How 3G will change our lives

Having raced to the bottom in their voice tariffs and saddled with low average revenue per user, Indian carriers are seeing hope with the launch of 3G services.

While MTNL and BSNL had a lead of almost two years they have failed to make the cut because of their lack of understanding of the desired device and content ecosystem.

Tata DOCOMO, Aircel, Reliance Communications and Airtel have launched their 3G services and it's expected they will heavily rely on smartphones, application stores and multimedia content to evince interest from the consumer.

As already proved in western economies consumption of data has been the single biggest factor for change in the fortune of carriers.

As we start to talk about what this means and where this will lead to let's take a look what 3G means and how it will change the way you consume telecommunication services and products in India in the years to come.

3G networks are more efficient than 2G networks because of the wider frequency band that they operate in. This means higher bandwidth content such as music and video can be effortlessly streamed over the network. There are many competing technologies within 3G, however the most preferred across the globe is High Speed Packet Access (HSPA).

Airtel and Aircel have chosen HSPA while Tata DOCOMO and RCOM have selected an even more efficient version HSPA+ (Evolved HSPA) that promises even greater network speeds.

HSPA+ is the same technology that T-mobile is rolling out as 4G in the US.

HSPA gives a download speed of 14 Mbps (mega bytes per second) and an upload speed of 5.8 Mbps.

HSPA+ gives a download speed of 56 Mbps and an upload speed of 22 Mbps and supports Internet Protocol (IP) architecture. In contrast 2G working on GSM/EDGE technology gives a measly data speed of 56 to 360 Kbps.

So for a country that loves to talk what difference does high speed Internet make?

It does and that is where the whole ecosystem, demographics and the content ecosystem dovetail perfectly.

A simple but startling comparison is a good place to start: In a population of 1.2 billion there are just around 40 million PCs neatly overshadowed by 600 million mobile phones.

In India where the fixed line network is scarce and inefficient 3G technology marks a huge connectivity leap and should be hailed as an enabling technology in bringing Internet connectivity to all.

This means that a phone can be used to watch live TV, used as a virtual phone using a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) service, do video-conferencing using Skype, use Facebook, Orkut or Twitter, listen to live music from Internet radio or a music service like Spotify, share photos, use as a tether to download books and play games.

This shift is also expected to give a boost to the fortunes of the application developer community in India, not a big one at the moment and more used to working on pre-historic Symbian platform that has been chugging along because of Ovi music.

The mobile app development market is a huge opportunity and if valuations of certain companies like Foursquare and Rovio are anything to go by it has the potential to create a new industry in India.

Few of the companies like Hungama Mobile, OnMobile and IMIMobile are moving out of their VAS legacy to embrace this new reality. Various indicators such as strong mobile advertising numbers from Inmobi, mobile marketing, huge VAS content consumption and several mobile banking and payment ventures are encouraging enough to indicate a latent mobile commerce appetite.

Other than the crucial infrastructure upgrade, carriers have been busy lining up content, smartphones, data plans along with a strong marketing exercise to educate customers. Here is a lowdown on the essential components in this ecosystem.

App Stores

These are virtual stores through which consumers can download software applications for their mobile phones. Software applications could be anything from gaming, document manager to a train timetable application.

Some of the applications are free and supported through advertising; others carry a monthly subscription fee while few of them carry a one-time download fee.

Typically carriers have their own app stores however the experience from other markets tells that carriers do not provide a great experience.

Tata's is called 3G Life services, Aircel is busy promoting its Pocket Apps, Bharti has come out with App Central and RCom has been working behind the scenes with GetJar to launch its app store.

The biggest winners will be Samsung, Nokia and Apple who have an established App store and provide a quality that cannot be matched by carriers.

However, there is a strong market for regional content and none of these providers has anything to vet that appetite.

Smartphones

Phones that support 2100 MHz frequency will work on 3G. Most of the smartpones built in the last two years should support 3G. However there are a few that support only GSM/EDGE frequencies.

So what are smartphones?

If you have in hand a phone with the processing power of a computer it's called a smartphone.

