Panini Indian Language Keyboard

As you know, due to the traditional challenge of writing on the PC/web/Mobile, most of the Indian language bloggers use tools such as the ‘Google transliterate’.

The problem with Transliteration is that it assumes that the Indian language user would be well conversant with English alphabet and phonetics. But such an arrangement cannot be a permanent solution for supporting Indian languages on PC where the user is expected to write in English to write in Hindi or Tamil or any other language.

It is in the above context that we wish to apprise you of a new technology invented in India called Panini Keypad which is basically a statistical predictive texting support to entering Indian language on digital devices.

The Panini Keypad was the winner of the NOKIA Global Mobile Innovation award in Sep 09 as a Mobile Necessity for Emerging Markets.

The technology was developed primarily with the mobile phone in mind but it is also applicable for the PC/web and all other digital interfaces. On the mobile phone, as you know, one was expected to type in an Indian language through multitapping with the number of taps going upto 7 or 9 taps.

The Panini Keypad solves that problem by making it extremely fast, easy, ergonomic and convenient to type on the phone in all the Indian languages without having any printed characters on the keypad.

In the Panini Keypad characters that the user is likely to enter next are anticipated and placed at positions most comfortable to the thumb. This has resulted in a breakthrough in the speed at which Indian languages could be entered on the phone and other devices.

 

There are only two rules to CleverTexting.

1. Look for the character on the keypad and press it.
2. If not shown, press the Next List arrow.

Example:-

સમયની મારામારી વચ્ચે અત્ય  =  સ+મ+ય+ન+ી મ+ા+ર+ા+મ+ા+ર+ી વ+ચ+્+ચ+ે અ+ત+્+ય

Watch this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJgR2nKggEI

• Panini Keypad currently supports: Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Oriya, Punjabi (Gurmukhi), Assamese and other global languages supported through CleverTexting are English, Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese, French, Swahili, Hebrew and Finnish. Luna will add support for Chinese, Japanese and Korean very soon.

• Panini also offers transliteration support, but only for Indic languages: you can write it in Marathi and send it in Hindi, or read a Kannada message in Telugu.

• This is an Indian invention which holds the promise of changing the way the world writes on digital interfaces.

One can download the technology and run it on his phone to experience this first hand.

http://www.PaniniKeypad.com/
http://www.CleverTexting.com/

• You can experience the predictive engine of Panini Keypad on the web here.

http://www.paninikeypad.com/PaniniKeypadforweb.html

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Tata’s New Air Car

Tata Motors is taking giant strides and making history for itself. First the Landrover-Jaguar deal, then the world's cheapest car and now it is also set to introduce the car that runs on air, compressed air.

 

With spiraling fuel prices it is about time we heard some breakthrough!
India 's largest automaker Tata Motors is set to start producing the world's first commercial air-powered vehicle.
The Air Car, developed by ex-Formula One engineer Guy Nègre for Luxembourg-based MDI, uses compressed air, as opposed to the gas-and-oxygen explosions of internal-combustion models, to push its engine's pistons. Some 6000 zero-emissions Air Cars are scheduled to hit Indian streets by August 2010.   

The Air Car, called the MiniCAT could cost around Rs. 3,50,000 ($ 8177) in India and would have a range of around 300 km between refuels.
The cost of a refill would be about Rs. 85 ($ 2).

The MiniCAT which is a simple, light urban car, with a tubular chassis that is glued not welded and a body of fiberglass powered by compressed air. Microcontrollers are used in every device in the car, so one tiny radio transmitter sends instructions to the lights, indicators etc. There are no keys - just an access card which can be read by the car from your pocket. According to the designers, it costs less than 50 rupees per 100Km (about a tenth that of a petrol car). Its mileage is about double that of the most advanced electric car (200 to 300 km or 10 hours of driving), a factor which makes a perfect choice in cities where the 80% of motorists drive at less than 60Km. The car has a top speed of 105 kmph. Refilling the car will, once the market develops, take place at adapted petrol stations to administer compressed air. In two or three minutes, and at a cost of approximately 100 rupees, the car will be ready to go another 200-300 kilometers.

