These are basically two astrologically incompatible sun signs for marriage. Yet a spate of celebrity marriages has happened between people of these two sun signs in the recent times. Most of them between aquarius man and scorpio woman. In almost all the cases, the women are professionally more accomplished and older than men except in one case.
So what is it that attracts a scorpio woman to aquarius man ?
Let’s have the examples first. You have the beautiful scorpio Julia Roberts marrying the aquarian cameraman Daniel Moder, two years younger to her.After the failures of the previous marriages, Ms Roberts says that she has found the ideal partner.
Actor and scorpio Demi Moore married upcoming actor and aquarian Ashton Kutcher after divorcing Die Hard star Bruce Willis with whom she had three children. And mind you Ashton is 32 and Ms Moore is 48. Ms Moore professed some time ago that she has found true love.
And back in India we have couple of examples. You have the scorpio tennis star Sania Mirza breaking off her engagement and tying the knot with Pakistani cricketer and aquarian Shoib Malik after a brief courtship. This despite allegations that Shoiab had another wife in India. And worse,the marriage took place when Shoaib was serving one year ban from cricket. What a contrast to watch a shy Shoiab accompanying a determined Sania.
The glam queen scorpio Aiswarya Rai finally chose aquarian Abhishek Bachchan after rejecting offers from a string of suitors. She appears to be happy in the partnership with someone who lacks his father’s charisma.
To check the chemistry between the two signs I surfed the net and found this :
``They're a couple of cool characters, with just a hint of the complexity that lies beneath the surface. Aquarius likes to be friends first, and this gives suspicious Scorpio a lot of time to just observe. Scorpio is intrigued by human puzzles, and Aquarius is full of quirky traits to be curious about. They're both drawn to the fringes, and dates lead them to the experimental, the taboo or to unusual places. Aquarius doesn't blink at Scorpio's extreme views and moods, being a radical non-judger, and prone to off-the-wall opinions, too. Scorpio's biggest challenge here is accepting that Aquarius can't be possessed, as it's a sign that casts a wide social net.
And that becomes a sticking point, as Aquarius likes to have lots of friends, many of them casual acquaintances. Scorpio in contrast, has a handful of intimates with which to share the soul's journey. Being a sign of mind-body-soul merging, Scorpio longs to plunge the depths of love with their partner. An air sign, the nature of Aquarius is once-removed, yet this is a sign with cosmic wisdom to match Scorpio's. As the Waterbearer, Aquarius is like a conduit for divine energies, and while they may not "feel" deep, they can understand Scorpio's depths. If Scorpio trusts this and experiences the bond on what could be called the spiritual plane, a strong foundation can be built.
Both have minds that like to stay fixed on something, but Scorpio is probing and Aquarius is more conceptual. Scorpio wants to dive to the bottom, and emerge with a multi-dimensional view. Aquarius likes to look down from a great height, and see how things are connected from that distant perspective. If they understand this key difference in outlook, they become a creative team par excellence. If not, both can feel profoundly misunderstood.
Being so strong-willed, this is bound to be one intense relationship. They've got the determination to create exactly the kind of life they want. With Aquarius thwarting convention, often this is a pairing that's unusual in some way. Both like to remain enigmatic, even to those they love. It keeps the relationship fresh since there are always more layers to uncover. Aquarius can be loyal, but Scorpio will have to accept that it won't ever be a full surrender. It's a lifelong friendship full of respect, freedom and intimacy. ‘’
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
best actors II
It’s time for the second list of best actors. These are genuine actors with hardly any star appeal to draw crowds. But all of them have the ability to keep the audience glued to their seats with their acting skills. I think they are comparable to the best in the world. Some of them like Naseerudin Shah and Om Puri have performed in Hollywood films. Here goes my list.
1. Naseeruddin Shah 2.Bharath Gopi 3. Om Puri 4. Nedumudi Venu 5. Paresh Rawal 6. Thilakan 7. Anupam Kher 8. Manoj Bajpai 9. Prakash Raj 10. Boman Irani .
It was a difficult one since our country is a veritable storehouse of talent. I had to leave out many others all of whom are worth another list. But I hope nobody will be disappointed with the list though one can argue with the rankings.
