I went for the movie with an open mind…No prejudices, No assumptions…Just to enjoy a movie with friends and I will say I liked it. Fahad Fazil is getting typecast-ed as the Imran Hashmi of Malayalam with just another playboy character. The movie is totally different from other Lal Jose movies. The songs adds beauty to diamondnecklace

The  movie portrays the importance of personal financial management. Fahad plays the role of an NRI specialist doctor who gets into trouble with his poor personal financial planning. He leads a life of luxury with personal debt accumulated at one side. He gets into trouble by breaking the deadlines of his personal loan. The story unfolds when he resort to settle his debts by getting married expecting a huge dowry and get into more trouble.

Diamond Necklace is having a happy ending with all his financial problems settled. The movie also portrays two extremes of the life of a malayali in Gulf – life in a labor camp to life in a luxury apartment in Burj Khalifa. The financial discipline of an average NRI malayali and the luxury of NRI kochamma’s.

The movie stands different from other malayalam movies for utilizing the scope of in-film branding of Joy Alukkas. Joy Alukkas himself is appearing in the movie. In-film branding can be used as a great revenue model for the film industry. Lal jose successfully integrated in-film branding without affecting the story line.

PS : Inspired from the movie, Personal Finance Management should be made a compulsory subject in all Medical Colleges

My Rating : 6/10

Theatre : Padma Cinemas

Google was the only one who tried April fool prank on me this time. The days followed was one of the best days in my life.I got three job offers from campus. (HCL as a project Management Trainee, E&Y as an Associate consultant and Qburst as Business analyst ). Had a trip to Chennai with friends, went to Bangalore with appa and amma for cousin’s wedding. Had a great family gettogether there.

Arranged two sessions of Meet The Giants – industry leaders interaction at SMS with two energetic executives – Mr. Suresh Pillai, GM HR Malayala Manorama and Mr. Abraham Thariyan Executive Director South Indian Bank.

I had a tight schedule during the second half of April with assignments, final project report and presentations. And i made a presentation on Kuriyedathu Thathri & Social media at #bck12 held at Technopark Trivandrum.

The trip to Trivandrum for #bck12 was exciting. Barcampkerala12 was on 22nd April. Our internal exams scheduled to start from 23rd with me having two exams on 23rd. It was also the deadline for two assignment submissions. I completed my part of the project management assignment on financial projections for a business idea by 21st evening. Packed my bag and went to Ayruz HQ by 11pm. Worked on my #bck12 presentation for an hour and did catch the train to Trivandrum with Anand, manthru and Rahul  Attended a lively barcamp at Technopark, took my presentation and caught train back to cochin. Prepared for my internal exams in train. Completed another assignment on Transformation of softdrink industry in India in the last two decades on reaching hostel. It was a hell out of busy schedule and i enjoyed it.

I couldnt be at home for Easter as I was in Chennai. Went home on 28th evening, attended a very emotional sent off of our Vicar Rev. Thomas P George. I couldnt work that close with Achen and Kochamma as i was away from home during the three years of their service at our parish. Achu (my bro) is very close to them and he consider Achen as his spiritual Godfather.

And the month ended with an awesome farewell party from my juniors at SMS.
Overall April 2012 was legendaaaary.experienced God’s grace on me and I expect the same will follow in the coming days also
By the way Going for Thrissur Pooram on May1st

I was searching for a suitable topic and finally decided to take something on social media in kerala. Social media is a buzzing word now a days and everyone is after social media marketing. I am trying to focus on the social effects of social media in Kerala.

My session will be titled – ‘Kuriyedathu Thathri & Social Media’

The inspiration behind this topic is a  paper presented on Social Media and Emerging Business Order accusing social media as the reason for every social evil in Kerala. The presenter was trying to prove that social media

1. Creates  cover and security for undesirable social relationships.
2. Has been the source of crime and domestic violence and divorces.

The core of  my presentation will be the search for one answer – Can we blame social media for the growing crime rates, family discord and relationship problems in Kerala ?

If you have any points that could help me in my presentation please add them in the comment section.

So see you all at Barcampkerala’12 , Technopark Trivandrum.

There are three storage models available, ranging from 16GB to 64GB, while Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi+4G LTE options return. The camera has also received a significant upgrade and is now capable of producing five megapixel images and 1080p recording, making it an ideal purchase for anyone with relevant coupons.