As a viable alternative, the car carries a small compressor which can be connected to the mains (220V or 380V) and refill the tank in 3-4 hours. Due to the absence of combustion and, consequently, of residues, changing the oil (1 litre of vegetable oil) is necessary only every 50,000Km).

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500 Days of Summer

Love - something that can truly never be explained or can we just say that its something that is never really & clearly understood.

I will obviously go for the latter ,coz these days Love is never truly understood by the generation we live in ,what seems as Love for one might be just a friendly relationship for the other.

And there are others who truly understand that someone's loving them but instead of saying their true intentions ,they just play along with them only resulting in a devastating end for the one who truly is in LOVE.

PLOT : " Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love. Girl doesn't. "



A plot doesn't get as simpler as this ,"500 Days of Summer" will be very nostalgic & deeply affecting to those who had been taken for a ride in their life in the name of love.

"How did i miss this film ???" ,this was my first reaction after watching it.This film has all the ingredients for a romantic comedy but what makes it special was its plot & screenplay that blows the concept of romantic comedy out of the water.

Directed by Marc Webb ,who also happens to be the director of of the 2012 Spider-Man reboot ,the film is something which brings a whiff of fresh air to the otherwise redundant movies coming out of hollywood these days.

The scriptwriters Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber have just given the audience a different feel about romantic comedies that leaves something for everyone who enjoy these type of genres ,the disclaimer at the opening of the movie doesn't make sense in the beginning but after the film gets over it makes perfect sense.

The lead pair of Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Zooey Deschanel are simply marvelous ,Joseph as the guy who's waiting for the love of his life & Zooey who doesn't share his views about love ,they are one of the best lead pairs i have ever seen.

The chemistry between these two make up an interesting premises that keeps a tight grip on the screenplay ,the supporting characters of Chloë Moretz ,Geoffrey Arend & Matthew Gray Gubler were too perfectly employed.

The way in which the plot moves back & forth also tends to add strength to the film's narration ,the entire narration takes place within a matter of 500 days which signifies the 500 number in the movie's title.

The director has used his tricks very cleverly ,never revealing the true intentions of the lead pairs until the very end.He has brought out a enticing story about love that's truly lovable & believable.

The ending of a move plays a major role ,whatever may be genre ,the climax plays a crucial part & the audience make up their minds to certain extent regarding how the movie ends but if the filmmaker can truly outfox the audience then it becomes a major advantage that decides the fate of the movie at the box-office.

I truly was truly outfoxed & left with a smile at the end of the movie which is a realistic take of Love ,the boon & bane of it & also how certain people play with others in the name of it.

(500) Days of Summer is one of the best romantic movies to come out of ,be sure not to miss it.This is not a love story.This is a story about love.

• Director : Marc Webb

• Writers : Scott Neustadter ,Michael H. Weber

• Cast : Joseph Gordon-Levitt , Zooey Deschanel , Geoffrey Arend , Chloe Moretz ,Matthew Gray Gubler

• Rating : "PG" for some sexual content & language.

P.S : " Co-writer of the film Scott Neustadter admitted the film was based on a real romance. Neustadter explains that when he met the real girl who inspired the character Summer , he was rebounding from a bad breakup back home, and promptly fell "crazily, madly, hopelessly in love" with the girl who "returned his kisses but not his ardor." The ending of the relationship was "painfully and unforgettably awful," which prompted him to co-write the film with Michael H. Weber. "

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Salt Movie Review

The promos of the movies sometimes flatter to deceive and the latest casualty in the list is the Angelina Jolie starred "Salt" which comes with a tagline "Who is Salt?". The plot of the movie is a known fact wherein she is a CIA officer and is being accused of being a Russian Spy by a man who walks into her office. The movie though begins on a flashback mode it moves to the present time from where all the actions take place.

Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) relaxes in her office on the day of her wedding anniversary only to be held back in the last minute due to the arrival of Orlov (Daniel Olbrychski) with an accusation of being a spy. Salt unawares what to do makes good her escape and keeps her fellow officers on her trail until the mystery about her is revealed.

Salt then continues her journey avoiding her CIA colleagues until she arrives at a point where her real intentions are known and whether she succeeds in her mission or does she fall prey to a well-laid trap is all the movie is about. The point is the story is precariously weak and even weak is the sequence of events that lead the film from one point to another.

