I've moved!!!

Hello there!
Thanks for landing on my blogspace. If you are left wondering that I have hung up my blogging boots & gone back to a hibernation mode... I'd like to let you know that my blogging adventures continue till date at www.arunrajagopal.com

See you there!

Arun Rajagopal

A date with the H2

Happy Easter, all ye brothers and sisters out there. I had a recent date with a Hummer H2 - here are a few snaps.


That's me - looking mighty pleased posing in front of the irreverent Hummer. My growing paunch may be excused!






I'm joined by Sharad Phalgun, a kingpin of Muscat's advertising fraternity, with a very dapper look about him.







As always, I've to do something zany. It's man versus machine in this saga - and the machine is definitely winning!

Goliath meets match in Guyana

Shock upsets are inevitable, especially in an event such as the Cricket World Cup. But cricket found the least unlikely contenders at the centre stage of one of the greatest upsets in the history of One-Day International Cricket at a Super 8 match at Guyana yesterday. The erstwhile minnows of international cricket, upcoming ‘David’ - Bangladesh, placed ninth in ICC rankings turned the apple cart against South Africa, ranked the world’s best team and a very strong contender for the 2007 ICC World Cup. The Bangladeshi tiger cubs rattled a comprehensive 67-run victory against the Proteas – totally outclassing them in all the departments of the game, and changing the complexion of the remaining Super 8 matches. Now, West Indies and England have been given a chance to fight for a semi-final berth, while South Africa have been chortled and brought back to terra firma – the spectre of the choker tag never seems to desert them. Giant killing Bangladesh seems to be the silver lining in this otherwise lacklustre tournament, dominated by Australia and conspicuous by the early exit of over-rated India and mercurial Pakistan. Underdogs such as Ireland and Bangladesh have shown cricketing excellence is not anyone’s fiefdom.
Coach Dav Whatmore, the Midas man behind Bangladesh’s dream run, is currently in the reckoning to be Team India’s next coach. It will be very interesting to watch out for future developments. If he does get the job, I’m sure that B’desh’s loss would very much be India’s gain.

Here’s a quick look at a few common traits seen in some of the better performing teams playing in this World Cup:
1. The ability to enjoy the game as a team
2. Outstanding fielding standards
3. Not relying on a single individual as a match winner – depending on every player to contribute on the field
4. Ability to put pressure on competition, especially if they are on top
5. Supreme fitness – explains why players like Sanath Jayasuriya are still ruling the roost

Super Eight Standings as of today
Team MP W L PCF Pts NRR
AUS 3 3 0 2 6 +2.01
SRI 4 3 1 2 6 +1.55
NZL 3 3 0 2 6 +1.44
RSA 4 2 2 0 4 -0.63
ENG 3 1 2 0 2 +0.02
WIN 4 1 3 2 2 -1.18
BAN 4 1 3 0 2 -1.78
IRE 3 0 3 0 0 -0.93

Mr. Bean’s Holiday, Alpha Dog & Thiruvilayadal Aarambham

Mr. Bean’s Holiday (English)
Screen: Ruwi Cinema
Starring: Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean, Willem Dafoe, Jean Rochefort
I woke up pretty grouchy and pooped out this morning. And I knew that watching Mr. Bean’s Holiday would probably perk things up a little. Guess I underestimated Mr. Bean’s powers. Mr. Bean’s Holiday is a laugh riot from the moment he wins a holiday to the French Riviera in a church raffle draw. What ensues is a trail of comedy, commotion, madness, slapstick wit, chuckles and merry mirth as the irrepressible Mr. Bean makes his presence felt in the République française. I was wondering what was my best moment in the movie – I think it has to be one where Willem Dafoe sets off the explosion on his commercial video set, or it could even be the one where Mr. Bean is grooving to Shaggy’s Boombastic. And now that I think about it – I can think of a dozen more. Make sure you join Mr. Bean on his trip of a lifetime.

Alpha Dog (English)
Screen: Ruwi Cinema
Starring: Emile Hirsch, Justin Timberlake, Bruce Willis, Sharon Stone, Ben Foster
I walked into the theatre dead tired and Alpha Dog did a good job of bringing me right back into the screen. Alpha Dog is ‘Inspired by true events’ and a ‘drama based on the life of Jesse James Hollywood, a drug dealer who became one of the youngest men ever to be on the FBI's most wanted list’. As Bruce Willis’ character Sonny Truelove narrates in the beginning of the movie –
You wanna' know what this is all about? You can say this about drugs or guns or bad decisions, what ever you like. But this whole thing is about parenting. And taking care of your children.
I loved the feel of Alpha Dog – urban-youth degradation, parents who don’t know where their kids are headed to & don’t seem to be in a position to help cuz they are in pits of their own, spoilt-white brats having their own take on black gangsta-ho culture – also felt some performances were good, especially Justin Timberlake, Anton Yelchin and Emile Hirsch. The movie was censored in Muscat, and I’m longing to get my hands on the uncut DVD. The choice of soundtracks for Alpha Dog is pretty good too – I’m now hooked to DMX’s Lord Give Me A Sign, and Tech N9ne is definitely an act to watch out for.
Tracks by the likes of Lowd, Eva Cassidy, Aaron Zigman, Paul A. Graham and Paul Bushnell complete the ensemble.

