Movie Review – Varsham

Life for some people is nothing but an expedition to make money. Although it may appear that such people don’t have a life beyond business, they also have emotions and personal attachments. PK Venugopal, the hero in Varsham, is one such complicated character. He is someone who has tried even shady ways to grow his gold finance company. He plans for the future of his son and even secures him a paid medical seat in advance. Although he appears as a gentleman to the people around him, he carries a purposive and devious approach in his relationships, evident from his reluctance to bother about the wellbeing of his domestic help.

When his only son dies unexpectedly one morning, Venugopal feels a sudden vacuum for the first time in his life. He does not make any conscious attempt to get over it, and slowly resigns himself to his fate. He often says he had the money to treat his son if only god had given him an opportunity. He laments the lost opportunities to become a caring father to his son. But this does not bring about a positive change in him. Driven to distraction by his personal tragedy, Venugopal detests life altogether, and even decides to stop his charity work citing silly excuses. 

His doleful life springs back to good times when he happens to meet Aslam, a customer who collapses in his office. Realising that Aslam approached his firm for a gold loan for the surgery of his son Amir, Venugopal readily offers to help. This incident makes him look back at what he has achieved through iniquitous ways, and what he can do to help the society. Post this noble act, he tells his wife that he has had a good sleep in several days. Amidst all difficulties, Venugopal introduces some reforms in the private finance industry and ventures into new areas of business that could benefit the society. Naturally, he faces opposition from his peers in the industry. But Venugopal is determined to take forward his new concept of financial probity, and feels that it is the best tribute he can give to his son. The film is about this resoluteness and the positive change it brings to his life. 

Strictly speaking, Varsham is a touching drama that attempts to yank you down into an emotional whirlpool, scene after scene. Mammootty leads the pack and sparkles as Venugopal, showing yet again how gifted an actor he is. The best moment of the film is when a distraught Venugopal understands about the loss of his son and confirms it with the doctor. The movie starts a little shaky with all the conventional masalas of a family life. We also see several cliched faces in films of this genre, like a loquacious and inquisitive housemaid, snooping neighbours, a laughing club leader, and a caring elder brother. Asha Sarath offers excellent support to Mammootty as his complaining yet lovable wife. Sudheer Karamana enjoys a good long run in the film and is cast in a role different from his usual avatars. TG Ravi has his moments and appears thoroughly convincing in a character tailor-made for him. Director Ranjith Sankar himself wrote the film and he can be proud of its intricate details and end result. I would give the film 6 out of 10 and place it just below his Punyalan Agarbathis in comparison. As Venugopal remarks that he felt an invigorating change after a torrential rain the night before, the film itself can be a potential rain of change for the parents who do not allow their children to be themselves, the businessmen who do not see the preciousness of relationships, and the many couples who do not know the strength of togetherness.

Photo: Theatrical poster, courtesy of Yentha.com.

Read More

The potential BJP-NCP-Shiv Sena alliance in Maharashtra!

Although political parties are loath to change their long-held tenets, no ideological difference will throw a spoke in the wheel of a coalition formation with a political adversary. BJP gains support from NCP. Shiv Sena tries hard to court BJP and make what looked like curtains for a 25-year old marriage into just a lovers' tiff. Politicians are not just bold, but brazen too!

Read More

Where are we on cleaning Ganga?

The BJP government has a declared agenda for cleaning River Ganga. It also has a union ministry for it. But the government is not going to make headway in its Clean Ganga plan if it is to ally itself with the outmoded beliefs of sadhus. The remains of a swami were submerged into the river yesterday. Should his followers want posterity to remember him as someone who purified people's souls during his life, and defiled their water after his death? Sad.

Read More

Thaikkudam Bridge in Technopark

I am not a good dancer; in fact an embarrassingly pathetic one at that. So I am always cautious not to lift my feet up the ground no matter how zippy a live musical show is. My best form of dancing has been clapping like a beaming and spry 90-year old. But I was dreamy yesterday night. I attempted an act of dancing in a shindig, although it could be called a crude or even primordial form of the art. But nonetheless, I revelled in it unabashedly for as long as I could. Thanks to Thaikkudam Bridge for giving almost 3 hours of entranced music to someone who originally wanted to stand in a corner for one-third of that time!

