Operating System that refuses to die!

When it was launched in October 2001, the new version of Microsoft’s operating system for personal computers, Windows XP was so named for the new eXPerience it provided.

Today, XP will spell eXPiry. Microsoft will stop selling the XP version to PC Manufacturers & Retailers from Today (June 30 2008). They have been asked to stop preloading Windows XP on their products from today. There is a small exception made for low cost platforms, which will be able to continue loading the stripped down HOME version of XP for another 6 months.

But to the rest of us, Microsoft seems to be saying: “We gave you better version called Windows Vista, more than 18 months ago. So start learning to love it or lump it.” But lay users as well as corporate customers say: “Thanks but we don’t care for Vista: it is bloated and sluggish; it irritates us with a hundred promptings; it doesn’t work with most of peripherals like Printers, Scanners , CD/DVD Drivers and Portable Hard Disk Drives; and it takes so long to start or stop, that it is driving us crazy”.

There is lots of good things in Vista: multiple tagged browser pages; a whole new 3-D look and feel but the canny Indian ‘janatha’ user hasn’t found it to be ‘paisa vasool’ and in any case XP still works fine.

As PCs become smaller, lighter, less power-consumption, what people want is smaller, quicker PC software that lets you get on the Web which today houses a lot of their tools and files – fast. Vista is not that which people need.

“XP will die at the hands of a misguided killer: Microsoft,” said the Web Magazine, www.ITWorld.com a few days ago and many in the industry agree.

Over 140 million copies of Vista have been sold, says Microsoft; but analysts Forrester found in April that only half the enterprise world has planned an upgrade to Vista.

The entire Intel Organization (a Key Microsoft Partner) has decided to stick with XP. So what can the rest of us do?

Microsoft has already announced that the next iteration after Vista will be Windows 7 – possibly in mid 2009. If we want to continue using XP on our machines, no can really stop us. The Canny Indian reseller and assembler community will find ways to support us, with or without Microsoft help. We can continue doing our computing, the XP way, till we see what Windows 7 offers, leapfrogging over Vista in the process.

Best wishes Sam on your Birthday

Sam Puri,

I wish that

days weren't

quite so busy,

and that

weeks passed

less quickly,

and there were

more days like today

Just for

celebrating you . . .

I hope

you always know

how much

you mean to me,

and what

a wonderful

brother you are.

Happy Birthday with Love

When

I think about the

people who

really

mean a lot

to me

My thoughts

Always

Turns to you

Just knowing

you’re there

and that you care

makes my world

a happier place

May Allah shower blessings on you… Many More Happy Returns of the Day Sam Puri...

With Love Haseem

Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic Movie Review

I was really very eager to see my favorite pair Saif Ali Khan & Rani Mukherjee after the Blockbusters Hum – Tum & Ta Ra Rum Pum. Now here by the review of Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic …

Ranvir Talwar ( Saif Ali Khan ) is a self-made man who grew up as an orphan. He has got everything – a flourishing business empire, a sensuous bimbo in tow ( Amisha Patel ), a swanky bungalow and, not to forget, a constant frown on his face. But he’s got no time.

Ranvir’s life changes after a car accident in which a couple dies because of his mistake. The court, instead of kicking him off to prison, gives an unusual verdict. Ranvir has to be the guardian of the four orphans of the dead couple and take care of them until the youngest of them becomes an adult.

But the kids hate Ranvir. And Ranvir feels no different towards them. Put up in the house of their parents’ killer, the kids plot revenge.

It would take nothing less than a divine intervention to foster peace and love between Ranvir and the vengeful tots. The good God himself takes the trouble of summoning one of his favourite fairies, Geeta ( Rani Mukherjee ), to go to the world of humans and do His work.

And down she comes, cycling on a rainbow (like some lost sister of Lance Armstrong) and straight into the life of Ranvir and his four cute ill-wishers. What happens thereafter better be seen than written about.

The most commendable thing about ‘Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic’ is that it makes the most ludicrous of scenes engaging and fun to watch. Be it the fairy (as the nanny of the kids) turning the boring National Museum into a magical, living theatre of history, or the four naughty kids ruining the poolside party of Ranvir’s skimpily clad squeeze (Amisha) – you relish it all with the buoyancy of an adolescent yourself.

