely songs picturised in charismatic locales including the famous Louvre Museum (ticket to Hollywood). Abhi and Priety really enjoy each other’s company and that’s evident when Priety says “train kuch jaldi hi aa gaya”. They diverge only to receive their buddies and walk home. Man, that’s when you see the funny looking Amitabh Bachhan with a stupid grin, joining the station along with the title track. Make no mistake, he doesn’t have a role, but still comes in between to “look after” his son. Its interval……………………but tell me, what is in the first 1 hour. Gosh !
As expected, our lovers just cannot stop thinking about their sweethearts, and that’s when they reveal to the already tiresome audience that Bobby and Lara are just imaginary characters. Earlier, Priety didn’t want to spend time with an “ajnabee” and that’s why she created Bobby out of nothing just to avoid our small B. Now, they decide to meet at “Jharokha”, a dance competition event. Priety finds a “new” Bobby who is actually an optician with childish looks and antics. Lara, a whore, is picked up by Abhi with the help of his friend. All four meet……..bang ! 2 songs in 15 mins. The climax is more or less expected and to the audiences’ relief, the film ends.
Music is just awesome, all five songs rocking. The lead pair performances are…….ho, a reluctant ok. But its Bobby, who comes up with a phenomenal performance. Only he is the saving grace in a movie which tests your patience. Shaad Ali has a long way to go in picking the right story for an instant hit. Its not even old wine but is a combination of confused script given by a confused mind. Its definitely a bad idea if you think you can have some timepass during JBJ. The media has given the movie 2 stars out of 5. I wonder why not less !

Verdict: Just stay away.

Bahrain G.P review

2007-04-15T23:57:00.000-07:00

Courtesy: ESPNStar

London (espnstar.com) - Felipe Massa finally makes amends for Malaysia and the disappointment in Australia by clinching his first grand prix win of the season on Sunday.
However, once again it was Lewis Hamilton, who grabbed the headlines after he secured another second place finish and in so doing becomes the first driver in the history of the sport to finish on the podium in his first three races as well as jointly leading the Drivers’ Championship.
Kimi Räikkönen had to settle for third place and joins Hamilton and Fernando Alonso in a three-way leadership battle.
McLaren boss Ron Dennis had nothing but praise for his rookie driver saying: “Lewis has already surpassed all expectations. He has a confidence devoid of all arrogance.”
However, this weekend the pressure was on Massa to deliver what he has been threatening to do in the first two races, only to have been thwarted by a gearbox failure in Melbourne and then threw away his lead at the start of the race in Sepang last weekend.
A delighted Massa was clearly relieved if nothing else to have finally got his own back on the rookie driver screeching over the car radio after crossing the line: “I needed this result. I did it. I did it. Thank you.”
The Brazilian admitted afterwards that everything had fallen into place. “The results in the first two races were not like I expected. I think something was missing, especially in the first race when we had a problem and then what happened in the second race, with mistakes and also something missing,” he told reporters in the post race press conference.
“This time we put everything together and I’m really pleased for the whole team. The job they made here, the strategy, the set-up, everything, I’m really pleased. But now we need to push even harder because McLaren is quite close.”
The anticipation for another blistering getaway at the lights from Hamilton was reaching fever pitch in the sweltering desert heat but the Brazilian held his nerve and ensured he kept his lead going into the first corner.
A rueful Hamilton was not too disappointed however, especially after resoundingly beating his team-mate by over 12 seconds.
“I didn’t get as good a start as Felipe, he did very well down to the first corner. He managed to keep his place and I had to make sure I stayed as close behind as possible to maybe have a chance on the first lap, but I think we were fairly well matched,” he insisted.
“I think this weekend we have definitely closed the gap to Ferrari and to have another second in only my third race, I couldn’t ask for more. There’s only one more step for me and we’ll be pushing and making sure that in Barcelona we’ll be just as quick.”
Räikkönen was unable to challenge Hamilton for second place, insisting he now knows why he is not as quick as his team-mate.
“We got third place and we know where we are losing time, so hopefully in the next test we can find something which is a bit better for me.”
For once, the double world champion Alonso looked all out of sorts struggling to keep pace with the front-runners and eventually succumbing to the vastly improved Nick Heidfeld, who grabbed fourth place with 24 laps remaining.
His team-mate Robert Kubica finally got on to the scoreboard with three valuable points in sixth whilst Toyota’s Jarno Trulli managed to keep Renault’s Giancarlo Fisichella at bay to grab seventh despite boss Flavio Briatore imploring Fisi to pass his former driver.
Once again the Italian was given the ‘get a move on’ call over the car radio: “pass Trulli - come on” alas to no avail.
Further down the grid order it was disappointment for both Red Bull cars as David Coulthard retired with a broken driveshaft after an impressive drive which saw the Scotsman carve his way from 21st to 12th place, whilst Mark Webber, who had been in the points in seventh, retired with their Achilles heel: a broken gearbox.
The Australian was none too pleased afterwards saying: “Bloody frustrating and that’s not good enough. I’ve been here too often.”
Both Super Aguri’s fail to finish with Anthony Davidson, who at one point had been running in sixth place, had an engine failure just four laps from the line, whilst Sato’s Honda engine blew on lap 35.
It was another miserable weekend for Honda’s Jenson Button, who failed to make it past turn four on the very first lap after he spun trying to avoid Takuma Sato, which in turn caused a chain reaction behind resulting in Toro Rosso’s Scott Speed to crash out and deploying the safety car.
As the sand settled once again for another year on the Sakhir circuit, the Formula One championship has never been so wide open with three drivers all level on the same points.
Spain cannot come soon enough in four week’s time when battle resumes in May and Lewis Hamilton will try to go one better and secure his maiden Formula One victory.