HTC Desire, Samsung Galaxy, iPhone 4 are few of the smartphones that boast of 1 GHz processing power along with a smart UI, HD playback and some cool features such as accelerometer, digital compass and GPS.

Nokia N8 launched recently lags behind in its processing power and the UI.

Naturally these phones also excite developers to develop applications that fully utilise the device capability otherwise risking disengagement with the consumer.

This is the reason why device manufacturers and carriers are finicky about quality of mobile applications in order to maintain a higher quality of engagement with their consumers.

Advertising and marketing

Monetisation of content is the key to rewarding all participants in the ecosystem. Similar to Internet advertising, as mobile viewership will increase, brands and advertisers will start promoting themselves on mobile phones.

The ad revenue generated goes directly to the app developer with the carrier and ad network retaining a cut. This is a big opportunity as most of the users prefer a free application or content and advertising is a primary medium to incentivise the developer.

As shown in the developed markets mobile advertising has grown multi-fold in the last one year moving into sophisticated formats such as proximity advertising and instant promotions.

Data plans

After having done all the effort this is where the carrier expects a lift in its topline. At the moment most of the data plans have been tiered based on data consumption and future plans will evolve around usage patterns.

For example, if a user spends most of the time on Facebook than an unlimited Facebook plan can be purchased.

Similar plans would be available for Skype or heavy chat users.

With a surge in traffic these kinds of plans will help carriers optimise traffic and better utilise existing assets.

The possibilities are endless and we have just scratched the surface.

TIME Magazine's quote on Sachin....

When Sachin Tendulkar travelled to Pakistan to face one of the finest bowling attacks ever assembled in cricket, Michael Schumacher was yet to race a F1 car, Lance Armstrong had never been to the Tour de France, Diego Maradona was still the captain of a world champion Argentina team, Pete Sampras had never won a Grand Slam.
When Tendulkar embarked on a glorious career taming Imran and company, Roger Federer was a name unheard of; Lionel Messi was in his nappies, Usain Bolt was an unknown kid in the Jamaican backwaters. The Berlin Wall was still intact, USSR was one big, big country, Dr Manmohan Singh was yet to "open" the Nehruvian economy.
It seems while Time was having his toll on every individual on the face of this planet, he excused one man. Time stands frozen in front of Sachin Tendulkar. We have had champions, we have had legends, but we have never had a Sachin Tendulkar and we never will.

                                                       

Cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar celebrates splendid 20 years of international cricket. Sachin Tendulkar donning the Indian cap against Pakistan at Multan on November 15th, 1989. The entire cricket fraternity, cricket lovers and media celebrating this occasion and blessing the master blaster for more years of playing cricket and more batting records on his name

'Secretariat' keeps you fascinated

Cast: Diane Lane, John Malkovich, Dylan Walsh

Director: Randall Wallace

In 1973, a three-year-old chestnut stallion made headlines across America when it became the first racehorse in 25 years to win the coveted Triple Crown, beating out the competition at the Belmont Stakes by a jaw-dropping 31 lengths.

That record remains unbeaten till date, and "Secretariat" - named after the legendary horse - traces the inspirational back-story behind that historical achievement.

Formulaic from start to end, this film is nevertheless compelling because it pushes all the right emotional buttons. Diane Lane stars as Penny Chenery, the Denver housewife and mom, who took over her father's horse farm in Virginia when he became too ill to run it.

Despite her family's misgivings about sticking with the loss-making ranch, she gathered a team of allies and started to pull things together.

It helped that losing a coin toss to a wealthy local businessman put her in possession of two colts, the younger of which - Big Red - went on to become the great Secretariat.

The film's key themes of standing up to opposition and hanging on to one's dreams, are likely to appeal to those who find comfort in the familiar. There's also a winning performance by John Malkovich who plays the eccentric trainer Lucien Laurin, whom Penny convinced to take on her horse.

But the real reason why this film works is the thrilling recreation of those Triple Crown races that Secretariat dominated with such style.

There is a genuine nail-biting urgency to those scenes that appear to be filmed from every conceivable angle.

