tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83008505448207912972024-03-08T20:16:40.613+05:30Just my thoughts..A place to express my feelings, turn my thoughts into words, vent my anger and maybe once in a while, make some sense!Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05416119608861747450noreply@blogger.comBlogger113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300850544820791297.post-90125624533473310262020-04-17T17:17:00.000+05:302020-04-17T17:17:04.086+05:30From a visit, to a hospital<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's been almost a month since India went into lockdown. I have avoided stepping out, as much as possible. But the past few days, I've had to go out a bit to prepare for my mom's medical treatment. Now, this meant that I had to spend some time at a local hospital.<br />
<br />
We take all the usual precautions, like using sanitisers, masks etc. Also, on returning home, we immediately wash our hands with soap, change our clothes and take a bath as well. We throw the clothes into the washing machine so that my three-year old doesn't touch it accidentally.<br />
<br />
When there is a highly contagious disease spreading throughout the city, most people would try to avoid visiting the hospital. Yet, on my multiple visits to the hospital, I came across a kid who was maybe 7 years old and was spending most of his day at the hospital. Apparently, his mom worked there as a nurse. I assumed that she didn't have anyone to help babysit her kid, so, she must've brought him along.<br />
<br />
This kid was obviously bored. He ran around the place for a while. He playfully fought with the security guard for a while. He then pestered his mom for some junk food. He tried sitting in different chairs and benches.<br />
<br />
A visitor (not a patient) who was sitting nearby, asked the kid about his father. The kid replied that his dad was into real estate. The visitor said "Oh! Real estate is a big business. He must be earning well." For this, the kid casually replied, "Hm.. But he doesn't give us any money. He spends everything on drinks".<br />
<br />
That reply answered a lot of questions. But it also raised a million more.<br />
<br />
We might find a vaccine for corona virus; but there is no vaccine for a man's vices!</div>
Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05416119608861747450noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300850544820791297.post-20419563921540249962015-10-03T23:10:00.003+05:302015-10-03T23:10:48.094+05:30You have to pay the piper!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Here is a hard earned lesson that I'm giving for free - "<b><u>Get a Health Insurance!</u></b>"<br />
<br />
Apparently, I have been out of touch with the advances in the medical industry. Gone are the days when you go to a doctor, pay 100 rupees and you are magically cured. These days, you'll be charged Rs.500 for just consulting with the doctor, for barely 5 minutes. Five hundred is for a small hospital on the outskirts of the city. If you travel into the city and if the hospital has a second floor, you'll be charged more, much more.<br />
<br />
There are lots of other neat tricks that the hospitals play. Lets say, you want to meet the chief doctor, then, you'll have to meet a doctor lower in the rank so that they can take your history and note down a bunch of stuff on the paper for the bigger doctor to go through. Now, you'll be charged double, because you spent five minutes each, with two doctors. Medical Miracle! Else, you'll be referred to another doctor by a doctor. Again, double! Two specialists visited you? Double!<br />
<br />
It's not just the consultation fee that has gone up. Patient room is costlier than a star hotel. I suppose they will be, because most hospitals have a valet parking these days. The cost of medical treatments are sky-rocketing.<br />
<br />
What has happened? You see, lots of people these days have health insurance. So, the patients don't care that they are being charged an insane amount of money because the insurance company is going to bear the charges. The insurance companies are happy because as the charges go up, they can charge a higher premium citing the increase in medical expenses. Also, more people will take insurance because the treatments are costly. It's a vicious cycle powered by hospitals and insurance companies and unfortunately, we are caught in the middle.<br />
<br />
But do you know who is the real loser in this concept? <u>The ones who don't have a health insurance</u>. I spent 5 minutes with a doctor a few days back and paid 600. Later, I had to go back for a signature (which took 2 minutes) and another 500. I had to repeat this a couple of times & spent the same amount each time. I often hear people complaining about IT employees spending a lot of money on fancy dinners but that is nothing compared to what's happening in these hospitals.<br />
<br />
Also, there are two popular myths about insurance.<br />
1) People say "Oh, don't worry, I have a life insurance". That's fine sir, but it's not the same as a health insurance. Only one of those, will help you stay alive. <br />
2) "Health insurance is useless for people with pre-existing conditions". Wrong again. There are clauses in certain insurances for pre-existing conditions. For example, you'll get paid for any expenses incurred two years after buying the insurance. Or, if it's a corporate insurance, your claim would go through. Or, at least half your expenses will be compensated. There are even certain insurances sold only for people with existing problems.<br />
<br />
Once we cross a certain age, we are going to face health problems, that is fact. Maybe one in hundred might live through life without any major medical treatments. The rest of us, are going to spend some time in the hospital. The worst part is, we'll have to spend money when we are retired and living on a pension (if we have one). So, trust me when I say health insurance is a must. <br />
<br />
You have to Pay the Piper!</div>
Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05416119608861747450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300850544820791297.post-11022937859293478712015-04-16T23:25:00.000+05:302015-04-16T23:25:34.364+05:30Got home-loan? You might want to read this..<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In our lifetime, we've all lost money to thieves and pickpockets but it hasn't really amounted to much. Maybe a few hundreds or if we were unlucky, a few thousands. We spend so much time worrying about losing the new 1000 rupee note that we pulled out of the ATM yesterday. But I realized recently that I'm losing more than a lakh in broad daylight (in a legal way), thanks to my laziness.<br />
<br />
Like most middle-class citizens of our great nation, I too have purchased a home-loan (because its an investment, provides tax-benefit, bla, bla). As most borrowers know, the interest rate on the loan is variable and it fluctuates with the market, yada, yada. But I recently noticed that the interest rate in my home loan has been going only one way - UP, for the past 3 years. I assumed that it's due to inflation - all costs go up more than they come down.<br />
<br />
One fine day, my dad pointed me to a nice little article in the newspaper that said that my lender (ABC Corp) has reduced the interest rate from 10.xx to 9.9%. Yet, my payment sheet with ABC Corp has been listing the interest rate as 11.xx. Now, that's not right! Then, my dad explained that the interest rate for existing customers is different from the interest rate for new customers. In other words, you take a loan at 10.xx% and after an year, it magically turns into 11.xx% - TADA!<br />
<br />
Apparently, last year, RBI had asked the banks to not charge different rates for existing vs new customers (as explained in <a href="http://www.business-standard.com/article/finance/rbi-issues-fresh-norms-to-curb-customer-discrimination-114041001184_1.html" target="_blank">this article</a>). It is believed that most banks have started following this, but we'll never really know for sure! ;-) Now, why is my ABC Corp not following this? Because ABC Corp is not a bank. As explained <a href="http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/home-loan/why-do-home-loan-interest-rates-fluctuate_1311897.html" target="_blank">in this article</a>, just because the name of the company is the same as the name of a bank, it doesn't necessarily mean that they are the same. For example,<br />
<br />
UKFC OYU Bank<br />
UKFC OYU Ltd<br />
<br />
are different companies. This means that the company with 'Ltd' in their name might not need to play by the same rules as the company with 'Bank' in their name. <br />
<br />
Still, the huge difference in the interest rate kinda irked me. So, I sent out a simple one-line email to the Manager at ABC Corp asking "will the interest rate for existing customers come down?". To this, I received a lengthy reply with lots of financial jargon and what not. I went through the entire mail a couple of times only to realize that, the reply was just a vague explanation about interest rates. Essentially, they were trying to sound complicated and confusing, so that people won't raise questions about being robbed at daylight. Being an avid gamer myself, I decided to take up this challenge and composed a lengthy reply with links to news articles about the fluctuations in the market and the interest rates, bla bla. This time though, I received a proper one-line reply saying "We are expecting the rate of interest reduction". Again, translated to plain English - "no", because the rate for me hasn't decreased even once in a past 3 years even though it has decreased a number of times for new customers at ABC Corp.<br />
