It's been a year since Mansi gifted her dad with a Dell Inspiron with Ubuntu installed. It's been great so far with no panic calls for viruses or spyware slowing down his laptop. Again bow of the hat to Manas, who tried this experiment first.
So based on my experience, here are some tips when you are searching for a laptop to buy for your non-techie parents:
1. Get a laptop with decent hard disk space and memory. Most of the time, if it's just web browsing and chatting, a Celeron will do. So you can save some money by not opting for a high end Core 2 Duo. I would rather spend money on getting a laptop with a webcam and mic.
2. Choose a brand that has a presence in India. AFAIK, Dell, HP, IBM-Lenovo all are great. But I chose Dell, because I am happy with its customer service.
3. Though it may seem a bit difficult at the beginning for your parents to understand Linux, it will pay off on your time if you select Linux over Windows. For one, they won't click on IE by mistake and unknowingly allow the laptop to be infected by viruses or adware. From my experience, I have seen that once your parents' laptop is infected with either virus or spyware, (i) you end up considerable time finding someone in your neighborhood (in India) to come to your place, look at the laptop and try resolving it. (ii) your parents keep worrying about what virus may affect it next, etc and so on. So to avoid all these issues go for Linux. Select your distro, install it for them (I chose Ubuntu).
If you decide to install Ubuntu, a couple of tips:
1. Install Picasa, so that they can share albums online. Picasa is available by adding Google repos: http://picasa.google.com/linux/thanks-deb.html
2. Install OpenOffice which is in fact a good replacement for MS Office.
3. Something of an option, you could choose to install Dropbox, so that you can share larger files. Dropbox is free and starts with free storage upto 2GB. Dropbox syncs up the files on all laptops with the same account.
4. Skype works like a charm on Linux distros.
5. Install VLC and other video codecs.
6. Last but not the least, set up ssh and vnc on the laptop, so that you can debug and resolve issues online :)
Overall, Linux should be able to provide a worry free User Experience to the older generation :)
Happy Holidays :)
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
An applicant's experience at Job sites
I have been actively applying for positions at various companies. Some are great and some are cumbersome and tiring. I can classify them into 2 groups:
1. Select job and add to job cart followed by atleast 10 clicks till the final submission.
Now if I had 10 jobs in my cart, that would amount to atleast 100 clicks on the "Save and Continue" button. I also forgot to mention that every job needs to know the source of application and that's easily two clicks per application.
2. You make your profile just once and keep updating it. Add jobs to cart and apply. Just two clicks. Some positions require you to fill a questionnaire. Filling a questionnaire is fine as it gives a sense of what is expected from the candidate.
I like the second category better, as it's streamlined and fast. I do not understand why would companies stick to the first category when you know that the candidate's information is not going to change between job applications. But hey, no one's complaining about the job applications in this economy. Just seeing vacancies is a ray of hope in these dark times.
However, applying to jobs is not easy, because you are relying on so many search engines and job sites. Some search sites such as (HJ, LU, LI) are good in searching and displaying positions with the keywords and what opened after your last visit. Some websites like JF and CB spam you with all kinds of stuff. (I have deliberately abbreviated. From my perspective, I have categorized some search sites to be useful and some are spammy)
The only webpage where companies can expect maximum user interaction is on the Employment or Careers page. If that page does not convey information easily, it's disappointing. Some companies still rely on sending resume by fax and that's a bit surprising. Sometimes, I see positions advertised but no way to contact the HR. (I think it's because the company has already tied up with some recruiting company to search for candidates. In that case, we have to be lucky to find the recruiting company first). Also some websites are only compatible with certain browsers (IE-oh ya) (I have stopped using Safari for job applications. IMHO Safari is not compatible on most websites except Apple). I am no User Experience or Human Computer Interaction major, but I am just blogging my disappointment in clicking to death till I finally submit my application. Hoping for better times !!!
1. Select job and add to job cart followed by atleast 10 clicks till the final submission.
Now if I had 10 jobs in my cart, that would amount to atleast 100 clicks on the "Save and Continue" button. I also forgot to mention that every job needs to know the source of application and that's easily two clicks per application.
2. You make your profile just once and keep updating it. Add jobs to cart and apply. Just two clicks. Some positions require you to fill a questionnaire. Filling a questionnaire is fine as it gives a sense of what is expected from the candidate.
