Friday, July 31, 2015

Is Baahubali overhyped?


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Answered By:  Sumit Suryakant Kamat, Mechanical engineering student, football enthusiast, like to drum

Baahubali has been widely appreciated and even compared with the likes of 300 and other prominent sword and sandals movies. But I feel that this comparison is often unnecessary and unfair to both sides as Baahubali is the first film of the genre at such a huge scale in India.

Let us start with the comparison with 300. Zack Snyder is a master at screen adaptations of graphic novels. Do go through the graphic novels, 300 by Frank Miller and  Watchmen by  Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons (Illustrator/Letterer) and John Higgins (Colorist).
 Watch how each frame is brought to the screen. It develops the appropriate atmosphere for a movie goer like me and delight to the comic fan.



Baahubali has great visuals as well. From the waterfall scenes to the Mahishmati Kingdom as well as the duel between Kattapa and Baahubali.


Now let us compare the scenes. In the large scale scenes both the directors depict each still remarkably well. But it is the small scale scenes in which Jack Snyder rises. From the use of filters and the background score, Jack snyder bring intensity and imerssiveness to each scene which is hard to replicate even in Hollywood by other directors. This is where Baahubali fails some time. 

But, we have to consider that Zack Sneider has a well developed storyboard at hand in comparison to SS Rajamouli who has to develop it from scratch. So a point goes to Baahubali.


Storyline and character development
This is one of few aspects of the movie that disappointed me at a few instances, but let us start with the notable scenes.

The ascent of Shiva to the top of the waterfall is impressive not only in a visual way, but also metaphorically. It symbolises the growth of the character and his success through years of persistence and hard work. He was able to conquer his Everest only when he was ready.

The love of a person towards his mother is one which any person can identify with and through the course of the movie this particular aspect of the character strikes a chord with the audience. Baahubali and Shiva's empathy towards the people or even animals makes them worthy of becoming the hero and champion of the common man.

The character of Sivagami by Ramaya Krishnan was particularly impressive, her expressions were top-notch and made her the strong individual that she was meant to be.

Kattapa symbolising immense loyalty and vigor and Bhallala Deva (the antagonist) are well developed characters in the context of the movie.
Avantika and Devesana have great potential as well, so we have to wait and watch.

The war scenes were impressive as it showed why Baahubali was admired and revered and Bhallala Deva despised later on. At the same time the war strategy depicted was pretty good. In my view this was the strongest part of the movie . 


There were many things that I liked it but at the same time few aspects of  the story disappointed me as well.

The romance between Avantika and Shiva felt almost forced. It often felt comical and unnecessary at that point of time. Instead of developing the relationship between these two characters in a short span of time, they could take time in developing it through mutual admiration and respect.

Few scenes were not needed at all. The taming of the poorly animated bull by Bhallala Deva was an eye sore to say the least. The director could display this character's strength in a better way. There were various other opportunities to bring the toughness of this character on screen. 

The songs could have been avoided as it seemed to break the flow of the movie. But then I remember how my mother complains when there are no songs in a movie. So, I guess this is what India wants.

Some of the scenes were inefficient and lacked the punch required. The rebels didn't seem strong as a group but this may be attributed to the writer watching a dubbed movie.

CGI and other factors
The CGI was not upto the mark as I had really high expectations, especially the bull as mentioned earlier. 

During the war sequence, the CGI also could have been better. The collision of the weapon (attached to Bhallala Deva's cart) with the opposing army felt too unrealistic. 

Also, the scenes where Baahubali or the characters jumped around could be performed with the help of strings or by a parkour practitioner to bring fluidity to the scene instead of the CGI.

Though being a small issue the age difference was not noticed well between some of the characters indicating an inept makeup department. But at the same time the costume designs were outstanding. Not too shiny or over the top and staying true to the region's culture as was said by the director himself.


Budget comparison 
As an admirer of low budget movies like Primer, I never liked the idea of comparison of budget and turnouts as a measure of success. Even I consider it to be a sin to compare such movies, but here it goes.