<br />
So, what's next? Move out, that's what. My friend Dhivakar introduced me to refinancing, where we move our housing loan from one lender to another. Relief! But not so fast. You see, to move out of ABC Corp prematurely, I would again have to pay a penalty to ABC Corp. I heard that RBI advised banks against penalizing the customers too much, but again, my ABC Corp is not a bank. So, in essence, non-bank financial organizations will<br />
<br />
a) charge less at first and then increase it later,<br />
b) increase the interest rate for all customers but decrease the rate only for new customers<br />
c) penalize the customers heavily for moving out<br />
<br />
Yet, we go to these organizations for loan, why? Because when the banks say "you can't afford this loan amount with your current salary", the non-bank lender will say "please come in, would you like a Coke while we process your loan?".<br />
<br />
Why is this a big deal? Why have I written such a lengthy post on this subject? Because when I did the math, the difference in the interest rate translated to nearly 4 lakh rupees. Four lakh rupees, earned from months of hard work. This is why the middle-class, remain as middle-class. We lack Financial IQ. We leave the complicated maths to auditors and financial organizations and then wonder, why we are not rich yet!<br />
<br />
Please, share this information. Have meaningful and factual discussions with friends and colleagues about financial topics. Knowledge is literally, wealth!</div>
Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05416119608861747450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300850544820791297.post-80198176513623719802015-01-11T23:28:00.000+05:302015-01-11T23:28:14.841+05:30Staying Relevant at Work<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
There is a lot of talk recently about the forced voluntary
resignation at TCS. I'm not going to
comment on that till I see some facts about the attrition rate and head count compared
to the previous years. Then, there are
posts that are trying to spread the following sentiments - 'honey-money period
coming to an end for IT', 'IT employees deserve this', 'IT employees have
become use and throw products' etc. I’m
not going to comment on these sensationalized opinion posts either.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I’m rather interested in discussing and understanding what’s
happening from an employee-employer standpoint and what we can do to try to
prepare ourselves. Essentially, the
company is trying to push out people who are “in its eyes”,
under-performers. Even if (assuming) the
company is doing this for financial reasons, the company would still try to
retain its top performers. The company’s
(real) reasons for doing this, the accuracy (or inaccuracy) of the evaluation
methods, the morality of this process, the impact to the lives of those who
have lost jobs are difficult questions and open for debate. But I’m not going to get into that either. Those are all topics that deserve a separate
in-depth analysis.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
Wake-up Call<o:p></o:p></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I would like to think of these recent events as a wake-up
call for myself and this post is about me trying to gather my thoughts on how
to stay relevant in today’s industry.
The school/college notion of hard work is - enter the premises on time, stay
back late and complete the “given” work.
Yes, these could help but unfortunately, in IT, time is not equal to
amount of work done even though at times we are rated on this. In IT, work is about adding value; in other
words, taking responsibility and completing a work that adds value to the
client/project.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
Amount of work vs value of work<o:p></o:p></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
What does it mean? It
means that when a lead asks his/her developer ‘why hasn’t this bug been fixed’,
the reply ‘I spent 8 hours on this & I even stayed back late yesterday’ is
not going to help. Either the developer
doesn’t understand the issue, in which case he/she should’ve asked a colleague
for help after the first hour of analysis or, the requirement/design is
incorrect, in which case he/she should’ve discussed the potential flaw with the
lead. Sometimes, we get so caught up in
work or debugging (and our null point exceptions), that we forget this big
picture.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
Clarity<o:p></o:p></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
When a task is given, the person doing the work should try
to understand the work being done and why it’s being done. Following someone else’s instructions instead
of understanding what’s happening is also why most mistakes happen. We should also be in a position to explain
the work to others because without that skill, no one would understand the
importance of our idea or work. I’ve
seen people give explanations like “I’m working on it and it’ll take time; I
can’t explain this because you don’t have the technical knowledge in this area”. In my opinion, they either don’t fully
understand what’s going on or lack the skills to explain it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
Responsibility<o:p></o:p></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
If I leave my project today, how many work items in my
project will get affected? Am I
suggesting that we hoard information to stay relevant in the project? No.
Collect as much information as possible from others and provide as much
as possible to others, but what we do with that information is what really
matters. Say for example, I find out
that there is a recurring issue in one of my applications – that’s
knowledge. Taking steps to resolve it – analysing
the issue, setting-up calls, building the fix and deploying - that’s taking
responsibility. A lead would always
appreciate someone who takes responsibility and would think twice before
letting him/her go. After completing two
years in IT, if we are still waiting for the lead to assign us with work, then,
we are doing something wrong.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
Taking Responsibility vs being a Workaholic<o:p></o:p></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In the course of analysing the issue, the developer might stay
back late, have lots of conversations with his lead, ask a lot of questions to
his colleague, etc. This doesn’t mean
that he/she is a workaholic or he/she has managed to befriend the project
lead. It means that he/she is getting
the work done. But if the person
regularly stays late to complete a 10 days’ worth of work in 5 days, then he/she
is a workaholic. In IT, if someone takes
responsibility for a work, they would have to work late for a day or maybe a
week or two during analysis and/or deployment.
But once the work is done and deployed, they should be back to regular routine. If the person is assigned 10 days’ worth of
work and is being “asked” to complete it in 5 days, then he is in the wrong
role or wrong project. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
Prioritization<o:p></o:p></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Often, too much work is assigned to one person but this is
not a bad thing from the individual’s perspective. When a lot of work gets assigned to the same
person, it could mean that the lead trusts him/her (more than others) to get
the job done. But the person needs to
identify the important tasks and prioritize.
Because we have only a limited amount of time every day. At the end of the day, if only two out of
five tasks are completed, the lead could get upset if the completed ones are
the least important ones. Prioritizing the
open tasks is extremely important even if the task wasn’t assigned by the lead. Say for example, a person is given three
tasks but he/she realizes that there is a long pending fourth task that others
in the team have forgotten about and not completing that task would turn into
an issue next week. In that case, the
person should bring it up with the lead instead of worrying about adding burden. Prioritize instead of worrying about the work
load.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
Go-to Person<o:p></o:p></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Finally, we need to be the go-to person in either a
technical area or a business domain or some skillset. Every office will have a person who others
consult with for JAVA (or any technology) related issues. Or a person who everyone reaches out to, for
questions regarding the client’s business.
Or let’s say that you prepared a document for the client and now your
lead asks you to get it reviewed by a person who is unrelated to your project,
then, he is a go-to guy for documentation.
