TONGUE

This article on "Tongue" is inspired by a speech, which I heard recently, made by a politician.  Tongue is a very important part of our body.  It helps us in several ways.  We are all fond of eating and the taste of the food is extremely important for us.  Tongue helps us to know the taste of what we eat or drink.  We are able to talk because of our Tongue, whether it is nice words spoken to the near & dear or harsh words spoken to others.  Whenever we want to sing we are able to do it with the help of this amazing part of our body.  Tongue helps us to move the food around in the mouth and helps us in the process of chewing the food properly by pushing the food towards the teeth.

The Tongue is existing in a very intricate location fully surrounded by 32 sharp teeth.  Whenever we accidentally bite our tongue it is so painful and unbearable.  The Tongue has to be extremely careful and cautious throughout its life not get bitten or torn to pieces by those 32 sharp teeth which are surrounding it all the time.  It should continue to perform its duties without gettting hurt in any way though the dangers are perilously close to it all the time.

Survival under toughest conditions and adversities is what all of us have to learn and there cannot be a better example than Tongue to learn this.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
30th April 2012

TAP AWAY THE TRAUMA

Thought Field Therapy is a powerful tool.  You tap various parts of your body while concentrating on the event that is troubling you, you eliminate the effect of those memories.  The practice was created more than 40 years ago by psychology professor Dr.Roger Callahan.  He used tapping to treat everything from needle phobias to grief and anxiety.  He discovered he could collapse negative emotions by tapping his patient's meridian points.  Tapping has no side effects.  It not about eradicating the memories, it's about eradicating the effect of those memories.

Access the thought you want to eliminate.  Make a picture in your mind of the event or what you fear might happen.  Remember any sounds connected with it.  Or focus on the feeling you get in your body when you think about the problem.  You must hold this thought the whoe time you tap.  If you have a dog phobia and are thinking about what you are cooking for dinner, you wont eliminate the anxiety.  Assess the level of emotion before and after the treatment to gauge your progress.  Use a scale from one to ten - with ten being the strongest.

Holding the thought, tap the following points with your first two fingers for eight to ten seconds (it's fine if you tap for too long):
(1) Side of the hand (2) Under the nose (3) eyebrow (4) under eye (5) under arm (6) collarbone

Tap the gamut spot - between the small knuckle and the ring finger knuckle on the back of your hand continually and do a slow blink.  Keeping your head still, look down to the right and then to the left, then make a circle with the eyes.  Then circle the eyes the other way around.  Now hum a few notes out loud.  This isoloates the right, visual, side of the brain.  Count out loud to five.  Hum again.  Repeat all the tapping points above.  Using the scale one to ten, assess your emotion.  It will probably have gone down.  If so repeat the process.  If you find the thought or emotion has changed, hold the new thought.

Based on the TFT, Gary Craig developed the EFT in the mid nineties.  EFT is Emotional Freedom Techniques.I recently saw a nice video on EFT Tap Away overwhelm and stress.   It was very simple and very nice.  Watch it!




If you want to know more about the TFT and EFT you can read the detailed comparison written by Peter Graham:

http://www.integrative-clearing.com.au/eft/eft_and_tft.html

Whether we use TFT or EFT there is a technique to tap away the trauma as we get really troubled by the stress and problems in life.  Tapping is at our fingertips and we can do it whenever we want to get relieved of stress and problems.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
25th April 2012

KADRI GOPALNATH CONCERT IN DUBAI

Padmashree Kadri Gopalnath performed in Dubai on Saturday, 21st April 2012.  He was accompanied by highly experienced senior musicians on Violin, Mrudangam, Gatam, Kanjira and Tabla.  The Saxaphone Concert accompanied by the other instruments was a real treat for 3 hours.

The concert was held in the Auditorium of the Indian High Commission in Dubai and I was really very fortunate to have been there for the three hours non-stop musical treat by this great musician.  Saxaphone is considered to be a very tough instrument and requires a lot of breath control.  To play carnatic music on the Saxaphone must be really very difficult.  Padmashree Kadri Gopalnath plays with ease and it is very difficult to see when he is taking breath.  It is truly a blissful treat to listen to this legend.

