King Kong

Peter Jackson weaves his magic with KK, but when it's all over there's only a handful scenes that make the movie memorable. Take away the scenes between King Kong and Naomi Watts; and the film doesn't step up much. Not disappointed, but not too thrilled about it either.

Smoking and MPAA

Anbu Mani, India's Minister for Health has a new report to back his law that'd ban smoking on Indian screens and it comes from University of California San Francisco.

A shocker from Rajasthan

Forget Madras' culture policing. Rajasthan's guidelines to tourist takes us back a few hundred centuries. Don't trust me? Take a peek:

• Men should never touch women in public, even to help a woman out of a car, unless the lady is very elderly or infirm
• In Indian culture... men socialise with men, and women with women
• Married couples in Asia do not hug, hold hands or kiss in public. Even embracing at airports and train stations is considered out of the question
• Generally it is improper for women to speak with strangers on the street and especially to strike up a casual conversation
• Drinking alcohol or smoking in public, no matter how innocent, are interpreted as a sign of moral laxity and are not acceptable.

Bose suspension

Thanks to Amar Bose, you'll have a smoother ride over potholes. His suspension design would be a dream come true for Indian drivers, but like his speakers, the suspension system's going to the high-end car buyers. The add-on cost of the extra smooth ride for your Car - $5000.

Indians and Fair skin

Time Magazine examines "How Indians came to view fair skin as an ideal--and a business opportunity"

Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World

Albert Brooks' Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World; India and Pakistan, to be more precise. Rediff has a great introduction to the film.

Melinda and Melinda

With Hollywood Ending, Woody Allen let us into a filmmaking style, even while satirizing it (what if a Director turns blind and doesn't wish to stop shooting!); In Melinda & Melinda he takes us a little closer to his thought process while narrating a story. Two people discuss how a single incident ("A bunch of friends are having a jolly Dinner and a woman walks into them..." scenario) can be narrated either as a Comedy or a Drama. Both have similar storylines, but how the characters respond and how they feel about it are presented in opposite moods.

Two set of Actors (except Melinda) for the two alternative lines lets you focus on how the storyline unfold. A truly Woody Allen (for once, you he doesn't feature in his film) classic made possible by Will Ferrell and Radha Mitchell.

Sikhs better stay in Canada and Britain

"Hmm..., you wear a Turban, you must be Terror". That's the theme in America, going by the number of situations, where Sikhs have been caught in the cross-fire. I for one think this incident has to do with the Sikh Cabbies harassing the Cops in Manhattan.

Musharaf's "No Al-Qaida Here: Movement 2" Symphony gets a few jarring notes. Just hold a moment! Human Rights "activists" speaking up from Pakistan! How long before the "No Human Right Activists here" begins!

Delta 6250 plastic containers, used world over to store Oorka (Pickle), Snacks and Bombs. So, the next time you're at the Indian grocery and you see someone buying those innocent looking "Pearl PET" jars, you know whom to call.

Answering TVR Shenoy's question, the precise diplomatic language would be, "Mr. Enoki, would you Please Shut Up. Please."

This is SPOOOKY!

Moved

Moved to MT (again). Pls be patient while you're being re-directed there...

Mathura Nagarpathi Kahe Tum...

The song that opens with the titles for Raincoat has me in a bind. Rarely has a song given me the bumps like this one ("Mathura Nagarpathi Kaahe Tum Gokulu ...") Set to Debojyoti Mishra's music, rendered by the ever-impressive Shubha Mudgal, the song has an innate quality to set the mood for the impending narration. So apt is Rituparno Ghosh’s lyric, every time you play the song, the whole movie plays out before you, no matter where you are. It was as if the Director put us next to Manoj (Ajay Devgan) as he begins his journey. The shots of the train accompanying the song remind me of Chinna Thai Aval… (Mani Ratnam’s Thalapathi), where an old steam engine makes its way through the bushes and tall bridges. This song hasn't left me or the CD player for four days now.

Piya Tora Kaisa Abhiman (solo renditions by Hariharan and Subha) and Raha Dekhe Saavan (Subha Mudgal) are lilting too. Never has a Hindi movie (in my limited exposure) exploited Music or placed the song so intelligently.