Read More

Trivandrum Brevet!

Till the end of 2013, I was a regular in the Trivandrum Bikers Club rides ferreting out the undying charisma of Trivandrum city, its coastal areas, and hinterlands. I rode my MTB in a fantastic team to Shankumugham, to Vellayani, to Pothencode, to Attingal, to Anchuthengu, to Muthalapozhi, mostly under a searing sun or a mesmeric moon, often taking far-out and arcane routes, doused in rain, dirt, and sweat, sustaining an adventitious fall or a muscle pull at times. No other ice stick has been more luscious than the ones sold at the Shankumugham beach, and no AC has been more calmative than the squeaking ceiling fan in my rented house - after a full ride! 

Although my cycling slumped into abeyance for a variety of reasons, I am happy for my friends who moved forward from there and wrote history in Ponmudi when the Jacks and the Jills went up the hill to fetch a tale of valour - without taking a stop or breaking the crown. A few became entrepreneurs and started a bike shop to promote the hobby. A few shed unwanted pounds and became unidentifiable from their archaic profile pictures on Facebook. The old reincarnated into their adolescent avatars. A few repainted the wall by introducing a new logo, tagline, and jerseys. And now the latest - they are organising a randonneuring event in Trivandrum - The Trivandrum Brevet. The peregrination on pedal power continues!

For more details -- https://www.facebook.com/tvmbrevets

Read More

Moview review: Munnariyippu

Malayalam film industry has, of late, found some wonderful scripts and casting that go beyond the conventions it used to keep and follow. This change has a lot to do with the unorthodox performances of the newcomers in the industry and the comeback of talented film makers and serious scripts. Munnariyippu is one such film. The film announces the return of director Venu and Mammootty, and the presence of the relatively new Aparna Gopinath.

While most films tell the whole story on the screen, a few films leave a lot for an afterthought. I tend to like films of the second category, and that increases my likeness to Munnariyippu. The story is about a dynamic young journalist Anjali Arakkal who happens to ghost-write the autobiography of a jailer who is about to retire. She receives pity and scorn from some colleagues, but appears poised in her work as long as it brings her money although without fame or recognition. In one such assignment, she takes up the task of doing the said ghost writing and happens to meet Raghavan, an accused murderer who has spent two decades in jail for killing his wife and his lady boss. Raghavan denies the crimes he is accused of, but has not made any serious attempts to prove his innocence during prosecution or thereafter. This makes it a curious case for Anjali. Raghavan’s journals speak about his world view of freedom, revolution, and the obstacles to freedom. As she talks more and more with Raghavan, his sensible philosophical thoughts prod her to reveal the hidden Socrates in him whom she labels as Brain Behind Bars, in an article she writes in a magazine. Though the jailer is wary of Anjali losing focus in the committed task, the article becomes an instant hit making her and her protagonist popular among the public.

She soon gets an offer to publish the story of Raghavan as a book. The book shall be based on the real life story of Raghavan, and not his intellectual thoughts. While Raghavan does not share much personal information with others, Anjali and her publisher decide that they want Raghavan himself to write his story which Anjali can translate into English. She gets Raghavan released from the jail and moves him to a private place where others cannot spot him easily. Meanwhile, Raghavan is chased by other publishers as well for a similar book. Anjali patiently persuades Raghavan initially, but as the deadline approaches, she becomes more adamant and insistent. All this while, Raghavan is buried in thoughts and does not appear to make any serious attempt to write anything. As others started identifying his hideout, Anjali moves him to a secluded place and demands him to complete the story at the earliest. 

Spoiler warning: The following paragraph may contain elements that reveal the story.

