Monday, July 27, 2009
Tour de france 2009 winner | Who won tour de france 2009 | Tour de france winner | Tour de france winner 2009 | Tour de france winners | Michael rasmu
Tour de France winner Alberto racer of Spain, wearing the overall leader’s yellow jersey, lifts the trophy as American seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, third overall, right, reacts on the podium after the 21st stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 164 kilometers with start in Montereau-Fault-Yonne and finish in Paris, France, Sunday July 26, 2009.
Tour de France winner Alberto cycling racer of Spain, wearing the overall leader’s yellow jersey, lifts the trophy as American seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, third overall, right, reacts on the podium after the 21st stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 164 kilometers (101.9 miles) with start in Montereau-Fault-Yonne and finish in Paris, France, Sunday July 26, 2009.
Tour de France 2009 Winner is none other than Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador.Tour de France of this year was started on 04/07/2009 and it concluded on 26/07/2009.The cycling race was from Monaco to Paris.
This race went throught twenty-one stages.Tour de France 2009 Winner Alberto Contador was also the winner of 2007. So this is his second victory.
Tour de France winner Alberto racer of Spain, wearing the overall leader’s yellow jersey, lifts the trophy as American seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, third overall, right, reacts on the podium after the 21st stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 164 kilometers with start in Montereau-Fault-Yonne and finish in Paris, France, Sunday July 26, 2009.
Congratulations !!!
Adirondack Winery-Adirondack Winery Won Second Place for its “Autumn Brilliance” series of wine labels at the 2009 New York State Wine Labeling and Pa
Adirondack Winery Won Second Place for its “Autumn Brilliance” series of wine labels at the 2009 New York State Wine Labeling and Packaging Competition.
Adirondack Winery's Sauvignon Blanc features a photograph of Lake George's Shepard Park Sparkling in the Golden Hues of its Autumn Leaves
Included in our Autumn Brilliance series is our Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, and Sangiovese wine labels, all of which feature photographs of Lake George’s Shepard Park and Glens Falls’ Crandall Park Pond in Autumn. All of the photographs were taken by Adirondack Winery co-owner and president, Sasha Pardy.
In fact, all of Adirondack Winery’s labels feature photographs of landscapes and landmarks of the Lake George / Queensbury area, showing off the Adirondacks’ beautiful scenery.
Adirondack Winery's Zinfandel features a photograph of ducks enjoying a late Autumn swim at Crandall Park Pond in Glens Falls, NYAdirondack Winery's Sangiovese features a photograph of a tree with red leaves in Autumn, taken looking up Shepard Park Hill in Lake George
Adirondack Winery's Sangiovese features a photograph of the Orange and Red Hues of Autumn looking up Shepard Park Hill in Lake George
MN unemployment up to 8.2 percent
See all stories on this topic, more
and Search over 34500 News & Earnings Database States reported 2359537 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending May 30, an increase of 102946 from the prio
Alexis Cohen Death
Late Alexis Cohen
American Idol contestant Alexis Cohen was found dead Saturday morning at around 4 a.m. in Seaside Heights, New Jersey.
Alexis Cohen was struck and killed by a car. Authorities also believes it to be a possible homicide,her body was 300 yards away from her car.
Ocean County prosecutors office believes Cohen might be a hit by a truck or a car.
She sustained “chest and abdominal injuries, along with a closed head injury “.
Mohel said medics took Cohen to Community Medical Center in Tom’s River, where she was pronounced dead at 6:35 a.m. “July 25
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Mumbai attacks inspired value of unity: Amjad Ali Khan
Kolkata, Feb 10 (IANS) The Mumbai terror"ATTACKS" that shocked the entire nation last year also inspired the "value of togetherness" among Indians, sarod maestro Ustad AMJAD ALI said here Tuesday.
"What happened in Mumbai on November 26, 2008, shocked the whole world. After this incident everyone realised the value of togetherness, peace and united action," Khan told reporters.
The sarod maestro was in the town for a concert "Samaagam" (CNFLUENCE) where he will be collaborating with Scottish Chamber Orchestra (SCO) - Scotland's national orchestra.
The concert begins in Kolkata Wednesday. The "Samaagam" was first performed in London in June 2008. India is the second country where the tour began in Mumbai Feb 8 and will also travel to Hyderabad, Feb 13, Bangalore, Feb 16, Chandigarh Feb 18 and finally in Delhi, Feb 20.