Although "Secretariat" isn't as original or inventive as 2003's "Seabiscuit", it keeps you fascinated and engaged because it's a true story. I'm going with three out of five of "Secretariat". Even the most cynical viewers won't be able to resist cheering for that great horse in the final race!

Rating: 3 / 5

Samantha Cute Stills

Karma review

Saikiran Adivi Presents Thousands Lights Inc. / Telugu America Karma (2010) Cast: Sesh Adivi, Sher Ali, Jade Tailor, Bhanu Yanamandra, Rashmi Rustagi, Ria Cheruvu, Vijay Madabhushi, Sruthi Tiwari, etc. Cinematography: James Laxton Digital Intermediate: Amit Shetti Aerial Cinematography: Tom Miller Action Consultant: Sean Shah Stunts: Cheyenne Hambey Background Score: Pete Wonder, Justin R. Darban Music: Pete Wonder, Leland Thunes Lyrics: Kavi 'Real' Choreography: Desi Dreamz, Tatwa Dance Company Art: Bhavani Adivi, Bhanu Yanamandra Editing: Arjun Sastry, Harsh Singh Producers: Bhavani Adivi, Sher Ali, Harsh Singh Script, Screenplay, and Direction: Sesh Adivi Date of Theatrical Release: November 26, 2010 Summary: An off-beat, supernatural thriller set in the United States, with the story woven around the Hindu mythology. What's it all about? Padma (Jade Tailor) is an Indian American kid whose dad is killed right in front of the temple, by the temple's priest himself when the former questions the latter about misusing temple donations for drug peddling. Padma's mother (Bhanu Yanamandra) leaves the place, along with Padma, to settle in a remote city of Shamrock. While in her twenties, Padma loses her mother too. Her friend Raj (Sher Ali) expresses his love towards her but she doesn't reciprocate his feelings. Still, he remains a friend that she can turn to in an hour of need. Dev (Sesh Adivi) and Sumati (Rashmi Rustagi) come to visit Padma, as Sumati is a very close friend of Padma's mother. How did they know that Padma's mother passed away despite the fact that Padma lives in isolation and no one relayed the news in India? That's only the first question of surprise to Padma. Dev simply says he just "knows" certain things before they happen. Padma is strangely drawn towards Dev, and as Dev and Padma get closer, Padma learns more and more... Why did Dev come? Does he really have supernatural powers of some kind? Can Raj win over Padma? Performances Cast: Sesh Adivi has a good screen presence and a deeply expressive face that suits the character well. His emotional performance is occasionally overboard, but he has ease in his acting and his diction is good. Jade Tailor  (voice dubbed by Lakshmi Katyayani), being an American by birth, does not seem totally out of place in the role of an Indian-American. Her performance too goes overboard in a couple of emotional scenes but she gave a controlled performance for most part. It's a commendable effort for a non-Indian artiste to walk and talk like an Indian, and Jade does it all very well. Sher Ali gets an important role, which he performs with ease. His expressions are good; he vaguely resembles Prabhas in some scenes. Ria Cheruvu as Padma at an age of five has a short role that she does with ease. Bhanu Yanamandra, a classical dancer by profession, has an expressive face and a lively smile. Rashmi Rustagi was adequate in the short role she had. All artistes are new to the Telugu screen but the inexperience is by far limited due to individual efforts by each artiste and possibly also due to the production/direction team. Americans appeared in some roles too but none major. Technical Departments: The story is said to have been inspired by a personal experience of the male lead/writer-director, Sesh Adivi. While his near-death car accident in 2007 may have stirred the thoughts about the plot, the film is not really about the accident or the experience itself - it's just a trigger of thoughts, apparently. The film's story stems out of Hindu mythology (which incidentally resembles a part of the Revelations in the Bible, too), and philosophy. While such an attempt should be commended, the actual details seem to be rushed into the story's climax and the rest of the film has a relaxed pace until it gets to the climax. While appreciating the writer-director for coming up with an offbeat theme of this sort, one cannot but have several questions about logic and justification. Not presenting any direct spoilers, for instance, why is Dev's purpose of life centered so much on Padma? Shouldn't the climax action sequences be much large-scale according to the theme? - these are some questions that definitely come into the mind of the audience. A justification to the film's title as well as the theme also suffered due to a screenplay that centers around the characters of Dev and Padma alone. (When a film is a supernatural thriller, how much does karma really come into play?) There are a lot of commendable aspects with this film, nonetheless! First and foremost comes the cinematography (with a Red One system, using it the second time for an entire film in Telugu - after Kamal-Venkatesh's Eenadu) - beautiful locales were chosen and the cinematography really brings them out appreciably; it seems like there are too many closeup shots but good lighting scheme and color grading make the film pleasant to watch. The production team's complete faith in the project is reflected in the fact that this film is the first Telugu film to be shot completely in the USA and even have its songs recorded outside India. Yet, there's no compromise in Telugu. If not for the moviemakers' passion, one cannot expect a totally chaste Telugu dialogues (at a level that's definitely not seen in Telugu films of today) in such a film! This film is also the first in Telugu to have "naturally translated" English subtitles all through the film; a few scenes had English dialogues, but only one such scene had Telugu subtitles. Still, the care taken is apparent in showing even numbers in both English and Telugu! Such a purely Telugu dialogue might make some feel artificial but that's only an indication of how much we corrupted our own language in daily life with liberal usage of English. The background score and the songs ( lyrics included) were all done by non-Indians, probably for the first time in a Telugu film, but thanks to all the care taken, the audience get a novel feeling but not feel foreign about the music. The art department should be commended for its contribution to the good feel of the film. Editing could have been crispier; a tighter screenplay with good editing could have unveiled the theme much better. Bottom Line: Karma, which is clearly an off-beat film in its cast, crew, making style, and theme, could disappoint a regular commercial audience. Even for an off-beat audience, it may feel like a plot that's not completely developed. However, if off-beat films made with decent performances and good technical crew is something you can take, watch it anyway and you might even like the boldness and sincerity of the team.

