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The 10 Cult Classic Malayalam Movies
7 Most Popular Books Of Suryakant Tripathi ‘Nirala’
6 Ways To Beat Nervousness Around Attractive People
6 Tourist Destinations In North East India
8 Widely Popular Stealth Games Of All Time
8 Lesser-Known Facts About Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Posted: 25 Nov 2013 04:22 AM PST

Malayalam cinema has been consistently championing the field of cinematography and storytelling with its innovative ideas. Movies made in Kerala are performing well on the commercial front, and also garnering critical acclaim for their strong themes and excellent presentation. Some of the Malayalam movies have been termed hell close to perfection even by international movie critics.

10. Thirakkatha:

The 2008 release Malayalam romantic drama Thirakkatha was co-produced, written and directed by Ranjith. The National Award winning film is a tribute to yesteryear actresses who have been disregarded by the industry during their dwindling days. It is based on a unique romantic angle that shifts between present and flashback. The three monologues mentioned in the story unite in the climax.

9. Chemmeen:

The 1965 Malayalam romantic drama is an adaptation of the novel with the same name. The film tells a unique story about pre-marital and post marital life of a daughter of a Hindu fisherman and son of a Muslim trader. The technically and artistically brilliant film received critical acclaim and was regarded as the first of its kind for its technical superiority during the time of its release. It also received President's Gold medal for the best Film in the year 1965.

8. Thanmathra:

Written and directed by Blessey, Thanmathra is a based on the famous short story named 'Orma'. The story revolves around an emotional theme portraying the life of an individual suffering from Alzheimer's disease and its subsequent aftereffects on his family's psyche. The film is just few of them which won 5 Kerala state film awards and critical acclaim worldwide.

7. Kireedam:

The 1989 critically acclaimed movie directed by Sibi Malayil stars superstar Mohanlal in the lead role. The film explores the life of a youth who has been burdened by the typecast attitude of the society; not allowing him to accomplish his aspirations and wishes. Other than receiving the National Award in the Best Film category, the film won many a fans the world over for portraying through celluloid medium a story that relates to hundreds of youth who are victimize because of the orthodoxy prevalent in the society.

6. Thoovanathumbikal:

This 1987 Malayalam romance film written and directed by P.Padmarajan based on the novel 'Udakappola'. The film is about the life of a man (played by Mohanlal) who falls in love with two women at the same time. The movie found 7^th listing in the list of greatest Indian movies of all time. The flick holds a status of cult movie even in the present times.

5. Adaminte Makan Abu:

Written, directed and co-produced by Salim Ahamad, Adaminte Makan Abu is a famous Indian drama of 2011. Starring in title leads are Salim Kumar and Zarina Wahab. The story is about a poor man who sells perfume for living. He lives with the only desire to undertake the Hajj pilgrimage. This desire is the only wish he has and he strives hard to fulfill it. The film earned critical acclaim the world over and won four National Awards. It was also presented with four Kerala State Film Awards.

4. Oru Vadakkan Veeragadha:

The epic 1989 released Malayalam film is directed by Hariharan. The film revolves around a wonderful story of the Chekavar warriors, who presently reside in the northern part of Kerala. The film adapts to the legend brilliantly to cater to the today's audience. The flick is considered as one of the all time biggest blockbusters in India and was ranked as the third greatest Indian film of all time according to a poll conducted by the IBN 7 in 2013. It won 4 National Film Awards and 6 Kerala State Film Awards.

3. Vidheyan:

The 1993 movie that received a wide critical acclaim worldwide is a cinematic adaptation of the novel 'Bhaskara Plattelarum Ente Jeevithavum'. The story wonderfully captures the master slave relationship and is based in the South Karnataka setting. Superstar Mammootty played the lead role and won accolades for his performance. The movie won 2 National Awards and 5 Kerala State Film Awards.

2. Elippathayam:

Written and directed by Gopalakirshnan, the movie was released in the year 1981. The film explores the story of a feudal lord struggling to face the changing society that is all set to make his onetime invincible feudal powers insignificant. The film won many international awards including the British Film Institute Award for the Most Original and Imaginative Film. It also received wide range of critical acclaim in the 1982 Cannes Film Festival.