Raincoat must be what they call poetry in Cinema. Raincoat’s a subtly-done, well-timed and charmingly directed piece. Essentially a dialogue between to erstwhile lovers on a rainy day, Raincoat brings forward the art of Screenwriting (inspired by O Henry's 'The Gift of Magi'. Both of them indulge in lies and deceit about their dysfunctional lives, until they redeem themselves with a final act. There isn't a moment in this long dialogue, where you feel like getting you attention away from the screen. I just loved Ajay Devgan and Annu Kapoor's performance in the film.

Ganga Dham, Passion Recut

• What? Pakistan never had an Arts school!



• How Much Is Your Stolen Music Worth?



• Ganga Dham, India's Mythological themed park.



• Muslim workers walk out at Dell plant in prayer dispute.



• Quentin wins Empire's Icon of the Decade Award.



• "Passion of the Christ - Recut", coming to a theatre near you.

Lakshmipathy Ensoi...

No, it’s not about Balaji. I know he's having the time of his life, but I know of someone else who's having a ball - ME. It's about that famous VKR liner. Reminds me, I actually saw that scene where Janagaraj goes "En Pondati Orrukku Poita..." (Agni Nakshathiram) being shot outside our school. Unfortunately, the name Mani Ratnam or P C Sreeram wouldn't have rung a bell to me (in the 80's) during that lunch break in Adyar. BTW, it took close to 10 takes for those guys to OK Janagaraj as he literally ran around the tree.

Back to my story, I've three weeks to make the best of my stay in St Louis. Wife and Kid back in Winston Salem, I have what is known to Indian Dads in America as Make-Hay-When-The-Sun-Shines days. While my wife makes all ends meet in Winston, I get to freak out like there was no tomorrow. I know it's a bad situation for her, but I plan to return this privelege some day.

Enrolled for the Blockbuster "Unlimited Rental" pass for $9.99; one DVD out at a time, instore. I checked out The Village, The Terminal, Troy, Man on Fire and Inspiracion (felt like this was Gautam Menon's inspiration for 'Minnale'); not a single disappointment so far.

Finally found the chance to rent a DVD at the Indian Grocery. Not many Tamil ones at Seema Enterprises, so I thought I'd pick Raincoat. I'm so impressed with Raincoat; I think I'll get the DVD. Not many Hindi movies push you so much these days.

After the Race

Here's the promised update: Finished ahead of two (out of eight) other racers, so can pat myself for it ;) The motor literally sucked after the third (of 11) race. Just couldn't get it to move fast enough, no matter how hard I abused the controller.

If you're interested in Slot Cars or would like to explore, here're some resourceful links:

• Understanding Motors.


• Preparing to Race.


• Words of Wisdom.


• Fixing Handling Issues.


• Stacking magnets and fixing Motors

Slot Car League

Warning: this post may contain shameless bragging, in dangerous proportions.

Few weeks earlier, when we were at the Mall, our attention turned to a store that seemed to be abuzz with whining motors. We stepped in to check out what was going on behind the huge crowd that had gathered around the huge black table with black tracks on it.

Days later, I would own my first Slot car and spend much of my time at this part of the Mall, while my wife kept cursing herself for prodding my to try my hand at racing these Cars. She likes the concept, but she hates my talking about it everytime we're together and losing our Kid somewhere in the store, while the track grabs all my attention. The funny part is, my Brother had actually sent me a Ferrari F1 model a few months ago and I had no clue what it was supposed to do!

More days later, I think I can handle the heat of racing the local league and am enrolling for my first big race today. A league where guys (and ladies) from school kids to grand-daddies bring their best toys to the table. Mind you, its pretty serious business here. You've got to watch these guys huddle around the limited assembly desks, with all the soldering machines, trimmers, magnets and mini-tools. It gets very intimidating. I have mine tuned too, a Merc CLK and it looks a stunner – inside out. Will the rookie rock or will he be rocked? (Sadly) You’ll see it here tomorrow.

Hey, its Women's Day!

• Indian Women abused most: UN Study. More.

Either Women here speak up to surveys or UN's out to screw us again!

• Fat Women outnumber underfed: Study

India's an exception though.

• Bollywood defends its 'bare all' trend

Ofcourse they'd explain anything on earth.

• Sonia brings up Women's reservation, again.

Good Luck this time Ma'am.

• Aspirin lets Women down

While it helps Men save thier heart, it only favours Women 65 or older.