Move of the day: Heidfeld taking Alonso on turn four with 24 laps to the flag
Driver of the Day: Felipe Massa

Sivaji's music update

2007-03-27T01:45:00.000-07:00

http://123musiq.com/Sivaji-Rajini-Movie-Songs.htm

Check out the link and download what you call some peppy tunes with the right mix of rap and melody. Here are the list of songs

1. Sahaana Saaral Thoovutho....... Udit Narayan n Shreya Ghosal
A class song with exceptional voice modulation and recording. Udit as always takes his songs to an extra level when it comes with Rahman. Shreya is adequate but she doesnt have much to do honestly.

2. Vaa Ji Vaa Ji En Jeevan Sivaji....... Hariharan n Sadhana Sargam
A peppy number with punch music and catchy lyrics. No doubt, a winner on the cards.

3. Oru Koodai Sunlight......Blaze n Suresh Peters
Not bad but only the picturisation can make this a hit number. A complete rap tone in the song.

More to arrive soon.....

Pachaikili Muthucharam - worth ur time and money !

2007-02-28T01:37:00.000-08:00

Back to my business.

Oscar Films and Gautham Menon join hands yet again after the commercial success of VV but this time going with the supreme hero SarathKumar whose career was sagging after some colossal flops, not now though. Alas, Gautham went on to remake a so called average grosser in Hollywood, “Derailed” without deviating much from the original. Running out of stories kya?
One thing is pretty much common in Minnale, RHTDM, Kakka Kakka and VV – all were fast paced. Indeed Pachaikili Muthucharam too is fast paced with some slick photography sandwiched with crisp editing. First Jyothika starrer after her marriage, Kollywood debue for Milind, new girl Andrea all add upto the movie’s highlights. Released in almost 6 centres in Chennai city itself, Pachaikili has created a wave which I guess is unstoppable atleast for a few days.
The story. Venkatesh (Sarath) is a medical rep whose days’ half are spend in suburban trains going through the eternal Chennai. He is quite happy and humble and doesn’t demand too much other than maintaining a settled life. Radhika (Andrea) who is a house wife is still passionate about her husband and their love is always envious. Nanda is their only son who suffers from premature diabetics, that being the only worry for the couple. Radhika tries to concentrate more towards nursing her son rather than being with Venkatesh. Obviously, our hero is frustrated over this averted behavior.
One fine day, Venkatesh meets Geetha (Jyothika) in one of his journeys to office. He is attracted to her girl next door looks and friendly nature. They soon become friends and soon become more than that J. He deliberately tries to let his mind do the proceedings rather than sticking to reality and being a good husband. They both find themselves in a hotel room somewhere in the outskirts of Chennai only to witness an unexpected event which would change their lives forever. Geetha becomes a rape victim to Milind after he confronts both of them in their suit. Venkatesh is beaten to half-life and he could only see what’s happening to his lover.
Milind finds that they are not a married couple and hence tries to blackmail both of them for money. Venkatesh ends up giving lakhs before actually confessing to his wife. There is a sudden twist in the second half and the film altogether creates a bizarre mood which is nicely crafted. The latter part is all about how the hero manages to convince his wife and how he confronts the bad guys.
In an out and out Sarathkumar film, he excels though looks a bit jaded. One has to say the casting has been prefect as all characters look realistic. Milind Soman has come out with a sterling performance even in a language which is foreign to him. The new girl too looks 100 million bucks but her dialogue delivery needs improvement. Harris Jayaraj has once again shown that he is the perfect match for Gautham’s style of film making and even the background score, as always, makes the film gripping. “Unakkul Naane” and “Un siripinil” are the pick of the songs. Yet there are certain flaws like first half being lagging, some censorable scenes and the lengthy climax.