Besides humour, the film is also high on melodrama. I know it has almost become a dreadful word – thanks to many a weepy Bollywood movies – but the tear-jerking scenes in TPTM don’t pinch you like other run-of-the-mill sob tales. You bear them, at times with suppressed embarrassment of being seen moist-eyed by the fellow sitting next to you in theatre.

Saif Ali Khan does superb as the frowning, scowling, busy-as-a-bee businessman who gradually transforms into a loving, caring, doting guardian. Rani Mukherjee is pretty good as the blabbermouth fairy who performs magical feats as if she was doing something trivial, like playing carrom. And it is a great relief to see her play a character that doesn’t weep.

Amisha Patel is convincing as the minimally clad, dumb bimbo with a superficial accent. The kids are all right. The sardar kid (Iqbal) wins you over with his humour.

Kunal Kohli’s direction has many rough edges. For instance, his style of shot composition needs a great deal of improvement. The film’s music is also ho-hum.

Apart from this, ‘Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic’ is pretty enjoyable. It has many engaging moments. My favourite is the one in which Iqbal tells Ranvir that he doesn’t want to be a Sikh. Another favourite of mine comes at the end. I’m not sure if the director intended it. But on a street in Hollywood, the camera captures two delightful words written on a wall. The words are: Buck Fush. Written on an American street, it doesn’t take much imagination to figure out what they mean.

‘Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic’ does not belong to any one actor. Speaking in cricket parlance, it’s a team effort.

Verdict: All cinematic blasphemies can be forgiven when you see a delightful, heart-winning tale filled with fun, frolic, fantasy and some tear-jerking drama unfold on the screen. That’s what Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic is.

Rating: 3 ½ Stars on 5

Dasavatharam Movie Review

Kamal Hassan's magnum opus film Dasavatharam directed by K.S.Ravi Kumar and produced by Oscar Ravichandran released on June 13. Already the film had been touted as the biggest Indian film to hit the screens. Over one thousand prints of the film have been screened worldwide. In Karnataka Dasavatharam and its Telugu version released simultaneously. While the Tamil film been released in Bangalore, in other districts like Kolar the Telugu version was released.

One man doing 11 roles, 10 on screen and one off it (as scriptwriter) is a first in the history of world cinema. You have heard a lot about the story, probably more than what you have about any film before its release. A story that spans 9 centuries and takes you across the globe on a big adventure and on a canvas so big that Indian cinema, maybe world cinema, has never witnessed. Here's a look at just how big the film is & Dasavatharam review is out:

Banner: Oscar Films

Cast: Kamal Haasan, Asin, Mallika Sherawath, Jayapradha, Rekha, K R Vijaya, Nagesh, Nepolean, Santhana Bharathi, M S Bhaskar, P Vasu, R Sundarrajan, Ramesh Khanna, Erode Sounder, Pandu

Direction: K S Ravikumar

Production: V Ravichandran

Music: Himesh Reshammiya

Kamal Hassan’s Roles in the Movie

1. Rangarajan Nambi – An Iyengar

2. Govind Ramaswamy – An American Scientist

3. Fletcher – Anti Hero (A Former CIA Officer)

4. Balram Naidu – Investigator

5. Boovaragan – Annachi

6. Mrs. Krishaveni – An Old Woman of 95 years.

7. Japanese Martial Arts Trainer

8. Kalifullah Khan - A Muslim Guy

9. Mr. Avatar Singh – A Punjabi Pop Singer

10. George W Bush – American President

11. As a Script Writer

The story line to very complicated woven – The team has tried to highlight a lot of stuff into the Single story – Religion, Bio-Weapon, Tsunami, Illegal stealing of Sand, Cancer, Celebrity’s life & US supremacy.

