So...It's official...Prakashraj is a better actor than the Khans and Tamil Cinema is frequently under the Awards scanner now...Priyamani last year and Prakash raj this year.Prakash raj has scored the sixth national award for the Best actor,for tamil cinema.MGR,Kamal Haasan(thrice)and Vikram are the others.Its real sad that Kamal hasn't picked up National awards for many of his masterpieces like Pushpak,Hey Ram,Anbae Sivam etc. :(
And Kanchivaram - Best film.Its only the second instance,where a tamil film is getting the Swarna Kamal for the Best Film.And for a industry that produces around 120 films every year... :(
Veterans like Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Girish Kasaravalli are still delivering good and meaningful cinema and Adoor walked with his Seventh National award.For a career spanning almost 40 years,Adoor has directed less than 15 feature films and seven national awards !!!.Kasaravalli's lady-lead in Gulabi-Talkies,Umashree wins the Best Actress award.
And Chak De!India - Popular film - Justified.
Gnana Rajasekaran's Periyar is the best feature film in Tamil.Films like these need to be encouraged,because biopics are a brand of cinema which pass the historical greats to the posterity.Biopics are a rare phenomenon in India...Indira Gandhi,Nehru,Dhyan chand,Kapil Dev,Satyajit Ray,MS Subbulakshmi...Icons galore but no films :(
I don't know how many have heard about Tingya,a marathi feature which has silently made giant strides at many International film festivals.Have been trying to grab a copy of it,in vain.Tingya's lead Sharad Goekar is the Best child artiste.
Shreya Ghoshal is with Three national awards for the best playback-female now and has equalled Lata Mangeshkar.The iconic Asha Bhonsle has only two.However,Our Chinnakkuyil Chithra with Six is still ahead. :)
Buck up Shreya !!!
And last but not least...Sivaji the Boss,with all its big budget and grand production scales has justified them and has won the award for Best Special Effects.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Videsh:Heaven on Earth (2008) - Surrealism !!!
Videsh:Heaven on Earth (2008) - Film review
imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1146285/
Starring: Preity Zinta and Vansh Bhardwaj
Director: Deepa Mehta
Preity Zinta in an international film !!!...that creates interest,Right ??
Then,there's Deepa Mehta - Fire,Earth,Water ... That should be enough to make the film a compelling watch.
Yeah...Preity and Deepa aren't letting us down and offer a complete cinema,and provide us a great surrealistic experience.The film as such is very imaginative and Preity has delivered her best performance till-date (Has won a couple of awards at International film festivals).
Chand(Preity Zinta) as a young and beautiful (as Moon{dimpled Moon!}) punjabi bride leaves for Canada from India.An abusive husband and not-so caring family - The movie travels along the lines of "47 Naatkal" and "Not Without my daughter" (i.e) Woman trapped and harassed by her husband,in a foreign country.
When you realise,you know the story-line,comes a surprising surrealistic track which you will never imagine.As chand is struck down by despair and loneliness,her friend at her workplace provides her a magical root that is supposed to seduce the one who takes it towards the one who gives it.And then,there is Black Cobra,Surrealism - Both Chand and the audience are trying to comprehend what is happening...And things fall into place towards the end.
We never knew Preity can act to this magnitude.She just fits the role as a punjabi bride,hand in glove (Thanks to IPL and Preity's Franchise Kings XI Punjab...kidding and Preity has that natural punjabi looks in her).You'll naturally listen to the pounding of your heart,when she is harassed by her husband.There are no other well-known actors in the cast department but as an ensemble - they deliver the idea right.
Then,there's a punjabi wedding ceremony in the beginning of the movie.This has become more of a trend in the diasporic films directed by Indian directors.Bend it like Beckam,Mississippi masala,Monsoon wedding offer a few examples.I think,the west really love to see Indian weddings on-screen. Gold,Orange,Yellow,garlands,Marigolds,music and dances have become more of a cliche for us now.See the above mentioned films and you should probably agree my point. :)
Wonderful Cinematography...Alternating Color and grained-Black & White.
Not much of a Background music - yet the movie is not silent - Very lively.
Good piece of art - Don't apply in the logical theories.Travel with it and this one will entertain you .. Recommended.
Rate - 3/5
imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1146285/
Starring: Preity Zinta and Vansh Bhardwaj
Director: Deepa Mehta
Preity Zinta in an international film !!!...that creates interest,Right ??
Then,there's Deepa Mehta - Fire,Earth,Water ... That should be enough to make the film a compelling watch.