1. Mathilukal:

Adoor Gopalakirshnan is one of those filmmakers in the history of Malayalam cinema who have produced many cult classics in his lifetime. This film in particular was based on a plot not explored by others in the fraternity till this time. The story focuses on the prison life of Vaikum Basheer and love between his prison inmate named Narayani. Interestingly, the girl remains unseen in the movie. The movie won 2 Awards at the Venice festival, 4 National Awards, and 1 Kerala State Film Awards and many others.

The post The 10 Cult Classic Malayalam Movies appeared first on TopYaps.

Posted: 25 Nov 2013 12:25 AM PST

Suryakant Tripathi "Nirala" is considered to be the modern face of Hindi Literature. He wrote poetry, novels, essays and short stories too. Born into a Brahmin family in Bengal, from the beginning he was naturally inclined towards Sanskrit. Later in life he gained authority over several languages including Hindi, Bengali, English and Sanskrit. As for his personal life, Suryakant had very short periods of happiness for tragedy struck him in succession. He first lost his mother at an early age, his wife died when he was only 20, his daughter, a widow also died during her prime, and all through his life he remained a victim of financial crunch. A rebellion by nature, Nirala got plenty of derision and ridicule throughout his life. He strongly opposed the concepts of social injustice and exploitation in the society. If you'd like to know more about his works, here's mentioning 7 of his most influential books, a must read.

7. Maharana Pratap:

Maharana Pratap narrates the story of one of the bravest and most patriotic rulers of India during the medieval times. Born in a Hindu Rajput family during the reign of Mughals ruler Akbar, Maharana Pratap was never convinced about the greatness of King and never acknowledged his supremacy over the country. Influenced by the honorable life of Maharana Pratap, Suryakant decided to pen down the story of a great ruler to inspire readers of all times to come – and he did it successfully.

6. Nirupama:

The rebellion nature of Nirala surfaces through his story, Nirupama. The central character, Nirumapa, is born into a traditional family and falls in love with Krishankumar, a foreign educated man, who inspite of his degree is forced to become a boot polisher. Written in 1995, the novel is beautifully captures the Indian culture and a man's quest for freedom in the midst of orthodoxy and caste discrimination.

5. Apsara:

The indelible story of a beautiful and determined young Indian girl, Apsara leaves behind a permanent imprint on the reader's conscious. Apsara, which can be literally translated as a "nymph" in English exposes the two most extreme sides of feminism – determination and tenderness. The story also brings to light the determined mind set of the youth, their ambitions and struggle in making the society just and freedom loving.

4. Prabhatvati:

Prabhatvati is an outstanding novel from the pen of Suriyakant Nirala. The novel focuses on emerging women power in India. Prabhatvati and Yamuna, the two main women around whom the story revolves are struggling between tradition and righteousness. Blending history with fiction, the novel is a master piece and must read for it beautifully captures the essence of women hood and its trapped strength.

3. Saroj Smriti:

Amongst the longest of Nirala's poems such as Tulsidaas, Ram Ki Shakti Ki Pooja, and Sajor Smriti, it was the last one that remains the most important of his texts. A Touching poem, it describes the beautiful relation between a father and a daughter, and this time it happens to be one of his personal experiences with his daughter. Nirala had first lost his mother at a young age, his wife had died when he was 20, and the death of his daughter in her prime years brought him more sadness and remorse, which he expresses through the verses of this poem.

2. Alka:

Alka is novel based on the Awadh region, where Nirala describes the general apathy of rural farmers during the independence movement post World War II. During these times, most of the educated and learned people including lawyers, barristers, and others were actively participating in the movement organized under the leadership of Ghandi, but nothing was being done about the uprising of farmers and lower classes. The novel clearly depicts the vested interests of the upper class and the rich.