Anjali is unable to make Raghavan write his story, which makes her certain that she will have to face legal actions from the publisher. At this time, she gets a wedding proposal from an NRI (Prithviraj). The person encourages Anjali to give up what pressurises her and concentrate on other things that make her happy. Inspired by this positive feeling, she decides to give up the book effort and goes to meet Raghavan. She asks where Raghavan wants to be dropped, and in response Raghavan hands her a bunch of handwritten papers which tell his story. An astonished Anjali reads through the papers quickly but nervously, while Raghavan is seen packing his stuff to leave the place. As she completes reading the papers, frightened and frozen, Raghavan mysteriously smiles, expresses his wish to go back to jail, and removes the latest obstacle in his freedom - Anjali.

The movie shows the innate nature of a man who wants nothing but absolute freedom - from the women who ruled him. The intellectual in him is developed from the deliberation that he does not want to be controlled by women. The definition of freedom is difficult to understand, but it seems he is quite content to be in his jail cell, away from the women who posed a threat to his freedom. The director gives ample clues to identify the true self of the man, but most of us fail to bite them. But when one rewinds to those early scenes, one must appreciate the skill of the director and the script writer. In the first few scenes itself, Raghavan wonders if the audio recording device used by Anjali could capture the thoughts of a man. The bar scene reveals more and his thoughts and definition of freedom and revolution even further. It is heightened by his mannerisms when he is alone, and the disgust in seeing an old couple, presumably the parents or in-laws of his slain lady boss.

As I wrote in the beginning, the movie brings back the actor in Mammootty who underplayed the role very well. Mammootty has always performed really well as a convict, and this one is different from the rest. There are a lot of dimensions to his role, some displayed on the screen, and some visualised by the viewer. Aparna Gopinath delivers the performance of her short career so far, as the lady journalist who wants money and fame. The supporting cast of Nedumudi Venu, Kochu Preman, Joy Mathew, Renji Panicker, and the hotel boy also did very well in their roles. The film does not have any songs thankfully, and the background score by Bijibal adds to the mystery and tone of the film. Munnariyippu progresses at a slow pace, and the story does not move much from the initial few scenes leading to the interval and even beyond, but there never was a dull moment in it, thanks to the brilliance in story telling. 

Munnariyippu is easily one of the best psychological thrillers in Malayalam. It is a double-homicide-convict’s life story, which is not shown on the screen, but still conveyed to the audience. It definitely pushes you to go back in time, connect the dots, and find elements that help identify the real story. And I guess, that is exactly what a good psychological thriller should want the audience to do. Rating 8/10.

Photo: Theatrical poster, courtesy of Play House Release Official's Facebook page.

Read More

Bharat Ratna for Subhas?

Is the Narendra Modi government going to go back in time and reinvent the wheel? There is strong speculation that his government is planning to declare Bharat Ratna for Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose this week ahead of the Independence Day. While bestowing the highest civilian honour on him is a good gesture, that is not the best an Indian government can do to honour him. There are hundreds of secret documents lying with various union ministries which can tell a less popular story about what actually happened to Bose - otherwise called 'the truth'. The PMO itself is holding no less than 33 highly confidential documents about his fate. There was a similar Bharat Ratna move by the Congress government in the 1990s which was questioned by both the Bose family and the public. Finally, the government had to cancel the Bharat Ratna declaration as it could not establish Bose's death in a plane crash. It is only logical to ask for the proof of death when a person is given an award posthumously. I hope the Modi government will show the spunk to declassify all the secret information it holds about Bose and respect him in true and complete sense.