Yeah...Preity and Deepa aren't letting us down and offer a complete cinema,and provide us a great surrealistic experience.The film as such is very imaginative and Preity has delivered her best performance till-date (Has won a couple of awards at International film festivals).
Chand(Preity Zinta) as a young and beautiful (as Moon{dimpled Moon!}) punjabi bride leaves for Canada from India.An abusive husband and not-so caring family - The movie travels along the lines of "47 Naatkal" and "Not Without my daughter" (i.e) Woman trapped and harassed by her husband,in a foreign country.
When you realise,you know the story-line,comes a surprising surrealistic track which you will never imagine.As chand is struck down by despair and loneliness,her friend at her workplace provides her a magical root that is supposed to seduce the one who takes it towards the one who gives it.And then,there is Black Cobra,Surrealism - Both Chand and the audience are trying to comprehend what is happening...And things fall into place towards the end.
We never knew Preity can act to this magnitude.She just fits the role as a punjabi bride,hand in glove (Thanks to IPL and Preity's Franchise Kings XI Punjab...kidding and Preity has that natural punjabi looks in her).You'll naturally listen to the pounding of your heart,when she is harassed by her husband.There are no other well-known actors in the cast department but as an ensemble - they deliver the idea right.
Then,there's a punjabi wedding ceremony in the beginning of the movie.This has become more of a trend in the diasporic films directed by Indian directors.Bend it like Beckam,Mississippi masala,Monsoon wedding offer a few examples.I think,the west really love to see Indian weddings on-screen. Gold,Orange,Yellow,garlands,Marigolds,music and dances have become more of a cliche for us now.See the above mentioned films and you should probably agree my point. :)
Wonderful Cinematography...Alternating Color and grained-Black & White.
Not much of a Background music - yet the movie is not silent - Very lively.
Good piece of art - Don't apply in the logical theories.Travel with it and this one will entertain you .. Recommended.
Rate - 3/5
Monday, September 7, 2009
Once (2006) - Musical Delight
Once (2006) - Film review
imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0907657/
Starring: Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová
Director: John Carney
Original Music: Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová
"How often do you find the right person ?" is the tagline of the movie.That summarises the entire idea of this very sweet musical that runs for around 80 minutes.
The protagonist is a street-singer,guitarist.He meets a girl who develops an instant love for his music.He works in a hoover shop and she sells flowers & works in a musical instruments shop(she plays piano too).Each have their personal problems,yet Music binds them.They convert the love they had(and still have) for their soulmates(ex-lovers) into romance-ridden lyrics and beautiful music.They spend one week together,knowing each other,forming a band,recording songs and then,they part each other.There is no place for this general cliche of both running into each other.
The movie rests on a single thread,the resonance between them.In more general terms,we would have discussed something called "Wavelength Match",that's what it is.Both of them are musicians,they love music and music renders hope,music renders life.The movie ends on a very positive note and each live happily ever after.
There's not much of a technical excellence in the making.The movie looks like shot in a digital camera in a few places and there are quite a few blurs and a lot of shakes of the camera.The astounding strength is the music and the tracks are really good.The lead actors Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová have given the original musical score for the film.
One of the best photographic shots in the movie
The movie,to be more precise,looks like a musical album that has a few dialogue-interludes.The tracks are very simple and melodies,generally.They aren't generated in a computer-mix or with metal & drums.Simple guitar chords and piano mix provides a soothing experience and the music will definitely stay in oneself and will sway you to its tunes.One of the tracks won the Academy award for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song,too.
Music all the way...Nothing else to boast about.An interesting one-line plot but not a great ending.Start it one hour before you sleep and Just surrender yourself for 80 minutes.Get happily lost into a pleasant musical melodrama.
Film - 2.5/5
Music - 4/5
Dont count the number of times the word music is used in this post..because this movie is all about music.
imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0907657/
Starring: Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová
Director: John Carney
Original Music: Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová
"How often do you find the right person ?" is the tagline of the movie.That summarises the entire idea of this very sweet musical that runs for around 80 minutes.
The protagonist is a street-singer,guitarist.He meets a girl who develops an instant love for his music.He works in a hoover shop and she sells flowers & works in a musical instruments shop(she plays piano too).Each have their personal problems,yet Music binds them.They convert the love they had(and still have) for their soulmates(ex-lovers) into romance-ridden lyrics and beautiful music.They spend one week together,knowing each other,forming a band,recording songs and then,they part each other.There is no place for this general cliche of both running into each other.