Thiruvilayadal Aarambham (Tamil)
Screen: Star Cinema
Starring: Dhanush, Shriya, Prakashraj
Firstly, the movie didn’t look good on the big screen. Wonder about the quality of the film roll used – it seemed to be made with a simple, humble camcorder. TA is a love story with street smart hero Dhanush pitted against the well-oiled business tycoon Prakashraj, the brother of his lady-love. TA suffers because of a pretty weak story – though Dhanush emotes effortlessly in patches… TA is flawed from scene 1. Booboo.

Weekender Movies in Muscat

I’ve been enjoying my extended weekend (Saturday was a holiday being the Prophet’s birthday), spending time catching up on the latest movies in Muscat, as always.

Namastey London (Hindi)
Screen: Ruwi Cinema
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Rishi Kapoor and Upen Patel
Funjabi boy meets british bratgurl and all hell breaks loose. Directed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, Namastey London explores the lives of NRI families and issues that arise from the way they deal with their values, beliefs, identity and approach to relationships. Though packaged as a comic caper plus touchy romance, Namastey London comes with a very powerful message – true love wins, always. I love Namastey London for its hilarious moments, perfect casting and happening songs.


Dreamgirls (English)
Screen: Ruwi Cinema
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles, Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson
If you love either musicals or good movies, you may be in for some luck as Dreamgirls is a well-made movie plus entertaining musical. Written and directed by Bill Condon, Dreamgirls follows the dreams of three R&B singers Effie White, Deena Jones, and Lorrell Robinson, respectively played by Jennifer Hudson, Beyoncé Knowles and Anika Noni Rose who want to make it big in showbiz. They run into Curtis Taylor, Jr., (Jamie Foxx) a slick, ambitious record executive who becomes their manager and helps them become the new face of American R&B in the 1960s and 1970s. The dream in Dreamgirls is American Idol winner Jennifer Hudson who perfectly deserves an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her sterling performance as the immensely gifted but volatile singer Effie White. Eddie Murphy and Jamie Foxx enthral you by the way they portray their characters. A beautiful movie that tells us dreams can come true, provided you dream and work to get the dream fall in place.

Annavaram (Telugu)
Screen: Star Cinema
Starring: Pawan Kalyan, Asin
Loving brother in village marries off doting sister to chocolate boy in city infested with evil goons. Brother’s best buddy is killed by ruthless goons. Brother sends sister and family back to village and returns to the city around interval with doughty mission – wipe the city off all villains. Neat. Annavaram is happening – if you like Pawan’s flexi-dance moves, never ending swish-slash, lemon-tinged swordfight seqs and Tollywood’s fixation for big-budget masala movies.


The Speed Track (Malayalam, ahem)
Screen: Star Cinema
Starring: Dileep, Gajala and who’s who of contemporary Malayalam comedydom
Debutant director Jayasurya comes up with a sports-based flick with all ingredients required for an average Malayalam hit. Starring wonderboy – now ageing wonderman Dileep, who delivers a decent performance as an athlete with a do or die mission to become a champion. Gajala makes us realise that Mollywood has no actress of its own ilk who can fit into a decent-sized track suit and run 100 feet without collapsing into a heap. Though it is difficult to accept Dileep as an agile athlete given his ‘physique’, The Speed Track is much better than his earlier hash named ‘Inspector Garud’. Any day. Dileep better start working on the way he looks in movies… tips from Mammootty can help. Perhaps.

Fearless (English)
Screen: Al Nasr Cinema
Starring: Jet Li
Wushu guru Jet Li comes up with an outstanding performance as a Wushu exponent in his farewell martial arts epic ‘Fearless’. Apparently, Fearless is going to be his last flick as a martial arts performer, he hopes to concentrate on other character-based roles in his future acting career. Fearless is the journey of the transformation of a fearless warrior to a great hero. Fearless has got some outstanding Wushu sequences, especially a rocker of a climax, a lot of nationalistic fervour, some excellent dialogues, stunning cinematography… and is a must-see for those who love Chinese martial-art flicks.

