Greatest footballers I've seen: My all time XI

Ever since I became a football fan in 2001, there has been so many great footballers that has graced the game. I consider myself to be lucky and grateful to see these great players during my time. I often get the questions of who is my favorite footballer. Hence, I've decided to write this in my admiration for these exceptional players. I have selected the best 11 players according to their positions with 7 substitutes. The players are only those that I've seen during my time as a football fan. An early apology if any of the facts stated below are inaccurate and will be truly appreciated if the mistakes are pointed out.



Formation: 4-3-3


Coach: Marcello Lippi

Probably the calmest and coolest manager ever!

Lippi will always be remembered as the coach that guided Italy to success in the 2006 World Cup. He is considered the best in setting his side to be defensively organized and gives his attacking players the freedom to express themselves. He has 5 Serie A titles and one champions league medal under his belt and also he was the manager for the Chinese league team, Guangzhou Evergrande when they won the AFC Cup in 2013. This achievement showed the class of Lippi as he can be successful wherever he goes. The most successful manager in the international and club level that I've seen.



Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Buffon

The save hands of Turin

Buffon has been around ever since I started watching football until this present day. He has been the most reliable save hands as well as being really consistent throughout his career. The 2006 World Cup winning goalkeeper did not concede a single goal from open play in the whole tournament. A big and commanding presence at the back he always keeps his defense organised like a typical Italian style. I wonder how Italy is ever going to find a replacement for him.



Right Back: Cafu

Captain Samba

Trust me, Philip Lahm came very close here but Cafu just shaded for this spot. During his time in Milan, many regarded him as the most complete right back in terms of attacking and defending. He always had the right balance in his game and never stopped running up and down the pitch. He was literally unbelievable in the 2002 World Cup guiding his team to glory as the captain. That 2002 Brasil team is the best football team I've ever seen in terms of attacking and if he was the captain for that side, that says how special Cafu was. He is also the only player to have played 3 world cup finals in a row.

Center Back: Fabio Cannavaro

Italy's great wall

Cannavaro is the last defender to have the prestigious Balon D'Or prize. He was central and the main figure of the Italian team in 2006 that won the world cup without conceding a single goal from open play. They only concede two with one being an own goal and another a penalty. It is a truly amazing feat when such achievement is done at the highest stage of a football tournament. Despite being only 5ft 9, he showed height is not an issue to be a great defender. He was also part of the Real Madrid team that won the La Liga back to back in 2007 and 2008. Since he left, Madrid was unable to achieve that again.

Center Back: Carlos Puyol

The rock of Camp Nou

Unlike Cannavaro, who was a good ball playing defender, Puyol was more of the old school no nonsense type. Even if his teams won 3-1, 4-1 he will never be satisfied if there is no clean sheet. That just shows his character as a defender who was crucial to Barcelona and Spain's success in recent years. Won everything there is to offer including the Champions League, Euro and World Cup.


Left Back: Paolo Maldini

Never mess with Mr. AC Milan

Paolo Maldini will remain until this very day as the best ever defender in an one on one situation. I remember wingers being left frustrated going against Maldini as he has the speed to go along his great reading of the game. Assured with both feet and a great header of the ball, Maldini could play anywhere across the back-line without breaking sweat. He is an all time Milan great. AC Milan lost its identity and image when Maldini retired.


Defensive Midfielder: Andrea Pirlo

The Architect

Where do I start with this Italian Mozart? Just like fine wine, he became better with age. He made football look easy while playing in a deep lying play-maker role. In the 2006 World Cup, Pirlo had a part to play in every single Italian game either with a goal or an assist including the final. In Euro 2012, he dictated every single game until the final and was rightfully named the best player of the tournament. He has an exquisite touch and passing range with a calmness that makes the audience think they are watching an exhibition match. Left AC Milan in 2011 after winning the league and Champions league twice. After joining Juventus he guided them to win the Serie A title 4 times in a row as well as bringing them to the Champions League final in 2015. A true artist of the game.


