WC 2011

Suddenly I find reading cricinfo commentary more exciting than watching cricket with ravi shastri on commentary.

Kaun Hai Jo Sapno Mein Aaya

Kaun Hai Jo Sapno Mein Aaya from the movie Jhuk Gaya Aasman is one of my favorite old time songs. Ever since I heard it when I was in I think 10th grade I thought this was a sad song. A song a guy was singing for his lost love or something like that. Didnt understand the lyrics that much. And for the first time when I saw the video this weekend I was totally stumped. This was such a song with such a happy picturization. Totally confused and out of balance today.

Notion Ink: Out finally

After a long wait, the product defined in India is finally out. There has been some ruckus in the media about delays and product specs. But, for a 25 year old guy Rohan Shravan has managed to pull it off very well. He seems very passionate about the product and that is visible through his blog posts. The swivel camera is just a killer attachement in the device and will help capture video that can be played back on the device while you take a long nap in class.Love the uniform policy on warranty that they are having throughout the world.
I am not preordering this device, but will definitely buy it if I am thinking of a touchpad interface and definitely instead of the fruits'much hyped ipad.

Passport from Bangalore - Passport Seva Kendra

Img Src: passport.nic.in

I had applied for passports recently for the whole family. Needed to get the wife's name included in mine and vice versa. My passport had expired and had to get a new one for my son. I usually dread going into any application process to acquire something, electricity bill, pan card etc. So with the same fear I started this process too. The http://passportindia.gov.in website is a good starting point for the applicant. I believe this is the only way to get into a Passport Seva Kendra for getting the passport right now.
The website provides all the information that is required for obtaining a passport. The most useful section will be the one where the "List of required documents" is provided. You need to answer a few questions as to the kind of passport that you are applying for and it will provide a comprehensive list what you need to furnish.
Step 1:
You need to create an account at passportindia.gov.in and login to be able to apply. All the details that are in a regular passport form, Name, Address, References, etc need to be provided here. The site does have a feature where you can save the form and retrieve it later if it is taking a while to apply. But once the form is complete you cannot retrieve it. Any edits(yes it is possible) can be done at the PSK office when they ask you to check all details. Multiple applicants can apply through the same account, i.e. if you are applying for more than one person in the family you can apply through the same account. As soon as the application is complete, the user can fix up an appointment at a required PSK location. It is very important that you printout a copy of the pdf receipt that is generated. Without this security is not going to let you through. Even if you upload the documents on to the website you need to carry copies along with you for the PSK interview.
Step 1 is now complete. Some pros and cons about step 1
Pros:
Online is great, you can correct typos, no writing and minor changes can be made in the interview.
My older passport number was incorrectly entered and was caught by the PSK staff.
Cons:
Server keeps going down at times. This is a big pain and your saved application may get lost.
The online application may not be very useful for those folks who are not savvy with the internet or even those people from villages who are looking for a passport. There should be some guidance or some setup where these folks are helped.

Some commonly required documents: (Please check website for your specific list. This is just a common list and your list may change according to your requirements. All documents need to be self attested too(again a guideline))
1. Address Proof:
a. If you are taking any utility bill, you will need one which is a from the previous year and one recent bill. They do not accept it otherwise. Check webpage for more info
b. RUNNING bank statement for atleast 1 year. If you are providing your bank statement for another family member as address proof please get multiple originals from the bank. For each application, you are required to submit the original statement. Please make sure there is atleast one transaction in the past couple of months. Some guy brought in a passbook in which the last transaction was about 10 months old and was sent back.
2. Matriculation/Degree Certificate: Required for ECNR(no stamping) in the passport.
3. Marriage certificate: Some guy was asked to leave because he did not get his original marriage certificate along. The applicant wanted to add his wife's name to his passport.
4. For kids, birth certificate and Bonafide certificate from school. take photos too is possible
5. Older passport copies if applicable
6. Copies of spouse's passport if applicable
7. Keep copies of Passport size photos available at all times. Though the website says it is not required it is better to carry it along. (White background). If everything is working fine, photos will be taken at the PSK desk itself.
Make sure you carry all the originals for whatever documents you are taking. I did not take my Matriculation original and my application was on hold till I showed the original document.