He started with "Vathapi Ganapathim" and immediately after that he enthralled the audience with "Endaro Mahanubava". He went on to play some excellent songs and one of the Rasikaas has nicely captured "Enna thavam" on video and posted in Youtube.



One of the Rasikas has nicely captured on video the famous "Krishna Nee begane baro" rendered by the Maestro Kadri Gopalnath:



It was a wholesome treat as the other instrumentalists on Violin, Mrudangam, Gatam, Kanjira and Tabla played very well and ably supported Kadri Gopalnath.  As a group they did a fantastic job and the auditorium filled with audience did not move even an inch from their seats for the entire duration of three hours.  I could not believe that the concert was for three hours as the time just flew past quickly.   

I enjoyed attending some concerts in Chennai last December during Music Festival and I am longing to go back to Chennai this December again.  In the meanwhile this concert right near my house here in Dubai came as a surprise treat.

The Concert was very well organised by the Indian Fine Arts Dubai in association with the Indian Community Welfare Committee with the sponsorship of Kanoo Group.  I congratulate the organisers and thank them profusely for arranging this wonderful concert in Dubai.  Please do several more such programmes in the future.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
22nd April 2012 

RUSSIA'S YOUNGEST INVENTOR

A 10 year old Moscow girl has become Russia's youngest inventor after she patented her own print making method.  Anastasia Rodimina is the youngest Russian Inventor now.  She patented her own method of mono-typing - a print making technique when a smooth surface is covered by paint and a piece of paper then pressed to it to make a single print.  She has named it "energoinformation monotyping".  Under this method a mono-type is covered by a paper application and put in direct sunlight to let the unprotected ink fade.

Anastasia Rodimina made the invention accidentally when she forgot one of her monotypes, partially covered by a piece of paper, on a windowsill.  She eventually discovered that though ink on most of the picture had faded, colours remained unaffected under the piece of paper, creating a unique pattern.  The neurology hospital has expressed interest in the invention, which it plans to use as a part of art therapy.  An advertising Agency has also shown interest in Rodimina's monotyping technology.

Rodimina is now planning to use her invention to create a game which will help children to develop their imagination.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E
21st April 2012

TOWN SOLD FOR USD900,000

Buford is the smallest town in the United States of America. It is in Wyoming State which is the least populous 2nd least densely populated state in USA.

Buford town is at an elevation of 8000 feet above Sea Level and its population is One. Yes this town is occupied by a single person who has recently sold the town for USD 900,000. The owner of the town for the last 20 years, Don Sammons, has sold the town in an auction to a business man from Vietnam.

The new owner of Buford town will get a Petrol Station and convenience store, a school-house built in 1905, a cabin, a garage, four hectares of land and a three bedroom home at an altitude of 2,400 metres overlooking the busy Interstate 80 (the main cross country route between New York and San Francisco). It also has a unique zip code.



The auction on 5th April 2012 attracted world wide attention with people coming from all over the world including online bidders from 46 countries. The auction was also covered by CNN and other TV Channels. The auction started at USD 100,000 and 11 minutes later got concluded at USD 900,000 which was the highest and successful bid. The successful bidder: Pham Dinh Nguyen, a businessman who runs a trade and distribution company in southern Ho Chi Minh City, had flown to this country for the first time just to bid on Buford, and had kept going until he snagged the prize. "To be honest, I do not have a specific plan for the town," he told a state-controlled media outlet in Vietnam. "But I think we Vietnamese should not feel inferior. Nothing is impossible!".

I wonder how a single person can live in a town all by himself. Don has lived for 20 years and now it is the turn of Pham Dinh Nguyen.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
19th April 2012

DON'T

Don't is a word that is very frequently used by us in our daily life. We use this word to caution the other person on what we do not want. But the reality is we end up getting what we do not want. Why does this happen to us every time in life. The human brain cannot process the word "Don't". If I say "Don't think of a white elephant". You will immediately think of a White Elephant. When we tell our child "Don't run" the child will immediately start running.

