Under the sun

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Indian Hockey

Link

"Everyone goes on about our glorious past and it's one of the
reasons for our downfall, we haven't moved with the times." Secondly, he says,
"if they (older players) don't understand times have changed, then how will
common people understand."
He offers an example. He speaks of 30 astro-turf
grounds in Melbourne, yet two in Bangalore, three in Delhi, one in Mumbai, or
thereabouts. "Kids play hockey abroad on turf at five, I started playing
regularly on astro at 18.
Obviously their basics are better, while I had to
unlearn what I had learnt on grass. But former players don't understand that."
He tells of a domestic game, played at such slow motion, that "if I trained
for two days a week I'll manage domestic hockey." But international hockey, all
hard, furious running demands the most extraordinary daily labour to be
competitive. Which is why, he explains, "players pushed into the national team
find it had to bridge that gap."
The more he speaks, the more familiar seem
the stories. No coaches, he says, to teach kids modern drills. Fourteen support
staff for the Germans at the World Cup, four for the Indians. No continuity of
coaching whereas teams abroad are headed by the same man for years. Simple
things. Do-able things. Ignored things. Fixing hockey requires no magic, only
intent.

14 Comments:

  • Annathey, did you see Gautam Menon's interview to Baradwaj Rangan. He says he had a script for VV, which didnt have the Kamal intro and instead, that was replaced by a background on the psyhco killers, (that would have given the movie more credibility - these are my words). It seems Ulaganayagan shot it down saying "you are making a movie with a HERO. Do you really want 20 minutes of screen time without HIM?Fans will not accept"
    This vindicatesmy earlier assertion that Kamal fans(who want him to do everything that Rajni does but would look down upon rajni movies) bring down Kamal mvoies' quality.
    Secondly, it shows Kamal's obsession with filling every frame of his movies - if only he could learn to avoid that ..sigh!!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Sat Dec 16, 08:32:00 AM  

  • raj,
    I think i did but can you post the link again pls??

    By Blogger Bala (Karthik), at Mon Dec 18, 09:49:00 AM  

  • brangan.easyjournal.com

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Mon Dec 18, 01:04:00 PM  

  • raj,
    i guess you did not understand the interview at all.Where has Gautham said that Kamal asked for an intro???He has only said that the film could have done without it,isn't it?

    He actually says the Kamal told him that a cat&mouse game kind of film wherein the Hero is not there for long peroids of time on screen would not work.Result:Background of the two villians had to go.

    infact he also says he wanted only 3 songs but harris insisted that they should have two more.

    It's all about view points.Why jump to conclusions that Kamal wants to fill every frame of his movies?????

    He suggested some changes because it was NOT his film&it had to work at the BO or Kamal would have taken all the shit not Gautham.

    In fact Gautham has only good words to say about Kamal in his interview,sad that all this never made it to the print version.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Mon Dec 18, 06:10:00 PM  

  • cienfan, muzhu poosanikkai?
    If this is the attitude you take, I cannot convince you. Gauram has only good words to say, yes. But he clearly says that Kamal rejected the script because hero is not there for a long duration on scene. If that is not proof enough,w hat is? Sari vidunga, this is exactly the kind of Kamal fan-ship that reduces him I was talking about. Reading between the lines appadinnu onnu irukku. Kamal oru self-obsessed narcissit nu Gautam sollanumnu edhir paarkareengala?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Mon Dec 18, 10:36:00 PM  

  • "He said, ‘You’re making a film with a hero. Now this script will shift to the antagonist at some point. Then there’ll be a cat-and-mouse. There’ll be footage where I’m not there on screen. That’s not the kind of film you want to make.’ I understood. He’s a superstar. He has fans who need to be catered to.” Gautham’s original version of the script had a lot more background on the villains, “what their psyches are, what their ideologies are.” But that had to go, because there were some 20 minutes of screen time when the protagonist – the star protagonist – was not there at all. “And that’s not done. Even now, people say they would have liked to see more of him.” The compromises weren’t always regarding the hero. “I had only three songs in my first draft. Harris comes to me and says we have a track record, so we need to have five songs. And the guy who comes to buy the audio rights says the same thing.” "

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Mon Dec 18, 11:58:00 PM  

  • "There’ll be footage where I’m not there on screen. That’s not the kind of film you want to make."
    Is this enough or you need it broken down further?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Mon Dec 18, 11:58:00 PM  

  • He's a superstar. his fans need to be catered to. The compromises were not always regarding the hero.

    Read these and understand. Not always regarding hero - appadinna compromises were made for the hro and in addition, other compromises like the ones for songs were madenu artham. Idhu kooda soli tharanum pola irukku - idhula you didnt understand-nu ennai paarthu vera oru bit-ai pottuttu poraaaru cinefan.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Dec 19, 12:01:00 AM  

  • raj,
    Thanks for the link.

    It IS very surprising....

    That said, i find what cinefan says here plausible
    "He actually says the Kamal told him that a cat&mouse game kind of film wherein the Hero is not there for long peroids of time on screen would not work.Result:Background of the two villians had to go."