Sorry, please try again later

I subscribed to India Today few weeks ago, online. After the checking out was done, the last page flashed a Temporary Subscription Id. I didn't care to note it down 'cause I was sure IT would have sent it with the email Confirmation. For the next 6 weeks I regretted not putting the number down on a piece of paper. No, I had no number in the email and worse, repeated emails (4) to the Subscription Department remained one-sided.

When I received my first copy in the mail, the first thing I wanted to try was jump to the Browser to access the exclusive material at their website. After trying out every single option (combination), I gave up ramming at the doors. So, I decide to do the logical thing next. I call up the India Today office in New York:

me: Hi, I'm trying to access your website, but it keeps turning my down. How do I login?
Him: Oh. I'm sorry Sir, it happens when we have high traffic. Please try again later.
me: So, my Subscription #xxxxx is right?
Him: Yes Sir, it should be right, it's just the Traffic.

It's time for "India's widely read Magazine" to get a wider Bandwidth and a better Web Server.

From Wall Street to Pudupattinam

If you ever come across a boat named "Bergen Count, N.J", on the Tamil Nadu shore, think Andrew J. Krieger. The Hedge Fund manager from New Jersey says his Life Packages kit has brought cheers and happiness to Pudupattinam, where no relief had reached. New York Times profiles Andrew Krieger's efforts to "repay" India through his charity work.

NY Times:
Mr. Krieger, 48, a former high-profile Wall Street currency trader, came up with the idea for a packet of supplies called Life Packages. A package costs $5,500 and includes a thatched roof hut, a boat, engine, fishing net, cooking utensils, stove, two months of food, furniture, bedding, children's books, school uniforms and clothes.

"They want a livelihood, they don't want charity," he said of the residents of Pudupattinam in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, where he spent more than two weeks last month. "It seems so unbelievably practical."

His efforts had roots in one of his current business ventures, NorthBridge Capital Management, a hedge fund specializing in foreign currency. Two days after Christmas, Mr. Krieger, his wife, Valerie, their two young daughters and his four children from a previous marriage were at their second home in Livingston Manor, N.Y. Mr. and Mrs. Krieger were celebrating the fund's growth, wondering if it would pass 16.78 percent growth to reach 17 for the year.

Then they read about the devastation.

"Muslim Ethos In Indian Cinema"

Iqbal Masud has an interesting analysis of Indian Cinema, from a Muslim perspective.

Screen:
In the 70s, a new stereotype began to emerge. This was the common or garden Muslim. He would be a model of loyalty and discipline and when he died it would be with the Kalma (or Proclamation of Faith) on his lips. He no longer talked the flowery Urdu of the Shahenshah and the Nawabs but the patois of the street.

As mentioned earlier, Salim and Javed contributed to the toughening of the language. But Kader Khan as writer and Amjad Khan as the archetypal villain carried it further.

Kader Khan in Muqaddar Ka Sikandar and later on in Coolie introduced a note of religious mysticism. In Muqaddar ..., Amitabh Bachchan does not play a ‘Muslim’ role but he evokes the nuances to build up the portrait of a Dervish fulfilling an exalted mission. In Coolie, he portrays a Muslim coolie who becomes a revolutionary. The old Mehboob syndrome of Muslim radicalism is reproduced in Coolie. Amitabh carries a hawk named Allah Rakha on his wrist. This is a direct reference to poet Iqbal’s hawk (Shaheen) a central symbol in his poetry. Shaheen for Iqbal represented the aspiring, soaring spirit of man as in the line. ‘Tu Shaheen hai parwaz hai kaam tera...’ (you are a hawk, your destiny is flight).

Yahoo Blogs, Weasel Awards

• Hillary Clinton gets 2005 'Weasel Award'.


• Yahoo investing in Blogs and Social Networking


• Mushy plays down the Patriots

Yoga No Nos

Mid Day has a list of don't for folks before they hit the mat.

Mid Day:
Do not assume that yoga demands fasting, and excessively regimented food habits and lifestyle. In fact the proper practice of yoga will effectively guide you to choose the best food and a healthy lifestyle.

Thank You Academy, India Sucks

The Oscar for 'Born Into Brothels' offers some valuble lessons for Indian Filmmakers. Focus on India's stinky underbelly, make something that highlights India's poverty, illiteracy, social ills or something like that. May be we'll land some Oscar soon.