I used to say that "I don't want to live in an apartment" and I have lived in an apartment for over 20 years. This is called "Law of Attraction". The more we think about something the more chances of it coming true. It is then better to think of positive actions and positive results rather than think of negative actions and negative results.

Instead of using the word "Don't" which anyway the human brain does not process, it would be better to use positive phrases in what we speak. It is very easily said but to practice this consciously it would take a lot of effort and focus. Instead of telling the child "Don't Run" we can tell the child "I want you to stay with me and hold my hands while we are walking".

Positive thinking and positive actions will lead to positive energy. Positive Energy within and around us will bring overall prosperity, peace and happiness.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
18th April 2012

TP's KITCHEN - PAVAKKAI PITLAI

Pavakkai (bittergourd) is a vegetable which I hated the most during my young days. For the first 20 years of my existence in this world I completely avoided this vegetable. I developed a taste for it after I grew up and now I love this vegetable. It is one of my favourite vegetables. It has become a regular feature in my kitchen now, so much that I cook bittergourd once atleast every week.

I make both Pavakkai Pitlai as well as Pavakkai fry. I want to share the recipe of Pavakkai Pitlai in this blog.

Cut the Pavakkai (bittergourd) into small pieces as shown in the picture above. While cutting the vegetable you have to carefully remove the seeds and the white matter around the seeds - scrap it off nicely with a small spoon.

Take tamarind - the size of two lemons - and put the tamarind in hot water and leave it soaking for atleast 10 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind and use half measure of the tamarind water for boiling the bittergourd. Keep the other half measure of tamarind water aside as we need it later for making the pitlai. Boil the half measure of tamarind water with Paavakkai (bittergourd). Before boiling the tamarind water and vegetable, add little bit of turmeric powder and a pinch of salt. Allow it to boil well and then drain the water and keep the vegetable aside.

Take equal measure of Thoor Dhal (thuvaram paruppu) and Channa Dhal (kadala paruppu) - preferably two handful measures and boil it well. I normally add double the measure of water and keep it along with rice in the cooker. Rice and the dhal will get ready in about 10 minutes.

Pour two table spoons of oil (I use Corn Oil or Olive Oil) in fry pan and allow it to boil. Add two teaspoon measure of Urudh Dhal (muzhu ulutham paruppu), one teaspoon measure of Channa Dhal (Kadala paruppu), two teaspoon measure of Dhaniya, 5 red chillies and fry it well. Once this is fried well put the same into the mixie and add two handful measures of grated coconut and grind it well with little water. Add two teaspoons of salt. Your masala for the Pavakkai Pitlai is ready.

Take the tamarind water and boil it well for 5 minutes. Add the Masala which is mixed and kept ready in the mixie. Allow it to boil well for about 5 minutes and then add the boiled vegetable. Once it boils well now add the Dhal (thoor dhal plus channa dhal). You can add the dhal as it is along with the water it contains and there is no need to mash the dhal. Allow it to boil for about 5 minutes.

Pour little oild in fry pan and put mustard seeds, jeera and asafoetida (LG perungayam powder) and once the mustard seeds start jumping around switch off the gas. Add this thadka on top of the Pavakkai Pitlai.

Pavakkai Pitlai is now ready and can be stored in the fridge comfortably for 2 - 3 days. You can have it with plain rice; as side dish for rasam rice; as side dish for Dosa, Chapathi, Paratha & Parotta. I tried Pavakkai Pitlai as side dish with Adai yesterday night and it was very tasty and very satisfying.

Pavakkai (bittergourd) is very good for health as it has lot of medicinal values and properties.

