DLF makes highest bid for Tidel II

News of interest to IT guys. You may have probably seen the news. But here's is it anyways. A New Delhi-based real estate developer has made the highest bid for Tidel II. The property is adjacent to American International School off the IT corridor. Once Tidel II is realised, it will be a major boost for IT in the state.

Maintain Parks

We normally associate the Western suburbs in the city with dust, smog and barren, industrialized land. But there's some heartening news for residents of those areas falling under Ambattur Municipality, including Mogappair, Ambattur and Anna Nagar. Twenty one new parks have been proposed in these areas, out of which four have been opened. This means that many of these areas will turn green.

Even since the dawn of this millennium, the drive to beautify the city has always been on top gear. Some of the new parks opened and renewed are truly beautiful. But whenever I see a park a worry nags me. Will these parks look so beautiful after 10 years? Will they retain their lush greeness?The state government - be it led by the AIADMK or the DMK - is known only to launch new projects and schemes, without realising the need to follow through on them. We, the residents, need to make sure that the remaining 17 parks are no only opened, but also maintained. In high visibility areas like along Beach Road, the parks are maintained. Not beautifully because the design is bad. But nevertheless there are signs that these strips of green are well maintained. Residents need to ensure that this happens all through in each and every locality. If your local park is not green, please take it up with the authorities in Rippon Buildings.

Jab We Met - Audio Review

Mika’s nasal tone suits the buoyant Mauja while Mohit Chauhan’s somber Tum se hi works more ‘cos of those enticing backgrounds. Yeh ishq seems like a sure-shot candidate for another middle-east inspired track, but while it lasts, is a lot of fun - thoroughly entertaining tune and exotic orchestration! The high-pitched Nagada is bouncy ode to Punjab. Shaan pulls off Aao milo chalo rather well, but is hampered by a standard Pritam tune while Sandesh Shandilya’s Aaoge jab tum is tunefully adequate with appropriate backgrounds and vocals by Ustad Rashid Khan. A very likable soundtrack, typical of Pritam!

Cooum being cleaned up

There have been many statements to this effect in the recent past, by Local Administration Minister M K Stalin. That the Sathya Sai Trust will fund this effort has also been stated before, but there is no clarity to what extent and when. This would be a wonderful achievement and a real gift to the people of Chennai. The river and its banks are a public resource that can be used for the public good for recreation, entertainment and relaxation in many ways if it is cleaned. The challenge, of course, is in keeping it clean, for which there will have to be a concerted effort to educate the administration and the public on the standards to be maintained. The bane of our rivers has been the outlets for untreated, raw sewage straight into them, as well as the dumping of garbage and all kinds of waste such as plastic bags. This will have to be stopped, and its easier said than done. So cleaning up the Cooum goes well beyond the physical cleaning up of the river and its banks to an ongoing effort to stop the sewage and garbage being dumped into the river. Can it be done? If there is the political will, and if the government can win the support of the people by sharing with them its plans for the river as a parkland and recreational area, I don't see why not. The government has begun to move on its stated intent of resettling people along the banks of the rivers as part of its efforts to clean them up. So let's hope this will also be done systematically.

Mumbai Salsa - Audio Review

The title song is both cheesy and pointless, but Gayatri’s Friday thankfully reverses that with a zingy 80s styled dance-floor track reminiscent of WHAM. Adnan throws in a complete stunner both as a composer and a singer, in Choti si - a lovingly crafted melody with adequately muted backgrounds and Sameer contributing to the despair. Shaan’s Akeli zindagi is a decent George Michael’ish pop ditty, while Pyar se is a lot more filmy but Shaan and Shreya’s vocals make it quite listenable. Adnan’s music in Mumbai Salsa is notches below his debut (Lucky) but far ahead of his last, Dhamaal!

Tamizh M.A. - Audio Review ( Tamil )

Some of Yuvan’s Pudhupettai orchestral brilliance trickles down to Innum oru iravu which sets a fabulously eerie and ambient tone to the soundtrack. Yuvan’s intentionally coarse diction and singing only adds to the feel! But the same voice tortures in Unakkaagathaane, even though the tune is genuinely interesting. Thankfully, he stops singing and hands the reign over to Rahul who delivers a knockout in Para para pattaampoochi. This one proves beyond doubt that Yuvan is indeed a chip off the ‘ol block, with shades of Ilayaraja’s ingenuity in every part of the track - backgrounds, choice of instruments and that gorgeous tune! The ol’ man himself chips in on Paravayin koottil, a haunting track on the pangs of separation. In some indirect way Raaja’s age-withered voice adds a considerable mood to the song’s theme, though Yuvan shines in the sparkling interludes and the disparately alluring rhythm! Vaazhkkai enbadhu has some of the most innovative backgrounds in recent times and is perhaps the most commercial track in the album. But, make no mistake, this one too is vibrantly different and the completely broken tune pattern lends to its uniqueness. Tamil MA is a solid and stirring triumph of Yuvan’s composing skills.