The story starts with an incident taking place in 12^th century during the rule of the Chozha dynasty when Hindus were divided into Saivites and Vaishnavites. Rangarajan Nambi (Avatar No.1) is a loyal disciple of Ramanuja Azhwar. King Kulothunga (Napolean - what a fantastic performance!), a follower of Lord Siva, compels Nambi to change his religious beliefs and worship Lord Siva instead of Lord Vishnu but Nambi refuses. The king then orders for the immersion of the statue of Lord Ranganatha along with Nambi into the sea.

After this meaningless first avatar, the movie shifts to the present scientific world. Govind Ramaswamy (Avatar No.2), an American scientist invents a dangerous bio weapon in his lab but wants to destroy the same after realizing its dangerous consequences. But the US Govt and scientists don’t allow him to do that. One fine day, Govind runs away from the lab with the bio weapon but Fletcher (Avatar No.3), a former CIA officer turned Villian, chases him to get the weapon back to destroy other countries.

The weapon is mistakenly sent to an Indian address by courier where a 95 year old lady (Avatar No.4) receives the parcel. Govind immediately rushes to India and traces down the address. He is followed by Fletcher who is accompanied by his prostitute cum translator (Mallika Sherawat). The old lady refuses to give the weapon to them without understanding the danger it could cause and puts it inside a statue of Lord Vishnu.

The scientist captures the statue and starts running with it pulling Asin close relative of the old lady, along with him. Fletcher chases him till the end of the film. A foolish police officer Balram Naidu (Avatar No.5) too is in the race always chasing both these characters.

In between a Punjabi singer (Avatar No.6), US President George Bush (Avatar No.7), a tall Muslim (Avatar No.8), a martial arts trainer (Avatar No.9) and a Southern district resident Annachi (Avatar No.10) comes, does something and disappears.

Finally the tsunami comes to the rescue of the Scientist and destroys the weapon along with drowning Fletcher. The statue of Lord Rangaraja, which was immersed in the sea in 12th century, also appears on the shore after the tsunami.

What did Kamal Hassan really want to convey? Lord Ranganatha, the almighty who is sleeping inside the sea for centuries, finally sends a tsunami to destroy the bio weapon along with the bad guy.

What is the necessity or compulsion of portraying Kamal in 10 different get ups? To create some mindless hype or register it as a record in the Industry? Highly idiotic! Particularly the role of Punjabi Singer, Muslim tall man Kalifullah Khan, Annachi and Japanese martial arts trainer unnecessarily intervene in the flow of story.

There is no professionalism in makeup also. For most of the characters, the makeup looks very amateur. Kamal looks like an animation character playing the bad guys role because the makeup is over done. However, one must appreciate him for the hard work put into playing so many different characters to perform in many roles simultaneously at this age.

Apart from Kamal, Asin plays dual roles for the first time but nothing is special in any of her get ups. Her performance is also not par excellence. Jayapradha appears in few scenes and does well in them. Nothing is special in Himesh Reshammiya’s songs or Devi Sri Prasad’s background score. Ravi Varman unnecessarily lifts the camera to top angle and shakes even inside a house.

Technically the film is far superior to any other Tamil movie in some scenes, particularly in the tsunami climax. The special effects of Jennie in the last 15 minutes simply rocks. Also the body language of Japanese Kamal is simply excellent. Watch this movie to see Kamal in 10 different avatars. But is it really enough to make a fan to watch a film? This is a big question stand before Kamal fans those known as the lovers of good movies like sensational Mahanadhi or Kuruthipunal!. Kamal Ji we expected a lot from you.

Verdict: No doubt, Dasavatharam is really an average movie with a poor plot and characterization that fails in most of the departments and fails to attract the viewers.

Rating: 3 & ½ Stars on 5

Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na Movie Preview

Banner: Aamir Khan Productions, PVR Cinema

Cast: Imraan Khan, Genelia Dsouza, Manjari Phadnis

Special Appearance: Ratna Pathak, Naseruddin Shah, Arbaaz Khan, Sohail Khan, Arshad Warsi & Paresh Rawal

Direction: Abbas Tyrewala

Production: Mansoor Khan, Aamir Khan

Music Direction: A R Rahman

Cassettes and CD's on: T-Series

Opposites attract. But they do repel as well. Such is the story of Jai and Aditi, the protagonists of ‘Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na’.

