Filmfare awards 2011 to Mammoottty, Mamtha Mohandas

Filmfare awards 2011 -for South Indian films was announced. Super Megastar Mammootty was awarded the best actor for his performance in’ Pranchiyettan and the Saint’ while Mamtha Mohandas was announced the best actress for her performance in the movie ’katha thudaraunnu’.'Pranchiyettan and the saint’ also bagged the awards for the best picture and best director for Renjith. While Hariharan was selected as the best singer for ‘katha Thudarunnu’, Shreya Ghoshal was named the best female singer for her song’ Kizhakku pookkkum ‘from ‘Anwar’. Urvashi was selected as the best supporting actress while Biju Menon was named as the best supporting actor. Gopi Sundar bagged the award for the best music director.
Vikram and Allu Arjun was named the best actors in Tamil and Telugu respectively. A R Rehman was named the bets musician in Tamil and Telugu while ‘Maina’ was named the best feature in Tamil.

Malayalam Movie China Town in Toronto on May 22

China Town is a real multistarrer movie which include almost all the main stars in the Malayalam Film Industry. Kavya Madhavan is the heroine of Mohanlal in this film after the success of her latest film Gaddama. Poonam Bajwa and Dipasha debuts in Malayalam by doing the heroine roles of Jayaram and Dileep respectively.
China Town Cast: Mohanlal, Jayaram, Dileep, Kavya Madhavan, PoonamBajwa, Dipasha, Suraj venjarammood, Shankar, Jose and many others in lead roles.

China Town Story: China Town is the story of three friends named Mahtukutty, Sakharia and Binoy. The film opens in Goa, the characters of Shankar, Mohanlal, Shanavas and Dipu Karunakaran doing a casino there. There has an enemy(Pradeep Rawath) and he killed all of them except Vincent Gomez(Dipu). In the meantime, their families find their life in different places. After some years, Vincent becomes a great Krorepathi(Captain Raju) and he searches for the sons of his friends and found them. He callback them to Goa. Now Mahtukutty, Sakharia and Binoy reaches Goa. Suraaj is the local rowdy of that place in Goa. There they have to face many problems. China Town enacts it in a humor background.

China Town Movie Review : The film opened in more than 100 screens with a good initial collection. From the first reports, the film is a good entertainer with comedies from Dileep, Suraj and Jayaram. Mohanlal is doing a serious character in China Town and gives more importance to his heroism. He did a great job with his super dance and fight sequence in the second half of the movie. Jayaram and Dileep also comes with good performances. Dileep’s comedy in the first half was a real treat to watch. Unlike other films Suraaj also scored in China Town with his Rajeswari Gunda team.

Urumi- Malayalam movie in Canada

Direction: Santhosh Sivan
Script: Shankar Ramakrishnan
Production: Prithviraj, Santhosh Sivan, Shaji Natesan
Lyrics: Engandiyoor Chandrasekharan, Kaithapram
Music Direction: Deepak Dev
Editing: Sreekar Prasad
Distribution:August Cinema
Star Casting of Urumi
Prithviraj in Urumi as Chirakkal Kelu Nayar
Genelia D’Souza in Urumi as Ayesha of Arackal
Prabhu Deva in Urumi as Vavvali
Arya in Urumi as Chirakkal Kothuwal
Nithya Menon in Urumi as Bala
Tabu in Urumi as a Special Appearance
Vidya Balan in Urumi as Makkom
Jagathy in Urumi as Chenichery Kuruppu

Urumi- The boy who wanted to kill Vasco De Gama
The Magnum Opus of Santhosh Sivan Urumi released today in 70 screens all across the state. The movie got an earth shattering opening that is very rare in the Malayalam Film Industry. The film carries good word of mouth will surely the winner in this summer season. The movie already had a big expectation among the viewers mainly because of its budget and fabulous cast and crew. The film’s expected cost is around 20 crores and it is a record in Malayalam Film history. The film got a clean ‘U’ certificate from the censor board without any cuts.
Story of Malayalam Movie Urumi
The story of Urumi is based on the assassination of Vas Co De Gama during his second and third visit in Kerala. Scripted by Shankar Ramakrishnan, Urumi’s story takes place in the the sixteenth century and set in the backdrop of the fierce warrior clans of Northern Kerala. It focuses on the cult of a hero Chirakkal Kelu Nayanar (Prithviraj) – a man with an epic mission – kill the Viceroy of Portuguese Empire in India- Vasco De Gama. Kelu Nayanar has to encounter various conflicts within the kinsmen and Kings, ministers, peasants. He also has to encounter conflicts within a warring Muslim warrior princess Ayesha (Genelia) of the famed Arackal Sultanat. During the second visit of Vasco da Gama to Kerala in AD 1502, Miri, a Mecca Ship, commanded to be set on fire in which so many women and children were burnt alive in the massacre. Kelu has a legendary golden Urumi which was made from the left over ornaments of that dead women and children. Later Kelu gets support from the princess and his child hoodfriend Vavaali(Prabhu Deva) in his mission. The film then tells how Kelu creates his own army of the people against the mighty Empire and whether they succeeded in their mission.