The movie rests on a single thread,the resonance between them.In more general terms,we would have discussed something called "Wavelength Match",that's what it is.Both of them are musicians,they love music and music renders hope,music renders life.The movie ends on a very positive note and each live happily ever after.
There's not much of a technical excellence in the making.The movie looks like shot in a digital camera in a few places and there are quite a few blurs and a lot of shakes of the camera.The astounding strength is the music and the tracks are really good.The lead actors Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová have given the original musical score for the film.
One of the best photographic shots in the movie
The movie,to be more precise,looks like a musical album that has a few dialogue-interludes.The tracks are very simple and melodies,generally.They aren't generated in a computer-mix or with metal & drums.Simple guitar chords and piano mix provides a soothing experience and the music will definitely stay in oneself and will sway you to its tunes.One of the tracks won the Academy award for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song,too.
Music all the way...Nothing else to boast about.An interesting one-line plot but not a great ending.Start it one hour before you sleep and Just surrender yourself for 80 minutes.Get happily lost into a pleasant musical melodrama.
Film - 2.5/5
Music - 4/5
Dont count the number of times the word music is used in this post..because this movie is all about music.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Godmother (1999) - Rambhiben ki Jay !!!
Godmother (1999) - Film Review
imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0233808/
Starring : Shabana Azmi,Milind Gunaji,Raima Sen.
Most in this world have appreciated Francis Coppola's "The Godfather",in its original form and if not,have witnessed it in some other forms.Such was the influence that this timeless classic has on the filmmakers and it radically restructured the film theory,in general.
Can a woman be a power-center,can she be a influencing political figure,How will she don a mafiosi ... If a marvellous actress like Shabana Azmi can do it with effortless ease on-screen,It's always a treat to watch and mind you,Shabana won the National Award for the Best-Actress for Godmother in 1999,her fifth and the most recent one.
The film starts in a drought-hit village/terrain/plains in Gujarat and offers several dry but colourful and captivating images.The protagonist couple, Veeram(Milind)and Rambhi(Shabana) are planning to leave the village,reluctantly.They reach a nearby town and here,Veeram achieves a cult status and influential & faithful following among his community people with all his saviour acts.There's a lot of communalism portrayed in the film and how this communal unity has been utilised for the political gains of the people at the top,is shown through-out.
Rambhi(Shabana)has been a humble and calm housewife,bringing up her newborn and kitchen-stuff for almost half the movie.Veeram gets murdered and Rambhi becomes the power-center.From here on,Shabana takes control and carries the film with her.The transition from the housewife to a powerful panchayat leader is portrayed in a two-minute sequence and it is awesome.And like "The Godfather" and "Nayagan", there's a vendetta sequence portraying cruel murders of the people,who killed her husband.
Rambhi has a son,his love for Sejal(Raima Sen),Sejal's love with a muslim guy,Communal riots,Rambhi's justice,Rambhi's sacrifice and all that forms the rest of the story.There's nothing great or novel with the film's plot or screenplay.The only thing that is worth discussing is Shabana's performance throughout the film and especially after she becomes the power-center of her village.She has worked well on the walking styles(she just walks like a man,shedding off the female Nalina)and body language.
There are many other impressive characterisations and performances but they get effectively masked by Rambhiben's (Shabana) image and personality cult.It was a real pain to see a naive and amateurish performance from Raima Sen sharing the screenspace with iconic Shabana.Aged Shabana Azmi looking old in the first part of the movie,was a negative aspect.
The cinematogaphy captured everything in its true sense and color and there were lots of close-up shots in the movie,studying the faces of the protagonist and the support-cast.With the actors,emoting right with the eyes and facial expressions,the idea didn't sound bad.
This is not an absolute off-beat film or a serious parallel cinema stuff.The film has its own dramatizations,share of cliches,one or two bollywood-ish song sequences,communal riots and all that.Recommended for Shabana Azmi's fans,who would like to watch her,do a DON.
Rating:2.5/5
Finally, Just for fun...A Maggi ad... :)
imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0233808/
Starring : Shabana Azmi,Milind Gunaji,Raima Sen.
Most in this world have appreciated Francis Coppola's "The Godfather",in its original form and if not,have witnessed it in some other forms.Such was the influence that this timeless classic has on the filmmakers and it radically restructured the film theory,in general.
Can a woman be a power-center,can she be a influencing political figure,How will she don a mafiosi ... If a marvellous actress like Shabana Azmi can do it with effortless ease on-screen,It's always a treat to watch and mind you,Shabana won the National Award for the Best-Actress for Godmother in 1999,her fifth and the most recent one.
