Indru Netru Naalai (INN) – A Travel though Time

First thing I felt coming out of the theater (drive-in), watching the film Indru Netru Naalai (today yesterday tomorrow) was, how creative our filmmakers are? Following TEOA, here is another movie based on science fiction which takes us on a fun ride through time travel. Though many films have come up on this concept, this is the first time the Tamil filmdom has experienced such and the team has also succeed in their mission.

A scientist from the future (2065) sent a time machine to the current year and it lands at the hands of two friends (Vishnu and Karunakaran) and an inventor during an accident. When the inventor falls into coma after an electric shock, the friends take away the machine and use it for their astrology business – Karunakaran being an astrologer; they recover things people have lost by going back in time using the time machine but make believe others it’s quite astrology and earn enough.

During one such travel to past, they make a mistake without their knowledge and it saves a gangster from an encounter who’s targeting the father of Mia George, who is in love with Vishnu. Understanding it later, they decided to correct the mistake by going to the past but landed in trouble even before the time machine broke away with no option to go further. How did they handle the situation is something sustain the eagerness till ending.

The film is quite an entertainer and behind the scientific notion it’s the realistic comedy-drama that put forth the entire sum. Not that the concept of time travel doesn’t work, but without a good story and screenplay even with a subject travelling to space seems to work not well. I would say anyone asking me about the hero of the movie is the story and though the artists/actors are equally important (like everyone given their best here) the story is perhaps one of the finest in recent past.  

I remember seeing couple of movie in past on time travel but I was uncertain about my understanding of the concept until watching INN. The director (Ravi Kumar, a debutant) has simplified the function of time travel and that too watching in our regional language the understanding becomes easier. The invention of time machine is also simple, cool and uncomplicated for viewers to get a fair idea.

Among the performance, the character of Vishnu and Karunakaran was outstanding and their lack of star status helps us easily relate and involved in the story. For a sci-fi movie, the visuals usually used to be mysterious and high tech, but except the beginning and things relevant to machine everything seems to be realistic and happen to be in real. The travel in past to granny age is something bring back the old charms lively which have been seen as images alone.

P.S. Thanks to our fellow blogger Rajesh, if he hadn’t written about this film I would have missed a great amusement. He has started to watch movies on first day first show, but I watched this movie last day last show hence the film was suppose to leave the theater for next release.  

A private beach house off ECR

While driving past few private beach by-lanes on ECR, I find this house and the gate (perhaps made of planks or steel) prettier to capture. The house was outstanding from the many others structures through the traditional kind of architecture and exterior that carries red brickwork. The hip or gable tiled roof is another interesting aspect of the house that has arch windows and portico and balcony supported by pillars.

The other sides (above and below) of the same house

Linking this post for Run a Round Ranch's Good Fences

Tamizhuku En Ondrai Azhuthavum

I watched this interesting Tamil movie called Tamizhuku En Ondrai Azhuthavum (Press 1 for Tamil) in Home theatre is also a good entertainer. Released at the beginning of this year, the movie has a unique plot which is based on science connects various angles in a single core device called cell phone. Technology has developed a lot and we live in a science world where lives depended on it, whether it is used for good or bad the film captured it quite well.

The movie begins with a deadly bomb in a call taxi that comes around the Chennai city and an 80 tonne solid rock (vaasthu kal) hangs from a multi-storied building (as the crane struck halfway) with a woman trapped beneath the scrap where the rock suppose to fall anytime. The film goes behind the scenes where a terrorist in intend to disturb the Independence Day celebration, plants a remotely controlled bomb in a call taxi and follows the car for an apt place to blow up.

In the mean time, all the mobile networks in the city fails due to a solar flare and an hyperactive science geek Vasanth tries to activate a part of the mobile network and once the lines are restored the terrorist will activate the bomb which was connected via a cell phone that is waiting for signal. And also Simi, who is struck under the scrap, will be rescued only if the text message she had sent reach his beau Mukil. Though the bomb blast and rock falls down at last, how do they escape becomes the exciting part of the whole.

Nakul as science geek impresses everyone by his technical knowledge and innovations, also creates projects for the engineering students which land him on restoring mobile network. His relation with his mother (Urvashi) is something heeds, and makes a different family perception where science prevails very much. But more than Attakathi Dinesh, in his usual easy going attitude and as a property promoter who falls in love with Bindu Madhavi – a counsellor, whose expressions conveys lot. Sathish as taxi driver has done a decent yet realistic comic role and although he loses his phone he deal was amusing.

I usually don’t write about movies I watch at home theatre, if the movie isn’t worth or interesting to watch. But TEOA (Tamizhuku En Ondrai Azhuthavum) wants me to write as I find the concept being very different and experimental, so that others could watch it if haven’t. Though it is movie not quite scientific or love story – which is a part that doesn’t work well, but still worth watching for its unique subject and sequences that carries logic.

The movie doesn’t have songs except a single track that bend with the story; Thaman’s BGM has worked well and produced a great feeling towards the ending. Cinematography at other hand is also good and captured the cityscape in a beautiful and colorful manner. And to put above all, I admire the direction (by Ramprakash Rayappa) for taking science as main subject and making it realistic and simpler to appreciate by commoner that to in a light-hearted way feels healthy. TEOA – a movie for those enjoy science and humor. 

Multi-storey on ECR

While many part of the country experience (enjoys) monsoon, the Chennai remain hot and humid throughout. Though we passed the hotter summer days in May, the last two weeks have been terrific hot and the heat waves continue to last till nights keeps away the thought of coming out of home. Not only the earth, atmosphere, throat and tongues but also my mind dries up expose to high temperature (38 degree) and I also couldn't think or interested to do anything. But a sudden rain this evening has brought a brief relief and cheer to life. 

Although it continues to rain/drizzle, the environment couldn’t achieve quite refreshing and the warmth continues to survive among the ambiance esp. within our home. It was the same time last year, on June 28; a heavy thunderstorm struck the city where an 11 storey building, which was under construction, went rubble killing 61 people in Moulivakam, near Porur. A site where two 11 storeys were built, with one fell down and another, which was suppose to demolish by authorities since experts believe it’s unfit to become a residential complex and even before it was done a year has completed.

Here is a picture I shot on ECR, a road parallel to IT corridor, multi-stories are new to this part of landscape that stretches close to seashore. I find about 4 to 5 projects coming up on this road, which is emerging as a Nation Highways (NH) from the scenic beach road because of the road widening. Hope there isn’t a repetition of Moulivakam incident anywhere. 

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The picture from my archives was shot long back when I was vacationing in Ooty for second time. While nearing Kamaraj Sagar Dam on the outskirts of Ooty, on the Rd to Mysore, the car comes to halt for few seconds following traffic gave the opportunity to click on the monkeys, where each perched to a pole that connects the chain link fence. Actually it was one of the random clicks focused on the monkeys and the three falls into the frame nicely which I checked only at home.

It remind me the philosophy conveyed though the three monkey images/sculpture, where one used to close its eyes, and the other the ears and mouth respectively which reflects the thought not to see, hear and talk unfair. I link this post to Run a Round Ranch's Good Fences