• Movie Review

    Gatta Kusthi (2022), a sports comedy that was not stupid

    Almost all comedy films made in Kollywood in recent times make you feel stupid and are devoid of common sense. Surprising to see the movie Gatta Kusthi (2022) which was based on an age-old plot of a marriage being finalised on lies, breaking the trend. Vishnu Vishal produced a film that was enjoyable for most parts and I am feeling generous to give a mangoidiots rating of Ripe. Wrestling is not easy. Wresting on a mud floor is tougher. Aishwarya Lekshmi has done her role of a female wrestler remarkably well – she exhibits the tenacity and toughness that makes the matches played in the ring believable and she was docile…

  • Rostrum,  Travel Review

    My brave flight on a zipline!

    I am not able to believe myself. While in Indore this week, I undertook an adventure ride – my first on a zip-line. A FOAF’s (Friend of a friend) farmhouse which I was lucky to get invited had two zip lines, a shorter distance one for beginners’ to practise and get rid of their fear, and the second was over a longer distance and on top of a running canal below.  Normally, I am terrified by at the idea of adventure sports and rides like Roller Coasters, but today for some strange reason I opted in to try the zip lines here, may be because it was a private property and…

  • Sir Donald Bradman and Sachin Tendulkar
    Chennai,  Lifestyle

    The cricket world’s best

    The other day, while visiting his office, my friend Jonah Stephen, surprised me with a gift to cherish. It was a limited edition replica of a painting showing two of cricket world’s legends – Sir Donald Bradman and Sachin Tendulkar. Painted to depict the meeting that between the two on 27th August 1998, on the occasion of Sir Donald’s 90th birthday. The two great men who have set the bar high enough for generations to aspire and one day best. Every day when I see this picture of these two legends, it is sure to motivate me to achieve more in my own life. Thank You, Jonah

  • Events

    Listen to the leader – Vijay Amritraj

    “Vijay Amritraj“, the name itself is an inspiration for every Indian who grow up in 1970s and 1980s. Long before Sunil Gavaskar , Kapil Dev or P T Usha put India in International sports map, it was Vijay who turned world attention to India for right reasons. I think it was 1987, when I got galvanized by Vijay’s world cup victory that I joined Tennis coaching in T.Nagar Ladies(!) club behind Holy Angels’ school in Pondy Bazaar. It was the popular Tennis coaching centre then, and this <1 year of Tennis coaching was the only sporting activity that I ever put in effort learning. My dear readers, if you are wondering how good I was with my Tennis back in 1987, I will…

  • Lounge

    IPL2011 Finals

    What a season this IPL2011 was. Though for me it was an overdose of cricket following immediately to the World Cup and with 74 matches, IPL2011 was memorable. I got a chance to watch the first match of the season at the M.A.Chidambaram Stadium, I was lucky to get tickets gifted to watch it from the special Anna Pavilion (Air conditioned corporate box of TNCA). Though I was delighted for CSK winning the trophy again this year, the final’s match between CSK and RCB turned out to be an anti-climax. At the end of first innings and after Chris Gayle of RCB getting out, the final’s match was literally over…

  • 8 April 2011 CSK - IPL2011
    Chennai

    Watched IPL 2011 first match in Chepauk Stadium

    Yesterday I got tickets by chance to see the first cricket match of IPL 2011 season in the stadium. The match was between CSK (my home team) and KKR team. I had taken my son for the first IPL season but then he was not old enough to understood much and so didn’t enjoy. Now he is 7 Years old, plays Cricket in the street and so was super excited to be there at the Chepauk Stadium. For me, it meant being away from the comfort of home – AC, TV & Snacks. Anyways, the atmosphere was electrifying in the stadium and I was so happy that CSK won the…

  • Economy

    Where is the slowdown in India?

    With news coming in every day of all major industries in India slowing down from their historic levels of growth in the last few years, everyone in business (including me) is losing our sleep over the state of our businesses and the economy in general. Real-Estate, Cement, Auto, IT, Retail, Travel – all have slowed down in the recent months. No Amount of Liquidity infused by Government/RBI has been able to make banks lend (or) companies to borrow and expand. With this background, I thought the record monies (spent by owners and sponsors) spent on last year’s IPL will come down to ground-level (what everyone will call sustainable) this year.…

  • Chennai

    Chennai Super Kings beats Mumbai Indians

    It has been more than 2 decades since I have been to a Stadium to watch a cricket match live, the last time was during my School Days that too only once and I remember it vaguely. So yesterday when I went to MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk, Chennai) with my son to see the match it was pure fun. I didn’t want to go through the parking hassles so I left my car in a relatives house in Royappetah and went to the stadium in an Autorickshaw – a wise decision that helped us to reach to our seats by the start of the match at 8 PM. The atmosphere…