Marykkundoru Kunjaadu (Malayalam: മേരിക്കുണ്ടൊരു കുഞ്ഞാടു്; English: Mary Had a Little Lamb) is a 2010 Malayalam film directed by Shafi, starring Dileep, Bhavana and Biju Menon in the lead roles. The film released on 25 December 2010.
The story takes place in a remote village where the majority of the people living there are Christians. Dileep plays Solomon, the son of GeeVarghese Kapyaar (Vijayaraghavan), a simple soul who is quiet in nature and fears virtually everything around thus earning the nickname Kunjaadu (lamb). His mother, played by Vinaya Prasad, is called Mary. The other Mary is Bhavana, the daughter of Ittichan, a rich landlord.Mary (Bhavana) has been in love with Solomon right from their childhood days. Sometime later a strong man (Biju Menon) with a rugged look comes to Solomon’s house. Solomon, who was known as a weak guy until then, has a strong company now.

Star Singer USA: Third Episode Completed Successfully

Star Singer USA: Third Episode Completed Successfully. This was organized by Indianet USA, under the banner of Indian American Malayalee Community of Yonkers [IAMCY] on 12th March, 2011 at: Methodist Church Auditorium, Yonkers. The 4th round performances will be held on Saturday 9th April, 2011. For more informations, visit: www.starsingerusa.com
Report by: Moideen Puthenchira

Filmfare awards 2011 to Mammoottty, Mamtha Mohandas

Malayalam Movie China Town in Toronto on May 22

Urumi- Malayalam movie in Canada

Star Singer USA: Third Episode Completed Successfully

The Great Indian Wedding -article by Prof.Philip Koshi

It is a universally acknowledged truth that Indians love to conduct and participate in lavish and colorful weddings. In some cases the money spent on weddings in India are close to the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of small African nations. A wedding thus turns out to be an occasion to display and flaunt one’s family wealth and social status.
At this point a distinction needs to be made regarding ‘wedding and marriage’. A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage. A marriage is a state of being united to a person of the opposite sex(?) as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law.
Indian weddings have always been special occasions, celebrated with great zest, fervor and enthusiasm. But as a growing economy pumps new wealth into the country, the festive spirit has been overwhelmed by an ostentatious display of wealth. All these maybe fine for the affluent class. But what about the middle class and the lower section of society? Why do they spend so much on weddings they cannot afford? Why do they spend so much even if it means that they get into a debt they have to repay for years to come.
However, in the very recent past there has been a sincere effort by the Sikh clergy who issued a code of conduct urging Sikhs to eschew expensive weddings. They urged that weddings should be simple, the food, vegetarian, drinks, non-alcoholic and be over in a few hours.
The craze for big, lavish weddings extends to Indians settled in Europe and America. The 2004 marriage of British based steel baron Laxmi Mittal’s daughter, in France, involved 20 page invitation cards, Bollywood song and dance, and five days of events in palaces such as Versailles. In 2006, New York based hotelier, Vikram Chatwal got married in India with festivities spread across three days, three cities(Mumbai, Udaipur and Delhi) and 25 parties.