Read More

Bad tactics, poor refereeing, and shameless opposition 'bite' Italy out

World Cup football 2014
Group stage: Italy lost to Uruguay, 0-1

It was clear - Italy had to secure a draw to advance to the second round, but Uruguay had to win. Italy had the advantage because only 'loss' from the three possibilities - win, loss, and draw - could have knocked them out of the tournament. Italy went into the game with good planning. They selected three centre-halves in Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, and Andrea Barzagli and two forwards in Mario Balotelli and Ciro Immobile. Such a decision was taken by manager Cesare Prandelli for the first time in the tournament. It was a clear indication that Italy would be ready for attacking the opposition goal, but that they were ready to settle for a draw if that did not work. Apart from this, they had two wing backs in Mattia De Sciglio and Matteo Darmian and three in the midfield in Claudio Marchisio, Andrea Pirlo, and Marco Verratti. Gigi Buffon stood at the goal, making it an all-four Juventus back line.

The match opened to a very dull first half. There were minimal attacks from either side and the ball was mostly in the midfield with Italy dominating possession. Buffon showed why he is still amongst the best in Europe through back-to-back saves to deny the opposition twice, which eventually earned him the Man of the Match award. The second half saw some good moves from Uruguay, but Italy ably defended them. Just then came an unexpected passage in the play, with Marchisio leaving the field with an undeserved red card. By definition, a red card is to be shown to a player who poses some kind of danger or threat. Marchisio committed a foul which looked unintentional and non-dangerous. But the referee was quick to take out and flash the red card to show him the exit door, while a yellow card would have been sporting. This shaked up Italy, a mental state from which they never recovered. When they were down to 10 men, with just two regular central midfielders, Italy resorted to complete defence. With just 10 minutes to play for, Uruguay captain Diego Godin converted a set piece to a brilliant goal. After that Italy planned some swift moves, but none of them could be converted. It was saddening to see even Buffon coming up to the penalty area of the opposition in an attempt to find that one goal which could secure them a place in the pre-quarter finals. But it wasn't to be, and the Italians were knocked out for the second successive time in the first round of the world cup finals.

It is true that Italy struggled in the midfield and failed to reach the ball to the forwards. Bad refereeing also affected their plans. They were down to 10 men and they had to change their game to make up for the loss in midfield. Just then Luis Suarez bit Chiellini in the Italian penalty area, something which the referee completely overlooked. If Uruguay were also down to 10 men, the match would have become more interesting. One can only wish that FIFA will make use of technology to give instant penalties to players who make such hard moves on the pitch. It is a shame and disgrace to the game.

Italy will not take any further part in this world cup, but they had their moments in the opening match against England. They were clueless against a defensive Costa Rica, and their bad tactics and bad refereeing were pivotal in the last match against Uruguay. Prandelli had another two years of contract period to bring confidence back to the team and to make them ready for the Euro Cup in 2016, but he resigned following their first round exit. With the likes of Buffon, Pirlo, De Rossi, and Cassano leaving the game soon, one can expect to see more young blood in the team in the near future.

Read More

Italy down, but not out

World Cup football 2014

Group stage: Italy lost to Costa Rica, 0-1

Italy may have gone into their second group match against Costa Rica with the intention to win, but their starting XI did not look promising. While it was good to see Gigi Buffon back in the side, it was surprising to see Thiago Motta getting an early appearance. Maybe the manager Cesare Prandelli wanted Italy to play the holding game in the midfield. The back line was just the same as I predicted in my last post. Ignazio Abate came in on the right wing, Matteo Darmian moved to the left, and Giorgio Chiellini came to the centre. I would have given Marco Verratti another chance, but it was Motta instead who went to the pitch.

The first half saw some dull football, with Mario Balotelli wasting a few opportunities as he usually does. Balotelli seldom moved and gave the impression that he wanted the ball to find him rather than the other way. He did not have the speed or accuracy and that cost Italy dearly. Motta did not make any impact although Darmian made some advances. Pirlo was his usual self. In the dying minutes of the first half, Costa Rica scored an impressive goal to take the lead. Buffon could not do much as the ball hit the cross bar and then went past the goal line.