On the whole, Pachaikili is crisp at 2 hrs 25 mins and is recommended for those who like thrilling family dramas.

Notebook - A sensible extravaganza !

2007-01-04T02:49:00.000-08:00

Hi,

Its yet another xmas, yet another new year and its yet another review from the ever-active KK :).Kripa theatre was the location this time and goodness me, ended up watching an unforgettable cinema in Rosshan Andrew's latest venture, Notebook.
First thing, "this is not a painkili love story". No superstars, no item numbers, no explosions, no double meanings. These are some glimpses of Notebook and let me tell you, the film still works to a large extent. Seira, Pooja and Sreedevi are doing their 12th in Lords Academy and they share thick friendship. Seira is the bubbly and naughty girl in the batch and she is always the centre of attraction for both teachers and students. Always comes late in class, an LHite who believes day scholars are fortunate to eat what they wish and hence both Seira and Sreedevi eats from Pooja's house every weekend. Pooja, the school headgirl, is smart and a bit more matured than the other two while Sreedevi is soft and lovable. Pooja's mother who is a widow nourishes and babies them as her children. Of course they fight each other like any other friends but there is nothing more in those little pranks.
Suraj, a 12B student, is considered to be the macho among the gals and they simply fall for him (Don't know why:). After some really funny circumstances, Sreedevi and Suraj fall in love but being immature and in fear of words passing by; they keep quiet about their relationship. During the tour, they somehow find some time to spend each other but the inevitable happens. Sreedevi become pregnant, yes I spelled that word properly :P, and her friends just cannot believe what had happened. Hang on. Upon the advices from Seira and Pooja, Sreedevi doesn't reveal the matter to Suraj cos her friends feared that it may force him to depart from the school and from her friend's life for ever. Sensible thought :) Alas, they have no other option but to abort it. Believe it or not, Seira somehow manages to get Sreedevi into the operation theatre by telling lots of unconventional yet convincing lies to the doctor who is supposed to do the operation.
From this point, the film takes a U-turn as Sreedevi dies in the hospital and Seira and Pooja escapes from the whole scene. The principal and the authorities come to know about it and they call up both Seira and Pooja to discuss the issue in front of Sreedevi's father and the investigating police officer. Seira accepts the whole fact cos she regrets the fact that she has forced sreedevi to do it without telling her parents. She gets scolding from virtually everyone and now its time for Pooja to speak up. She bloughs that she is unaware of the incident and is able to convince the authorities that she is innocent.
Seira will be dismissed from the school and she is understandably furious over her "innocent" friend. Will Pooja have regrets? Will they unite again? Will Suraj come to know about this? All these are revealed in a 10 mins climax where the film moves in breathtaking pace. One of the main reasons of the movie's success is its background score and some commendable camera placing. It has a slick look and Ooty is seen as a heaven. Music by Mejo Joseph is adequate as there are only 4 songs. Roma as Seira, the best of the three, is a delight to watch. But it's the director who has the last laugh as he is able to transform himself from the star studded cult classic Udayanu Tharam to Notebook with ease. 3 crores extravaganza is seen all through out the film.
On the downside, the hero is a pastry and he has a long way to go in acting. First half is uneventful though passable with Seira enjoying the possession. On the whole, Notebook is indeed a brave attempt and it takes more braveness to bring it to the theatres along with the biggies like BabaKalyani and Palunku. At the end of the day, people will find this as a sensible yet controversial film.