    Also, the same Aandavar had told Gautham not to have another fight in the climax, thereby reducing screentime.......

    Self-obsessed Narcissistic:
    Sathi Leelavathi
    Virumaandi
    ???

    "This vindicatesmy earlier assertion that Kamal fans(who want him to do everything that Rajni does but would look down upon rajni movies) bring down Kamal mvoies' quality."
    -
    Yes, that fight in Anbe Sivam is a case in point.
    However, for someone straddling the two worlds of meaningful cinema and commercial compromises wonderfully and successfully, fans ARE important. I, for one, want both a Guna as well as an Aboorva Sagodharargal. Why should they be mutually exclusive?
    [Please note that i don't agree with such fan-appeasing moves like the one in Anbe Sivam which was plain silly.]
    About the 20 minutes in question, having seen the treatment Gautham has given of the antagonists, their motives etc... i am glad that Aandavar had his way. Innum sodhappal agiyirukkum. The front-bencher in me just lapped up the intro :)



    Unlike Rajini, who ALWAYS gives what the audience wants, Nammavar *usually* gives what HE wants. So, avarukku irukkardhu dhaan thaana vandha koottam, not for Rajini who makes that claim. [Not that you said otherwise, just felt like saying this]

    By Blogger Bala (Karthik), at Wed Dec 20, 12:21:00 PM  

  • Interesting, I don't think Bharadwaj has any axe to grind - Not so sure about Gautam. About the same introductory song I remember a few different versions of the reason he gave, and in general he seems to give answers (to more or less the same question) depending on the phase of the moon. One of the replies he gave earlier was, it was the tribute from Gautham the 'Kamal' fan. Which one is it Mr.Menon ?

    As I said in my so-called review of the movie, it's actually a good thing if KH interferes with half-baked directors - which means 99% of kollywood. For instance the whole 'Homo' theme is bloody far-fetched and just wouldn't have flown with any other Hero in the movie. In fact I was wondering where the Tamizh Kalacharam brigade is when they depict students raping and killing their school teacher in VV. The KH factor sure helped divert attention from lots of other things. Gautam Menon is a media child.

    I agree with Bala about Sathi Leelavathy, Virumandi - Ask Ramesh Aravind or Pasupathy. VV remains Pasupathy's best performance - mind blowing actually, as is the other jail warden and others. We won't even be aware without Virumaandi about a gem called Pasupathy. I suspect when KH smells competence and passion even remotely he is only too eager to step aside.

    The problem with reading an interview like this is that he has complained about Maddy(I am no fan of M) and KH, two of the more decent folks in kollywood - the rest of the Galeej kumbal looks bright in comparison, simply because no one talks about them, simply because they are scared.

    Bala, Congrats BTW, I gather you tied the knottu.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Dec 20, 09:38:00 PM  

  • bala, okay, I want my Gunaa but AS - not so sure. I mean, somehow I am not as affiliated to AS as I am to MMKR. AS looks dated now -MMKR doesnt(my opinion ofcourse).

    I thought Mahanadhi was made with nary a compromise - I can vouch that it did pretty well at the B/O.

    Problem is who cares if Rajni does good cinema or not. Who cares if he fills the frame or not? With Kamal ,we care. Thats why it's frustrating to see him do Rajni-type-crap - the VV intro for instance. It just wasnt needed. Not that VV would have been a better movie without it. It remains and will remain an average movie. But with Kamal, you can see that impulse to cater to front bench and also his own egoistic needs - that compromises him as a film maker. I mean, Anbe Sivam. The whole Kiran angle added nothing to the character. He could have left Madhavan to romance Kiran. But he didnt want to leave the desserts....:-). And that fight...really, minus those and minus that preachy communist song, the movie could have been a wonderful outstanding masterpiece. He spoilt it.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Dec 20, 10:31:00 PM  

  • Ramesh Aravindukku avvalavu idam koduthadhu modhalle thappu :-). Chappai actor avan :-).

    Sadhi Leelavadhy - as far as I understand, Kamal was supposed to be a guest artiste. Like Maharasan. But, when you have Ramesh Arvind as the hero, you have to take on a bigger role and thats what he eventually did.
    Mumbai Express, Virumandi - I agree. He really did go out of his own normal tendencies - he even almost didnt have a heroine in ME. Now, the thing is for Kamal, the biggest challenge I can think of is make a movie without heroine :-)

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Dec 20, 10:34:00 PM  

  • bnb,
    In the same interview, Gautham has also quoted some 'vasool' figures of the movie which sound dubious [or B Rangan has missed some context while quoting G)

    And nandri hai :)

    raj,

    Now, the thing is for Kamal, the biggest challenge I can think of is make a movie without heroine :-)

    Agree. Now, that will be something....

    By Blogger Bala (Karthik), at Thu Dec 21, 11:04:00 AM  

  • Not to forget the fact that GM also allegedly stole the VV storyline from Rajesh Kumar's novel or some such, without giving credit. Not sure if it is true, but, I consider that the lowest form of cheap behaviour - denying a script writer his credit.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Thu Dec 21, 08:07:00 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home