Avatar - Star Cast & Pictures

I have been pretty impressed by Avatar and the big blue heroes of the film. The performances have been astounding and you are left to wonder about how the real actors are. Well these blue avatars will surely dominate the real actors for their lifetime. Here is a glimpse of a few dominant characters and some wallpapers of of this epic movie:

Starcast:

Zoë Saldaña as Neytiri

Born on June 19, 1978, Zoë is a versatile and respected Hollywood actress known for choosing roles that she feels passionate about. She was recently seen in the blockbuster “Star Trek”

She spent much of her childhood in the Dominican Republic before returning to the United States to pursue acting. Saldaña gained experience as a ballet dancer at one of the most prestigious dancing schools in the Dominican Republic, which benefited her later for her role in Center Stage. She is known to have a keen interest in fashion and has her own fashion line called Arasmaci, where most of her designs are influenced by her Dominican heritage.

Prominent Appearances: Center Stage, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Star Trek, Vantage point

Sam Worthington as Jake Sully

Born on August 2, 1976, Sam from Australia is a well known Hollywood actor today.

He dropped out of school at 17 and worked construction and odd jobs, eventually settling in Sydney. At 19 while working as a bricklayer, he auditioned for the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and was accepted, with scholarship. And he never looked back. He went on to work for many Australian TV serials and movies. His international venture began with small roles in movies like Hart’s war & The Great Raid. Interestingly he was one of the actors considered to take on the much coveted role of James Bond, after Pierce Brosnan.

Prominent Appearances: As Marcus Wright in Terminator Salvation, Somersault, Mcbeth (2005), Rogue



Michelle Rodriguez as Trudy Chacon

Born on July 12, 1978, this American actress is known for playing tough-girl roles. She has been typecast as a gritty tomboy. She was born in Bexar County, Texas and has 10 siblings. She moved to Puerto Rico at the age of 8 till she turned 11. She has quit business school to purse acting and aims at being a writer and director in the coming future. In 2001 she was dating Vin Diesel, her co-star in The Fast & The Furious. She carried out the speed lover image into real life and has faced jail for 48 hours and performed community service for drunken driving case. These incidences have been reported multiple times.

Prominent Appearances: Girlfight, Resident Evil, The Fast and the Furious, S.W.A.T, TV Serial: Lost



Sigourney Weaver as Dr. Grace Augustine

Born on September 8, 1949, Weaver is an American actress. She has been well known for acting in the well known Aliens series. She has received Academy Award nominations for for her performances in Aliens (1986), Gorillas in the Mist (1988), and Working Girl (1988).

She has been married to filmmaker Jim Simpson since October 84. She is also well-known for her as an environmentalist and her efforts for the environment at large.



Prominent Appearances: Aliens, Tadpole, The Village, A Map of the World, Gorillas in the Mist, Working Girl



Stephen Lang as Col. Miles Quaritch

Born on July 11, 1952, Stephen is an American actor who started his career from theatre on Broadway. He has graduated with a degree in English Literature in 1973. He is the father of 5 children. His finest performance so far has unarguably been his portrayal of Stonewall Jackson in Gods and Generals. One of his most famous film roles was the villainous Clanton in the successful 1993 Western “Tombstone,” with Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer.

Prominent Appearances: Gods and Generals, Last Exit to Brooklyn, Trixie, Fire Down Under, Manhunter, Tombstone

Laz Alonso as Tsu’ Tey

Laz is an American Television and Film actor, born in Washington, D.C. of Afro-Cuban descent. He currently resides in Los Angeles. He has guest appearances on many television serials like The Unit, Bones, CSI: Miami, NCIS, The Practice and Eyes. Alonso has also featured in music videos by Toni Braxton & Aaliyah.

He has graduated from Howard University with a BBA in Marketing.

Prominent Appearances: Constantine, Jarhead, The Fast & The Furious

Written, Produced & Directed by James Cameron

Avatar - An unmatchable movie experience!

So rarely comes a movie which redefines entertainment!

Pandora – the new planet by James Cameron.
Na’vi – the blue people of Pandora.
Skypeople – We the humans, the evil aliens plotting to loot Pandora and the Na’vi of their resources.

Welcome to this new world where all creatures live connected to the planet. Where each of them loves, respects and obeys nature. Where “live and let live” really works.
And then… humans, from the dying planet Earth reach there to spoil the party.