For Travel Freaks

I read this interesting article on MSN about aviation buffs who fly on inaugural flights / landmark flights just for the heck of it. Read ‘Inaugural flights draw airline ‘geeks’. It reminded me of the many crazy trips I have taken, especially in Oman – where I used to travel long distances in buses and make quick return journeys – thus indulging in my love for luxury coaches – especially the Mercedes-Benz 0404 and Hyundai Aerospace LD. It also reminds me of the frequent train journeys I used to take in India in 2004 – just for the heck of it – especially in the Trivandrum-Kollam-Kottayam sector in Kerala. It evidently got to a point that anybody in the neighbourhood who wanted some work done involving long distances and had to go through the pains of a train journey to get it done started approaching me for the same. My passion for 'railexperiencing' have sent me on journeys have sent me as far as Bangalore, Renigunta / Tirupati, Madurai and Chennai from Kerala. Get to the station, spent a few hours in the place, before finding the next available train back to my home town. Though these travels would seem quite ‘freaky’ to a lot, there is so much fun and excitement in it. Just ask Andrew Gibbons, who belongs to a super-elite subspecies of frequent fliers who chase inaugural flights because they adore airlines, airplanes, even airports, and want to be part of airline milestones.

Hit me, hit me not!

Dramatic shot at a railway crossing in India: Passersby make a valiant attempt to move an injured cow away from the path of an oncoming train - the Kota Jan Shatabdi. The cow had presumably been hit on the flanks by a passing train a little while ago. Pic by Karthik Nanda of IRFCA (Indian Railways Fan Club).

The Blue Billion Grieves; I watch 300, Desamuduru & Detective

So the Men in Blue are effectively out of the World Cup, thanks to their disastrous performance against Sri Lanka yesterday. A lot on rely on the upcoming Bermuda vs. Bangladesh match – if the Bermudans manage to upset the rollicking Bangladeshi apple cart, Indian paper tigers can squeeze into the Super Eights through the back door. Highly unlikely, I say.
The team’s performance from the start has been disappointing – they started their campaign on the wrong note when they got mauled by giant-killing Bangladesh, before managing a consolation win over minnows Bermuda, before getting thumped in the bollocks by a rip roaring Lankan Lions.
I never expected or hoped India to bring home the World Cup, for that matter they were not even probable semi-finalists. Simply because, India has never looked like a professional cricketing team in recent times. At best, it’s just a motley crew of 11 individuals, stalwarts in their right, who basically follow the ‘all or none law’ in their game – either they all play well or they all play like hell. The ‘men in blue’ seemed to be senile tigers on the field, lacking in energy, discipline, temperament or enthusiasm and rather so full of inertia. The only time I have seen them perform well is in the stupid commercial endorsements they wholeheartedly give their ‘mind, body, soul and heart’ to.
I know that cricket’s just a game and that there is so much pressure on the boys to perform and the entire expectations of a billion fans rests on their puny shoulders – fine – but if you can’t perform on the big stage, if you cant handle the pressure, I think you oughta sit outside the game.
A few recommendations to better cricket in India – give voluntary retirement to all our cricketing heroes who have crossed 30 – we have had enough with their ‘experience’; put a ceiling to the amount of money these ‘players’ are earning out of their endorsements – did you know that they are the highest-paid sports team in the world, in terms of sponsorship – and no tax waivers please; and improve the domestic cricket system to allow more competitive domestic players don the national colours in the international arena.
Since Chappell took over from his predecessor John Wright, India has won 32 out of 62 ODIs and 7of the 18 Test matches. Hopefully BCCI should look for a good cricketing coach from the land of a blue billion, who is competent enough to ‘coach’ this team. May be that is the greatest tragedy to have befallen Indian cricket, after all the great Indian coach is an elusive being, and not to be found in a land in need of real heroes.
A quick word to our nation’s bike, biscuit and cola sellers – if you are banking on this bunch of losers to sell your stuff, then please be aware that me as a consumer has already started doubting the quality of your products, cuz after all they are your brand ambassadors who stand for what you sell, right?

On a better note, I watched '300' (English) with a friend at Ruwi Cinema yesterday. Never seen such a kick-ass ‘war’ movie off late. Inspired by a graphic novel by Frank Miller, 300 is based on the epic battle of Thermopylae, where Spartan King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fight to the last man against Persian King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and his army of more than one million soldiers, while in Sparta, Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) attempts to rally support for her husband. The are pluses aplenty in 300 – free flowing blood and gore, thrilling action sequences, captivating photography, the terse narration by the Spartan soldier Dilios (David Wenham) and a stirring background score. I’m now hunting for 300’s OST by Tyler Bates. 300 is one of the best flicks out in Muscat this year.