The movie definitely lacks logic and to be honest the entire film is loaded with jaw dropping stunts by Angelina Jolie. If as a viewer, one is interested in watching superficial stunts then "Salt" will be a better bet. Angelina Jolie in spite of her age have done spectacular stunts and her understanding of the character has been perfect which has enabled her to come out with flying colors. The screenplay drags the movie so much the entire running time of 95 minutes looks like ages to complete.

"Salt" turns out to be a mediocre film.

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Nalanda University to be revived - Bill to be passed in 2010

 New Delhi: The Union Cabinet today approved the presentation of the Nalanda University Bill 2010 for the establishment of the Nalanda University in the Monsoon Session of the Parliament at a cost of approximately Rs.1005 crore.

The Ministry of External Affairs has prepared the Nalanda University Bill 2010 for presentation in the monsoon session of the Parliament, following the consensus reached at the East Asia Summit (EAS) held in Thailand in October 2009.

According to an official press release, a project office has been leased in New Delhi for the proposed university. This office will become functional after the Bill is enacted in the Parliament.

The proposed University shall have the following schools:

1. Buddhist Studies, Philosophy and Comparative Religions
2. Historical Studies
3. International Relations & Peace Studies
4. Business Management in relation to Public Policy and Development Studies
5. Languages and Literature; and
6. Ecology and Environmental Studies

The Nalanda Mentor Group chaired by Prof. Amartya Sen, shall draft the first statutes for the University in August 2010.

"In order to implement the project, India as the host country will make a significant amount of contribution at the initial stage. The Planning Commission has allocated Rs. 50 crore as endowment fund in the form of special grant for the commencement of activities and till such time the NalandaUniversity becomes sustainable on its own," said the press release.

The government of Bihar has already acquired about 500 acres of land in Rajgir (in the vicinity of the original Nalanda University site of yore) and another 500 acres is scheduled to be acquired for the proposed varsity.

The establishment of the university would facilitate the revival of Nalanda as a centre of excellence in East Asia and South Asia, reflecting in some measure the role played by the Nalanda University in ancient times.

The revival of the university will also lead to the Buddhist circuits in India thereby benefiting the tourism industry substantially.

In addition to scholars/students from all over the world, the establishment of Nalanda University would benefit the local people and encourage the participation of local communities.

For this purpose, the University would associate with the 200 odd villages in the local area that had a connection with the historical Nalanda University. The university will particularly benefit students from South Asian countries.
The salient features of the Bill include:

(a) The Nalanda Mentor Group (NMG) constituted by the Government of India in June 2007 shall exercise powers as the Interim Governing Board of theUniversity for a period of one year or till such time that the members of the Governing Board have been nominated;

(b) The Visitor of the University shall be the President of India or any other person who may be appointed by the President;

(c) The University shall function as a public-private partnership and the funds shall be provided on voluntary basis by the Government of the member states.

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Art Arattai Aarpattam gets bigger and better in 2010

NalandaWay's Art Arattai Aarpattam is an annual chilidren's art, music, theatre and film festival. It provides a space for children and their families to discover new experiences of the arts, to express themselves, to experiment with new ideas, to challenge boundaries, to be inspired, and to have fun together. The festival is conducted every year in partnership with UNICEF,and is now into its third successful year.

Triple A or AAA or Art Arattai Aarpattam is back. Like the tiny battery with the same name, it is energy that comes in small packages of children, arts and pure electrifying entertainment. And there are a few important changes- No more ‘rain rain go away come again another day’ because the festival is in July and August so we believe our fun will not get dampened by thunder showers, but please forgive the drizzles, we can’t stand the heat either. Our shows will not have inaugural events of any sort- its goodbye to long speeches and hello to the show. All this based on feedback from last years events.

So what’s in store? Have you ever wanted to get in touch with your artistic side? Why don’t you walk into Dakshin Chitra? Choose from an assortment of workshops- get your hands dirty with pottery making and clay modeling, write with light and shoot some photos, feeling expressive? then tell us your story with story telling sessions.

