Academic and Business Writing edX Journal

  I watched Baahubali a while ago and I can say that I was just not impressed. It's got an empty good-vs-evil done-to-death succession battle as a skeleton of a plot. The plot is so predictable that even a kindergardener would be able to fill in the blanks. And it's got a yawn-inducing run time of two and a half hours, so I guess I slept through the movie with my eyes open.   Baahubali, who is the good guy, and Bhalla Deva, who is the bad guy, fight for the Maahishmati throne. Both of them get to prove their worth when their kingdom is attacked by subhuman humanoids called Kalakeyas. So it's a no-brainer that Baahubali does a better job of defending the kingdom and wins the throne. But of course, he has to get killed off by his evil brother and father. However, he has a kid called Shiva, who is brought up blissfully ignorant of his tragic origins. So you wouldn't be getting any brownie points for guessing that Shiva avenges his father's death by killing his evil b

My rating: 1 and a half stars Genre: Fantasy, Action Duration: 2 hours 39 minutes Language: Hindi Certification: U/A (Parental guidance required) Directed by: S.S Rajamouli Cast: Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Tammanah, Ramya Krishnan, Satyaraj, Nassar.   Baahubali the Beginning is an empty vessel that makes a lot of noise. The plot is basically a done-to-death succession battle between Baahubali (Prabhas), and Bhalla Deva (Rana Dagubatti), two crown princes of the Mahishmati kingdom. And in the annoying tradition of many Greek epics, it begins in media res, with Baahubali's orphaned son Shiva (also Prabhas) discovering the tragic truth of his antecedents. So the plot is rather hard to keep up with.   The various twists and turns of the plot are derived from a mindless mishmash of Indian epics. The pervasive mood of political intrigue is heavy and contrived, rather than natural and plausible. An injection of moral ambiguity into its black-and-white character

My rating: 4 stars Genre: Fantasy, Action Duration: 2 hours 39 minutes Language: Hindi Certification: U/A (Parental guidance required) Directed by: S.S Rajamouli Cast: Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Tammanah, Ramya Krishnan, Satyaraj, Nassar.   Baahubali the Beginning sets the tone for what Indian filmmaking is capable of. It has an action-packed plot, spectacular special effects, and moving acting by its lead actors. At its heart, Baahubali the Beginning is about a succession battle between the titular character Baahubali (Prabhas), and his evil cousin, Bhalla Deva (Rana Dagubatti). But the spotlight of action is shared equally between Baahubali and his son, Shiva (Prabhas again); a meaty chunk of the plot is devoted to Shiva's discovery of his antecedents.   The film's greatest strength is its overall mood of compelling political intrigue. All the twists and turns in the plot have been derived from various Indian epics too numerous to list here. However, t

Dear John,   It's me, Madhu here. I had asked your permission to use your office about a week ago for a team meeting, which is to happen tomorrow between 2:00pm and 3:00pm. Please can get back to me about it, so that we can come upon a schedule that suits us both? I can also shift the team meeting to a time when you'll not in office.   I really need to use your office because we'll be discussing a very confidential case. And you know very well that the floor area is noisy and populated, so we wouldn't be getting the required privacy there.  I promise that nobody will poke around your cabin or disturb any of your things in any way. And I'll ensure that everyone will clean up after themselves, myself included. Thanks and Regards, Madhu

Hey John!   It's me, Madhu here. May I use your office for a bit tomorrow between 2 and 3 for my team's meeting? You know how bad the din in the floor area is. On top of it, we are discussing some confidential stuff. So your office would be a good place because it's quieter and more private. If it's not free that time, then I can always shift the team meeting to some other time that suits you. Cheers! Madhu

Dear John,   May I borrow your office between 2:00pm and 3:00pm tomorrow for a team meeting? This is because my office is rather noisy as it is in the middle of the floor area. And we will also be discussing confidential information, so the privacy of your office is suitable for the meeting. If it is not very convenient for you, then we can always shift the meeting to a time that suits you. Thanks and Regards, Madhu