Also watched Telugu flick 'Desamuduru', written and directed by Puri Jagannadh, at Star Cinema. Allu Arjun (nephew of Tollywood megastars Pawan Kalyan and Chiranjeevi) and Hansika Motwani star in this flick with a plot that goes like – freak out TV journalist Bala Govind (Allu Arjun) gets into a skirmish with a band of Tamilian goons, retreats to Kulu Manali to escape their vendetta, falls in love with Vaishali (Hansika), a young damsel who is living the life of a hermit, hero falls in love, and then it turns that our hermit heroine is connected to the band of goons who then take her back to Hyderabad and then it is all left for the wonderboy to shut shop on villains and get the groove going with his lady love. Oops. You will like Desamuduru for Allu Arjun’s fight and dance scenes, and of course Rambha’s try at an item number – also I quite liked Puri Jagannadh’s opening credits in this movie – where the man on the street picks his favourite Tollywood hero – before launching Allu.

I also watched Suresh Gopi’s latest Malayalam flick – ‘Detective’ at Star Cinema – highly recommended for all Scotland Yard sleuths out there, the rest of you can probably go for a walk in the park – would be more productive that staying holed up in a theatre trying to come to terms with this crime/suspense/thriller pot-boiler.

Movies in Muscat - Nishabd, Red – The Dark Side and Norbit

Nishabd (Hindi) released in Muscat yesterday. Watched the first show at the Al Nasr Cinema. It’s very rare for movies to release here on a Monday. Wednesday’s when movies get released in Muscat. Totally relished watching it in a deserted theatre – I counted 8 people in a theatre that can seat around 800 plus people. Got a ticket in the box – usually box seats are reserved for couples and groups – but today the man at the ticket counter just decided to make my day; trust me its was great to put my feet up on the railing and enjoy the view from the empty box. At some point, I remember pacing up and down the box and watching the movie. Felt like it was my personal space.

You shouldn’t miss watching Nishabd, produced and directed by Ram Gopal Varma. Nishabd is about the love that springs between Vijay, a 60-year old photographer (Amitabh Bachchan) and Jia, an 18-year old student (Jiah Khan), and its effect on Vijay’s wife Amrita (Revathy) and their 18-year old daughter Ritu (Shraddha Arya). The entire flick is shot in sombre dark hues in the moody, dreamy tea estates of Munnar in Kerala. The entire cast in Nishabd is limited to Amitabh Bachchan, Jiah Khan, Naseer, Shraddha Arya, Revathy and Aftaab Shivadsani in a guest role. Nishabd challenges conventional feelings about love. One of the most poignant moments in the movie is when Vijay tells Amrita about his love for Jia, which understandably leaves the dutiful wife dazed. Amitabh comes with a fine performance, but it is definition of the ultimate aim of human life that impressed me most in Nishabd – to be happy! If you are lot into love and life, do find some time for Nishabd.

Followed up Nishabd with Red – The Dark Side (Hindi) at Al Nasr Mini Cinema. Directed by Vikram Bhatt and starring Aftaab Shivdasani, Celina Jaitley and Amrita Arora, Red has all the elements of a typical Vikram Bhatt pot-boiler – a love triangle, cupid struck hero, murder mystery, scheming women, elements of surprise, remix party numbers, police investigations, dark characters and a twist n’turn in the tale for a climax. I watched it to check out Ms. Jaitley and Ms. Arora, and boy I got my salt’s worth. Here's Aftaab's clinching dialogue / the last nail on the coffin: I’m ready to die for love. I’m ready to kill for love. But I’m not ready to be a fool for love. Red is definitely not painting the town red.

Uhm, moi found some time to go for comic flick Norbit (English) on Sunday at Ruwi Cinema. Norbit is not all that great – it’s got Eddie Murphy in not one, not two, but three roles – but even his treble histrionics cannot save this flawed movie. Norbit enjoys a 9% rating at Rotten Tomatoes and rumours abound that his acting in Norbit cost him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Dreamgirls. I personally think Norbit is OK – it may not be all that great – but it’s got those moments that will have you hold ur tummy and chortle with laughter.

Tribute to Bob Woolmer

He was one of the finest personalities in international cricket and an outstanding coach. He’s going to be terribly missed by everyone with a love for the game of willow. May his soul rest in peace. Here’s a compendium of fast facts on the life of Bob Woolmer.

1. He was born as Robert Andrew Woolmer, on May 14, 1948 at Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. He is the son of Clarence Woolmer, a cricketer who played Ranji Trophy for United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh).
2. He made 1059 runs at 33.09 in Tests, with three hundreds, and also took four wickets at 74.75. In all first-class cricket, mainly with Kent but also in South African state cricket, he scored 15772 runs at 33.55 and took 420 wickets at 25.87.
3. In 1959, as an 11-year-old schoolboy, he watched Hanif Mohammed score 499 for Karachi. In 1999, he was in the dressing room when Brian Lara scored 501* to break Hanif's record. He is one of the very few people to have seen both innings live.
4. In 1975, he was selected for England's first World Cup squad, but broke his hand the day before the tournament started. He ended up being the 12th man.
5. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1976.
6. A respected all rounder at first class level who played for Kent and South African provinces Natal and Western Province, Woolmer also played 19 Tests and six one-day internationals for England between 1975 and 1981.
7. He was among the game’s more free-thinking coaches, a reputation he earned first with Warwickshire and then confirmed during his five years at the helm of the South African national team.
8. As a coach he pioneered the use of computers and technology in the dressing room, especially to keep track of how the opposition batsmen scored their runs.
9. With him as their coach, Warwickshire won three of the four domestic trophies on offer in England in 1994.
10. He coached South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and during his tenure the team had won 83 of their 117 one-day internationals - a winning percentage of 72.80 - and 10 of the 15 Test series they contested.