Too good to turn down !

VARALARU - promising

2006-11-08T02:15:00.000-08:00

Hi,

After going through a bad patch (both in the F3 circuit and in the tinsel town), “namma Thala” is back with the much hyped Varalaru (Godfather). It’s for the tax exemption that the producer (Nic Arts) decided to change the title into a Tamil name. Whatever it is, after 1 year of making and more than 1 year of behind the screen conflicts, Ajit’s Varalaru has finally seen daylight this Diwali.
The film was a do or die for the hero as he was knocked out from the much hyped role in “Nan Kadavul” which is to be directed by Bala. There is no two opinion about Varalaru, just bag your tickets and enjoy 3 hours of entertainment. Ajit has carved his best performance till date with his triple role. The movie had taken a bumper opening all around Tamil Nadu with a whooping 9 crore in the first week itself. Finally, the hard work of K.S Ravikumar and his crew has paid off.
Sivasankar(Ajit) is a business tycoon and is much respected and loved by all. He is living for none other than his only son (Vishnu- Ajit 2) but he is worried about his son’s lavish living style and irresponsible acts. Hence he decides to send Vishnu to Thottapuram, a village he adopted for a good cause. There, Vishu meets Divya (Asin) and fall in love with her after some fun-filled incidents. But Shivasankar has a past which is still haunting him and because of which, he is now in a wheel chair. All of a sudden, things become taut with both Vishnu and his father when Jeeva (Ajit 3) comes and does lots of foul plays by enacting to be Vishnu. But every one believes it is Vishnu himself who is doing all these and incidentally sent him for Psychic treatment. Jeeva claims to be Shiva’s second son and soon would get caught by Shiva when he tries to kill his father.
The motive of Jeeva is pretty clear but why does he want to kill his father is unknown. Shiva reveals about his haunting past to Vishnu. He had grown up as a classical dancer and because of that, he has turned as an effeminate kindov guy who is always the point of teasing for everyone. Ajit has portrayed this role to perfection as his sissy looking antics are a delight to watch. Kanika dismisses Shiva on the very day of their marriage and tells that she would better marry a man and not Shiva. As a consequence, Shiva does the inevitable and the result is a baby whom he takes care till date. But who is Jeeva, where is Kanika etc etc would be revealed in a gripping climax.
Ajit makes a perfect cast for the 3 roles and hats off to his dedication in learning bharatanatyam (though his steps needed perfection). I am sure no-one would have expected a meaty role like this from him and all credit to K.S Ravikumar who had a taut script but will be criticized for chopping in the second half. Jeeva is spooky and where needed, he exaggerates. In a negative role too, Ajit is impeccable. Asin and Kanika are adequate with both doing walk-in roles. Songs tuned by Rahman seems to be crass but constant listening will soon make those peppy, especially “Innisai” and “Deepawali”. Priyan’s camera work is perfect and fights are stylishly shot. But it is Ajit who sizzles from start to end and has again proved that he is after all an “actor” when his compatriots’ films have nothing new to offer.