“Avatar” is overwhelming. 15 years in the making, Cameron has not spared a single detail in creating a whole new world. In fact all of us get so immersed in this visual spectacle that we never realize when we become a part of the Na’vi and wish for a victory over humans.

The movie is rich and incomparable with anything ever seen so far. Cameron proves that he is the best ever in action sequences and incomparable when it comes to creative thinking. This movie is a must watch in 3-D. Anything else, doesn’t do enough justice. The amazing creatures, small and huge are actually bought to life by this technique. You actually tend to reach out to some and may want to dodge the arrows flying on to you!

The story is set in the year 2154, and starts with the male protagonist “Jake Sully” played by Sam Worthington reaching Pandora. Jake is an ex-marine now confined to a wheelchair, who has volunteered to replace his twin brother “Tom” for an experiment to be carried out on this planet. Corporations are mining a rare mineral on Pandora, which is the key to solve energy problems of Earth. The intelligent biped species Na’vi is a major hurdle in this destructive mission of humans. The air on Pandora is toxic for humans. The Avatar program is meant to plant a genetically engineered Na’vi, which is created from a mixture of human and Na’vi DNA. The human DNA has been taken from Tom who dies abruptly thus endangering the mission. His place is taken by his brother Jake due to similarities in DNA. In his new Avatar, Jake is able to walk again and explore freely the beautiful yet treacherous planet Pandora. His mission is to infiltrate the Na’vi, establish trust and convince them to vacate the land they reside on. Underneath the Na’vi village and their holy place, lies a major chunk of ore that humans want.

Lost in the jungles, haunted by the wildlife of Pandora Jake is rescued by “Neytiri” (Zoe Saldana) a beautiful Na’vi female, who is also the daughter of a Na’vi chieftain. “Neytiri” believes him to be a messenger of god and convinces her clan to take him in. Thus begins his journey to become one of the Na’vis, which involves many tests and adventures. Jake gradually adapts to his new avatar however loses out on his real mission and submits himself to the pure ways of the people who live close to nature. In love with Neytiri and the innocent race of Pandora, he faces the ultimate test that will decide the fate of an entire world.

The spectacle of the floating mountains and the scene in which Jake tames his own flying bird is simply unforgettable and lingers on much after you leave the cinema halls. Avatar is a must watch in 3D and will stand out as a cinema that changed the way films are made. It will give you an experience similar to traveling to Pandora yourself.
The movie also carries out a subtle message of how humans have ravaged mother earth because of our selfish needs. I wish humans never find another living planet. With our virus-like behaviorism we will not spare any effort to kill it too.

Thank you James Cameron for giving us Pandora! For me you are nothing less but the god of creativity. It will be very mean of you if you do not plan a sequel.

Avatar is definitely worth repeat viewing and, in 3D!

Re-live those times - Doordarshan melodies from the past!

It was a time, when life was so simple so easy. Friends were just a call away, in literal sense. We used to run to a neighboring building and call a name, and that person came running to the balcony. Simple communication ... No SMS, No telephones, no missed calls... pure and direct voice.

There were no complications like connecting various electronics to set up a playstation or to install different software for playing with the computer. You always had a real person to compete with. A real team of friends to socialize with and to network with…

The wide spread fields, the mango trees, the woods, the river near the house, the mountain beyond the river, the vacant roads to race your bicycles on, the calm temples near the river. These were the various arenas to play in. Various birds in the woods, their nests, the sparrows - which we helped build nests in our house… These are now outdated and forgotten, due to the sudden surge in technology and electronics.

Wild running through acres of fields and barren land to catch a fallen kite, the wind blowing in our face, the thunder-the lightning and the strong winds before the first rains, the hailstones... where have they gone? I searched, but couldn’t get these things on "google.

However I found a few things which bought a tinge of moisture in my eye, a knot in my throat and a shallow feeling in my heart. It also bought a smile on my face. It bought back memories, lost over the years. I found some songs, and some videos which were a part of all people-young and old all over the nation. A common bond of that time: Doordarshan National TV.

The haunting melody of “Malgudi Days,” the passionate “Mile Sur Mera Tumhara,” the exciting “Ek Anek cartoon,” the mesmerizing “Mahabharat,” the beautiful “Jungle book jingle,” and the haunting “Bharat ek Khoj;” all swooped me back to the golden era, my childhood. Those memories became afresh and made me realize what I had lost over the years. Oh, how I wish to get back those days of simplicity and innocence. I am sure all of you will feel the same. I am sharing the music mentioned above and much more. Go on… live that era again!