1. Tulsidaas:

Tulsidaas is one of Nirala's master pieces where he gets inside the shoes of a poet, and examines his romanticism with learning, nature and freedom during the cultural sunset in the country. Here the setting of the sun is indicated by the invasions of the Mughals into the Indian mainland, and Tulsidaas is the soft light of this new culture born. The book in its text also appraises concepts of philosophy and curiosity, fascination with women, mental conflicts, and physiological problems too.

The post 7 Most Popular Books Of Suryakant Tripathi 'Nirala' appeared first on TopYaps.

6 Ways To Beat Nervousness Around Attractive People

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 11:20 PM PST

Some people, who are confident and lively typically, become quite nervous and weak when they are around people who are attractive, especially attractive people of opposite sex. Nervousness around people you find attractive can prevent you from having friendship or a relationship with them. Holding down the anxiety and acting calm, or avoiding such situations is just dealing with the symptom, while the cause of the symptom lingers in the background; only to make its appearance in the most unwanted situation. Nothing impresses people more than your confidence; unfortunately, it will not co-exist with nervousness. Beating anxiety around attractive people is quite easy if you have identified your problem and decided to beat it through these 6 simple ways.

6. Learn to appreciate yourself:

Make mental notes of appreciation you receive from people. Know what your best aesthetic assets are, so that you can highlight them to enhance your own beauty. Give special attention to your wardrobe, so that you are looking your best and feeling confident when you are going out. Learn to appreciate yourself; moreover, accept praise with grace when it comes from others. Repeat to yourself that you are attractive, until you start believing in it. Once you learn to appreciate yourself, the anxiety and nervousness you feel around attractive people will come down as you feel at home with them.

5. Develop listening skills:

When nervous, people try to talk to overcome their feeling. This is wrong strategy, as in the state of anxiety you may end up talking excessively and saying things which will be embarrassing. The whole situation will cause a big dent in your confidence, making you more nervous when you are around attractive people next time. Develop listening skills. When other people talk, you will know that they are not as confident as they appear to be around you. It will also help you to find a comfortable topic discuss as the conversation continues.

4. Be Yourself:

When you consider the other person attractive, you will often try to get their attention. You may try to be someone who can impress them, which will lead you to behave unnaturally. Believe me; you can charm people more by being yourself than trying to portray a different image; no matter how attractive that image is. Moreover, you don't want someone to like you for what you are not. Being yourself will keep you comfortable, relaxed and charming; whereas, when you try imitate someone, often you will end up messing things up. The situations where you were left red faced will add to your nervousness when you are around similar people next time.

3. Do not avoid people who make you nervous:

Familiarity will drive away your fear nervousness. Even if you fear approaching people who are attractive, do it anyway; but only after preparing yourself not feel disappointed if the response they give you is not what you wanted. If your fear stems from the fact that you stand little chance with them; than know that, without trying your chances are nil. The trick is not to let one unpleasant experience ruin your confidence. Carry yourself with dignity when starting a conversation without allowing the fear of embarrassment or rejection from the person overshadowing you. Don't worry if you feel you have run out words, your heart is racing and all of sudden you are sure that you will sound stupid. Just breathe and give yourself sometime to settle down. Develop body language that will not give out hints about your inner conflicts. Practice will make you perfect.

2. Stand out in the crowd:

If a person is attractive then they must have grown tired of hearing compliments and praises from people around them. Do not be just another person, who is attracted to their beauty. Find something else, apart from their physical appearance which you can appreciate and compliment them on that. Everyone feels good when they see how you have seen something else in them beyond their physical appearance to which everyone is attracted. That will create a special spot for you in their lives.

1. Beauty is but skin deep:

Bring down attractive people from the pedestal you have placed them. Do not overrate beauty, after all 'beauty is only skin deep' in the famous words of Sir Thomas Overbury. It is your attitude towards attractive people and how you rate physical beauty that makes you nervous around them. There is much more to a person than just chiseled features or toned shapely figure that makes them beautiful. Remember, attractive or not, they are just humans like you. They may in fact have flaws in their character that may turn you off in the long run.

The post 6 Ways To Beat Nervousness Around Attractive People appeared first on TopYaps.