300- 65 million usd 
Lord of the rings trilogy- 358 million usd 
Gladiator- 103 million usd 
Baahubali- 40 million usd ( the beggining and the conclusion), the budget may increase as mentioned by Balaji Ch.

If we consider these figures the money has been effectively used in Baahubali for a movie of this scale, though it can't be compared to the others.

I enjoyed the movie to some extent, though I feel it could have been better.
Again, I wish to stress that I have watched a dubbed version and would gladly like to watch the movie again with the intended vocals and subtitles.


What would be the chances of Pakistan launching a nuclear strike against India? And what would be steps taken by India and other world powers after such a drastic step?

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I am sure that even the Pakistani military is not stupid enough to launch nuclear attacks but as an Indian living near a rogue nation allow me to be less than 100% confident.

Pakistan originated from the assumption that India as a secular state is bound to fail and is increasingly feeling that we have proved that very assumption wrong. Pakistan is in a mess economically and culturally. The indoctrinated jihadists are running amok in the state and India seems poised to join the ranks as a superpower in the near future. Strategically though it is covertly and overtly supported by China and the USA. USA, as it needs to have 'allies', even unreliable ones like Pakistan, in its middle East policy, cannot be relied upon to support India although it might make efforts to broker a peace. China fearing India's rise might use Pakistan as a proxy similar to the USA use of Afghanistan against the USSR in the 70s and 80s.

Nationalistic pride aside, according to Pakistan surges ahead of India in nuclear stockpile: Report - The Times of India
 Pakistan has a few more nuclear weapons than India and China has many more. So flattening out Pakistan without sustaining tremendous loss on our side is out of the question. Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) is no laughing matter and blind nationalism should not be involved with it. 

Moreover, it will be the poor Pakistani public who has been suffering under their inept governments and disproportionately powerful military that would bear the brunt. The actual culprits, ie the military heads would be hidden in bunkers and already planning to make a cry for help in the UN and project themselves as a victim just like their cries of being victims of terrorists that they created and trained. (I have seen a video

Link: https://youtu.be/Z__lyS-wI7c
of a former ISI head going on record in a British television show terming the countless Pakistani civilians killed by terrorists that they trained as collateral damage and who seemed convinced that their policies could not have gone any better. Hence I would not be surprised if they really do take India down with their own citizens.) 

Given the open threats of nuclear warheads given by people like Musharraf over the seemingly straightforward issue of tackling terrorist groups across the border, I wouldn't bet on the sanity of the Pakistani high command. Fighting a losing battle with time, the Pakistani establishment might try to launch a suicidal attack on India.

What I would like to know is what are the defenses that we have against that kind of a situation? Are there any defenses available with other countries that may disable the warheads in air and will they be deployed in India's or even Pakistan's defense? Can embargoes on the offending party/parties be counted upon and which nations would be involved? Will the UN step in and what good might that do? What would the fallout of such a war be, what will we lose and would there be any chance of rebuilding our possibly lost economy?

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Answered By:  Pratik DashMisguided missile, iconoclast and loose cannon

Who supported Kalam to become president of India? I mean which political party?

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Answered By:  Muralidhar Kovvali


''The morning of 10 June 2002 was like any other day in the beautiful environment of Anna University, where I had been working since December 2001. I had been enjoying my time in the large, tranquil campus, working with professors and inquisitive students on research projects and teaching. 

As I was walking back, Prof A Kalanidhi, the vice chancellor of Anna University, joined me. He said that my office had received many telephone calls during the day and someone was frantically trying to get in touch with me. As soon as I reached my rooms, I found the telephone was ringing. When I answered, a voice on the other end said, ‘The prime minister wants to talk to you.’

While I was waiting to be connected to the PM, Chandrababu Naidu, who was the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, called me on my cellphone. He told me to expect an important call from the prime minister, adding, ‘Please do not say no.’