How to brew a perfect cup of coffee?

The venue: Pantry at an interactive agency in the Middle East.
Ingredients: A glass mug, teaspoon, Nescafe, powdered milk, sugar, a Russell Hobbs kettle, yourself and a bit of showmanship.
Way forward: Wash the cup. Rinse the spoon (if you really want to). Fill the kettle with water and leave it to boil. Turn the kettle off, much before it touches boiling point, that’s when the kettle switch goes off. Meaning, don’t leave the water to boil. Just make it hot-warm. Trust me; you don’t want the scalding water to mess up Nescafe’s flavour. So water’s ready. Add two and half spoons of milk powder to the cup. (Oh yes, I prefer using the same teaspoon in all the acts of coffee making.) Lift the kettle, tilt it at an awkward angle and pour water slowly into the cup to form a milky froth. Ensure that the water doesn’t hit your groin. Add howmucheva spoons of sugar you would like to this creamy mix. Make sure that your natural showmanship shows. Now, uhm, ideally take two teaspoons of Nescafe and add it to the milk and swirl. For added effect, take another mug and pour your coffee/mixture from cup-to-cup to create a consistent, well-blended drink. Serve with a lot of chutzpah.
Comment: The presence of a pretty gurl as you brew coffee will have a marked improvement on your coffee making skills.
Upcoming Attraction: The ‘How to brew a perfect cup of coffee using the scrambled egg approach’ tutorial.

Muscat's gettin a shower! - 2

A friend of mine sent me snaps of how the Muscat roads, especially those at Al Khuwair, have been affected by the rains this morning. Did you notice the hapless hatchback sinking like a torpedoed schooner? I guess we can call them waterways more than highways. Muscat has been taken for a spin due to these unexpected showers. Wadis have been overflowing, umpteen numbers of vehicles as well as roads have gone under water and a lot of accidents have occurred. But hey no worries, things are gonna get back on track in a day or two, like it always does!

Muscat's gettin a shower!

It’s raining in Muscat. I woke up early in the morning to watch rain drops pitter-patter against the window and thought I must be dreaming. May be it was the effect of the bottle of Wincarnis I had downed yesterday I thought, so I went back to snoozeland and then when I finally dragged myself out of bed, voila… raindrops were still pitter-pattering against the glass panes. Tried to take snaps of the mountain view across the window. I’m afraid it didn’t turn out that well. Missed having my blue cheeked bee eater friend hanging about the satellite dish, I suspect he is having an affair, I see him crooning to another bee eater these days. Hope he is somewhere safe away from the rains. Lemme just think some of the best memories I have about rain…

1. Jumping about in the rains when I was a kid at my ancestral home in Ernakulam, Kerala. I used to actually wade about in the pools of slushy water using as an umbrella as a boat!
2. Fishing in the overflowing drains of Ernakulam using baskets and sticks, and then yelling ‘Karuppine pidiche karuup’ (Karup is a thorny fish). Moi was an expert in netting the best catch out there.
3. Have the rain hit my face as I stare into the heavens leaning out of the door of Kerala Express racing out of Coimbatore on a moody April morning.
4. Racing on a bike braving the lashing downpour, desperately trying to make it on time for a science quiz at primary school, turning up late eventually and having Jayanti Ma’am get the water off my head with her perfumed hankie.
5. Lying on my bed / standing at the balcony and trying to listen / watch the rain compose its symphonies of anger, despair, depression, mirth and more. Happens very much often.
6. Walking alone on the streets of Bangkok as a quick evening shower drenches the fetid city, sending up plumes of a million odours.
7. Taking little Unati out for a walk today, sequestered under a umbrella, as the Muscat skies open up for a sob session.
8. Writing this blog while sipping coffee and being serenaded by Tamil music when I try to recount my best memories of rain.


Chan from UMS Advertising, Muscat clicked a few snaps on the Muscat rains - mostly of overflowing wadis. I particularly love this one which has got giant trucks drowned next to the Darsait Lulu Hypermarket. The weatherman has forecast showers for Oman in days to come due to 'an expansion in the current atmospheric depression in the region'. Whoa.