6 Tourist Destinations In North East India

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 11:03 PM PST

One of the most beautiful tribal regions in the world, The North East of India is the most comprises of seven separate states. Dubbed as the seven sister states, these include, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya. Sikkim is another state, the eighth state in the North East. Despite the charming locations full of lush green fields, forested hills and enchanting water bodies, the tribal area of North East receives very less tourism in comparison with rest of the country. But, if you too are fascinated with the remote and amazingly picturesque regions and places in the North East, which better any brilliant tourist destination in the world, come join us as we explore some of the most intriguing tourist destinations located in the North East India. Hit the jump to find about the places that you must visit if you plan a trip to this part of the world.

6. Pelling, Sikkim:

A small and beautiful village in Sikkim, Pelling is the best to spend a relaxed vacation with friends and family. Pelling is a place for any mountain lover; it offers an entire view of the third highest mountain in the world – the Kanchenjunga. Besides the view of the Kanchenjunga range, tourists can also visit the Kanchenjunga Falls and the famous Kechpari Lake.

5. Cherrapunji, Meghalaya:

Cherrapunji or Sohra (as it is popularly known) has earned its name in the Geniuses Book of World records as the wettest place in the world. It is the only place in the world perhaps that has only one season – the monsoon. Cherrapungi, located on top of a plateau surrounded with lush green forests, is the only place where rain is measured in meters not millimeters. One not to miss place here is the living bridges, plus there are numerous caves and waterfalls that tourists can enjoy.

4. Majuli, Assam:

Majuli is a large river island in the mighty Brahmaputra River in Assam. Reckoned as the largest inhabited river island around the globe, the Majuli Island is home to the Assamese neo-Vaisnavite culture. A must visit place for anyone looking for ultimate solitude in the lap of sublime nature. The island has endless plantation of rice and weaving products. Bird watching is something you can do here of an age. Thanks to the wonderful location, Majuli is a little heaven on earth in itself.

3. Tsongmo Lake, Sikkim:

Tsongmo Lake, a.k.a, Changu Lake is a natural lake situated at an altitude of 3,780 m above sea level. The natural lake on the mountain top is some 40 kilometers from Gangtok, capital city of Sikkim. The lake is oval in shape and measures a kilometer long and 15 meters deep. Best time to visit the lake that come on way to the Nathu La pass is May to August, since the lake freezes during the winter months.

2. Tawang Monastery, Arunachal Pradesh:

If you are someone who loves relishing beauty with pilgrimage, then Tawang Monestary is your ultimate opportunity to experience the best beauty of nature with the charm of Buddhist pilgrimage. Touted as one of the largest monasteries in India, the Tawan Monestary was built in 1680-81, and since then till now it is a breeding home for many monks. There are many fascinating places to visit around the Tawang Monestry.

1. Kaziranga National Park, Assam:

The biggest tourist destination in the North East is the Kaziranga National Park, which covers approximately 430 sq kilometer of area. It is about 40 kilometers in length and about 13 kilometers wide. Declared as the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Kaziranga National Park consists of grasslands and swamp, which make the Park a great habitat for the rare pre-historic looking one-headed rhinoceros. The Park has the largest population of one-headed rhinoceros in the world. Alongside the rhinoceros, there are 40 other major animals including, elephants, Bengal tigers, gaur, leopards, wild boar and various types of deers to name a few. The Park is also home to thousands of migratory birds that flock in here around the year. The Park is easily approachable from Guwahati, and the best time to visit the Kaziranga National Park is in the month of February, when a week long Kaziranga Elephant Festival takes place.

The post 6 Tourist Destinations In North East India appeared first on TopYaps.

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 10:53 PM PST

Stealth video games are a very interesting sub genre of the action adventure video games. They require higher intelligence and tactical play rather than just blindly shooting down enemies. Yes, there is less action because such games are more intense. One derives the greatest joy from trying to remain unseen. Over the years many stealth video games have been developed. Here are 8 of the most popular stealth video games ever.