I like the second category better, as it's streamlined and fast. I do not understand why would companies stick to the first category when you know that the candidate's information is not going to change between job applications. But hey, no one's complaining about the job applications in this economy. Just seeing vacancies is a ray of hope in these dark times.
However, applying to jobs is not easy, because you are relying on so many search engines and job sites. Some search sites such as (HJ, LU, LI) are good in searching and displaying positions with the keywords and what opened after your last visit. Some websites like JF and CB spam you with all kinds of stuff. (I have deliberately abbreviated. From my perspective, I have categorized some search sites to be useful and some are spammy)
The only webpage where companies can expect maximum user interaction is on the Employment or Careers page. If that page does not convey information easily, it's disappointing. Some companies still rely on sending resume by fax and that's a bit surprising. Sometimes, I see positions advertised but no way to contact the HR. (I think it's because the company has already tied up with some recruiting company to search for candidates. In that case, we have to be lucky to find the recruiting company first). Also some websites are only compatible with certain browsers (IE-oh ya) (I have stopped using Safari for job applications. IMHO Safari is not compatible on most websites except Apple). I am no User Experience or Human Computer Interaction major, but I am just blogging my disappointment in clicking to death till I finally submit my application. Hoping for better times !!!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Behind Enemy Lines
My post is not about the movie by the same name, but about the op-ed article written by Col Harish Puri in The International News Jang. Another reason is also because of the aftermath this article has had on the blogging community and the Indian soldiers. This letter assumes more significance in light of Clinton's remarks. Below is what Col. Puri wrote:
An open letter to Gen Kayani
View from the other side Col (r) Harish Puri
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Dear Gen Kayani,
Sir, let me begin by recounting that old army quip that did the rounds in the immediate aftermath of World war II: To guarantee victory, an army should ideally have German generals, British officers, Indian soldiers, American equipment and Italian enemies.
A Pakistani soldier that I met in Iraq in 2004 lamented the fact that the Pakistani soldier in Kargil had been badly let down firstly by Nawaz Sharif and then by the Pakistani officers' cadre. Pakistani soldiers led by Indian officers, , he believed, would be the most fearsome combination possible. Pakistani officers, he went on to say, were more into real estate, defence housing colonies and the like.
As I look at two photographs of surrender that lie before me, I can't help recalling his words. The first is the celebrated event at Dhaka on Dec 16, 1971, which now adorns most Army messes in Delhi and Calcutta. The second, sir, is the video of a teenage girl being flogged by the Taliban in Swat -- not far, I am sure, from one of your Army check posts.
The surrender by any Army is always a sad and humiliating event. Gen Niazi surrendered in Dhaka to a professional army that had outnumbered and outfought him. No Pakistani has been able to get over that humiliation, and 16th December is remembered as a black day by the Pakistani Army and the Pakistani state. But battles are won and lost – armies know this, and having learnt their lessons, they move on.
But much more sadly, the video of the teenager being flogged represents an even more abject surrender by the Pakistani Army. The surrender in 1971, though humiliating, was not disgraceful. This time around, sir, what happened on your watch was something no Army commander should have to live through. The girl could have been your own daughter, or mine.
I have always maintained that the Pakistani Army, like its Indian counterpart, is a thoroughly professional outfit. It has fought valiantly in the three wars against India, and also accredited itself well in its UN missions abroad. It is, therefore, by no means a pushover. The instance of an Infantry unit, led by a lieutenant colonel, meekly laying down arms before 20-odd militants should have been an aberration. But this capitulation in Swat, that too so soon after your own visit to the area, is an assault on the sensibilities of any soldier. What did you tell your soldiers? What great inspirational speech did you make that made your troops back off without a murmur? Sir, I have fought insurgency in Kashmir as well as the North-East, but despite the occasional losses suffered (as is bound to be the case in counter-insurgency operations), such total surrender is unthinkable.
I have been a signaller, and it beats me how my counterparts in your Signal Corps could not locate or even jam a normal FM radio station broadcasting on a fixed frequency at fixed timings. Is there more than meets the eye?
I am told that it is difficult for your troops to "fight their own people." But you never had that problem in East Pakistan in 1971, where the atrocities committed by your own troops are well documented in the Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report. Or is it that the Bengalis were never considered "your own" people, influenced as they were by the Hindus across the border? Or is that your troops are terrified by the ruthless barbarians of the Taliban?