Enjoy!.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
17th April 2012

TITANIC

15th April 1912 is the fateful date on which this huge Cruise Vessel called "RMS Titanic" went to the bed of the Atlantic Ocean. Today it is exactly 100 years since that disaster happened in which more than 1500 people died. She departed from Queenstown on 11th April 1912 with 2,223 people aboard. After comfortable sailing for 4 days she encountered the tragedy on the 14th April 1912 in the night. By 2.20 a.m. on the 15th April 1912 RMS Titanic sank.



Over the last 100 years several research teams on worked on the details of the tragedy to find out the real cause of the accident. Recently a team of researchers have found that Earth had come unusually close to the Sun and Moon that winter, enhancing their gravitational pulls on the ocean and producing record tides. The rare orbits took place between December 1911 and February 1912 - two months before the disaster. The researchers suggest that the high tides refloated masses of icebergs traditionally stuck along the coastlines of Labrador and Newfoundland and sent them adrift into the North Atlantic shipping lanes.

Whatever be the cause, the unsinkable 269 meter magnificient RMS Titanic actually sank in the Atlantic on the fourth day of her maiden voyage. Out of the total 2200 people onboard the vessel only about 700 survived. Only these 700 people eventually made it to the destination - New York City on 18th April 1912.

I saw the movie "Titanic" in 3D which was recently released in the theatres. I was at the edge of my seat with folded hands while watching the movie. It was slightly over 3 hours without any intermission and no one moved from their seats in the theatre for the entire duration of the film. It was a very thrilling experience to watch this film that too in 3D and I have decided to see this film a few more times for the magnificient way in which they have captured the story. The detailing is so perfect that the planning and script writing must have taken a lot of time.

I have never seen a film like the Titanic in my entire life so far. The sequences in which they show how the ship sinks is really fantastic - beyond words to describe. I could feel the chillness all over my body and I almost froze in my seat during those scenes in which the ship sinks. There are no camera tricks or computer graphics in the film which makes it real perfect. This is truly a mega film with a huge budget and must have involved tremendous amount of work by the entire production team. Hats off to James Cameron and his team for creating this wonderful film.



T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E
15th April 2012

SPB THE GREAT

Dr.S.P.Balasubrahmanyam (SPB) is gifted with an extraordinary voice. The modulation with which he sings is simply superb and you can keep listening to his voice for hours together. He was born in 1946 and made his debut in tamil films in 1969 though he started his singing career in 1965.

SPB is a great singer and his voice is still the same after several decades. I am an ardent fan of SPB and the three songs that he has sung in the recent times is a testimony for his greatness.

1. Kannaal Pesum Penne Enai mannippaya - from the Film "Mozhi" (2007)




2. Naan Pogiren Mele Mele boologame kaalin keezhe - from the Film "Nanayam" (2010)



3. Yemma Yemma kadhal ponnamma - from the Film "7 aum Arivu" (2011)



He is a truly gifted singer who has the blessings of the GOD. He is 66 years old and is able to still sing effortlessly on the stage and for films. Long Live SPB and I hope he continues to sing for many more years.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
14th April 2012

பாட்டு பாட வா - சந்திரபாபு பாடல்கள்

தமிழ் திரை உலகின் உன்னதமான ஒரு தலை சிறந்த நகைச்சுவை நடிகர் திரு.சந்திரபாபு அவர்கள். அவர் நடிப்பு, ஆடல், பாடல், இயக்கம் என பல துறைகளில் சிறந்து விளங்கினார். மிகவும் திறமை வாய்ந்த ஒரு நடிகர் அனால் அவர் வாழ்ந்தது நாற்பத்தி ஏழு ஆண்டுகள் மட்டுமே. எனக்கு மிகவும் பிடித்த சில சந்திரபாபு பாடல்களை எங்கே தொகுத்து வழங்குகிறேன்:

1. புத்தியுள்ள மனிதரெல்லாம் வெற்றி காண்பதில்லை
   
2. நான் ஒரு முட்டாளுங்க ரொம்ப நல்ல படிச்சவங்க நாலு பேரு சொன்னங்க
   
3. கோவா மாம்பழமே மல் கோவா மாம்பழமே
   
4. பிறக்கும் போதும் அழுகின்றான் இறக்கும் போதும் அழுகின்றான்
   
5. ஹலோ மை டியர் ராணி உங்கம்மா எனக்கு மாமி
   
6. உனக்காக எல்லாம் உனக்காக இந்த உடலும் உயிரும்
   
7. கல்யாணம் கல்யாணம் - உல்லாசமாகவே உலகத்தில் வாழவே
   
8. பம்பர கண்ணாலே காதல் சங்கதி சொன்னாளே
9. பொறந்தாலும் ஆம்பளையா பொறக்க கூடாது
   
10. சிரிப்பு வருது சிரிப்பு வருது சிரிக்க சிரிக்க சிரிப்பு வருது
11. என்னை தெரியலையா ஒன்னும் புரியலையா
    
12. குங்கும பூவே கொஞ்சும் புறாவே
    
13. ஒண்ணுமே புரியலே உலகத்திலே என்னமோ நடக்குது
    
14. காதல் என்பது எது வரை
    
15. தாங்கதம்மா தாங்காது சம்சாரம் தாங்காது
    

அவர் நடிப்பு திறனும் நடன திறனும் சொல்லி மாளாது.



தமிழ் திரை உலகில் தனக்கென ஒரு தனி இடத்தை உருவாக்கி அதை இன்றும் தக்க வைத்துக்கொண்டிருக்கிறார் சந்திரபாபு.

தி.பா.ஆனந்த
துபாய்
பனிரெண்டு ஏப்ரல் இரண்டாயிறதுபனிரெண்டு

CHESS GAME FOR 6 PLAYERS

Hridayeshwar Singh Bhati is a Grade IV student in Delhi Public School, Jaipur, India. He is confined to wheel chair as he suffers from "duchenne muscular dystrophy".

This 10 year old boy is the youngest inventor in India to get patent rights. He has invented a Chess Game that can be played by six players (normally chess is played with only two players). Chess is a very difficult game as it requires a very sharp mind involving deep thinking. I have played chess and found it difficult to think of the various moves that can be played by the opponent. It is very difficult game to play as you should plan your moves based on the opponents move and stay ahead of the game by planning the next few moves. With two players there are so many complexities involved in planning the next move. I am unable to comprehend the kind of complexities it will involve if there are six players on the board.

There are circular Chess Boards for 2,3 and 4 players but Hridayeshwar Singh has invented a Circular Chess Board for 6 players. He intends to develop this idea and enlarge it to next level of the game wherein 2 to 3 players can play on the same board.



Hats off to this young inventor. I feel very proud to be an Indian and I am fortunate to live during the times of such inventions.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
11th April 2012

SIXTH SENSE - PRANAV MISTRY

Pranav Mistry is the inventor of this unique technology. Watch this video to learn about this great invention.



Technology is growing at a mind boggling pace. It is a great advantage to have been born as a baby boomer (born between 1946 and 1964) as I have lived through the technological advancement and enjoyed the amusement. It has been a wonderful journey so far starting with the Radio/ Transistor, and going through the upgrades in the form of TV, Tape Recorder, CD Player, Calculator, Cordless Phone, Computer, Digital Organiser, Walk Man, Laptop, Mobile Phone, Palm Top, MP3, iPOD, iPAD, etc.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
10th April 2012

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

When we communicate with someone the exact context and spirit of what we want to communicate should be understood by the other person. The communication is incomplete if the other person does not understand what we are conveying. Many of the day to day issues and problems could be avoided if the communication is effective.

Effective Communication is not at all difficult. It calls for additional effort and attention on both sides. There is certainly a dire need for us to communicate effectively with other people whether it is personal or for business.