Center Midfielder: Zinedine Zidane

The General

The most skillful midfielder I have seen? The great Zizou. The first champions league final that I've watched is the 2002 final between Madrid and Leverkusen where Zizou settled the final with a full first time volley at the edge of the box with the ball dropping from 15 meters in the air. I don't remember seeing a more beautiful goal being scored in a final. Zizou was central in the great 'Galacticos' team of Real Madrid. He was also named as the best player in the 2006 World Cup despite being at the age of 34 where he almost single handedly guided France to the final. An all round midfielder who could beat opponents with ease. Pure class.

Center Midfielder:Paul Scholes

The Dictator

Paul Scholes was admired and considered as the best by both Pirlo and Zidane and it would be literally criminal to not include this ginger prince in my list. When I started watching football Scholes was an attacking midfielder with great eye for goals. When Scholes was the heart of the England national team, that was the last England were able to compete with the best in the international stage. England only narrowly lost to the mighty Brasil team in the 2002 World Cup quarter finals and the international team has been in a free fall since. With 11 league titles and 2 champions league medals to his name, Scholes is definitely the best player that I've seen playing for Man Utd. Scholes was used as a role model in the Barcelona academy, La Masia. In his later years, he changed his game to a more deep lying role and the 2011 champions league cemented his place as a true great as 5 Barcelona players ( Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro, Messi and Busquets) raced for his jersey after the final whistle. Iniesta won.


Left Wing: Ronaldinho Gaucho

The Best of the Best

The only footballer that no matter which team you support, you just can't hate. Ronaldinho played the game in a way that other players can only dream off. There will never be another Ronaldinho. I can't find words to describe his greatness as I'm just sitting here thinking how to express my admiration of him and making myself look like a fool. He scores when he wants to, dribbles when he wants to and settle a football match when he feels like doing so. Always with a smile on his face, he is the one who made me fall in love with football through his mesmerizing performances in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Hence, it can be said, what made me be a fanatic football fan? The answer is Ronaldinho. He made other legends of the game including those in this list look like total amateurs with his sublime skills and mouthwatering movement with the ball. The best footballer I've ever seen so far. Enough said.


Right Wing: Lionel Messi

The Genius

Messi is a pure genius as he knows what to do at the right time. He never hesitates to lay the ball on a plate for his teammates when he could have easily score himself. He is blessed with a natural footballing gift with extraordinary vision, touch and dribbling skills. Messi has won the Balon D'Or 4 times and is in the running for his 5th accolade. It is almost impossible to stop Messi when he is running with the ball on his magical left foot. Barcelona has been blessed to have him among their ranks. He is another player that shows size doesn't matter to be the best. Messi is indeed without a doubt the best football player who is still playing the game.  The only player who is faster with the ball than without it. A living legend.


Center Forward: Luis Ronaldo

The Phenomenon

The most complete striker that I've seen so far is without a doubt is Luis Ronaldo. He could do almost anything that you expect from a striker. Equally talented with both feet, blessed with spectacular shooting ability Ronaldo was striker any team would dream of having in their team. The 2002 World Cup was the highlight of his sublime career.You don't see many strikers in the present day who is so comfortable with finishing a chance by rounding past the the goalkeeper. Ronaldo was born to score goals.

Substitutes:

Iker Casillas

The save of his life

                               
Another goalkeeper who has been there ever since I started watching football. He will always remain as the image of Real Madrid. A wonderful goalkeeper and was also an important pivot for Spain to winning the 2010 World Cup and the 2008, 2012 Euros. Manuel Neuer came close for this spot.

Phillip Lahm

Mr. Underrated

Manager Pep Guardiola quoted that Lahm is the most intelligent player that he has coached. Lahm could play 3 different positions comfortably due to his brilliant football mind. He would have been more appreciated if football players are not based just by the number of goals. Lahm is a player who is consistent almost every game and it was so fitting to see him lift the 2014 World Cup as the captain of Germany.

