Chennai's very own

I caught 'Chronicles of Narnia:Prince Caspian" at The Satyam Cinemas sometime back.I was visiting Satyam after a brief hiatus and was awestruck by how it had improved by leaps and bounds. Finally, we have the home grown Satyam Cinemas ready to take on the ultra modern multiplexes in Bombay, Hyderabad and other urban cities.The decor and ambiance are of international standards and I still remember how my friend was taken in by the facilities at the restroom(yes, you read that right;)).

My history with Satyam dates back to when I was a kid and most of my movie-watching expeditions have ended at Satyam. In fact, even now, that is the one place that is uppermost in my mind when we plan a movie out.Though other multiplexes have come up, Satyam has retained it's position at the top of the heap.Location is one of the main factors contributing to it's popularity. While Mayajaal and Abhirami are not conveniently located, INOX is the closest competitor to Satyam, situated as it is, in a mall.

The excellent work done by the PR team at Satyam is evident as seen across the various media and they do their bit to be in the news. The Fuel prepaid card, Blind date,the RDX experience, I can go on. In fact, their snacks and beverages have earned quite a reputation of their own and I know of people who visit Satyam for the nachos and cold coffee as much as for the movies.Last heard, Satyam is looking to branch out to other parts of the city. That can only mean good news for film buffs who enjoy the whole 'cinema-on-the-big-screen' experience.

Still have to catch up with Dasa. Was waiting for all the initial hype to subside and now that the dust has settled, I shall go watch the movie in peace.Where else?At Satyam, of course:)

Kite Runner

Been wanting to put this up for long. I finished reading this book by Khaled Hosseini about 2 weeks back and it has claimed a position in my list of personal favorites.

A well-written book on human relationships set against the Afghan war. The main story revolves around two boys, Amir and Haasan, who belong to different strata of society but beyond all that, they share several common bonds. The story traces the relationship shared by the two boys and how their contrasting personalities results in several testing situations. A very touching story with a powerful narrative.

After reading this book, I am eager to read his next book, 'A thousand splendid suns'.I hope it lives upto my expectations.

Hillary bows out-gracefully

As expected, Hillary bowed out of the presidential race today. It was always going to be a long haul for Clinton. I had been supporting Barack Obama right from the start and he is truly a deserving candidate. Obama's comprehensive policies , especially his plans for Iraq and foreign policies are noteworthy.

Although Hillary has come a long way in this presidential campaign and has done much to shatter the myths against women being bestowed with political powers, her campaign had always seemed hollow and a tad bit insincere. However, it is praiseworthy that she has gone all the way in supporting Barack Obama now that she has stepped down. A graceful exit. Actually, she has not ended her presidential bid but supposedly suspended it for technical reasons. However, her vociferous support of Obama will now have won her some more admirers. A little late in the day. But nevertheless well appreciated.

DLF IPL - A fitting finale

What a nail biting finish. The final match of the DLF IPL was closely contested and an edge of the seat thriller. Though I did support Chennai Super Kings and they lost, it was by a narrow margin. No wait, less than narrow.I am proud of the CSK for putting up such a brave show. A last ball win for the Rajasthan Royals. But I am happy that RR and CSK made it to the finals. I did not want Punjab in the finals.

Anyways, here ends the 44-days-long IPL season. It was an added bonus this summer. I just hope Lalit Modi has enough sense and does not try to cash in on the craze so much as to have two IPL seasons in a year. Too much of anything is not good, Mr. Modi.