Next time you read about an Indian film doing its rounds in the U.S, check the subject, it should reflect a theme on Human Rights violations, abuses against Women, repression of the lower Class, the vice of Dowry, Child labour, a Tragedy, an Epidemic...

Exciled Leaders from Tibet, Not Accepted

The Pakistanis seem to be very clear about their policy against "occupied" territories. While their heart'd bleed for the Kashmiris, fear of spanking, makes them run away from the Dalai Lama!

Who's property is the Tricolour?

If someone could kick that rascal who's responsible for taking the National Flag off "accessories", I'd like to go over to his place. Who gave these guys the right to keep the flags only to poles? Not only will the Indian cricket team have to scrub the flag off, Narain Karthikeyan's headgear will be missing the Tricolour on the F1 tracks too!

P.S: Per a latest clarification by the Government, the objection is only with instances where the Flag is displayed without the Ashoka Chakra. According to them, "A mere combination of colours is not the national flag". How about Narain's helmet, which has a huge Blue wheel with the right number of spokes in it?

P.S 2The Hindu reports that Govt. is OK with Flags w/o the Chakra.

Tricolour will take a back seat on March six when Narain Karthikeyan becomes the first Indian to be featured in the F1, as the Union Government has banned the use of the Indian flag on helmets citing the existing flag code.

The Home Ministry argued that wearing national flag on accessories amount to its disrespect.

Karthikeyan is among the country’s sports personalities- along with cricketers Sachin and Ganguly, and another upcoming racer, Karun Chandhok – who wears national flag on their helmet.

The Moustache Allowance

Mayank Jain wants his (Bhopal) police force to be looked upon with awe and respect. His experiment with a Rs. 30 "Moustache allowance" for Cops who sport a "proper" one, seeks to reinstate the lost pride.

Telegraph:
"The response is growing and in the months ahead we expect to see more moustachioed policemen," said Mayank Jain, police chief of a district west of Bhopal where the "prestige enforcing" experiment was recently launched.
...
Mr Jain hit upon the idea of a 37 pence per month moustache allowance after a seminar attended by district policemen and local residents. There were a few constables with moustaches in the gathering and he noticed people looking at them with awe and reverence.
...
Handlebar moustaches were permitted, but only if they did not look overly menacing or challenging.

Offshoring Mathematics

You thought we had call centers in India for answering Banking woes, Insurance claims, Collection calls and Computer crashes. How about this one:

Taipei Times:
American schools desperate to improve their students' math grades are hiring Indian companies who provide tutors at a fraction of the cost of American tutors. These tutors sit in New Delhi, Mumbai or Bangalore helping youngsters with their math homework or going over already-learnt concepts so that they do not lose ground during the holidays.

Worst of the Best Films

Braveheart has been voted the Worst film to have won the Academy Awards for 'Best Picture'. Readers of British Magazine, Empire, chose 'Braveheart' over, 'A Beautiful Mind', 'The Greatest Show On Earth', 'Ordinary People', 'Forrest Gump', 'Terms Of Endearment', 'Around the World In 80 Days', 'Cavalcade', 'Rocky' and 'How Green Was My Valley'. Given a vote, I would have glady spilt mine between Ordinary People and Terms Of Endearment. 'Terms...' kept me away from movies for a whole month.

"Randall Wallace (the writer) might have merited praise for making 14th-century history relevant to audiences who thought King Edward was a potato or a cigar, but his dialogue has all the thudding subtlety of a parody."

McConaughey to Blog 'Sahara'

Matthew McConaughey will share "some cool, interesting, and unexpected stories" from his 'Sahara' shoot through a Mtv Blog.

McConaughey is riding around in a his personal Airstream trailer painted with art from the film on his cross-country tour so he can spread the word to fans and chronicle his adventures on a blog at mtv.com/movies.

"I love getting on the road and meeting new people in new places," says McConaughey. "I've always kept diaries on my road trips; now, I'm going to share the experience. There should be some cool, interesting, and unexpected stories to tell."

Same Sex Marraige in India

It was interesting to read this article about same-sex marriages in India. Not only does a colonial law supposedly put couples behind the bar, it could keep them there for 10 years, if they're found "violating" a certain clause.