Orange Review

Rating: 3.25/5 Punchline: konthakalam premikudu Genre: Romance Type: Straight Banner: Anjana Productions Cast: Ram Charan Tej, Genelia, Shahzahn Padamsee, Brahmanandam, Prabhu, Nagababu, Sanjay Swaroop, Manjula Swaroop, Sanchita Shetty, Madhurima Benarjee, Srinivas Avasarala, Vennela Kishore, Praneeth, Gayatri Rao, Kalpika, Pavitra Lokesh etc Music: Harris Jayaraj Cinematography: Raja Sekhar & Kiran Reddy Editing: Marthand K Venkatesh Art: Anand Sai Dialogues: Thota Prasad & Surendra Krishna Story - screenplay - direction: Bhaskar Producer: K Nagababu Release date: 26 November 2010 Theater watched: Screen 3, Prasads, Hyderabad

Review

Story Ram (Ram Charan Tej) is an youngster staying in Australia. He is an honest guy who doesn’t want to complicate life by lying to others. He has clear-cut ideas about love and he thinks that the intensity of love will not remain the same as the relationship progresses. He falls in love at first sight with Jaanu (Genelia) and impresses her over a period of time. However, he clarifies that he can’t love her forever when she proposes to him. The rest of the story is about all the hurdles he comes across due to his honesty and truth-telling nature and how he overcomes them. Artists Performance Ram Charan Tej: Ram Charan Tej should be appreciated for accepting such a honest subject with a thin story line for his third movie. It shows that Charan is not trying to stick to stardom and is not willing to repeat the mistakes performed by stars. The entire films runs on his characterization. He is brilliant in the break-up scenes and I loved his don’t-give-a-damn body language. His dances are full of energy and life. Others: Genelia’s characterization is just an extension to her Bommarillu character. However, the initial scenes involving her are not good. Hero character falls in love with heroine character in the movie because of freshness and innocence (which was there in Bommarillu character). However she didn’t carry such a freshness in this movie. Shahzahn Padamsee looks gorgeous with an endearing smile. Brahmanandam is entertaining in a full-length role of Puppy. Praneeth (Avakai Biryani fame) is very good and engaging as a friend of hero. His mixed the style of Siddharth and Sekhar Kammula in his dialogue delivery. Srinivas Avasarala (Ashta Chemma fame) is cool. Vennela Kishore doesn’t have much role to play. Prabhu is adequate in a role of negative shades. Naga Babu played a nice role and his character gives food for thought to hero. Gayatri Rao, Sanchitha Shetty and Kalpika are adequate. Technical departments Story - screenplay - direction: Bhaskar comes up with an unique and nice story that was never dealt on Telugu screen before. The basic point of love staling out over period of a time is an universal truth. Bhaskar explained the same with the ‘black and white’ characterization of Charan. Though he couldn’t get it right with his screenplay and back/forth narration in the first half, he explained the concept of the movie really well towards the climax with a gripping flashback and climax. Bhaskar who has done a beautiful film like Bommarillu with completely positive characters has infused negative shades in the heroine’s father characters in his subsequent films like Parugu and Orange. Having Prabhu’s character as negative one spoilt the mood/texture of the movie. Other departments: Songs scored by Harris Jayaraj are peppy and energetic. Rooba Rooba song is my favorite. However the background scored for the movie didn’t help in elevating the situations. Dialogues (done by three writers) are partly okay. The philosophical dialogues explaining the concept of