Ratnakar Sadasyula | PassionforCinema

Hmm Ok, where do i start? Ok i am a techie, touching 40, though i firmly believe in age being in mind. And yes a passionate movie maniac. Apart from movies also love books, music, traveling and photography. Oh yes am a hard core Quizzard too. I believe in being myself, and am a pretty laid back person, who believes in taking life as it is. Regarding my political views, i am more of a centrist, which makes me get hit from both left and right. Got used to it though. The toughest thing i found in life is to be moderate, not try to be extreme, because then you belong neither here nor there. But after some time, i stopped wanting to belong, and just believe in myself. Pretty much no nonsense in my attitude, have a zero tolerance policy for fools. And yes at the end of it, i am just a normal family man.

Ratnakar Sadasyula's Blog

15
Jackie Brown-Of Tarantino and Blaxploitation
One of the numerous slam bang movies, i saw as a kid during the late 70’s in India was Black Belt Jones. It had Jim Kelly, one of the main characters in the 70’s martial arts flick, Enter the Dragon, that had made Bruce Lee an icon of sorts, especially during the ...
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at November 3rd, 2009 at 08:11 am
239
Dacait(1987)- Sunny Paaji in Chambal
/* Spoilers In Post The camera pans over the desolate landscape, littered with ravines, valleys, criscrossing streams. Forbidding, haunting, the dreaded Chambal Valley, India’s own Wild West frontier, a name that spelt terror during the 70’s. A place synonymous, with backwardness, ...
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at October 23rd, 2009 at 12:10 am
19
Blue Velvet-Nightmare on Lynch Street
Scripted style lettering, super imposed over a backdrop of undulating blue velvet cloth, to tune of Angelo Badalamenti’s stringed score, sensual, haunting, a throwback to the early Hollywood movies of the 50’s. And then the blue velvet cloth dissolving into clear blue ...
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at October 19th, 2009 at 08:10 am
33
The Aviator- Hughes, Marty and Leo
Howard Hughes Making a biopic is even at the best of times a tight rope walk. An author has the full liberty to delve into every aspect of the character, explore the historical background, or go into the minute details of his quirks. A movie maker on the other hand has to narrate...
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at October 8th, 2009 at 06:10 am
155
Disco Dancer-Prabhu Leela ki Jai Ho
There are movies, then there are movies of “Prabhuji” and then there is Disco Dancer. If i ever had to pick one movie of Mithun Da, that signified his transition from a mere actor to the cult godly ”Prabhu Jee” status, it has to be this. Disco Dancer was released in December...
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at September 30th, 2009 at 07:09 am
2
Brian De Palma- No winners in a war
/** Spoilers in post Quite often when i go through some of the best anti war movies that have been made, i can’t help noticing one thing, in a vast majority of the cases, the anti war movies come out after the actual war is over. I take a look at some of the more well known anti...
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at September 17th, 2009 at 03:09 am
2
Brian De Palma-Only the paranoid survive.
“Mulder, are you suggesting that we somehow create our own quirky focal points of paranoia, as a result of the lack of things that are worth fearing in our day-to-day lives? That we’re not whole as beings without something to worry about, something to keep our eye on?” “That’s my point exactly, Scully. What if, in a society characterized...
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at September 10th, 2009 at 05:09 am
5
Brian De Palma Blog A Thon
If you have enjoyed the sight of Al Pacino yelling “Say Hello to My Little Brother” or the pram racing down the stairs in the Odessa steps inspired action sequence from The Untouchables, or happen to be one of those who love Brian De Palma movies, check out the Brian De Palma blogathon...
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at September 9th, 2009 at 08:09 am
3
Route “9″ to Sleepy Hollow
It is not hard to feel like an outsider. I think we have all felt like that at one time or another.- Alan Cumming An outsider’s point of view is always handy.-Pat Oliphant Strip away the Gothic universe, the dark undercurrents, the twisted up characters, the nightmarish visions, at the core of it, Burton celebrates the outsider....
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at September 8th, 2009 at 01:09 am
31
“9″: The Women as the Warrior
Growing up one of my favorite stories in Indian mythology, was that of Durga, the fierce warrior form of the Divine Mother or Devi. As per legend, when the demon king Mahishasur, was wreaking havoc on the 3 worlds, the Gods went to the Trinity( Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva) seeking help....
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at September 4th, 2009 at 04:09 pm
7
Count down “2″ “9″
Bela Lugosi as Dracula I was conscious of the presence of the Count, and of his being as if lapped in a storm of fury… the blue eyes transformed with fury, the white teeth champing with rage, and the fair cheeks blazing red with passion. But the Count! Never did I imagine such wrath and fury, even to the demons of the pit. His eyes were positively blazing. The...
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at September 3rd, 2009 at 07:09 am
25
1 in a 9 “Stitch Punks”
In a not too distant future, where humanity has been decimated, by the very same war machines they had devised. Just before his death, a wise scientist creates 9 rag dolls, and transfers his own soul into them using his invention. And the new kid on the block “9″ seeks out the...
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at September 2nd, 2009 at 04:09 am
4
Brian De Palma-Rage of a Woman
Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned- The Mourning Bride by William Congreve. In revenge and in love woman is more barbarous than man-Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil. To just look at the tale of Carrie, as a ”scorned woman” taking revenge on the world, would be to overlook...