These are usually people whom the lead or manager considers as key
members. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In summary – take responsibility, get work done, prioritize
and be the ‘go-to’ person.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Let me emphasize that I’m not saying that these will
guarantee job safety. Also, I’m not
saying that the people who were asked to leave did not do any of these. I’m simply suggesting that, in an IT career,
there are certain skills that we need to learn and develop. Asking “which technology/book should I read
to retain my job?” is irrelevant. Instead,
try to understand the work, the current project and the business.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05416119608861747450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300850544820791297.post-68795369016021108272014-02-20T11:42:00.001+05:302014-02-20T11:42:48.383+05:30Watch the story of the birth of electricity in 'Genius of Invention'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
For our generation, life without electricity is unimaginable. But just 300 years ago, electricity was something unimaginable for us humans. Have you ever wondered how we it started? How did we find electricity in nature and how we produced it, harnessed it and used it to transform our lives? I recently came across a television series by BBC called <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2614460/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">Genius of Invention</a> which explains this beautifully.<br />
<br />
The revolution started in the 19th century when the first steam engines were invented. Until then, all manual labour was powered by domestic animals or humans, apart from wind mills of course. But with steam engines, we had a way to create 'mechanical work' without manual labour. Mechanical work is not the same as power or electricity. Essentially, we had a huge steam engine that was directly connected by rods, levers and wheels to whatever (mechanical work) needed to be done. Say for example, we needed to remove the water that was seeping into the mining caves, then, this huge engine would be set-up at the mine and used to automatically transport buckets of water out of the cave.<br />
<br />
Then came along electricity which could be used to do the same mechanical work without having to connect an engine to it. How? Check out the first episode of the television series to find out more. They have explained it in a very simple manner, using the original instruments that started the revolution. The advantage of seeing the original instruments in action is that you can understand so much more than reading it from a book. The principles and logic are so simple and yet, till date they power some the biggest machines in our world. This is worth a watch for any curious mind, regardless of whether you are interested in electricity.</div>
Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05416119608861747450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300850544820791297.post-25314304241554363152013-10-01T01:31:00.001+05:302013-10-01T01:31:11.894+05:30Did you download the latest...?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My last post on sharing banking credentials is common knowledge for everyone. This time, I'm writing about a topic that's more relevant to today's generation - <b>torrents</b>.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<div>
Its an open secret that most people pirate online using torrents. But we shouldn't take it for granted just because a lot of people do it. Simply because your mom or cousin asked you to download that old Chandrababu song, it doesn't make it legal. Of course, I'm not going to say that you shouldn't do it or that I've never done it. But at least be aware of what you are doing and be cautious. I've seen people send torrent files over e-mail. Movie/game studios in India are not (yet) suing individuals over pirated downloads, but it happens in US. Soon, it might happen here as well. If/when such a day comes, your e-mail can and will be used against you.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Why would gmail or yahoo give your private e-mails to movie studios, you ask? Well, there are ways a company can ask the government to force another company to give their data about you. "There is no such law in India", you say. Well, not now, but in the near future? As it is right now, the Indian government is applying pressure on companies like facebook and google to open servers in India so that the government can monitor and have more control (laws) over the data. Indian government already ranks second highest in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/about/government_requests" target="_blank">the number of requests for user information to facebook</a>.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I've also seen people post screenshots of their torrent downloads in facebook. Some people post that they are going to download a torrent or even link to a torrent. You may feel that you have a right to do this or that the copyright laws are unfair. Well, I too feel that way but still, are you ready to go to court with that defense? There are already instances of <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-20390084" target="_blank">ordinary people getting arrested over facebook posts</a>, though that was for political reasons. Just one step away.<br />
<br />
Lets assume that such a future never pans out. Lets assume that corporate companies never get around to taking action against individuals. Still, <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/deborahljacobs/2013/05/17/how-an-online-reputation-can-hurt-your-job-hunt/" target="_blank">past online activities can also affect your job application</a>. How? Well, certain companies research online including social networks about their potential employees. I've even heard of instances abroad where the company asks for the candidate's facebook password. But why would the company care if you downloaded Titanic? Maybe you are applying for a movie studio or maybe its an IT company and wants to see whether you respect copyright laws (which is vital for IT companies).<br />
<br />
This may surprise you, but Indian IT companies have started looking into social networks like linkedIn for potential hires. I first read about this last month but then last week, I met a few people who came for an interview because the company had called them directly after seeing their linkedIn page.<br />
<br />
None of this has an immediate impact on anyone's life today, but its worth being cautious about because we can never really predict the future.</div>
</div>
Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05416119608861747450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300850544820791297.post-8090612172968253252013-09-28T15:47:00.001+05:302013-09-28T15:48:18.118+05:30Share your money but not your password<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div>
Everyone knows what a password is and why we should never share it. The same applies for credit/debit card details as well. We often make online transactions and its fine, because banks and online shops take extra care to safeguard their websites and your communication with their websites. For example, banking sites use https protocol which is relatively more secure. Now, https is not a fool-proof solution against hacking but the technology is not really the biggest issue. Like IT companies say, the real crack in the armor is us, people. All the technology in the world can't save you when you write your banking credentials in a clean white sheet and leave it in the backseat of a call taxi.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Which idiot would do that, you ask? Well, I've seen a few people send credit card or bank account credentials through SMS. Say you send the message and immediately delete it from your phone. Great! But the person who received your message, might have a fancy android mobile. He is a bit lazy, like me and so he makes use of an app to sync his mobile messages with his PC so that he can reply to and read SMS from his computer (like me :D). Now, after receiving the message with banking details, he deletes it from his mobile. Smart thinking. But the message is already synced into the app's online database. Say, the app was developed by 3 to 4 guys during their free-time. They don't have the time or money to set-up additional security for their website or database. Besides, they'll be thinking, why does an SMS syncing app need additional security? That means, they can be hacked easily compared to your banking website.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
All this might sound too complicated, but its not really. But then you might say, "I haven't heard of something like this happen even in USA". Not yet, but 5 years ago did you think that you will pay your TV bill online? We can't guess what'll happen 5 years from now. You may forget about the SMS that you sent and you may not have even had 100 rupees in the account when you sent it, but 4 years later, that account might have your life's savings and the password will still be the same and that information will still be available out there somewhere. If it still sounds implausible, what if the receiver didn't delete the message and his mobile gets stolen the next day? And there are many more possible risks that I can think of and there are a lot more I don't even know about.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So how the hell are we supposed to protect ourselves from these unknown threats, you ask? Well, its simple, use common sense. a) don't send passwords and sensitive information over SMS or email. b) if you have to for some urgent need, change the password by the end of that day. Now, that's simple, isn't it? There is no point in being lazy and then blaming the new technology for being unsafe.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This is only part-one; there is more to come.. :P</div>
</div>
Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05416119608861747450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300850544820791297.post-44453056537568128862013-08-11T21:17:00.004+05:302013-08-11T21:17:51.758+05:30Introducing my latest spare-time effort<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Since my college days, one my favourite hobbies has been to work on websites. I started by creating logo and ad banners for an Indian gaming start-up called v-street. Then I moved into content-creation and gaming event coverage since I was into e-Sports. After college, I joined another start-up called golive gaming solutions in Hyderabad where I was introduced to flash-game development.<br />