Step 2:
Going to the PSK itself. I set up our interview at the PSK center on Outer Ring Road in front of the Intel Office.
If you are going from KR Puram side, take a Uturn after the intel office and get on to the service road. You will see a Advaith Hyundai showroom and next to it, HDFC bank. PSK is in the same building. You dont have parking inside the building but behind it. You need to go a few meters ahead of the gate and turn left and it leads you to the paid parking lot.
For folks coming in from the Sarjapur Road side, just get on to the service road before you hit intel and keep looking for HDFC bank.
You need to be present at the PSK office atleast 1/2 hour before your appointment scheduled time. A small problem here is that you may have to wait out in the sun if there is a crowd inside(which usually happens because the server is down. Make sure you go in early(atleast 1/2 hour) as security can get fussy if you are late.
As soon as you get in the documents are all verified and you need to get a token and proceed to the waiting room. There are three people you have to meet to complete the application process. They are categorized into A, B and C counters. One thing I noticed that from A to C, the seniority of the people increased. A had the youngest folks (working on the comps) and B & C were verifying the documents again.
A category has maximum number of counters available as this is where all documents are collected and verified again, photos & signatures taken, edits to details made if required.
Once this is done, folks need to wait until they are called at the B counters. Documents are verified again. Sometimes, even if A counter folks let you through, B counter folks(more senior) may put the application on hold so that more documents can be furnished. Once this is done, C counter folks may verify your documents and then approve the passport application. We can then walk out with the receipt and wait for passport to arrive.

Step 3:
I applied through Tatkal and the passport was home within a couple of days for the others. Since my application was on hold, I had to take my matriculation original again on another day. No separate appointment is required, but make sure all originals are with you at this time too as B and C counter will verify. You will also need to carry the receipt along with you during this visit.

Some closing thoughts.
Overall, I thought the process was smooth and good work by the government to set it up. The PSK gets crowded when applicants are moving from A-> B -> C counters. The applicants have ample room to wait outside and the announcement is made on Display/PA system, but folks choose to wait inside.
I have read that the IT infrastructure is maintained by TCS and that it is pathetic. I thought it was pretty good. If the servers go down, I am sure the experience is not memorable but otherwise it can be appreciated. TCS personnel are also available onsite to take care of any issues. Handling a population like India's is not easy. Kudos to TCS for their work though there is always room for improvement. I think if they have more robust servers and some improvement to the software, this can be scaled across the country.
Some of the folks in counter A can be better educated to communicate with the applicants. I had no issues, but my wife found it hard to understand the person who was handling her application. I had to complete my application, go back to the counter and get another token to take care of my son's application. You can go back to the front counter rather than exiting the building and coming back through security.



Note:
ECNR:
In the new passports, no seal indicates ECNR. For ECR it is specifically mentioned in the passport. Make sure you carry matriculation/degree certificate to get ECNR.

Tasty Dish

For the unconventional folks:

carrots
Curd
MTR Chutney Powder or idli milagai podi made at home
Sesame Oil /Nalla ennai

Cut the carrots into small cubes and boil them.
Mix it with the curd.
Mix the Chutney powder with sesame oil let it soak for a few min...

Now add this to the curd/carrot mix and have fun.


Warning: Majority of adults may not like this..

Endhiran Music

Very good music by A.R. Rahman. Kaathal Anukal, Arima and Kilimanjaro among my favorites. After watching the movie, Boom Boom Robo da tops the list due to amazing natural picturization.But i thought the icing on the cake was the final symphony orchestra at the end of the movie and the credits. I belive the money spent for recording this part of the movie BGM was high and it shows. Hopefully we get it on audio sometime.