If you are the indoors kind and you have a liking for movies then sneak a peak at our children’s film festival. Last year we ran to full shows so don’t blame us if you are turned out by a houseful of children rolling in laughter to animated comedies such as UP, Kung Fu Panda, Finding Nemo etc. Why don’t you call us and book your tickets in advance.

Laughter, more laughter, deep breath, laughter, more laughter, deep breath then pure awe. Audience response to last years Nalandaway Production- Paati Vadai Kaaka Nari. Even if you don’t believe us, please remember to take deep breaths inbetween all that laughter when you watch ‘Ali Baba and the 40 police’ this year. Another sound and light stage play parody which will take your breath away for sure… And just when you thought you have time to recover, we hit you with a Boardwalkers play- The green ogre. Deep breaths everyone, deep breaths.

Smack in the middle of these events is a Sing Along by Krishna Iyer and Jeeva, Super singers Juniors Live with Vijay TV, and Tale of Haruk – A Korean Musical with English Subtitles. Who is this festival for? Its for children, and the young at heart. So don’t worry we won’t stop you at the gate and ask you ‘how old are you?’

Bookings: Donor passes available in Landmark and Odyssey. For bulk bookings call Upasana at 8056212458 or email Upasana@nalandaway.org. To book online visit www.bookmyshow.com. All funds raised from the festival will go towards helping marginalized children express their creativity, and become independent and empowered. For the full schedule visit www.nalandaway.org/aaa2010.

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Wallets cause back pain

An interesting email forward I received which claims that keeping wallets in the back pockets increases the chances of back pain. Read on, it might help reduce some pain atleast !

 

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Address proof card issued by India Post

Many working people often shift their houses. For them, it is difficult to produce an address proof issued by Government with latest address. Our India
Post (Post Office) has come up with a solution.

Now you can get an address proof along with your photo from India post. Since the ID proof is issued by India post which is a Central Government organization, it is similar to other ID cards like Driving license, Voters ID etc. It can be used for opening bank accounts, for getting telephone and gas connections etc.

The total cost for getting this ID card is Rs.250/ (Rs.10 for application and Rs.240/- processing fee).

For more details enquire in the nearest post office .
http://www.indiapost.gov.in/

Application form can be downloaded here

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One useful mail

Received as a forward, readers discretion solicited.

1. If you see children Begging anywhere in TAMIL NADU please contact
   "RED SOCIETY" 9940217816. They will help those children for their studies.

2. There is a Website: www.friendstosupport.org
Where you can search for any BLOOD GROUP, you will get thousand's of Donor address.

3. Engineering Students can register in www.campuscouncil. com to Attend Off Campus for 40 Companies.

4. Free Education and Free hostel for Handicapped children..!  Contact:- 9842062501 & 9894067506

5. If anyone met with fire accident or people born with problems in their ear, nose and mouth can get free PLASTIC SURGERY done by
Kodaikanal PASAM Hospital . From 23rd March to 4th April by German Doctors. Everything is free. Contact : 045420-240668, 245732
"Helping Hands are Better than Praying Lips"

6. If you find any important documents like Driving license, Ration card, Passport, Bank Pass Book, etc., Missed by someone, simply put Them into near by any Post Boxes. They will automatically reach the Owner and Fine will be collected from them.

7. By the next 10 months, our earth will become 4 degrees hotter than what it is Now. Our Himalayan glaciers are melting at rapid rate. So all of you lend your hands to fight GLOBAL WARMING.
-Plant more Trees.
-Don't waste Water & Electricity.
-Don't use or burn Plastics

8. It costs 38 Trillion dollars to create OXYGEN for 6 months for all
  Human beings on earth.
"TREES DO IT FOR FREE"
             "Respect them and Save them"

9.Special phone number for Eye bank and Eye donation 04428281919 and
    04428271616 (Sankara Nethralaya Eye Bank)
For More information about how to donate eyes plz visit these sites. . .
http://www.kannoli. com/eyebank. html
http://ruraleye. org/

10. Heart Surgery free of cost for children (0-10 yr) Sri Valli Baba Institute Banglore.  Contact : 9916737471

11. Please CHECK WASTAGE OF food If you have a function/party at your home in India and food gets wasted, don't hesitate to call 1098 (only in India )
- Child helpline. They will come and collect the food .

