So Rajini's Kuselan, his latest blockbuster-to-be is set to hit the silverscreens this weekend worldwide... Needless to say the dude is an acknowledged larger-than-life Superstar and his movies are what Kodambakkam producers regard as the closest thing to a "minimum guarantee" in terms of return on investment in an industry that is not necessarily known for it.
His screen charisma aside, what intrigues me about Rajini is his personality off-screen and the bunch of contradictions his overall persona effuses. Despite his massive fan-base, the guy has spurned many a chance and enticements to enter TN politics, for reasons best known to him. A self-acclaimed theist and spiritualist, he seems to fall back on his religious beliefs when he says he does not get any kick out of politics. He however likes to leave all doors open with punch-line screen pronouncements like these - "nethu naan conductor, inniku naan nadigan, nallaikku naan yaaro?" (yesterday I was a coductor, today I am an actor, who knows what I will be tomorrow?). He says money does not thrill him either, but is continuing to collect more in terms of salary than any actor in the history of South Asia, and is continuing to beat his own salary records with every new film. He says he diets and meditates to maintain his "ilamai" or youth (never mind the role of the make-up man) but continues to smoke in private and on the screen (when political parties don't object). He has undescribable level of public appeal (especially with kids), but instead chooses to retreat to the himalayas every year to visit his spiritual gurus. He is probably the only star who thinks nationally on river-water issues (thank god!) in an industry dominated by stars known for their tamil-centric chest-beating. He portrays great screen courage and valor (even stops bullets with his eyeballs) but in real life buckles to local politicians when they attack his political stances (he "apologized" today to Kannada activists for his pro-TN stance on the hogenakkal issue - so that he can get his Kuselan released in Bengaluru!). That is about all I can think of when I come to think of the man's confusing personality. Does anyone who knows him better explain to us laymen please?
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Olympics - The Chinese style!!!
Alright we all know Beijing is all set to host the Olympics starting next week... Just a few things I saw/heard in the media in the run-up to the Beijing event...
1. China has banned BBC Chinese and its coverage of the olympics.
2. China has imposed visa policies/restrictions on international visitors to the olympics to a level unheard of by any country for any prior olympic event.
3. China has allowed "legal protests" against the olympics at specially dedicated zones only. For those who don't know, a protest by chinese definition is almost always illegal. In other words, a legal protest against Government is practically impossible per Chinese law.
4. After all this, China still believes terrorist or anti-national (i.e. pro-Tibet) strikes are totally possible at Olympic venues. This is their reasoning for escalating security measures to unprecedented levels.
If you read all this, you wonder why in the first place this wretched country was chosen to host the olympics. A country that unleashed force on people it call its own citizens (Tibetans) has no moral right to host any international event of stature. If the communist regime running the show in Beijing had an iota of shame, they would invite the Dalai Lama to attend the olympics and would at the Olympic opening ceremony tender an apology to the Tibetans for all the human right atrocities that China unleashed against them.
1. China has banned BBC Chinese and its coverage of the olympics.
2. China has imposed visa policies/restrictions on international visitors to the olympics to a level unheard of by any country for any prior olympic event.
3. China has allowed "legal protests" against the olympics at specially dedicated zones only. For those who don't know, a protest by chinese definition is almost always illegal. In other words, a legal protest against Government is practically impossible per Chinese law.
4. After all this, China still believes terrorist or anti-national (i.e. pro-Tibet) strikes are totally possible at Olympic venues. This is their reasoning for escalating security measures to unprecedented levels.
If you read all this, you wonder why in the first place this wretched country was chosen to host the olympics. A country that unleashed force on people it call its own citizens (Tibetans) has no moral right to host any international event of stature. If the communist regime running the show in Beijing had an iota of shame, they would invite the Dalai Lama to attend the olympics and would at the Olympic opening ceremony tender an apology to the Tibetans for all the human right atrocities that China unleashed against them.
Ron-Ron is gone-gone?
Now if you are a die-hard Kings fan, and you just heard the (upcoming) Ron Artest deal to Houston, you are wondering what to think... If you are like me, you probably have a mixed feeling - a sense of relief that a lingering headache of a character on your favorite ball club is leaving town, and a sense of failure that your team could no longer afford to sustain the hope that Ron's maverick talents would outweigh the off-the-court baggage he brings. As a courteous fan, you wish Ron good luck in Houston, while you still hope and pray that our beloved Kings are headed in the right direction with this move in laying the ground for a "distraction"-less team that can rebuild around Kevin Martin and the young, unproven pieces that surround him.
My thoughts aside, I could not help but be irked by a sense of jubiliation on the Ron deal that the jokers on KHTK sportstalk 1140 - you know who I mean - Grant Napear and Mike Lamb - were effusing in their daily on-the-air rant. These pro-establishment Maloof hired-guns did not have the professionalism to say a good word about Ron and the good things he did bring to this team when he was here, but instead did their childish "sour grapes" commentary trashing the guy. It is time we saw some professionalism in radio commentary, because Sacramento fans deserve better than these buffoons.
My thoughts aside, I could not help but be irked by a sense of jubiliation on the Ron deal that the jokers on KHTK sportstalk 1140 - you know who I mean - Grant Napear and Mike Lamb - were effusing in their daily on-the-air rant. These pro-establishment Maloof hired-guns did not have the professionalism to say a good word about Ron and the good things he did bring to this team when he was here, but instead did their childish "sour grapes" commentary trashing the guy. It is time we saw some professionalism in radio commentary, because Sacramento fans deserve better than these buffoons.
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