Xavi Hernandez

The conductor of Spain

The midfield conductor for Barcelona and the reason for all their achievements during the Guardiola era. He is another player that was not given enough attention due to his lack of goals. Only fans who truly understands football will appreciate his talents and what he brings to the team. Xavi was also the midfield general for Spain during their Euro and World Cup success. Roy Keane and Claude Makelele came close for his spot.

Andres Iniesta

The goal that broke the heart of every Dutch fan including myself

Xavi's partner in crime both in the club and international level, Iniesta is a magician on the ball with an eagle eye vision for an assist. Scorer of the 2010 World Cup winning goal, and the best player for Spain in Euro 2012, Iniesta could run games according to his tempo. When everyone thought he was washed out, he produced one of his best performances in the 2015 champions league final claiming the Man of the Match award. Currently my favorite footballer who is still playing. Steven Gerrard just ran short for Iniesta's spot.


Ryan Giggs

The Man for all seasons

The Welsh wizard will be considered as the best player ever in the Premier League era as he was constantly tearing teams apart at will with his speed and skill. If 13 premier league titles and 2 champions league medals is not enough to determine his class, Giggs changed to a central midfielder as he became older which showed his footballing intelligence and he received a standing ovation from the Bernabeau faithful when he was substituted off as he earned a man of the match performance against Madrid at the age of 40. Kaka lost this spot due to short prime form as compared to Giggs.


Cristiano Ronaldo

The Machine

A goal-scoring machine, Cristiano is just simply relentless in terms of scoring and his always challenging himself to be better. Started out as a youngster at Man Utd, Ronaldo raised to great heights due to his hardwork in training in his determination to be the best. He has broken countless of goalscoring records during his tenure at Madrid and his hattrick of Balon D'Or wins showcases his greatness.



Thierry Henry

The King of Highbury

A class striker during his prime at Arsenal. An important member of the great 'invincibles' Arsenal team during the 2002-2003 season. Everytime he gets the ball inside the box you would just know that something was about to happen. One of the most skillful players to have graced the game and probably the best all round premier league striker.






by Ivan Vincent

New Year 2016 resolutions: Girls vs Boys

While almost everyone is having their resolutions for the year 2016, I'm still in 2015 thinking how it has passed by so fast. Seeing people posting their resolutions on social media made me realize that there is some degree of difference on how a boy and a girl wants their year to turn out. To write this, I asked some of my close friends about their aspirations for the year of 2016 to see if there is a significant contrast from the gender. The results did not disappoint. Happy New Year 2016 and may all your desires come true!



Boys resolutions - blue

Girls resolutions - pink

' I need to lose weight'          'get laid'       'I need to get all A's for my subjects this year'



'drink 2 cans of beer instead of 4'        'Need to cut down on my selfies per day'       'f**k it'                                                        


'say hi to my crush'         'get a good job'          'to stay the same'           'pray each day'
                  
            

            'dye my hair at least once'        'get abs'       'lose weight without going to gym'



'meet a celebrity'    ' just pass my exams'    'look good in a bikini'     'don't lose my job'

                                              

               'kiss a girl'            'not to scold my bf always'           'grow beard'             


                 
    'quit smoking'      'try to learn cooking'      'stop saying lies'      'sweat at least once'                                                      


'gain assets'    'smile more'     'save money'    'try alcohol when my 21st birthday comes'




'stick to my resolutions'       'need to diet everyday'  'be the best in FIFA'     'read more'




 'travel overseas at least once'      'stop masturbating'       'graduate successfully'       




   'get a bf '       'try a new sport'          'go for more concerts'        'stay single'     



     'clear debts'               'shop less'           ' sleep less'             'try learning an instrument'






Special thank you to everyone who contributed. Cheers to a great year ahead!








by Ivan Vincent

Am I afraid of ghost? Hell no, I’m more afraid of humans.