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Banks can now access info on suspect activities

Banks can now access and share information on high-risk activities, thanks to CIBIL Detect – a nationwide database of reported fraudulent and suspect activities.

This database will serve as due diligence tool for banks before establishing business relationship with new customers, Mr Arun Thukral, Managing Director of CIBIL, the country's first credit information bureau, said at the launch of CIBIL Detect here on Tuesday.

CIBIL Detect is the first centralised repository in India on confirmed frauds, cases of misuse or attempted misuse of data and suspected or high risk cases that are under investigation in banks and financial institutions.

The solution is actively addressing an industry concern at a time when lending institutions are facing increases in write-offs and bad debt, many of which can be attributed to fraudulent activities. CIBIL Direct also contains information on high risk vendors and agents which institutions (credit grantors) can share and access.

Asked about the pricing of CIBIL Detect, Mr Thukral said that it has been decided to adopt a subscription pricing model for this product. Banks will be required to pay a flat annual fee for making enquiries about fraudulent or suspected activities. Simply put, the unit cost for every bank would depend on the number of enquiries made during a year.

Mr Thukral said that the pricing model for CIBIL Detect was different from the one in existence for credit information reports (CIRs). CIBIL charges a specific fee for every CIR furnished by the credit information bureau. CIRs are a vital tool used by credit grantors when acquiring a new customer and provide factual information on credit histories of borrowers enabling institutions to make objective lending decisions. “CIBIL Detect and CIRs are different products and we have adopted different pricing models,” Mr Thukral told Business Line.

Asked whether CIBIL will share information from the CIBIL Detect database with investigation changes and financial intelligence unit, Mr Thukral replied in the negative. He said that no specific provision existed for this purpose in the law governing credit information bureaus.

There has been increasing number of frauds in banks in recent years and this has been a matter of concern for the policy makers. In 2009, Indian banks reported fraud losses totalling Rs 1,880 crore. CIBIL Detect is an Indian Banks Association-backed initiative.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/07/08/stories/2010070851800600.htm

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Sky Park – Infinity Pool - Singapore

If you fancy a dip in this pool, you'll need a head for heights - it's 55 storeys up.
But swimming to the edge won't be quite as risky as it looks. While the water in the infinity pool seems to end in a sheer drop, it actually spills into a catchment area where it is pumped back into the main pool. At three times the length of an Olympic pool and 650ft up, it is the largest outdoor pool in the world at that height.
It features in the impressive, boat-shaped 'SkyPark' perched atop the three towers that make up the world's most expensive hotel, the £4billion Marina Bay Sands development in Singapore .

Don't look down: A guest swims in the infinity pool of the Skypark that tops the Marina Bay Sands hotel towers - 55 storeys over the city of Singapore yesterday 

To infinity... and beyond! The pool stretches 150 metres, three times the length of an Olympic swimming pool 

The view over the side: An artist's impression shows the Skypark that tops the Marina Bay Sands hotel towers, including the infinity pool
The hotel, which has 2,560 rooms costing from £350 a night, was officially opened yesterday with a concert by Diana Ross.
The Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi , estimated to have cost £2billion when it opened in 2004, was previously the world's most expensive hotel.
But with its indoor canal, opulent art, casino, outdoor plaza, convention centre, theatre, crystal pavilion and museum shaped like a lotus flower, the Marina Bay Sands has taken its crown.
·
The infinity pool on the roof is in the 'SkyPark' which spans the three towers of the hotel. The platform itself is longer than the Eiffel tower laid down and is one of the largest of its kind in the world.
Infinity pools give the effect that the water extends to the horizon. In reality, the water spills over the edge into a catchment below, and is then pumped back into the pool. The pools have two circulation systems. The first functions like that of a regular pool, filtering and heating the water in the main pool. The second filters the water in the catch basin and returns it to the upper pool. 