"As the name suggests, this concert is going to be a confluence of Eastern and European classical music. Music acts as an effective medium to spread peace and harmony... and this is my way of supporting my countrymen," Khan said.
The concert will begin with classic pieces of Mozart and Beethoven, followed by Khan's solo performance, finally ending with a 45-minute fusion of the eastern and western classical music.
I won't get provoked by marriage rumours"KATRINA"
Mumbai, Feb 3 (IANS) After spending six years in Bollywood, British-born actress KATRINA KAIF has learnt to handle rumours and criticisms. While she rubbished reports of her marriage to SALMAN KHAN she also denied speculation about her sister Isabel entering the Hindi film industry soon.
"It's complete rubbish and the paper (Saamna) is denying it. When I marry, the world will know. Right now I've no such plans,KATRINA told
Commenting on speculation about her relationship with Salman, she said: "That's bound to happen. If you're a public figure and if neither of the party is clarifying anything, there's bound to be a lot of speculation and unnecessary comment. But I'm not going to get provoked into giving explanations. Because once they start, they never end."
Asked about a picture that showed her entering her birthday party last year, Katrina said: "That wasn't when I entered the party. The picture was taken while we were leaving. I was tired and, yes, I was disappointed. I didn't want it to be turned into tamasha" DRAMA"
Salman and Shah Rukh Khan had a war of words at the birthday bash that was widely reported in the media.
Talking about her sister Isabel's Bollywood plans, Katrina said: "That was something completely blown out of proportion. At the moment she's too young to take up an acting career. In fact, my sister is off to drama school. Something I never got to do, and I wish I had. Not being a trained actress bothers me and I'm happy that my sister is taking that route.
"I realise I can't be talked about only for my work. You can't have things exactly the way you want them to be."
Although Salman and Katrina are a real life couple, they have not been able to form a saleable pair on screen. Katrina had hoped "Yuvvraaj" would work so that she and Salman would be a saleable pair and filmmakers would sign her with Salman as eagerly as they do with Akshay Kumar.
But the film sank without a trace at the box office. Apparently, a major drawback was that director Subhash Ghai kept writing the script as the film progressed.
"I'd like to stick to a bound script from now on. The time has come for the entire film industry to get completely organised. A script helps both the director and the actor to connect with each other and with the plot. I'm not going to be shy about insisting on a script," the actress said.
Katrian admitted she had very little space in "Yuvvraaj". "Yeah, that was something I grew gradually aware of. I didn't have that much to do. But that's okay."
However, not attending acting school doesn't make Katrina feel inadequate as an actress.
"I think I had to undertake my own journey and do things my own way. I learnt on the job. I think I've acquired knowledge of the camera on-camera. So no regrets about not attending any acting school. If I had regrets about any aspect of my career, I'd be the most ungrateful person on the planet. Look at the level of acceptance I've received in so little time. Some people don't get this kind of success after working all their lives," she said.
The 24-year-old ventured into Bollywood in 2003 and was instantly written off because of her strong British accent. But after five years of hard work and determination, she is one of the most sought after actresses in the film world.
After the failure of "Yuvvraaj", Katrina is no longer considered a lucky mascot for a film, but she is nonchalant about it.
"I think that's just people talking a lot of nonsense. Actors far more intelligent and talented than me have had to deal with ups and downs. Sooner or later I'd have had to deal with failure. No point brooding about it. I've learnt my lessons from the 'Yuvvraaj' experience," said Katrina.
Between 2007 and 2008 Katrina delivered six back-to-back hits - "Namastey London", "Apne", "Partner", "Welcome", "Race" and "Singh Is Kinng".
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan will undergo a shoulder surgery soon
Mumbai, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan will undergo a shoulder surgery soon, but it is not slated for Valentine's Day.
"It is certainly not happening on Feb 14 because Shah Rukh will be in London on that day. The surgery would take place on a later date though that too is not yet fixed," says a source close to the actor.
Though Shah Rukh was advised to undergo the surgery some time ago, it has been postponed a few times already.
His shoulder was injured a long time ago but the condition aggravated on the sets of "Dulha Mil Gaya" in December.