While I was talking to Naidu, the call from Atal Bihari Vajpayee  materialized. He said, ‘Kalam, how is your academic life?’ 'It is fantastic,’ I answered. Vajpayee continued, ‘We have some very important news for you. Just now, I am coming from a special meeting attended by leaders of all the coalition parties. We have decided unanimously that the nation needs you as its Rashtrapati. I have to announce this tonight. I would like to have your concurrence. I need only a “Yes”, not a “No”.

Vajpayee said, ‘After you agree, we will work for a consensus.’

Over the next two hours, I must have made thirty telephone calls to my close friends. Among them were people in academia and friends in the civil services and in politics too. One view that came across was that I was enjoying an academic life, which is my passion and love, and I shouldn’t disturb it. The second view was that this was an opportunity to put forth the India 2020 vision in front of the nation and Parliament, and that I must jump at it.Exactly after two hours, I was connected to the prime minister. I said, ‘Vajpayeeji, I consider this to be a very important mission and I would like to be an all-party candidate.’

He said, ‘Yes, we will work for it, thank you.’The same day, Vajpayee consulted with Mrs Sonia Gandhi, the opposition leader, about the choice of candidate. When Mrs Gandhi asked whether the NDA’s choice was final, the prime minister responded in the affirmative. After due consultation with her party members and coalition partners, Mrs Gandhi announced the support of the Indian National Congress (INC) to my candidature on 17 June 2002. I would have loved to get the support of the Left parties also but they decided to nominate their own candidate''

Source: scroll . in


Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Why is killing a plant to eat not cruel, whereas killing an animal is?


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Answered By:  Scott GrahamWorking, studying and generally accepting that I know almost nothing about th...

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

By:  Anil Sharma


This is not my answer and i don't even want up votes for this. The only reason I'm posting this answer is because it makes more sense here and it will provide a centralised answer to someone who search for this topic. This answer has been written by Kaushik Kulkarni.   


Do you find that using the word "VERY" is making your answer lose its grace and even ruining your creativity. It happens most of the time to me.
'Very' is the most useless word in the English language and can always come out. More than useless, it is treacherous because it invariably weakens what it is intended to strengthen. ~Florence King

So avoid using the word ‘very’ because it’s lazy. A man is not very tired, he is exhausted. Don’t use very sad, use morose. Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women - and, in that endeavor, laziness will not do. It also won’t do in your essays. ~N.H. Kleinbaum

So, its better to follow this table - 


I hope this took less than five minutes .

If you have half a more minute to spare then, have a quick look at some other words which are better to express some feelings in an essay/answer . 



And, also while writing, make sure that your writing is confident enough to convey its message to the reader .

UPDATE : Whoa! An astounding response to this answer, I am highly honored. 

Some synonyms for garnishing your answers ( better make a sticky note for it or add this answer to your Reading List . ) 
Amazing — incredible, unbelievable, improbable, fabulous, wonderful, fantastic, astonishing, astounding, extraordinary
Anger — enrage, infuriate, arouse, nettle, exasperate, inflame, madden
Angry — mad, furious, enraged, excited, wrathful, indignant, exasperated, aroused, inflamed
 
