Vichaarkhaana

Films-2010

2010-12-28T21:41:00.005+05:30

A YEAR AT THE MOVIES

In the Hindu way of life, there is a belief that what you do on the first day of a new year, keeps recurring (in an exact or similar manner) all through the year. Year 2010 proved that right for this blogger! I began this year by watching the film 3 IDIOTS on the 1st of January. What followed was a yearlong viewing of some amazing films, topping it all with a bumper month in December! I’m sure I missed out on some gems, but I’m glad with whatever I could manage between classes, assignments and exams. Mentioned here are short comments on all the new movies I saw in 2010:

1) 3 Idiots

An endearing story of belief, friendship and bonding that stood the test of time. Directed by the man behind the Munnabhai films, Rajkumar Hirani, this one had everything going for it! From an amazing script (written and revised diligently by Abhijat Joshi and the director) to an encouraging yet taskmaster of a producer (Vidhu Vinod Chopra) to a brilliant cast (with Aamir Khan’s star-power and histrionics adding to the galaxy of performers)! It was the ideal combination of Bollywood masala (replete with a rain dance routine!), emotional saga and brains (real gizmos from IIT).

My only grouse with this film is a small detail which skipped the eye of the assistant checking for continuity. The scene: Javed Jaafri is being threatened with his father’s ashes being about to be dropped in the commode. In one shot, Sharman Joshi drops the lid of the container in the loo. Few shots later, the utensil is returned to Jaaferi, with the lid back on it!:-P!

2) My Name Is Khan

A sappy yet topical KJo film that I took my parents to watch on their wedding anniversary! Review can be read here…http://vichaarkhaana.blogspot.com/2010/03/mnik.html

3) Teen Patti
A promising idea which was failed by it's lack luster execution.
http://vichaarkhaana.blogspot.com/2010/03/teen-patti.html

4) Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge

An utterly emotional and sweet family film, without the usual OD of melodrama! Took my Mum along for it, review can be read here…http://vichaarkhaana.blogspot.com/2010/03/blog-post_11.html

5) Inception

It was G’s ‘goodbye’ film! Review can be read here…
http://vichaarkhaana.blogspot.com/2010/07/reversal-of-real.html

6) Udaan

A lovely work of art showcasing Vikramaditya Motwane’s passion for story-telling. Kudos to Anurag Kashyap for backing it! My favourite part is the climax which shows the power of education and how knowledge can be used for making our lives so much better, emotionally!

7) Peepli (Live)

A telling commentary on our times and the state of our lives. Acute portrayal of manipulation by the media and effects of unemployment. Hats off to Anusha Rizvi for the crisp script and direction. Songs of this film were an absolute winner, too!

8) Tere Bin Laden

The sleeper hit of this year! The film undertakes many political issues which are treated in a light yet impressive manner of story-telling.

9) Robot

*yawn* Review can be read here…
http://vichaarkhaana.blogspot.com/2010/10/robot.html

10) The Social Network

The less said, the better! Brilliant examples of super-smart and sharp writing which shines through many of the dialogues in this film.

11) Do Dooni Chaar

HABIB FAISAL! OMG! I can’t stop gushing over him and his craft! This is an extremely endearing, warm, sweet and a very identifiable film.

THE BUMPER DECEMBER!

I was really looking forward to watching Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se, Guzaarish, Band Baaja Baaraat and Tees Maar Khan. Saw all of these except the last, because I realised in the nick of time that Shirish Kunder is a hopeless story and script-writer. Wish he’d stuck to only editing reels! As for the others…

Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se

A sad attempt by Ashutosh Gowariker to give us a slice of history. This film could do with a lot more sincerity and an interesting screenplay. I went to watch it in its second week and there were only 5 people in the theatre to begin with. When the film ended, there were only 2 people left, one moi and and another old bearded man!

Guzaarish

Saw it immediately after KHJJS…within a gap of 10 minutes! This was the film’s 3rd week and there were about 50 people in the hall…not bad for a film declared as ‘flop’! My main aim of watching this film was to see an SLB work on the big screen. I wanted a sense of his craft and relish the colour pallet he employs. Of course, he has publicly proclaimed that he is drawing more inwards now and therefore the visual splendours of a Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam or Devdas will no more be presented to us. My bad luck for not having seen those on the big screen!

This film is a warm tale of struggle for survival propped up by restrained love and dedication. I came across many people who didn’t like it one bit, and others whose heart-strings it chugged. To each his own, then!

Band Baaja Baaraat

OMG! I LOVE THIS FILM! I COULD DIE WATCHING IT! My original intention behind wanting to watch this film was Anushka. Yeap, that’s right! It’s her that I was watching out for! While the promo of this flick was not well-cut, I was super-tempted to see Anushka’s expressions on the big screen. And boy, what a PATAKHA this girl!!!

Anushka, Ranveer and Maneesh Sharma are the B-E-S-T things YRF have offered to us is a REALLY L-O-N-G time!!! Possibly the last time I was super-impressed by a YRF offering was Chak de! India, and that was certainly very long back!

A big round of applause for Habib Faisal for the brilliant screenplay and scintillating dialogues! Perseverance pays..and his stint at YRF is an excellent illustration of it! From patiently writing script/dialogues for some of YRF's lousy and expensive films...his patience paid and he got the perfect opportunity to showcase his skill with the words to us in BBB! Apropos!

BBB has the crackling mix of a realistic story, brilliant screenplay, crispy dialogues, fantastic execution and an absolutely stunning cast (lead + supporting). Nothing to complain about in this flick! I’m sure you get the drift…I seriously can’t stop hyper-ventilating about it!

The best thing about 2010 is YET to come, though!!!!!

Thanks to a tweet by Rajeev Masand, I stumbled across this Bollywood-lover -http://dolcenamak.blogspot.com- who understands our films in ways we don’t even imagine them to be! I have fallen in love with this Lady, and don’t be surprised if my posts in the future keep referring you to her posts!

Robot

2010-10-07T02:38:00.004+05:30

Enthiran has hit the bulls-eye in south Indian territory with visitors thronging to the theater like crazy. Most are, of course, fans of Rajnikanth and his antics, the remaining minority is rooting for the special effects. Being the costliest film made in

India

, it’s also been dubbed in Hindi as Robot and has garnered quite a few accolades across the country.

The blogger would not like to ‘review’ the film as that is something each viewer can take an independent call on. Instead, mentioned here are some random stuff that were noticed while watching the film:-

For a 10:00 am show at Big ODEON, Connaught Place, New Delhi, there were barely 7-8 people in the hall. In south India, it is running to packed houses in its second week, too.

The lyrics and dialogues of this version have been done by the supremely talented SWANAND KIRKIRE. Of course, his talent is amply wasted. The lyrics are written just somehow to mean like the Tamil ones. Sadly, he couldn’t have come up with better stuff in accordance with the melody, since that wouldn’t then suit the picturisation of the song.

Dialogues of the film have no notable features. In fact, at many places, literal translation and technical Hindi has been used. It leaves one wanting for a more casual translation. Worst case in point: “kritrim shukranu” [artificial sperm].

Superstars can’t do without a moral lecture, can they? Well, somewhere they need to ‘give’ a message to their loyal fans. Rajni’s robot does it towards the end while dismantling himself!

The lead characters zoom around the city in a swanky Mercedes convertible, WITHOUT putting on the seat belt. THAT, actually, would have been a better coded message to give to the million fans who may otherwise be errant car drivers and passengers.

Lots to write about Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. OOPS! ‘Bachan’ is how they spell it in the credits, at the very beginning of the film. If they had to make such an expensive film, the least they could do was to get the name of their female lead right! One wonders, why is SHE there in this film? Many reasons, actually.

It’s better to have someone 37 yrs old rather than a 20-something opposite a hero who’s a senior citizen! Hers is a face well-known in across the breadth India, as compared to say, Shriya Saran, who was Rajni’s co-star in his last film [Sivaji] is 23 years of age and known mainly in Tollywood. She also quite fat, just as they like it down South. [yes, there is a scene done just for showing her cleavage…]

What is it with Ash’s walk? Can’t she EVER walk straight? Those exaggerated hip-swaying movements only make her posterior look broader than what they already are. Her tummy fat is quite obvious in most of the outfits.

