Wholesome Family Entertainer

From the beginning mist engulfs Sachien in almost every reel. The visuals are soft on the eyes. You can stop thinking and enjoy for the next two and a half hours. And once you have accepted this, the movie is enjoyable and a well needed relief for the movie goer. Sachien is reminiscent of movies like ‘Kaadhalika Neramilai’,not in terms of the actual storyline but in terms of it being a throw back to more innocent times. It’s a good old, clean Tamil romantic comedy. Such movies have been made in Tamil from the start of movie making here and will continue to be made for a long time to come. There is nothing novel about the storyline. Boy meets girl, boy and girl act like Tom and Jerry, boy falls in love with girl, girl doesn’t admit she loves boy first, and in the end of course the lovers unite.After ‘Minnalle’ and ‘Dum,Dum,Dum’ we haven’t had such movies for a little while so it is just the right time to have such a movie again. The 15 minutes or so with Bipasha Basu after the interval is cheap and most irritating.The movie is so simple and feel good till the intermission, and upto the conclusion after Bipasha leaves the scene, that I would suggest you take an extended break and go in 15 minutes late after the interval break is over! Genelia and Vijay make a great pair. But I would have rather seen Madhavan-Genelia or Suria-Jothika.But all things considered Vijay has done an o.k. job and this movie suggests a welcome shift in trend, in the sense that he has targeted the urban audience(Sector-A)for the first time in his career.All in all, Sachien is a movie you can sit and enjoy with your family and friends(just don’t try to find any logic in it!)

Just One of the Banes of Free Trade…

The European Union exported most of its banana’s from African and Caribbean countries. The export of bananas is a major source of revenue for these countries, which grow their bananas on small family run farms. Thus the markets of the industrialised nations of Europe were kept open to banana exports from these poorer nations. A September 1997 World Trade Organization (WTO) decision pressured by the US interprets the preference given to the African and Caribbean nations in the banana trade over huge multinational corporations like Del Monte, Chiquita and Dole as discriminatory and not giving the MNC’s a level playing field.These three corporations already control 2/3rds of the world trade in banana’s. Forcing Europe to practice ‘free trade’,which will guard the vested interests of these MNC’s, seems to be the sole aim of the U.S and the WTO (in this case and in numerous other cases).Without the preferential access to the European market the main source of income for thousands of farmers in African and Caribbean countries (such as Costa Rica and Panama)is threatened. The MNC’s can afford to sell the Banana’s at low prices and capture the European banana market. The economies of several countries in the African and Caribbean region would take a severe blow which could and invariably will cause large scale industrial, social and economic decline in these regions. The U.S and the W.T.O have imposed sanctions on the E.U thus pressurizing them to do trade with the giant multinationals in this business. This pressure has forced the E.U to not give preferencial treatment,and thus much needed aid to the African and Caribbean nations.

