MOVIE REVIEW: AUGUST CLUB, SINCE 1963

By John Cheeran

On an average, every week two Malayalam films are being released in Kerala, taking the annual tally well past 100. The new found vigour in making films is welcome. But not so welcome are flaccid movies such as August Club, Since 1963, with a preening title that fundamentally has nothing to do with what the film tries to portray.

When a movie becomes many things to many people, it tanks at the box office. That’s what has happened in the case of August Club, which apparently has a pretentious, trite storyline, written by Ananthapadmanabhan, the son of celebrated Malayalam auteur P Padmarajan.

Although how many people watched is not the true measure of a film’s worth, the obverse could not be also held true. August Club, a young filmmaker’s first venture (K B Venu), suffers from what it wanted to tell and some amateurish acting, especially by Murali Gopi, who leaves little imprint on the movie.

Read the full story http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Arrackistan/entry/is-this-the-new-brave-malayali-woman

Is this the new, brave Malayali woman?

By John Cheeran

On an average, every week two Malayalam films are being released in Kerala, taking the annual tally well past 100. The new found vigour in making films is welcome. But not so welcome are flaccid movies such as August Club, Since 1963, with a preening title that fundamentally has nothing to do with what the film tries to portray.

When a movie becomes many things to many people, it tanks at the box office. That’s what has happened in the case of August Club, which apparently has a pretentious, trite storyline, written by Ananthapadmanabhan, the son of celebrated Malayalam auteur P Padmarajan.

Although how many people watched is not the true measure of a film’s worth, the obverse could not be also held true. August Club, a young filmmaker’s first venture (K B Venu), suffers from what it wanted to tell and some amateurish acting, especially by Murali Gopi, who leaves little imprint on the movie.

Read the full story at

http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Arrackistan/entry/is-this-the-new-brave-malayali-woman

It Is Time To End Indian Occupation of Saudi Arabia

It Is Time To End Indian Occupation of Saudi Arabia

By John Cheeran

It is time to end the Indian occupation of Saudi Arabia. There is much breast-beating in India about Nitaqat, the Saudi Arabian government’s project to ensure nationalization of jobs in that country, especially among Malayalis, but the larger point has been brushed aside by all.

Read the full story at

http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Arrackistan/entry/it-is-time-to-end-indian-occupation-of-saudi-arabia