Johnny Gaddar - Audio Review ( Hindi )

Dhoka and the title track definitely carry a distinct appeal, taking off from the trio’s sound in Don. Johnny breakbeat rocks big time, as a funky, retro mix, but the 3 genre recreation, Bhule bisre (Nayyar + Bolly-swing + Burman’ish) aims too far and ends nowhere. Move your body sounds like an uninspired take on the trio’s own, better score in JBJ. Revenge of the 70s is marginally interesting for the Kalyanji Anandji sound. Johnny Gaddar is an overdose of the so-called retro-sound, that it so joyously aims to celebrate, but ends up with limited personality on its own.

Manorama - Six Feet Under -- Audio Review ( Hindi )

Who bheege pal is the definitive track - both versions, by Zubeen Garg and Jayesh Gandhi, but more due to our fascination for the Pakistani-pop sound, since Jayesh seems to have used such a template rather well! Even Jayesh’s other track, the rambling melody, Tere sawalon ke pales in comparison to this one. UK-based composer Raiomond Mirza – despite the pedigree (being one of the 5 finalists in a BBC national new talent competition back in 2000), disappoints in the forgettable Dhundla jo and Dhokha. Beyond all its compelling, mod, parallel cinema look, Manorama is essentially a one hit soundtrack.

Bhool Bhulaiyya - Audio Review ( Hindi )

Allah hafiz and Sajda have standard Pritam-styled facets which have recently started to tire us, while Lets rock soniye is good fun and that Irish interludes played in Indian folk-style is quite interesting! Mere dholna, the Tamil equivalent of which was the film’s highlight, tests thresholds of patience. Sakhiya is a boring 80s-styled number. Sung by Tulsi Kumar. Yes, amazingly annoying combination! But, what finally holds the soundtrack together is the very sweet and resonant Labon ko and the extremely catchy and rhythmic title song handled fabulously by Neeraj Shridhar. Pritam finally salvages the soundtrack…

Om Shanti Om - Audio Review ( Hindi )

Ajab si is a Pritam’ish melody - eminently tuneful with a lovely orchestration to match. Dard-e-disco is bouncy and rocking - albeit with cringe-worthy lyrics while Deewangi is plain assembly-line with cheesy angrezi intrusions. Sonu is sappy in the Raj Kapoor’esque Main agar, saved only by the backgrounds. Jag soona, despite Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, is surprisingly clichéd, but Dhoom taana is a smart, kitschy take on retro! Dastaan-e-OSO is hauntingly layered, evoking the reincarnation theme much like Karz’s Ek haseena. OSO’s soundtrack largely disappoints as the composers stick to a banal, tried and tested sound.

Laga Chunai Mein Daag - Audio Review ( Hindi )

Hum to aise hain glimmers with the vocals of Sunidhi and Shreya while the naively joyous tune works appropriately too. Zara gungunalein chalo and Ik teekhi teekhi have fairly unusual structures, with rich, infectious, stage-musical styled backgrounds. The mood turns somber with Rekha Bharadwaj crooning the semi-classical Ehi thaiyya that tries to force-fit a mujra feel and Kachchi kaliyaan, despite the plethora of voices and forced enthusiasm, lapses into a corny mish-mash. Roshan’s classic Chunari mein daag gets an interesting, new-age makeover with Shubha Mudgal at the helm. Shantanu Moitra’s package here is curiously delightful!

Dil Dosti etc. - Audio Review ( Hindi )

Dum laga is a thoroughly enjoyable rant with the essential DU feel and appropriately conjured-up lyrics. Vedic Chants band mates Siddhartth and Suhas serve an ace here, as also in Sunidhi’s techno ditty, Sambhalo dil ko. Their third offering in the soundtrack, Labh Janjua’s Man moniye is however run-of-the-mill. Re-formed Agnee have two tracks to their credit here. Lamha ye is likeably Indirock and very Agnee. But the pick of the album is their semi-classical, More baanke sung incredibly by Aarti Ankalikar. Dil dosti etc’s soundtrack is a thematically engaging and delectable mix!

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