Microsoft employee steals $460,000 from the company

REDMOND: Software giant Microsoft has reportedly sued a former director of business development in a US state court, accusing him of stealing nearly $460,000 from the company.

According to a news report in ComputerWorld, the employee Robert D Curry tried to siphon off another $1.5 million before his scheme was uncovered.

In its complaint, Microsoft has alleged that Curry created a fake company called Blu Games and submitted bogus invoices for non-existent services.

According to the report, as a director of business development, Curry dealt with companies that promoted the downloading of Bing Bar, an Internet Explorer (IE) toolbar add-on designed to boost IE use.

"On at least 3 occasions between April 19, 2010 and November 22, 2010, defendant Robert D Curry ... fraudulently induced Microsoft to pay through a vendor approximately $459,341.63 for defendant Curry's benefit, while falsely representing that the payments were for legitimate Microsoft business expenses," Microsoft stated.

Curry duped a legitimate Microsoft vendor, Pentad Solutions, into paying Blu Games for supposedly distributing the Bing Bar, then asking Microsoft for reimbursement.

Curry created fake invoices, distribution agreements and reports and also forged his manager's signatures to support his scheme, Microsoft alleged.

The company Microsoft has demanded that Curry repay the entire $459,000, and that it be awarded triple damages under the state's Criminal Profiteering Act, says the ComputerWorld report.

Curry fired on January 13, worked with Microsoft for some five years

Gopichand's Wanted Review

Banner: Bhavya Creations
Casting: Gopichand, Deeksha Seth, Chandra Mohan,  Jaya Sudha,
Direction: BVS Ravi
Music: Chakri
Producer: V Ananda Prasad


Wanted Review: Gopichand’s new movie Wanted is out for the masala craving Telugu audience. It is yet another routine fare from the ever monotonous actor. Let’s uncover the boredom which is now renamed as Wanted in this review….

Story:

Rambabu (Gopichand) is a pampered son who doesn’t care to work and his lovable parents don’t allow him to do any. He bumps into a girl Nandini (Deeksha Seth), who has a haunted past. From then on Rambabu sincerely tries to woo her but Nandini has other plans on the priority list. She has scores to settle down with a local don Basivi Reddy (Prakash Raj). What did Reddy do to her? What does she ‘want’ Rambabu to do for her? Is what we get to know in the rest of the story!


                                              

Analysis:

Wanted story is as old as Himalayas. There is not a single scene which gives you satisfaction that you have watched something ‘new’ and ‘unseen’. Wanted takes the beaten to death track and also to beats the audiences to death! Director BVS Ravi might have thought he has taken a ‘safe route’ by selecting this story to make his debut. But he has gone wrong with the basics.

This film doesn’t have any story. Director has no clue of what to do in the first hour of the movie. Therefore he simply passed the time with various irritating (literally) scenes where the hero runs after the heroine for love. Every now and then a song pops up on the screen and of course an action scene too. When the journey seems unending and pointless the heroine asks a favor from the hero and in the next scene he confronts the villain.
                          
Second half is about villain’s search to reach the hero and teach him a lesson. The flashback of heroine too is revealed in this half. The brutal killing episode in this flashback reminds you of Atanokkade film. The only conflict or interesting element of this film should be the hero-villain confrontation. When the hero meets the villain at the interval point and puts a gun to his chest and returns back unhurt, there is no point in dragging the film for another hour.

BVS Ravi’s screenplay lacked spine. He has written a wafer thin story and has given it a mindless treatment so that it hardly engages the viewer. Comedy track shot on Brahmanandam is another waste of time. Wanted doesn’t appeal to hardcore mass masala movie lovers too. Ravi should get his basics right if he ever tries to make a second attempt at direction.

                           

Performances:

Gopichand sleepwalks through his role. He has done such roles in the past and there is nothing to interest him/us to do/watch as Rambabu. Deeksha Seth doesn’t even know the ABCD of acting. She can’t dance and at least can’t confidently face the camera. She is just a pretty face who should be limited to a second fiddle.

Chandra Mohan and Jayasudha who are generally natural are too loud in this film. Prakash Raj too looked bored throughout the film. Brahmanandam , Raghubabu comedy track failed to evoke any laughs.

There is nothing to mention about the rest of the star cast.

                      

Technicalities:

Cinematography is alright. Dialogues written by Ravi himself are bad. Editing is standard. Chakri’s music didn’t have any mass numbers despite mass hero Gopichand playing the lead role. None of the songs are appealing. Background score is strictly Okay. Production values are fine.