love are interesting in the second half. Cinematography and visuals are very good. Cinematography for the entire Mumbai episode is excellent. Marthand K Venkatesh opted for montage style editing (which is usually done for situational songs) for scenes in the first half and they appear jerky because the background score didn’t sync with the visuals. Production values by Anjana Productions are good, but the producer failed in controlling the budget as the money spent for this movie didn’t translate onto the screen (Naga Babu claimed in an interview that he spent 90% of what it cost to make Magadheera). Analysis: This movie starts off on a dull note. But it gets interesting as Charan’s characterization is introduced. First half of the movie is inconsistent with improper pacing. However, movie gets into the groove from the flashback episode and it becomes a conversational film till climax. Bhaskar has taken a beautiful concept as the basis for story and it needs extreme dexterity to narrate such a story to common moviegoer. Bhaskar succeeded in getting it right towards the climax of the movie. But the ultra-modern orientation and conversations-based treatment might put normal movie goer off the hook. The plus points are Ram Charan Tej, Songs and basic story idea. On the flip side, freshness from heroine and a better handling of the first half would have done wonders to the movie. As for as I am is concerned I am convinced with the second half of the movie and I liked it. On a whole, Orange is an honest film with a nice story idea despite inconsistencies and a few dull moments. You may watch it!

Allah Ke Banday review

"ALLAH KE BANDAY pays homage to all the kids exposed to offense, misdeeds and crime," debutant director Faruk Kabir announced to me when he screened for me the first promo of his film. In times when senseless comedies, rom-coms and thrillers are being lapped up at the box-office, here comes a director telling a realistic story of a bunch of bad young men taking up guns when they are preordained to take up education, taking up abhorrence when they are meant to take up love. The consequences are drastic, with these kids turning into negative forces, taking up crime as their mission as grownups as well.

Now this is a parable most directors would fear to make in their debut film, but Faruk seems on a mission to make ALLAH KE BANDAY watchable not only for its genre. The question is, does his statement that ALLAH KE BANDAY isn't a film about crime, but our society in general come across effectively? Does ALLAH KE BANDAY have the power to magnetize the viewers all across or does it cater to a miniscule audience? Let's analyze...


The Indian social order is evolving and so is Indian cinema. More and more directors are coming up with fresher ideas to tell tales that highlight and also influence changes in the fabric of our society. Faruk Kabir also seems like a youngster brimming with ideas, having a lot to tell in his own individualistic style. However, ALLAH KE BANDAY is not without its share of flaws. The screenplay vacillates between interesting and not-too-exciting moments. 


Yet, all said and done, it's an honest attempt, a notch above the ordinary!

ALLAH KE BANDAY is a film that spans the life of two twelve-year-old boys living in one of the most ruthless slums of Mumbai. From delivering drugs for the Mafia to looting people with their transvestite friend, the two aspire to assert their position in this world of crime. But when they are wrongly convicted for a murder and sent to the Juvenile Reformatory, they discover a world more chaotic and tough to survive in, than the one they left behind.