The maximum communication that we do is with ourselves. We are constantly communicating within ourselves by asking various questions and trying to get answers for most of those questions. This constant communication within ourselves is the trigger for most of our external communication with people. If we are thinking about something and communicating within ourselves. As a result of that internal thinking and communication if we are in an angry mood, then we reflect that anger when we communicate with other person. The mood and temperament that we reach through the internalised communication gets reflected when we have external communication with others and we tend to influence the others with that mood, temperament and attitude.

It is very important for us to rationalise the thought process and streamline our internal communication first as this would pave the way for an effective communication when we interact with people. Before we start the communication with the other person (irrespective of the mode of communication) we need to be clear on the following:

1. What is the purpose of the communication and what is our specific goal
2. Be precise and clear
3. Ensure that the other person is attentive and has understood what you say
4. Be positive in your attitude, body language and choice of words
5. Be flexible in your approach

We can achieve a lot through effective communication and save ourselves from confrontations, dis-agreements, ill-feelings and conflicts.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
9th April 2012

KARNAN

I have seen Karnan as a school boy and later as a College Student. One of the best movies to have been ever made in Tamil Film Industry. This film was released in 1964 and is directed by Shri.B.R.Panthulu. It features the greatest actor of Tamil Cinema Shivaji Ganesan in the lead role. Shivaji Ganesan is supported in this film by N.T.Rama Rao, S.A.Asokan, Muthuraman, M.V.Rajamma, Savithri, Devika and several others.

The DTS version has been released recently in Tamil Nadu and the film is doing exceedingly well. The response is overwhelming and the theaters are packed with crowd for all the shows.



The music for this film was directed by the great duo M.S.Viswanathan & T.K.Ramamoorthy. Ullathil Nalla Ullam is a superb song rendered by Shri.Seergazhi Govindarajan. All the songs in this film are penned by Kannadasan.

Tamil Film Industry can be proud of some great achievements over the last 75 years and Karnan is certainly a classic example of the great achievements of the Tamil Film Industry.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.

World's Longest Suspension Bridge

The world’s longest suspension bridge–Aizhai–opened in China on 31st March 2012. The bridge connects two cities–Chongqing Municipality to Changsha city.

Travel time between the two cities, which used to be several days, has been cut to only eight hours. Construction on the bridge took over 4 years (work commenced in October 2007) and cuts travel time over the Dehang Grand Canyon from 30 minutes to 1. The speed limit on the bridge is 80 kilometers (roughly 50 mph). Pedestrians can also walk along the suspension bridge, with 1,888 lights guiding their way. The Aizhai suspension bridge has a main span of 1,176 meters and soars 335m above the ground. This is the highest and longest valley suspension bridge in the world.

PERITO MORENO, ARGENTINA

On 4th March 2012 (exactly a month ago) there was a huge glacier collapse in Argentina. The famous Perito Moreno glacier is being visited by thousands of tourists on a daily basis. There were some lucky tourists who watched the huge glacier collapse and fall into Lake Argentina on 4th March 2012.

Around 2,500 tourists watched and cheered as the 97-square-mile glacier splintered and ice crashed down, according to The Telegraph. The BBC notes that the glacier reaches a massive 230 feet (70 meters) into the air, at times growing large enough to separate Lago Argentino, the lake in which it floats, in half.

It is really a stunning sight to watch the way the glaciers collapse and fall into the water. Please see this short video below:



The glacier collapsing is a natural phenomenon and tourists visit the Perito Moreno in Argentina to watch this natural phenomenon every year according to some reports.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
4th April 2012

JAMES CAMERON'S DEEP SEA DIVE

James Cameron has two successful films which did USD 1 Billion business each - "Titanic" and "Avatar". He is the most famous film director in Hollywood.

James Cameron touched the real depth of the sea by doing a dive to almost 7 miles below the surface of pacific ocean. He is the first person to do a solo dive into such depth. He took the dive on a specially designed vehicle "Deepsea Challenger". This expedition has been planned for 7 years and the Deepsea Challenger was specially built to withstand the immense pressure at the ocean floor.