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Just before joining TCS, I started a website of my own with two other friends, Bharath and Praveen. The site was a news portal for people interested in Indian eSports. The site was built from scratch, meaning, no CMS or blog engine was used. I also had to post at least 3 articles per week and I did so, month after month. It went on for more than a year and the site had a decent following in the Indian eSports community. We even received an email from a famous international eSports team's manager encouraging us to continue our efforts. Sadly though, we lost interest soon after.<br />
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Letting go of the website after spending more than an year on it, was very frustrating. I didn't do any web development at home for an year after that. A few months ago, I decided to get my head straight and start working on something again in my spare time. Along came my cousin Sakthi and colleague Vigneshram to help with the coding. The product of our work:<br />
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<b><a href="http://guardians.azurewebsites.net/">http://guardians.azurewebsites.net</a></b><br />
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Its a website to play simple games against another human player. Think of it as an electronic version of our chessboard. Instead of playing on a board, we'll be playing from our mobiles and laptops. To start off, I've created just one game, reversi. Some of you might remember it as othello from the Nintendo video game days.<br />
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So, when you have a friend at home or available for chat over the net and you've run out of topics to chat about, just invite him/her to the link and play a game. If you find it enjoyable, let me know as it'll encourage me to develop more games.</div>
Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05416119608861747450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300850544820791297.post-70036817199606629182013-07-11T02:08:00.002+05:302013-07-11T02:08:42.303+05:30I promise to Pay It Forward<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last year, I wrote a <a href="http://gdntd.blogspot.in/2012/12/a-gentle-reminder.html">blog post</a> about picking up a stranger at night near Pallikaranai. At the exact same spot tonight, my bike ran into a puddle of water. I'm used to riding my bike in rain and huge puddles of water but tonight, my bike finally said "no more". There were some loud thud sounds coming from the engine and the bike came to a halt. Again, it was around midnight and there was no help around. I started to push the bike and after more than a kilometer, I reached the Velacherry station. A called up a colleague who lives near that area and he suggested that I park my bike at the station for the night or wait till he reaches home.<div>
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I gave it some thought and then said "na, catching a train or taking an auto is too boring". "Here's an idea; what if I push the bike all the way home (around 5 kilometers). I've already pushed the bike more than a kilometer, so, how hard can it be!". Thanks to my brilliant thinking, I started pushing again. It wasn't so bad for the next one or two kilometers. Then a miracle happened. A guy on a bike stopped, came to me and asked whether I needed petrol because he had some in a bottle. I said no thanks, I've got plenty and that its an engine problem. As he left, I noticed his number plate, he was a police! For the first time in my life, I've met a policeman who actually tried to help someone. That may seem like a harsh comment but in my life experience, that really was the first.</div>
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After pushing the bike for another kilometer, I started feeling tired. This time, I really did have a decent idea. I took out my mobile and started playing some music. I started pushing again powered by soothing music. Another bike stopped next to me and asked what was the problem. It was a fellow Avenger this time and this guy seemed to know a thing or two about the mechanisms of the bike. He tried to start the bike and concluded that the engine coil was toast thanks to water. He also said that his 200cc model had the same problem which is why he traded it for the 220cc which he had with him at the moment. Then, he offered to tow me (which is a fancy way of saying that he would push my bike with his right leg).</div>
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I was pleasantly surprised and I immediately agreed. Oh, did I mention that it was raining? From the moment I left the office, it was raining. I was wearing a raincoat, but this guy was getting soaked because all he had was a cap. It was around 12 midnight. And, to top it all, he wasn't even heading my way. He simply wanted to help me out and he went out of his way in doing so. He towed me for a good one kilometer after which I told him that I needed to leave the highway now and that I'll push the bike the rest of the way. As I thanked him, he made a u-turn & went on his way and my mobile was playing 'anbe sivam'! Epic, haha!</div>
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Then I realized that this was the exact same spot where I dropped off my hitchhiker from the previous blog post. I had one more kilometer to go and I had just enough strength in me to make it. That 1 kilometer tow made a helluva difference. That guy had absolutely no reason to stop and help me, yet, he did. Its gestures like these that remind us that we live in a civilized society where people help each other. More than 200 people must've passed by me in my 80 minute walk. At least two people thought it was worth helping out a stranger in the rain. I WILL remember this and I will strive to pass on this friendly gesture to someone else one day. I will try to be that one out of one hundred.</div>
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Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05416119608861747450noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300850544820791297.post-17568237889994012462013-04-06T18:39:00.002+05:302013-04-06T18:39:45.879+05:30Paradesi...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Paradesi, a movie that I wouldn't recommend to anyone, but I still loved it. Why? Because its not really a movie and anyone who walks into the theatre expecting to see a movie will be utterly disappointed. In my opinion, Bala's latest creations are somewhere between a movie and a documentary. Its partly movie because the story is fictional and probably slightly exaggerated and unreal even. Its partly documentary because it gives us a glimpse into the life of a society which exists beyond our eyesight or at least, used to exist. It puts us in their shoe, makes us feel their pain and resets our perspective forever - exactly what a documentary is supposed to do.<br />
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In Paradesi, Bala continues to move away from a character based story to a story about a community. The main characters are simply a tool. A tool used effectively to take us through the life of that particular community. The movie reminds us about people who are less fortunate than us. It reminds us to be content with our lives because our troubles pale in comparison to theirs. I'm not suggesting that we are too comfortable or too wealthy or that we should give up our money and go live in a hut. I'm simply suggesting that we should remember the feeling of being unfortunate in life. Remember it during sorrow to lessen the burden, remember it during happiness to add to the pleasure, remember it while making decisions so that we make the right choice.<br />
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As negative and sad as Bala's movies are, I see it as positive. Take Paradesi for example. The ill treatment, the lack of means to make a decent living, the lack of social and civil rights. This was once the status of a lot of societies; not all societies, but many. For all we know, such societies still exist, but far less than before and in a far better state than this. As a society, we have come a long way forward; we are of course not perfect, but we are far better than we were before. The very fact that we live in a society that feels that this is awful to watch even in a movie, should be proof enough that we have come a long way.<br />
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There was another surprising element in the movie. It made me realize what Independence meant to the real people. Independence wasn't about who was the head of the country or which anthem we sang in the schools. Independence was simply a step forward in the long road to better rights and a fair society. We are still travelling in that road, but this movie reminds us that we have come a long way. Taken in the right perspective, it should remind us to keep moving forward.<br />
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P. S. To the few who have seen the movie, the last shot was just mind-blowing! Not the beauty of the scenery but the meaning of the shot.<br />
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Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05416119608861747450noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300850544820791297.post-33712434990036200702013-03-02T14:42:00.000+05:302013-03-02T14:42:40.546+05:30New Rule: Everyone must read this blog, except me!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Have you noticed how we (civilized people in general) are so good at passing rules from which we are exempt? Say for example, I am the transportation minister; I'll propose/pass a new speed limit rule on all state highways, reducing it to say 40 kph. I'll pass it without a moment's notice, because I am exempted from it. My parade of cars and security personnel will take me down the road at 100 kph even though I passed the rule restricting everyone else from doing the same.<br />
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I'm not pointing fingers at the government here, that was just an example. Take a look at all the rules around you. How many of those rules were created by people who were exempted from it? A student is banned from bringing mobiles to college but the staff who created or is enforcing, the rule is exempted from it. Employees are ordered not to take a vacation or not to work from home but the people who made the rule....<br />
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If its not a straight forward exemption, then its a loophole. Say for example, the government increases the price of petrol but the ministers who made the decision never actually pay for petrol because the government pays for their travel expenses. I'm sorry for circling back to the government but hey, they govern us. Then there is the case of enforcers who give a damn about the rule that they are enforcing. Near my office, traffic police catch people for driving on the wrong side of the road. Two days ago, I saw how the traffic police gets to that spot. They drive in the wrong side of the road, same as the people they fine. How is their big white Innova less dangerous than someone else's Hero Honda Splendour?<br />