Two Years On

A humid day in the summer of 2003.Everyone has been raving about this new movie called Kadhal something . Even Neha who does not watch too much of Tamil movies has seen it. I am super enthu about checking out what it is all about.Kari and I decide to go watch this movie.We get out of an auto rickshaw, enter Woodlands theatre, just about manage to get the tickets and reach the door to the auditorium. /En per Vinod/ …I am Vinod. As we enter the hall the choir background music and the above-mentioned line at once grip me (the first line of the movie). Seems like a Charles Dickens kind of setting-poor boy at an orphanage serving food to several other poor boys. /Nan inge rombe sandoshama irrukeren/ …I am content where I am presently. We take our seats. Boy(referred to as Vinod from now) fights for a pant with another boy as the Father(priest)calls him to inform him that he has to go to the city to study, against his wishes. /Na yenga pokudathunu nanaceno angaye vandu sendeten/ …I have been thrust into the very place I feared the most. The change in the environment is portrayed through a satirical song showing the excesses of the urban youth. You are almost made to feel the same discomfort with the glaring change in milieu that Vinod feels. As he is discriminated and mocked at in college and branded a loser the audience gets angry and your heart goes out for him.The audience whistles in jubilation.Why?Vinod is caught napping by a professor, gets yelled at and challenged to solve a math problem on the board(which the professor is sure Vinod cannot solve).Vinod solves it(which his classmates observe in stupefied silence)walks back to his bench and starts napping again. I clap my hands almost as a reflex action. Kari sitting next to me is amused. As Vinod befriends Divya you sense inevitable doom. Wow, the canteen scene. What body language. Vinod’s innocent and wild ecstasy as he enters Divya’s room which is like paradise to him. Again you wonder what body language. /Divya En Devi/ …I have found my friend Devi again! Vinod has a nightmare during his sleepover at Divya’s house. This is the first time the director hints that Vinod has had a traumatic past. As Vinod falls in love with Divya again you see that word all over the place-doom. This is moving like a Greek tragedy. Adi and Divya fall in love and Vinod sits between them forced to act cupid. As Vinod’s heartbreaks I find tears streaming out of my eyes. /Intermission/ …Intermission Can’t wait for the second half to start. By the way I suddenly remember Kari is with me. We rush back into the hall after grabbing the snack and cool drink (Kari has no choice!). Divya travels (kidnapped?)with Vinod to a ruined house in the hills, after he claims to unite her with Adi(Divya’s father opposes their love).Flashback-We peek at Vinod’s childhood at a horrible factory where children are treated like dogs. As you see the dingy inhuman place the Sivakasi brand of child labour becomes a harsh reality that is thrust into your conscience. Vinod befriends Devi.When Devi and Vinod’s sexual abuse at the hands of the men at the factory is revealed the audience start fidgeting in their seats in discomfort. As the children’s revolution takes place,when the sadists and abusers at the sweatshop are killed and the children walk out,the audience roars in approval. Vinod has murdered a bar dancer who tries to seduce him (as revealed earlier). Now you understand scarred by abuse in childhood Vinod is petrified of sex. Also the realization dawns that Vinod sees Divya as his childhood friend Devi (whose love he acquired) hence the title Kadhal Konden(meaning I acquired love).Vinod not understanding the platonic beauty of his friendship with Divya confuses her as Devi and that finally leads to the tragic end. /Kadhal Konden! Kadhal konden!/ …I acquired love! As Vinod wails what has become one of Tamil celluloid ‘s most immortal lines , you realize Vinod is too scarred to recover. As Vinod dies you realize that death is his only catharsis from his anguish. Despite of his blunders we see Vinod as a victim, someone who has been cheated by life. I don’t remember much of the journey back home from the theatre (except that I was desperately trying to control my tears).Kari must have been wondering what the hell about that movie was so great(he didn’t seem too impressed by it).I have lost count of the number of times I have seen this wonderful film. Whenever I think of Vinod I am reminded of what Don Mclean sang about Vincent Van Gogh,”this world was never meant for someone as beautiful as you”.Two years after it hit the screens Kadhal Konden is still immensely relevant socially and continues to haunt our collective conscience. It is truly a fascinating creation of a beautiful mind. Selvaraghavan’s mind.

Ganja Dreamers Everywhere (But Madras Will Survive)

It’s so cool to pronounce Tamil as Taaamil.It’s so not cool if you don’t know (or don’t care) what GPRS is. You are a stud if you giggle and ‘make out’ with ‘chicks’ (whatever that means…lol) in coffee houses or wherever else. You are a nerd if you think stepping into a disco is downright boring. You take life seriously. What does that mean yaar? Downright hollow. That’s what most kids of my brilliant generation are in Madras. Every generation had a few ganja dreamers. But this one is bursting at the seams with ganja dreamers. What do I mean by ganja dreamers? Well people in search of nothing in particular, except maybe well you guessed it nothing!!!Escapists, wannabes and really describing them is beyond me. This city is starting to loose her soul. But no she has too much of it. Madras lives in her beaches and in her love of cricket. Madras is Madras because of all those Carnatic Music fanatics. Madras has entire generations of the true Madrasi souls. The Ganja dreamers may be causing quite a tremor. But Madras is a survivor.