8. Tenchu: Stealth Assassins:

Tenchu was developed by Acquire, Sony Music Entertainment Inc. and Activision in 1998. It is set in feudal Japan and incorporates stealth tactics along with martial arts battles. It also has elements of fantasy and characters of Japanese mythology. It belongs to the first series of successful stealth games.

7. Metal Gear:

Metal Gear is a highly successful series that began in 1987. It was published by Konami and is probably the first stealth bases action adventure game. You play as Snake, a Special Forces agent, who enters into the enemy territory all alone to take control of the Metal Gear weapon. The game has produced spin off movies and novels. Metal Gear Rising is the latest installment in the series.

6. Hitman:

Hitman is one of the most iconic stealth video games ever. Everyone who’s played it remembers the cool walk of the hitman as he casually walks away from a murder scene. It was developed by IO Interactive and came out in 2000. You play a hired assassin who has to go on several missions and enter highly secure areas to assassinate someone. This is one game in which stealth is completely necessary and you can’t win by powering your way through the game with lots of guns.

5. The Chronicles of Riddick:

Everybody fell in love with Riddick after Pitch Black. The next movie wasn’t that good but the character of Riddick stayed true and became iconic. It came out in 2004 as a tie in prequel to the chronicles movie. It was titled Escape from Butcher Bay and you play as Riddick who is trying to escape for the prison. An expanded version Assault on Dark Athena was released in 2009. As you know stealth is an important part of Riddick’s modus operandi and you’ll have a lot of fun sneaking around the prison and killing off unsuspecting guards.

4. Far Cry:

Fry Cry is technically a first person shooter but the great thing about the game is that you can play it however you want. You can play it in a loud shooter style, killing off everybody who comes in your way or you can play in a stealth style and stay hidden for most of the time. Ubisoft launched the first game in 2004 and since then this series has become legendary amongst gamers.

3. Thief:

Thief is a wonderful stealth video game series. The first game, The Dark Project was launched in 1997 by Edios Interactive. Thief inspired many stealth games of later years. It was the first one to use light and sound as part of the gameplay. You play as the thieves who sneak around and hide in dark shadows. The world is very interactive and a lot of strategy is required to win. The whole series is worth playing.

2. Splinter Cell:

The Splinter Cell series is a classic stealth game. Ubisoft along with Tom Clancy came up with this series of novels and games tied in with each other. Sam Fischer is the main character who is a black ops operative for the Third Echelon. The series started in 2002 and is one of the main franchises for Ubisoft. The gameplay is very interesting and uses the light the same was as Thief did. You can set up multiple headshots and then execute them with one command.

1. Assassin’s Creed:

Assassin’s Creed is Ubisoft’s biggest franchise today. It is a stealth action adventure game set in an open world. More than 50 million copies of the game have been sold. The gameplay is somewhat similar to the Prince of Persia series but with more stealth elements added to it. It is like a mixture of Prince of Persia and Thief and that in itself explains how good this game really is. Six main games and a lot of spin off games have been released to date since 2007.

The post 8 Widely Popular Stealth Games Of All Time appeared first on TopYaps.

8 Lesser-Known Facts About Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 10:32 PM PST

Popularly known as the 'Iron Man of India' or 'Bismarck of India', Sardar Patel is among the most influential political icons of India. The first deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of independent India, Patel was instrumental in the unification of 555 princely states and setting up a democratic federal set up in the country. His role in the formation of modern All India Services is also imperative. Patel also played a key role in the freedom struggle rubbing shoulders with the Father of Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. It would be no exaggeration if we label him as the chief architect of independent India who sailed us through turbulent times with his rock solid leadership. Here are 8 lesser-known facts about Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

8. Attachment to Mahatma:

Sardar Patel's extremely close attachment to Mahatma Gandhi can be drawn from the fact that after Gandhiji's death, his condition also started to deteriorate. He suffered a major heart attack within two months of Gandhi's death.