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Now, hey, I'm not saying that the hike in petrol price is the government's fault or that driving in the wrong side of the road is acceptable. In fact, I hate it when people (including me) drive on the wrong side of the road and from what I heard, in US, raise and drop of petrol price is not even considered a big fuss. But the fact that the people who come up with these rules and enforce these rules are somehow not affected by them is just ridiculous.<br />
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We should probably make it a rule that whoever creates a rule should be the first one to get affected by that rule. That way, when a leader declares war against a country, he should be the first man on the ground shooting the first bullet. And when a terrorist leader orders a suicide attack, strap the damn thing on him first. Now I truly understand what Achilles meant, when he said in Troy "Imagine a king who fights his own battles. Wouldn't that be a sight!".<br />
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Those scenarios are high level pictures and perhaps even vague concepts, I admit. But its still worth thinking about in our day to day life. The next time we order a kid at home or our subordinates at work, we could spare a second to check if we are exempted and if we are, then maybe we should think twice before forcing it on them.</div>
Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05416119608861747450noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300850544820791297.post-77212054967985931962013-01-18T15:54:00.001+05:302013-01-18T15:54:32.751+05:30Fame shouldn't be used to undervalue Skill<p>An athlete uses drugs (which are  clearly illegal) to enhance his performance over other hard working athletes. He has a remarkably successful career & thus inspires a whole band of athletes to follow suite (cheat). After years of fame, fortune & ruining the sport, the truth is revealed & he admits it. Now, he gets invited to a show that's famous around the world & probably got paid a good sum for it as well. Then, some people go to the extent of praising him for admitting the truth. Sorry but am I the only one who feels that something is wrong with this story? Ok, let me try another.</p>
<p>Some people leave their families behind & travel to cities to join the film industry. Some take up any role that they can find so that they'll gain some experience. Some go to film schools & art colleges to improve their skills. Suddenly, a rich guy shows up, uses his money to take a movie & acts in it even though he has no skill. Its clear to everyone that he has no skill & yet, they praise him for whatever reason that's beyond my comprehension. Is it just me or has fame become an acceptable excuse for lack of skills?</p>
<p>We sometimes forget that skill is not something that develops naturally when we are in the womb. Skill comes from not hours, but years of hard work. Skills are developed through sweat & sometimes blood. Even if its not physically challenging, think about the mental ability needed to practise something again & again & again till you perfect it. People work hard to not just be good but to become the best in whatever it is that they do. They dedicate their whole life to developing their skills. Yet, someone comes along & makes a mockery of the whole thing & we accept it. By accepting it, we set a bad example for others to follow.</p>
Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05416119608861747450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300850544820791297.post-28800628385350280942012-12-27T00:58:00.001+05:302012-12-27T00:58:15.836+05:30A Gentle Reminder<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It was late night and I was returning home from work on my avenger. Its the middle of the winter and the weather was pretty cold. After a sharp turn, I spotted a guy asking for a ride. He was lean and was probably the same age as me. Stopping for a hitchhiker in the middle of the night is probably not a smart thing to do but sometimes I do it. It was the usual spot for hitchhikers and they usually ask for a ride to the nearest bus stop. So, I gave him a ride.<br />
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Its usually pretty windy at the speeds that I ride but still, this guy tried to start a conversation with me. I'm not a fan of casual chit-chat, especially with strangers and so, I was just giving him one word replies. Suddenly, he started narrating his life story. His father was a car driver and he died a few months ago. For whatever reason, he didn't finish 12th and was now looking for a job. He had done his 10th in a government school even though he had studied in an English medium private school till 8th.<br />
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He had been trying to find a job for months now (he had even tried the building where I work) but hadn't found one yet. Chennai was his hometown and he had two younger sisters whom he needed to take care of. In less than an hour, it was the birthday of one of his sisters. He passed a quick comment about life and didn't talk for a minute after that. Then he said he had to walk to Guindy from wherever I drop him and from where I eventually dropped him, it was a good 4 kilometer walk. His eventual destination for the night was home, which was in Porur (quite a distance from Guindy).<br />
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He is my age, from my city and yet, his life is so different and so much harder. Sometimes, we forget what we've got. We are so caught up in our daily life that we lose focus of the bigger picture. Sometimes, we need a stranger to remind us that we are very lucky; that there are many people out there, dreaming of being in a position as comfortable as ours.<br />
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I didn't ask for his name and I didn't even get a good look at his face but I hope I don't forget what he reminded me of.</div>
Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05416119608861747450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300850544820791297.post-39081112804573437592012-05-18T19:51:00.000+05:302012-05-18T19:51:09.547+05:30My Chennai!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm from Chennai and I work in the IT industry, which means that my office is full of people from all over the country. People come from beautiful remote villages, simple nearby towns and far-away cities. This provides an unique opportunity to learn more about these amazing places and the lifestyle of people living there. But it also means having to listen to a lot of complaints about city life, like<br />
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<b>Pollution</b><br />
Yes, cities are polluted. But cities didn't start out this way. Lets take the example of Cooum. Cooum wasn't filled with garbage from day one. Cooum was once the pride of the city but as the population density sky-rocketed, there wasn't enough vacant land to dump all the garbage. When I was a toddler, we used to live in T.Nagar. My mom says that the streets were so empty that I used to run off to the local park on my own because there won't be a single vehicle on the road. Can you imagine such a T.Nagar now?<br />
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When it got crowded, we moved to Nanganallur which was back then, the outskirts of the city. There were very few houses and the place was pretty much a forest and we had to walk a long distance even for groceries. Now, the place is developed and so full of apartments that there isn't a single vacant patch of land in Nanganallur to even play cricket. And we are once again planning to move further away. Just because a city has a bigger municipality and the people have more money, doesn't mean that they can magically make all the junk and eventual pollution, disappear. This is what a city sacrifices in order to support such a population.<br />
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<b>Distant Neighbours</b><br />
My friend narrated this beautiful story about the warm welcome he gets in his hometown. A few hours after he reached home, the lady next door came to his house to offer him sweets because she had heard him come in. That is obviously not something we see often in the city. He went on to say that his conversations with his neighbours at Chennai have been strictly on need-only basis, like 'has the garbage collector come to the flat yet'. <br />
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Even in my case, I know a lot of kids from the street in my mom's home town where my grandpa lived. But I hardly know the kid who lives upstairs in my flat in Chennai. This is not because the people here are unfriendly. This is because of the years that the family has spent in a home. In my grandpa's street, the families there have been living there for nearly 4 decades. Our families know each other, my grandpa knows their grandpa and my parents know their parents, thanks to the years they spend together in the same neighbourhood. The same is probably true for my friend. The sweet lady next door would've probably known him from his childhood days.<br />
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But its a different story in the city. Here, the neighbourhood is constantly changing. I have myself never lived in a house for more than a decade. Neighbours move in and move out all the time, just like me. My friend moved in to his new room in Chennai only a few months ago. His neighbours have never met my friend's parents or nephew or any other family member. All they probably see is a locked house where someone comes home at night & leaves in the morning on weekdays & on weekends, nobody is home (because he leaves for his home town). Yet, people here accept unknown neighbours into their lives and to an extent even the loud music and booze.. :P<br />
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There are more complaints like food, weather, traffic, mosquitoes etc. Of course, there are advantages and disadvantages to both metro as well as village/town life. <br />
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But I'm not trying to start a debate on city life. I'm not trying to argue the advantages or point fingers at reasons. Of course someone who is not from the city will prefer his hometown life while I find it hard to give up my city life. I'm simply trying to explain the city's side of the story. Because unless you really understand something, you won't be able to see how beautiful it really is!</div>Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05416119608861747450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300850544820791297.post-5654260226123348762012-04-21T23:39:00.001+05:302012-04-21T23:39:34.553+05:30The first novel that I've fallen in love with<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Back in Jan, I mentioned in a post that I had ordered a book called <b>Ender's Game</b> to keep me occupied in my spare time. Either I fell in love with the book or I've got too much time to kill because I've already finished the third book in the series and ordered the fourth. Its a sci-fi novel series that starts with Ender Wiggin as the central character.<br />