Answer — reply, respond, retort, acknowledge
Ask- — question, inquire of, seek information from, put a question to, demand, request, expect, inquire, query, interrogate, examine, quiz
Awful — dreadful, terrible, abominable, bad, poor, unpleasant
Bad — evil, immoral, wicked, corrupt, sinful, depraved, rotten, contaminated, spoiled, tainted, harmful, injurious, unfavorable, defective, inferior, imperfect, substandard, faulty, improper, inappropriate, unsuitable, disagreeable, unpleasant, cross, nasty, unfriendly, irascible, horrible, atrocious, outrageous, scandalous, infamous, wrong, noxious, sinister, putrid, snide, deplorable, dismal, gross, heinous, nefarious, base, obnoxious, detestable, despicable, contemptible, foul, rank, ghastly, execrable
Beautiful — pretty, lovely, handsome, attractive, gorgeous, dazzling, splendid, magnificent, comely, fair, ravishing, graceful, elegant, fine, exquisite, aesthetic, pleasing, shapely, delicate, stunning, glorious, heavenly, resplendent, radiant, glowing, blooming, sparkling
Begin — start, open, launch, initiate, commence, inaugurate, originate
Big — enormous, huge, immense, gigantic, vast, colossal, gargantuan, large, sizable, grand, great, tall, substantial, mammoth, astronomical, ample, broad, expansive, spacious, stout, tremendous, titanic, mountainous
Brave — courageous, fearless, dauntless, intrepid, plucky, daring, heroic, valorous, audacious, bold, gallant, valiant, doughty, mettlesome
Break — fracture, rupture, shatter, smash, wreck, crash, demolish, atomize
Bright — shining, shiny, gleaming, brilliant, sparkling, shimmering, radiant, vivid, colorful, lustrous, luminous, incandescent, intelligent, knowing, quick-witted, smart, intellectual
Calm — quiet, peaceful, still, tranquil, mild, serene, smooth, composed, collected, unruffled, level-headed, unexcited, detached, aloof
Come — approach, advance, near, arrive, reach
Cool — chilly, cold, frosty, wintry, icy, frigid
Crooked — bent, twisted, curved, hooked, zigzag
Cry — shout, yell, yowl, scream, roar, bellow, weep, wail, sob, bawl
Cut — gash, slash, prick, nick, sever, slice, carve, cleave, slit, chop, crop, lop, reduce
Dangerous — perilous, hazardous, risky, uncertain, unsafe
Dark — shadowy, unlit, murky, gloomy, dim, dusky, shaded, sunless, black, dismal, sad
Decide — determine, settle, choose, resolve
Definite — certain, sure, positive, determined, clear, distinct, obvious
Delicious — savory, delectable, appetizing, luscious, scrumptious, palatable, delightful, enjoyable, toothsome, exquisite
Describe — portray, characterize, picture, narrate, relate, recount, represent, report, record
Destroy — ruin, demolish, raze, waste, kill, slay, end, extinguish
Difference — disagreement, inequity, contrast, dissimilarity, incompatibility
Do — execute, enact, carry out, finish, conclude, effect, accomplish, achieve, attain
Dull — boring, tiring„ tiresome, uninteresting, slow, dumb, stupid, unimaginative, lifeless, dead, insensible, tedious, wearisome, listless, expressionless, plain, monotonous, humdrum, dreary
Eager — keen, fervent, enthusiastic, involved, interested, alive to
End — stop, finish, terminate, conclude, close, halt, cessation, discontinuance
Enjoy — appreciate, delight in, be pleased, indulge in, luxuriate in, bask in, relish, devour, savor, like
Explain — elaborate, clarify, define, interpret, justify, account for
Fair — just, impartial, unbiased, objective, unprejudiced, honest
Fall — drop, descend, plunge, topple, tumble
False — fake, fraudulent, counterfeit, spurious, untrue, unfounded, erroneous, deceptive, groundless, fallacious
Famous — well-known, renowned, celebrated, famed, eminent, illustrious, distinguished, noted, notorious
Fast — quick, rapid, speedy, fleet, hasty, snappy, mercurial, swiftly, rapidly, quickly, snappily, speedily, lickety-split, posthaste, hastily, expeditiously, like a flash
Fat — stout, corpulent, fleshy, beefy, paunchy, plump, full, rotund, tubby, pudgy, chubby, chunky, burly, bulky, elephantine
Fear — fright, dread, terror, alarm, dismay, anxiety, scare, awe, horror, panic, apprehension