At 57 this is a very difficult adventure and the man seems to have enjoyed every bit of it.



James Cameron is not new to deep sea diving. He has done a large number of deep sea dives of which 33 were to the wreck of the Titanic. This solo deep sea dive that he did on the 25th March 2012 is very special and in his own words "the culmination from my perspective of a lifelong dream".

This great expedition that James Cameron has undertaken will result in two films - a 3D film for wide screen theaters and a National Geographic TV Special.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
3rd April 2012

EXPECTATIONS

Expectations lead to disappointments.

When we deal with a service provider our expectations are very high. We expect excellent service, value addition and at a low cost. When we travel by Air we expect Business Class or First Class service at Economy Rates. When we deal with business partners we expect consistent growth, higher profits and total transparency. Whilst there is nothing wrong in having high expectations from others, one should also remember the same is true from the other end. People who deal with us will also have the same level of expectations from us and we have to live with their expectations in order have long term relationships.

It is always better to lower our expectation in life so that we do not face disappointments or heart burns. It is equally important to present ourselves at slightly lower levels so that we can temper the expectations of others from us.

It is important for us to set the expectations right in every transaction and every relationship. Setting high expectations will lead to disappointments and can spoil the relationship. Setting expectations right at the beginning will help to have smooth relationship. I have seen at work people end up setting high expectations in the mind of the superior and end up falling short of the expectations. It is better to set the expectation right and specify the amount of work that can be done within the timeline/deadline. Once the level of expectation is set and agreed it is imperative to perform and deliver the results.

We live in a highly competitive world with lot of uncertainties and hence it is extremely critical to set expectations right on everything that we do in our lives.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
2nd April 2012

3 - Tamil Film Review

I do not understand why they gave the title 3 for this film. I presume it is because there are 3 key people. The Hero Dhanush, The heroine Shruti Hassan and the Director Aishwarya. All the three are born to film personalities and together they have attempted to produce a different picture. There was lot of expectations from the film after the phenominal success of the youtube video which showed the recording of the song "Why this Kolaveri Di". I wanted to see the film first day first show because of the excitement and expectations that was created by the pre-release publicity.



Dhanush has done exceptionally well in some of the recent films like Uthamaputhiran, Kutti, Aadukalam, Maapillai and has proved his ability to act well.

The first half runs very smoothly like a ship sailing in calm waters. The second half struggles with the same old theme of Dhanush having some mental disorder which is called "bipolar disorder". The screenplay is weak in the second half and hence the film struggles like a ship caught in rough weather.

Siva Karthikeyan does very well to support Dhanush in the first half as his friend and is suddenly dumped and sent off to Singapore. If he was used in the second half also it would have been better for the film. Siva Karthikeyan can become a full time comedian and he will have a very good future. He has done very well in this film and when compared with Marina the performance in 3 is far better. The tamil films were dominated by VV in the last decade (Vadivelu and Vivek) and looks like the next decade will be dominated by SS (Santhanam and Siva Karthikeyan). There was clapping and loud laughter in the theatre whenever Siva Karthikeyan was in the frame. Well done Siva you have a good future as a Comedy/Support Artist.

Dhanush has done well as the Hero of the film and has done justice to his role. Shruti Hassan deserves an award for "Best Actress" for her portrayal of the role. She has done exceptionally well right through the film and has lived up to the reputation of the family being the daughter of the one and only versatile Ulaganayagan Padmashri. Kamal Hassan. Aishwarya has made a good first attempt as Director but needs to mature a lot in ensuring that the story line is not portrayed with a drag. In the second half audience started getting restless. Dhanush will refuse to get admitted in hospital and his friend will keep insisting at that stage the audience was commenting " Dhanush get admitted in the hospital quicky otherwise we may have to go and get admitted in the hospital".

In summary I am not happy with the film but I am extremely happy for Shruti Hassan for her excellent performance.

I think in Madan Talkies tonight, if he reviews this film, he will give 2.5 or 3 stars for this film.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
1st April 2012