Who would have thought an ordinary looking, slender, bearded man would become one of the finest actors ever to have graced the Indian screen. After showing his versatility in a variety of roles, Naseeruddin Shah is still going strong. He was the darling of parallel cinema and directors like Shyam Benegal, Sai Paranjape, Govind Nihalani and Saeed Mirza groomed him and made him what he is today. If you want to know what acting is all about, just watch Shah as a parsi in the movie Pestonjee.. He shifted to villain roles in commercial films later in his career. He played a suave villain in Sarfarosh. Glimpses of his talent can be observed in the recent movies Monsoon Wedding, Iqbal and A Wednesday.
Bharat Gopi made baldness popular in Malayalam films. Perhaps it represented a welcome change when actors used to wear unsightly wigs. After his breakthrough film Kodiyettam, his talents were moulded by directors like George, Bharathan and Mohan. Who can forget the tabla player in Yavanika and the deaf and mute in Ormakkayi. Generally considered as the best actor in Malayalam films
Would anybody have given a chance to Om Puri in films looking at his pockmarked face ? But he is now as acceptable to the Indian households as any other actor. From a police officer with boiling rage inside to the comic characters in Priyadarshan films, his range is beyond compare. Over the years he has maintained a good presence in TV as well. The tele film Tamas brought out the best in him. His entry into comedy began with Kakkaji serial in the TV
Nedumudi Venu is another performer who has enriched Malayalam films with his acting. He made acting look so simple with his skills. He is an ideal choice for rustic characters as can be observed in movies like Thakara, Kolangal, Kallan Pavithran etc. Directors Mohan and Bharathan gave him some of his finest roles. His best performances have come in the eighties after which he mostly played elderly charcters.
These days you get to see Paresh Rawal mostly in Priyadarshan films. He seems a natural in doing comic characters. But same man enacted the role of Patel in Sardar and that of eunuch in Tamanna. He has a face which can portray a range of emotions.
Thilakan entered films in his forties and still made a name by playing strong characters. Though he learnt his skills by acting in theatre, he has adapted himself quite well in films. But as is the case with many other actors, theatre is his first love. I have often felt that like Nedumudi Venu, Thilakan inspired other actors to give their best. Imagine Kireedam and Spadikam without Thilakan.. He could have missed good roles as he is at loggerheads with Malayalam film industry now.
Like Gopi, Anupam Kher is another bald actor who has made baldness his strength. He never cared to hide his baldness which didn’t deny him roles. But I feel he got typecast as comic villain in many hindi films after his splendid performance in Saaransh. Only in the recent time he has got roles like corrupt politician in Rang De Basanti and as a cop in A Wednesday, where he can show his acting skills.
Manoj Bajpai exploded into filmdom with his role Bhiku Mhatre in Satya. Since then he has done several fine roles. He got a good role in Rajneeti. But I feel his talents are not exploited fully. His best is yet to come.
Prakash Raj has entered this list through his performances in Iruvar and Kancheevaram. Even when he plays villain he does it in his style like he did in Wanted. Again an actor who can go miles provided the industry gives him the good roles.
Boman Irani became a popular actor through his performances in Munnabhai MBBS and Three Idiots. But just watch him play the real estate shark in Khosla ka Ghosla. He had the right mannerisms. Another talented theatre actor, whose skills remain unexploited.
Raghuvir Yadav, Atul Kulkarni. Utpal Dutt, Robi Ghosh, Nasser, Irfan Khan, Pavan Malhotra, Jagathi Sreekumar Nana Ptekar.
The list of those who have missed out is long. Some of them like Atul Kulkarni stand a fair chance of delivering mind blowing performances.
1. Naseeruddin Shah 2.Bharath Gopi 3. Om Puri 4. Nedumudi Venu 5. Paresh Rawal 6. Thilakan 7. Anupam Kher 8. Manoj Bajpai 9. Prakash Raj 10. Boman Irani .
It was a difficult one since our country is a veritable storehouse of talent. I had to leave out many others all of whom are worth another list. But I hope nobody will be disappointed with the list though one can argue with the rankings.
Who would have thought an ordinary looking, slender, bearded man would become one of the finest actors ever to have graced the Indian screen. After showing his versatility in a variety of roles, Naseeruddin Shah is still going strong. He was the darling of parallel cinema and directors like Shyam Benegal, Sai Paranjape, Govind Nihalani and Saeed Mirza groomed him and made him what he is today. If you want to know what acting is all about, just watch Shah as a parsi in the movie Pestonjee.. He shifted to villain roles in commercial films later in his career. He played a suave villain in Sarfarosh. Glimpses of his talent can be observed in the recent movies Monsoon Wedding, Iqbal and A Wednesday.