One Hour Photo

Starring-Robin Williams Written and Directed by Mark Romanek Genre-Drama Sy Parrish is a photo tech at a supermarket. He is a faceless cog in the wheel kind of guy, the kind who you don’t take notice of and yet is an integral part of the system. He leads a lonely existence. He observes the Yorkin family (Nina, Will and their nine year old son Jake) through the pictures he develops since Jake’s birth and yet he is someone insignificant to them. Their family photos which he collects (and has plastered all over a wall in his house) is an escape from the drudgery of his existence. His admiration of the Yorkins becomes all-consuming. He discovers that Will is having an affair and now that he considers himself as uncle Sy to Jake he wants to make sure that Will’s indiscretion is stopped. His well meaning, but misguided attempts at doing so drives him over the edge. One Hour Photo is an examination of the isolation some individuals feel, which is a by-product of urbanization. In the hostile urban jungle someone like Sy looses his individuality and identity. The Yorkin family is a case study of a seemingly picture perfect family. Peep beneath the surface and the illusion bursts. But this movie is not about them. They are but a metaphor through which we look at Sy’s world.Sy craves acceptance and recognition of his kindness(he gifts people cameras on their Birthday’s without authorization to do so).There is no place for someone like Sy in a cutthroat, sterile and profit-at-all-cost driven environment like the superstore he works at and looses his job. Robin Williams as Sy is a revelation. He becomes the insecure and lonely character he portrays so much so that Sy is a real person you can almost feel. The photography by Jeff Cronenweth captures the mood perfectly (i.e. the monotone of urban America). The harsh lighting in the superstore the fade in and fade outs for certain scenes tell a tale by themselves. Mark Romanek has made an honest, sensitive movie exploring American society in a way only American Beauty has done in recent times. I just feel he could have done a little better on the characterization of the Yorkins.But I am not complaining. A most memorable movie.

Tribute/The Bhagyam I Knew

April 15,11 pm(approx).I open my inbox and see that a friend has sent a mail with the title ‘Bhagyam-shocking news’. I read the mail that informed me that Bhagyam was no more.Around the same time I am sure the Madras Theatre Community (numbering a few hundred people) felt the same sense of loss that I did as they received the news. To me Bhagyam was someone who was warm and always accessible. She always made it a point to come backstage after our shows (Masquerade’s) and congratulate the youngsters and upstarts (like me!).Very often I knew my performances were substandard and I am sure Bhagyam thought they were,but she would always have a hug and an encouraging word. One knew one had acted pathetically and yet a “You were great darling”, from Bhagyam invariably made your day. I was lucky enough to do a minor role in a play directed by Bhagyam called “ Thus Spake Shoorpanakha, So Said Shakuni”.When I had first met Bhagyam(before I joined Masquerade)at Amethyst after a show of hers I told her that Danushkodi Sir had told me about her and I wanted to act in a play of hers. I never thought she would take me seriously. A few months later she gave me a call and said “I have a minor role in a play I am doing for which I have you in mind. Would you be interested?” That was the kind of person she was. Nothing or no one was too small for her. After the production was over she told me I must come to the cast party in her house. Despite the presence of veterans like Polly Sengupta(playwright) and lots of other people she made it a point to have a few words with me. She made everyone feel at ease. She wanted to be treated as an equal not a superior. Initially when I used to call her mam or aunty out of respect she used to tease me saying she will not speak to me unless I call her Bhagyam.I am sure every person who has had the privilege of knowing her has such fond and wonderful memories of her. I truly envy people like KK (Krishna Kumar) our Artistic Director at Masquerade(of which I am currently a dormant member!)who had the good fortune of extensively working with her. Her passing is not just a loss to the Madras Theatre community. It is an irreplaceable loss to all performing artists of Madras (whatever the medium). May her soul rest in peace.

The Truth About Sourav Ganguly

In the gallis they are talking about it. Primary school kids are probably discussing it in their classrooms. Grown men are discussing it in their living rooms and in their offices. It has become a national obsession. Must Sourav Ganguly stay or has the time come for him to finally go? That is the question on everybody’s lips and everyone from the local pan-walla to connoisseurs of the gentleman’s game have an opinion on it. To me the solution is simple. Ganguly the test player must go. Equally vehemently I believe Ganguly the one-day player must stay. He is a non-entity in test cricket, is just a mere fading shadow of his previous self, and as the saying goes Geoff Boycott’s grand mum would get him out. His presence in the test team is now an obstacle to the team’s betterment and his captaincy will be counter productive in the final analysis if he continues. Ganguly is an absolute necessity in the shorter version of the game, and an invaluable asset. His record speaks for itself-he is the third most successful one-day player of all time. His aggressive captaincy has taken India almost to the pinnacle of the one-day game. If India has to have a fighting chance of winning the 2007 World Cup it can happen only under Ganguly’s leadership. Kanishkaa says that at cricinfo.com where he works the consensus among his colleagues is that Ganguly’s future lies simply as a one-day player and captain. And I think they are bang on. His disastrous run in test cricket has started to affect his one-day game as was evident in the recent Indo-Pak series. And Ganguly is too much of an asset in the shorter version of the game to risk losing him. So Ganguly the Test cricketer has to be eased out for the sake of Indian cricket. And it is high time Rahul Dravid is made the test captain. He has earned it.