The film starts in a drought-hit village/terrain/plains in Gujarat and offers several dry but colourful and captivating images.The protagonist couple, Veeram(Milind)and Rambhi(Shabana) are planning to leave the village,reluctantly.They reach a nearby town and here,Veeram achieves a cult status and influential & faithful following among his community people with all his saviour acts.There's a lot of communalism portrayed in the film and how this communal unity has been utilised for the political gains of the people at the top,is shown through-out.
Rambhi(Shabana)has been a humble and calm housewife,bringing up her newborn and kitchen-stuff for almost half the movie.Veeram gets murdered and Rambhi becomes the power-center.From here on,Shabana takes control and carries the film with her.The transition from the housewife to a powerful panchayat leader is portrayed in a two-minute sequence and it is awesome.And like "The Godfather" and "Nayagan", there's a vendetta sequence portraying cruel murders of the people,who killed her husband.
Rambhi has a son,his love for Sejal(Raima Sen),Sejal's love with a muslim guy,Communal riots,Rambhi's justice,Rambhi's sacrifice and all that forms the rest of the story.There's nothing great or novel with the film's plot or screenplay.The only thing that is worth discussing is Shabana's performance throughout the film and especially after she becomes the power-center of her village.She has worked well on the walking styles(she just walks like a man,shedding off the female Nalina)and body language.
There are many other impressive characterisations and performances but they get effectively masked by Rambhiben's (Shabana) image and personality cult.It was a real pain to see a naive and amateurish performance from Raima Sen sharing the screenspace with iconic Shabana.Aged Shabana Azmi looking old in the first part of the movie,was a negative aspect.
The cinematogaphy captured everything in its true sense and color and there were lots of close-up shots in the movie,studying the faces of the protagonist and the support-cast.With the actors,emoting right with the eyes and facial expressions,the idea didn't sound bad.
This is not an absolute off-beat film or a serious parallel cinema stuff.The film has its own dramatizations,share of cliches,one or two bollywood-ish song sequences,communal riots and all that.Recommended for Shabana Azmi's fans,who would like to watch her,do a DON.
Rating:2.5/5
Finally, Just for fun...A Maggi ad... :)
UNIVERSITY & TEACHER !!!
The source for this post is actually an inscription,that I found at one of the walls of Sir M.Visweswaraya Institute of Technology (MVIT),Bangalore.Had been there for the DRDO test.I took a piece of paper and noted it down,there only.
It reads so...(And it was real sad that this gem of a thought was painted there with quite a few spell-errors).
A University is essentially a co-operation of teachers and students and the relation between the two is of a sacred character.A University is not a mere information shop,it's a place where a man's intellect,will and emotions are disciplined.The university is a sanctuary of the intellectual life of the country and pursuit of knowledge is the soul of the university.Magnificent buildings and equipments are no substitute for the great teacher.
-Dr.S.Radhakrishnan
How true !!! and the last line captivated me,so much.
As our country's education infrastructure is under a wonderful phase of development with lots of IITs,NITs and BITS-Pilani campuses,India is facing a real dearth of good teachers.I have one of my friends who is lecturing at a college for Bachelors degree students with a Bachelor's degree.
Let's churn out some statistics ...
The UN Rao committee has pointed out that India had a huge shortage of teachers for engineering. For instance in 2000-01, Indian engineering institutions required Total 60,970 teachers, broken down into: 8,710 professors, 17,420 readers and 34,840 lecturers.
In terms of professional qualifications, what was required were 26,130 Ph Ds and 34,840 M Techs.
What was available however, were 5,862 Ph Ds and 11,035 MTech’s.
That's a shortfall of around 70 per cent, a figure that's more than doubled over the decade. So one can imagine the quality of students being churned out.
Premier Institutions like IITs have a huge number of unfilled faculty positions and I myself have some experiences of being taught by teachers with a Bachelor's degree.A real saddening state and whenever I realise myself,being short technically,my mind would start blaming the teachers I had at my college.Yeah...we can dismiss this one as mere escapism of a lazy student who hasn't done his classwork and learning at college.
But what,then is the role of a teacher at the University ?
Dr.S.Radhakrishnan,again comes to our rescue...
* The teacher's duty is not only to acquaint the students, with the subjects and the subject matter, principles and generalization, but also to inculcate in them a sense of research and habit of free and impartial judgement.
* It is the main duty of the teachers to inculcate interest in his pupil for the subject, which he teaches. A teacher who is not aware of the latest development or advancement and who does not have independent thinking and ideas about his duties cannot infuse the desire of love for truth in his pupil.