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To me, the first book is about a brilliant kid who is put in a challenging position where he has to struggle every single day. Not only does he have to fight against others intellectually but also with himself morally. The story and the concepts are smart and the twists are powerful. The way Ender's struggle comes to an end is just beautiful to read; a perfect ending.<br />
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The next book is called <b>Speaker for the Dead</b> and it really does take the series to the next level in my opinion by bringing philosophy into the mix. It goes deep into the human mind and explores the various feelings of an individual. The story starts digging deeper into human relations, motivations and even religion. In essence, its still a sci-fi adventure but beautifully sprinkled with philosophy.<br />
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The third is called <b>Xenocide</b> and it dives head first into ethics, moral and nature of intelligence. We humans are the only species in this planet with such advanced levels of intelligence. We are not aware of any other type of civilization or society. Our species has individuals governed by leaders and people who follow or rebel. What if there is a completely different way of looking at life/society? How would our morals and ethics be perceived by a completely different species?<br />
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The books don't attempt to completely answer philosophical questions. In fact, whenever the books provide an answer, it also provides a counter-argument against it. This is really where the book succeeds as a philosophical piece. You see, all our lives we have been stuffed with answers, in our schools, colleges, at work etc. But in the books, the various characters in their moral dilemma ask complicated questions which are hard to answer.<br />
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Let me try to explain why asking questions are more powerful than simply giving answers. Say for example you hurt someone. Now, all our religions will immediately ask us to repent our sin and ask the victim for forgiveness. But have you ever wondered why we should ask forgiveness? The word "sorry" is not going to undo the suffering you have caused him. Its not justice either because you barely suffered while the other person clearly did. Are you asking forgiveness to simply feel better? See how many questions raise from a simple situation?<br />
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When it comes to philosophy, asking questions will have a more profound impact on us than reading answers. There are so many characters caught in tough situations and struggling over different questions. They are all inter-connected and one thing affects the other which makes their moral dilemma even more complex. Smart, complex and philosophical, I love it!</div>Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05416119608861747450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300850544820791297.post-7801266742427758622012-04-17T01:47:00.001+05:302012-04-17T01:47:07.780+05:30First road-trip in a car<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Just returned from a one day road-trip to Pondicherry. My road-trips are usually on bikes but this time around, it was a car. I usually prefer bikes because I love to drive/ride instead of sitting idle as a passenger. But I would be lying if I said that a car is not as much fun as a bike. Its just not the same sort of fun. On a bike, its about the freedom, adventure, scenery, speed, highway and being in control etc. But in a car, its more about relaxing, chatting, listening to music, fooling around and not to mention, the comfort of air-conditioning.. :P<br />
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I was also quite surprised by the speed. Intellectually, I knew that cars were capable of going much faster than bikes without stressing the passengers. I was staring out the window and suddenly wondered, why the hell are we going so slow! Then I looked into the speedo and realized that we were doing 80 and above. Even my avenger can do 80 without breaking a sweat, but I would be aware of it. When I'm on a bike and going past 80, I would be able to sense it and feel the speed as the wind hits me and pushes me back. But in a car, I feel nothing and the comfort of it fools me into thinking that we are just sailing along slowly. I'll have to keep this in my mind if/when I get a car and go on a drive. I did drive the car for a couple of kilometers, thanks to my friends who were brave enough to let me drive.<br />
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Its always hard to explain why a road-trip is such fun. We don't do it because its cheaper or more comfortable or to show-off. There isn't always a quantifiable advantage with choosing a car/bike over a bus or train. Maybe, that's exactly the point. We spend our entire life calculating the advantages and taking rational decisions that once in a while, it just feels good to simply let go and do something just for the heck of it. You don't worry about planning anything; you just start when you feel like starting, rest when you feel like resting and have fun non-stop.<br />
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When the trip comes to an end and you realize that you have to return to your life, go to work, etc., that is the moment you will also realize that this meaningless trip was so meaningful that all you want to do is rewind the clock and start the trip all over again. So, thanks again to my friends Thyagu, Deva and Arjun for making this possible!</div>Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05416119608861747450noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300850544820791297.post-12599187785294082882012-04-08T23:22:00.001+05:302012-04-08T23:22:37.359+05:30Pay It Forward<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I watched a movie today called 'Pay It Forward' and something happened that has never ever happened to me before: "I shed a couple of tears for a movie character!"<br />
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Nothing more could I say to express what I want to say..</div>Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05416119608861747450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300850544820791297.post-11192167299129283722012-04-03T23:07:00.000+05:302012-04-03T23:09:31.268+05:30Its all a GAME<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There is something about the celluloid heroes that I really hate. They always do the right thing; people around them always adore them; beautiful girls fall for them at first sight; they never have a single bad thought in their head. I mean, come on! There was never such a person on earth and there will never be one till the end of time. Every man has his vices. Every great person that you admire will have his share of negative thoughts/deeds or at least would've had one which turned him into the great person that you now admire.<br />
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Thankfully though, many creators and directors understand this (much better than I do). Its the reason for some amazing movies like Watchmen and The Exam where there is no real hero. And better yet, television series executives have also picked up on this, producing outstanding series like House M D and Game of Thrones. This conveniently brings me to my next point that both these series have resumed this April. Game of Thrones in particular is just into its second series.<br />
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Game of Thrones is a complex story involving a huge list of characters who are all after one thing, the Throne of the Seven Kingdoms. Some are more worthy of the throne than others and some are better at playing the game than others. There is no, one good guy or one bad guy. Some characters are more wise than others but they have their own pitfalls. Some characters are rude and are cowards but there is more truth to their words than what most people understand.<br />
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There is no one person whom you can really root for but there are a number of characters that you will love to see more. Unlike me, you may support different characters, or support the same characters for different reasons and THAT, is the best part of a story like this. You can choose your own heroes and bad guys based on your own perceptions and you won't be more wrong than the other person. Its much more closer to reality and much more exciting!<br />
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If you feel that you understand what I'm trying to say, then you should check this series out. Though, I wouldn't suggest it for family viewing or for people who don't like serious/harsh stories.</div>Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05416119608861747450noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300850544820791297.post-42343496362069358902012-02-19T02:27:00.002+05:302012-02-19T02:27:53.867+05:30The Lost Honor<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Movies are many things; they are fun, they are thrilling, they are grand and so on. But a handful of movies are more than that; they provide a glimpse, a window into a world that existed centuries ago. They show us something that has no parallel in today's world; something that is hard to relate to. They act as a record of a lost feeling. <b>The Last Samurai</b> is a movie about honor. Though honor is a virtue that still exists today, its not the same as what it was centuries ago.<div>
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There are a number of war movies which touch on subjects like freedom and conquests. But honor, is an entirely different subject altogether. Its a virtue that is both hard to explain and hard to understand. Still, the movie brings it out beautifully. Katsumoto played by Ken Watanabe is a perfect embodiment of honor. His character is probably the first thing that will come to my mind when I think of the word 'honor'. The movie is narrated from the view of Nathan Algren played brilliantly by Tom Cruise. His character adds the necessary punch for Ken's character.</div>
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Performances aside, I've always believed its the director who should get the first credit/criticism for any movie. This movie is by Edward Zwick. Though I've seen the movie a number of times, I never really made a note of this name. So, I checked imdb today and was pleasantly surprised when I saw names like Blood Diamond, The Siege and Glory under his direction. How did I not know about him for so long! Got to check out more of his films. By the way, music is Hans Zimmer; it was his 100th movie, to be precise.</div>