Endhiran: Scientist, Robot, Lover, Villain

There are good movies and there are great movies. Endhiran belongs to the latter category. When Shankar and Rajni mentioned that Endhiran is going to be an experience to everyone involved including the viewer they were not lying. It truly is an amazing experience and after a long time I have thouroughly enjoyed watching a Tamil movie. This movie is not a typical Rajni movie that we have come to know since the 90's. This is Shankar's movie, his dream, his passion and that is visible throughout the film. From projecting Rajnikanth in his usual hero style in Sivaji, Shankar turns the tables around in Endhiran and gives Rajni a very good story line. He gives Rajni an opportunity to display talents other than the usual punch dialogues and over the top stunts. It would have been very funny to hear Rajni talk all the scientific jargon but he has fit himself into the role so well that you start enjoying it. Rajni's opening scene itself was so casual that some of the 'worshipping' types may not have found it to their liking. However, Shankar(and Rajnis) make up for it in the second half.

The movie moves along at a brisk pace, starting with the introduction of the Robot and how he mixes with humans. I thought that Shankar handled this very well and not gone overboard with the jokes or the duration spent on this. The second half races through and the last 1/2 hour is the highlight of the movie. I felt that the segment with Ranguski could definitely have been shorter. Barring that everything else about the second half was nothing but Rajni and their magic.

The songs could have been picturized better. Shankar is known for his exotic locales and I felt that Kaadhal Anukkal and Kilimanjaro could have been done better. Surprisingly I found the Boom Boom Robo da song picturization to be the best. That song shows his interactions with humans(especially Aishwarya Rai and her friends) and sounded very good with the visuals. Arima Arima was very grand and exciting.

 Rajni's negative role shows us vintage Rajni. He carries this role very well and reminds us that Rajni is a better villain than a hero. The special effects and originality of the climax are just beyond description.

I have watched this once and am eager to see it again. This is a thorough entertainer and I am sure all types of audiences with enjoy this. This is one of Rajni's and Shankar's best. Just to mention some negatives in the movie, Danny Denzongpa, Karunas and Santhanam comedy was useless, Rajni does better comedy than them and that Raghu guy(who keeps coming into dance shows in Vijay TV) who plays part time villian only to get beaten up by Chitti.

Endhiran is an experience. Could anybody else have played this role better than Rajni.. I doubt it. Plus I wouldnt have bothered to go watch it in theatres. I would have waited for the DVD. SRK would have stammered and Kamal might have overacted.

Shankar's passion, Kalanithi Maran's confidence and Rajni's dedication make this an amazing experience and is wonderful to be part of...
Welcome back Rajinikanth.

Appidi podra aruvaala

On comparing Anjaanaa and Anjaani with Endhiran,
 
He said further, “Rather than usual bollywood, what is Anjaana Anjaani gonna prove? “But youngsters are likely to prefer “Anjaana Anjaani”.” - this statement is pretty wrong.”
Another Rajini fan Vijay says, “What a stupid comparison. Robot is a clear winner. Don’t spoil the name of Robot by comparing with these regional films”
He says further, “Robot will be a Box office history in India and abroad for Indian movies.”

Endhiran Reviews out

Looks positive. My tickets are ready for Saturday at 12:45 pm. Let us see what comes out of it.
Very Encouraging - Rediff
Again - TimesofIndia
Anupama Chopra ku adi kedaka porathu - NDTV (Pozhachu po)
Nalla irruku - Sify
A very good movie(especially one coming from the Hindi version) - Taran Adarash

I would like to what the esteemed Mr. Rajeev Masand has to say

How to spend time effectively

Since 6:00 am I have been switching news channels with the hope that there will some news items on the opening of Endhiran in TN. Nothing as of yet :(

Too many other items taking news headlines
Rama Rama... 

60 years for this

If two kids find a chocolate and go to their teacher and say that it should belong to either one, the immediate answer from the teacher would be...



ok, let me give each of you half a piece.... This was taught in 1st grade....

For some people it takes 60 years to say this and a few dozen lawyers and 1000's of lives to reach this conclusion

Endhiran after verdict

Endhiran is releasing a day after the Ayodhya verdict so that whatever the results, everyone is too busy getting ready to watch Thalaivar throughout the country and hence forget to create problems.

Article on Rajni

Found a very interesting article on Rajni by Grady Hendrix.
Most interesting part is
"This is Rajinikanth, and he is no mere actor—he is a force of nature. If a tiger had sex with a tornado and then their tiger-nado baby got married to an earthquake, their offspring would be Rajinikanth."

Read the rest of the article here