The law is silent on gay marriages, and same-sex couples are taking advantage of this loophole to perform marriage ceremonies and live together. However, they are vulnerable to arrest because homosexual sex is a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Since the law against homosexual sex was enacted under British colonial rule in 1861, fewer than 50 people have been convicted, mainly because judges tend to be lenient and authorities are reluctant to stir sexual controversy.

Mushy Quote

In an emotional tone, Gen Musharaf declared

"I'm an optimist, as I said, and I don't think very much of such extreme possibilities, but I do know there is a political process in place," the president replied when asked by Reuters Video News who would run the country should an assassin succeed.

"There is no monarchy going on here, I don't have to nominate an heir. The people of Pakistan, the Assembly of Pakistan will select a person who would lead if I am not there," Musharraf said, speaking via a satellite link between Islamabad and London.

Oh, please stop it General. I'm in tears already...

P.S: Be sure to checkout Mushie's new Website. If his name'd been Pinnochio, we should've a thin wooden bridge connecting us to the Moon.

It's coming, the Toyota FJ Cruiser

In the 2002 NY Auto show, this Cruiser was a concept, which according to the Toyota stall, wasn't going to be out in "the next few Years". Here it is, ready for 2006-7. We posed with it for atleast 25 snaps, before letting other have the honor. Apart from the sexy exterior and a Jeep-ish rugged look, the FJ Cruiser lets you skip your Hotel booking, if you're comfy sleeping inside a metal box. Folding down every seat inside, it creates enough space to let in 3 Adults check-in with their sleeping bags.

India's Page 3

In the ongoing debate about Madhur Bhandarkar's 'Page 3', Washington Times offers its two cents [Registration required] about the phenomenon.

Bhandarkar insisted that his movie was not meant to offend. "I'm not making a judgment," he said by telephone from Bombay, describing the movie as "a documentary, realistic portrayal." He added, "I myself am on Page 3 so many times. . . . They are not creepy people."
...
Although much has changed in recent years, coverage of celebrities is still relatively tame by the standards of American or British media, in part because celebrities enjoy greater privacy protections under Indian law; in December, for example, India's supreme court opined that the airing of a camera-phone video purportedly showing two Bollywood stars locked in a steamy kiss -- something that would hardly have raised an eyebrow in the West -- "cannot be in the public good."

"We are way behind other countries when it comes to paparazzi," said Kanika Gahlaut, a former Page 3 reporter who now writes for India Today, the country's leading newsmagazine. "You can't write about a chief minister's girlfriend."

On the other hand, she said, it is permissible to "talk about his clothes," and that in itself is something of a breakthrough...

India's Youth Power: the Myth

Sagarika Ghose's column 'Dutiful sons aren’t youth icons' in Indian Express leaves a huge hole in the media's myth that India's youth will deliver her into the next big thing. Her argument that the next-gen crowd that matters most, it's political crop, isn't any where close to giving India a fresh push holds water.

IE:
When political life was ideological, such as for example in the 1970s, with youth activists taking an active role in initiatives like the Nav Nirman movement in Gujarat or in the anti-Emergency movement, a range of young leaders — whether it was Sitaram Yechury or Arun Jaitley — rose as the rebellious young men of different ideologies. But when politics is based on dynasty — and why blame just the Congress, almost every political party, whether it’s the RJD or DMK or the National Conference, is run by family coteries — then youth simply becomes harnessed to feudal family loyalties. Young politicians are thus not allowed to become an alternative energy source, they simply exist to parrot parental views. Rahul Gandhi’s so busy trying to live down his family that he’s not taking the trouble to develop any big ideas for UP. And does Omar Abdullah agree with dad on everything, for god’s sake? When Sonia Gandhi rejected the prime ministership, all young MPs fell in obedient obsequious line to implore her to take back her resignation. Such tame chamchagiri is surely not the mark of spirited young men who are supposed to represent a generation straining at the leash of a conservative past.

Google Suggest

If you swear by Google Search, you may already know this but if haven't heard about it yet, next time try Google Suggest, the Search that (hmm...) suggests what you MAY be searching for.

Google FAQ:
As you type into the search box, Google Suggest guesses what you're typing and offers suggestions in real time. This is similar to Google's "Did you mean?" feature that offers alternative spellings for your query after you search, except that it works in real time. For example, if you type "bass," Google Suggest might offer a list of refinements that include "bass fishing" or "bass guitar." Similarly, if you type in only part of a word, like "progr," Google Suggest might offer you refinements like "programming," "programming languages," "progesterone," or "progressive." You can choose one by scrolling up or down the list with the arrow keys or mouse.