Simply Unputdownable! – Dan Brown the Master of the Intelligent Thriller

What does Da Vinci’s last supper of Christ have in common with the sacred feminine? What does the Holy Grail have to do with a prostitute Jesus blessed? Was Mona Lisa really a man? Why are a secret society and a Catholic sect locked horns against one another? And what does all this have to do with the bloodline of a certain Mr. Jesus Christ? These are just some of the puzzles Dan Brown knots in the Da Vinci Code and he unweaves them in a most ingenious manner. The phrase simply unputdownable has become the king among cliché’s often used to refer to rather moribund works of fiction even. Occasionally when one encounters an author with supreme talent like Brown one feels that phrase was coined to describe the likes of him. This book simply thins the line between fact and fiction and as one reaches the end of the book the line seems to have blurred. History (of events before the 20th Century) is in reality a mix of myth, legend, circumstantial evidences, biased opinions and some facts. The point the Da Vinci Code makes is simple-this book is as much true or myth as the Bible. Angels and Demons the prequel to the Da Vinci Code matches its sequel in intrigue and drama,using the eternal battle between science and religion as its backbone. With the Vatican a virtual ticking time bomb ancient symbols hidden in cathedrals and catacombs have to be decoded or…And the grand finale catches you totally off guard and leaves you breathless. Bottom line? I would place Angels and Demons one step above The Da Vinci Code. If you read these two books of Dan Brown first (as I did and I suggest you do) the other two books of Brown(Deception Point and Digital Fortress)are a bit of a letdown. They are in fact very good books. But so high is the reader’s expectation at this point that they don’t match it. Deception Point has a NASA satellite discovering a rare object in the Artic Ice or is it unthinkable scientific trickery? Digital Fortress is a techno-thriller that has the U.S. National Security Agency’s classified code-breaking machine encountering an unbreakable code? Or could it be something far simpler than an unbreakable code? There is a common strain running through both Deception Point and The Digital Fortress. If you have read one you have read the other. What I mean by this is that while the stories are as similar as chalk and cheese, the reactions of the leading characters to various situations, the betrayers and the final unfolding of truth happen in much the same manner. However I would say that Deception Point is in the same league as a book like Alistair McLean’s Ice Station Zebra, while Digital Fortress is a huge let down not in the same league as Brown’s other three books. Dan Brown is one the smartest writers of our times. The masterly way he weaves fact, conjecture, speculation and myth into fiction makes him a most engaging writer. If you enjoy good fiction his writing epitomizes it.With most works of best-selling fiction such as the like of Sidney Sheldon and Dennis Lehane indulging our senses with cheap thrills here is a writer who engages our gray cells. Top-notch stuff.

Who is Tenzin Tsundue?

I first heard about Tenzin Tsundue when a Tibetan friend of mine gave me a book of Tsundue’s poetry a year and a half ago (1)*. The publisher’s note of that book starts with these words, ‘Tenzin Tsundue is mad. He has no money, no job, no official position, no house, no belongings, but is hell bent on writing and activism for a Free Tibet.’ Powerful words. I remember flipping through the book, thinking it was passionate writing and forgetting about it. A few days ago I read a column by Tsundue in the Tehelka Paper called ‘No compromise on Tibet’. In what was the bravest and most passionate article I have ever read, Tsundue voices his displeasure with the Tibetan Government in exile for softening its stance on Tibet by seeming to be reconciled with gaining autonomy as a state within China rather than standing their ground on demanding freedom from Chinese occupation (2)*.I e-mailed Tsundue saying that his government was just being realistic. For I firmly believe that the Chinese Regime is the most barbaric regime since Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Government in Germany. The Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao is on a visit to India.Tsundue was arrested today (10/4/05) when he protested from atop a building at the Indian Institute of Science where the Chinese leader talked to scientists. Tsundue from atop the fourth floor balcony made a speech and placed a “Free Tibet” banner. This is not the first time he has resorted to such measures. There is a passage from the about the author section of Tsundue’s book. It relates an event in January 2002 when ‘He (Tsundue) scaled scaffolding to the 14th floor of the Oberoi Towers, in Mumbai, to unfurl a Tibetan national flag and a banner which read “Free Tibet” down the hotel’s facade. China’s Premier Zhu Rongji was inside the hotel addressing a conference of Indian business tycoons. The world’s media featured this feat and Indian police officers congratulated him in prison for standing up for his rights.’ Tenzin Tsundue is the face of Tibet. I would go as far as saying that he is the Tibetan Martin Luther King. I am also very, very afraid for him. He has what it takes to ruffle China. In fact he has done more for the cause of Tibet in his short life then most human rights groups, nationalists and global bodies such as the U.N have done in decades. I am sure that China is weary of Tsundue and will stoop to any level (even harm Tsundue) to send a message to the Tibetans. For now I can only hope and pray for his safety, as I am sure all right minded people will. For by the sheer power of his belief Tsundue has already made the dream of a Free Tibet seem improbable, rather than impossible as it seemed before his arrival on the scene. For all those who think that there is nothing much a single individual can do Tsundue is THE classic examples of the power of ONE.I see him emerging as one of the persons who will shape the 21st Century. (1)*-The book I refer to and have quoted from is called Kora-a story and eleven poems. (2)*-This article assumes that the reader has a basic knowledge of the Tibetan issue. For those who don’t information on the issue is available on the net. You might find a brief synopsis useful in understanding this article better.