He was suggested rest then, but he couldn't afford to do so since the Viveck Vaswani production had been delayed for about a year and Shah Rukh didn't want any more pain for his producer, sources said.
His condition was kept under control with physiotherapy sessions easing his pain for the time being. Later, he left for Los Angeles because of his prior commitment for Karan Johar's "My Name is Khan".
Adds the source: "For Shah Rukh, the last few months have been quite busy professionally. There was 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' promotion as well as the shoot of 'Dulha Mil Gaya'. Then he couldn't have backed out of 'My Name is Khan', which had anyways been pushed ahead by a few months."
"Moreover, he had to return to India for the publicity of 'Billu Barber', now titled just 'Billu'. Though doctors had suggested a surgery on an ASAP note, he didn't want 'Billu Barber' to suffer. So, even with a sling on, he went through the entire promotional campaign. It was painful but he is passionate about his films and kept smiling."
Since he didn't want to get under the knife before the release of 'Billu' Feb 13, speculation was that the surgery would be immediately after the release, that is, on Valentine's Day.
However, Shah Rukh told a press conference: "The surgery is not happening on Valentine's Day. I would be in London then and the surgery would now be on a later date."
Apparently, he continues to be in some pain since he tore his tendons. He is able to move around with great difficulty but is trying to keep a brave face, especially since he is going all out for the promotion of "Billu".
The actor has earlier been operated upon for his back and his knees.
Meanwhile, the superstar has agreed to the request of some members of the profession who felt that the use of the word 'barber' was offensive to their community. Hence the film title has been changed.
"What's the harm in doing so when the community, on which the film is based, itself wants this change?" says Shah Rukh.
"I want it to be a happy situation for all and if a minor change to the title has to be made, then I don't see anything wrong in that."
Deepika Padukone to be face of Mallya's Formula One Team
Mumbai,: Industrialist vijay mallya chairman of force india formula team has roped in actress deepika padukone to be the face of his team.
Deepika said, if she could manage time from her busy Bollywood schedule, she would love to be one of the team's 'speed divas' and travel around the world for the Formula One Grand Prix event 2009.
"I may make brief appearances during MTV's reality show, 'The Fast and the Gorgeous' and I'm looking forward to it," said Deepika as she sat on a McLaren-Mercedes-powered Formula One car to unveil MTV-Force India's The Fast and the Gorgeous hunt for the 'speed divas' here Tuesday.
Four 'speed divas' will be chosen from 20 contestants.
Deepika, daughter of badminton champion Prakash Padukone, loves sports and excelled in badminton in school.
Asked what is common between badminton and car racing, she said: "Speed".
Force India Formula One Team's maiden performance on the international race track last year was not up to the mark. "But to be qualified to take part in Formula One Grand Prix itself was no mean achievement," said Mallya.
Mallya, however, warned the Indian car race lovers not to expect "miracles" from the Force India Formula One Team during the prelims.
"The Grand Prix event from Barcelona onwards will be the real test for all the teams," he said.
Mallya, who took the initiative to put India on the international car racing track, said he will be a proud man when Force India Formula One Team will host the first Indian Grand Prix in 2011.
Ashish Patil, MTV India general manager and vice president (creative ad content), informed the media that the channel, which has always identified itself with the youth, is the right platform to popularise Formula One sport in India through its partnership with Force India Formula One Team for the reality show, "The Fast and the Gorgeous"
Mumbai, Feb 10 (IANS)nana patnekare is a trifle upset with prakhashjha for losing his cool with an unruly mob while shooting a rally scene for "rajneetiin "Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, and says that creative people should rather conserve their energy.
"I'm a bit upset with Prakash. What's the need to lose your temper? A creative artiste needs to preserve his energy for more valuable things," Nana told IANS.
A mob situation scene was being canned last week for "Rajneeti". The volatile sequence was being shot at the Kotra ground just outside bhopal and a massive stage had been erected to shoot the rally. When a part of the crowd went out of control, Jha, known for his short temper while shooting, screamed at the crowds who apparently protested back in strong words and threatened to stop work.
If it wasn't for Nana's timely intervention, a part of the heavy crowd participating in the political rally scene would've gone out of control.