Fly — soar, hover, flit, wing, flee, waft, glide, coast, skim, sail, cruise
Funny — humorous, amusing, droll, comic, comical, laughable, silly
Get — acquire, obtain, secure, procure, gain, fetch, find, score, accumulate, win, earn, rep, catch, net, bag, derive, collect, gather, glean, pick up, accept, come by, regain, salvage
Go — recede, depart, fade, disappear, move, travel, proceed
Good — excellent, fine, superior, wonderful, marvelous, qualified, suited, suitable, apt, proper, capable, generous, kindly, friendly, gracious, obliging, pleasant, agreeable, pleasurable, satisfactory, well-behaved, obedient, honorable, reliable, trustworthy, safe, favorable, profitable, advantageous, righteous, expedient, helpful, valid, genuine, ample, salubrious, estimable, beneficial, splendid, great, noble, worthy, first-rate, top-notch, grand, sterling, superb, respectable, edifying
Great — noteworthy, worthy, distinguished, remarkable, grand, considerable, powerful, much, mighty
Gross — improper, rude, coarse, indecent, crude, vulgar, outrageous, extreme, grievous, shameful, uncouth, obscene, low
Happy — pleased, contented, satisfied, delighted, elated, joyful, cheerful, ecstatic, jubilant, gay, tickled, gratified, glad, blissful, overjoyed
Hate — despise, loathe, detest, abhor, disfavor, dislike, disapprove, abominate
Have — hold, possess, own, contain, acquire, gain, maintain, believe, bear, beget, occupy, absorb, fill, enjoy
Help — aid, assist, support, encourage, back, wait on, attend, serve, relieve, succor, benefit, befriend, abet
Hide — conceal, cover, mask, cloak, camouflage, screen, shroud, veil
Hurry — rush, run, speed, race, hasten, urge, accelerate, bustle
Hurt — damage, harm, injure, wound, distress, afflict, pain
Idea — thought, concept, conception, notion, understanding, opinion, plan, view, belief
Important — necessary, vital, critical, indispensable, valuable, essential, significant, primary, principal, considerable, famous, distinguished, notable, well-known
Interesting — fascinating, engaging, sharp, keen, bright, intelligent, animated, spirited, attractive, inviting, intriguing, provocative, though-provoking, challenging, inspiring, involving, moving, titillating, tantalizing, exciting, entertaining, piquant, lively, racy, spicy, engrossing, absorbing, consuming, gripping, arresting, enthralling, spellbinding, curious, captivating, enchanting, bewitching, appealing
Keep — hold, retain, withhold, preserve, maintain, sustain, support
Kill — slay, execute, assassinate, murder, destroy, cancel, abolish
Lazy — indolent, slothful, idle, inactive, sluggish
Little — tiny, small, diminutive, shrimp, runt, miniature, puny, exiguous, dinky, cramped, limited, itsy-bitsy, microscopic, slight, petite, minute
Look — gaze, see, glance, watch, survey, study, seek, search for, peek, peep, glimpse, stare, contemplate, examine, gape, ogle, scrutinize, inspect, leer, behold, observe, view, witness, perceive, spy, sight, discover, notice, recognize, peer, eye, gawk, peruse, explore
Love — like, admire, esteem, fancy, care for, cherish, adore, treasure, worship, appreciate, savor
Make — create, originate, invent, beget, form, construct, design, fabricate, manufacture, produce, build, develop, do, effect, execute, compose, perform, accomplish, earn, gain, obtain, acquire, get
Mark — label, tag, price, ticket, impress, effect, trace, imprint, stamp, brand, sign, note, heed, notice, designate
Mischievous — prankish, playful, naughty, roguish, waggish, impish, sportive
Move — plod, go, creep, crawl, inch, poke, drag, toddle, shuffle, trot, dawdle, walk, traipse, mosey, jog, plug, trudge, slump, lumber, trail, lag, run, sprint, trip, bound, hotfoot, high-tail, streak, stride, tear, breeze, whisk, rush, dash, dart, bolt, fling, scamper, scurry, skedaddle, scoot, scuttle, scramble, race, chase, hasten, hurry, hump, gallop, lope, accelerate, stir, budge, travel, wander, roam, journey, trek, ride, spin, slip, glide, slide, slither, coast, flow, sail, saunter, hobble, amble, stagger, paddle, slouch, prance, straggle, meander, perambulate, waddle, wobble, pace, swagger, promenade, lunge
