Monalisa Spoofs

One of the forwards that i have liked.. Just thought that i will copy paste the same

The South Park Version

Roy Lichtenstein Version

Matt Groening (Simpsons) Version

Banksy (Graffiti) Version


Pablo Picasso Version


Dali Version


Marcel Duchamp Version


Andy Warhol Version

And finally....

The cafetaria Artist Version

ITC Agarbattis Ad

ఈ ads తాయారు చేసే వాళ్ళకి definiteగా తలకాయ ఉండదు. పదో క్లాసు నుంచి ప్రమోషన్ దాక ప్రతిదానికి దేవుడిని involve చేసే మన దేశంలో ఇలాంటి ads తయారు చేసారు. VHP వాళ్ళు as usual avantage తీసుకున్నారు.. any case here is the misguided creativity.

( Trans: The admakers are headless. In a country that is dependent on every thing on the god, such ads are senseless. VHP has taken the "ad"vantage already. Here is the misguided creativity.)

Videsh

The promos of Deepa Mehta's VIDESH - HEAVEN ON EARTH bring back memories of Jag Mundhra's PROVOKED, which also spoke of domestic violence. Sure, VIDESH - HEAVEN ON EARTH also looks at domestic violence, it's also about a Punjabi woman who continues to take the beatings silently on a foreign land, but the similarities end there. There's a twist in the tale in VIDESH - HEAVEN ON EARTH and that makes this film different from films of its ilk.

Partly based on Girish Karnad's play NAAG MANDALA and perhaps inspired by several true stories, Deepa tries to inject myth into the main story and that's one of the prime reasons why you don't take to the film completely.

VIDESH - HEAVEN ON EARTH is an unconventional subject, but the moment a reptile slides into the story, it robs the film of realism. Your heart breaks every time the woman is subjected to physical abuse. You do relate to the character since you've either heard or watched tales of domestic abuse. But the sheshnaag part in the film is difficult to digest.

Besides, there's a major flaw in the writing. The husband continues to indulge in physical abuse, but it's not clear why he comes across as a frustrated man. Not once does the director spell out the reasons why the husband behaves like a monster and keeps harming his wife, right under the nose of his family members.

Yet, despite the hiccups, you can't deny the fact that Deepa has handled the material with sensitivity. Even the end -- you can predict the conclusion -- is well executed.

Chand [Preity Zinta] is a young bride leaving her home in Ludhiana, India, for the cavernous landscape of Brampton, Ontario, where her husband Rocky [Vansh Bhardwaj] and his very traditional family await her arrival.

Everything is new to Chand, everything is unfamiliar including the quiet and shy Rocky, who she meets for the first time. Chand approaches her new life and her new land with equanimity and grace. But soon optimism turns to isolation as the family she has inherited struggles beneath the weight of unspoken words, their collective frustration becoming palpable.

Trapped in a world she cannot comprehend and unable to please her husband, Chand is desperate. Hope comes in the form of Rosa, a tough and savvy Jamaican woman who works alongside Chand in a factory where immigrant women from all over the world clean and press dirty hotel laundry.

Rosa gives her a magical root advising her to put it in the drink. The root is supposed to seduce the one who takes it, making them fall hopelessly in love with the person who gives it to them. Chand's attempts with the magic root lead to surreal incidents.

Deepa gets it right till the snake transforms into her husband and that makes the entire aspect so hard to believe. You can't relate to it anymore. The cinematography is dark at times. If the intention was to impart a gloomy and depressing tint, it doesn't work. And why this need for a B & W look at several places? Doesn't work!

Preity delivers her finest performance to date. She displays the helplessness and pain that this character demands with gusto. It's at par with any powerful act by any international actor. Newcomer Vansh Bhardwaj is striking. Very rarely do first-timers enact their parts with such precision. Amongst supporting actors, Preity's mother-in-law and sister-in-law are believable.

On the whole, VIDESH - HEAVEN ON EARTH works in parts, but it's not enough. At the box-office, the Indian market may not be too receptive to the film. It will have to look internationally to recoup the investment.

Day II: Tamil Nadu Land of Zillion Temples

Enter Chittoor :

Chittoor..well i did not change my opinion about Chittoor from the past one year. If you want to know more about it, then click here Chittoor. I took a bus as soon as i can to Vellore, lest i would be infected influenced by the air.

'On the Engine to Vellore':

I got into a moving bus and the conductor was a really friendly guy. With a smile on his face he offered me place to sit: the engine elevation. So i travelled about 40 minutes 'On the Engine'. I have seen some 40 temples in the way. I wonder how these guys manage with so many gods! Tamil nadu (or TAMIZH NADU??) is a beautiful place a temple at the end of every street. It can be named the Land of Zillion Temples. The state has contributed a lot to the preservation of Indian Culture and still does yeoman service to the preservation art and music. All this activity is interwoven with these temples. I will discuss my theory some other time. But, for now,lets come back to my tour.

As soon as i got down from the bus, Vivek picked me up and showed way to the hotel.

There is a funny story about the entry into hotel which will be added by Vivek very soon. Since none of our friends were available then, Vivek and me went to the GOLDEN TEMPLE.

Golden Temple:

This thing is located at Sripuram some 1/2 hours journey from Vellore Bus stop. More Details Here Siripuram Golden Temple.

VIT:

It is rumored to be one of the best colleges in the country. According to India Today Survey, it is the 10th best University in the country. The infrastructure would make any one drop jaw. The library is well furnished. The TT(Technology Tower) is an architectural marvel. Many of my friends have joined this university baffled by the beauty of the campus. Click Here for My Friends @ VIT.


We had a memorable chat at the food court. Nostalgia struck all of us as we talked about the college days. Every one has changed (+vely ;) ). Notable among them was Narendra Karanam. This guy now speaks in only Business lingo and improved his knowledge sphere and convincing skills by leaps and bounds. Yashaswi has been maintaing the track record of being the first and has been awarded even a scholarship of 7000Rs from VIT. Vivekananda has also improved a lot... this guy speaks now like some science geek. Vijaya Narsimha is maintaining his natural coolness. Naveen and Sujit Powar are also doing well in their respective fields. Keep that up మమ్స్. Tomorrow will be ours. All the best to each of you in your endeavours and do ask for help when you require :-S

మందు పార్టి ;):

"Do not judge the book by its cover"

People might be tempted to include in the brands Royal Challenge, Black Buck and Old Monk, but our definition of మందు పార్టీ ended with Coca Cola and Fanta. We all sat down at Narsimha's room till 9PM and then had dinner at 'Aunty Mess'. I and Vivek went back to the hotel after the dinner.

लाइफ में ट्विस्ट : (Twist in Life)

A news was awaiting for us at the hotel: The power is gone and no hopes of getting it back in an other couple of hours. So we went around the Vellore city aimlessly till 12Am. We have seen new flyover, load lorries and some Hotel River View, located on the banks of a sewage canal.( Hey guess what! it smells horrible than Musi). We wandered aimlessly cursin ourselves and the TN electricity board. The power was back by around 12.

Sripuram Golden Temple

My Friends @ VIT

This the group pic of my friends at VIT( The photo is intentionally blurred to avoid possible morping)


PS: mama if some one wants it, please mail to me.

In the photo: A hero from BT, Two genius from Biochem and a gonna be business tycoon from VIT, Two Wartankers from Vellore and Chennai.