Bharat Gopi made baldness popular in Malayalam films. Perhaps it represented a welcome change when actors used to wear unsightly wigs. After his breakthrough film Kodiyettam, his talents were moulded by directors like George, Bharathan and Mohan. Who can forget the tabla player in Yavanika and the deaf and mute in Ormakkayi. Generally considered as the best actor in Malayalam films
Would anybody have given a chance to Om Puri in films looking at his pockmarked face ? But he is now as acceptable to the Indian households as any other actor. From a police officer with boiling rage inside to the comic characters in Priyadarshan films, his range is beyond compare. Over the years he has maintained a good presence in TV as well. The tele film Tamas brought out the best in him. His entry into comedy began with Kakkaji serial in the TV
Nedumudi Venu is another performer who has enriched Malayalam films with his acting. He made acting look so simple with his skills. He is an ideal choice for rustic characters as can be observed in movies like Thakara, Kolangal, Kallan Pavithran etc. Directors Mohan and Bharathan gave him some of his finest roles. His best performances have come in the eighties after which he mostly played elderly charcters.
These days you get to see Paresh Rawal mostly in Priyadarshan films. He seems a natural in doing comic characters. But same man enacted the role of Patel in Sardar and that of eunuch in Tamanna. He has a face which can portray a range of emotions.
Thilakan entered films in his forties and still made a name by playing strong characters. Though he learnt his skills by acting in theatre, he has adapted himself quite well in films. But as is the case with many other actors, theatre is his first love. I have often felt that like Nedumudi Venu, Thilakan inspired other actors to give their best. Imagine Kireedam and Spadikam without Thilakan.. He could have missed good roles as he is at loggerheads with Malayalam film industry now.
Like Gopi, Anupam Kher is another bald actor who has made baldness his strength. He never cared to hide his baldness which didn’t deny him roles. But I feel he got typecast as comic villain in many hindi films after his splendid performance in Saaransh. Only in the recent time he has got roles like corrupt politician in Rang De Basanti and as a cop in A Wednesday, where he can show his acting skills.
Manoj Bajpai exploded into filmdom with his role Bhiku Mhatre in Satya. Since then he has done several fine roles. He got a good role in Rajneeti. But I feel his talents are not exploited fully. His best is yet to come.
Prakash Raj has entered this list through his performances in Iruvar and Kancheevaram. Even when he plays villain he does it in his style like he did in Wanted. Again an actor who can go miles provided the industry gives him the good roles.
Boman Irani became a popular actor through his performances in Munnabhai MBBS and Three Idiots. But just watch him play the real estate shark in Khosla ka Ghosla. He had the right mannerisms. Another talented theatre actor, whose skills remain unexploited.
Raghuvir Yadav, Atul Kulkarni. Utpal Dutt, Robi Ghosh, Nasser, Irfan Khan, Pavan Malhotra, Jagathi Sreekumar Nana Ptekar.
The list of those who have missed out is long. Some of them like Atul Kulkarni stand a fair chance of delivering mind blowing performances.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
best actors 1
Any attempt to list the ten best film actors in India is always going to be a difficult task as anything connected with arts could be quite subjective. To make things easier I have gone for two lists- one on the finest actors among the heroes having star appeal and the second ones on character actors who have sometimes donned hero’s costume. If I try to make one list then it could be a mix of these two lists, which I think is not fair. I know even such lists will not be complete as I’m not familiar with all regional language films. My knowledge is limited to some parallel films I have seen in some regional languages.
I’ve mainly considered the actor’s ability to do various roles with different emotions, particularly tragic and comic characters.
So here goes my first list of best actors with star appeal
1. Dilip Kumar, 2. Amitabh Bachchan 3. Mohanlal 4. Kamal Hassan 5. Sanjeev Kumar 6.Mammootty 7.Sivaji Ganeshan 8.Soumitra Chatterjee 9. Aamir Khan 10. Mithun Chakraborty
I haven’t seen many films of Dilip Kumar. But what I have seen is sufficient to put him in the top of the list. Devdas, Mughal-e-Azam, Ganga Jamuna, all bear testimony to his acting prowess. He is mighty good in comic roles too.