7. Farmer by Birth and Nature:

Patel was born in a peasant family to a father who had served in the army of the Queen of Jhansi. He worked in fields with his father and observed a day long fast twice a month. This provided him nerves of steel and hence known as 'Iron Man of India'. It is because he came from a very humble background, he always had a soft corner for the poor of the country.

6. Guarantee Payment of Privy Purses:

It's one of the rarest facts which find faint mention in the history of the country, but it was Patel, who persuaded the Constituent Assembly to guarantee payment of Privy Purses. This would have preserved the rights of erstwhile rulers. But, Congress rejected the proposal outrightly.

5. No record of Date of Birth:

The actual date of birth of Sardar Patel doesn't find any official mention in the records. 31 October, the date we follow is on the basis of birth date mentioned on his matriculation examination papers. However, his place of birth is certain to be Karamsad.

4. Patel was diseased by Bubonic Plague:

There was a time when Gujarat was hit by the Bubonic Plague. One of Patel's good friends also got infected with the deadly disease and out of courtesy; he lived with him to take his care. But, he himself came down with the disease. Thereafter, he moved away from his family immediately and took refuge in an isolated dilapidated temple in Nadiad. Here he spent some time and only returned back after recovering fully.

3. Opposed existence of RSS:

A fact that very few Indians know if at all, that the first Home Minister of independent India advocated banning Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS). The hard-line Hindu faction that was headed by Golwalkar during was considered as communal poison (that was allegedly responsible for taking away life of Mahatma Gandhi) and he admitted this openly often to the press too.

2. Last confrontation with Nehru:

Although, Sardar Patel was involved in various healthy confrontations with Nehru regarding governance, the one where first Prime Minister of India accused him of being communal broke the chord between the two for once and forever. MKK Nair, a 1947 batch IAS officer, writes in his memoir 'With No Ill Feeling to Anybody' – during one of the scuffle between the two, Nehru addressed him being communal. And, soon after, Patel packed his stuff and rushed out of the meeting feeling humiliated. As said, since that day Patel didn't communicate on face with Nehru.

1. Patron Saint of India civil servants:

Sardar Patel always believed that due to extensive diversity and multiple cultures & languages, India needs a strong bureaucratic set up. He played a constructive role in creation of Indian Administrative Services (IAS). The earlier Indian Civil Services Code (ICS), drafted by the Britishers suited only their own interests, and later it was diluted by the Bismarck of India to create a better bureaucratic structure that works for the betterment of the country. This is how he came to be known as 'Patron Saint' for Indian civil servants for establishing modern All India Services.

The post 8 Lesser-Known Facts About Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel appeared first on TopYaps.

Monday, November 25, 2013

TopYaps

TopYaps

10. Thirakkatha:

9. Chemmeen:

8. Thanmathra:

7. Kireedam:

6. Thoovanathumbikal:

5. Adaminte Makan Abu:

4. Oru Vadakkan Veeragadha:

3. Vidheyan:

2. Elippathayam:

1. Mathilukal:

7. Maharana Pratap:

6. Nirupama:

5. Apsara:

4. Prabhatvati:

3. Saroj Smriti:

2. Alka:

1. Tulsidaas:

6. Learn to appreciate yourself:

5. Develop listening skills:

4. Be Yourself:

3. Do not avoid people who make you nervous:

2. Stand out in the crowd:

1. Beauty is but skin deep:

6. Pelling, Sikkim:

5. Cherrapunji, Meghalaya:

4. Majuli, Assam:

3. Tsongmo Lake, Sikkim:

2. Tawang Monastery, Arunachal Pradesh:

1. Kaziranga National Park, Assam:

8. Tenchu: Stealth Assassins:

7. Metal Gear:

6. Hitman:

5. The Chronicles of Riddick:

4. Far Cry:

3. Thief:

2. Splinter Cell:

1. Assassin’s Creed:

8. Attachment to Mahatma:

7. Farmer by Birth and Nature:

6. Guarantee Payment of Privy Purses:

5. No record of Date of Birth:

4. Patel was diseased by Bubonic Plague:

3. Opposed existence of RSS:

2. Last confrontation with Nehru:

1. Patron Saint of India civil servants:

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