Why this fuss about John Paul the second?

The media frenzy over the passing of John Paul the second has been phenomenal. I did not expect the Indian media to give the kind of coverage that the western media has been giving this issue. The most obvious reason for this could be that the national media is trying to please the Catholic population in this country. For the media here has always been trying to keep the minority communities in good spirits. There is nothing wrong with this parse. John Paul 2 did not get this much coverage in the Western and Indian media purely because he was the head of the Catholic Church. He was certainly one of the most influential humanitarians of our times. In his native country Poland he is considered the father of his nation for his role in morally opposing the communist regime of that country and contributing to its downfall. Despite of some of his archaic views on issues such as abortion and contraception (he was vehemently against these!)he had a huge following of supporters. He has a huge following of well-wishers even among non Catholics. But was a three day state mourning and so much media frenzy in India necessary or justified? My own response is an emphatic no. I don’t say it out of disrespect to John Paul the Second. I keenly followed his illness, his death and his funeral. I am convinced beyond doubt that he was a good and well meaning man. But to give him an elaborate state mourning when several of our own stalwarts passing have been overlooked and at times completely ignored sends the wrong signals. Why didn’t the late pontiff Chandrashekara Saraswati or M.S.Subbulakshi get state honours of equal magnitude? And our media gave the most rudimentary coverage for the passing of these two Indian icons (a notable exception being The Hindu’s extensive tribute to M.S). To me both the Indian Government and media are minority weary. True secularism is in truly treating all communities equally without fear or favour .Just by making a point by keeping the minority in good spirits and ignoring the majority community just to make a statement is anti-secularism and undemocratic.

