A conclusion to all confusion

Looks like there is an answer finally for a question that was haunting all the +2 students’ minds for many months now. I think the current batch is the most unlucky batch in recent times. First, their syllabus was updated to include advanced topics (college level portions) inadditon to what was already there. They received their books just a couple of months before they started their academic year. I think the usual trend is students start preparing for +2 right from the mid of their +1 year. The blueprint for the question paper was revised umpteen number of times and they finally got it only in the month of December, just 2 months before the actual exam. While +2 students usually start going to entrance coaching classes from December, this batch students were forced to drop out from coaching classes they already enrolled since the government announced that there will be no entrance exams this year. And usually, the state entrance exams are conducted within a month after the board exams so the students can finally get it over with and concentrate on other national level entrance tests. This time they have sit with it for another month and not to mention how many other entrance test dates are going to be around or overlap with these dates. All the Tamilnadu government has achieved is putting the students to so much turmoil. I seriously pity them. I can only wish they overcome all this and come out with flying colors.

F1 - a new season begins

Start of yet another exciting season…and looks like Alonso is still riding on the 2005 victory horse. After clinching last year’s championship, Fernando Alonso started the new season with style at Bahrain today. Schumi might be a little disappointed for finishing second especially after a favourable start from number one position at the pole. But the Ferrari team will be sure rejoicing now as their car seems more stable than it was in the 2005 season. It sure looks like Schumi is all set to target his eight world title.

And coming to my favourite Kimi Raikkonen, though he had a bad day during the qualifying race which forced him to start at No:22 at the pole, he fought back well today and secured himself a place at the podium. I wish him all the luck and really hope he clinches the title this year. All The Best KIMI!!!

Iqbal

After hearing a lot of good reviews about this one, I finally got to watch "Iqbal" yesterday. It was a simple movie with a powerful subject. Set in a backdrop of a small village, the movie focuses on how a physically challenged guy (deaf & dumb) works towards his dream of becoming a Cricket player and play for his country. The role of Iqbal was well played by Shreyas Talpade, who did a commendable job. He has wonderfully expressed the protagonist’s passion for cricket. All the characters in the movie were well etched especially the roles of the younger sister of Iqbal who helps him in all his efforts and his mother, who encourages him to achieve his dreams. Naseeruddin Shah plays the pivotal character of a drunkard guy who trains Iqbal to improve his skills and helps him to attain his goals. Kapil Dev also has a brief appearance in the climax of the movie. On the whole, “Iqbal” is a fantastic effort by Nagesh Kukunoor. Kudos to him!

What prompted me more to write this post was not just the movie itself but also the Filmfare awards of this year. There was no award for this movie. Not even the “Critics Award”. While “Black”, which has the same base story line of “Iqbal”, a physically challenged person trying to achieve something big in life, won 11 awards…there was not even a single award for “Iqbal”. I have nothing against “Black”; in fact I thought the movie was a brilliant effort. But in my opinion, “Iqbal” definitely deserves equal recognition. In a country like India, where Cricket is considered a “Religion” than just a sport, how many movies are made based on it? Leave alone Cricket, any other sports for that matter. There are so many sports based movies in Hollywood that are just amazing. “Remember the Titans”, “Coach Carter”, “Rudy” to name a few. So finally, when someone does take an effort to present a good movie with a sports subject, they don’t get recognized at all?

This news in Sify says that all young hero’s in Kollywood are not able to do new films as they are out of scripts. Why can’t they just get out of the whole “masala” stuff and do a movie based on a sports subject. Now, I am not talking about movies like “Ghilli” where “Kabadi” was just a miniscule part of the movie hardly having anything to do with the actual story. I am talking about movies like “Iqbal” here. Will any top hero be bold enough to do something like this in Kollywood? I can just hope!