"Unruly crowds are not a problem for me. I'm used to them. Prakash tends to scream at the crowds. But crowds are a congregation of faces. You just need to recognise those faces. Pyaar do to sab waapas pyar dete hain (if you give love, then you get it in return)," Nana said.
Jha agrees that Nana, who was also seen in his "Apaharan", was a big help.
"It was a sequence where the ruling party was holding a rally to honour the chief minister. A group of activists led by Naseeruddin Shah had to descend on the rally to disrupt it," Jha said.
"When I'm shooting, I become a different person. Nana was a big help in defusing the tension. He keeps telling me not to scream. Crowd management isn't easy," added Jha.
Shah Rukh slams 'Slumdog Millionaire' critics
New Delhi: Bollywood superstar sharukh khan has hit out at critics of danny boyle s Oscar nominated rags to riches drama "slum dog millionare", saying it shows India in a "visually appealing way".
Contactmusic.com reports that sharukh khan, who was earlier offered the role of the quizmaster in the film, played by "anil kapoor "has defended the film.
Shah Rukh said: "I think it's really nice that the film will open doors for people to understand that there is a lot of visual appeal to India.
"I hear a lot of people saying that India has been shown in bad light. But then my logic to everyone is that why is it that somebody comes from outside and makes a film like gandhi and 'Slumdog Millionaire' and it becomes internationally acceptable. All we can say about it is that it is showing India in a poor light."
The multi award-winning film has repeatedly come under fire since its release, with campaigners in India slamming the movie's controversial title, claiming the use of the word 'dog' is insulting to those living in slums.
The filmmaker was also accused of under paying the Indian child artistes despite director Boyle vigorously denying the claims, insisting the studio paid to ensure the welfare of the actors.
" billu"
Durban, Priyadarshan's comedy" billu" which features a large number of top-notch Bollywood actresses, saw bevy of Indian origin beauties from 25 countries at its premiere here.
The 25 young women have assembled here to vie for the Miss India Worldwide 2009 title at the Suncoast Entertainment resort here on Saturday night. And they were excited to take a break from rehearsals Tuesday evening to join local celebrities at the premiere of "Billu", hosted by young South African Indian cinema magnate Abie Moosa.
While Lara Dutta is cast opposite irfan who plays the title role,kareena kapoor anddeepika padukone feature with sharukh khan in three different item numbers in the comedy.
"It will be delightful to have a complement of such lovely Indian ladies from across the globe to complement the Indian beauties on the screen," Moosa told IANS.
In keeping with the traditions of the Miss India Worldwide Pageant, started by Dharmatma Saran of the US nearly two decades ago, the contestants have been engaged in a series of visits to local communities and welfare projects for several days now.
On Monday, they were shown the massive Hare Krishna Temple in the huge Indian township of Chatsworth, which has become a popular tourist attraction.
Many of them expressed surprise that there were so many Indians in South Africa, and even that they had been here for nearly 150 years. "It is also wonderful to see the huge cultural diversity in South Africa," said Miss India Australia, Kanchan Verma, a health professional.
Miss India Oman, geneticist Shruti Dilip, said she had watched an impressive Indian dance by "a pint-sized" Indian dancer when they visited historic Gandhian sites in Pietermaritzburg, where the young lawyer Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi started his path to becoming the Mahatma after being kicked off a train by a white conductor.
Miss India Singapore, Asmaa Pandit, a business development consultant, and Miss India India Deepthi Varughese said that Durban with its large Indian population felt "just like being in India".
This is the second consecutive year that South Africa is hosting the Miss India Worldwide Pageant after Shagun Sarabhai of India was crowned the winner in Lenasia, the huge Indian township south of Johannesburg, at a gala event last year. Sarabhai will hand over the crown to her successor on Valentine's Day as another former winner from India, Fareisa Joemmanbaks of Suriname, looks on.
Saran said that he definitely had a soft spot for South Africa: "I have been coming here since 1991, when South Africa was just beginning to regain its international stature ahead of the first democratic elections, and the local franchisee for the Miss India Worldwide Pageant, Farook Khan, started it off here."
Saran said from just 12 countries participating in the initial event, this has now more than doubled, and the high standard of entries was most gratifying as young women in the Diaspora gained the international recognition denied to so many of their forebears.