Varalaru is eventful in 3 hrs. Watch it at least for the Ultimate star.

CLASSMATES - a nostalgic cinema !

2006-09-18T03:18:00.000-07:00

Hi,

My Onam was indeed funfilled, be it for movies, be it for roaming around with friends, be it for hogging in restaurants, I really enjoyed being in Trivandrum for a pretty long vacation. Time has come to elucidate those people who haven’t yet witnessed one of the perfect movie making in Classmates and the only Onam release which I had watched twice J. I am really asking for it eh? So here it goes.
Classmates opens up with the 1991-Chemistry batch reunion in the CMS college campus, kottayam, where the “classmates” did their graduation. There is a lump sum of characters involved where you can see some carrying their babies, some who have gone chubby, some who have long beards, on the whole a complete delight for each and every batch mate to watch others. This meeting among P.Sukumaran(Prithviraj), Pias(Indrajeet), Sathisan(Jayasurya), Tara(Kavya) and Razia(Radhika) has its own importance in every one’s life and the major reason why they converge is to pay tribute to their no more ex-classmate Murali(Sunil alias Naren). It is Murali’s father(Balachandra Menon) who has arranged this reunion after long 15 years. You can feel the tautness in everyone’s face as they are shy enough to talk to each other which is very strange. Well, there is a reason.
When we do a time travel of 15 years, we can see a Sukumaran carrying the SFK flag and a Satishan hoisting DSU flag, Tara Kurup being the daughter of the local Congress MP. Razia is a sweet, cute, girl next door popularly known as “penguin” thanks to the parda she wears. Pias and Suku are roommates and they share a good rapport with each other with Pias an SKF follower as well as the pain for those who fill “F” in the sex column. There is an undiscovered love between Tara and Suku which will soon fall into pieces when Tara is rescued from the police attack on account of the collectorate march done by the SFK students, resulting in a fatal “lathi-charge” in the whole college . Before that both of them used to play all the games in the book to make fun of each other which lead to some really nice scenes like Tara being carried to the campus premises while she was sleeping and creating an embarassment for her and she then taking revenge etc etc etc. But Satishan is envious towards Suku because Tara had already become his infatuation. Murali, meanwhile is the Mr Nice guy of the batch and with his vocal chords he is able to grab the mass attention.
It is the futile foul play done by Satishan that brings the Tara-Suku relationship to an end. Pias has all the news updated and even he couldn’t prevent this relationship gone begging. Murali is seen dead during the election day in the college generator room and since he being an asthma patient, people think it’s a fatal death. Now back to the present, Suku commits a suicide attempt in the same night as that of the reunion and everyone including Pias suspects Tara for taking revenge for her incomplete love. What happened to Murali and what is happening to Suku will be unveiled in the riveting climax in the most unpredictable way you would ever see.
Classmates brings you nostalgic memories especially for us people who have just passed out from college. The narration is superb with absolutely no loopholes in the taut script which is incidentally by a newcomer James Albert. Laljose has made several jaws open with his not so conventional type of film-making. The last half an hour is amazing which prompts you to stare at the screen all along. Music by Alex paul is commendable and all the tunes are hummable. Really, its Radhika as Razia who is the surprise package and her performance simply suits the mood of the film.
On the downside, I would say the background score goes haywire especially when Kavya and Prithvi are romancing. Kavya Madhavan as a teenager is a misfit and she looks over-aged and jaded. After 15 years, she hasn’t changed much and her mannerisms reminds me of a “kilavi”. She just can't produce a glittering performance when needed. At the end of the day, u will have the satisfaction after seeing this movie and a satisfaction which I am sure none has relished after Udayananu Tharam.

Go for it guys, it won’t let you down.

its FRANCE 3 - 1 SPAIN

2006-06-28T03:22:00.000-07:00

Wow! It was worth watching till 2:30 AM......France has thumped the potential favs Spain by 3 goals to one in Hanover thanx to those brilliant strikes from Ribery (41'), Vieira(83') and Zidane(90+2'). This is an answer to all those preposterous ctitiques who battered France after their first two encounters in the tournament. Luk how they emerged from the hole as winners. Luk how they proved that "Class is permanent". Hats off to this aging team who siply outplayed the Spanish team which looked vulnerable at the back all day.