BVS Ravi who started off his career as a writer didn’t do anything exceptional as a writer to date. He is just any ordinary writer and with this film he proves he is better at writing than directing. Wanted is a bad film on every aspect and it is certainly not a film which we expect from a debutante.

Plus Points:

- Hardly any

Minus points:

- Everything

Final Word: Watch Wanted at your own risk.

Wanted Rating: 2/5

Dil To Bacha Hai Jee Review.... Rating 3.5/5

Dil To Bacha Hai Jee is a light hearted movie from serious filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar. Before we review about the film we should admit that there are ample doubts expressed about Madhur’s sense of humor and his take on comedy genre. However, the director surprises everyone with his excellent comedy.
                            
Starring Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi etc. in the lead roles, Dil Toh Bacha Hai Jee is a movie that deals with real characters and funny incidents in day to day life. Every character in this film is well known or seen somewhere in our life. DTBHJ success key holds in that point. It is a comedy with a different approach. The story in unpredictable especially in the second half. First half is full of lighter moments and sets the right mood for the second. Director Madhur shows why he is different from the bunch in the second half.
                          
We won’t reveal any story of Dil To Bacha Hai Jee movie in this review as we leave it alone to surprise you. Despite all the plusses this film had some hiccups in the middle. Narrative slowed down here and there but picked up at the right moments. Music by Pritam is not up to the mark. A good soundtrack might have done world of good to this film. Performances of the lead actors are an asset. There is no match for Ajay Devgn and Emraan Hashmi. Omi Vaidya is in his comfort zone. Shazahn Padamsee, Shruti Haasan and Shradha Das have done justice to their roles.

Go watch Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Jee and have fun. As we promise in our review, it won’t disappoint you.

FACEBOOK CLOSES BY MARCH 15th, BACKUP YOUR PHOTOS

PALO ALTO, CA –Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook will be shut down in March. Managing the site has become too stressful.
“Facebook has gotten out of control,” said Zuckerberg in a press conference outside his Palo Alto office, “and the stress of managing this company has ruined my life. I need to put an end to all the madness.”
Zuckerberg went on to explain that starting March 15th, users will no longer be able to access their Facebook accounts.
“After March 15th the whole website shuts down,” said Avrat Humarthi, Vice President of Technical Affairs at Facebook. “So if you ever want to see your pictures again, I recommend you take them off the internet. You won’t be able to get them back once Facebook goes out of business.”
Zuckerberg said that the decision to shut down Facebook was difficult, but that he does not think people will be upset.
“I personally don’t think it’s a big deal,” he said in a private phone interview. “And to be honest, I think it’s for the better. Without Facebook, people will have to go outside and make real friends. That’s always a good thing.”
Some Facebook users were furious upon hearing the shocking news.
“What am I going to do without Facebook?” said Denise Bradshaw, a high school student from Indiana. “My life revolves around it. I’m on Facebook at least 10 hours a day. Now what am I going to do with all that free time?”
However, parents across the country have been experiencing a long anticipated sense of relief.
“I’m glad the Facebook nightmare is over,” said Jon Guttari, a single parent from Detroit. “Now my teenager’s face won’t be glued to a computer screen all day. Maybe I can even have a conversation with her.”
Those in the financial circuit are criticizing Zuckerberg for walking away from a multibillion dollar franchise. Facebook is currently ranked as one of the wealthiest businesses in the world, with economists estimating its value at around 7.9 billion.
But Zuckerberg remains unruffled by these accusations. He says he will stand by his decision to give Facebook the axe.
“I don’t care about the money,” said Zuckerberg. “I just want my old life back.”
The Facebook Corporation suggests that users remove all of their personal information from the website before March 15th. After that date, all photos, notes, links, and videos will be permanently erased.

Republic Day Greetings

The Matrix is back.........Matrix IV and V in 3-D

The actor who appears as Neo in the first three movies of the sci-fi action drama - hinted he and the writers of the franchise, Andy and Larry Wachowski, have discussed the possibility of shooting the two new movies in 3D and are reportedly seeking further advice from Avatar creator James Cameron.

"They have completed work on a two picture script treatment that would see him return to the world of The Matrix as Neo," contactmusic.com quoted him as saying.