In the first song, she dons a beautiful chiffon saree with an ill-matched blouse! Though, it’s only in the songs that the designer has either goofed up or played with a wild imagination, especially in an OTT song called "Kilimanjaro-Mohen jo daro"! For her outfits in rest of the film are quite nice and pleasant, suiting her character and location.

Being a medical student is good enough. WHY was there a need to show her cheating in the exam and then blatantly lying about it? That, by the way, is an excellent un-coded message to give, no?

Last bit on her… looks like she’s been put there to dance [which she does well] AND so that they can unapologetically refer to her beauty whenever the need arises! Her “blue-eyes” are mentioned at least FIVE times!

Sun TV’s logo glares into our face. The producer didn’t wanna give up that ONE chance to show off his company’s diversity!

People move in and out of that Chennai Dumping Ground, even searching through the trash, WITHOUT a mask around their nose…ew!

The much-talked about climax of the film is an OD of SFX and some conceptualization behind it. But, honestly, nothing strikingly ingenious about it.

The director of this tech-fest, Shankar, is being touted as

India

’s Cameron. The blogger doesn’t agree with this line of thought. Somewhere, ‘Avatar’ rang a bell which is not the case with 'Robot'. Excellent graphics n special effects make not a great film.

CSA

2010-10-05T11:15:00.002+05:30

Touch Me? DON'T Touch ME!

It is all around us, yet we tend not to ‘see’ it. Certainly amongst the most common topics to be brushed under the carpet is the sensitive issue of Child Sexual Abuse [CSA]. Such a touchy topic is being broached on this space for the first time. CSA is a social malaise, rampant not only behind closed doors of so-called ‘secured’ set ups, but also just about anywhere else. It mostly goes unreported, and there are many reasons. The victims are ‘sush’-ed into silence by the intimidating perpetrator, or are simply too ashamed to talk about it. In India, the relationship between children and their parents is quite affected by notions of ‘hierarchy’, often dissuading the victims from sharing their experience.

The perpetrators of this heinous crime usually tend to be someone close/ known to the victim. This makes it extremely difficult for the child to either protest or disclose it to the parents. Children of both sexes are equally prone to being abused. Despite lack of conclusive data, the number of victims comprises more of girls. As matured individuals, the usual stance is that the child should immediately report any such abuse. This is easier said than done. The honour-shame complex runs deep and the un-sureness of positive action also dissuades the child from reporting the crime. Even if the child takes the courage to confide in parents [or someone else close], many refuse to believe it and simply chide the victim away. This may do intense damage to the psyche of the abused, leaving an impression for the life time.

A more practical solution is [and this is a heartfelt request by the blogger] that youngsters should have a chat with their younger friends and cousins about “good” and “bad” touch. It is also important that young children in the family are taken into confidence, and encouraged to clearly spurn any advances as well as report it. Also, male kids need to be sensitized about such issues, so that they don’t grow to be future perpetrators of this heinous crime.

At an older age, support is essential to rid the victim of any guilt that they may be carrying from these childhood scars. It is preferred that victims reach out to sensitive individuals who can be a trusted confidant. One may avoid disclosing it to their partners, unless doubly sure of support from them. It is extremely important to think before one “reacts” to such disclosures, as it could be hurtful to the victim. The worst reactions include – “You must have enjoyed it too?!”, “Couldn’t you have reported it?” Such callous statements may leave painful gashes in the minds of CSA victims.

A child is still an immature individual, not knowing all “right” from “wrong”. It is NEVER their fault. Child psychology is exceptionally complex and cannot be explained in passing. If you can’t help, it’s better to stay SHUT than make the victim feel any worse.

Recommended Reading: “BITTER CHOCOLATE”, Pinky Virani

Reversal of the Real

2010-07-23T10:31:00.001+05:30

Dreams have always been a fascinating area of concern. From Freud to Nolan, people can just never get enough of fiddling with dreams! This movie has generated many kinds of noises around it. The blogger will keep this feedback short and crisp.

It’s a well-conceived movie woven around the concepts of ‘shared dreaming’ and ‘dream extractors’. We don’t know how much of it is true, but everyone will have their concerns! It’s a leap of faith to share your dreams. And dreams have the ability to become your personality, to define you. The power of the sub-conscious mind is a risky terrain, not to be treaded by the faint-hearted!

This film deserves a watch, not just for the stirring concept, but the ability of the director to keep you engrossed with the characters [all convincingly acted] and their mind games, across various levels of DREAMs!!!

Sweet dreams, anyone?!:P!

http://www.cinematical.com/2010/07/19/dissecting-inception-six-interpretations-and-five-plot-holes

SBT

2010-07-23T10:25:00.000+05:30

The Salaam Baalak Trust is an NGO working for the rehabilitation of orphans and juveniles. The blogger visited their centre in Paharganj area of New Delhi. This one is housed in a rented space on the 3rd floor of a DDA building. This building also has other offices of similar organizations. This particular centre has 40 boys in the age group of 6-14 years. They come from variedly underprivileged backgrounds and their upbringing is undertaken by the SBT.

The children live in-house in a dorm. There is a computer centre equipped with 14 PCs and classes are regularly held for the children. There are various educational posters adorning the walls. There is an entire show-case dedicated to the various achievements of these kids. There is also a shot of the child who had a role in the ROAD MOVIE, along with its lead actor Abhay Deol and the director Satish Kaushik. One of their star children [now an adult] Vicky Roy has achieved accolades for his photography. He even had a show in New York. That poster is up too, to serve as an inspiration to the children.

The main drive behind the initiative is to make available to these children most of the available faculties for an all-round development. Their background should not be a hindrance for a brighter and better future! When this blogger went there, with a group of ladies, the children performed various dance pieces. 2 of them even sung songs for us! One of the dance items was a very well-choreographed and fairly rehearsed piece on the song ‘BUM BUM BOLE’ from the hit flick Taare Zameen Par.

Many years ago, this blogger was a part of a short X’mas skit done for a group of children from SBT. They must be all grown ups now, but it felt nice to renew the connection with SBT. Hopefully, there will be better associations in the future.

In Search...

2010-07-23T10:06:00.001+05:30

Smt. DAYA BAI is a fairly well-known social worker having a long-standing association with tribal people in Madhya Pradesh [now Chhattisgarh], India. Her journey to reach where she is currently, was not an easy one, in the least. It has been an exploration of her inner self, her search for ‘light’, the true path, her calling. Almost70, she humbly admits, she’s still looking for the purpose of her life. That is an astonishing admission from someone with a body of work like hers. But then, it is the journey which adds meaning to life, and not the destination itself!

On the 10^th of July 2010, she graced the weekly meeting of SPICMACAY and shared her experiences with us. It was inspiring to hear about the dual pursuit driving it. One being the welfare of tribals, and the other, her continual search for a purpose. It is the latter search which has shaped most of her life experiences. As a septuagenarian, there is undoubtedly a lot she has been through. It is her journey, and never-say-die attitude that made this interaction most memorable.

Despite hailing from a well-to-do family in Kerala, she was not spoilt. She has a twin sister and at the age of 3, she moved from Cochin to the state of Travancore. She was there till the age of 15-16. In her house, inhabited by members of a large extended family, she saw untouchability being practiced. That difference between ‘us and them’ was what struck her, and it was her trigger, the starting point. Five of her aunts were nuns, and that inspired her. She went to the convent too, but did not become a sister.

As a child, she heard a song in Malayalam on the life of priests [missionaries] in north India. “I wanted to be like that, carefree and devoted.” Then she told her family about it, but had health problems. Hence, she made herself “tough”, and then applied and got through the training centre in Hazaribagh, Bihar. When in the campus, she saw tribals doing menial/servant jobs. This shattered her dream and broke her into tears. Then she realized, this was not her vocation!

During the period of her training at the seminary, a sense of sensitivity emerged. On Christmas, hordes of tribal people came from far off for the Midnight Mass. Seeing them, she couldn’t stay in the convent! After the next day’s prayer, she took a resolution – to finish her course, and at the end of it, if she had even a bit doubt, then she won’t take the promotion.

And that’s how it was to be. She finished her course and moved out, did odd jobs to get an experience on the field, and to find the ‘purpose of her life’. She did a BSc from Ranchi. There was one Austrian Sister running a school-cum-training centre for tribals in Chhattisgarh, and she went to her. But, she was given a job in another school. In search of light, she worked across places, including at MISSIONARIES OF CHARITY during the cyclone. So, basically, being in the social work line, she applied for MSW at Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai, while she was on field in Bangladesh.