The second half saw Italy going in with Antonio Cassano instead of Motta. Italy played good attacking football in this half, but could not score goals. Cassano missed direction from a curvy corner kick from Alessio Cerci. The substitutions were hard to understand as well. Antonio Candreva and Claudio Marchisio were replaced with two strikers Lorenzo Insigne and Cerci, but there was no sight of Ciro Immobile, their best bet who was warming the bench. I don't remember any match in which Italy played four regular forwards all at once. Balotelli played the entire 90 minutes without making any impact other than getting a yellow card for himself. Costa Rica played very good holding game in the second half to keep their lead intact, a group attempt in which they succeeded. They also deployed the off-side trap very effectively against Italy forwards in the second half. They have qualified now to the second stage of the competition, knocking out England.

With England out, the group of death is really turning into one. Either Italy or Uruguay will also see the exit door from this group, which nobody expected at the start of the tournament. Although they lost today, Italy has a strong chance of advancing to the next level. They can qualify if they get at least a draw in their last group match against Uruguay. But for Uruguay, a win is a must. So in all likelihood, the last match of the group will be a real thriller. I would like to see the coach making some adjustments in the team for the last match. He should bring in either Alberto Aquilani or Marco Parolo to the midfield and drop Motta. If there is only one striker up front, it should be Immobile and not Balotelli. If Mattia De Sciglio comes back, Darmian should go to the right wing instead of Abate. They may also think about playing two forwards Immobile and Insigne together. In that case, I would like to see Candreva deployed on the right wing instead of Abate. 

Update

There is bad news for Italy that they may miss Daniele De Rossi for the final group match against Uruguay. De Rossi is a main stay at the back of the midfield and has very strong defensive skills. If he misses out, I think Prandelli might deploy Thiago Motta in this role. So this is the team I predict:

Buffon - De Sciglio, Chiellini, Barzagli, Bonucci - Marchisio, Motta, Pirlo, Aquilani, Candreva - Immobile

De Sciglio moves forward along the left flank and Candreva on the right. This will allow the all Juventus back three to guard the goal. Midifled will be very strong, with Candreva charging along the right flank with assistance from Aquilani. If the opposition defence heavily marks the lone striker, both Marchisio and Aquilani can try long rangers too. Possible substitutions are Insigne for Marchisio and Marco Parolo for Candreva.

Photo: FIFA

Read More

Italy beats England and Manaus heat to start world cup campaign

Italy vs England was to be one of the classics of this world cup, and it really became one. Both teams played with a lot of zeal and enthusiasm and in the end, the side that was better on the day turned out to be the winner. 

Italy fielded just one forward in Mario Balotelli and had three changes from the side I detailed in my last post. The change meant more work for Claudio Marchisio and Antonio Candreva in the midfield. Italy lost Gigi Buffon and Mattia De Sciglio with injuries and that gave opportunities to Salvatore Sirigu and Matteo Darmian. Darmian had to take care of the right wing, which meant the regular centre-back Giorgio Chiellini had to move left and along the flank. 

Both teams started well and Italy scored first thanks to some brilliant deception technique by stand-in captain Andrea Pirlo. Pirlo jumped over a ball to deceive the Englishmen, which gave enough time to Marchisio to plan his long ranger effectively. In less than three minutes, England drew level thanks to a brilliant cross from Wayne Rooney targeting Daniel Sturridge. Balotelli tried a great slow lofted ball from almost 180 degrees, which beat the goalkeeper but was headed away to safety by English centre-back Gary Cahill.

The second half started with Italy moves and the fast Candreva created opportunity for a perfect close-in header for Balotelli. This put the Azzurri in front, a lead they maintained till the end of the game with some perfect defensive tactics. Pirlo almost scored from a curvy free kick, that deflected off the English post, much to the astonishment of a bewildered Joe Hart at the goal.

Sirigu demonstrated his talent in the absence of Italy's regular shot stopper and he saved some long rangers with great skill and concentration. Darmian was quick on the right wing and crafted several swift moves. But the make shift left back Chiellini was not fast and most of his moves were very slow. This left Italy with attacks from one wing alone. Raheem Sterling was the star for England. He played the whole 90 minutes and justified his place in the starting lineup with some fantastic fast moves and some fearless long rangers at times. Aside from the cross that helped Sturridge score the equaliser, Rooney was nowhere near his best. He even wasted one corner kick by lobbing it behind the net.