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at August 21st, 2009 at 07:08 am
23
Brian De Palma- You can’t believe everything you see
(Spoilers in post). YOU CAN’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU SEE It could be the fact that Body Double is set against the backdrop of the B-Movie and porno world, two places, where nothing is what it seems. Or it could be that nothing is really what it is in this over the top,...
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at August 18th, 2009 at 04:08 am
35
Brian De Palma-The World is Yours
(Some spoilers in the post). Say Hello to my Little brother I was one of those hated Scarface when i saw it first. I guess maybe i saw it a time, when i hated anything even remotely 80’s. And the movie was 80’s, right from Giorgio Moroder’s techno music to the over the top acting...
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at August 13th, 2009 at 04:08 am
50
Brian De Palma- And so it began
1988- I was watching the Academy Awards ceremony on TV. The nominees for the Best Supporting Actor were being announced, and one of them was an actor, who to date still happens to be my favorite Bond, Sean Connery. Slightly older, with a salt and pepper beard, but still looking dashing...
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at August 11th, 2009 at 04:08 am
23
Gabbar Singh lives forever
Amjad Khan and Amitabh Bachan in Muqaddar Ka Sikandar It was year 1992, yours truly just taking his tentative steps into adulthood, yeah was in my early 20’s. It was also the age when we were all agog, exploring the brave new world of Cable TV. What a break from dreary old Doordarshan. Its another...
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at July 28th, 2009 at 03:07 am
12
Philadelphia- Brotherly Love, 377 and Equality
Well at last the Delhi HC, has struck down the archaic, antiquated Raj era Article 377, which treated homo sexuality as a criminal offence. As usual the judgement has been received with mixed reactions, with quite a large number opposing it. My personal take is simple, i support the ...
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at July 3rd, 2009 at 05:07 am
2
Goodwill Hunting
Inspirational, entertaining, feel good, and one of the best scripts written. Take a bow Matt and Ben. IMDB
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at June 16th, 2009 at 08:06 am
26
American History X- The mind of a racist
Rosa sat so Martin could walk, Martin walked so Barack could run, Barack ran so we all can fly. The above is a quote that has been making the rounds of the Net, ever since Barack Obama became the first non White person to enter into the hallowed precincts of 1600, Pennsylvania Avenue or what we better ...
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at June 9th, 2009 at 04:06 am
9
Morgan Freeman- Of Human Bonding
If ever Hollywood had a canonization process, surely Morgan Freeman would have been one of the leading candidates for sainthood. It is very rare, that you see him playing an out and out negative role. In fact a majority of his roles see him as a worldly wise, decent, honorable ...
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at May 30th, 2009 at 11:05 am
0
Scent of a Woman
Al Pacino is outstanding, the movie however is just about passable. IMDB(3/5)
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at May 30th, 2009 at 05:05 am
34
Sports On Celluloid
What is common to sports and movies? Well at the end of the day, both of them give us a kind of vicarious satisfaction, fulfilling our inner fantasies. When a Maradona dodges past 10 players to score the “Goal of the Century”, we are as thrilled to bits as we are watching ...
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at April 28th, 2009 at 06:04 am
2
Pancham and Majrooh-I
Growing up in the late 70’s and 80’s, one of my biggest sources of entertainment was the good ole transistor radio, where i would fiddle around, listening to Vividh Bharati, and then passing away the time, just lazing around listening to my favorite songs. It of course became even more ...
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at April 25th, 2009 at 09:04 am
24
Inglorious Basterds and the War Adventure
First things first this is not a post on Quentin Tarantino’s latest flick, which needless to say i am keenly awaiting. Not the least because its directed by Tarantino himself, but because it belongs to the “War Adventure” genre, or in effect an action/adventure movie with...
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at April 21st, 2009 at 06:04 am
5
Donnie Brasco(1997)
One of the more underrated gangster movies, great performances from Pacino and Depp.IMDB
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at April 21st, 2009 at 12:04 am
41
Manna Dey- An Underrated Genius
When you listen to Mehmood going into a perfect Carnatic classical tune in the zany chaos of “Ek Chatur Naar Karke Singaar” from Padosan, you could actually make out the Carnatic feel. When you heard a group of singers in “Teesri Kasam”, belt out “Chalath Musafir Mo liyo Re”, you were...
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at April 15th, 2009 at 02:04 am
0
Cool Runnings(1993)
One of the best in the underdog sports genre, that gets its strength from its whacked out characters and its culture shock jokes. IMDB
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at April 12th, 2009 at 11:04 pm
28
Shakti Samanta- Kuch Sunheri Yaadein
Growing up during the 80’s, entertainment on Wednesday’s meant one thing, Chitrahaar on Doordarshan. Watching the songs which i loved hearing on the TV screen, was an experience in itself. And some images were unforgettable. Rajesh Khanna driving along the Darjeeling road, serenading his “Sapnon...
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at April 12th, 2009 at 10:04 pm
9
Gone Baby Gone- A question of choices
/** Spoiler alert Life as the cliche goes is not a matter of black and white, there is a whole lot of gray in between. You do something which is not morally right, but when taken in the whole context of the situation, it looks the right choice. Every stage you are confronted with a situation, where you have to take a choice,...
by Ratnakar Sadasyula at April 11th, 2009 at 08:04 am