Her application was immediately accepted due to her vast on-the-job experience. But the course, fashioned largely on European and other non-Indian lines, with its strictly academic focus, did not appeal to her. Here too, she considered herself a misfit! Somehow managing to finish the first year, she left on her journey again, this time working in Maharashtra and Haryana. Eight years down the line, after two syllabi revisions Field Work was introduced in the course. And then she returned to do her 2^nd year!

It was during the field work for this course that she went to Chhinwada, to do her study with the people of Gond tribe. After random unwelcome experiences, she finally established a bond with the people, due to assistance during childbirth to a tribal woman. Apart from being a voracious reader, she’d previously done a course in nursing too! After having submitted her final paper, she came back to this place. But her attire drove the women away. They weren’t used to draping their saree around a petticoat, unlike her!

But Daya Bai-ji had her trust in God. The village could be reached only by walking a stretch of 23kms through the jungle. People of the Bhil, Saam and Gond tribe lived together in relative harmony and no one was literate. The World Bank had forcefully made them take loans through the local banks for ‘development’. Cheating was rampant in this and the Gondwana tribe had become dehumanized. She was shocked out of her senses when one tribe/ village senior referred to themselves as ‘jungle ke bandar’ [monkeys of the forest]. She was determined to bridge the gap between ‘us and them’.

She came back there for Christmas and started with doing labour and earning with them. Then, by trick, she saw the records on papers and told the people about how they were being cheated. This was in 1981, and she began her participation with spreading awareness about labour ill-practices. A school was set up and a well was dug. There were night classes held for adults, to whom the first word she taught was हक़ [haq, right]. Letting her creative juices flow, she taught Fundamental Rights by means of songs and stories. This launched her active phase and gradually the inferior feeling amongst the tribals started to reduce.

After laying the foundation, she moved on to tackling environmental problems like deforestation and hybrid seeds. Her current focus is on organic farming, planting trees, organic manure [humus], water harvesting by building bunds and diggings pits, etc. A believer in ‘practice what you preach’, she does not use tap water, for it always results in wastage. And, she left the use of soap and toothpaste right after her course at the seminary. She also established a now successful self-help group amongst the women there.

She has received many awards in recognition of her work and is well known in the Kerala press. But progress breeds enemies too. She has many blockages planted in her path, having been tortured by the police, her teeth-broken for filing an FIR and mocked at in the court during a trial. Currently she’s fighting a case against her, which has reared its head after three years. She has published a collection of her poetry and her biography has been penned and published in Malayalam.

By her own admission, she is still searching for the ‘purpose’ of her life. Her journey is an inspiration for everyone, to contribute their bit towards a fair and just society. And, the search continues….

Meeting a Madman

2010-05-28T19:15:00.000+05:30

WHOSE LIFE ARE YOU LIVING?!

How often is it, that we meet people who are classic examples of something?! They are the near-ideal types of a certain stereotype. And what’s better, they even actively justify their position! Consequently, they unabashedly admit to being stuck in a mould, and are very comfortable in their ‘frogs in a well’ condition. Today, this blogger happen to meet one such person!

When it comes to career choices, ‘tradition’ defined success as “qualifying IIT” and “clearing UPSC”. The former meant cracking the uber-tough IIT-JEE, ticket to India’s premier engineering institutes, and latter, becoming an administrator, a somewhat cushy job with official and unofficial perks! This ‘tradition’ still holds VERY true in most parts of this country. Boys [more than girls] are indoctrinated since their tender childhood days to have ‘IIT’ as their target. There are factories set up sleepy towns which unfailingly churn out ‘success stories’ of those who’ve ‘cracked’ it! There are, of course, those who inhabit the periphery and milk moolah from this mania.

Another national hobby is to appear for the awfully famous ‘UPSC’. These set of exams are a window to the almost-good life in INDIA!:P! Not to forget, it surreptitiously authorizes the grooms to demand a hefty dowry in the marriage market. People throng the ‘centres’ of ‘preparation’ in major metros. It has also given rise to a whole industry of ‘coaching classes’ which ‘excel’ in producing ‘toppers’. Everyone’s got their own claim-to-fame students whose passport-size photos are proudly pasted in news-paper advertisements once the final list is announced!

The IIT ‘preparation’ failures lose only about 2-3 years of their early adulthood. The ‘UPSC’ candidates have a bigger window. Their prime is spent in attempting the UPSC and other states’ exams right across till they cross the age limit or finish the stipulated number of attempts. Lucky are those who crack ‘it’ in their first or second attempts. The rest, are…well….just fooling themselves! These ‘traditional’ career choices draw hordes of students to them, in the greed of bettering their life conditions. Very few amongst these are those, who are truly passionate about engineering or being efficient administrators.

The person I met today, is a school teacher in a tier-two capital city. His son qualified for the JEE this year with a rank in the 4900s. He is jubilant! They intend to let him opt for any faculty in the IIT-D campus so that…here’s the big part…he can ‘prepare’ for UPSC!!! [yeah..RIGHT!]

When goaded by the blogger, that once in IIT, it’s a little difficult to devote time for UPSC preps, the teacher replied, “My son is a different kind of a guy. He can study for 17-18 hours. Sometimes, even more. Delhi has better options in terms of coaching classes. And he has very few needs. I am sure he’ll be able to manage. And this is what he wants to do, too.”

He went on to humbly rave about the students he had taught. Their success stories in the nationally dreaded ‘board exams’. How his son is highly ‘obedient’. His children do most of their communication to their mother. “A little bit of “fear” is necessary in the minds of students”. And then, very politely, he exhorted my kid-cousin to study hard, so that he can make it to IIT. [HAH! Like there is no better job to do!] By his own admission, “We still have a traditional mind-set”.

The resort to ‘tradition’ traces its roots to Indians being highly ‘security-conscious’. Risk avoidance is considered an art, taught right from child-birth. Though, a large section of the upper crust is now exposed to other available options, most of the rest still bask in their ability to fit in the mould. We are hence, mainly content consumers and don’t make much contribution in return. Stifling creativity to trade it for ‘assured-jobs’ has many side-effects. The preference for ‘traditional’ choices has spawned a whole murky network of ill-equipped colleges, astronomical tuition and donation fees and a whole range of wheeler-dealers posing as ‘consultants’ for facilitating admission in mofussil colleges.

As soon as the teacher left, this blogger couldn’t help blurting, “HE IS A MAD GUY! HE RUNS A SMALL-TIME FACTORY AND PRIDES IN THE FACT THAT HE IS PRODUCING ASSES!” when said in hindi, this sounds fairly polite!;-)! this, followed by the kid-cousin being assured that he should opt for what HE wants to do, and not what the other so-called well-wishers nee ‘failures’ want him to do. Poor kido, burdened under the unfulfilled dreams of others…not getting to live his own dream!

Disclaimer: this post does not intend to discredit those sincerely passionate students who opt for either of these career choices. it's meant...err...only for the dumb clones!

अतिथि...

2010-03-12T12:07:00.000+05:30

ATITHI, TUM KAB JAOGE?!

The film begins with elaborate animated sketches talking about interesting and humorous
stuff. The story-line is simple and there are not too many twists and turns. Of course, beneath the perceieved simplicity lies a sharp depiction of today’s times. We have the quintessential urban couple, both of whom work and have a small child. Their life is sufficient, and gets upturned with the arrival of a ‘guest’.

What ensues are sweetly funny moments. No over-the-top comedy for this one. It believes in restrained humour and succeeds in that attempt. Director Ashwini Dhir has done a good job with the visualization of the scenes. The association with Warner Bro.s has been highly beneficial and can be seen in the neatly animated scenes which intersperse the narrative. Some scenes are shot from unusual camera angles, and have the viewer glued to the screen.

Being inspired from a story of the famous Hindi satirist SHARAD JOSHI, there is a take on the major controversies of recent past. It is, of course, done subtly and do not fail to tickle the viewer. For example, reference to medicines having animal fat and bones, ‘savitabhabhi’, the goon financing a movie, kitschy film set and many more! What takes the cake, though, are the songs based on old hindi songs’ tunes. The best is the ‘bhajan’ which is set on the tune of a recent and popular item song, as is often seen in the real world too!