Italy did well to score goals and defend their goal line. This would allow them to face Costa Rica and Uruguay with more confidence. They would really fancy their chances against Costa Rica and ensure their place in the pre-quarters. Even if they lost, England has a better chance of qualifying ahead of Uruguay because they have a match left against Costa Rica. England should plan well and beat Costa Rica to pile up pressure on Uruguay to win their last match against Italy.

Italy takes many positives from this match. Sirigu, who had a good outing against Ireland in one of the friendlies leading to the world cup, had an impressive game on his world cup debut. In the next match, I would like the manager Cesare Prandelli to move Chiellini back to the centre, drop Gabriel Paletta, and include De Scilio if he is fit. Else, they should bring Ignazio Abate on the right and move Darmian to the left. Marco Verratti wasn't given enough room to work and he couldn't make an impact in his first world cup outing. But I would like Prandelli to give him another opportunity in the next match.

Italy faces Costa Rica next, and hopefully a win will help them ensure a place in the round of 16. Go Azzurri!

Photo: FIFA

Read More

Italy kickstarts World Cup campaign today

The Italy football team completed their world cup friendlies with two draws and a win. Though the results aren't really favourable, they should offer the supporters relief for several reasons. One, Italy does not do well in warm-up matches traditionally. Two, the win is the latest result. Three, the impressive form and gelling of Ciro Immobile and Lorenzo Insigne when the strikers have been finding it difficult to find the opposition net. Four, the full strength Italy team played only for very few minutes in these matches, and almost all the time, manager Cesare Prandelli was experimenting different players and combinations.

The draws came in matches where Italy had several opportunities to beat the rival defence, but somehow they managed to miss the target every time. Mario Balotelli surely misses the net on more occasions than he finds it, and that was not a welcome sight for a side that was dearth of making any good impact of late. It also depended on how the oppositions (Republic of Ireland and Luxembourg) lined up their back line. Every time, you could see more than six players covering the goal. 

Although Italy fielded mostly newcomers in their own back line, their second goal keeper Salvatore Sirigu was in superb touch in the match against Ireland which helped them hold on to the 0-0 result. The second line of Italy team (from the main squad) does not look very promising in defence and midfield. So if any of the obvious regulars becomes unfit, Italy will have some serious worries. The likes of Immobile and Insigne are originally expected to warm the bench and play in the second half as substitutions, but after the match against Fluminense, Prandelli may reconsider those plans. The two gelled really well and had their signatures in the goals scored. Although Balotelli assisted Claudio Marchisio in netting a goal in the match against Luxembourg, he remained mostly lacklustre. But I still feel Prandelli will give him a starting position in the group opener against England.

The following would be my starting line-up for that match in Manaus:

Formation: 4-3-1-2

• Goal Keeper: Gigi Buffon
• Defenders: Mattia De Sciglio, Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Bargazli, Ignazio Abate
• Midfielders: Marco Verratti, Daniele De Rossi, Andrea Pirlo, Claudio Marchisio
• Forwards: Ciro Immobile, Mario Balotelli

Substitutions

• Substitution 1: Alessio Cerci for Verratti. This will move Marchisio back to Verratti's place in central midfield and Cerci will take the position of 1 in the 1-2 formation upfront.
• Substitution 2: Insigne for Balotelli. 
• Substitution 3: Antonio Cassano for Immobile.

Update

Owing to an injury, De Sciglio will not be available. There is doubt on Buffon too. If the former is not available, I would move Chiellini to the left and bring Leonardo Bonucci to the left side of central defence. While I do not expect Chiellini to charge down the flank, I would have Antonio Candreva for Marchisio in the midfield, who will work as a winger. This will effectively change the formation to 4-4-2. In such case, I will replace Verratti with Marchisio in the last 30 minutes. Cerci will not play. If Buffon is not available, I will have Salvatore Sirigu in the side. 