"The brothers have met with James Cameron to discuss the pros and cons of 3D and are looking to deliver something which has never been seen again. He stated that he still has an obligation to the fans to deliver a movie worthy of the title The Matrix and he swears this time that the treatment will truly transform the action genre like the first movie," he added.

                        

However, the Wachowskis are said to be keen to deliver something which has "never been seen" in the movie world and would "truly transform" the action movie genre.

Pawan Kalyan as Gabbar Singh

 Pawan Kalyan is going to produce and act in a film titled Gabbar Singh. This is an official remake of Salman Khan’s blockbuster ‘Dabang’. Pawan Kalyan plays the role of cop Gabbar Singh (Chulbul Pandey in Hindi) in this movie. Pawan Kalyan has established Pawan Kalyan Creative Works banner after the release of Khushi movie and has been contemplating on producing films. This movie will be the production no. 1 on Pawan Kalyan Creative Works. Harish Shankar whose Mirapakai is running well this Sankranthi season will direct this movie. Harish Shankar was supposed to do a movie with Pawan Kalyan earlier and he narrated the script of Mirapakai to Pawan Kalyan in the past. Finally the combination of Pawan Kalyan and Harish Shankar is materialising with Gabbar Singh. This movie will be shot and released in this year only.
                                  

Daboo Ratnani's Calendar 2011 Promo Pics

Mobile Number Portability is magic

                                          

No sooner did I send an SMS to 1900 with text 'PORT' followed by space, followed by my mobile number (for example: PORT 912345xxxx to 1900) I get a Unique Porting ID (UPID which you must not confuse with Unique Identity Number or UID) in less than 10 seconds.

And then begins the magic for me (more about it later).

By the way UPID is a must if mobile phone users have to change their existing service provider.

And you would want to do this only if you are unhappy with the services offered by your service provider.

But that can be a different story in itself.

Nevertheless, this is how your alpha-numeric UPID looks like: PZ123456 (first two alphabets in capital letters followed by six digits). UPID comes with a two-month expiry date (I got my UPID today and it expires on April 2, 2011).

Now, for the magic bit.

Within an hour of getting UPID (God knows who sent this. I suspect it must be my existing service provider) I get a message from my service provider which makes me feel my service provider is trying to woo me (V-Day is just round the corner).

The message reads: You are a special member of the (name of the service provider) family and we have the best in store for you. We will contact you soon in regard to the same.

Magic because I had no clue my existing service provider loves me so much. Never before this have I been so special to my service provider (when was the last time, if you remember, did your service provider woo you like this?).

Meanwhile, here is what you must do after you get your UPID to disconnect your existing service provider or want to stop being a special member of their family.

Take this UPID to the service provider you would want to opt for -- in the hope that the latter too will consider you a special member of their family; Warning: such hopes can soon become grand delusions (ask those who switched their home loan lenders) -- along with your address proof, identity proof and photograph and fill in the application form.

Your would-be service provider will happily take your form and submit your request to some arcane organisation like 'mobile portability clearing house' (a central database and an intermediary between your ex and new service provider I suppose which keeps track of all the switches).

The clearing house then sends a request to your existing service provider to deactivate your mobile number as part of their database and requests your new service provider to switch your number on their network and activate it.

Once this is done will you get an SMS from your new service provider giving you details like the date and time during which your phone will not get any service (apparently to execute the switch between two different networks).

Once you overcome this 'no-service' period bravely -- which incidentally is from midnight to 5 am -- in a bout of restlessness about the future of your mobile number, the next morning you will be ready to make calls on your new service provider's network.

Hopefully?

Meanwhile, I will wait for the special offers that my service provider has promised will come my way. I have almost 60 days to check that out.

Prateik wows in Dhobi Ghat... Rating 3/5

It's important for a first-time director to get things right. And mind you, debutante director Kiran Rao  almost does. But just when she gets to the top of the hill, an avalanche strikes.

Dhobi Ghat is an unusual 95-minute film without an interval, unlike regular Hindi films. You don't know what turn the story will take. Even the characters are unpredictable.

And if you're expecting an Aamir Khan  film, let me tell you, it's not.

Dhobi Ghat is a film about four people from different backgrounds: Arun (Aamir Khan) is a painter, who's a complete loner. Shai (Monica Dogra) is an investment banker from America, who is on a sabbatical. Zohaib alias Munna (Prateik Babbar) is a dhobi by day, rat killer by night and a wannabe actor in between. Yasmin (Kriti Malhotra) is a naive and shy newlywed.