Styling of all the characters is very well done. They seem utterly identifiable and there is a healthy combination of reality and exaggerated imagination. All the actors have played their parts really well. My Mom especially LOVED the acting of Konkona SenSharma!!! Also, Commendable is the acting of Ajay Devgn, who manages to do a very convincing job in this ‘regular’ role, with his average and usually brooding face!

The larger theme of the film does not get lost upon the audience. Yes, a lot of today’s people may find it boring. But, if you appreciate subtlety and gentleness, this film is worth a watch. It also mirrors the common sentiments of today’s urban populace on various levels.

Kudos to the producer Amita Mangat for undertaking this job at such a young age. And she’s humbly added a ‘thank you’ in the beginning to the entire cast and crew for finishing the whole film in 4 months flat. Now, that’s impressive! The blogger could not help noticing a senior from College doing a bit role in this film. She’s Mansi Multani, last spotted in a smaller role in PYAAR IMPOSSIBLE. I hope her next film has a longer role. Long time before she does meatier stuff!

दिल तो बच्चा है जी ...!

2010-03-12T12:05:00.001+05:30

The famous literary genius Gulzar needs no introduction. And after ‘Jai Ho’ getting the Oscar in 2009, he doesn’t need much intro. in most parts of the world! This blogger had the blessed opportunity to be in his august company [with a host of other people] in the national capital.

The Delhi University South Campus organized “A DAY WITH GULZAR SA’AB”, hosted by their INSTITUTE OF LIFE-LONG LEARNING. It was an apt choice of personality in keeping with the spirit of the Institute. Gulzar Sa’ab truly embodies the spirit of ‘learning’ in every sense of the word. An unassuming man of small height, he was simple dressed in a crisp white kurta and white pants. Not entirely devoid of colour, he teemed these with golden mojris with long pointed toes.

The event began with an introduction by the DUSC in-charge of Gulzar Sa’ab being a ‘mathematician’. Interestingly, this professor then went on to prove HOW Gulzar was a mathematician! ! The most touching part of this talk was the ‘turning point’ mentioned by him. It was Tagore’s poem “THE GARDENER”. This blogger has been an admirer of that particular poem for 7 years now! Gulzar Sa’ab’s voice is very composed, grounded, as of one who has seen a lot in this world. This rich experience though does not prevent him from maintaining a child-like inquisitiveness and being a perpetual student.

The blogger noticed the deep respect he has for stalwarts of Hindi cinema whom he holds in high esteem and touched his ear-lobe every time he took an important name. He admitted to considering Bimal Roy as his ‘guru’ and narrating why he does so. The lucid, crisp and interesting description of his journey through the alleys of literature and cinema kept us all spell-bound.

This was followed by a panel discussion on “THE WORD AND THE IMAGE: Cinema, Literature, Culture.” For Gulzar Sa’ab, definitely, the ‘image’ comes first. This can be clearly understood while studying his lyrics as well as films. The word is a mere medium for expression of thought processes. Cinema is talking through images. He compared his state to that of a lid on a boiling pan of water. The steam compels you for an expression. Expression arises from the desire to share and there is immense beauty in simplicity.

Being a creative person, he is beyond fixed domains. Artists cannot be, or rather should not be apolitical. As members of society it is their duty to express via art, and provoke too! The subjects of Gulzar Sa’ab’s movies, stories and poetry are a testimony to him practicing what he preaches! The discussion was so riveting, that the entire hall was on their feet, applauding for this greatly simple man. And yes, for the second time ever, this blogger gave a standing ovation to the ‘man of the day’.

Post-lunch, there was a poetry reading session. This definitely had the most heart-wrenching moments of the day. The layers of meaning, evoking vivid imagery and deeply sensitive themes, all tugged at the listener’s heart. Gulzar Sa’ab also has an admirable sense of earthly humour. लाजवाब चुटकियाँ लीं उन्होंने!!! His unassuming and humble demeanour are an important component of his ethereal charm.

To borrow from one of the speakers, this interaction was not just about that facet of Gulzar Sa’ab which is today best known. It was also delved into the realms of History, Economics, Mathematics, Literature and the indomitable human spirit. Gulzar Sa’ab brought with him this aura of positivity and calm. Not once was there ANY unpleasant happening in the gathering. It was a fairly small [around 150-200] crowd and well-behaved!

QUOTABLE QUOTE: “ BE A VAST AND BIG INDIAN. DON’T BECOME SMALL!”

Rang BARSE!!!:D!!!

2010-03-12T11:45:00.001+05:30

HOLI HAI!!!

Holi is an important marker in the Hindu calendar. Different parts of the country have various significances associated with this date. But, for a kid…it is…simply… The festival of colours!!!

This blogger has tried to be at a different location for Holi every year, for the past couple of years. It always is a pleasant experience because EVERY place has its own unique ‘feel’ of Holi!!! This year, we headed to the famed and haloed campus of the JAWAHARLAL NEHRU UNIVERSITY, New Delhi for being coloured!!!

It was an entirely dry ‘playing’, except for being sprinkled with some water by a young cousin. The festival had a somewhat ‘grown up’ feeling for us this time. It felt great saving a lot of water by not playing wet Holi. Of course, that also meant not having too much of residual colours on the skin!

While heading back home, we shared the auto-rickshaw with a Professor from Poland. He was all ga-ga over the festivities and colours! Someone told him that THIS playing in the campus was ‘civilised’. And he was wondering how would ‘uncivilised’ be then! Well, I gave him ample examples of how rowdy and crude could it get!

In conclusion, we had a nice, short and sweet ‘Holi’. It was truly 'RANG BARSE'...and no 'bheegi chunar'!!! NOTHING beats the Surat experience, though! The options for next year are already being contemplated!

PS: That guy was a Prof. of Sociology and Anthropology!!! Yes, we had common stuff to talk about !:P!

TEEN PATTI

2010-03-06T22:31:00.000+05:30

HINDUJA VENTURES has made inroads into the Indian film industry with their film, TEEN PATTI. Amitabh Bachchan is the show-stealer. It’s a click flick with a skewed script! First-time director, LEENA YADAV has not done a very good job of narrating this thriller. Many scenes have shoddy camerawork and do not establish the location well. Songs in the film are nice, but OUT OF PLACE!!! There is the Brazilian bombshell Maria Gomes gyrating suggestively in an item number.

The ‘Casting Director’ of this film should have been named the ‘Networking Director’. Most of the cast belongs to the ilk which hobnobs with the Hindujas in London and Bombay. So we have everyone from super-model Saira Mohan to writer Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghavi showing off their ‘acting’ skills in whatever screen time they get. Ben Kingsley is BIG waste with nothing much to do! Maybe he DID have a lot to do, at least to establish his character, but that go chopped off on the editing table!:P!

The rest of the actors, new-comers…do a not-very-convincing job with their immature acting. It looks like they’ve ‘learnt’ acting and are now off to show their skills in this movie! it’s a just-about-okay film. The blogger has been told that ‘21’. The original in English from which this flick is inspired, is a better watch!

MNIK

2010-03-06T22:28:00.000+05:30

My Name is...

The Great Bard had famously said… “WHAT’S in a NAME?!” Well, if we were to look in the contemporary world around us, there’s a LOT in every name. If it wasn’t enough in India, for sur-names to symbolise people’s caste and the whole baggage it carries, we now have a terror-struck globe. MY NAME IS KHAN is a contemporary tale of how there’s a LOT in a name.

This is a refreshingly different movie from the DHARMA stable. Quite a respite from Karan Johar’s usual candy-floss style of cinema with designer brush strokes! This one’s designer too, but it got a lot more depth beyond the beautiful visual imagery! This film marks the turning of a radically new leaf in the careers of both SRK n KJo. It can be read as both these powerful people taking a stand in their larger responsibility towards the society at large.

It’s the journey of Rizwan Khan, in a world not-so-kind to differently-abled people. And matters get worse after the WTC is perished in the 9/11 air attacks. Khan suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome. He cannot look straight into the eye while talking, stammers a little, has slight learning difficulties and other pet peeves but is resolute, nevertheless! The film keeps the viewer riveted, though the second half is a tad stretched.

The scene which struck the blogger was one where Khan throws his pebbles at a doctor in a mosque. This is symbolic of the stoning of the Satan, an integral part of Islamic tradition. The subtle incorporation and powerful portrayal of such a lore is deeply appreciated.