Read More

Review: Italy squad for World Cup 2014 Brazil

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli declared the final 23-man squad that represents them in the World Cup in Brazil, just before the last date to give the list to FIFA officially. While the squad selected is noted for the omission of the star striker Giuseppe Rossi, it does not contain too many big surprises. 

I had predicted an Italian squad for the World Cup finals, last week. The final squad selected by the coach contains six changes including a forced one. I am reviewing the changes here and trying to see whether those changes make more sense.

Gigi Buffon will lead Italy in Brazil

In the defence, the changes are the inclusions of Matteo Darmian and Gabriel Paletta for Manual Pasqual and Andrea Ranocchia. The inclusion of Darmian is agreeable, but Paletta has been totally off-colour in the friendly match against the Republic of Ireland. He did not have the pace and made too many mistakes including losing ball possession and giving away free passes to the opposition. It will be interesting to see how he makes up for the mistakes if he is called for duty in Brazil. Looks like Prandelli has plans with Matttia Di Sciglio and Giorgio Chiellini as left backs, and possibly Darmian too if need be, and that could be the reason for leaving out Pasqual. But Ranocchia has been named as the 24th man who will be called up to Brazil if Andrea Barzagli is not fit.

In the midfield, the changes are the inclusions of Thiago Motta and Marco Parolo for Christian Maggio and Riccardo Montolivo. I thought the services of Maggio as a right back or a right winger would come into good effect in the World Cup, but may be his injury was a cause of worry for Prandelli. Parolo did okay in the friendly match, and Thiago Motta was in his usual self. He is nothing more than a box to box midfielder and I thought he lacked variety in the midfield. The exclusion of Montolivo was expected as he suffered an injury during the friendly which would keep him out of play for at least two months.

In the strike, the changes are the inclusions of Antonio Cassano and Alessio Cerci for Rossi and Mattia Destro. Cerci is a very good option, but it is to be seen how Cassano plays in Brazil. He wasn't much impressive in the friendly outing against Ireland. The injury and lack of match practice could be the reason why Prandelli left out Rossi at home. He wasn't impressive in the outing against Ireland too.

It is clear that the coach had decided on the squad even before the friendly against Ireland was played. Maybe he was confused about one or two positions only. Apart from Paletta, I think the squad is in good shape, but if Paletta takes out his brilliant form he carried from club football, Prandelli and Italy would be really pleased. Wish Italy all the best!

Photo: FIFA

Read More

World Cup 2014: Predicting Italy football squad and first round results

Giorgio Chiellini leading a pack of players during training

The ball will roll in Brazil in less than three weeks' time, kicking off one of the biggest sporting celebrations of all time - The FIFA World Cup 2014. All the teams qualified for the final round have been awaiting this precious moment, to display the talent they have got and become pinup stars. In the process, some will uphold their reputation, some will disappoint their fans, and some new dark horses will emerge. It is not just the final 23 that have put all the effort to reach the ultimate destination, but several others over the last few years, who unfortunately couldn't make the cut due to lack of form or injury.

As always, my favourite team is Italy. Italy never finds a place in a relatively weaker pool. Invariably they land in the group of death, and this time is no different. Italy finds a place among England, Uruguay, and Costa Rica. Italy had a great run up to the final, assuring their finals berth very early in the qualifiers and going unbeaten in the process. But the real test begins only now. 

While some teams have finalised their squad of 23 players, Italy coach Cesare Prandelli hasn't done that yet. He is still trying the final permutations and combinations and all possible types of formation. Before the final round, Italy has a couple of friendlies coming up against Ireland and Luxembourg, but the coach must declare the final team latest by June 2, which means more or less the best eleven will play against Luxembourg in the starting lineup.

If I were to pick the 23-man squad, the following would be my roster. This is assuming Italy plays 4-3-1-2 which should have the ability to regroup to a 4-4-2. At the goal is Gigi Buffon, arguably the best goalie Italy has ever produced. His deputies would be Salvatore Sirigu and Mattia Perin. 