PlayStation Vita

Sony’s latest system has raised the bar for showcasing what is possible from a handheld console. The PS Vita features near PlayStation 3 quality visuals, thanks to a quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore processor and 4-core PowerVR Series5XT SGXMP+ graphics chip. It also brings advanced touchscreen gestures through a 5-inch OLED front display and rear touchpad complete with sixaxis motion sensing and three-axis electronic compass.

Two analogue sticks and front and back cameras also feature alongside Wi-Fi and 3G options. There are twenty-five launch titles in total, which include home console favourites Uncharted, FIFA Football and WipEout.

Canon 5D Mark III DSLR camera

The release of the Canon 5D Mark III camera is hotly anticipated by photographers worldwide and arrives almost four years after the critically acclaimed Mark II model. Canon has implemented a 22.3 megapixel sensor and DIGIC 5+ image processor this time around to ensure cleaner results in low light conditions. A larger 2.3 inch LCD screen, dual card slots and headphone out to monitor audio have also been added to the kit list.

Consumers will be delighted that high dynamic range recording is now possible with the introduction of a three-shot system for those dramatic landscape scenes. The 5D Mark III is set to command a £2,999 price when its goes on sale in the spring.

Nintendo Wii U

Nintendo announced its sixth home console at E3 in 2011 and it is finally set to arrive later this year. The Wii U will feature a unique motion sensing controller with built-in 6.2 inch touchscreen, while the console will be able to produce 1080p high-definition graphics. Nintendo has promised an ?all-new, POWER-based microprocessor? designed by IBM, and a custom designed AMD Radeon HD GPU. Four USB ports, Bluetooth, SD memory card slot, Sensor Bar power port and HDMI 1.4 out port are among the other confirmed technical specifications.

The eighth-generation home console will be available in all major regions before Christmas.

HP Omni27 PC

Hewlett Packard is hoping to rival the hugely popular Apple iMac after unveiling a twenty-seven inch all-in-one personal computer, which makes it the largest Windows based system of its kind.

The HP Omni 27 features a stunning 1080p Full HD glass widescreen powered by advanced graphics and video technology in addition to a second generation Intel Core i5-2400S (2.5GHz) quad-core processor, 8GB Ram and huge 1TB 7200RPM storage space as standard. There are also six USB ports, HDMI-out, six-in-one memory card reader, Beats Audio sound card and an optional Blu-ray drive.

Shaji Kailas and Ranji Panikkar proved that it is indeed difficult to make a successful sequel from two mega hit movies. The movie may run house full for some days with fans who just want to hear the punch dialogue delivery from their favorites rushing to theater. The unrealistic fights and bike chases reminds us of Rajnikanth movies.

The King & The Commisioner depicts the present socio political scenario in India. There are indirect hits on KPCC President Ramesh Chennithala, Rahul Gandhi etc. The movie openly attacks liberalization policies of Manmohan Sigh and the market economy which ignores the poor. One thing i loved is the part where Joseph Alex IAS (Mammooty) blaming media for giving unnecessary publicity to people like Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev.

Terrorism (Terrorist from Pakistan Joining hands with top beurocrats and relegious leaders) is the main theme of the movie. The King & The Commisioner fails when there is no suspense or twist in the story line. Intelligent investigation methods, twist and suspense were the prime attractions in the successful versions of The King and The Commisioner. I often wondered why some characters are introduced into this movie. I couldnt figure out why Joseph Alex and Bharathchandran indulge in a false fight to get the attention of the internal security advisor.

KPAC Lalitha ‘s acting worth a special mention. I didnt like Saikumar’s casting as the villain swami. Janardhanan is in his usual self as the internal affairs minister. Devan as the corrupt IPS officer don’t have much scope in this version. Jayan Cherthala plays the corrupt bureaucrat with an eye on the PM Post and did pretty well.

The King and The Commisioner Movie Review

My rating : 4.5/10
Verdict : 3 and half hours of verbal diarrhea
Advice : Take a dictionary when you go for the movie

Theater i went : Padma, Ernakulam.