Mumbai, Feb 12 (IANS) Miffed with critics for panning his victory, director Ajitpal Mangat alleges that his film was badly treated by reviewers as they disliked cricket and the lead actor Hurman S.baweja
"Critics are very important nowadays when watching a film is such an expensive thing. And, I think, a film about cricket should've been reviewed by critics who at least didn't dislike the game," Mangat told IANS in an interview.
"Most reviews are talking about Hurman's performance. There's more to 'Victory' than the leading man's performance. My film shouldn't have been panned just because Hurman's first film didn't do well. You can't poison the audiences' mind against the film," he added.
The debutant director asserted that top-notch cricketers were impressed with the cricket scenes.
"Some critics said the cricket scenes were not shot well. That's not what yuvraj, jayasuriya andsachin tendulkar said," Mangat said.
Excerpts:
Q: How much do you think Zoya Akhtar's"lucky by chance" affected your film?
A: Honestly, I thought my film won't get affected because we belonged to different genres. But I was apprehensive about the two heroes (Hurman and farhan khan being compared.
Q: You mean because both Hurman and Farhan were doing their post-debut films?
A: Yes, and compared unfavourably. But for reasons completely unknown to me the critics decided to take off on my film. Why? Because I'm not from the industry and I don't fraternise with big stars?
My film shouldn't have been panned just because Hurman's first film didn't do well. Most reviews are talking about Hurman's performance. There's more to 'Victory' than the leading man's performance. You can't poison audiences' mind against the film.
Q: You're giving too much important to reviewers?
A: Critics are very important nowadays when watching a film is such an expensive thing. And I think a film about cricket should've been reviewed by critics who at least didn't dislike the game.
Q: So what worked against your film, cricket or Hurman?
A: I definitely think it was Hurman. Some critics said the cricket scenes were not shot well. That's not what Yuvraj Singh, Jayasurya and Sachin Tendulkar said. I had told Hurman that the critics would be very harsh because I'm an outsider. They hate my lead actor for some reason.
Q: So you think "Victory" would've been better received without Hurman?
A: I can't say that. All I can say is I'm happy I chose him. Hurman is a fine actor and he has done the cricket scenes very effectively. Sections decided to hate the film even before seeing it.
Q: Apparently you and Hurman were at loggerheads during the film's making?
A: Not true at all. We had absolutely no problem with one another. I don't know why my film was punished. I don't belong to a film family. I don't know about the workings of the industry. I thought filmmaking was only about making a film. Whoever has seen "Victory" has liked it. Unfortunately, not enough people were encouraged to see the film. The critics were terribly harsh on me.
Q: Do you think "Luck By Chance" was treated too kindly?
A: I haven't seen Zoya's film. I'm sure she has made a good film. But why was my film rammed? All of us have slogged hard on "Victory". Why are you ripping it when I know I've made a good film? Just because my film doesn't have a superstar in the lead? Just because my actors are not media savvy? Just because I'm not close to powerful sections of the industry and don't wine and dine with the who's who?
Whatever the reason, I'm very hurt. I made a film on cricket and we all love the game. So why slam a film on the game
Billu' - an ordinary man's extraordinary tale
Priyadarshan's billu is about an ordinary man's extra-ordinary life. Releasing Friday, the film has Irrfan Khan in the title role while Bollywood super star shah rukh khan makes a guest appearance in the comedy.
Earlier titled "Billu Barber", the film is now called "Billu" as it fell prey to controversies by the Hairdresser's Association of Mumbai for hurting their sentiments with its title - a week before its release.
"Billu" is said to be a remake of the hugely successful Malayalam film kadha paruyumbal (2007). It was remade in Tamil as kuselan and megastar rajinikanth made a guest appearance in it.
Produced by Shah Rukh's Red Chillies Entertainment, the film's much-talked about special attraction apart from Shah Rukh himself are item numbers featuringkareenakapoor,deepika padukone andpriyanka chopra
"'Billu' is a beautiful film about relationships, love and friendship. I also have a good part in the film along with Irrfan Khan and lara dutta Shah Rukh had recently said during a visit to the capital.
The story goes like this:
Billu (Irrfan) is a village barber, whose business is going for a toss, as he is not being able to adapt himself to the changing trends.
One day, a film unit visits his village to shoot a movie that stars superstar Sahir Khan (Shah Rukh), who Billu claims to have been friends with.