Audio in MP3 format - Click and download from rapidshare. Click on "Free user" Download starts after 45 seconds:

Malgudi Days - Tanana tana na na na (mp3)

Jungle book - Chaddi Pahan ke phool khila hai (mp3)

Surabhi (mp3)

Ek chidiya anek chidiya - Lok Seva Sanchar Parishad (mp3)

Mile Sur Mera Tumhara - Lok Seva Sanchar Parishad (mp3)

Baje Sargam Har Taraf Se - Lok Seva Sanchar Parishad (mp3)

Mahabharat - Ath Shri Mahabharat Katha (mp3)

Mahabharat - Ath Shri Mahabharat Katha2 (mp3)

Mahabharat - Karmanye va dhikaraste (mp3)

Mahabharat - Yada yada hi dharamasye (mp3)

Bharat Ek Khoj - Shristi se pehle satya nahi tha (mp3)

Hamara Bajaj (mp3)

Videos on Youtube:

Jungle Book (video)

Spiderman (video)

Liril Advertisement (video)

Bajaj Bulb (video)

Will add more soon!

Do drop a comment if any of the links appear broken or in case you have trouble downloading.

Originally publised on : www.kedarkadam.com

I love "Paa"

Awesome! It’s that kind of a movie, which dishes out loads of laughter with a garnish of emotional scenes. Children specially seemed to love the antics of Auro, the kid suffering from progeria, played to perfection by Amitabh. And we thought he had done it all!

The most positive part of the movie is that Auro, though grossly different from his other classmates, is wholeheartedly and maturely accepted by teachers and students alike. I wish this could be a reality in this world, where biases based on color, caste, sex, beauty, economical status and about everything under the sun is so common. I dreaded pimples on my face, in fear of being outcast in school! The love and care meted out to Auro by everybody, is so heartwarming that I hope it opens up a new trend of accepting the uncommon or the unfortunate few in our daily life.

Post “Parineeta” I hated Vidya Balan for all her movies. I guess now she has realized that she is not the glamdoll that she attempted to play in some “better-to-be-forgotten” movies. She was good in Bhool Bhullaiya, and even better in Paa. I simply loved her performance! A saree clad, single mother who shuffles between being a gynecologist and a picture perfect mother. Vidya has given a power-packed performance as a mother to a progeric child who tries her best to give him a normal life. The strongest point in the movie is that she is never shown over concerned or fussy. Thank god Karan Johar didn’t do this movie! We would have to bear 5 songs on mother-son relationship and a 45 minute climax with Amitabh speaking for 40 minutes!

Abhishek Bachchan is good, not extraordinary. However if you try to think of someone else who would’ve played the part better, you wouldn’t be successful. Please don’t even think of Shahrukh, he is the best with Karan Johar. Abhishek plays a superhero (fictitious character with super powers!) in the film. He is shown as an uncorrupt and “love my nation politician.” Paresh Raval plays his dad. Even I could’ve played it. I guess it is one of the silliest and simplest roles of his career. Most of his dialogues revolve around convincing baby Bachhan to get married. There was once funny incident. In one scene he asks Abhishek, “Are you Gay?” The whole theatre burst out laughing, but not for this dialogue. A small girl in the theatre asked “Momma what is Gay?”

A special mention goes to the kid who has played Vishnu, Auro’s best friend in the movie. He is a laughter riot.

Amitabh has excelled all his previous performances by playing 12 year old Auro. Not once does his image overpower the character Auro. His one-liners are truly hilarious and the chemistry with his grandmother is very sweet. His body language and behaviorism is so much like a school boy, that as the movie progresses you forget that you are watching Amitabh. R. Balkrishnan (Balki) has been a brave and exceptional director for picking up a great subject and taking on this wonderful father-son duo. Watching Abhishek play Amitabh’s father surely added to the magic. Balki has conveyed the message about the disease in an exceptionally smooth manner.

I loved Paa for the father-son, mother-daughter, mother-son relationships portrayed, for the school-life shown, for the never give-up human spirit, for the music and for Auro. I loved the movie for Amitabh. The hours of daily effort of BigB and the makeup team in preparing Auro has paid-of well.

Paa is a landmark in Indian cinema and will be one of the movies fondly remembered ever after.