Kajol is as endearing as ever, and the lovely long jackets enhance her persona. SRK, for a change, REALLY goes way deep beyond the character’s skin. All other actors have done a fair job of justifying their roles. This film is a good example of the triumph of the just human spirit over all forms of prejudice and injustice.

In conclusion, this blogger believes that it is important to record the various happenings in society, in a variety of perspectives. Cinema is a very powerful medium to store what is tomorrow’s history. An array of narratives projecting the impact of the one common event is extremely necessary to have a rounded picture. KUDOS TO KJO n the entire MNIK team!:D!

"...AUTO!"

2010-01-30T23:22:00.002+05:30

You've heard that shout quite often! Well...the private means of transport available in any place are one of the true mirrors of a city’s spirit. In India, the ubiquitous three-wheeler AUTORICKSHAW serves that purpose! This blogger has traveled in an ‘auto’ across many cities in the country.

The Jaipur drivers are polite and straight. They are game to go either by meter or pre-fix it. They do not haggle much over the rate and suggest something quite reasonable for the distance to be covered. Pune ones are rather vague to be judged. Their meters are read in a different manner. One driver didn’t bother to correct the blogger when he was paid extra, due to the usual way of reading the meter! And another one didn’t not exactly know the route to a certain location. But still managed to that place!!

In Mumbai, the financial capital of this country, autos are not allowed to run in all parts of the city. Only the suburbs have autos plying there. B-U-T…what awesome service?! Not an ounce of pride, quite well-mannered, and score very high on the comfort factor. They run strictly by meter, will rarely refuse to take you, never overcharge and have a no-nonsense approach to their job. This blogger once traveled from Andheri to IIT-Powai at the stroke of midnight and didn’t feel one bit insecure! What’s best…the driver didn’t throw any tantrum about night charges and I wasn’t over-charged by a single penny!

Bangalore drivers score low due to inadequacy to understand the national language well. They barely manage with broken Hindi or English! Hence the non-Kannada crowd faces a slight trouble with figuring out how much to pay! Apart from that, they are devoid of any airs, drive well, and are generally non-threatening!

The worst of the lot, of course, inhabit NEW DELHI. Being in the capital of a prosperous nation, these drivers could do with a lesson in decency and fairness! They are conceited about their position and think of the passenger as one who is born to be ‘taken for a ride’! They flatly refuse to go by meter, always quote a ridiculously high amount, come up with lame excuses like ‘we’ll have to go back empty’, and what not?! Some of them are shameless enough to have a smoke even while transporting a woman.

One in a fifty auto drivers in New Delhi is a genuine soul not interested in taking advantage of the female passenger’s situation. And when you come across that rare individual, you pray that next time we get an auto-wallah like this! Alas, that wish remains mostly unfulfilled! Similar is the situation with most locations in UP and Bihar.

So, the verdict is out. North Indian auto-drivers are a brusque lot. Mumbai ones score the highest for their service and comfort. Pune and Bangalore have a tie for the second position. And the Jaipur ones, ah! If only life was as uncomplicated as that city!

PS: "Just to add to your post, the auto drivers in Hydb are quite a painful lot...They usually refuse to go by the meter n when they do, beware cos they end up takin a really long route! In abt 5 yrs hv fought with many an auto driver here!" - Ashrita Prasad

RIDE ON!!!!!

Another interesting write-up on B'lore Autos http://in.news.yahoo.com/blogs/opinions/rickshaw-drivers-vampires-bengaluru-20110416-011923-819.html

NSD Fest

2010-01-30T23:18:00.000+05:30

“Vichitra kintu satya…”

Manav Kaul has earned numerous accolades as a young theatre personality. This blogger wasn’t able to catch any of his productions in Bombay due to distance issues. So when “AISA KEHTE HAIN” was to be staged as a part of the NSD Annual Theatre Fest, I was up on my toes to watch it. Of course, it ain’t as easy as it seems! Luckily, an acquaintance from NSD sneaked us in the theatre before the performance was to be begin, and we stayed put…watching the play from the aisle! To make it better, there was even a short rendezvous with the director after his final rehearsal!

Personally, this blogger found the play just about okay. Individually the threads of the play are identifiable and have a rooting in reality. But what binds these separate threads is a sense of abstractness. And as it is with most works in the abstract, there is no clear theme fathomable!

As Kaul puts it, “The many stories within the play stand independently, strung together by a pliant and subjective thread. Everything is a collage – the little stories, the motley characters, the songs and the main story – all thrown together in a salad bowl. I love salads!” We saw that!

One line which caught the blogger’s attention was addressing of the unknown as “HEY VICHITRA KINTU SATYA!!!” [O…strange but true!]. Interesting!

Also see http://www.mumbaitheatreguide.com/dramas/hindi/24_preview_aisa_kehte_he.asp

2009...Aha!

2010-01-30T23:03:00.000+05:30

THE GOOD LIFE

Year-ends don’t always have to be about the usual ‘Best of…’. This blogger wrapped up 2009 on a zingy note. If that wasn’t enough, the New Year [2010] was brought in with a bang and more!!!

Bombay…the city of dreams…that’s where the above happened!!! A beautiful holiday, beginning from X’mas and wrapped up on my b’day! i ushered in X'MAS by 'celebrating' it for the first time..that too in train!:P! In MY city then, there were the usual suspects. Worli sea face, Siddhivinayak, Colaba, Marine Drive, St. Xavier’s, meeting up with friends, et al!

Yours truly was there mainly to attend the culmination of the 140^th year celebrations of St. Xavier’s College. Everything else was just a bonus of being in Bombay…at the right time. Well, the time is always right to do the right thing!

It was a beautiful experience and I was showered with affection, admiration and gifts! Yeap…we live in a material world…though I’m not so much of a material girl! Each gift symbolized a bond of love, which has become stronger with time. And the absolutely awesome icing was the ‘good-bye’!!!

For the first time in my life… I was ACTUALLY given a surprise for my b’day!!! It was on the eve of my b’day...when a few friends dropped into the station to see me off. To be honest, it feels awesome to be the centre of all attention and warmth! And to top it, I was sent off with a gooey and delectable Ferero Rocher pastry [see image]!!!

Alas, there was no one to share my joy WITH me in tht Rajdhani compartment where I ushered my 21^st birthday! But, as I believe, wishes are sent from the heart, and I knew I had tones of it surrounding me.

As if all this wasn’t enough to qualify it as my best b’day ever…I had surprises lined up onine too! When it rains…it truly pours!!! I’d like to share the poem which Vikashji mailed me along with his wishes. words are inadequate to express the joy I felt when I saw that e-mail from my favourite creative personality!

जन्मदिवस की हार्दिक शुभकामना

जो भी यहाँ चलते हैं - जन्मे हैं.

पर जो भी यहाँ जन्मे हैं
उनमें से हर कोई नहीं चलता.

आज तुम्हारे जन्मदिवस पर चाहता हूँ
तुम चलो.
आज, कल और हर कल के बाद वाले कल भी.

तुम चलो
और तुम्हारे पीछे दुनिया चले.
और तुम्हारे साथ चले तुम्हारे अपने.
और तुम्हारे आगे चलती रहे सफलता -
तुम्हारे रास्ते के कंकड़ हटाती हुई.

--
सप्रेम,
विकास

Any cake is incomplete without it’s cherry [red, or otherwise!]. the one which completed mine is…

http://datarpreeti.blogspot.com/2010/01/and.html

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR MAKING IT THIS SPECIAL!!!

2010 is SURE GONNA BE A ROCKING YEAR !!!!

2009-12-04T12:21:00.000+05:30

..a Slice of LIFE..

Chetan Bhagat’s latest offering has taken the market by storm. True to expectations, it’s got youngsters engrossed in “2 STATES: THE STORY OF MY MARRIAGE” . How much of it is real and how much is just some marketing hoopla, we’ll never know. What we do know, though, is that the publisher has had the cheek to blow up facts in the author’s intro. “ [his books]...have inspired major Bollywood films.” ANY sensible person would SO want to whack the publisher for a glaring error like THAT!!! This, of course, has now become the trend to push things, and make them look bigger than what they are, for purely marketing reasons.