Sir, it is imperative that we recognise our enemy without any delay. I use the word "our" advisedly – for the Taliban threat is not far from India's borders. And the only force that can stop them from dragging Pakistan back into the Stone Age is the force that you command. In this historic moment, providence has placed a tremendous responsibility in your hands. Indeed, the fate of your nation, the future of humankind in the subcontinent rests with you. It doesn't matter if it is "my war" or "your war" – it is a war that has to be won. A desperate Swati citizen's desperate lament says it all – "Please drop an atom bomb on us and put us out of our misery!" Do not fail him, sir.
But in the gloom and the ignominy, the average Pakistani citizen has shown us that there is hope yet. The lawyers, the media, have all refused to buckle even under direct threats. It took the Taliban no less than 32 bullets to still the voice of a brave journalist. Yes, there is hope – but why don't we hear the same language from you? Look to these brave hearts, sir – and maybe we shall see the tide turn. Our prayers are with you, and the hapless people of Swat.
The New York Times predicts that Pakistan will collapse in six months. Do you want to go down in history as the man who allowed that to happen?
An open letter to Gen Kayani
View from the other side Col (r) Harish Puri
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Dear Gen Kayani,
Sir, let me begin by recounting that old army quip that did the rounds in the immediate aftermath of World war II: To guarantee victory, an army should ideally have German generals, British officers, Indian soldiers, American equipment and Italian enemies.
A Pakistani soldier that I met in Iraq in 2004 lamented the fact that the Pakistani soldier in Kargil had been badly let down firstly by Nawaz Sharif and then by the Pakistani officers' cadre. Pakistani soldiers led by Indian officers, , he believed, would be the most fearsome combination possible. Pakistani officers, he went on to say, were more into real estate, defence housing colonies and the like.
As I look at two photographs of surrender that lie before me, I can't help recalling his words. The first is the celebrated event at Dhaka on Dec 16, 1971, which now adorns most Army messes in Delhi and Calcutta. The second, sir, is the video of a teenage girl being flogged by the Taliban in Swat -- not far, I am sure, from one of your Army check posts.
The surrender by any Army is always a sad and humiliating event. Gen Niazi surrendered in Dhaka to a professional army that had outnumbered and outfought him. No Pakistani has been able to get over that humiliation, and 16th December is remembered as a black day by the Pakistani Army and the Pakistani state. But battles are won and lost – armies know this, and having learnt their lessons, they move on.
But much more sadly, the video of the teenager being flogged represents an even more abject surrender by the Pakistani Army. The surrender in 1971, though humiliating, was not disgraceful. This time around, sir, what happened on your watch was something no Army commander should have to live through. The girl could have been your own daughter, or mine.
I have always maintained that the Pakistani Army, like its Indian counterpart, is a thoroughly professional outfit. It has fought valiantly in the three wars against India, and also accredited itself well in its UN missions abroad. It is, therefore, by no means a pushover. The instance of an Infantry unit, led by a lieutenant colonel, meekly laying down arms before 20-odd militants should have been an aberration. But this capitulation in Swat, that too so soon after your own visit to the area, is an assault on the sensibilities of any soldier. What did you tell your soldiers? What great inspirational speech did you make that made your troops back off without a murmur? Sir, I have fought insurgency in Kashmir as well as the North-East, but despite the occasional losses suffered (as is bound to be the case in counter-insurgency operations), such total surrender is unthinkable.
I have been a signaller, and it beats me how my counterparts in your Signal Corps could not locate or even jam a normal FM radio station broadcasting on a fixed frequency at fixed timings. Is there more than meets the eye?
I am told that it is difficult for your troops to "fight their own people." But you never had that problem in East Pakistan in 1971, where the atrocities committed by your own troops are well documented in the Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report. Or is it that the Bengalis were never considered "your own" people, influenced as they were by the Hindus across the border? Or is that your troops are terrified by the ruthless barbarians of the Taliban?
Sir, it is imperative that we recognise our enemy without any delay. I use the word "our" advisedly – for the Taliban threat is not far from India's borders. And the only force that can stop them from dragging Pakistan back into the Stone Age is the force that you command. In this historic moment, providence has placed a tremendous responsibility in your hands. Indeed, the fate of your nation, the future of humankind in the subcontinent rests with you. It doesn't matter if it is "my war" or "your war" – it is a war that has to be won. A desperate Swati citizen's desperate lament says it all – "Please drop an atom bomb on us and put us out of our misery!" Do not fail him, sir.