The resort from across the bay. The three towers were based on a deck of cards, according to designer Moshe Safdie 

A skydiver parachutes pass the Singapore Flyer and Marina Bay Sands casino resort as part of the venue's opening celebrations yesterday 
    
Extreme: Left, relay teams scale one of the towers in a race commemorating the opening yesterday. Right, a newly-wed couple enjoy a canal ride inside the resort's shopping centre
The Marina Sands resort was designed by architect Moshe Safdie who based it on a deck of cards.
Inside shoppers can ride along an indoor canal in Sampan boats styled on traditional Chinese vessels from the 17th century.
The owners have also commissioned five well-known artists to create works of art to 'integrate' with the buildings. Among these is a 40m-long Antony Gormley sculpture made from 16,100 steel rods. The whole thing weighs 14.8 tons and it took 60 people to assemble it in the hotel.
Artist Chongbin Zheng created Rising Forest which is 83 three metre high pots with trees in them. The pots were so big the artist had to build a customised kiln the size of a small building to make them in.
Last night, the world's most expensive hotel was given a launch party befitting it. Singing legend Diana Ross performed for 2,500 VIPs in the resort's Grand Ballroom and pop singer Kelly Rowland headlined an outdoor concert.

Money-maker: Left, the entrance to the casino, which costs nearly £50 to get in and is attracting 25,000 visitors each day. Right, a man looks through a steel web art structure in one of the towers 

Just enjoying the sun: Models pose in the pool for journalists at the grand opening yesterday
The opening celebrations also featured a death-defying relay. Seven teams of three participants each scaled the three towers before sprinting across the 340-metre long Sands SkyPark, where the infinity pool is located, to the finish line.
The resort will employ 10,000 people directly and generate up to £48m each year. Entrance to the casino alone is nearly £50 a day - but an average of 25,000 people have visited the casino daily since its initial phased opening two months ago.
Thomas Arasi, president and chief executive officer of the resort, said he expects to attract an astonishing 70,000 visitors a day once it is fully open.
It was due to open in 2009, but was delayed thanks to labour and material shortages, and funding problems due to the global financial crisis.

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Inception

Lets see..
Future is something which intrigues us ,Future fascinates us ,it's alluring ,it's a mystery.

All these make for an interesting premises for a movie maker to showcase his vision of the future to the audiences.These sci-fi movies hence sometimes bring out an interesting perspective of our future that works like a magic trick.

A magic trick that leaves the audience in awe of our future.

PLOT : " A skilled thief who steals memories from people during their sleep sets out to do an Inception i.e: to plant a memory into a person during his sleep. "



I'm still yet to overcome the magnitude effect of "Inception" ,such was the scope of the film.The entire film's concept was so vast that it requires constant attention from the viewer from the very beginning till the very end.

Christopher Nolan's Inception was for me like a vast syllabus that had to be finished in a matter of just 3 hours.Imagine reading your entire college syllabus in just 3 hours ,such was the content this movie offered.

Nolan who's a well-acclaimed writer/director delivers a complex & intense film in a grand manner that explores the concepts of our dreams in a most compelling manner ,Hats off to him in bringing out such a concept.

But for all the praises about the film ,there are certain sections of the film which reminds us of cliched scenarios in typical hollywood movies ,i was surprised & disappointed to see this in a Nolan's film.

Casting of Inception includes Ken Watanabe ,Joseph Gordon-Levitt ,Marion Cotillard ,Ellen Page ,Tom Hardy ,Cillian Murphy ,Dileep Rao ,Tom Berenger ,Michael Caine & of course one of favourite actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

DiCaprio was at his usual best ,his role as the extractor who works on people's memory was a very convincing portrayal.He held the major screen space eclipsing all others ,i could go on about the other actors but lets say they were splendid & a treat to watch too.

The special effects here was a major pillar to the mammoth vision of the director ,the entire theater were so pulled onto it the film ,it was like witnessing a magician's trick in a grand scale.

What especially kept the film so hooked was its script ,got to hand to Nolan ,He's one hell of a script writer ,he handles the pressure points of a film really well which earns the appreciation of the audience.

Music by Hans Zimmer was really captivating ,it gelled well with the flow of the film ,the highs ,the lows ,the drama ,the action ,all of it were in a perfect rhythm.