Dealing with a Bad Review, the Rob Schneider way

How do you deal with a nasty Review of your Movie? Ask Rob Schneider. His response is one worth taking note off...

I went online and found that you have won nothing. Absolutely nothing. No journalistic awards of any kind, Disappointed, I went to the Pulitzer Prize database of past winners and nominees. I though, surely, there must be an omission. I typed in the name Patrick Goldstein and again, zippo—nada. No Pulitzer Prizes or nominations for a ‘Mr. Patrick Goldstein.’ There was, however, a nomination for an Amy Goldstein. I contacted Ms. Goldstein in Rhode Island, she assured me she was not an alias of yours and in fact like most of the World had no idea of your existence.

Frankly, I am surprised the LA Times would hire someone like you with so few or, actually, no accolades to work on their front page. Surely there must be a larger talent pool for the LA Times to draw from. Perhaps, someone who has at least won a ‘Cable Ace Award.’

Being Pakistan's Information Minister

When it comes to clarification, Pakistan's Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed does it best. He...

"described as "baseless" the allegations printed in this week's edition of Time magazine, but he did not rule out that Khan could have sold technology to more countries than initially thought." - NY Newsday

Buster Keaton's 'The General'

The temptation to pretend that I grew up watching all the classics and hence am supposed to be an authority in Hollywood movies was immense, but that would have robbed me the opportunity to write about the Movie like I watched it just yesterday. I choose the second route 'cause that would be simpler to explain.

The General' (1927) has been on my list of '100 Movies to Watch before I Die' and I was sort of lucky to spot it in Walmart's $5.99 DVD section. As a bonus, it came with 'The Kid' double. Like many other Movies, it'd been lying buried under the pile of DVDs that were marked "Later". A black & white with slides to deliver the dialogues stood a very small chance against a 'Shrek 2' or an 'Elf'. Luckily, I did find a night where I could play it w/o being hassled much.

What made ‘The General’ most-wanted on the must watch list was two things I’d just heard until then. First was Buster Keaton’s dare devilry. It did not let me down. Keaton’s matter-of-fact execution of the most dangerous stunts makes Chaplin’s acts look like a cheap trick. The second USP was the much touted symmetric narrative, where the movie’s driving force (the Train) starts off and heads to the central point of the narration and from that point proceeds in the reverse while re-visiting the dots it had made on its onward journey and finally ending where it all started.

In the midst of the Civil war, some Union Army spies try to steal a train ('The General') from behind the Southern lines and try to play havoc on the lines as they retreat North. The Train's engineer, Johnnie Gray (Buster Keaton) however wants his Train back. His fanatical and audacious chase to get his Train and his Girl back saves the day for the South. The film is all about a Train chase and gimmickry alright, but it puts even the best of today's comedies to shame with its totally unassuming yet tight-packed script and a very clever mixture of patriotism, love and action. 'The General' is worth watching any given day.

Not to mention, Kamal Haasan has many inspired portions/homage from this film, the most noticeable being the log-whacking sequences in ‘Michael Madhana Kamaraj’.

Narain makes it to F1

Finally, Narain Karthikeyan's brought the dream of Indian F1 fans true. He's being offered one of the spots; in Jordan-Toyota Team. The decision may come barely days after Eddie Jordan, the man who launched Schumacher, sold his team to Russian Shnaider

Moving back to Blogger

I'm switching back to Blogger from Movable Type. It may take some time for me to import all entries from MT to here, so please excuse the gaping holes in the archives here.

Another Thumbs up from Richard

A Year after he gave Rahman a thumbs up, Richard Corliss returns to vindicate picking ARR, with this column in TIME.

Rahman laced some spectacular melodies that not only serve the drama, they create their own — as in the duet ballads Yeh Haseen Vadiyan and Roja Jaaneman, which first are grounded in recitative, then suddenly ascend into celestial melody. Either one could be a top 40 hit in a more enlightened American pop era. The soundtrack parades the composer’s gift for alchemizing outside influences until they are totally Tamil, totally Rahman. He plays with reggae and jungle rhythms, runs cool variations on Morricone’s scores for Italian westerns, fiddles with Broadway-style orchestrations. It was an astonishing debut.