Good Bad Ugly

One of the many aspirations on my bucket list is to sit in and observe a screenplay discussion for a mass Telugu movie. Think Balayya movies.

Another dream? To write a raunchy, raucous song like Ringa Ringa (yes, the Telugu one again).

Well, one of my another bigger aspirations is to create a TV series—or at the very least, work on one.

You get the drift.

The most recent addition to this ever-growing wishlist is to observe how Adhik Ravichandran works on his screenplays.

Yes, this came after watching The Good, The Bad, The Ugly.

For the longest time, I believed no one—absolutely no one—could beat the Telugu filmmakers when it came to creativity and ingenious absurdity. (And let me be clear: I say this with the utmost respect. It’s not easy to be that imaginative. If you don’t believe me or think I’m exaggerating, I challenge you—try coming up with just one scene that’s as absurd and brilliant as theirs!)

And yet… our man Adhik outdoes them by a mile.

No surprise then that the movie was produced by a Telugu producer.

Sure, people might laugh at it or make fun of it, but honestly, it takes a special kind of genius to come up with this:

A don who has been part of Dong Lee, John Wick, and The Professor.

Marvel throws entire teams of writers at building the MCU.

But here comes Adhik, who casually jumps across two massive cinematic and TV universes and blends them into a narrative that lasts just a few minutes.

And the way he uses name changes to dodge legal issues—while still getting the message across? Standing ovation-worthy.

For that alone, I want to be his apprentice.

The movie is a total riot. My only regret? Not watching it in the theatre.

I know, I know—you’re not supposed to worry about logic in movies. Especially in movies like this.

But still, I couldn’t help but wonder:

• Why would someone like Trisha, who apparently grows up to be a high-ranking embassy official, marry someone like Ajith? What about background checks?
• How is Ajith’s lawyer also his goon sidekick?
• If the entire don world knows Ajith, how come Jackie Shroff has never heard of him—and vice versa?

Honestly, if Adhik had just patched a few of these bad and ugly logic holes, the film could’ve been even more GOOD!

But still, what a ride.

Thug Life Songs

For the past week, I’ve been listening to Thug Life songs on loop.

Not surprising, considering how good the songs are and I know I’m not alone!

But for me, it feels a little extra special. It’s actually a big deal. Here’s why:

One, after a long, long time, I’m actually listening to music again.

There was a time, I would always be listening to music, When I am walking, travelling, working and eating. It was always there.

But in the past few years? Nothing. I barely listened to any songs at all.

Worse, I didn’t even like the new songs  that came out.

I’d started to wonder—have I lost the ability to enjoy music?

Had I become too mechanical?

Two, I’m listening to an entire movie album. All the songs.

I honestly can’t remember the last time I liked every song from one album. 

A few other reflections:

This whole thing reminded me of an old aphorism:

Nature abhors a vacuum. No one is truly indispensable. Life finds a way to fill the gaps.

For a long time, Mani Ratnam collaborated with Vairamuthu.

But post-#MeToo, Mani stopped working with him.

I used to wonder,how will the magic continue?

Who could ever fill those shoes?

(Not always the case, though. Director Shankar, for instance, hasn’t quite found his rhythm since Sujatha passed—especially when it comes to screenplay and dialogue. I also feel that, other than Anand and maybe Thani Oruvan, most didn’t fully leverage the Suba duo the way they could’ve.)

But I have to say,the lyrics in Thug Life are just… wonderful.

And I’m more of a lyrics guy than a music or voice person.

Speaking of voices the performance of Chinmayi in audio launch.

As I said, I usually can’t distinguish between voices or appreciate the finer nuances.

But even to someone like me, the difference between Dhee’s and Chinmayi’s versions of the same song is like day and night.

Beyond the music, I’m genuinely amazed by the promotional efforts from Kamal and Mani.

Whether the movie is a success or not, I respect the sheer commitment and the love they show for the craft.

(And that’s what really triggered these thoughts on how incredibly blessed these people are to have fallen in love with their craft, and to keep doing what they love, decade after decade.)

You Can Be Anything You Want to Be (Even a Poet, Apparently)!

My ambitions are… let’s just say, not lacking in range. I want to do a bit of everything. But I also like to think I’m practical—no wild dreams of becoming an astronaut or taming dragons (not yet, anyway).

For example, I want to write more books. I’m already a published author, so that’s not a stretch. Feels like adding another dish to a menu I already know how to cook.

I also want to write lyrics for movies. I’ve written poems, so lyrics feel like poems with better PR and a musical agent. With the right effort and a few coffees with the right people—why not?

In short, I’ve always felt I could explore any creative pursuit.

But there was one thing I firmly believed was not my cup of tea (or coffee): writing English poems.

Until today.

Okay, to be honest—I still can’t. Not the “sit under a tree with a quill and tortured soul” kind of poetry. But with a little help… I can fake it till I make it.

So I took a blog post I wrote and handed it over to ChatGPT. Told it: “Be concise, fix grammar, but don’t kill the vibe.” It came back all neat and polished—like my writing had gone to boarding school. I wasn’t thrilled.

But then I said, “Let’s try something fun. Turn it into a poem.”

And voila! A poem. Co-written by me and ChatGPT. Okay, mostly ChatGPT. But I had the idea, and that counts, right?

Here it is:

Blessed are those who find their way,

Early in life, and walk it each day.

Blessed are those who live on their terms,

Unshaken by worry, untouched by storms.

Blessed are those with hearts at peace,

Content in their journey, needing no release.

Moral of the story?

In the age of AI, you can literally be anything—even a poet. Just ask nicely.

#poemsbyappu

Blessed are those…

 Blessed are those who figure out what they want to do with their life, very early on in their life and actually get to do it for their entire life

Blessed are those, who get to do what they want to do when they want to do without any worry. 

Blessed are those who are content with their life.