A script so complex was edited by Lee Smith in a alluring manner that kept moving between various scenes in a neat & crisp manner.His collaboration with Nolan has yielded rich dividends in the past ,Inception is sure to be another feather in his cap.

Even though i can go on & on about the film ,i was left high & dry in certain parts of the film.On the whole i was not left disappointed because of the unique & compounding script the film offered.

Nolan is a magician ,a truly gifted one ,regardless of the flaws in the film he still got a standing ovation from the audience for enticing them with a riveting concept & screenplay which was truly Sci-fi Magic.

• Director : Christopher Nolan

• Writer : Christopher Nolan

• Cast : Leonardo DiCaprio ,Joseph Gordon-Levitt ,Ellen Page ,Tom Hardy ,Ken Watanabe ,Dileep Rao ,Cillian Murphy

• Rating : "PG" for some scenes of violence.

P.S : " Christopher Nolan's first film since his feature debut, Following (1998), that is a completely original work. All of his films between them are either remakes or based on comics, novels or short stories. "

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Indian Rupee gets a Symbol

Finally, the Rupee will have a symbol like the Dollar ($) or the Euro (€) or the Pound (£). The Cabinet today finalised the design for the Rupee.
IIT post-graduate Uday kumar's entry has been selected out of five shortlisted designs as the new symbol for the Indian Rupee. The government had organised a symbol design competition with a prize money of Rs 2.5 lakh. Five designs were shortlisted from a competition and all new notes will bear the design finally approved.

The growing influence of the Indian economy in the global space is said to have prompted this move that will result in the Indian rupee joining the select club of global currencies like the US dollar, the British Pound, European Euro and Japanese Yen that have unique symbols.

The abbreviation for the Indian Rupee, 'Re' or 'Rs' is used by India's neighbours Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

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How Dhoni was clean bowled

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Endhiran Music on 31 July 2010

The cat is going to be let out of the bag finally on 31 July 2010 when the most awaited Tamil movie album of the year "Endhiran" (The Robot) is getting released. The release function will be the first-of-its-kind in Kollywood when a plethora of stars get to assemble in Kuala Lumpur for the launch which will be a glitzy affair. It is rumored that Big B himself has agreed to be the chief guest of the function.

The shooting of the film is finally over and the movie will have six songs composed by Mozart of Madras A R Rahman. The audio rights of the film is sold at an exorbitant price of 7 crores (a new record for a South Indian movie). Maniratnam -A R Rahman combo's latest Raavanan was sold for only 2 crores. The songs are of top quality and with the powerhouse of Kollywood in a single project it is definite to make heads turn.

The approximate budget of the film is said to be INR 165 crores and the movie is set to release with over 2000 prints worldwide on 10th September 2010. The overseas distribution rights of the film is bagged by HBO. The major suspense in the movie till date is that the label which has acquired the audio rights is kept under wraps and it is rumored that it will only be known to the public on the day of its release.

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Shankar completes Enthiran...

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Unthinkable

Gone are the times when battles are fought during daytime.
Gone are the times when the dead soldiers were laid to rest with honors during war.
Gone are the times when humans practiced ethical codes during wars
&
Gone are the times when prisoners of war were treated with respect.

Countries are called developed or developing or even a failed state ,i was always left pondering as to what are the criteria for these statuses to be given.

Bot after all the mayhem happening around the world its just that we can arrive on a conclusion that its about the ability of that country in war that earns it that status.

These countries are not only advanced technically but also in the torture techniques they put forth on the their prisoners ,however do they ever ultimately achieve peace out of these heinous practices ???

PLOT : " A terrorist plants nuclear bombs & gets caught by the authorities ,a deadly game then commences with the authorities & the terrorist willing to go to any extreme to get the better out of each other. "


By the time the film got over i gulped down a full bottle of water ,such was the tension in it.I was literally in two minds whether or not to see the next scene.

The brutality here is of the highest order imaginable which is definitely not advisable for children & light hearted individuals & the sametime you will be exposed to the various interrogation techniques followed by various different agencies in a government.

Unthinkable ,directed by Gregor Jordan is one of those films which will keep you pondering well after the movie gets over.The issue of prisoners subjected to torture was well materialized that will leave a lasting impression on the viewers.