Weekender Movies at Muscat - Pachaikili Muthucharam & The Prestige

Watched Pachaikili Muthucharam (Tamil) at Star Cinema yesterday. Quite credible performance by a star cast comprising of Sarath Kumar, Jyothika, Andrea and Milind Soman. I strongly recommend you to watch this movie if you dig family-oriented romances that's got elements of suspense in them. The music score by Harris Jayaraj is impressive. The melodious Unakkul Nan by Bombay Jayashree is one of the best numbers from Kollywood in the recent past. Directed by Gautham Menon, Pachaikili Muthucharam is a story about a married man who falls for another married woman and the interesting turns their lives take due to their dangerous infatuation. Warning: After watching Pachaikili Muthucharam, one should expect anyone with a commitment to a loved one think a wee bit before straying out of that commitment – cuz sometimes it’s not really worth it!!! The film is inspired by the bestselling book, Derailed by James Siegel which was later adapted into a film with the same title starring Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston.

The Prestige (English) is one of the most raved about movies from 2006 – it enjoys a 74% rating at Rotten Tomatoes. Watched it at Ruwi Cinema today. Starring Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson and David Bowie, this twister-turner thriller is directed by Christian Nolan who gave us the flick Batman Begins. Nominated for two Academy Awards, The Prestige is the tale of the intense rivalry of Robert Angier and Alfred Borden, stage magicians in Victorian era London. The film follows a non-linear narrative and is adapted from Christopher Priest's award-winning 1995 novel of the same name. My advice to you if you are watching The Prestige is to watch it closely, just like you watch a magician perform a sleight of hand. If you are not going to watch it closely, you will miss its magic like an illusion – just like I did!!!

A powerful exposition of the themes of obsession, sacrifice, deceit and secrecy, the film is split into three storylines, each resembling one of the three stages of magic - setup, or the "pledge," where the magician shows the audience something that appears ordinary but is probably not, making use of misdirection; performance, or the "turn," where the magician makes the ordinary act extraordinary and the "prestige," where the effect of the illusion is produced. David Bowie plays an important role in The Prestige as scientist Nikola Tesla – his character was portrayed interestingly enough that I’m going to read more about him in the days to come.

The Most Viewed Video on YouTube

And the honour goes ‘Evolution of Dance’ by Judson Laipply, a motivational speaker and comedian from Cleveland. Check it out – it’s incredibly funny and an authentic portrayal of dance throughout the 20th and 21st century. 'Evolution of Dance' has got over 43 million views to date!

Nike India hits a six!

Nike’s first commercial ad on Cricket in India is simply awesome! I saw this ad on MTV the other day and felt so high. It does a magnificent job of capturing the passion of cricket in India while giving a definite run for money to the insane and inane TV commercials that clog the idiot box now that cricket-mad India is under the throes of the 2007 ICC World Cup.
A good start for Nike who has become the official apparel sponsor for Team India and is targeting sales of $1 billion in India for the next five years.



Red Clay Interactive, an Atlanta based web design and Internet marketing agency has created an interesting white paper called ‘The Art of Online Conversion: Four Steps from Interest to Acquisition Online’ - a must read for anybody with an interest in online marketing. The article talks about the four stages B2B and B2C buyers go through in an online buying process and suggest strategies at each stage that converts prospects from first click to conversion. Click here to read ‘The Art of Online Conversion’.

Wanna know more about Telematics, HSDPA, WiBro, BcN, USN and the latest cutting-edge mobile technologies without getting bogged down by the technical mumbo-jumbo? South Korea Telecom’s award-winning microsite ‘MoMu’ is a virtual mobile communications museum that demystifies mobile technologies while showcasing what SK Telecom is all about. This Flash-built microsite is packed with 3-d images & online videos – you definitely need a broadband connection to experience MoMu at its best.

It's all about the work, the work, the work

Gifted copywriter with a decade of industry experience and a clutch of gleaming Cannes Lions in the den. No, not me. I’m a promising young writer with two years of sweatin’ it out in Oman’s neo-kitschy advertising and online mediascape. The official job title is ‘Content Strategist’. I work on leading telecom, industry, FMCG and auto brands in Oman. Will fit in as a valuable sidekick in any team willing to not only raise the bar, but also throw it away, should the need arise. And yes, I come with a few awards as baggage.

Here’s the better sheep from my flock. And the best are yet to come. On with my work.