About the book…nothing unique. Bhagat has repeatedly proven that flair is not his forte. The current book is an easy read, low on style, and light on the mind. The blogger breezed through it in 3 hours flat! This book is essentially a diary recording stereotypes held by Indians, be it cultural, regional, educational, ritualistic, food-related, etc. He’s effortlessly pointed to the notional status of ‘donation college’, ‘fair skin complex’, ‘discipline in defence’, ‘WPM’*, et al. The simple things in life which we so conveniently take for granted have been seamlessly sewn into the story-telling. From acknowledging the effort our moms put into EVERY meal, excitement about weddings, to children shrieking gleefully when they spot ‘mickey mouse’, he’s included it all. There are also the soppy elements of love for parents [separately!] to nationalistic fervour!

Like all his other books, this one also has a veiled positive feel to it. As always, the guy is trying to get the girl. And everything revolves around it, in an amoeba-like shape! Also, again, the male protagonist’s name is a derivative from that of Lord Krishna.

To KISS…this book is a good one-time read. It’s slightly funny, definitely not humourous, but you can let that pass.

*WPM: read the book to know its full form!

this blogger had reviwed his 2nd book 4 yrs ago http://vichaarkhaana.blogspot.com/2005_11_01_archive.html

alas..nothing much has changed since then...with the writer, that is!

High UP!!!

2009-09-24T14:28:00.000+05:30

Disney has an undeniably veritable history of producing endearing children’s entertainers. Over the past few years, their collaboration with Pixar has resulted in a distinctive style of story-telling with unassuming yet obvious portrayal of the fundamental human emotions. Their characters are well-etched, cutely animated and never fail to tug at the viewer’s heart. Case in point- Finding Nemo, Wall.E and now UP!!!

This movie epitomises the spirit of endurance in an adorable way! There really is a lot of power in persistence. Ultimately, you DO get what you want. And malicious intentions also reach their appropriate end. It’s all about believing in what you want and then pursuing it with diligence and a dash of tenacity!

The blogger will refrain from saying anything even remotely negative about UP...’coz there is NOTHING under that blanket! It is an upbeat film, taut and well made providing moments of thrill, drama, ingenuity, affection, et al packed in 1.5 hours! The old adage- “A PICTURE SAYS A THOUSAND WORDS” has been brilliantly used to convey a lot without unnecessary dialogues. The flick manages to keep the viewer’s attention intact without letting it flounder.

The ‘little one’ of this film represents the average American child – not in great physical shape and incomplete parentage, but the universal ‘child’ at heart enjoying ‘boring’ things! [Well, who doesn’t?!] He has his own ideas about the world ‘out there, quite a few of which get debunked.

Possibilities [both bright and of grim] of the future have been ably communicated via this movie and WALL.E.

This movie is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED. It’s a must watch for people of ALL ages. Those who dismiss animated movies as ‘cartoons for children’ should go with an open mind and look BEYOND what is shown on the screen to pick up or refresh some important life-lessons!!! a B-I-G THUMBS UP!!!

This the first 3D Animation flick from the Disney-Pixar stable. Alas..the blogger had to see it in normal format..even though the theatre was a multiplex in an upmarket mall..:-(

PS:- The initial animated sequence of “Gods above the clouds MAKE babies and then the “stork comes visiting” to deliver them … utterly cute and delightful!!!

Marked!

2009-09-20T15:49:00.001+05:30

SCAR

You can see it.

You can feel it.

Does it hurt?

A look at the gashes,

Brings back some flashes.

Could be positive or negative,

Or just a misgive!

It keeps reminding…

How unsmooth was the ride!

Was it the driver?

Or just the roadside?!

Every mark has a story…

May or may not be gory.

Is that how you wanted?

Or it just got planted?!

"Jarred, charred and scarred."

I feel extremely marred.

Forgiven or not…

There’s STILL a spot.

What may I say?

Hope the scars…

Just fade away.

20^th September 2009

keedon kee bastee ka makoda!!!

2009-09-10T15:59:00.001+05:30

The blogger will keep this comment somewhat short in comparison to comments made on other movies previously on this forum.

KAMINEY is an auteur’s work. The style of the director is very palpable through the sequences and Bharadwaj has taken his caliber to the next level. I have been an admirer of his work ever since MAKDEE (2002): A dark fable. It redefined children's films. The director is a creative, par excellence. His vision, craft, skills with sound is all incomparable.

This movie is very well made, though the first half could be tauter. It’s layered, quick, grey, gritty and gutsy. The assistant director-turned-casting director Honey Trehan, 29, is responsible for pulling off the stunning casting coups in Kaminey- from making Bhardwaj's old tour operator friend based in Mussoorie, Tenzing Nima a.k.a. Momo, play a Nepali gangster, persuading Parinda and 1942: A Love Story writer Shiv Subrahmanyam to play the corrupt narcotics police officer, Lobo, to Amol Gupte, the writer of Taare Zameen Par and the surprise Bhope Bhau.

The male lead has done a brilliant job of the task assigned to him. the sincerity and effort are commendable! BRAVO Shahid!!!

a-n-d Ahmed Khan ROCKS Shahid Kapoor! this is ONE awesome pairing!!! m REALLY looking fwd to Pathshaala...their next collaboration! not so much for the storyline..but for the choreography!!!

The music is sipid, and keeping with Bharadwaj’s rooting in reality, takes the story forward. The less that is said about the sheer remarkableness of the flick, the better it is!

One special mention for the man who essayed the role of Shahids’ father! It was a pleasant surprise to see him on screen, after his touching portrayal as Shweta Prasad’s father in Makdee. A-N-D…the guy who played the younger Shahids….MY GOODNESS…WHAT GROWTH?!!!! Like the cliché goes…"bachcha bada ho gaya!” He was, of course, the cute and endearing ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ in Makdee!

PS: For a heart-warming insight into Vishal Bharadwaj, please click on…

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/index.php?option=com_content&Itemid=1&task=view&id=57763&sectionid=85&issueid=120&page=archieve

uber narcissicistic!

2009-08-28T11:23:00.000+05:30

प्रियम्वद राधिका!

रंगबिरंगी, खूबसूरत, प्यारी सी
तितली की तरह चंचल सी
एक अनजानी लड़की, अब बन गई है पक्की सहेली
राधिका रानी, जो अब है राधिका दीदी

उछलती, कूदती, levitate करती
एक पक्के मन की लड़की
करती है हर एक काम ...
अपने मन की सुनती

जिसके संग रहकर
मैं मैं हूँ, और वो वो
न कोई ढोंग न कोई दिखावा
बस अपनापन बिना छलावा l

उम्मीद न थी, एक साँवली सी
dungarees और black tee में घूमती यह लड़की
मेरे इतने करीब होगी
वह भी इतनी जल्दी

अब जो हो,
तो मैं खुश हूँ
हमेशा यूँ ही रहना
प्यारी, थोड़े गुस्सेवाली, लाड करती,
vibes-conscious मेरी बहना
जा रही हो कई कि.मी. दूर
पर दिल से न जाना
न हमें जाने को कहना

आती रहना, बतियाती रहना
जीवन में जो भी करो ... सफल होना
यही हमारी कामना .. हमेशा खुश रहना!

-कोमल अग्रवाल

this blogger would like to thank the very sweet author of this poem from deep down under. i'll not lie...i'm way beyond the cirro-stratus!!! to Komal...MUAH!!!

M-J

2009-08-01T09:54:00.000+05:30

A reality show *ing MJ

Put together a few real characters. Mix it with some logical [or so-called?!] sequence of events. Stir in a li’l bit of drama. Garnish with a peppy sound-track. And VOILA! What have we?! A veritably identifiable product acting as a mirror to OUR [read as educated, ambitious, globalised and err.. ‘realistic’] times.

This is a story spanning 4 years in the life of a pair of young adults, who dare to dream and can go to any lengths to convert them into reality. ANY lengths? Well…that’s what the climax suggests! Some dream are clear and obvious, others are hazy. It’s the hazy ones that mislead us into believing that ONLY the dreams which are crystal clear are meant to be realized, not others.

LOVE AAJ KAL is a some-what poignant story of MEERA and JAI [MJ!] who are fair enough to breakaway from ‘love’ to pursue their professional dreams. But do they REALLY take a break?! The movie has a contemporary feel and is a telling tale of the times that we live in. it’s all about being ‘instant’! In the pursuit of this instant gratification, one may push to the back sources which seemingly create obstacles in the achievement of our dream and consequent gratification. Ironically, it IS these sources that we derive support from, not just instant but also long-lasting!!!