A man who broke into the filmdom with an angry young man image then performed comic roles with inimitable flair, Amitabh Bachchan continues to surprise me. Even at this age, he is able to enact an award winning role in Paa. A stupendous feat in itself
A consummate actor who made the audience forget his unconventional looks on the strength of his performance. I think nobody has performed the common man as well as he did. From villain to anti-hero to comedy to super human roles, he has done all with panache. One wishes that he is more judicious in the selection of roles these days.
Initially, Kamal Hassan had lot of mannerisms, which he shed gradually when he began to experiment with different roles. He might be the only actor in Indian films who has donned such variety of make-ups. Dwarf, woman, old man are just a few in the list.
Sanjeev Kumar, another fine actor, who could have continued for some more years, had he taken care of his body. Unfortunately, he is remembered for his roles in blockbusters like Sholay and Trishul. Just look at his portrayal in Koshish, Khilona, Andhi, Mausam to get an idea of his talent. The plum role in Satyajit Ray’s Shatranj Ki Khiladi was like a jewel in the crown of his career.
Mammootty has won critical acclaim for serious and powerful roles. A recipient of Bharat awards several times, Mammooty’s talent in comedy was suspect. But not anymore. He has proved that he is as good as anyone with his recent performances in films like Rajamanikkyam and Pranchiettan.
Sivaji Ganeshan should have been higher up in the list had he been born outside Tamil Nadu. Though his histrionic abilities were never in doubt, they were wasted in melodramatic Tamil films, where he often went over the top. You have to watch Thevar Magan and Mudal Maryaadai which came in the fag end of his career to guage his prodigious talent.
I have seen Soumitra Chatterjee only in Satyajit Ray’s films. That the great Ray had faith in his acting is enough to put him in my list. Apu Trilogy, Charulata, Aranyer Din Ratri, Sonar Kella,….the list is long. He has done different roles superbly under Ray’s guidance.
Pint-sized Aamir would never have been in my list had he quit acting in the late nineties. His best roles came in the last ten years or so. The phase starting with Sarfarosh. Dil Chahta Hai, Lagaan, Mangal Pandey, Rang De Basanti, Taare Zameen Par, Gajini, Three Idiots. Certainly, an anvious line of films and roles. Among the three khans he is the best and he has certainly matured as an actor.
Anybody who could act in scores of trash commercial films and then come out and do the characters in Swami Vivekananda, Agneepath, Guru etc. deserves to be in my list. Mithun Chakraborty had a glorious start to his career with national award winning performance in Bengali film Mrigaya. After his stint in commercial films , he again won national award for Bengali movie Tahader Katha. Only a good actor can do it.
Await my second list !!!!
I’ve mainly considered the actor’s ability to do various roles with different emotions, particularly tragic and comic characters.
So here goes my first list of best actors with star appeal
1. Dilip Kumar, 2. Amitabh Bachchan 3. Mohanlal 4. Kamal Hassan 5. Sanjeev Kumar 6.Mammootty 7.Sivaji Ganeshan 8.Soumitra Chatterjee 9. Aamir Khan 10. Mithun Chakraborty
I haven’t seen many films of Dilip Kumar. But what I have seen is sufficient to put him in the top of the list. Devdas, Mughal-e-Azam, Ganga Jamuna, all bear testimony to his acting prowess. He is mighty good in comic roles too.
A man who broke into the filmdom with an angry young man image then performed comic roles with inimitable flair, Amitabh Bachchan continues to surprise me. Even at this age, he is able to enact an award winning role in Paa. A stupendous feat in itself
A consummate actor who made the audience forget his unconventional looks on the strength of his performance. I think nobody has performed the common man as well as he did. From villain to anti-hero to comedy to super human roles, he has done all with panache. One wishes that he is more judicious in the selection of roles these days.
Initially, Kamal Hassan had lot of mannerisms, which he shed gradually when he began to experiment with different roles. He might be the only actor in Indian films who has donned such variety of make-ups. Dwarf, woman, old man are just a few in the list.
Sanjeev Kumar, another fine actor, who could have continued for some more years, had he taken care of his body. Unfortunately, he is remembered for his roles in blockbusters like Sholay and Trishul. Just look at his portrayal in Koshish, Khilona, Andhi, Mausam to get an idea of his talent. The plum role in Satyajit Ray’s Shatranj Ki Khiladi was like a jewel in the crown of his career.