But in the gloom and the ignominy, the average Pakistani citizen has shown us that there is hope yet. The lawyers, the media, have all refused to buckle even under direct threats. It took the Taliban no less than 32 bullets to still the voice of a brave journalist. Yes, there is hope – but why don't we hear the same language from you? Look to these brave hearts, sir – and maybe we shall see the tide turn. Our prayers are with you, and the hapless people of Swat.
The New York Times predicts that Pakistan will collapse in six months. Do you want to go down in history as the man who allowed that to happen?
Monday, April 06, 2009
What's new for Elections '09?
Elections are around the corner. This is the only time of the year when the so-called saviors of the nation (read politicians) come and woo the voters. The leaders come and woo the poor first with promises of food, electricity, better living standards. For the recession hit scenario, we have political parties trying to give away food at ultra-cheap prices, even though that's not going to help the economy. Some parties play on the caste/religion divide. Not to mention, parties in Maharashtra will indulge in regional politics to woo only the "Marathi Manoos" votes. Will they forbid the non-Marathis to vote for them? In Kerala, we have the LDF and UDF battling it out. Given that the recession is forcing Gulf NRIs to come back, what does Kerala offer to these expatriates? This blog sums up the election euphoria in Kerala. (Oops, did I indulge in some politics now??)
As a techie, I am happy with JaagoRe's initiative in helping voters register in time, get their ID cards. Google has announced their Google Election Center. This is an attempt to share relevant information about the constituencies to the voters. There's also a website with information about candidates with criminal background. One more site for election information.
May the (Election/IPL) games begin !!!
As a techie, I am happy with JaagoRe's initiative in helping voters register in time, get their ID cards. Google has announced their Google Election Center. This is an attempt to share relevant information about the constituencies to the voters. There's also a website with information about candidates with criminal background. One more site for election information.
May the (Election/IPL) games begin !!!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
One more Pappu pass ho gaya !!!
My heartiest congrats to the Pappu, who did his 50 68 44 defense yesterday. Now in case, you are wondering what the numbers stand for, please check this table
It's been an eventful adventure watching friends graduate and wondering "Mera Number kab aayega". I am inspired by all of them. Next in line is ex-roomie Brijesh (fraud Mallu). Summer seems to beckon me for a defense against the dark arts, I guess. (Deja Vu Prelims defense ?)
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Background backups-way of Life
I was in Blacksburg last week and my laptop hard disk crashed after meeting my advisor. Karma :( Anyways, I was there stuck in Blacksburg with my Time Machine backup at home (in MD). My code was backed up regularly (not out of choice) only because my code needs to run on another machine for benchmarking. I lost a day installing everything on a spare laptop and then spent time figuring out everything I worked on before meeting my advisor. I had not obviously backed up before meeting him.
That made me look for a better solution. As usual, Manas had a better solution. His quote "Backup should be a background process. You shouldn't think of backing up. It has to be integrated in your work flow."I think I should I have an archive for his quotes that always seem to be apt for the situation. [:P]
I eventually got my Hard disk replaced at the local Apple store and restored everything from Time Machine. Manas suggested this solution, which IMHO is the best.
Step 1: Get yourself a Dropbox account (available for Mac, Linux and Windoze)
Step 2: Link your laptop to your account. You will see a Dropbox folder.
Step 3: On Linux and Macs: create a symbolic link to your folders you want to backup and place it in your Dropbox folder.
cd YourDropboxfolder
ln -s $HOME/Documents
ls -la
Documents -> $HOME/DocumentsSit back and relax. Everything gets backed up automatically.
Bonus point: refer your friend and get extra 250MB. Contact me if you want a referral.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Ye Dilli hai mere yaar !!!
I emailed our DC gang about watching Delhi 6 at a theatre nearby. Watching a movie on First day Last show is a thrill in itself. In any case, after a lengthy discussion involving 50 emails over a period of 2 days, 9 of us went to watch Delhi 6 on Friday.
It was an amazing day for me, as I managed to get my stuff to work after a long time. Drove back home in just 4 hours, took a different route to avoid the traffic. Reached home, booted my system (bole to mast nahaaya) and off we went for the movie.