The lead stars are affable and the on-screen chemistry between them is striking. The dimpled and dainty damsel proves a striking match to the effervescent Khan. Saif, of course, has mastered this art from his first solo hit “Hum Tum”. Only JAI is more fickle, and obviously a very ‘today’ guy!!! He looks a li’l old for his character, though.

Deepika, as always, is lovely and a pleasure to watch…whiff of fresh air! Duds like CC2C [she worked very hard for it] n Bachna Ae Haseeno [a self-proclaimed hit] have done little to stop this beauty from establishing a firm foothold in the film industry. The styling for her character [by Anahita Shroff Adajania] is true-to-times. A very wearable fashion and minimal make-up, add more certainty to the reality of Meera’s character. My favourite is the peach-coloured chiffon wedding-saree. Absolutely STUNNING..both..the outfit..AND..the wearer!!! but even before that, there is the adorable yellow mini [see image]...this one's on top of the 'to-buy' list!!!

Dialogues of the movie are crisp and devoid of any OTT theatrics, a characteristic feature of most previous hindi movies. Times have been successfully shown changing via ROCK ON and similar movies.

To conclude… a VERY watchable flick. though the first half of the movie is quite slow and not much happening...it's picks up well in the 2nd half! Usage of streety hindi dialogues in some places adds oodles of authenticity to the on goings. The old joke of ‘mango man’[aam aadmi] has been immortalized on screen as ‘mango ppl’ [aam junta/log]!

One song which perfectly suits the gist of this movie... MY HEART WILL GO ON...

2009-07-10T10:09:00.000+05:30

MISSING SHAHID!!!!

long before a film is released...it's music n trailers hit the airwaves...trying to entice the viewers and seduce any unsuspecting individual into watching the film after it's released!!!

such is also the intention of the soon to-be released LOVE AAJ KAL directed by the very spunky Imtiaz Ali. relying on his previous cinematic ventures AND the buzz around this movie, it's definitely gonna be worth one watch AT LEAST!!!

but what makes this blogger squirm slightly...is the track "TWIST". and one person who'd surely be twisting n turning in his grave with disgust is Mr. Hemant Kumar...the music director of 'mann dole mera tann dole'...which has that VERY famous 'nagin' tune. nope...it's not his own compostion that he's regretting NOW. it's the blatant plagiarisation of tht tune and it's incorporation in "TWIST".

oh! n this blogger has a few more grudges against the song!!! Pritam...the music director of LOVE AAJ KAL...is known for his foot-tapping compositions. what he's also known for, on the sly, is copying tunes!!! THAT is one fact which is not really publicised! a simple example wud be the track "yeh ishq hai" from JAB WE MET. it's been copied from a number in some foreign language. go figure!!!

that Imtiaz and Pritam wanted to recreate the "Mauja" magic is quite ostensible from the visuals of this track. WHO can forget the awesome video of Shahid doing some mean moves in "Mauja hi Mauja" from Jab We Met?!!! that song was an INSTANT hit, a chart topper, and STILL rocks on the club scene. it was SO well-loved that posters of the movie..printed in Punjab had Pritam's surname as 'Singh'. the music director was stumped, 'coz he's actually "Chakraborty"! he was then told that the people thought the music director OUGHT to be a punju since he made something so authentically punjabi as 'mauja hi mauja'. Shahid being a trained dancer [from Shiamak's] helped the choreographers Bosco-Caesar in giving him very appealing steps.

where TWIST falters, is the conscious attempt made by Pritam to do something EXACTLY like Mauja. it's very difficult to recreate the same magic. and WHY does one have to? doing a song from that genre is NOT the only way of creating a foot-tapping number and knowing it'll be a hit. and what makes it worse...is the fact that Saif Ali Khan can obviously not dance! n he himself admitted to having two left feet!!! PLUS...his face looks Botox-ed AND his movements don't have fluidity which makes the attempt look clumsy!!!

these people should have opted for someone who's an actual dancer and then had an item song in the flick. anyway, TWIST is part of the end credits...so WHO needed Saif to show off his not-so-smooth movements?!

also, the song's composition itself doesn't have much to make it sound distinguishable. TOO much of beats, make it sound somewhat fuzzy. it's a very cluttered soundtrack. probably the only recongnisable bit about the song is the 'nagin' tune!!!

ideally, i wouldn't wanna listen to it...or dance on it, for tht matter!!! BUT...the latter's probably not gonna happen...'coz seems like the song has caught up n wud be played..at least for sometime...in the DJ circuit.

Imtiaz n Pritam..i can only wish u guys ALL THE BEST for ur next venture together. we hope u come up with some better musical creations!!!

2009-05-10T23:43:00.000+05:30

HEY SEXY MOMMA!!!

ALL mothers ARE “working” mothers!!!

Today…as we celebrate MOTHER’S DAY the blogger stand vindicated of it’s belief articulated a few years back. Times are truly changing. As we ‘progress’… the path to enjoy the choice exercised by you is increasingly being paved with support and understanding. yours truly had once said, when MY generation decides to enter motherhood, it’s going to be much easier for us to do it OUR way.

Presented here is an article from TIMES LIFE, a supplement of the SUNDAY TIMES OF INDIA which explores the gradual paradigm shift in the traditional notions of ‘motherhood’. As we move with the times, it REALLY symbolizes the essence of ‘progress’…and gives us a very clear picture of times to come.

Mom alone

Unwed, single, scared and yet brave — the new-age Mother's Day embraces motherhood of all kinds. Sreemoyee Piu Kundu explores

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

WOMEN nurture a Cindrella Syndrome — a loving husband, kids and a picture perfect home. But as a single mom, I’ve learnt that you don’t always need a Prince Charming to walk into the sunset!” That’s 32-year-old Parul Toria, single parent to a teenaged son, talking. Parul is just one of the many single moms who are redefining the very definition of parenthood in a contemporary urban scenario.

PROVIDER & PROTECTOR
The twilight zone of single moms is a fortified universe guarded by maternal pride, and the need to be a material and emotional provider. “Single parenting is daunting, involving multitasking at all levels,” adds actress Pooja Bedi, single mom to 11-year-old Aalia and nine-year-old Omar. Thankfully, social acceptance is forthcoming. Kalyani Chawla, VP, Christian Dior, India, and a single mother feels, “There’s great respect for women who’re working to support themselves and bring up children as single moms. Once you can afford to take care of yourself and your children emotionally, on your own, more than financially, you find ground for great pride and self-worth. Today, women are financially independent. You don’t need a man anymore to fulfil a false sense of security.”

THE SIEGE WITHIN
The rise in urban divorce rates coupled with redefined gender rules has transformed modern-day motherhood from a biological obligation to a 24-hour job. “In the past, a single mom raised her kid in the cocooned shelter of her parents’ home. Now, with nuclear homes and working women — it’s a challenge — spending quality time with the child and also being a pro at work. The struggle is more internal now,” holds Parul.
Single moms grapple with the void in their own lives too. Divya Khanna, a single mom to her 11-year-old daughter Megha adds, “Immediately after divorce, moms want to vent their frustration and the child is all she has. But, one needs to cultivate a positive support system and not badmouth the father in front of the child as it instills negative emotions.”
Teething problems apart, single moms are up for the challenge. Lecturer Sunaina Lal, who discovered she was pregnant two months after being dumped by her fiancé, recalls, “I was scared. At 30, being an unwed, single mom wasn’t on life’s agenda. When I decided to keep my child, a lot of people pitied me saying, ‘God will take care of your child.’ Their condescending attitude made me feel my child was being singled out. Wanting a baby puts a woman in control of her destiny and it’s a decision to be lauded!”

WORKING WARRIORS
In the humdrum of daily life, only the fittest survive. Meena Sharma, a teacher and a single mom to an eight-year-old son says, “I separated when Akash was only nine months old. I jumped jobs — lured by better pay and flexi-timings. Even today, many employers say my resume is choppy — but they don’t realise single moms aren’t like regular employees. We have to pay bills, attend PTA meetings and rush home if our child has fever.”
TV actress Achint Kaur, who separated when her son was three adds, “I customised my work schedule to accommodate my son’s every need. I rarely accepted outdoor schedules and worked only for 15-18 days a month. During and before his board exams, I informed my producers that I wasn’t available. Being professionally productive ensures people understand.” Yet one can’t deny the inherent pull at a mom’s heartstrings. Kalyani adds, “My daughter’s principal said, ‘Don’t feel guilty about being a working mother, every teacher teaching your daughter is one.’”