Spain took an undeserving lead through Villa (penalty) when Xabi ALonso was "fouled" inside the box by Thuram. After that it was all France and Spain cudnt create a decent opportunity in the rest of the match. Ribery has proved why he is in the playing eleven having failed to score before. This was his first goal for France and see where it has occured. France started the second half strongly when Casillas was forced to save a shot from the box egde by Romedal. Then it ws kidov a dead lock b/w the French attack and the Spain defense. It took 83 min for France to have their noses in front for the first time when Vieira thumped in a header from Zidane's free kick. All blame to Puyol for a "stupid" challenge on Thierry Henry, which cost Spain a free kick and eventually a goal. In the dying moments Spain pushed for the equaliser but invane and Zidane spotted the opportunity. Spain were dead 3-1

In 3 days time, France will meet the defending champions Brazil. Atleast now I want people to say "it'll be a gud contest" rather than making stupid mistakes like "writing off France". Gotcha?

Well Well Well !

2006-06-13T22:47:00.000-07:00

Team ENGENIO has always been an energetic one to work with. Here in Mindtree, I had lots of opportunities to minkle with my fellow team members and that helped build the bonding b/w each and every soul in Engenio. The pic here reflects a very watchful KK in one of the outbounds held by the Ether Ventures some time ago standing at a height of 100ft. Wow....it was spooky guys.......especially for those who did rappeling for the first time. When u take the very first step into the cliff with the rock underneath ur body completely invisible, u'll feel ur heart pounding in an agile pace. That was some experience and I thought I could share the same with u guys......

Enjoy maadi !

The baronial FRANCE

2006-06-13T01:52:00.000-07:00

8 yrs ago, they were the underdogs and one 'ld have had his doubts about their capability of winning the WC, though hosting the tournament. If playing home in front of a racuous crowd is an advantage, then why didnt USA or KOREA or ITALY win their home WCs. There was some kind of spark in that French team who seemed invincible in the whole tournament. Lets have a look at EURO '00. 2-1 winners over the mighty Italians. That victory had cemented everyone's belief about France as a team.

Now when you look 6yrs down the line, they have achieved virtually nothing over this time. Are they ignited to win another WC, are they adept enough to win one more. Well, my verdict is "they are". They just need a bit of inspiration as well as some fortune to get pass all the barriers and win this years' world cup. Under the coach in Raymond Domenech, France is a complete team though their critiques would argue about the loss of Cisse. Along with Germany and Czech Republic, France is another team I back strongly to be crowned champions. Lets wish them all the fortunes they could ever get when they start their campaign today against the Swiss team.

1. LANDREAU Mickael

2. BOUMSONG Jean-Alain

3. ABIDAL Eric

4. VIEIRA Patrick

5. GALLAS William

6. MAKELELE Claude

7. MALOUDA Florent

8. DHORASOO Vikash

9. GOVOU Sidney

10. ZIDANE Zinedine

11. WILTORD Sylvain

12. HENRY Thierry

13. SILVESTRE Mikael

14. SAHA Louis

15. THURAM Lilian

16. BARTHEZ Fabien

17. GIVET Gael

18. DIARRA Alou

19. SAGNOL Willy

20. TREZEGUET David

21. CHIMBONDA Pascal

22. RIBERY Frank

23. COUPET Gregory

Players to watch out in bold

2006-06-12T01:41:00.000-07:00

GERMANY is back !

Wow....the world cup is back, the futbol fever is also back frm the horizon.......after 4yrs of a virtual long wait, people have gathered hands for the most prestigious tournament in the history of futbol. Germany, the host nation has started the campaign with a 4-2 thumping of Costa Rica.....n they have announced their presence in the long run of 1 month. Ofcorse there are worries abt their defense but I hope they can make some patch works and get the team into a competing one in an international level. I hope Germany will go distance as they have done in the past few world cups continuously. Its not surprising that they have got into the QF for the past 11 WCs in a row. Amazing achievement. Watch out for Klinsman's men whom as a team have underachieved over the years. Clearly they are a team who deserve more and needed to be placed in the fav lists.