The plot & script were well written by Peter Woodward that kept its pace throughout & at the sametime never lost focus on the issue at hand.

With a cast that boasts some big names like Samuel L. Jackson ,Michael Sheen & Carrie-Anne Moss ,the film was packed with stellar performances which adds momentum to the script

Samuel L. Jackson as the interrogator was at his electrifying best ,the kinda stone heart he portrays will surely look surreal.Michael Sheen ,what can be said ,this was by far the best terrorist roles enacted on-screen.

Carrie-Anne Moss looked stunning & played out her role as an FBI officer to perfection ,her locking heads with Samuel were so convincing.The other support cast namely Brandon Routh ,Gil Bellows ,Martin Donovan were too utilized well by the director.

The psychological battle that takes place between the terrorist & the interrogators size up the major chunk of the film ,there's never a dull moment during these scenes as it forms the crux of the plot.

The film's take on torture techniques being employed & its effectiveness was well brought out ,it will surely leave you to stunned & in disbelief.

We humans have ethics in whatever we do but in war all these practices are ignored just to get the better out of the opponent ,ultimately we become the worst beings on the planet & the final goal of achieving peace is never achieved.

• Director : Gregor Jordan

• Writers : Peter Woodward

• Cast : Samuel L. Jackson , Carrie-Anne Moss , Michael Sheen , Martin Donovan , Gil Bellows , Brandon Routh

• Rating : "A" for extreme violence.

P.S : " The film was released on 5 November 2009 in the United States ,it was not released on the international film market. "

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Kalavaani

In a period where cinema industry is stretching its limits to provide quality entertainment ,more often than not we end up with high budget extravaganzas that increases the benchmarks of the industry.

But in all the grandeur & amusement ,many a films fails to achieve the crucial aspect of their target i.e ENTERTAINMENT.

But amongst these biggies a Dark Horse gallops away with all the accolades ,the end result is these Dark Horses are a product of small budget that entertains & reaps the rewards.

PLOT : " The happenings in the life of a pampered & unruly son who falls in love with his arch rival's sister & the rest of the plot revolves around whether he succeeds in his love or not. "



Thanks to the word of the mouth reviews from my social networking buddies i ended up watching this sure-shot entertainer from mostly new comers.

The film "Kalavaani" had traces & impacts of previous village oriented films but its the treatment of the script which places the film in a league of its own.

Directed by debutant Sargunam ,the film follows the troubles & exploits created by the youth of villages in a pleasing manner.The director has followed the lines of the other great directors who break the shackles by providing success with a new team & cast.

Kudos to the producer Nazir of Sherali films ,being the first film off their production block i think they have started on a right track.Lets hope we get more quality films from them.

Casting of the film was immaculate ,new comers have come to the party in the film with charming performances which earns smiles & laughs from the audiences throughout the film.

Vimal of "Pasanga" fame stars as the ill-behaved son ,boy isn't he a treat to watch.The trouble he brews with his group of friends gels well with the flow of the film ,his ladylove Oviya serves as the right pair.Her role of a school going village girl is a credible performance.

The other cast includes Saranya ,Ganga Karupu ,Ilavarasu ,Thirumurugan ,Soori & other notable artistes who make up a dominant cast.

Saranya & Ilavarasu as Vimal's parents make up for a great comical family whose dialects are fum to listen & see ,supported with a steady script the actors make the most of their screen space.

The film handles its runtime of nearly 3 hours on the support of its script which serves as its backbone ,the length of the film doesn't bother much thanks to the humorous treatment of the script.

On the whole the team of Kalavaani have provided a laudable work which will surely be lapped up by the audience ,for people unfamiliar with Tamil ,language wont be a major barrier to understand the happenings in the film.

Amongst a flurry of high-tech & high budget releases that rake the moolah in the box-office ,there arrives a film with a small budget handicap that doesn't deter it from becoming the Dark Horse.

• Director : Sargunam

• Writer : Sargunam

• Cast : Vimal , Oviya , Ganga Karupu , Saranya , Soori , Ilavarasu

• Rating : "PG" for some violence.

P.S : " Be sure not to miss the end credits of the film. "

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