As we rewind back 2015, it has been a year to forget for us all in terms of casualties. Looks like many involved in these forgettable events are more interested to cause havoc rather than having sympathy for people and the places we live in. I’m not here to say who is wrong or right and definitely not going to be on anyone’s side here. Things happen due to something that has occurred which has led to the consequences that follow. Below are the incidents that have happened throughout the year in which that has left a sorrowful impact on those involved. I’ll be focusing on incidents that happened due to cause of a fellow human and not Mother Nature.

Jan 7 - Charlie Hebdo Attack

This tragic shooting in Paris occurred on the morning of January 7^th where the French satirical newspaper was attacked by Yemen’s Al Qaeda branch as a payback for the illustration of the term ‘Allah’ published in the newspaper many years ago. Eleven people were killed during the attack on the media outlet.

Feb 4- TransAsia Airways Flight 235 Crashes on Highway

 Just 37 seconds after taking off and reaching an altitude of 1,200 feet, the TransAsia Airways Flight 235 crashed on a highway in Taiwan. The right engine had failed before the pilot turned off the left one manually. The plane couldn’t glide and crashed on the highway, and continued its way into a nearby river. Of the 58 people on board, only 15 survived. Innocent lives were lost due to poor maintenance of the flight.

March 24 - Germanwings Flight 9525 Crashes into the French Alps

The Germanwings Flight 9525 departed from El Prat Airport in Spain and was on route to Düsseldorf Airport in Germany but it never reached its destination. The plane crashed into the French Alps. All 150 people on board were killed. The crash was executed by the co-pilot, who had been diagnosed as unfit for work because he was severely depressed and suicidal. He had kept the information for himself and never informed his employer. After the incident, many countries implemented a new regulation that two authorized people must be present in the cockpit at all times, in order to prevent such tragedies from ever happening again.

April until now - The Refugee Crisis

The refugee crisis is also known as the European Migrant Crisis which started back in April 2015 when five boats sank in the Mediterranean Sea, which killed around 1,200 refugees coming mostly from Syria, Afghanistan and Eritrea. The refugees are fleeing their countries due to violent conflicts in North Africa and Middle East, seeking asylum into European countries. The number of forcibly displaced people worldwide reached 59.5 million at the end of 2014, the highest level since World War II. The most recent event that went viral in the media was the death of 3-year-old Syrian boy who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea. Because his family was trying to reach Canada, his death immediately became an issue in the 2015 Canadian federal election, forcing the government to promise the welcoming of more refugees.

August 26- Reporter and Cameraman Killed Live On TV

Yes, you didn’t read that title wrongly. This is an absolutely shocking incident that happen in Virginia, US. A bitter ex-television reporter, carrying a handgun and a homicidal rage two years after his ugly firing, made himself the lead story complete with the shocking video. The tormented journalist emptied his gun into an ex-colleague and the cameraman from point-blank range Wednesday as a live audience watched the double homicide over morning coffee. The remorseless killer actually videotaped the slaughter, posting a 56-second clip on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter before killing himself as Virginia State Police closed in about five hours later.

                                       

November 13 – Paris Attacks

This tragedy in Paris was probably the most shocking of the lot. It was a series of coordinated attacks that involved three suicide bombers near the Stade de France followed by mass shootings near restaurants, cafes and concert halls. The attack killed 130 people including 89 at the Batalacan theatre where they were taken as hostages. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claimed responsibility for the attacks stating that it was in retaliation for the French airstrikes targets in Syria and Iraq. Others claimed it to be an act of war or start of a potential World War 3.

These incidents above show that no matter our position, religion or country we live in, the world is not a safe place anymore. The implications show what a human is capable of doing to another human being either in the form of deliberately, indirectly, carelessness or outright head on vicious attacks. The thought of me writing this came when someone asked me ‘Are you afraid of ghosts?’ For now, as far as I’m concerned, I’m more afraid of fellow human beings and what they are capable of. It’s just a matter of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. It is worrying to see how we have made our earth to be in. You don’t open a random newspaper every day and see humans getting killed by any ghost or demons. It’s more and more of humans killing each other that are flooding the news almost every single day. No matter which faith you are in, there is believe that God will come again to the earth to end everything. From the rate we are going, there is no need for that, as humans ourselves will kill and destroy our beloved world. It looks like it’s just a matter of time now. Hoping that the year 2016 will be a more peaceful year compared to 2015.