The teachers,nowadays fail in their attempt to teach and explain the subject matter satisfactorily,leave apart the research sense and all that.A teacher need not necessarily explain all the syllabus to his students but he should be able to ignite the minds of his students,inculcate passion towards the subject and more importantly,he should be potent enough to inspire his wards.On a saddening note,none of the above are happening at the modern day engineering class-rooms.
IITs and other premier engineering Institutes are having a good number of experienced professors but there is a visible shortage of second rung of good professors.Over the next decade,it may not be a wonder if there's a exponential drop in the quality of student output from our universities.
So...Where do we fall short ?
In a nation which had iconic professors like Dr.S.Radhakrishnan, Sir.C.V.Raman, Prof.Satish Dhawan and the likes, why is this trauma ??
I would like to share a few thoughts on this regard...
1) Research Infrastructure at the University campuses
Have a look at the university websites of premier grad schools like Stanford, Berkeley or any top US university...You are sure to hit a considerable number of Indian professors there.After spending years on a Doctorate,which science-inclined person will be ready to work in a Indian university,which has sub-standard research facilities and infrastructure.Everybody has got to be selfish someways and nobody wants to ruin their careers.Except the IITs and IISc,how many universities in India have a decent device fabrication laboratory in their campuses.So,our brains drain into the west and in-turn our creamy student layer also ends up there,leaving behind a big hole in our education and knowledge setup.
Absence of good professors at the universities will create a sub-standard student community and this becomes a vicious circle.Over 90% of the students complete their coursework and graduate from the college without (any...yeah ANY)understanding of say..Automata theory,Quantum mechanics or Semiconductor device physics.
2) The Information Technology Boom
IT's arrival in the 90s has gradually inculcated a sense of negligence and carelessness in the learning patterns of the student community.Learn Java,code in .NET and do something creative in Photoshop and you end up with a real job that's gonna offer you more than 35k per month.Why to take pains with your coursework...why to understand turbines and gears,Diodes and opamps,Automata and Turing machine.This is a dangerous trend that has already infiltrated the colleges and universities.This way,a lot of people graduate out from college with a very little technical knowledge in their chosen program of study.Simulators and programming languages have really eaten up the valuable teaching,learning and experimentation time,where real knowledge transfer and acquisition will happen.The will and skill to contribute to science and teaching is seemingly absent in even,the top rankers of the university.
So...Somebody might ask...we know all this young man...Got any solution ??
And my answer will be NO.If a 23 year old can provide solutions for these problems of mammoth magnitude,then why is Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam still trying to put forward his dreams of India being all-potent in 2020.
I will take this oppurtunity to thank and gratify some of my teachers who inspired me,all these years.
Mr.Sivakumar - Taught Biology at school - Taught the art and life behind Amoeba and Mammalian heart with astounding ease.
Mr.SAR Arumugam - Taught Physics at school - Spoke Kalam,Universe,Stars and Big-bang theory in an inspiring manner.
Miss.Manimegalai - Taught English grammar - she developed an intuitive way of writing error-free sentences,in me.
Prof.Raghunath Behera - Chemistry at University - he always stresses the research aptitude and scientific temper - Most respectable person in my college life.
A real less Number of people...considering 19 years of learning...Thats the state of affairs.
It reads so...(And it was real sad that this gem of a thought was painted there with quite a few spell-errors).
A University is essentially a co-operation of teachers and students and the relation between the two is of a sacred character.A University is not a mere information shop,it's a place where a man's intellect,will and emotions are disciplined.The university is a sanctuary of the intellectual life of the country and pursuit of knowledge is the soul of the university.Magnificent buildings and equipments are no substitute for the great teacher.
-Dr.S.Radhakrishnan
How true !!! and the last line captivated me,so much.
As our country's education infrastructure is under a wonderful phase of development with lots of IITs,NITs and BITS-Pilani campuses,India is facing a real dearth of good teachers.I have one of my friends who is lecturing at a college for Bachelors degree students with a Bachelor's degree.
Let's churn out some statistics ...
The UN Rao committee has pointed out that India had a huge shortage of teachers for engineering. For instance in 2000-01, Indian engineering institutions required Total 60,970 teachers, broken down into: 8,710 professors, 17,420 readers and 34,840 lecturers.
In terms of professional qualifications, what was required were 26,130 Ph Ds and 34,840 M Techs.
What was available however, were 5,862 Ph Ds and 11,035 MTech’s.
That's a shortfall of around 70 per cent, a figure that's more than doubled over the decade. So one can imagine the quality of students being churned out.