Mammootty has won critical acclaim for serious and powerful roles. A recipient of Bharat awards several times, Mammooty’s talent in comedy was suspect. But not anymore. He has proved that he is as good as anyone with his recent performances in films like Rajamanikkyam and Pranchiettan.
Sivaji Ganeshan should have been higher up in the list had he been born outside Tamil Nadu. Though his histrionic abilities were never in doubt, they were wasted in melodramatic Tamil films, where he often went over the top. You have to watch Thevar Magan and Mudal Maryaadai which came in the fag end of his career to guage his prodigious talent.
I have seen Soumitra Chatterjee only in Satyajit Ray’s films. That the great Ray had faith in his acting is enough to put him in my list. Apu Trilogy, Charulata, Aranyer Din Ratri, Sonar Kella,….the list is long. He has done different roles superbly under Ray’s guidance.
Pint-sized Aamir would never have been in my list had he quit acting in the late nineties. His best roles came in the last ten years or so. The phase starting with Sarfarosh. Dil Chahta Hai, Lagaan, Mangal Pandey, Rang De Basanti, Taare Zameen Par, Gajini, Three Idiots. Certainly, an anvious line of films and roles. Among the three khans he is the best and he has certainly matured as an actor.
Anybody who could act in scores of trash commercial films and then come out and do the characters in Swami Vivekananda, Agneepath, Guru etc. deserves to be in my list. Mithun Chakraborty had a glorious start to his career with national award winning performance in Bengali film Mrigaya. After his stint in commercial films , he again won national award for Bengali movie Tahader Katha. Only a good actor can do it.
Await my second list !!!!
Rahmania
Ask any youth who is the greatest Indian film composer? The answer is likely to be A R Rahman. He has become a living legend for them with his brand of music where the singer is often immaterial. The oscar award has only added to his halo.
But is he a great composer he is made out to be ? My answser is no. He certainly doesn’t figure in my list of ten great film composers. No doubt he is highly talented and when he broke in to the industry with Roja, his music had a certain freshness which he carried for few more years. Whenever he does a melody track, it sounds great. But often his songs are drowned in heavy beats or BGMs that a singer’s role is limited. It is good to experiment with new singers but he sometimes overdoes it.
In the last three years, his music has been patchy. Some good scores and many forgetful ones. The song that won him an oscar was not his best and all the Indians know it. Blue and Raavan are disasters. Jodha Akbar and Delhi 6 have a few good scores. The music in Enthiran is nothing to crow about. In Tamil, his Vinnai Thandi Varuvaya has some good scores but his hesitancy to use established voices is often his undoing. It is his strength if done sparingly.
I think in Hindi, Shankar Ehsaan Loy and even Pritam, who is criticized as a copycat, are doing better than him. Their Rock On and Life in a Metro are sort of trendsetters. In Tamil Harris Jayaraj’s music is more in sync with the youth. I think that like Ilayaraja in the later years of his career, Rahman too is getting influenced by his earlier tunes.
But is he a great composer he is made out to be ? My answser is no. He certainly doesn’t figure in my list of ten great film composers. No doubt he is highly talented and when he broke in to the industry with Roja, his music had a certain freshness which he carried for few more years. Whenever he does a melody track, it sounds great. But often his songs are drowned in heavy beats or BGMs that a singer’s role is limited. It is good to experiment with new singers but he sometimes overdoes it.
In the last three years, his music has been patchy. Some good scores and many forgetful ones. The song that won him an oscar was not his best and all the Indians know it. Blue and Raavan are disasters. Jodha Akbar and Delhi 6 have a few good scores. The music in Enthiran is nothing to crow about. In Tamil, his Vinnai Thandi Varuvaya has some good scores but his hesitancy to use established voices is often his undoing. It is his strength if done sparingly.
I think in Hindi, Shankar Ehsaan Loy and even Pritam, who is criticized as a copycat, are doing better than him. Their Rock On and Life in a Metro are sort of trendsetters. In Tamil Harris Jayaraj’s music is more in sync with the youth. I think that like Ilayaraja in the later years of his career, Rahman too is getting influenced by his earlier tunes.
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