Moody — temperamental, changeable, short-tempered, glum, morose, sullen, mopish, irritable, testy, peevish, fretful, spiteful, sulky, touchy
Neat — clean, orderly, tidy, trim, dapper, natty, smart, elegant, well-organized, super, desirable, spruce, shipshape, well-kept, shapely
New — fresh, unique, original, unusual, novel, modern, current, recent
Old — feeble, frail, ancient, weak, aged, used, worn, dilapidated, ragged, faded, broken-down, former, old-fashioned, outmoded, passe, veteran, mature, venerable, primitive, traditional, archaic, conventional, customary, stale, musty, obsolete, extinct
Part — portion, share, piece, allotment, section, fraction, fragment
Place — space, area, spot, plot, region, location, situation, position, residence, dwelling, set, site, station, status, state
Plan — plot, scheme, design, draw, map, diagram, procedure, arrangement, intention, device, contrivance, method, way, blueprint
Popular — well-liked, approved, accepted, favorite, celebrated, common, current
Predicament — quandary, dilemma, pickle, problem, plight, spot, scrape, jam
Put — place, set, attach, establish, assign, keep, save, set aside, effect, achieve, do, build
Quiet — silent, still, soundless, mute, tranquil, peaceful, calm, restful
Right — correct, accurate, factual, true, good, just, honest, upright, lawful, moral, proper, suitable, apt, legal, fair
Run — race, speed, hurry, hasten, sprint, dash, rush, escape, elope, flee
Say/Tell — inform, notify, advise, relate, recount, narrate, explain, reveal, disclose, divulge, declare, command, order, bid, enlighten, instruct, insist, teach, train, direct, issue, remark, converse, speak, affirm, suppose, utter, negate, express, verbalize, voice, articulate, pronounce, deliver, convey, impart, assert, state, allege, mutter, mumble, whisper, sigh, exclaim, yell, sing, yelp, snarl, hiss, grunt, snort, roar, bellow, thunder, boom, scream, shriek, screech, squawk, whine, philosophize, stammer, stutter, lisp, drawl, jabber, protest, announce, swear, vow, content, assure, deny, dispute
Scared — afraid, frightened, alarmed, terrified, panicked, fearful, unnerved, insecure, timid, shy, skittish, jumpy, disquieted, worried, vexed, troubled, disturbed, horrified, terrorized, shocked, petrified, haunted, timorous, shrinking, tremulous, stupefied, paralyzed, stunned, apprehensive
Show — display, exhibit, present, note, point to, indicate, explain, reveal, prove, demonstrate, expose
Slow — unhurried, gradual, leisurely, late, behind, tedious, slack
Stop — cease, halt, stay, pause, discontinue, conclude, end, finish, quit
Story — tale, myth, legend, fable, yarn, account, narrative, chronicle, epic, sage, anecdote, record, memoir
Strange — odd, peculiar, unusual, unfamiliar, uncommon, queer, weird, outlandish, curious, unique, exclusive, irregular
Take — hold, catch, seize, grasp, win, capture, acquire, pick, choose, select, prefer, remove, steal, lift, rob, engage, bewitch, purchase, buy, retract, recall, assume, occupy, consume
Tell — disclose, reveal, show, expose, uncover, relate, narrate, inform, advise, explain, divulge, declare, command, order, bid, recount, repeat
Think — judge, deem, assume, believe, consider, contemplate, reflect, mediate
Trouble — distress, anguish, anxiety, worry, wretchedness, pain, danger, peril, disaster, grief, misfortune, difficulty, concern, pains, inconvenience, exertion, effort
True — accurate, right, proper, precise, exact, valid, genuine, real, actual, trusty, steady, loyal, dependable, sincere, staunch
Ugly — hideous, frightful, frightening, shocking, horrible, unpleasant, monstrous, terrifying, gross, grisly, ghastly, horrid, unsightly, plain, homely, evil, repulsive, repugnant, gruesome
Unhappy — miserable, uncomfortable, wretched, heart-broken, unfortunate, poor, downhearted, sorrowful, depressed, dejected, melancholy, glum, gloomy, dismal, discouraged, sad
Use — employ, utilize, exhaust, spend, expend, consume, exercise
Wrong — incorrect, inaccurate, mistaken, erroneous, improper, unsuitable

Source : StumbleUpon

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