Tamil Cinema 2004- The Year Of Autograph

How would I define Tamil Cinema in 2004?And what were the defining moments/films? Without even the slightest doubt one movie stand light years ahead of the rest of the pack-Autograph. As far as 2004 is concerned first there is Autograph and then the rest. For the sheer guts to make a nostalgic-drama stripped of all gloss when not one person in the industry believed in it, except its maker of course. Hats of to Cheran for pulling it off. Fortune most definitely favored the brave and as a Tamil movie fanatic nothing makes me gladder than the fact that this masterpiece is already considered one of the defining films of Tamil Cinema. And then there were Kamal Hassan's Virumandi and Mani Rathnam's Ayutha Eluthe both introducing techniques of narration of a Japanese director named Akira Kurosava to the Tamil audience. Virumandi has the air of a docu-drama all over it and the fact that this movie managed to break even shows that our audiences are finally starting to appreciate good cinema.Ayutha Eluthe was racy and partially thought provoking but I am starting to get tired of a non existent utopia Mr.Rathnam started projecting from movies like Roja and Bombay which lingers on in this movie too like a bad hangover! Tamil directors also seem to have developed an obsession for schizophrenia in 2004.Three movies with a protagonist suffering from this illness were made. First there was Kangalal Kaidi Sei.This movie left everyone wondering how could Barathiraja make such a movie? And then there was Kudai Kul Malai.Awesome idea about how something like M TV Bakhra can wreck havoc in someone’s life. Parthiban’s acting is top notch and in my opinion the best acting performance of the year. It is very unfortunate that the movie is so ahead of it's times that it sank at the box office without causing the slightest ripple. And then there is 7G Rainbow Colony. Yet another sensitive and touching movie from Selvaraghavan.This movie has also seen the emergence of its director into a sort of a cult figure. It is still very early days but I wonder have we finally found the long awaited heir to K.Balachander? The year had its share of pretentious movies like Manmadhan and Chellame. The influence of that classic Sigappu Rojakkal was obvious in Manmadhan with almost none of its intensity (except one scene with the psychiatrist). But at least one could sit through it.Challame is an insult to the genre of film it is supposed to be-a psychological thriller. Alfred Hitchcock will not only rise from his grave, he would murder this movie’s director ala Norman Bates(the psycho in Psycho!). Kadhal, which released at the fag end of the year, was like a breath of fresh air. No make up, only natural light, no studio, no duets, no sets, spot dubbing, awesome music, and sensitive acting. Even though it was from what my friend Sridhar will call the boy meets girl school of cinema it was old wine in new bottle and didn’t we all love it? 2004 was also the year when our very own 'Chiyan'Vikram won the national award for Pithamagan and Meera Jasmine(a Tamil Cinema find)one the award for best actress. If someone asked me to sum up 2004,it will go down in Tamil film history as the year of Autograph. I reiterate this though it may sound rhetorical, for the simple reason that the movie has almost single handedly redefined Tamil cinema. Autograph has done to Tamil cinema what Black has done to Bollywood.Need I say more?

Problem with Realism?

Now that all the pundits have passed judgement over 7/g Rainbow Colony I wanted to give vent to the urge to write my opinion on the movie and the response it has drawn.Despite of its stupendous success at the box office both the critics and the general public have been mixed in their response to the movie. The beauty of 7/g is its realism. The characters are normal people we encounter in day to day life. The protagonist Kathir( Ravi Krishna)is not an all conquering paragon of male hood, but an ordinary middle class young man with no special god given trait.It is indeed his normalness which endears the character to ones heart, because one is made to think, “Hey that could be me!”. The wastral activities that Kathir and his friends indulge in are things which most of us have indulged in to a lesser or a greater extent at some point of time in our youth. I believe that 7/g succeeds in making the prudes in our society feel uncomfortable, because here is a movie more close to reality than they would like it to be. There are people who would rather believe that Adam and Eve have not yet indulged in the ‘Original Sin’, than face truth portrayed without gloss. A perfect love story? 7/g is anything but one. There is no love at first site. The female lead Anita(Sonia Agarwal) despises Kathir. And Kathir does not help matters by his misplaced shows of machismo or the lack of it. Once in love he is like a loyal puppy and discovers ingenious and needless to say silly ways of conveying his love(which only makes Anita despise and misunderstand Kathir even more).As he himself admits “yanake teringe love iduthan.ongalekke pudicha madri roja povun greeting cardum vetchu sollala enake teriyadu’’(this is the way I know to express love. I dont know to sugarcoat it with a greeting card and a rose). Are we made to accept that some women expect there men to be Adonises? Finally? This again is too close to reality for some of our likes. Songs.One needs to realise that these are an integral part of our cinema and when used intelligently as in 7/g ,enhance the story and its progression rather than making it stagnate. As in his previous film Kadhal Konden(2003) the director Selvaraghavan uses songs to reflect the mood of his characters and situations. Premarital sex.For the love of god it happens!One would not be mistaken in thinking that we live in a society of blue eyed virgins,the way certain sections of people(flattering themselves by self imposing their selves as the moral guardians of our society?)have reacted to this one scene in the movie. Or is there a problem with the heroine initiating a sexual advance in the land of Sita? Rather than appreciating Selvaraghavan’s guts for portraying something which is quite common place but still a taboo,there are those who criticise it as ‘soft porn’.The very same people digest a Hollywood couple shown sleeping together as portrayal of reality! Double standards or what? In short 7/g Rainbow Colony is about you and me.The real boy next door and not his romanticised celluloid alterego. As the director says, “You walk on the street for a mile, you may bump into at least 50 or 60 of them(young men). I would say 70 percent to 80 percent of the guys you meet in Chennai are like my hero.” If you appreciate honest and good cinema 7/g is a definite must watch.” Truth is beauty, beauty truth”-one is reminded of John Keats’s immortal line as one leaves the theatre.