Premier Institutions like IITs have a huge number of unfilled faculty positions and I myself have some experiences of being taught by teachers with a Bachelor's degree.A real saddening state and whenever I realise myself,being short technically,my mind would start blaming the teachers I had at my college.Yeah...we can dismiss this one as mere escapism of a lazy student who hasn't done his classwork and learning at college.
But what,then is the role of a teacher at the University ?
Dr.S.Radhakrishnan,again comes to our rescue...
* The teacher's duty is not only to acquaint the students, with the subjects and the subject matter, principles and generalization, but also to inculcate in them a sense of research and habit of free and impartial judgement.
* It is the main duty of the teachers to inculcate interest in his pupil for the subject, which he teaches. A teacher who is not aware of the latest development or advancement and who does not have independent thinking and ideas about his duties cannot infuse the desire of love for truth in his pupil.
The teachers,nowadays fail in their attempt to teach and explain the subject matter satisfactorily,leave apart the research sense and all that.A teacher need not necessarily explain all the syllabus to his students but he should be able to ignite the minds of his students,inculcate passion towards the subject and more importantly,he should be potent enough to inspire his wards.On a saddening note,none of the above are happening at the modern day engineering class-rooms.
IITs and other premier engineering Institutes are having a good number of experienced professors but there is a visible shortage of second rung of good professors.Over the next decade,it may not be a wonder if there's a exponential drop in the quality of student output from our universities.
So...Where do we fall short ?
In a nation which had iconic professors like Dr.S.Radhakrishnan, Sir.C.V.Raman, Prof.Satish Dhawan and the likes, why is this trauma ??
I would like to share a few thoughts on this regard...
1) Research Infrastructure at the University campuses
Have a look at the university websites of premier grad schools like Stanford, Berkeley or any top US university...You are sure to hit a considerable number of Indian professors there.After spending years on a Doctorate,which science-inclined person will be ready to work in a Indian university,which has sub-standard research facilities and infrastructure.Everybody has got to be selfish someways and nobody wants to ruin their careers.Except the IITs and IISc,how many universities in India have a decent device fabrication laboratory in their campuses.So,our brains drain into the west and in-turn our creamy student layer also ends up there,leaving behind a big hole in our education and knowledge setup.
Absence of good professors at the universities will create a sub-standard student community and this becomes a vicious circle.Over 90% of the students complete their coursework and graduate from the college without (any...yeah ANY)understanding of say..Automata theory,Quantum mechanics or Semiconductor device physics.
2) The Information Technology Boom
IT's arrival in the 90s has gradually inculcated a sense of negligence and carelessness in the learning patterns of the student community.Learn Java,code in .NET and do something creative in Photoshop and you end up with a real job that's gonna offer you more than 35k per month.Why to take pains with your coursework...why to understand turbines and gears,Diodes and opamps,Automata and Turing machine.This is a dangerous trend that has already infiltrated the colleges and universities.This way,a lot of people graduate out from college with a very little technical knowledge in their chosen program of study.Simulators and programming languages have really eaten up the valuable teaching,learning and experimentation time,where real knowledge transfer and acquisition will happen.The will and skill to contribute to science and teaching is seemingly absent in even,the top rankers of the university.
So...Somebody might ask...we know all this young man...Got any solution ??
And my answer will be NO.If a 23 year old can provide solutions for these problems of mammoth magnitude,then why is Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam still trying to put forward his dreams of India being all-potent in 2020.
I will take this oppurtunity to thank and gratify some of my teachers who inspired me,all these years.
Mr.Sivakumar - Taught Biology at school - Taught the art and life behind Amoeba and Mammalian heart with astounding ease.
Mr.SAR Arumugam - Taught Physics at school - Spoke Kalam,Universe,Stars and Big-bang theory in an inspiring manner.
Miss.Manimegalai - Taught English grammar - she developed an intuitive way of writing error-free sentences,in me.
Prof.Raghunath Behera - Chemistry at University - he always stresses the research aptitude and scientific temper - Most respectable person in my college life.
A real less Number of people...considering 19 years of learning...Thats the state of affairs.
Monday, June 22, 2009
June 12, 2009 - An eventful day ...
June 12th,2009 has been an eventful day for me for various reasons.The reasons for celebrating this day are more than one,in my case and this blog will share them with you.
1) DTV Transition:
The first reason is that a wholesome "Transition to Digital TV" is complete in the US on this historic day and from this date on, we bid a farewell to the Analog broadcast and the TV Stations will only broadcast digital signals.The DTV is going to revolutionize the TV watching experience round the globe and get ready to enjoy television with better picture and sound quality.