INTERACTIVE / NEW MEDIA:
www.nawras.om
Brand: Nawras, a leading mobile communications service provider in Oman
Clientspeak: Hey partner, lets create a website that reflects Nawras as ‘The Sultanate’s customer-friendly communications provider’.
Lowdown: From creating a presentation that clinched the pitch from some ‘big’ names to developing an effective web strategy; donning the hat of a project manager and canoodling the team to work against looming deadlines; writing over 500 pages of gobbledygook; visiting net cafes to carry out usability studies; and overseeing daily web updates and content management – Nawras is my baby on the Web. Winner of 2 Gold awards at Oman Web Awards 2006: ‘Best of Best’ Website in Oman. Best ICT website in Oman.

www.imtac.om
Brand: IMTAC, a leading business technology solutions provider in the Middle East
Clientspeak: We need our corporate website up and running in time for the Arab Health Expo 2007. But hey, that’s only 1 week from today!
Lowdown: My claim to fame here is project management – ensuring that this leviathan website was designed and developed in just a week’s time. Met the deadline for both Arab Health Expo and Oman Web Awards. And walked away with a Silver award at Oman Web Awards 2006: Second Best ICT website in Oman.

www.yarisoman.om
Brand: Toyota Yaris
Clientspeak: I’m launching this new car for youth and I need to create a splash on the Web. What next?
Lowdown: Created an exhaustive strategy presentation (my first ever) that helped produce and sell the work to the client. And there’s been no looking back since. Been making online strategy presentations for clients across various domains in the Middle East which have helped us win new business. Guess, that’s why they promoted me to a Content Strategist.
Oh yes, yarisoman.com was the Gold winner at Oman Web Awards 2006 as Best Automotive website in Oman.

ADVERTISING:
KNOCK OUT THE COMPETITION - 2006
Brand: OMAN ECONOMIC REVIEW (OER), a leading business magazine in Oman
The Work: A direct mailer for OER CORPORATE CHALLENGE 2007, a 'Corporate-Olympics’ event with the ultimate aim of identifying Oman’s No.1 corporate team.
Lowdown: Whether in boxing or any corporate duel, victory is when you knock out competition. A branded boxing glove & booklet were sent to over 500 top movers & shakers in Corporate Oman who were challenged to don the glove and participate in the event. With a response rate of 16.9%, the DM created a buzz and resulted in 22 teams signing up.

“GOT MORE?” - 2006
Brand: OMAN ECONOMIC REVIEW (OER), a leading business magazine in Oman
The Work: A press campaign to create hype about OER CORPORATE CHALLENGE 2007, a corporate-Olympics’ event with the ultimate aim of identifying Oman’s No.1 corporate team. Lowdown: It takes a lot of grit, wits, guts and more to create true champions. The campaign announced to the corporate world that only corporate teams with the above attributes and the will to prove them were welcome at the Challenge.










Click here if you want to check out the other plump sheep in my flock such as…
Micro site for OER Corporate Challenge 2007
Micro site for Oman Mobile – Khareef Festival 2005
Micro site for Oman Mobile Business Communications Solutions
Corporate website for Khimji Ramdas, a leading business house in Oman
Corporate website for Al Safwah Dairy, Oman

Click here if you want to see more of my advertising work.

UMSi creams Oman Web Awards 2006 & takes off to the moon!

UMS Interactive, Muscat (the web solutions company I work for) made a clean sweep at the Oman Web Awards 2006 yesterday. By bagging a whopping 10 awards (5 Gold, 3 Silver and 2 Bronze awards), UMSi totally dominated the proceedings in a glittering award function held at Crowne Plaza Hotel that had the who’s who of Corporate Oman in attendance.

The icing on the cake was Nawras (http://www.nawras.om/) winning the much coveted top honour – the ‘Best website in Oman’ as well as ‘Best ICT website’. Nawras’ victory is particularly thrilling for me as I work on its the content management, web strategy and client servicing fronts. IMTAC’s win is also gratifying – as a Project Lead, I worked with a team that designed and developed this mammoth website in just five days!!!

Some of the other websites I have worked on that won awards include:

Best Website in Oman 2006:
Nawras

Gold:
Nawras – ICT
Toyota Yaris – Automotive
National Hospitality Institute – Hospitality
A’Safwah Dairy – Industry

Silver:
Oman Cables Industry – Industry
IMTAC – ICT

Bronze:
Khimji Ramdas – Corporate

Oman Web Awards is the most prestigious honour in the Sultanate's webscape. Under the auspices of Oman’s chief IT body - Information Technology Authority, OWA is a prestigious industry platform that recognises creativity, innovation and excellence in online media.

The nine award-winning websites will now be participating in a bigger competition – Pan Arab Web Awards 2007. Keeping our fingers crossed for that!

The fact that our team has won these awards - all our entries except one made the cut - comes as a great motivation to the team at UMSi. May be I really need to get a T-shirt with ‘Award-winning coffeemaker’ emblazoned on the front and ‘Award-winning copywriter’ on the behind!!!

Oman still has quite a way to go when it comes to having a modern digital society and e-culture. I also strongly feel that there’s a lot of room for improvement in our interactive work offering. But what’s important is that we are on the road to getting there.

We will continue developing user-friendly, creative and dynamic-technology driven sites that are in best-in-class for our clients. The new goal is getting ready for the future – Web 2.0 and its inherent opportunities and challenges.