The four stories get entwined with the fifth character, Mumbai , the city of dreams, hope and survival.

Mumbai has been an inspiration for many filmmakers and has been highlighted in many films. But it is Dhobi Ghat that gets you into the small by-lanes that we haven't really seen before.

Cinematographer Tushar Kanti Ray deserves a standing ovation for showing off beautiful landscapes, colourful sunsets over Marine Drive , the festival of Ramzan being celebrated at Minara Masjid, the constant traffic, crowded streets and heavy rains, where one can actually feel the raindrops.
                             
Full marks to Kiran Rao for using an innovative idea of capturing the essence of Mumbai through multiple formats. Yasmin's character is shown as a video diary, and that is amazing.

Jyotkia Jain's black and white still photography is a treat to watch. She explores the different kinds of people in the city.

The paintings, done by Ravi Mandlik and Sukanya Ghosh, stand apart and brings out what goes on inside Arun's mind. Oscar-winning Argentine composer Gustavo Santaolalla's (Brokeback Mountain and Babel ) music deserves a mention. It is in sync with the mood of the film.

Kiran Rao has tried to be as realistic as possible, and that's the USP of the film. Her choice of subject and handling is one of the reasons that makes this film watchable. But the film is not a straight-line narrative and so gets complex, and lacks clarity. The editing could have been tighter as well. The tense moments get too heavy after a point and would work only for a handful who appreciate realistic cinema.

The film clearly belongs to Prateik Babbar and newcomer Monica Dogra. Prateik gets under the skin of the character with ease and performs beautifully. His mannerisms and body language take you by surprise. Dhobi Ghat will definitely open many more avenues for the young actor.
                             
Watch out for him in these two particular scenes: When he gets jealous with the liftman and in the end, when he chases Shai's car.

Monica is splendid to watch. She makes her presence felt everytime she's on screen.

Kirti Malhotra, as Yasmin, leaves a solid impression.

Aamir Khan's presence in the film, however, is a big question. He tries to restrain his character and that does not work for him. His English dialogues don't sound fluent. In fact, he's quite the misfit in the film.

Dhobi Ghat is sure to find a niche audience and will be a hit in festival circuits. Being a Mumbai-centric film, it may connect with the audience in the city. But it needs to be seen whether it will find takers in other parts of the country.

The Green Hornet Review... Don't miss it.

Critic's Rating: 3.5/5

Cast: Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, Christoph Waltz
Direction: Michel Gondry
Genre: Adventure
Duration: 2 hours


Story: The Green Hornet is a fictional super hero who made his debut in American pulp fiction through a radio series during the 1930s. Playboy Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) inherits his father's media empire and chooses to re-vamp hisnewspaper, The Daily Sentinel, by creating the headlines himself. He dons the vigilante's role and plays a crusader by night with his driver and coffee-maker, Kato (Jay Chou) who happens to be a martial arts experts and a wizard with gadgets.

But, being somewhat of a dimwit, Britt needs his smart assistant (Cameron Diaz) to lay down the plan of action for the super hero act. Will the Green Hornet and his side-kick save the city from crime lord Chudnofsky (Christopher Waltz)?

Movie Review: The Green Hornet isn't any ordinary super hero story. This one is a complete revision of the vigilante's tale of valour. And the fact that it does it with comedy and flair makes it such a fun watch.
                                              
When a bored Britt chooses to spice up his life by playing a super hero at night, he asks his coffee-maker cum driver, Kato to point out what's common between all super heroes. The cape, the tights, proffers Kato. Nah! The fact that they are all the good guys, says Britt. Hence the new plan: We will pose as villains and act like heroes, he exults and sets out to create mayhem in a city that is in the stranglehold of another joker: the boring bad guy with the hard-to-pronouce name, Chudnofsky.

The film is a roller-coaster ride from the opening shot itself. Seth Rogen's bumbling super hero act is a complete laugh riot. I'm the guy who gets to shoot fart guns, while others have gun-guns, he laments when his assistant gives him his new weapon of destruction, a gas gun. Jay Chou's Kato is enigmatic and endearing, specially when he doggedly refuses to be labelled as the sidekick and is not ready to be the `Doo' to Rogen's `Scooby' act. And Cameron Diaz is the sassy assistant who unknowingly scripts the super hero mayhem that explodes in Los Angeles.

Witty dialogues, bumbling heroes, zany bad guys, high-voltage action, The Green Hornet is a fun make-over of the super hero movie. Don't miss it.