The switch from analog to digital broadcast television is referred to as the digital TV (DTV) transition. In 1996, the U.S. Congress authorized the distribution of an additional broadcast channel to each broadcast TV station so that they could start a digital broadcast channel while simultaneously continuing their analog broadcast channel. Later, Congress set June 12, 2009 as the final date that full power television stations can broadcast analog signals. As of June 13, 2009, full power television stations will only broadcast digital, over-the-air signals.
As of now, the principal advantages of DTV that are discussed are superior audio and video quality compared to the analog broadcast and the "Multicasting".Google "multicasting" for details :)
This website http://www.dtv.gov/ provides the entire details about this DTV Transition and go through it if interested.
Its in the US and what has it got to do with India, might be the next question.The point is,the technology has arrived and is on the way and it won't take much time before India embraces the DTV broadcast.The count down begins...
And on my part, I am already a part of this revolution as I have worked on the Memory Controller that goes into the DTV Chip,manufactured by Broadcom (During my final year project with Broadcom) and this makes it more special. :)
2) BCM 7420 Tapeout
I am not a part of Broadcom anymore but BCM 7420 happens to be the first chip(designed by Broadcom) that I worked on in my professional career.Its a Set-Top box chip and during my one year tenure at Broadcom,I witnessed its design and verification from the head (neck atleast) till toes and the chip tapes-out on this day 12th June,2009.Tape-out is an event that marks the departure of the design from the Software format(Netlist) to the hardware format(to the foundry).
Since this guy(BCM 7420) happens to be the first chip I have kept my hands on, he is so special for me.
3) BITS Pilani recognises me as an Engineer !!!
Last but not least,this day has gotta be so special personally.I graduate out from my college with a M.Sc and a B.E degree.It's the final day of my PS-II and BITS-Pilani proudly launches another batch of engineers (of around 1000 people) to the country and I am one among them.
Its a great day that shouldn't be forgotten...
1) DTV Transition:
The first reason is that a wholesome "Transition to Digital TV" is complete in the US on this historic day and from this date on, we bid a farewell to the Analog broadcast and the TV Stations will only broadcast digital signals.The DTV is going to revolutionize the TV watching experience round the globe and get ready to enjoy television with better picture and sound quality.
The switch from analog to digital broadcast television is referred to as the digital TV (DTV) transition. In 1996, the U.S. Congress authorized the distribution of an additional broadcast channel to each broadcast TV station so that they could start a digital broadcast channel while simultaneously continuing their analog broadcast channel. Later, Congress set June 12, 2009 as the final date that full power television stations can broadcast analog signals. As of June 13, 2009, full power television stations will only broadcast digital, over-the-air signals.
As of now, the principal advantages of DTV that are discussed are superior audio and video quality compared to the analog broadcast and the "Multicasting".Google "multicasting" for details :)
This website http://www.dtv.gov/ provides the entire details about this DTV Transition and go through it if interested.
Its in the US and what has it got to do with India, might be the next question.The point is,the technology has arrived and is on the way and it won't take much time before India embraces the DTV broadcast.The count down begins...
And on my part, I am already a part of this revolution as I have worked on the Memory Controller that goes into the DTV Chip,manufactured by Broadcom (During my final year project with Broadcom) and this makes it more special. :)
2) BCM 7420 Tapeout
I am not a part of Broadcom anymore but BCM 7420 happens to be the first chip(designed by Broadcom) that I worked on in my professional career.Its a Set-Top box chip and during my one year tenure at Broadcom,I witnessed its design and verification from the head (neck atleast) till toes and the chip tapes-out on this day 12th June,2009.Tape-out is an event that marks the departure of the design from the Software format(Netlist) to the hardware format(to the foundry).
Since this guy(BCM 7420) happens to be the first chip I have kept my hands on, he is so special for me.
3) BITS Pilani recognises me as an Engineer !!!
Last but not least,this day has gotta be so special personally.I graduate out from my college with a M.Sc and a B.E degree.It's the final day of my PS-II and BITS-Pilani proudly launches another batch of engineers (of around 1000 people) to the country and I am one among them.
Its a great day that shouldn't be forgotten...
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
William Shockley's Interview Question @ Shockley Semiconductor Lab
In August 1957 William Shockley was recruiting staff for his Palo
Alto, California, start-up, Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory. Shockley had been part of the Bell Labs team that invented the transistor. He had quit his job and come west to start his own company, telling people his goal was to make a million dollars. Everyone thought he was crazy. Shockley knew he wasn't. Unlike a lot of the people at Bell Labs, he knew the transistor was going to be big.