Untold Stories (part 1)

Go school, do higher education, graduate, find job then work for a happy life. It’s that simple ain’t it? Really?  That simple? How to get that ‘happy life’ if our parents could not afford for us to go school? Are we doomed? In this country we just ignore the biasness and unfair treatment for students who deserve a place in the public university just because parents can afford to send us to private universities. How if they could have not? Is there any other way to achieve that ‘happy life’?

From my internship experience that I underwent this year, it exposed me to people with a variety of backgrounds and struggles they had to adhere to be where they are. They say that internship gives us the outside exposure and the real difficulty of life, it surely did.  Here are some of the selected people whom stories amazed me that I’m going to share without revealing their personal details.

Untold #1

The first person was an operator is running the machines in the production line when I first joined for my internship.  Always on the go, working with such enthusiasm and constantly for some work to do despite having the part of his work done. His observation and hands on application was really good as I’ve seen him the first on the scene if there is a need of troubleshoot in a machine. I remember him saying that ‘I’ve been doing the same job for 5 years now, but I cannot continue this. I need a platform to show the knowledge I have in my work for a raise’. – quoted by untold #1.

Since then, he has been constantly working on an idea he has on how to improve the productivity of a machine. Without the knowledge of engineering, his experience was all he had to work on his idea. I’ve seen him asking many people for assistance including mine to help him out especially for his presentation skills. During the month of August, he presented his work to the technicians and engineers leaving them very impressed.  Earlier this month, as I went to work I noticed something odd.  Untold #1 was sitting in the technician’s room handling an issue. It was then I knew he has been promoted and all his work has paid off. There are many people doing the same operator job for 10-15 years but this person made his time worth it in just 5 years. He told me this when I congratulated him ‘This promotion may seem small for others but it means everything to me, I’m able to make my family happier now’.  – quoted by untold #1.

Untold #2

The second individual is someone who has faced terrible luck for the past two years. It came to my knowledge that his unfortunate person was involved in an accident last year. At the time when I joined for my internship, he was not there and I only met him after a month. I thought he was a new worker but it seems he faced another accident the week before I joined. Adding to that, in August, this unlucky person faced yet another accident and was admitted for 3 weeks. Despite having his back against the wall, he is one of the most optimistic characters that I’ve ever meet in my life let alone at my host company. He’s the one that will greet everyone ‘good morning’ and is always setting up plans for that week; either badminton or futsal. 

The accident has resulted in him being unable to move his body as agile as before and also difficulty in eating. He is almost reaching 50,not married and is an operator for the past 20 years also. I feel truly sorry for him every single time I see him and I have asked him how are you always joyous and making jokes with his reply being “Look, I’ve been involved in an accident 3 times the past 2 years, each time was me in a motor colliding with a car yet God has spared me my life even though I have been sinful all my life. I’m just trying my best to do the most with my life now and making people happy is something I like to do”. – quoted by untold #2

Untold #3 and Untold #4………..to be continued…..

The Gift of Life

We are all guilty of being caught up with our daily routines that we do not realize our purpose, who and where we are? Countless things that have taken by granted by us cannot be matched by the one elusive thing that sometimes forgets the true value of it. This thing is called life. Men have created many wonders on earth but life is something too delicate and too sophisticated for any men to recreate when it’s gone. After spending 9 months in the comfort of our mother’s womb we are given a chance and a taste of life in this one in a million planet called earth. What did we do to earn this life? Was there any price to pay for?  Is this life given through the good deeds of our previous life? These are questions that we neglect after realizing how our lives have penned out as the aura of guiltiness clouds over us.