Surya's Next Movie

Chak De .... World Cup Schedule

HCL Sakshat tablet Launched by HCL

The all famous cheapest $35 computer tablet (named as Sakshat Tablet) which was featured by HR Minister Kapil Sibbal last year will be now on sale as HCL Technologies limited will launch this product today in all over India. HCL Technologies limited is one of leading computer and IT giant in India and world.

According to sources the Laptop will be called as Sakshat Tablet. There will be a production of about 100,000 units of Sakshat Laptop tablet.

Sakshat Tablet by HCL is built on famous Google Android Operating system to enhance the working and features. It has screen of of 9-Inch featured with Camera. Also 2GB of RAM provides it enough memory to make processes extremely fast. There are many other features of this tablet.

Sakshat will support Video playback, Media Player, Internet Browsing, PDF Reader, Office files and web conferencing.

Sakshat Laptop will work on low power as it consumes only 2 watts of power. This laptop is surely power packed and it will surely compete other giants with same product.

The Introductory price of the Laptop is about Rs. 1500 only. Online Booking of Sakshat Tablet can be done later on official website of the Tablet.

'Mirapakaya' is the winner!!!

The Sankranthi race was met with much anticipation in the Telugu film circuit and many were wondering who amongst the cluster of films would emerge successful. Well, the latest reports say that 'Mirapakaya' has gone ahead the two biggies 'Parama Veera Chakra' and 'Anaganaga Oka Dheerudu'. The credit for that is being given to the highly energetic performance of Ravi Teja and the songs. So, hearty congrats to 'Mirapakaya' and team!!!
                                       

Golconda High School Review

Film: GOLCONDA HIGH SCHOOL
Rating: 3/5
Banner: Art Beat Capital Pvt Ltd
Cast: Sumanth, Swathi, Tanikella Bharani, Subbaraju, Shafi, Hema, Sivannarayana, Ravi, Jhansi and others
Music: Kalyan Malik
Cinematography: K K Senthil Kumar
Director: Indraganti Mohana Krishna
Producer: P Ram Mohan
Release date: 15/01/2011

Story 
A well knit tale, the story is set on the backdrop of Golconda High school which was once known for being the cricket champions. However, that is a story of 15 years and now, the school's trustee Kireeth (subbaraju) has got his eyes on the school ground so that he can build coaching centers. In order to stop that, principal Viswanatham (tanikella) decides to call one of his ex-student and the best cricket player Sampath (sumanth) to coach the school team. Sampath agrees and has a challenge with Kireeth. If the team wins the trophy, the ground will remain and if not, it will be taken. What happens from there forms the rest of the story. 
                                  Presentation 
The director has come up with an impressive storyline and both the presentation and narrative were top notch. The dialogues were neat, the script was clean and few catchy moments. The screenplay was excellent. Background score was catchy and there are only two songs worth listening. Cinematography was the highlight and gave a natural feel. Editing was crisp. Costumes were apt while the art department looked fine. Sumanth has come up with a decent performance and he suited the bill rightly. Swathi looks alright but she should have avoided the sarees. Tanikella was elegant. Subbaraju was good, Shafi was entertaining, Hema was brief. The real showstealers were the boys who showed confidence and ease in front of the camera. 
                              Conclusion 
The film is based on the book 'The Men Within' and it has been made with a very noble intention. While the first half goes on a light note with entertaining aspects and a pinch of romance, it is the second half that gets charged up and the final twenty minutes form the highlight. Overall, this is a film which instills confidence. The flip side is that there are no commercial values so the film would be suitable for the families and the class audience. A little word of mouth publicity will give this film a deserving success. 

Verdict: Message oriented entertainer, recommended for families and students!!

Anaganaga O Dheerudu - Review

Film: Anaganaga O Dheerudu
Cast: Siddharth, Sruthi Haasan, Lakshmi Prasanna, Baby Harshita, Ravi Babu, Ali, Ramji, Phani and others
Dialogue: Jayasimha
Music: M M Keeravani, Koti, Mickey J Meyer, Salim-Sulaiman
Cinematography: S Soundar Rajan
Editing: Shravan Katikaneni
Stunts and action: Dee Dee Ku and William Ong
Art: Bhupesh R. Bhupathi
Production design: Raj Golay
Visual Effects: Firefly
Produced by: Prasad Devineni and Prakash Rao Kovelamudi
Presented by: Walt Disney Pictures and K Raghavendra Rao
Written and directed by: Prakash Rao Kovelamudi
CBFC Rating: U/A
Release Date: January 14, 2011