The senior inmates, with the participation and permission of the dreadful Juvenile warden [Naseeruddin Shah], subject the two friends to all kinds of torture to suppress their sense of power. But not the ones to take it lying down, they start developing a more sinister criminal psychosis, instead of reforming and set on a quest for ultimate power. Set free at twenty three, Vijay [Sharman Joshi] and Yakub [Faruk Kabir] form a gang of teenage boys to rule the slums they were born in. The vicious cycle of life continues.

Does ALLAH KE BANDAY take inspiration from a foreign source? Is it inspired by the gangster flick CIDADE DE DEUS aka CITY OF GOD [2003], as being widely alleged? I would say that the source of inspiration seems more like SLEEPERS [1996], which starred some of the best names in the business [Kevin Bacon, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Brad Pitt]. But despite the similarities, I must add that ALLAH KE BANDAY is not only well shot, but makes an equally powerful impact. Besides choosing an offbeat subject for his debut film, Faruk has gone a step further and shot it at real locations too and that, very frankly, takes the film to a different level altogether. The film wouldn't have worked had the director erected sets of a reformatory or the slums where crime breeds.

On the flipside, the writing isn't convincing at times. Sharman and Faruk run the show from a dilapidated mansion-like structure in the basti, pushing school-going kids to the world of crime. This is done valiantly, without any fear of law enforcement agencies, which is difficult to absorb. Besides, ALLAH KE BANDAY is dark and like I pointed out earlier, it tries to be as close to reality as possible, in terms of the lingo spoken by the characters or the bloodshed depicted in the film and that could act as a deterrent. Also, the film stagnates in the middle of the second hour, partly because there's not much movement in the screenplay.

Faruk Kabir makes a powerful impact as a storyteller. His handling of a difficult subject deserves brownie points. The sequences in the reformatory are very well shot. Ditto for the sequence when Sharman encounters Naseeruddin Shah, who is now reduced to a life worse than a beggar. There's not much scope for music in the film, but I'd like to single out the background score, which complements the goings-on well. The cinematography is eye-catching. The real locations have been deftly captured on celluloid. Dialogue are power-packed at times.

With a talented cast like Naseeruddin Shah, Sharman Joshi, Atul Kulkarni and Zakir Hussain, you expect nothing but the best from each performer. Naseer has limited screen space, but he's dynamic every time he appears on screen. Sharman depicts the intensity very well. In fact, this is amongst his better works. Atul Kulkarni is wonderful, while Zakir Hussain is top notch. Faruk Kabir enacts a pivotal part himself and must say, he makes you sit and notice his talent as an actor. Anjana Sukhani doesn't get much scope, while Rukhsaar too gets less screen space. Suhasini Mulay is effective. The two kids, enacting Sharman and Faruk's parts, are excellent.

On the whole, ALLAH KE BANDAY is a gritty, stimulating and provocative cinematic experience with a flipside: Not many would prefer a dark film about kids taking to crime and felony. Its appeal, therefore, will remain restricted to a niche audience.

 

Upendra, Nayanathara’s “Super” Movie First Look

Here is the first look of the unusual symbol titled movie “super” (which is represented as symbol) starring Upendra, Nayanthara. Upendra is providing Story, Screenplay, Dialogues and is also directing this movie after 9 years. Rockline Venkatesh is producing the movie under Rockline Productions banner.

Andhra Pradesh CM K Rosaiah resigns

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah on Wednesday announced his decision to step down from his post citing his poor health.

"I quit from the post of Chief Minister. It is not politically motivated. I have carried forward the agenda set by the late chief minister YS Rajashekhar Reddy," said Rosaiah in Hyderabad on Wednesday.

Claiming that he did not belong to any group in the Congress, Rosaiah said that he was satisfied with his work.

"I served the party like a soldier. I worked to the satisfaction of the people of Andhra Pradesh. If I have hurt anybody or done anything wrong, it has not been not deliberate," he said.