The movie introduces Aamir Khan’s nephew Imran Khan opposite Genelia D’Souza, who has already acted in a couple of Bollywood films.

Set in a college campus, the film is a tale of friendship, bonding and love. It is about discovering love in one’s heart.

Imran Khan as Jai Singh Rathore

Jai is a Rajput, but he can’t even kill an ant. He is perhaps the most non-violent Rajput you would find in either side of the Aravallis.

Genelia as Aditi

Aditi is the diametric opposite of Jai. She is violent and over-passionate. The most unfortunate thing a person can do is pick a fight with her. When Aditi shoots off her mouth, there is no stopping her.

Synopsis:

For all the right reasons, Jai thinks Aditi’s parents should have rinsed her mouth with soap when she was a kid. Then, perhaps, she would have been mellower.

On the other hand, Aditi thinks Jai is a coward. There is nothing Rajput-like in him.

Two distinct personalities at the same place and same time. Heaven seems to have mixed up apples with oranges.

And there are others as well in the campus group. There is Rotlu who weeps secretly for Aditi. There is Bombs whose heart throbs for Jai. There is Jiggy who applies golden mascara to his hair. And there is Shaleen, the ever-enthusiastic guitar player.

Everybody thinks Jai and Aditi are perfect for each other despite their contrasting personalities. But do Aditi and Jai think so?

Do they really know what their hearts desire? Will they find love in each other?

‘Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na’ marks the directorial debut of Abbas Tyrewala who has written films like Maqbool, Munnabhai MBBS and Main Hoon Na.

The movie also brought back the prodigal director Mansoor Khan from his self-chosen hibernation. Mansoor is the film’s producer along with Aamir Khan .

The film’s music is given by A R Rahman while the songs are written by Abbas Tyrewala.

The movie also has special appearances by a host of actors like Naseeruddin Shah, Arbaaz Khan, Sohail Khan, Arshad Warsi and Paresh Rawal.

‘Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na’ will hit the Screens on July 4, 2008.

Sarkar Raj Movie Review

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Govind Namdeo, Tanisha Mukherjee, Victor Banerjee, Supriya Pathak

Direction: Ram Gopal Varma

Production: Nitin Chandrachud, Abhijit Ghatak, Praveen Nischol

Written by: Prashant Pandey , Ram Gopal Varma

With Sarkar, Ram Gopal Varma had precisely established the central characters, set the ambience, defined the aura and demarcated the genre. So in the follow-up he simply had to take the legend ahead while narrating a new episode. And to a decent degree he succeeds in carrying the legacy forward.

In the second installment, Sarkar aka Subhash Nagre (Amitabh Bachchan) takes a backseat as son Shankar Nagre (Abhishek Bachchan) takes hold of the family empire. An NRI industrialist Anita Ranjan (Aishwarya Rai) approaches the Nagre family with a power plant project to be set in the local lands of Maharashtra under Sarkar’s domain. After initial reluctance, Sarkar gives a go ahead to the venture which soon takes shape of a political conspiracy.

Ramu’s storytelling pattern is such that he initially builds up the drama and subsequently breaks down the politics behind the play. He effectively employs all the original techniques from the predecessor by making use of the same theme for the background score (Amar Mohile), caustic editing pattern (Amit Parmar, Nipun Gupta), sepia tone effect and erratic camera angles (Amit Roy).

But while adhering to the original, he occasionally, also sets up repetitiveness in the screenplay with similar setup and shot execution. For instance he sketches a group of negative forces absolutely analogous like the villain quartet from Sarkar with identical intentions to crumple the Nagre kingdom. Reprehensibly their caricature characterizations do not gel with the solemn temper of the film. Sayaji Shinde hams endlessly while Govind Namdeo and Upendra Limaye are consistently theatrical, appearing more as comic sidekicks.

To an extent, even the screenplay is moulded in the vein of the forerunner film when Shankar wages a political war against his opponents. But the treatment is twisted as Ramu reverses the roleplay of the father-son duo in this film in clear contrast to the format adopted in the earlier episode. While the father takes a backseat in the initial reels giving authority to son, he grabs charge of the proceedings in the concluding portions.