,+John+Bardeen,+and+Walter+Brattain,+1948.jpg)
William Shockley(seated),John Bardeen and Walter Brattain,1948 - Bell Labs
Shockley had an idea about how to make transistors cheaply. He was going to fabricate them out of silicon. He had come to this valley, south of San Francisco, to start production.He felt like he was on the cusp of history, in the right place at the right time. All that he needed was the right people. Shockley was leaving nothing to chance.
Today's interview was with Jim Gibbons. He was a young guy, early twenties. He already had a Stanford Ph.D. He had studied at Cambridge too - on a Fulbright scholarship he'd won. Gibbons was sitting in front of him right now, in Shockley's Quonset hut office. Shockley picked up his stopwatch.
There's a tennis tournament with one hundred twenty-
seven players, Shockley began, in measured tones. You've got one hundred twenty-six people paired off in sixty-three matches, plus one unpaired player as a bye. In the next round, there are sixty-four players and thirty-two matches. How many matches, total, does it take to determine a winner?
Shockley started the stopwatch.
The hand had not gone far when Gibbons replied:
One hundred twenty-six.
How did you do that?
Shockley wanted to know. Have you heard this before?
Gibbons explained simply that it takes one match to eliminate one player. One hundred twenty-six players have to be eliminated to leave one winner. Therefore, there have to be 126 matches.
Shockley almost threw a tantrum. That was how he would have solved the problem, he told Gibbons. Gibbons had the distinct impression that Shockley did not care for other people using "his" method.
Shockley posed the next puzzle and clicked the stop-watch again. This one was harder for Gibbons. He thought a long time without answering. He noticed that, with each passing second, the room's atmosphere grew less tense.
Shockley,seething at the previous answer, now relaxed like a man sinking into a hot bath. Finally, Shockley clicked off the stopwatch and said that Gibbons had already taken twice the lab average time to answer the question. He reported this with charitable satisfaction. Gibbons was hired.
Excerpt from: How would you move Mount Fuji?: Microsoft's cult of the puzzle : how the world's smartest companies select the most creative thinkers by William Poundstone.
Alto, California, start-up, Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory. Shockley had been part of the Bell Labs team that invented the transistor. He had quit his job and come west to start his own company, telling people his goal was to make a million dollars. Everyone thought he was crazy. Shockley knew he wasn't. Unlike a lot of the people at Bell Labs, he knew the transistor was going to be big.
,+John+Bardeen,+and+Walter+Brattain,+1948.jpg)
William Shockley(seated),John Bardeen and Walter Brattain,1948 - Bell Labs
Shockley had an idea about how to make transistors cheaply. He was going to fabricate them out of silicon. He had come to this valley, south of San Francisco, to start production.He felt like he was on the cusp of history, in the right place at the right time. All that he needed was the right people. Shockley was leaving nothing to chance.
Today's interview was with Jim Gibbons. He was a young guy, early twenties. He already had a Stanford Ph.D. He had studied at Cambridge too - on a Fulbright scholarship he'd won. Gibbons was sitting in front of him right now, in Shockley's Quonset hut office. Shockley picked up his stopwatch.
There's a tennis tournament with one hundred twenty-
seven players, Shockley began, in measured tones. You've got one hundred twenty-six people paired off in sixty-three matches, plus one unpaired player as a bye. In the next round, there are sixty-four players and thirty-two matches. How many matches, total, does it take to determine a winner?
Shockley started the stopwatch.
The hand had not gone far when Gibbons replied:
One hundred twenty-six.
How did you do that?
Shockley wanted to know. Have you heard this before?
Gibbons explained simply that it takes one match to eliminate one player. One hundred twenty-six players have to be eliminated to leave one winner. Therefore, there have to be 126 matches.
Shockley almost threw a tantrum. That was how he would have solved the problem, he told Gibbons. Gibbons had the distinct impression that Shockley did not care for other people using "his" method.
Shockley posed the next puzzle and clicked the stop-watch again. This one was harder for Gibbons. He thought a long time without answering. He noticed that, with each passing second, the room's atmosphere grew less tense.
Shockley,seething at the previous answer, now relaxed like a man sinking into a hot bath. Finally, Shockley clicked off the stopwatch and said that Gibbons had already taken twice the lab average time to answer the question. He reported this with charitable satisfaction. Gibbons was hired.
Excerpt from: How would you move Mount Fuji?: Microsoft's cult of the puzzle : how the world's smartest companies select the most creative thinkers by William Poundstone.
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