What's it about!
Once upon a time, in a mythical land of Angarajya, an evil queen Irendri (Lakshmi Manchu) creates havoc and people take shelter at an ashramam run by Sadhu. And the Sandhu sends a kid called Moksha, with mystical powers, to heal the people suffered by an unknown disease, to the neighboring rajya. A blind swordsman Yodha (Siddhartha) protects the girl. On the other hand, Irendri who lives on taking the drop of blood of Priya (Sruthi Haasan) daily comes to know that if she swallows blood of Moksha, she would live forever as immortal. Priya (Sruthi) a gypsy kind of girl was once Yodha's lover. Now it is Yodha's mission to save Mokhsa from Irendri and also get Priya out of Irendri's clutches.
Analysis
Fantasy films are not new to Telugu moviegoers. Folklore hero saving a girl/lover is also known theme us, as sixty years ago NTR starrer K.V.Reddy directed Patala Bhairavi (1951) had the same theme. Graphically extravagant movies like Arundhati (2009) and Magadheera (2009) are also enticed us. So, when Hollywood giant Walt Disney's forays into Telugu cinema industry with a fantasy film, ' Anaganaga O Dheerudu', one expects nothing less than visual splendor. Well, first time director Prakash Kovelamudi's this fantasy movie doesn't let you down on visuals and graphics.Indeed, the movie has never seen before visuals effects on Telugu screen, colorful sets, and a theme that can one easily connect with. Visuals are alluring, to say the least.

Yet, the movie doesn't give you feeling of astonishment, or goose bumps or kick like one felt when we see Arundhati or Magadheera . Moreover, the movie's narration fluctuates constantly - just as you feel when the movie is reaching to the peak, in immediate scene it falters. No doubt the visuals are striking, and when Lakshmi Manchu as Irendri performs with right gait and evilness, you drawn into the Angarajyam and when Diva like Sruthi Haasan casts her charm on hero, you love the romance. But other than that the sluggish narration and weak writing doesn't let the film float.
                         
The basic plot line and character of Irendri is copied from the Hollywood flick - Willow (1988). And the blind swordsman aka Siddarth is designed on the lead character played in Japanese movie - Zatōichi (2003). What is more, even Mohan Lal's Yodha (Malayalam) also runs on similar grounds.

In nutshell, Anaganaga O Dheerudu, is nice fantasy flick with alluring visuals, rich production work, excellent cinematography and can be seen for once especially kids.
Performances
In the role of blind swordsman and romantic guy Siddharth looks good but this kind of role needs rugged person. He has charm for a fantasy flick, no doubt. But he should have beefed up muscles more to look even perfect as Yodha. He should also have tried for variation in dialogue delivery.

Sruthi Haasan seems like Diva and she is the most alluring part of the movie. Her costumes are perfect. As a gypsy like girl with mischief attitude, she looked wow. Her chemistry with Siddhu is also simply perfect. Sunitha's voice is also suited to her.

Lakshmi Manchu is a surprise. Whenever she comes on to the screen, the movie rises to the high. Added by some great visual effects, as sorceress, she is fiery and evil personified. Her flawless dialogue delivery has brought effectiveness to the portrayal of evil queen.

Baby Harshita in the role of Moksha is cute. Ravi Babu uttering Nimma ..Danimma and Ali putting two wind fans on chest, Brahmanandam as Jaffa have tried providing comedy but their enactment is odd to the storyline.

Technically, it is a spectacular film. A notch above all the earlier VFX movies in South India. Sounder Rajan's cinematography is top-notch. Artwork by Bhupati is splendid. He has used bright colors for sets that has given fantasy look. The production design is innovative. Editing by newcomer Sravani is smooth. Although international action choreographers composed fights, they are not that great to rave about.
                         
Four music directors - Keeravani, Koti, Mickey, Salim-Sulaiman - have provided music for the movie. Two songs are impressive but songs have played a hindrance to the smooth flow of narration. But background score is splendid.