Refusing to name his successor, he said that the decision to name his successor would be taken by the Congress High Command. He added that he was not quitting politics.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I.... Review 4.5/5

 

Growing up with a series, especially a fantasy can be quite an intimate experience. Gratifying because of the spectacular adventures it unfolds, changing its course through the years, as well as heartbreaking for it's not permanent.

After all, what can be more emotional than seeing the improbable turn true even if it's just a timeless tale of good vs evil told with a bright new perspective in a fictional universe around ingenious characters and creatures? Be it  Star Wars , Lord of the Rings, Shrek or Harry Potter, even though they belong to varying degrees of drama and genre, the extraordinary bond produced between these cinematic volumes and the wide-eyed viewer is one and the same -- wonderful to encounter, impossible to explain and painful to let go.

As a subscriber of this school of thought, I stepped out to see the screen adaptation of J K Rowling's  seventh and final book in the series --  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 with a mix of 'OMG, I am watching Harry Potter three days before its nationwide release' and 'Sigh, this is *almost* it' enveloping my being.

On account of its sprawling content, the makers decided to split the novel into two movies. While this is simply practical and profitable for franchise expanding studio sharks but where fans are concerned, this reads as yet another year of Potter-filled flurry. So, woo hoo!

Speaking of which, there's a plenty to cheer about in the latest installment. Director David Yates  returns to helm the further murky tones of the story as it meets it part-climax wherein key protagonists deal with adolescence issues coupled with their impatient hunt for horcruxes, enchanted receptacles that store and preserve Lord Voldemort's (Ralph Fiennes) immortality.  

Some of the coolest sequences involve a jaw-dropping chase between the death eaters and multiple Harry Potters, the troika's disguised entry and escape from the Ministry of Magic in a bid to steal Salazar Slytherin's locket ,a brilliantly animated interlude narrating 'The Tale of the Three Brothers' and Nagini's petrifying assault on a shell-shocked Harry.Even though Harry (Daniel Radcliffe ) and his trusty pals -- Ron (Rupert Grint  ) and Hermione (Emma Watson ) skip the Hogwarts corridors to tussle against outdoor perils, there's no shortage of breathtaking spells and relentless horror.

Thankfully, all this, especially the last mentioned bit, does not occur in 3D as previously planned. Be warned, not everyone has the stomach to endure the furious thrills that follow every time Voldemort's enormous snake makes an appearance.

And while Voldemort only shows up during the first and final scene, his towering baritone and intimidating personality more than make up for the break. Fiennes conducts the foul-faced antagonist with such exquisite terror and theatrical charisma; he's assured to earn a seat in the realm of cinema's greatest villains.

As always, a great number of secondary characters, essayed by esteemed British actors, clutter the frames but for those unfamiliar with Rowling's broad database, their sudden entry/exit might seem rather confounding. Those falling under the said category, try to enjoy this like a great, big riddle-solving quest involving three teenagers and several monster-faced obstacles.

Hogwarts teachers like Snape (Alan Rickman) or Umbridge (Stauton) don't grab much screen time unlike the plot's more bizarre creations -- death eater Bellatrix (Helena Bonham Carter is lusciously ruthless) and Dobby-the elf (a Toby Jones-voiced CGI spectacle, curious and endearing as ever).

Though still awkward when it comes to communicating lovey-dovey sentiments, the young trio of Radcliffe, Grint and Watson shares a rare camaraderie, which is far too compelling to dismiss as commonplace. Of the three, Watson, an enviable blend of vulnerable and fiery, continues to be the one to look out for.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, even in its unfinished state, is masterfully structured into three acts that fulfills the expectations of action-packed wizardry without neglecting the fragile core that lends the film its true soul. I'd go to the extent of calling it the best one in the series.

Having witnessed the progression of Harry, Ron and Hermione from squabbling children to definitive individuals, Yates understands the need to explain the blossoming of the three friends, their fragile equations, bubbling insecurities and everlasting bond through a tenderly executed middle half against a gorgeously stark backdrop.

The symbolism isn't lost on the discerning viewer. If at all it only adds to the anticipation and promise of a memorable grand finale.

Charan's Orange Movie Wallpapers