Philip Koshi

Let us examine the existing practice among Indians in North America and Europe. Owing to the influence of the western tradition, prospective Indians grooms and bridegrooms lay out a relatively structured plan that includes among other things, budgets, schedules and entertainment. Finances are discussed from the moment marriage is mentioned. Indeed money plays such an important role that it is common to hear couples finalizing their wedding date in relation to their economic condition. Money has become such an important part of the wedding process that pre nuptial agreements are becoming a part of the deal.
The Indian wedding market, be it in India or America or Europe, is a huge industry. From designer bridal wear and exotic honeymoon destinations to breathtaking backdrops and evocative photography, a lot of what is out there is simply too hard to resist. Keeping up with the Joneses has never been easy.
So far we have been looking at the aggressive onslaught of the wedding culture. It is now time to do some introspection on ‘marriage’. The success of any marriage is not dependent on how much is spent on flowers, dining, or live entertainment, but rather on the lifelong commitment and dedication of the partners to the union. Although finances play a very significant role, the success of a marriage is not measured in dollars or rupees, honeymoon destinations or real estate investments.
In the end most couples spend countless hours and resources planning their wedding but forget to plan their marriage. No matter how much time and money has been invested in its planning, the wedding offers no guarantee to a successful marriage. Planning a wedding should begin by planning the marriage; wedding lasts only a few hours but marriage lasts a life time.
Talk show Queen Oprah Winfrey once when asked whether she would ever tie the knot said that she would never marry because America is a country obsessed with weddings and not with marriages!
The author has distinct memories of numerous wedding he attended as a teenager, in the sixties. During those days it was customary to hold the reception at the bridegroom’s house. This would be a ‘pandhal’ or a ‘shamiana’ erected in front of the house. At a reception held in honor of the author’s relative all hell broke loose when guests were invited to occupy the seats. It was indeed the law of the jungle, ‘might is right’ that prevailed. Everyone around started pushing and jostling one another in order to be the first to make it to the seats. During the melee that ensued some lost their footwear while others were on the verge of tears owing to frustration and anger. Today we have come a long way and things are organized in an efficient manner and in many instances by the popular Event Management companies.
Almost twenty years ago the author had engaged his parish vicar in the matter of some unhealthy practices of the Syrian Christian wedding (excessive expenditure and inordinate delays in entertaining the invited guests). The Vicar was very pragmatic and realistic in his reply. He exhorted and politely challenged the author to implement these ideas when it was time for his daughters to get married. However the Vicar respected the sentiments raised and reciprocated it through the editorial of the quarterly news bulletin of the church.
Perhaps the noblest example of conducting simple weddings have come from the Nehru family. For them it is always a closed affair with very few people in attendance. And most of the marriages within their family have been civil marriages.
All said and done, being part of a big and lavish wedding is an experience like no other. Most women dream about having the ‘perfect wedding’. Having a special day is perhaps enough to live a lifetime, but then at what cost? Certainly, a person is entitled to spend his money on whatever takes his fancy regarding weddings, but no one may loose sight of such a thing as social responsibility.
Perhaps lavish weddings maybe done away in the foreseeable future when people refuse to attend such weddings. Will this ever occur? It is indeed a million dollar question.
Prof.Philip Koshi

The Great Indian Wedding -article by Prof.Philip Koshi

Philip Koshi

Side Trip in Albay

Mayon Volcano with its perfect cone shape

Some former co-workers and I decided to take another trip to Bicolandia with Naga as our ultimate decision.

As expected, the journey towards southern Luzon and Bicol all the way from Manila was quite a challenge and before we exhaust ourselves even before reaching our destination, we decided to take it easy and enjoy the ride.

Before we know it, we had made several stops in major landmarks in Legazpi, the capital town of the province of Albay, about 300 kilometers southeast of Manila.

Mayon Volcano

Our first stop, the gorgeous Mayon Volcano.

The requisite jump shot, hahaha

Someone once told me once that you're not really a Filipino if you haven't seen Mayon Volcano at least once in your life. It may be an exaggeration, but this natural wonder is the tallest landmark you will see in an otherwise flat terrain that is Legazpi City. And I must say, it is quite imposing with its natural cone shape.

But make no mistake, this beautiful volcano is one of the most active ones in the country with recorded explosion at least thrice in the past four years.

It had a very powerful explosion in 1814, which buried a Franciscan church in the town of Cagsawa located right at the foot of the volcano.

The church, built in 1724 was buried completely except for the bell tower, which has become a major landmark in Albay.

Daraga Church

Also one of the most recognizable landmarks in Legazpi is the Our Lady of the Gate Parish Church or the Nuestra Senora de la Porteria or simply Daraga Church.

Daraga Church

I must admit, I'm not exactly the religious type but this Baroque church built by Franciscan missionaries way back in 1773 is just magnificent.

The fact that it was built on an elevated portion of the city overlooking the ocean and the Mayon volcano, makes it all the more enigmatic.