In the defence, I will have Giorgio Chiellini as the left back, Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli as the centre backs, and Ignazio Abate as the right back. I will have four defenders on the bench - two left backs in Mattia De Sciglio and Manual Pasqual, a centre back in Andrea Ranocchia, and Christian Maggio who can be a right back and a sprinting right winger. If I were to include either De Sciglio or Pasqual as a left back, I have the luxury of moving Chiellini to the centre.

In the midfield, I will have Daniele De Rossi in the middle, Andrea Pirlo to his right, and Antonio Candreva on the left. The four midfielders on the bench would be Marco Verratti who is an excellent playmaker, and the experienced trio of untiring Claudio Marchisio, AC Milan captain Riccardo Montolivo, and Alberto Aquilani who is good in all roles in the midfield. Of these, Verratti will be a cover for Pirlo and Aquilani or Marchisio for De Rossi. Marchisio can also be swapped with Candreva for a starting lineup, and Montolivo can go anywhere in the middle or even as the 1 in the 1-2 formation up front.

In the strike is where I would like to see some youngsters doing well for Italy. Prandelli has been a believer in attack and that is enough reason to believe that he would have enough strike power at the front. The 1 in the 1-2 formation for me will be the experienced Giuseppe Rossi, and ahead of him would be Lorenzo Insigne on the left and Mario Balotelli on the right. The two strikers warming the bench would be Ciro Immobile and Mattia Destro. In my formation, Balotelli will play 90 minutes and Immobile who is strong on the left and right foot will be the substitute for Insigne. Or if needed, Rossi can be replaced with Immobile or Montolivo. Should either of Insigne or Balotelli be changed, Destro is an excellent option.

So here is my 23-man Italy squad: Gianluigi Buffon, Salvatore Sirigu, Mattia Perin, Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Barzagli, Ignazio Abate, Mattia Di Sciglio, Manual Pasqual, Andrea Ranocchia, Christian Maggio, Daniele Di Rossi, Andrea Pirlo, Antonio Candreva, Claudio Marchisio, Riccardo Montolivo, Marco Verratti, Alberto Aquilani, Giuseppe Rossi, Mario Balotelli, Lorenzo Insigne, Mattia Destro, Ciro Immobile.

I believe Italy will win against England and Costa Rica and draw with Uruguay and emerge as the winner of their pool.

Read More

Seminar on Netaji's disappearance

It was Desh Prem Diwas on January 23rd, the 117th birth anniversary of the legendary Indian freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. We at Mission Netaji could organise and participate in a lot of national and state level programs on the day in various cities. The idea we projected for the occasion was total declassification of the files related to Bose. The most important event for the day was the declassification march organised in Kolkata by like minded associations and people including the Bose family.

I was invited to speak at a seminar organised by the Department of History at the Sree Narayana College, Kollam. The seminar was titled "Decoding Netaji Mystery" and the topic was about the mysterious disappearance of Bose in 1945. I spoke for 2.5 hours and the response I received was encouraging. It was the first time I was speaking to 130+ students of history and political science in a single function. The talk went beyond the regular lunch break, but it was great to see the students staying back and asking questions about the disappearance of Bose - clear indication that Bose is no longer a forgotten hero. My sincere thanks to the college authorities, especially the principal Dr Sushama Devi, History Department Head Dr PR Jayachandran, and Assistant Professor Rishy N.

It is heartening to see the idea of declassification gaining mileage at the national level. The newly formed political outfit Aam Aadmi Party demanded complete declassification of Netaji files in Kolkata. The BJP president Rajnath Singh demanded the centre to make public all the secret information it possesses about Bose. He also promised that the BJP would disclose all such materials if they come to power.

Seminar inauguration by Dr Sushama Devi

Speaking at the event

Speaking at the event

An extended QA session with students

News coverage in Mathrubhumi daily on 24-Jan-2014

Photos: Rishy N.

Read More