Delhi 6 is a collection of vignettes revolving around Roshan (AB Jr.) the main protagonist of the movie. But it's not the romance between Roshan & Bittu (Sonam as the feisty Dilli ki kudi) that captures your attention. IMHO, it's the ensemble star cast, where everyone has a definite role in taking the movie forward. Waheeda Rehman, Om Puri, Pavan Malhotra, Deepak Dobriyal, Vijay Raaz, Atul Kulkarni, Divya Dutta, Rishi Kapoor, etc..Also not to forget the cute Rama Bua..!!! A R Rahman's music is extraordinary and plays in the background for most of the time letting you enjoy the visuals. Rahman's songs flourish amidst the background of Delhi 6, watch out for the most creative collage of Times Square and Delhi 6. This week Rahman's work will be judged at the Oscars..and Delhi 6 is another award winnning score by the maestro. The movie has a message and though it gets a bit filmy in the end is immensely watchable. Take a bow, Mr. Mehra, this is a worthy follow-up to RDB.
It was an amazing day for me, as I managed to get my stuff to work after a long time. Drove back home in just 4 hours, took a different route to avoid the traffic. Reached home, booted my system (bole to mast nahaaya) and off we went for the movie.
Delhi 6 is a collection of vignettes revolving around Roshan (AB Jr.) the main protagonist of the movie. But it's not the romance between Roshan & Bittu (Sonam as the feisty Dilli ki kudi) that captures your attention. IMHO, it's the ensemble star cast, where everyone has a definite role in taking the movie forward. Waheeda Rehman, Om Puri, Pavan Malhotra, Deepak Dobriyal, Vijay Raaz, Atul Kulkarni, Divya Dutta, Rishi Kapoor, etc..Also not to forget the cute Rama Bua..!!! A R Rahman's music is extraordinary and plays in the background for most of the time letting you enjoy the visuals. Rahman's songs flourish amidst the background of Delhi 6, watch out for the most creative collage of Times Square and Delhi 6. This week Rahman's work will be judged at the Oscars..and Delhi 6 is another award winnning score by the maestro. The movie has a message and though it gets a bit filmy in the end is immensely watchable. Take a bow, Mr. Mehra, this is a worthy follow-up to RDB.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Techie Influence
I had a tough time configuring CUDA on my laptop, ahem CUDA is Compute Unified Device Access (NVIDIA's compiler for general purpose computation on GPU). So I decided to start a blog about my experiences with High Performance Computing. In general AcceleratedComputing will talk about hardware accelerators for HPC.
Also a quick note to myself or to anyone who wants to paste code from TextMate:
1. Open a blank document in TextMate and select "Create CSS from current Theme" from the Gears icon. This will generate a CSS template.
2. If you are using Blogger, go to Layout->Edit HTML and paste the CSS template in the Edit Template section. This ensures that you get the TextMate theme in your blog template.
Happy Valentine's Day !!!
Also a quick note to myself or to anyone who wants to paste code from TextMate:
1. Open a blank document in TextMate and select "Create CSS from current Theme" from the Gears icon. This will generate a CSS template.
2. If you are using Blogger, go to Layout->Edit HTML and paste the CSS template in the Edit Template section. This ensures that you get the TextMate theme in your blog template.
Happy Valentine's Day !!!
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Software necessary for a Grad student
I usually come across so many friends who have questions about what software they need for their laptop. My conversations always end up in a demo showing how to make their laptop use more productive. So I thought of writing a blog to address the question:
"What software do I need on my laptop to make my Grad life more productive?"
(a) Bibliography Manager: First of all as a Graduate student, we are exposed to scientific conference papers/journals. It's always good to come up with a filing system to access all the papers you have read or intend to read at some other time. Most of the times it's all about filing intelligently, so that the next time you don't waste time searching for the correct reference. For Mac OSX, I recommend installing BibDesk. This is a free application and is the best bibliography software on Macs. For Linux or Windows, use JabRef. I will not mention EndNote for Windows, as it relies on proprietary formats.
(b) Typesetting documents: Though MS Word is the most commonly used format to typeset documents, it is not the preferred work flow in most academic institutions. Use Latex to typeset all your documents.
For Mac OSX, keep track of the latest Latex software packages from MacTeX. The MacTeX package includes the Latex distribution, BibDesk, Equation editor, Excalibur (spell checker) and TeXShop (front end). As a side note, I recommend TextMate for advanced Latex users.
You can install Latex on Windows using MiKTeX. The front end TeXnicCenter is very useful and integrates well with Windows. This way you can avoid installing Cygwin on your Windows laptop for Latex.