The church's name is quite mysterious. Our Lady of the Gate? According to the parish website, the Franciscan builders of the church named it after a devout Franciscan lay brother Fray Luis de San Jose who spent most of his life in a convent in Avila, Spain.

According to stories, Fray Luis de San Jose survived a flood through a miracle by the Blessed Virgin. He then spent the rest of his life spreading the devotion to Immaculate Concepcion.

Embarcadero.

We also spent some time at the Embarcadero, the lifestyle, business, tourism and recreational hub of Legazpi City.

This wharf facing Volcano offers a wide variety of restaurants, souvenir shops, bars, arcade and commercial and IT buildings.

The Embarcadero was really envisioned to be a major stop for anyone who's traveling around Bicolandia.

Tourists heading to Donsol, in the province of Sorsogon for some whale-shark watching and those spending time in the secluded and ultra-posh Misibis Bay Resorts opt stop by Embarcadero for a much-needed break after a long drive.

In the end, what was supposed to be a side trip in Albay turned out to be a major tour on its own. We just couldn't help it.

Embarcadero at Night. Photo courtesy of wowlegazpi.com

Side Trip in Albay

Mayon Volcano with its perfect cone shape

The requisite jump shot, hahaha

Daraga Church

Embarcadero at Night. Photo courtesy of wowlegazpi.com

When do we stop traveling?

How old is too old for travel?

When do you give up your passion for new adventures, new sights and meeting other friends from all over the world, sharing the same wander lust?

Do you give up that passion when your body weakens and i no longer capable of withstanding rigorous road trips and hikes and plane travels? Or you ultimately stop when life happens and priorities keep piling up?

Do you stop when you reach middle age when all your hunger for exploration and spontaneity supposedly fade away?

I normally avoid being philosophical and do not ponder on such heavy stuff but in the darkness of this Songserm overnight bus Surat Thani to Bangkok, among packs of travelers mostly in their early twenties, I cannot help but contemplate if I'm about to hit my age roadblock and eventually stop by usual wanderings.

At 29, I am definitely the oldest one in this bus traveling at full speed to Bangkok.

Most of my fellow passengers are in Southeast Asia spending their gap year, trying to 'find themselves'.

If you travel enough, and talk to fellow travelers during those episodes, you might have probably heard about this. When I started traveling in 2005, I exhausted the same excuse to meet new friends and just bum around, before the real world starts demanding things from me.

Hendrik, 21, from Aachen Germany, a friend I've met in Surat Thani (we actually saw each other for the first time at the trailer truck that took us from Haad Rin beach in Koh Pangan but started talking in Surat Thani) has a different view on this self-discovery theory.

Most people, Hendrik says, start traveling when they are young not only for exploration per se, but to actually leave a little of themselves in the places they visit. It's like leaving a footprint or a graffiti which they can always remember and reminisce when they're older, when the corporate jungle or family life in suburban America or the European countryside finally restrict them from exploring.

He believes that he more countries you visit, the more memories you can think back on when you're actually older because whether we like it or not, there will always come a time when you actually have to give it up.

Speaking as an example, Hendrik is now backpacking around Asia in his early twenties and his family allowed him provided that he earn his travel money on his own.

And probably just like all the early 20's travelers inside our bus, Hendrik saved up his travel money working odd jobs, including becoming a part time grocer at a supermarket back in Germany. It wasn't a dream job, he admitted, but it allowed him to earn enough money for his foreign excursions. And when he graduates from the university, there is an unwritten understanding that he shall start providing for the family.

"I did this now because this is the only time I could do this," he shares.

In retrospect, Hendrik's burden is actually, the same burden shared by people in the 25-40 bracket most of whom usually give up their dreams of seeing the world in order to provide food on the table. Some just stop, in order to focus on climbing up the corporate ladder.

And even if they wanted to just bum around, the world does not think think highly of people in their late 20's who just drop everything and travel.

I was a late bloomer and started traveling aggressively when I turned 22 and back then there was already great pressure from family and friends to just fit in to the usual stereotypes of landing a decent job and saving up for family life. So I understand perfectly this predicament.

Hendrik likewise observed that when they get to their 50's or 60's, people are just too weak to pursue spontaneous trips and just longs for the comfort and certainty of their routines. If they haven't lost the travel bug completely, some just contend with restricted package tours in the usual tourist places in Europe and Asia. But that's just it, they already became part of the tourist crowd, and they still do not become the travelers, wanderers and explorers that they've always wanted to be.