Life: Our greatest gift

As beautiful as life may seem, our body is just a working tool blessed by a perfect working mechanism sheltering our soul from any possible harm. It is something that cannot be seen or touched but acts as the platform for our life. The soul within us the greatest gift we will ever receive in our life. No matter where and how this is an absolute honor as there are no reasons yet on why deserve this. The agony that mothers goes through to be the instrument that brought us to where we are now is an undefined value of sacrifice beyond boundaries.  A mother is a temple by her own and the closest we can ever get to heaven on earth.

Cherishing the soul is something that most of us fail to live up to. Our mind is often so vulnerable to the influence that our young blood desires to try which leads to the risk of being involved in dangerous activities. The roots of where we come from are victims of being left hanging because due to some reason, we tend to be ashamed of it and for the fear of not being accepted by the circle. The number of days, weeks and years of us being taken care and fed by our family when an infant and the panic station our parents go through whenever we get lost as a child. It’s an anxiety that will only be understood and appreciated when we have children of our own. Despite this, many enroll themselves to dangerous and unhealthy activities that may cause fatal to life in which by doing so succumbs parents to a permanent state of despair.

Appreciate the soul before it's taken away

                                 

Without our realisation, it is a big test of how much we do with our life given. The contribution by us that may seem small in our eyes might be something huge in the eyes of another. This is in fact the biggest test that we will ever go through where no written exams could even come close. Spending too much time dreaming and chasing to be someone we are not just for the sake of popularity when there are so many out there would give anything just to be in our shoes. The simple life given to us is a luxury for the less fortunate for example our parents, food, shelter, education, love etc. Taking the life of another for a reason besides self defense is never our right as well as dashing a young person especially a girls dreams and future through the influence of lust shows the nonchalant of another's soul. 

Just like anyone else, I have too faced guiltiness upon me by not making the best of the life I'm given. We all have, as we are not angels to be perfect throughout our life. The most important thing is to change after going through the phase of realization and trying to make amends for it is what really matters. It may seem a small step but it'll definitely pay much dividends one day.

Dawn of a new age in Tamil Cinema: 5 reasons why Thani Oruvan is a kickass film!

                     

As a film fanatic, I love to observe and appreciate how films are made from their deliverance of message, tempo, screenplay, camera angles, acting etc. Not that I have anything against Tamil films, but recent Tamil films generally has always been very predictable with many unwanted scenes that has nothing to do with the overall plot and being guilty of focusing solely on the mass appeal of the actors involved. Some of my favorite Tamil films with real quality has been few and far between like 'Vettaiyadu Vilayadu ', 'Unnai Pol Oruvan', 'Neram', Soodhu Kovvum' and a few more the very least. Last weekend I had the opportunity to watch 'Thani Oruvan' and I kept my expectations really low because of the past few films that I've watched left me leaving the cinema really disappointed with 'Maari' being the last film I watched and it was pffftt! Let's not go into that as I was overwhelmed and really satisfied after watching 'Thani Oruvan' and this is why:

*Spoiler Alert*


1) The Protagonist realism influence on the film

How many times we've seen the lead role no matter he's a farmer, fisherman, gangster, police etc having limitless knowledge and superhuman strength to deal with anything that comes his way. It is as if he's totally invincible and often looks like he ain't from this planet. I understand that this is done in such way because of the mass appeal and demand of the fans especially in India and most probably that is never going to change. In 'Thanni Oruvan', the protagonist is a policeman acted by Jayam Ravi and unlike other police films his role in the film is based on realism like a real life policeman faces. There was a scene where the protagonist undergoes desperate measures until the brink of vulnerability trying to figure out how the antagonist knows his every plan and move. It is a powerful scene where a situation like that draws the audience attention to be on the side of the protagonist. The film also showed that the hero has spent days doing research on crimes and trying to figure a connection between them which he made notes off all in a secret room of his. Realism is the key here as there is also no scenes where the lead role takes on 20-30 people all on his own in a bare knuckle brawl. Thankfully.