Latex is inbuilt on all Linux distros. I have used Kile on a FC/Ubuntu box and have enjoyed the experience.
(c) Diagrams: I use OmniGraffle for making all diagrams on Mac OSX. I have used Dia on Linux machines and found it to be a very good application. Visio may count as a good alternative on Windows machines, though I don't use it.
I will keep updating this blog as and when I find interesting software that's a must for Grad students. Hope someone finds this blog useful. Thanks to MT for his guidance :)
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Era of social networking
It has become a habit to glance through my emails the first thing in the morning. However, an in-depth reading of the emails and the daily news on my laptop flopped today because of the flaky internet connection. I restarted my desktop, power cycled the modem and the router a couple of times. Nothing worked. Finally I checked the important stuff using my iPhone. Thanks to Apple's wonderful device.
After all the email checking and reading the news updates, I decided to call Comcast and report the outage. The Comcast rep took my info and gave me a service ID saying that the next available technician would come between 8-11 am on Monday. In any case, I decided to twitter about my internet service down due to Comcast. I also mentioned if anyone knew about Comcast sending a technician on Saturday. Surprisingly, within minutes, I had a direct message from ComcastBill asking me to send my info. I sent my info and ComcastBill tweeted that the Comcast service was down at my zipcode and would be up in some time.
Thanks to twitter, the world is a smaller place. Everything is connected. I wonder if Twitter will replace the SMS feature on internet enabled phones?? I think it's time for me to upgrade to Tweetie on my iPhone.
After all the email checking and reading the news updates, I decided to call Comcast and report the outage. The Comcast rep took my info and gave me a service ID saying that the next available technician would come between 8-11 am on Monday. In any case, I decided to twitter about my internet service down due to Comcast. I also mentioned if anyone knew about Comcast sending a technician on Saturday. Surprisingly, within minutes, I had a direct message from ComcastBill asking me to send my info. I sent my info and ComcastBill tweeted that the Comcast service was down at my zipcode and would be up in some time.
Thanks to twitter, the world is a smaller place. Everything is connected. I wonder if Twitter will replace the SMS feature on internet enabled phones?? I think it's time for me to upgrade to Tweetie on my iPhone.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Memory upgrade
My current work requires compiling programs in emulation mode and I started seeing my Macbook slowing. Promptly I decided to upgrade the RAM on my MB. Dealram has always provided good deals on RAMs for laptops and desktops. I bought a 1GB RAM module in 2007 Feb for 67$ from 18004memory.com I was surprised to see that the same RAM module cost me only $14 now in 2009. This suggests that laptop memory is getting cheaper by the day.
Transposing the value of computer memory to human memory value it's exactly the opposite. Humans cherish the value of memory. Older the memory, priceless it is !!! Also the price of memory increases as we get older, as our memory retention decreases. So if our memory were to be traded in the stock market, we would see our investment doubling over time. The assumption is that we are involved in good deeds, etc.
Happy Makar Sankranti !!!
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
2 different movies offering a glimpse of everyday life
I watched 2 movies over the weekend: Mumbai Meri Jaan and Thirakatha. MMJ is a movie depicting the effects of the Mumbai train blasts that happened in 2006. Excellent casting coup that features Paresh Rawal, Soha Ali Khan, Kay Kay Menon, Madhavan, Irfan Khan. This movie gives an insight into the workings of the Mumbai Police, unfair media coverage of the blast victims, Hindu-Muslim divide, trauma of traveling in trains after a bomb blast and finally the poor man's take on such blasts. I liked the actor who has played the constable's role, who is disgusted with the working of the Mumbai Police. Must watch movie !!!
Thirakatha is a malayalam movie by Ranjith that explores the life of a yesteryear film actress. Again a wonderful movie that includes a cameo by the director as well. The last monologue by Prithviraj lingers on: "Life is like a screenplay with lots of actors who do not know their roles and continue to act without the guidance of a proper director." Though this is not a word-to-word translation, I have tried capturing it's gist. Another must watch movie !!!
Thirakatha is a malayalam movie by Ranjith that explores the life of a yesteryear film actress. Again a wonderful movie that includes a cameo by the director as well. The last monologue by Prithviraj lingers on: "Life is like a screenplay with lots of actors who do not know their roles and continue to act without the guidance of a proper director." Though this is not a word-to-word translation, I have tried capturing it's gist. Another must watch movie !!!
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