Like in Sarkar, Ramu sharply balances the role runtime of both the father and the son justifying the collective presence of Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan. But he simultaneously swaps their zones of prominence thereby bringing a variation in their contribution. Despite drama being the highlight, the texture is subtle throughout.

From a political war, the film intermittently shifts track to a regular revenge drama till it arrives to a volatile climax that forms a highlight of the enterprise, escalating the entire graph. Sarkar Raj clearly gains major marks for its clever culmination, which was so much lacking from recent RGV products. The considerately and crisply penned dialogues by Prashant Pandey add a lot of insight to the scenes and depth to the characterizations.

From the cast, Aishwarya Rai plays a mere spectator to the scenes than a participant to the politics. She is her usual self and her act doesn’t seem to be sculpted by the RGV touch. The other two Bachchans have exhaustive scope and completely submit to Ramu’s visualization.

Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan, once again, employ the intensity of their piercing eyes to give sight to Ram Gopal Varma’s distinctive vision.

Verdict: Sarkar Raj was widely heralded as an homage to the Godfather trilogy, though director Ram Gopal Varma refutes comparisons, describing Sarkar Raj as “the new adventures of the Nagare family…. showcasing the aura of power.”

Rating: 3 stars on 5

Best wishes Priya on your Birthday

Each year your birthday reminds me

That I really want to say

I’m very glad I know you;

I think of you each day.

I hope you enjoy your birthday,

All the pleasures it has in store,

And because I appreciate you,

I hope you have many more!

Many More Happy Returns of the Day Priyu

Once a year I get the chance
To wish you birthday cheer.
It pleases me no end to say,
I wish you another great year.

So happy birthday to you Priyu,
From the bottom of my heart.
And may your good times multiply,
Till they’re flying off the chart!

May Allah shower blessings on you… Many More Happy Returns of the Day Priyu...

With Love Haseem

Best wishes Srila on your Birthday

Instead of counting candles,

Or tallying the years,

Contemplate your blessings,

As your birthday nears.

Consider special people

Who love you, and who care,

And others who’ve enriched your life

Just by being there.

Think about the memories

Passing years can never mar,

Experiences great and small

That have made you who you are.

Another year is a happy gift,

So cut your cake, and say,

"Instead of counting birthdays,

I count blessings every day!"

May Allah shower blessings on you… Many More Happy Returns of the Day Srila...

With Love Haseem

Best wishes Sashi on your Birthday

Each year your birthday reminds us

That we really want to say

We’re very glad we know you;

We think of you each day.

We hope you enjoy your birthday,

All the pleasures it has in store,

And because we appreciate you,

We hope you have many more!

Once a year we get the chance

To wish you birthday cheer.

It pleases us no end to say,

We wish you another great year.

So happy birthday to you Sashi,

From the bottom of our heart.

And may your good times multiply,

Till they’re flying off the chart!

Instead of counting candles,

Or tallying the years,

Contemplate your blessings,

As your birthday nears.

Consider special people

Who love you, and who care,

And others who’ve enriched your life

Just by being there.

Think about the memories

Passing years can never mar,

Experiences great and small

That have made you who you are.

Another year is a happy gift,

So cut your cake, and say,

"Instead of counting birthdays,

I count blessings every day!"

It’s your birthday...

and We’re thinking how glad we are

that you were born.

You have given us so much--

supported us, encouraged us,

cared for us; We didn't even need to ask.

We celebrate your wonderful self!

We’re in awe of your boundless generosity,

your infinite kindness--that gentle inner glow

that you so freely use to warm our life.

Your birthday is as much a celebration for us

as it is for you, maybe more,

and we wish for you the best of birthdays,

the best one ever.

May each birthday be better than the last.

Most of all, We hope you will always be

As happy as you have made us.

When

We think about the

people who

really

mean a lot

to us

Our thoughts

Always

Turns to you

Just knowing

you’re there

and that you care

makes our world

a happier place

May Allah shower blessings on you… Many More Happy Returns of the Day Sashi ...

With Loads of Hugs & Love

Hari, Haseem, Maya & Suja