Ordinary tells the story of a  driver and conductor of a lone bus (KSRTC) to an interior village in Kerala and their close relation with the villagers. The movie portrays the pathetic situation of the state run Kerala Public Transport Corporation.Baburaj plays the role of a funny drunkard and proves his scope as a good comedian. I felt like most of the romantic scenes (so called romantic scenes) are cut and copy from old malayalam movies. Asif Ali plays a commendable role in the movie.

The movie has got three songs which again keep justice to the title – ordinary ones. Biju Menon’s Trivandrum dialect in the movie dint click.

My rating : 4/10

Verdict : A very ordinary movie

theatre : Saritha Ernakulam

The depth of research Amish did for writing this book is reflected throughout the pages. Immortals of Meluha is the first book in the Shiva trilogy series which tells the story of Suryavanshi’s and Chandravanshi’s and how Shiva a Tibetan refuge emerges as the Mahadev.

The story of Chandravanshis and suryavanshis is releveant still today. We can see them amongst us now also. We can see Suryavanshis and Chandravanshis among the extremist factions of Hindus and Muslims in India or among Indians and Pakistanis, zionists and palestinians, Americans and Iranians and so on.The book underlines the fact that War is not the solution for anything. Being different is not evil. Understanding the difference and learning to coexist with those difference is the key to world peace.

The need of the hour is a world leader who could play the role of a Mahadev. As the book says when evil reaches its paramount there emerges a new Mahadev.

The book has everything for an enthusiastic reader – generous dose of war, drama and romance. It also provides enough food for intellectual philosophers. Dont get surprised if someone makes a Hollywood/Bollywood movie on the Immortals of Meluha. Some one please give a copy of the book to Zack Snyder

The success of the book lies in the successful marketing strategy developed by the author and his friends. The first chapter of the Immortals of Meluha pdf was available for free download before the book release. Blogadda run a review writing competition which helped the book to gain some popularity. An excellent trailer and a cool website added color to the marketing activities. The second part of Shiva trilogy – The secrets of Nagas is an equally enthralling book. Eagerly waiting for the release of the third and final part – The oath of the Vayuputra’s.

Immortals of Meluha Trailer

The movie tells the story of Rahul and Rianna – two diagonally opposite individuals. The movie starts with categorizing children into three  - The parent’s chamcha’s, the rebels and the smart asses. We are told that Rahul falls under a fourth category who wants to fly away from the strict rules of his parents but was unable to do so. He is a boy bought up with every luxury but never given a chance to pursue what he likes – Photography instead ‘made’ an architect (The same old story of 3 Idiots, wake up sid etc)

Kareena plays the role of Rianna a carefree and relaxed girl who wanted to become a dancer but leads the life of a hairstylist. Rianna in Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu reminded me Geet of Jab We Met. The story develops as they meet at a department store and getting married accidently.

The movie turned out to be slightly boring during the initial minutes of second half and ends up with the statement “the beginning”. There are many scenes in the first half which makes you laugh and the movie is totally worth your money for those scenes. The songs are not up to the mark.

And one more thing Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu is not a Hindi remake of  ”What happens in Vegas?“

Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu Movie Review

Verdict : Worth one time watch

My rating : 4.5/10

Theater : Ernakulam Sridhar

I will appreciate my Hindu brothers and sisters at this juncture. The last book i read – The immortals of Meluha picturize one of the supreme Gods of Hindutva – Shiva as a mere human warrior who lived 4000 years ago. The book which picturizes Shiva as a Marijuana addict is one of the Best Sellers in the country. On the contrary Davinci code was banned in some states, stating that it will hurt relegious sentiments.

Coming to Pinarayi Vijayan’s statement on Jesus Christ.What is the big deal in depicting Jesus as a revolutionary? What he said is the truth right?  It doesnt imply that he was a communist. Communist ideology is based on athiesm. Jesus led a revolution within the jewish community. Jesus is the greatest revolutionary in the history who expelled the thieves from the Jerusalem church.Media shouldn’t waste their energy on destructive critisism. Fourth Estate should realize their role and work for National Integration and development.

PS : I am not a communist. Nor an atheist

Now State Bank of India should follow IRCTC in adopting the environmental friendly approach with their ATM’s. Almost all other bank ATM’s ask the customer whether they need a printed advice of the last transaction. State Bank ATM’s dont ask users whether they need the printed advice and prints the transaction details after every transaction.

Making a slight change in the software running in their ATM’s could save a lot of paper. Have you ever felt the same while using a State Bank ATM ?