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I really hope that one day, someone will make a proper tamizh movie that expresses similar feelings. Imagine, an old age war movie starring Kamal, Parthiban, Napolean etc. with music by Ilayaraja. Just wishful thinking.. :P</div>
</div>Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05416119608861747450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300850544820791297.post-63705492346346622912012-01-15T04:36:00.000+05:302012-01-15T04:36:37.982+05:30Someone shut it up!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We have all had the feeling of emptiness in our lives. That little voice in our head that looks at our daily life and says, 'this is not right; this is not how I want my life to be'. This is probably why we try to keep ourselves busy, and distracted, so that we don't have to listen to that voice. Well, I ran out of distractions this weekend. And you know what, the voice is killing me.<br />
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I don't hate my life, no, that's not it. I like my life; I like the comfort, the secure feeling, good friends, sweet family, normal and simple life. But lets be honest, comfortable life tends to get monotonous and boring. There is no adventure, there is no feeling of uncertainty which means there is no surprise. It doesn't mean that I want to quit my job and go do something exciting and different. I'm not that desperate, no. It just means that I want to spend my spare time doing something challenging that I'm passionate about.<br />
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A simple example would be my gaming team or my website. When we started playing as a team, we knew that we weren't going to become paid professional players. But we wanted to try anyway; we wanted to give it a shot and see how far we can reach. When we started our website, we knew that we might not be able to turn it into a profitable endeavor. But we were passionate about it and we wanted to do it. Both adventures failed, true, but I don't regret either of them. If I could, I would repeat them all over again. The fun is always in facing impossible odds, in fighting a battle worth losing.<br />
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Sadly, I don't have any battles to fight anymore and also running out of distractions pretty fast. I did search for my next fix (or addiction) and I kinda found it too. I'm in love with coding and I wish I could start a little project, a website or application that I can put all my spare time into. 'Well then, why don't I', you ask.<br />
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When I started gaming, I had no training but lots of friends to join me in the battle. When I started the website, I had some training but only a couple of friends to join me in the fight. Now that I want to start a project, I have a good amount of training but no friend with similar passion. You see, without a person to join you in the battle, its simply not worth fighting.<br />
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Whenever I spent sleepless nights on something, trying to figure something out, it was because the next day I could solve it and show it to the person who wants it as much as I do. The feeling that someone else wants it and that we are in this together, matters more than everything else. That is always the biggest motivation. Without this motivation, we are bound to give up.<br />
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Oh well! I'm probably better off searching for more distractions. Ordered a book online "Ender's Game". Hopefully, it'll shut that voice in my head or at least, make me deaf for a while!</div>Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05416119608861747450noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300850544820791297.post-14116996094479086682011-12-27T02:34:00.001+05:302011-12-27T02:34:53.481+05:30Contagion - The Real Test of Humanity?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Watched the movie 'Contagion'. Even if you haven't seen the movie, you would've probably guessed that its about a contagious disease, an epidemic to be more exact. We have seen movies like this before, '28 Days Later', 'Resident Evil' etc. But this movie, is much more realistic. Its not an action packed adventure like Resident Evil or a thrilling apocalypse like 28 Days Later. This is more of a drama that tries to portray how people in general react to this danger and what actions individuals take.<br />
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It reminded me of something Joker said in 'The Dark Knight', "their morals, their code...it's a bad joke. Dropped at the first sign of trouble. When the chips are down, these civilized people, they'll eat each other." That sounds a little extreme but its not too far from the truth. When our life is at stake or even in an increased level of risk, we drop our ethics. Worse than that, we start to doubt our fellow men. Our fears move us to survival mode and we start suspecting everyone and everything.<br />
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Its easy to be law abiding and decent when its all good. We think that we are the good guys just because we give lift to someone on our way to work. We think we are civilized just because we gave some money to charity last year or because we paid taxes this year. But how ethical will our actions be when we are put in tough situations? What if, one day our financial system completely collapses and we enter an age with no rules, no order? Will we still be kind and gentle in a chaotic world?<br />
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There is no single answer to that question. Some people will still do their best to be humane and be helpful. Some, will just switch to survival mode and act as if its 'every man for himself'. We get a sense of this, in the movie. We see how some people get scared and turn violent while a few risk more than we ever would to help others. Those selfless acts are the reason we humans even have a civilization today. And those individuals who went into survival mode, they are probably today's terrorists and extremists.<br />
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So, what will you be, when the chips are down?!!</div>Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05416119608861747450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300850544820791297.post-91938678785971572532011-12-21T00:34:00.001+05:302011-12-21T00:34:23.344+05:30The Dark Knight truly Rises<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Finally, the trailer for the movie <b>The Dark Knight Rises</b> is here. Lets get straight into it<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GokKUqLcvD8?rel=0" width="560"></iframe><br />
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I still remember what made me go crazy about <b>The Dark Knight</b>. It was Joker's laugh at the end of the trailer for TDK. It was epic, just perfect! This trailer for TDKR reminds of that feeling.<br />
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For me, the best part of this one is definitely the music. The trailer starts with the soft and humble voice of a kid. Then the music disappears into the background with a tinge of suspense in it. In typical Hans Zimmer style, it keeps raising slowly, with the kid's voice still in the background. Then, the chanting starts and it gets aggressive. Finally, it comes alive at the 1 minute 45 second mark, by which time, I can't stop myself from jumping from my seat & shouting it out loud! At the end, we hear the music from the climax of TDK which has probably become synonymous with the Batman logo.<br />
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The only thing that I'm not very comfortable with is the clarity of the voice. Even though Joker's voice was weird, it was still crystal clear. Oh well! Considering that I'm going to see this movie repeatedly, I guess I needn't care. I went to imdb to find out what was being said in the trailer and I happened to glance at the Trivia section where I saw this.<br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1200692/" style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #70579d; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Eva Green</a><span style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">, </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001401/" style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #70579d; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Angelina Jolie</a><span style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0515116/" style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #70579d; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Blake Lively</a><span style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">, </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0593961/" style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #70579d; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Rhona Mitra</a><span style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">, </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000234/" style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #70579d; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Charlize Theron</a><span style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">, </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0180411/" style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #70579d; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Abbie Cornish</a><span style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">, </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0267812/" style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #70579d; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Vera Farmiga</a><span style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">, </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004754/" style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #70579d; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Jessica Biel</a><span style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">, </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000204/" style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #70579d; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Natalie Portman</a><span style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">, </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2605345/" style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #70579d; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Gemma Arterton</a><span style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">, </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0544718/" style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #70579d; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Kate Mara</a><span style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">, </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2731660/" style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #70579d; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Charlotte Riley</a><span style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">, </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1289434/" style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #70579d; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Emily Blunt</a><span style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> and </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0461136/" style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #70579d; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Keira Knightley</a><span style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> all auditioned for the role of Selina Kyle. After the initial audition process, Biel and Mara all screen tested. Ultimately, </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004266/" style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #70579d; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Anne Hathaway</a><span style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> won the role. </span>