Apocalypto - Now in Muscat

I watched Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto yesterday at Ruwi Cinema. And my verdict is – Simply Superb! Apocalypto opens with an interesting quote by W.H. Durant on the collapse of the Roman Empire - “A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within.” Apocalypto explores the Mayan civilization in the Yucatan Peninsula on its way to decline. The main protagonist of the story is Jaguar Paw, a the son of a Mayan chief who along with his villagers, are enslaved by another Mayan tribe to be offered as human sacrifices to the Sun God. The movie highlights Jaguar Paw’s escape from the clutches of those who have held him captive and his return to his family in his native village in the jungle.

The entire movie is in an amazing language called Yucatec Maya that has such as beautiful, mellifluous feel to it. I came back and did some reading and learnt that the movie was quite controversial – most historians allege that Gibson has not portrayed Mayans accurately and the film is riddled with historical inaccuracies. In fact, a lot of critics have chastised Gibson for his ‘racist portrayal of Mayans’. Click here to read Liza Grandia’s (an anthropologist and postdoctoral fellow at Yale) article - The Sober Racism of Mel Gibson's Apocalypto.

Gibson says that he made the movie because he finds great similarities in the way the Mayan civilization disintegrated and the world today, especially the West, which is steadfastly moving on a path of destruction. There’s no mistaking the amount of painstaking work that’s been put in this movie – it’s a compelling story, creating that magical effect on you – Gibson’s passion as a filmmaker is unquestionable. Even his message of using civilizations on decline to drive in the point that humans create the very conditions that cause their destruction would have been more powerful if he had picked the right civilization.

Apocalypto is heart gripping, packed with moments of suspense, thrill and action. The photography is just amazing – the pristine view of the Mesoamerican jungles almost leaves you glued to the seat. You are always rooting for the protagonist of the movie, Jaguar Paw, who has decided to ‘seek a new beginning’. It’s great that movies like this get screened in Muscat, despite the blood, gore and ample view of flesh. Apocalypto is never to be missed!

The Yahoo! Scare, Baba Kalyani, Aanachantham & the weekend

Uhmm… It’s another weekend in Muscat and it’s almost over! I went and watched Pokkiri again this afternoon – my dissertation on it is turning out pretty well. :) Have like a ton of clothes to wash, gotta sort that out. Plus there is work I need to crack for tomorrow – a content assignment for a client that deals with pipes and valves for the oil & gas industry. I spent the better part of yesterday evening shopping for a washing machine. Saw some stuff at Bausher LuLu, but couldn’t decide on what I wanted. Have to make a few rounds before I go in for the kill. I went for ‘Baba Kalyani’ on Wednesday at Star. Wasn’t worth a second view, but had some time to kill! That’s the story from here this evening. Let me also post this entry which I had made on Tuesday, 6 Feb, but never ended up posting.

Tuesday, 6 Feb 2006:
Yahoo! really gave me the heebie-jeebies yesterday. I couldn’t access my yahoomail yesterday owing to some ‘technical failure’ from their end. This is what the ‘yahooligans’ had to say when I tried to log-in. I had to retrieve an important email id from my yahoomail and I had to anxiously wait for a few hours till the problem was sorted out. I did send an ‘error notification’ form to yahoomail customer care and sure they did respond back – only thing was that I could see the response only after the mail started working yest. Now, that’s funny right? And this is what they had to say: Thank you for contacting Yahoo! Customer Care. We received your question and the wheels of progress are in motion. A support rep will get back to you as soon as possible. In the meantime, please visit our online help center (http://help.yahoo.com/), if you have not already done so. You'll find a lot of good information there. Wheels of progress, huh? I’ve been using yahoomail for over a decade now; I prefer it more than hotmail, and I use my mail to store important stuff – in my line of work, I constantly use yahoomail to be in touch with my clients, I prefer it better than my office outlook address. But since yest, which I hate to admit is the first time it has ever happened to me – I’m kinda wondering – Is it a wise idea to depend a lot on external mail providers to store your vital data? I mean, anything can happen to stuff on the web - technical failures, what not… I don’t know… I guess I need to keep other backups as well. Hmm!
I joined a new group on yahoo yest – railkerala. It’s actually fronted by a bunch of rail enthusiasts who belong to the Kerala chapter of IRFCA. It’s nice to be in the company of some ace rail nuts. I can’t wait to catch up with them – definitely the next time when I’m in India.
If you are from Kerala and wanna join a group of railnuts passionate about trains in Kerala, simply click on - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/railkerala/
I went for Jayaram’s Anachantham at Star Cinema yest. In a theatre that has got room for over 900 people, there were around 10 people. I liked the movie – pretty watchable. Don’t miss it – especially if you have a thing for elephants and want to catch glimpses of rural Kerala. Mohanlal’s Baba Kalyani is back again – might go this weekend – for the second time.