Writer and director Prakash Kovelamudi, son of veteran director K Raghavendra Rao, has great visual sense like his father. His firm grip on technology is clearly visible. As a director he gets full marks, but his script is not that sufficient to engross till the end. Also his narration is inconsistent. Moreover, dialogues by Sasi Rajasimha are not gelled with the theme of the movie. The use of words like Jaffa, etc show lack of seriousness by the writer, for such a fantasy movie.
Bottom-line
Anaganaga O Dheerudu is visually alluring and graphics and effects are outstanding. It is a fantasy flick shot with bright colors and great sets. Although it has not 'kick', the movie can be seen for once and especially kids would enjoy it more.
Rating: 3/5

Kavalan Review

Cast: Vijay, Asin, Raj Kiran, Vadivelu, MS Bhaskar, Roja Selvamani
Director : Siddique
Producer : Romesh Babu
Music Director: Vidyasagar
Release Date: 15-01-2011
Kavalan Movie Story:
Vijay Kavalan hits the screens with 350 theatres. Tamil actor Vijay plays Asin’s Kaavalan or bodyguard in this Pongal 2011 release, directed by Malayalam director Siddique. Kawalan is not like Pokri or Sivakasi, it’s a beautiful love story film performed by Vijay and Asin. It has fights, comedy and with a good love story. Overall, Kawalan’ is a rich masala action flick. Kavalan is not disappointing the Vijay fans on Pongal day.
Kavalan’ is the remake of the Malayalam film ‘Bodyguard’ and has nothing to do with the Kevin Costner film. The film was announced first with the title ‘Kaaval Karan’ and when Sathya Movies, the producer of the MGR super hit objected the title was changed to ‘Kaaval Kadhal’. But the changed title was not liked by Vijay fans and finally the film got the name ‘Kavalan’.
The film is about the strange fascination of a guy who worships anyone with a trace of heroism. He one comes across a reformed liquor mogul and now leading businessman and finds him to be his hero. He then joins him as thebodyguard to protect his beautiful daughter.
                                
Kavalan Movie Review:
The film is about the strange fascination of a guy who worships anyone with a trace of heroism. He one comes across a reformed liquor mogul and now leading businessman and finds him to be his hero. He then joins him as thebodyguard to protect his beautiful daughter.
The body guard and the beautiful daughter fall in love without knowing to each other and later separate without wanting to. What happened to their love and after is the story. The first half is expected to be a hilarious entertainer while the story tales a serious turn in the second half and the climax will be a shocker.
In the original version the lead characters were played by Dileep, Nayantara, Mithra Kurian and Thiyagarajan. In Tamil the roles are played by Vijay, Asin, Mithra Kurian and Raj Kiran. Vadivelu is for comedy and Roja returns playing the wife of Raj Kiran. In fact Asin was first approached even for the Malayalam film. As she was busy with her Bollywood assignment Nayantara stepped in.
Livingston. MS Baskar, Delhi Ganesh, Nizhalgal Ravi are also in the cast. Music director is Vidyasagar and the film has six songs. Cinematography N K Ekambaram and Editing is by Gowri Shankar. The film is being made at a cost or Rs. 38 crores according to sources.
The Malayalam original was released in January this year and the Tamil version was up and going from April onwards. The first schedule happened in Kumbakonam. The whole movie was shot in places like Karaikudi, Kumbakonam and Vellore. Overseas shootings were done in Malaysia, Bangkok and Europe. This will be the second film in the combination of Siddique and Vijay. The first one was the ‘Friends’. Vijay and Asin come together after ‘Sivakasi’ and ‘Pokkiri’. All these combination films have been block busters and so the hype is already there.
                                 
But the film was in news for most times for reasons which were not production related. First then were precarious confusions over title. Then a controversy broke over the Tamil remake rights of the Malayalam film.
One Johnny Sagarikaa, a producer who had earlier obtained the remake rights of ‘Bodyguard’ in Tamil and other languages, reportedly mortgaged the remake rights to Gokulam Chit Funds for a financial loan. After knowing the Siddique is remaking his film in Tamil Johnny approached the Nadigar Sangam and the case in with them.
Kavalan Movie rating: 2/5

John is back with FORCE

Mirapakaya Movie Review

Movie: Mirapakaya

Rating: 3.25/5

Banner: Yellow Flowers

Cast: Ravi Teja, Richa Gangopadhyay, Deeksha Seth, Prakashraj, Kota, Ajay, Supreeth, Sunil, Brahmaji, Ravu Ramesh, Ali, Naga Babu, Chandramohan, Surekha Vani, Dharmavarapu, Sudha.