Billu's status in the village rises as everyone wants to meet the hero through the barber.
Billu fears that the star may not recognise him. He makes attempts to meet the star but fails and gives up.
The villagers believe he lied about the relationship with the star and insult him. The truth about his friendship with the actor comes out at the end of the movie.
Despite the pre-release buzz, the film has not generated mass appeal. In terms of music, its album has been average on the charts.
Priyadarshan's previous movie "Bhool Bhulaiyaa" (2007) was a hit and a laugh riot. It remains to be seen whether "Billu" succeeds in recasting his spell over the audience, with Shah Rukh being the icing on the cake.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Why A.R.Rahman
deserves it for SdM Score?
I am really surprised by level of ignorance about movie background score as most of the media reports mentioned that A.R.Rahman won the golden globe for ‘Jai Ho’ song. The irony is that it is exactly not for what Rahman got the golden globe; in fact the song wasn’t even nominated in the best original song category (ofcourse to compensate two songs have been nominated for Oscar).
On the other side, though unanimously everyone is happy about an Indian winning a golden globe and especially Rahman winning it, most weren’t sure about whether Rahman deserves it for Slumdog Millionaire score. And I am sure they will be unsure even if he wins the Oscar. And all those who claim so, either haven’t seen the movie or have seen it on pirated DVD or internet. If you aren’t someone who is interested in the finer aspects of background score, it is hard to get its real impact while watching on such illegal means where the experience isn’t a complete one. These finer aspects of a movie like the background score can be best experienced, understood and appreciated only while watching the movie, the way it is meant to be where all your attention is just on the movie, its characters and their emotions.
As I already have mentioned, there is no bigger sin than reviewing the music on an Original Soundtrack CD before even watching the movie. The purpose of the music in that CD is not to entertain while you shit at home with an iPod on your ears but to engage, involve and suck you into its narrative when you are watching a movie. In that process, if the music finds a life of its own, it is just a bonus. This is not to mean that the Slumdog Millionaire score doesn’t work without the visuals but I try to emphasize that its emotional impact is much higher with the visuals.
And everyone easily arrive at a conclusion that as it all sounded so fresh and unique for a western crowd, it appealed to them more compared to other clichéd (by their standards) orchestral scores and so it won. Of course there is some truth in it, but nobody realizes that how it all would have easily gone wrong. (Satyajit Ray’s golden words come to my mind at this moment– “An easy way to ruin a perfectly good film is to apply an unsuitable music to it”). A.R.Rahman and Danny Boyle are taking a big risk by using such a loud score in a movie which is primarily made for a western audience and both would be quite aware of the fact that western crowd don’t like such loud score. But they cleverly pulled it off by filling the soundtrack not with loud orchestral outbursts (and there are quite a lot of such moments in the movie which would easily tipoff any ordinary creator to go for such a score) but with loudness of Indian classical exotica and eclectic electronica. And their big risk has paid off and how.
After watching the movie, I realized that it couldn’t get any better than what Rahman did and no one could have done it in the way Rahman has done it. Even if it was done by someone else, it would have gone as a purely functional background score which doesn’t harm the movie and which doesn’t add anything special by itself to the movie. But Rahman’s score bombards the audience with its high energy, unique sound and its symphony with the visuals is just so perfect.
This is an attempt to make people understand that we all can be proud about A.R.Rahman’s victory not just because he is an Indian, but also because his work in ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ is truly worthy of it.
If you haven’t seen the movie yet - spoilers ahead.
Those who complain that ‘O Saya’ was too loud for a routine chase scene, have either seen just that one scene in the trailer of the movie on the net or completely missed the real essence of the scene. The complete chase sequence between the kids and the police is an excuse to showcase the colour, energy, the spirit and the vibrancy in those narrow by lanes of slums in Bombay. In true Indian film tradition, it is a hero introduction song of the movie, and the hero here being Bombay and the music more than serves its purpose with thumping train rhythms and rocking guitars.