My father, who was never able to travel outside of the Philippines, was a self-confessed travel junkie. He explored most of the provinces in the country but was never able to use his passport. But he never gave up hope. One day, my mom got pregnant with my eldest sister and his dream was put to the back burner indefinitely. He never let go of such dream but the demands of raising four children took its toll on his dreams.

In his 50's, he expressed regret that he never pursued it, and that it was already too late to start.

My father's story was a cautionary tale of shoulda, woulda, coulda's that some other people share, Hendrik said. It is the tale of those who who didn't take their first opportunity.

The songserm bus kept on rolling the Thai highway and as the hours flew by, I kept pondering on how long I should keep going.

This year, I intend to visit three new countries and just like what Hendrik said, I wanted to make memories in those countries. When I reach a greater age, I will look back my 20's in that particular country and tell myself that I had a good life and I met these wonderful people and saw these amazing places during those times.

When I started traveling, I never really thought of how long I wanted it to keep up and there never was a deadline.

In recent years, though, some of my colleagues frowned on the idea of spontaneous travel and thought that I was getting too old for that. I was acting like I was in my early 20's, they said. As I've shared, my family wasn't particularly warm on the idea of spending more money traveling.

I was already 5am and once again, I was denied of precious sleep, partly because of my pondering and because of the British passengers who kept on roaring as they watched replays of Manchester United at the small TV screen onboard.

We arrived in Bangkok with me sporting puffy eyes from lack of sleep and yes, still undecided on my traveling future.

I was scheduled to travel to Siem Reap and later to Kuala Lumpur but I have planned several other trips throughout the year. I am not quite sure what the future holds and how far my travel budget will bring me.

The overnight bus slowly parked and I was about to part ways with Hendrik who's traveling straight to Phnom Penh. We took our bags from the side compartment and started walking towards the heart of Khao San.

Suddenly, Hendrik patted my shoulder's and pointed at the direction of Soi Rambuttri at an old couple walking hand in hand towards the same direction as us. Judging from the big, and seemingly heavy backpacks they carry on their pags, with used rubber shoes tied at the sides, they are definitely backpackers.

They didn't seem to mind their heavy bags as they talk to each other animatedly, perhaps of some recent adventures.

How old is too old for travel? Hendrik repeated my question.

He glanced at the old couple happily walking towards Khao San Road, turned to me and said, "I guess there's really no age limit for traveling so long as you're still happy being on the road, with someone special in hand, and both of you feel young at heart,"

"The heart wants what the heart wants," he added.

I couldn't agree more.

Revisiting the Aquino Museum

The facade of the Aquino Museum

In 2001, former Philippine Pres. Cory Aquino opened the Aquino Museum inside the sprawling Hacienta Luisita in Tarlac province.

This small structure, which served as an exhibition hall and a small museum was supposed to highlight the life and works for her husband, former senator and a national hero Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Sr.

As it turned out however, the soft-spoken woman, who roused an entire country from its dark Martial law era into the glorious days of democracy, would become an even larger and more influential figure in shaping the history of the Philippines and its people.

Her magic was so great that she was the first woman president in Asia and she led the first blood-less revolution in world history. She received accolades from here and abroad, putting the Philippines in the limelight for so many years.

Her death in 2009 was sudden and it awakened in millions of Filipino that sense of nationalism and Filipino pride that was missing for so long. Her ideals and leadership in humility, became once again an inspiration to many to aspire for a clean republic.

In the middle of such changing times, that small museum in Tarlac, was frozen, managing only to feature some parts of Cory's lives, (mostly as the wife of Ninoy) and of her proclamation as president.

Cory's achievements as president and the legacy she left behind even after her president was not captured by the museum.

Furthermore, the small museum, despite its importance to the history of this nation, is not as popular and impressive as other museums in the country.

The blood-stained cloth of Ninoy Aquino taken after his assasination on August 21, 1983

In fact, not so many people are aware of its existence.

Ten years after its inauguration, the Aquino Museum, through the efforts of the Lafarge Philippines and Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation, finally decided to revamp the museum, this time, showcasing Cory as an enigmatic leader during and after her presidency.

The changes are expected to be dramatic and the museum's interiors are expected to be improved drastically. The move, is expected to attract more Filipinos to see it and hopefully appreciate the importance of the contributions of both Ninoy and Cory to achieving the democracy and freedom we now all enjoy.

Before the changes are reflected however, I decided to share with you some photos of the Aquino Museum.