Keep going GERMANY !

2006-06-08T01:14:00.000-07:00

Da Vinci Code Review !

Hi, Let me tell u, DVC is worth 100 Rs. Director Ron Howard has made nothing new but the carbon copy of the Dan Brown best seller. It’s a visual treat for those who haven’t read the book and for those who could barely watch the Jesus fibs.
About the film, it could have been a better version if the director was a bit more patient. He just wanted to finish it off in a racy fashion so that nothing is lost in contrary to the book. But he should have thought that a motion picture is in a different league altogether and that the slower you narrate the closer you make the film taut. Anyways, its worth a watch.
The film rolls on when the curator in the Museum of Louvre is chased and killed by Silas, the messenger of God. Wow, Silas is a little spooky creature and full marks to the costume designer for that. Langdon (Tom Hanks) will be called by the French police as part of the investigation and he turns out to be a suspect in the murder. Though the introduction of Robert Langdon is different from that in the book, it’s done so as to give Hanks the shades of the arrival of a “hero”. When he witnesses the corpse and finds some chaos in the whole scene, he is helped by Sophie who knows that the dumping of Langdon from the horizon is nothing but a ploy by Fache, who is the cop.
Langdon unwinds an anagram, “Oh Dacronian Devil Oh Lame Saint” which is written just beside the body by the curator himself. He come to know that its devised from Leonardo Da vinci and The Mona Lisa. This whole scene swift passes in a matter of seconds and that I thought was a big mistake. Comeon, u r talking about none other than Leonardo Da vinci and his famous painting and u must have given ample time for the audience to digest. Langdon then has a look at the artifact itself when he finds another anagram (The Madonna of Rocks), which brings him the key to a secret account of a bank in Brussels. What is the key all about? How is this related to the murder? Who is the boss of Silas? All these unfold in the second half.
To be honest, the first half is a bit lagging, thanks to the raciness in code breaking. The movie will soon be riveting when Langdon and co arrives in London and to be precise, in front of the tomb of Issac Newton. Ron Howard, at times reminds the audience why he is an Academy award winner. The mass scenes are picturised in an effective and well etched out manner. The Back Ground score (Hans Zimmer- Gladiator fame) is exceptional especially when the film enters its climax. The beauty of the Rosslyn Chapel is well paved out and one would wonder about the very existence of such a place. The last scene when Langdon stands in the Louvre keeping his left palm on his right and looking down the pyramids is simply awesome. He just waits n waits and senses the artistic beauty of the place where Mary Megdelene is rested. Yes, he waits beneath the inverted pyramid and a pat on the backs of the cameraman and the director for carving it into an unforgettable moment in the movie.

I just want to raise a few queries on the movie whilst some trimming was done in the story.
1. What has happened to Sophie’s brother?
2. Till the end, the Curator’s sacred ritual, because of which Sophie had a fight with him, is not well justified. The man-woman symbol and the chalice should have been explained with much more sincerity.
3. Why did they run with the script in the first half?
4. Where has the romance gone?

Inspite of all these flaws, Da Vinci Code is one must watch movie in recent history, whether you are a firm believer that the Christ was divine or not! It just doesn’t matter. Watch it atleast for Tom, coz he fits in the character like anything though he is no larger than life. Sohpie’s English with French dialect is a treat for ur ears. Newys, go for it.

2006-06-07T01:27:00.000-07:00

Hey dudes n dudettes,

This is Krishna Kumar P. a.k.a KK from the sizzling city of Bangalore. I am working as a software engineer in a reputed MNC here. As my blog says, I'm just a bit too hot for u to handle n ofcorse handle with care. Gotcha? Bye 4 now!

KK