The ‘Riots Theme’ which we hear in the soundtrack CD doesn’t have one main layer of a tension filled oscillating melody (played on harp, harpsichord, piano or plain keyboard, I can’t say) that is used in the movie. Rahman also hits some deep piano chords in between to heighten the tension further. For almost same kind of scene, 13 years back Rahman scored similar percussive score for riots scene in Maniratnam’s Bombay but this one is edgier and suits the pace of the sequence well. It is not that Rahman just composed some piece with layers of rhythms and e-sounds and just played it on the background in the scene, if you carefully listen, as the main rhythmic layer proceeds with Jamal and Salim running around the streets, Rahman introduces one more rhythm layer and makes it louder as people running behind almost catch Salim and Jamal and as Jamal shouts ‘Baagh’. And when the whole episode cuts to the present, showing Jamal answering the question about Rama, the rhythm just plays again in the background implying that the whole riots episode was playing out in his mind as he was taking his time to answer the question.
The starting guitar bit of ‘Mausam& Escape’ appears when Jamal meets Lathika for the first time after the riots and it is the same piece which appears again when Jamal finally finds Lathika arriving at VT station. There is a pleasant aura that this piece creates which perfectly suits their warm meeting on a rainy night in the earlier scene and a sweet surprise and a dream like brief meeting that happens in the later. And that’s the Mausam part of it.
And the Escape theme is used many times in the movie as there are lots of chases and escape scenes. It appears first when Jamal, Salim and Lathika escape from Maman’s camp and is also used later in the scene when Salim chases Lathika in VT station. The piece was put to great use in the former scene because as Salim, Jamal and Lathika escape from Maman’s camp and try to get into a running train, the sitar plucking and the beats get more and more energetic as the three approach the train, and finally when we expect Lathika to get into the train, all that energy in the music suddenly stops and deeply moving vocals of Suzanne takes over singing the Lathika’s theme. With the scene set in complete darkness, it is the sudden appearance of Lathika’s theme that tells us the amount of disappointment of Lathika and Jamal than anything else in the scene. Later when Maman finds Jamal and Salim in Pila Street, as they are now trying to get Lathika out of there, the escape theme again comes in handy to establish the connection between this scene and the first great escape scene. It is used so subtly along with a sustained bass loop to underline the tension in the moment. And finally it is again used when Jamal searches for Salim K.Malik’s phone number in the call center, and ofcourse by doing so he is virtually chasing Salim to find the real whereabouts of Lathika.
Lathika’s Theme is the main theme of the movie as Lathika is the pivot around which Jamal’s life swivels. This theme has the ability to express a wide variety of emotions in the pinch of sadness that it evokes. The Lathika theme appears first when Lathika gets separated from Jamal and then it is used in its entirety when Jamal comes back to Mumbai in search of Lathika. The whole montage of Jamal searching for Lathika in the streets of Mumbai is emotionally uplifted by the theme. A very slow and mellow version of the theme with just the vocals of Suzanne fills the atmosphere as Jamal gets to meet and hug Lathika finally in Javed’s house. The theme is at its haunting best in the climax when Jamal and Lathika meet in the VT station, and it plays out as a theme for Jamal’s entire life as the scene intercuts to shots from their troublesome past.
‘Ringa Ringa’ aptly fits in when Jamal walks into the Pila Street in search of Lathika. ‘Gangsta blues’ lasts just for a few seconds when Salim goes to meet Maman’s opponent Javed in their area. It is very difficult to understand the thought process behind the track ‘Liquid Dance’ which is used for the scene in which Jamal secretly follows Salim to find where Lathika is. But surprisingly, it doesn’t sound odd or out of place with the visuals. And the techno ‘Millionaire’ theme is used in the scene where the whole India is shown to be preparing to watch Jamal face his final 20 Million rupees question in the show.
When I saw ‘Jai Ho’ for the first time, I thought it was so badly choreographed, but later I came to know that the song was composed for already shot visuals and they had used a completely different song for shooting. Though it shows quite badly, nobody seems to be caring, the thumping rhythm and energy of the song just blows you off and especially as it comes after the triumphant climax.
Finally, it is so difficult to technically analyze and objectively comes to a conclusion about which is the best background score when you have five equally deserving works in the list of nominees. For that, one has to ask other four composers to score background music for ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ and see if they are able to outdo A.R.Rahman. What is important is the fact that Rahman’s score fits and it fits to an extent that people tend to believe and accept that it can’t get any better.