Music: Thaman

Cinematography: Ramprasad

Director: Harish Shankar

Producer: Ramesh Puppala

Release Date: January 13, 2011

Story:
A fast moving tale, the story begins with Rishi (Ravi teja) who is a smart and tough intelligence officer but he likes to flirt with girls and wants to experience the emotion of love. He is sent to Hyderabad on a mission and is told to take up the post of a lecturer in a college. Here he sees Vinamra (richa) and it is love at first sight for him. Even Vinamra also likes him. But trouble comes in the form of Vaishali (deeksha) a new student. Rishi’s mission is to get close to Vaishali. What is that mission and whether Rishi succeeds or not forms the rest of the story.

                              

Presentation:
The director has come up with a routine storyline and while the presentation was nice, the narrative was decent. The dialogues were good, the script was tight and the screenplay got better. Background score was very nice and songs are the highlight. Cinematography is the plus point for the film. Editing was sharp at the required places. Costumes were mismatch and failed to impress while the art department was very good. Ravi Teja as usual steals the show with his punch dialogues, witty lines, high energy levels and body language. Richa looks good and she suits the role of the Brahmin girl. Deeksha has a contrasting appeal and she looks sizzling hot. Prakashraj was brief, Kota was excellent, Supreeth was usual, Ravu Ramesh was regular. Sunil, Ali, Praveen, Brahmaji gave few light moments. The others did their bit as required.

                                   

Conclusion:
The film is basically a commercial entertainer and it followed the formula rightly. As such, the story doesn’t really take off in the first half, it is all the lighter elements like the romance, songs, fights, comedy. The real story begins during the second half and breezes of. Though the climax part was weak, overall the film runs high on technical values and the pace also helps providing good entertainment. At the box office, this has a strong chance of becoming a commercial success.

Verdict: Regular masala, can be watched once

10 stunning cars at the Detroit Auto Show

The North American International Auto show in Detroit completes 23 years in 2011.

The show reflects the revival of the auto industry after the recession, which badly hit sales and profitability. The show is expected to see 40 new car launches.

Porsche 918 RSR.

Porsche introduced the 918 RSR vehicle at the Cobo Center of the North American International Auto show in Detroit on January 10, 2011.

An innovative super sports car, it uses a gasoline-powered V8 engine with 555 horsepower for the rear wheels and a pair of 101 horsepower electric motors on the front wheels.

KV7 concept car

The KV7 is Wi-Fi enabled, providing both the front and rear displays with Internet capabilities and the ability for multiple passengers to connect their smart phones to the vehicle at one time and sign on to social networking sites.

Rear passengers have their own, separate interface in the form of a floating tabletop touch-screen computer display.

BMW 650i convertible

The BMW's new 6 Series Convertible can drop its fabric top in 19 seconds. It also has a 10.2-inch screen to control the standard iDrive technology package.

The 650i Convertible will cost you a whopping $91,375!

Audi A6 hybrid vehicle

Audi A6 hybrid system combines a 211 HP 2.0 TFSI engine with an electric motor that delivers 45 HP and 211 Nm of torque.

The engine is mated to a modified 8-speed tiptronic transmission that sends torque to the front wheels. It will deliver an average fuel consumption of only 6.2 litres per 100 km (37.94 US mpg).

Toyota Prius-C concept car

Toyota Motor Corp unveiled two new variants of its ambitious hybrid car, Prius.

Prius C Concept will offer hi-tech features with a spacious interior and outstanding fuel efficiency.

Cadillac CTS-V coupe race car

A Cadillac CTS-V coupe race car unveiled at the North American International Auto show in Detroit.

The CTS-V Coupe is powered by a supercharged 6.2 litre V8 unit that allows you to unleash 556 hp.

Mercedes-Benz C-Class C220

Mercedes-Benz introduces its new generation C-Class C220 CDI. The C-class cars combine luxury and comfort. One of the best selling models, it has a  powerful engine and smooth transmission.

Buick Verano

The Buick Verano will be powered by a 2.4-liter inline-four that produces 180 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, and will be initially offered in four trim levels.

The curb crossover concept vehicle by Hyundai Motor America at the North American International Auto show in Detroit.

Curb is also a test bed for future Hyundai Blue Link and vehicle connectivity technology for youngsters.

Ford C-Max

Ford's C-Max is an efficient, high-tech, multi-activity vehicle. The C-Max will be equipped with a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine.

The car will have seven and five-seater versions. The electrically operated power steering will help to cut down fuel consumption.