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That is a huge list of cast being auditioned for one role and not to mention that most of them are top actresses. This shows us the level of sincerity with which the director is approaching the character instead of just casting some big name. The same goes for most of the characters in the movie with names like Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet being considered. Yes, I know, the film studio and the movie's casting directors were probably the main force behind this, but the fact that so many talented actors were auditioning for roles that weren't number one, simply adds credibility to the director's abilities.<div>
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I just can't wait to watch this movie in the theater! I'll probably go to the theater every weekend simply to catch this trailer.. :P</div>
</div>Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05416119608861747450noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300850544820791297.post-83510176785475123242011-12-14T01:00:00.000+05:302011-12-14T01:53:33.289+05:30Rant of the Day!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm warning you straight away that this post is a rant. So, if you are in a good mood, stop reading right now so that I don't spoil it. For those who are still reading, well, lets continue.. I'm sure you've faced this situation too => you are in a good mood and looking forward to the rest of your day but suddenly someone does something that just puts you off. All of a sudden you just wish that the day comes to an end soon so that you can begin afresh tomorrow. Well, that's exactly how I felt and to get over it, I decided to write this post.<br />
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I strongly believe that feelings spread; from one person to another, from one person to an entire group; its just contagious. Say for example, there are three of you sitting together but minding your own business. A fourth guy comes along and is in a grumpy mood. Now, if you three were already in a fun mood, then, his grumpiness won't affect the other three too much. On the contrary, he/she might get cheered up thanks to you guys. But if the mood is already mundane or just normal, then the grumpiness starts spreading. This is why I always try to hide my bad mood when in company of others. But some people, just don't give a damn..<br />
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Some people just complain for everything. This is like this, that's like that, oh why me, why is everyone like this, bla bla.. But most of all, I get really annoyed when people complain about helping someone. I don't care if you help others or not, but don't complain about it if you do. If you don't wanna help, just tell them so & leave it at that. Its pointless to decide to help someone and then complain about it.<br />
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I ain't Mahatma Gandhi; I'm just a selfish little human being like most people. But even my tiny brain/conscience understands that we help others to feel good. When we help others, we get a sense of satisfaction, a good feeling and at the same time, we have improved someone else's life. But if you are going to complain about it, then you aren't going to feel good. And to make it worse, you'll probably spoil the mood of someone else who happens to hear you complain. And to make it even worse, the next time you have an argument with the person you helped, this feeling will come to your mind and you will get even more angry.<br />
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This just seems counter-intuitive to me. My point is simple, don't force yourself to do something and then complain about it. Of course, we all do things that we don't really want to, like for example, go to work. But there is a difference between accepting our decision and complaining about it. Learn to accept it; if you can't, then don't do it.<br />
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P.S. To my friends, this is not directed against any of you; the person I'm ranting about will never, ever, read my blog.. :D Ah!! It feels good to let it all out!</div>Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05416119608861747450noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300850544820791297.post-6604487706221840932011-11-21T00:49:00.000+05:302011-11-21T00:49:20.939+05:30Road Trip to Hogenakkal!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">A good road trip had been long pending & so, when my colleague Arun suggested a weekend trip to Hogenakkal, I immediately agreed to join him. Sadly, no one else did and so, it was just me, him & two avengers (yes, he has an avenger too xD). I had office till 3.30pm on Saturday and so, started straight from work to Hogenakkal. Our plans were a little fuzzy but our aim was simple, 'road trip'. So, we took to the street and headed towards our destination.<br />
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It took us an hour just to escape the city & the sun was setting fast. So, we rode for nearly 140 kms before taking our first break. By now, it was clear that we were going to be pretty late because Hogenakkal is around 340 kms. from Chennai. Our other option was to stay at Dharmapuri for the night & continue the trip in the morning. But after riding another 100 kms. in the dark, we felt that it wasn't so bad and that we could make it the whole way.<br />
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We burst through the highways till Dharmapuri where we had our dinner & then slowed down. The road was now tricky with no light and no traffic. We reached a pay check-post around 10.30pm and the next 15 minutes were the best ride of my life. The curved hill roads & sudden hair-pin bends at pitch black darkness with absolutely no distraction was a dream to ride through. Riding Nirvana!<br />
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We found a room and settled in around 11.30. Didn't feel tired, didn't have back pain though I can't say the same for my butt. Had a nice chat till 2 and woke up around 10. Hogenakkal wasn't much of a hill and so, no bike rides over there. Visited the waterfall, had a nice ride in those hand-made rafts. The waterfall wasn't spectacular but the route they take you on those rafts is amazing. I have never experienced anything like that before.<br />
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We started again around 2.30pm and had a nice ride through those curved roads again. We came across a pretty good hotel near the Krishnagiri bus stand. After that, we hit the highways once again. Compared to our city traffic, the drivers on the highways are pretty disciplined. They use their indicators while changing lanes, they wait for a passing vehicle instead of just jumping out & blocking you and most slow vehicles stick to the left lane as the right lane is meant for overtaking. In such an organized highway, riding in the dark is not so hard.<br />
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Reached home around 9.30.. Covered 680 kilometers in 30 hours with a good night's sleep and also managed to visit a new location. Now THAT is a weekend worth its hours! Thank you Arun!</div>Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05416119608861747450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300850544820791297.post-82364693876616724602011-07-22T03:43:00.001+05:302011-07-22T03:45:55.120+05:30The movie that you wouldn't wanna miss!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Some movies are a good timepass; some are just not worth watching; some movies are so thrilling that they make you forget where you are but only a few movies keep you grounded in reality while stealing your heart away. Bala is particularly good at creating such movies but his movies are always tainted with sadness. I remember reading in my school text book that songs that express sadness will always be the most melodious ones. That's the rule that Bala follows..<br />
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Deiva Thirumagal doesn't really follow Bala's footsteps. Yet, it somehow captures the magic that only Bala and a few other directors have brought on screen. It even goes one step further by not framing anyone as good or bad. The old days of Ajith, Vijay & Rajini where the do-gooder fights against the main crime boss are over. The tamil industry is moving towards a more sophisticated approach to film making. Movies like Naadodigal, Aaranya Kaandam are taking us into a new era where the script is the hero and the screenplay is the star. And Deiva Thirumagal is the best example thus far.<br />
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We are well aware of Vikram's acting skills. But acting can only take a movie a short distance without the proper script. A movie like Anniyan (though I enjoyed it), doesn't really utilize the actor's ability. Deiva Thirumagal pays homage to the actor's skills by fully utilizing it to immerse us into the story. Vikram deserves a movie like this and the movie deserves an actor like Vikram. There were a few scenes where the story was weak but as Bala said, its not the story, its the character that's more important. This isn't really a perfect movie but art doesn't need to be perfect. It just needs to capture your imagination and this movie captures more than that.<br />
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The movie doesn't answer any questions; it doesn't say whoz right and whos wrong. But it makes you feel human and that.... is the most important character a movie should have. Hats off to the crew behind Deiva Thirumagal! Anyone and everyone should watch this movie. Vijay is a director that I'm gonna keep my eyes on.</div>Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05416119608861747450noreply@blogger.com1