Here is wishing Rahman to bring 2 Oscars home.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
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Blink-182 Gets Back Together
Blink-182's three former members—guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge, bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker—are finally on speaking terms again, more than three years after the band's nasty breakup in 2005. Explaining the situation on his blog, Hoppus said, "We're just reconnecting as friends after four years of not talking. It's a good thing. Obviously the first question for a lot of people will be, 'Does this mean a Blink-182 reunion?' The answer is none of us know. We haven't talked about it at all. Right now it's just good for the three of us to see one another, reconnect and let the past be the past."Hoppus and Barker formed +44 soon after Blink's split. DeLonge's own band, Angels & Airwaves, recently wrapped up a fall tour with Weezer. A Dublin show on December 16, 2004, was Blink-182's last show.
Blink 182 is back together
Blink 182 is back together
If there are some people my age (mid-to late 20s) who grew up listening to a lot of late 90s/early 00s music and bought a Blink 182 album or two, today’s a good day. The band appeared together onstage and annouced that they are getting back together. According to MTV.com, the band website also says “Summer 2009″, so I guess that we should expect a summer tour. And Angels and Airwaves guitarist David Kennedy admitted that Blink 182 would be recording a new record but that Angels and Airwaves would not be ending.
Blink 182
Blink 182 confirmed at the 51st Grammy Awards they are to make music together again. A summer tour is rumoured.The band put this messege on their website.
Blink-182 Make Reunion Official on Grammy Stage
Blink-182 Make Reunion Official on Grammy Stage
2/8/09, 10:17 pm EST
“Isn’t it great to see the Jonas Brothers and Stevie Wonder back together again,” blink-182’s Mark Hoppus joked as his band — together again — took the stage at the Grammy Awards to present the trophy for Best Rock Album to Coldplay. “We used to play music together, and we decided to play music together once again,” added Travis Barker. The bottom line: “Blink-182 is back.”
A statement released just after their Grammy appearance reads, “Hi. We’re blink-182. This past week there’ve been a lot of questions about the current status of the band, and we wanted you to hear it straight from us. To put it simply, We’re back. We mean, really back. Picking up where we left off and then some. In the studio writing and recording a new album. Preparing to tour the world yet again. Friendships reformed. 17 years deep in our legacy.”
The band leave things with the words “Summer 2009. Thanks and get ready…”
The band has been officially on hiatus since February 2005; since then Tom DeLonge has gone on to form Angels & Airwaves, while Hoppus and Barker put together +44. In November 2008, after the jet crash that nearly killed Barker, Hoppus blogged that the threesome had resumed communication. “In the midst of everything else that has happened lately, Tom, Travis, and I have all spoken together,” he wrote. “First through a number of phone calls, and then a couple of weeks ago we all hung out for a few hours. … We’re just reconnecting as friends after four years of not talking.” The band’s next album would be their first since 2003’s blink-182.
Tendulkar left Colombo on Sunday night and his next assignment would be the upcoming India tour of New Zealand.
India and Sri Lanka will clash in their first Twenty20 game against each other on Tuesday
AR Rahman bags Best Music award at BAFTAs
London (ANI): Slumdog Millionaire won seven gongs at the BAFTAs, including the Best Music award for AR Rahman. The story of an 18-year-old boy from rags-to-riches also won the Best Film and Best Director for Danny Boyle. Resul Pookutty was the other Indian to win a BAFTA award for best sound editing. Other awards included Best Editing, Best Cinematography and Best Screenplay.
"It feels pretty nice to be here. I''ve been directing a long time. It's a real honour for the film and I'm delighted for everyone, especially the actors," the Sun quoted director Boyle as saying. "I thought I would never want to do a film about a gameshow. I'm not really a big time director. I try to concentrate on projects I can keep control on. So it's extraordinary when something like this takes off," he added.
Kate Winslet and Mickey Rourke walked away with the top awards for The Reader and The Wrestler, respectively. Heath Ledger won the posthumous gong for Best Supporting for his dramatic role as Dark Knight villain The Joker, while Penelope Cruz won the Best Supporting Actress for her role in Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
The list of winners as follows:
Best Actor: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Best Actress: Kate Winslet, The Reader
Best Film: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Music: AR Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire
Best Director: Danny Boyle, Sulmdog Millionaire
Best Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, Dark Knight
Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