2) Less distraction on the film plot

'Thanni Oruvan' has a very strong plot and screenplay with the Director Mohan Raja (hard to believe he is the same director for Velayudham), giving enough screen-time for each role to enhance their character development. This is something that often lacks in Tamil films where the supporting characters are not given attention or are just in the film for the mere humor side of it and not participating the film's plot. Hence, 'Thanni Oruvan' does not have any scenes where it diverts from the plot. Besides that, the lesser number of songs in this film kept the audience engaged to this film throughout. It's not wrong having songs in films but it is very important to have it at the right and proper moments. The background music was stunning though.

Director Mohan Raja showed his class

   

3) Proper background study of profession

The lead role and his friends are policemen in this film. Their training, development, dedication and posting were shown brilliantly in this film. It shows the writers took time and effort to study the life of a police from being a rookie to the actual deal. On the other hand, the underground world was nicely projected showing how dealings work, the plans, organisation, and that it all leads to one big mafia at the top of the tree. It exposes the dangers of falling into this path and all that matters is just about making business.

Realistic fight scenes

                             

4) The Antagonist's mind games approach

Unlike other Tamil films, this film was great due to the villain's part in the film. The introduction of the villain's was superb and the fact that he only appears somewhere near the halfway of the film made it intriguing. The villain played by carried himself brilliantly and he showed that there is no need of alcohol, drugs, or violence to show how bad-ass you can be. Credit goes once again to the director for this. It is a rarity to see a villain in Tamil films trying to outfox the hero by using his smartness. This gave a resemblance of the Joker's role in the Dark Knight film. NO JOKE ! ....and for once....for once... the punch dialogues were given for the antagonist to deliver which was absolutely amazing to watch! Plus there is no typical 10-15 minutes film ending fight scene between the hero and villain like other films has.

Best Villain of 2015 hands down: Arvind Swamy

5) The Acting

Every role was played well in this film. The supporting cast of the protagonist did their part as well as the heroin of the film, Nayanthara. She is proving herself more and more that she can really act. Jayam Ravi gave one of his best performances which I hope will resurrect his career to compete with the elite but we all have to agree that in this film Arvind Swamy stole the show with and absolute peach of an acting performance. Personally, I did not recognize him at first as the only other film of his that I saw was 'Thalapathi'. I never thought he could pull off such a performance in a villain's role. If there is an award for the best villain's role in the Tamil film industry in which I think there is, they can comfortable give it to Arvind Swamy already for the best villain of the year 2015!

p.s : The only downfall of this film is that Nayanthara was not sexy as she usually is in her other films. :P :P :P

If your're a fan of films in general do check this movie out, you'll not regret!


by Ivan Vincent

LGBT: The Good, Bad & Ugly side of it

The recent outburst of this Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) legalization in the United States  has sparked various views and opinions from people all around the world. There has even been countless of rallies to showcase their demonstration of protest. It is not fair to anyone to point a finger whether this issue is right or wrong as we all know that everyone is entitled to their opinion.  However every action has its pros and cons and it is no different in this case.  The United States of America definitely would have weighed and played all scenarios possible before making same sex marriage legal throughout the country. It was big decision made by them sending a huge message around the world that they mean business and don’t need the opinions of others to make a this sort of a huge statement.

As a citizen of Malaysia, I have witness many people saying not to get carried away and simply ignore this issue. Some have also cried out for others not to support this equality and stop acting like you’re from the States. My advice for those saying this is to wake up and stop living in your comfortable shell that you’ve built. People who are lesbians, gay and bisexual are everywhere around us and they are in desperate need of help. If we are not to help them, who will? Hence, here are my thoughts on this issue which I strongly believe there are good, bad and the ugly in it.

The Good

1)      The LGBT community generally hide their true identity because they feel they will let their parents and friends down by exposing the truth. In the end, they will be married to the opposite gender through an arrangement and will surely not satisfy the needs of their partner. Imagine what the partner goes through when they find out. To avoid this, lesbians and gays need to step out of their shadow and find a sense of belonging in the society. However, they will not be daring enough to do it and this is where making legal sex marriages comes into play. This helps them to find themselves and understand that it is fine to be the way they are.

                    

2)      The number of suicides will decrease drastically. Put yourself in their shoes and the struggles they go through each day trying to hide their true personality from the public. Often they take the route of taking away their own life to put the misery off them. By doing this, a soul, a life, a possible talent, is wasted just like that. 

                           

                                    

       For example, after watching the film 'The Imitation Game' I knew about this English mathematician called Alan Turing who successfully decoded the Nazi enigma which ended the war 2 years earlier and saved about millions of lives. Despite this, Turing was prosecuted for being a homosexual in 1952 when such acts was still illegal at that time in the UK. Since his service was kept highly confidential, they were not aware of his contribution towards the nation and Turing opted for oestrogen injections as an alternative to prison. In 1954, Alan Turing committed suicide to just end his misery.It is such a pity to end your life for such a reason. Something has to be done to eliminate this act. Those who don’t suicide however, generally lead themselves to drugs, prostitution and running away from home to earn a living.

Benedict Cumberbatch acted as Alan Turing in 'The Imitation Game'

3)      Another good thing of same sex marriage is the hope and life given to an orphan. Instead of living their lives in the orphan’s home unexposed to the world, being adopted gives them an opportunity to taste life in the right way. Adoption rate will definitely rise and at the same time miscarriages can be avoided. Who knows how talented the child may be and how well they might contribute for the nation. The same gender couples are more than capable enough to give the child they’re adopting the sufficient amount of love, shelter, food, education and other necessities.

The Bad

1)      The only negative I can see from my point of view is that if a child is adopted at a very young age or during infant understands the truth that their foster parents are the same gender. They will definitely be the guinea pig as the victim of tease among the circle of friends or at school. There is also a great concern if the child is raised by two men or women that they will lack the adequate Father’s love and Mother’s love. ‘Half bread is better than none’. This phrase has to be used to keep the adopted children going as they’ll need to realize what would’ve been if they were not given to key to escape from their orphan’s home.

2)      The other probable deleterious issue I can think of same gender marriage is the disappointment of their parents. Raising their child from birth, parents go through a lot to raise their child in the right way. When knowing their child is gay or lesbian, there will always be a guilty feeling amongst them that if they have not raise their child in the proper manner. This mindset however needs proper addressing. Parents at first most need to realize that it is not their fault in any way if their child ends up being a lesbian or gay. It is the fault of no one anyway. 

The Ugly

      It leaves me totally absurd when I see news of people totally against LGBT and coming to an extend of almost starting a riot. Don't get me wrong, it's their choice to feel disgruntled about this but where has simple human nature gone? Aren't we all thought to understand people's feelings and never judge them before stepping into their shoes? People tend to regard this act is against the faith and religion teachings. In my eyes, this has nothing got to do with lack of faith. The feelings of the person comes from withing and it's not the individual who asked to be in such way. In simple words, you cannot ask 10 boys to agree if a certain girl is attractive to them. Not everyone will have the same opinion. Like how genes and chromosomes have developed over the years by generating people of various talents and capabilities these days, the same can be said for feelings as well. Because of this, certain rules or laws that are placed all those years ago may not be applicable at this current time to handle such circumstances. Time has change, people has changed whether you like it or not. Hence, it is really sad to see the ill treatment given to the LGBT community. It is nothing short but just plain ugly human nature by not showing care and willingness to lend a helping hand. There is absolutely nothing ugly or to be ashamed of for the LGBT community in my opinion.

             

       In conclusion, I don't see LGBT community as a problem and it can never be said that my faith in religion is poor just by me supporting it. I just don't buy it as I don't see any relevance of this issue being related to my religion or any religion in that matter. Just remember that the LGBT community, like others only has one life the live to their fullest and they deserve the same level of happiness and peace that they can find. Once again, my sincere apologies if I have offended anyone in anyway, it is just my opinion. #lovewins