HOME TRUTHS
Most single moms grapple with disciplinary issues walking the fine line between indulgence and maternal love. “Usually parents balance each other out — while one’s strict, the other pampers. I’m the softer one and thus handling Megha’s rebellious bouts is tough,” admits Divya, adding, “Her dad always meets her outside, taking her to malls and coffee shops and spoiling her with shopping sprees. Their visits are more like dates. He doesn’t realise the impact it has.”
Is it wise then to keep the father out? Meena says, “Till my son was four, he never knew what a dad was. But, one day, after watching a man leave for work on a scooter, he asked, ‘Is that dad?’ It was time to mend
fences. I called my ex after years. Today, I know there’s someone there, apart from me, on whom my son can depend on.”
Sunaina adds, “My 10-yearold daughter once asked, ‘Do you miss dad?’ Initially, I said, ‘No, ma loves you, dad’s far away.’ But I couldn’t sleep for nights. I hadn’t disclosed my pregnancy to my ex. But, I’d wondered if knowing he was going to become a father may have changed his mind. I had to face my own demons. I traced him, mailing him pictures of Apsara. For months, there was nothing. And then one evening, I got a call from Dipin — a much married father of two daughters settled in Delhi. He even visited us, offered monetary help, but I refused knowing he wouldn’t be able to come clean to his family and that seemed hypocritical. I was scared of Apsara’s response — but her strength amazed me. After he left, she hugged me saying, ‘Ma, are you okay?’ It was a moment of retribution.”

PLAYING DAD
Filling in a father’s shoes is no mean task. But Chawla says, “Create dedicated moments with your l’il one.” Psychologist Seema Hingorrany adds, “Single moms try to compensate lack of quality time through materialistic spoils. But, being there emotionally is the key.”
Meena says of her bonding ritual, “Every four months we go for a small holiday. Sundays too are reserved just for us — we cook, play board games and dance.”

SECOND TIME LUCKY
A lot of single moms shy away from finding love for themselves. “The fear of being exploited again and the impact it can have on kids keeps love out,” says Seema. Meena adds, “Lots of men think it’s cool to date a single mom. But what most guys don’t realise is that a single mom can’t just go out on casual dates at the drop of a hat. I have to look out for my son first.”
Pooja, who was seeing choreographer Haneef Hilal feels, “Expose your kids to the people in your life. Even today, there’s no bitterness between Haneef, me and my kids, post our split. Kids need to know that love and respect exist between their mom and the men in her life, whether or not the relationship sustains.”

MOM’S THE WORD
Being the perfect single mom is an uphill journey. But, the rewards overshadow the regrets. “Being a single mom isn’t as burdensome like films and serials portray — yes, there are moments when you face social pressure, rebellion from your child and professional dilemmas, but the joys of knowing you are their hero is unparalleled. Last year, on Mother’s Day, Apsara was awarded the best allrounder trophy in school and upon being asked whether she missed a dad, she just pointed at me saying, ‘That’s my dad!’ What’s bigger than that?”

P Rocks!!!

2009-04-01T16:15:00.000+05:30

The Pretty Girl

If you could only touch
That naughty twinkle
That elusive… zany twinkle!

Her wink and chortle
Make a heady mocktail.
Thank God! It’s not a cocktail!

For hair that sways…
It’s all in the follicles.
And life beyond the cubicles!

She is... the pretty girl!

Beyond the groovy moves
Is a smile that proves…
It’s more than audit and taxes!

For all that she cares
There’s a lovely brain
One that never gets sprained!

Looks are a deception
It’s all about perception
Trash the mindless chatter
She’s fitter than a curl …
She’s the pretty girl!

She is…MY Preeti girl!

[1st April, 2009]

The blogger wrote this at 1:15 am. JUST before a crucial ‘board’ exam, which was to be written a few hours later! And it was completed in 35 minutes flat! What to do… can never love this lady enough!!!

That last bit about ‘fit’ [which is a truth]… is for EVERYONE who has the cheek to comment on my Preeto’s figure. Dude…go take a hike!

The initial feed back to this eulogy is as follows…

VIKASH: Aha....good going.I'd have taken u for a gay if i dint know any better. :P

KOMAL:Oh yes ofcourse she is a lot more than audit and taxes and iss poem ko padhke main paani paani ho rahin hoon.

ANOOP: Gotta admit what Vikash gotta say! :P LOL! A cute poem to be written hours before the exam starts! ;)P

2008-12-29T14:28:00.001+05:30

THE MOOD INDIGO ‘08

Whoever thought that the name of a jazz song would actually grow to connote a whole crazy sub-culture of the cultural -festival circuit in the world’s largest continent?!?!!!

Well, MOOD INDIGO is the Indian Institute of Technology – Bombay’s very own ‘CULT-FEST’ [pun unintended], organized and managed entirely by the students of that institute, who are very neatly arranged in hierarchy with areas of authority clearly demarcated. They may go out of their way to help another fellow department in need, but each has an array of jobs which is to be taken care of by themselves, and NO ONE else!

It’s a hotbed of frenzied creativity, maddening marketing, crazy schedules, monstrous magnitude, reunions and cupid play[including this writer’s own], heartbreaks… the perfect potboiler!

This blogger has been a regular on the Bombay cult-fest circuit for 5 [long but extremely enjoyable] years being a viewer, participant, winner, organizer, volunteer, et al! and MOOD-I is my favourite event amongst all!

It’s nearly impossible to get over the MI Mania and believe that I’m finally out of this groove. But the happenings at this MOOD-I helped tremendously in closure with respect to the inseparability of student life and college festivals!

IIT-B is home turf, though I YET haven’t gotten over my tendency to get lost in this relatively small world! This was TRULY the most different MOOD-I in a lot of senses. For once, I stayed there for the entire duration of the fest. and especially the last night. That was one time-slot I never ended up being on campus, due to a different [legitimate] reason EVERY year! Except this one, of course!

Participating in any event in this fest is quite time-consuming and one invariably ends up missing out on other things they’d planned to do. I, for one, lost out of all the workshops this and last year due to accidental participation in their REALITY TV event. Though, I must admit, the chaos of ideas, meetings at odd timings, performing even odder tasks, working at close quarters with people you have no clue about…it goes down the memory lane as a beautiful video!
What played a major role in ‘closure’ was my WINNING AND EVENT!!! I had never in my wildest dreams imagined that I’d ACTUALLY be seriously participating in something at MOOD-I, leave alone winning it!!! But then... Dreams are meant to come true, aren’t they?!! Another adage that’s go with this win is, one is rarely satisfied with what one gets. NEITHER AM I!!! I so wanted to come second in that event…we were on the verge on getting that slot…until in the last minute one team member did an absolutely fab job on the stage and that made the judge give us the top rank!!!!! That’s ‘coz I wanted the i-pod which was there in 2nd prize and not the slick NOKIA 5310 which I got as 1st!!!!!!!!!!

I also participated in the RADIO PLAY after enough deliberation and as a conspiracy of half the world!!! Though we didn’t win that event, the process of participation itself was an entertaining and frustrating one!!! Yours truly rejected 8 themes for the script, 5 of which were my own!!! People from nariman point, to ahmedabad to new delhi were troubled at odd hours for contribution of ideas! I took a walk in the leafy campus of IIT-B from 5:30 to 6:30, hoping for inspiration to strike!!! ALL THIS…just so other people wanted to desperately do the event!!!
An otherwise chilled out time, spent varyingly with self, friends, acquaintances and the likes all added up to the pleasure that was [and always has been] MOOD-I! it comfortably sunk in that there’s always a right time and right place for everything. And it’s cool to move on and not be stuck in a warp longing for replication of experiences of the yore.

What follows next is a blotch in the extremely pleasurable experience described above. I’m glad it happened in the end. Even though it left a bad taste in the mouth, at least, THANK GOD, it’s over!

Leniency sucks
This blogger is certainly not a frequent user or promoter of usage of any kind of slang in common parlance. But the incident let the realisation dawn that being nice and sweet is not always the best approach, especially when the buck is supposed to stop at you! There were a few [ex] friends who gate crashed at my pad. In India, we tend to not be harsh on uninvited guests [especially if you know them] and take it as a matter of pride to be hosting a more than expected number. But, it’s extremely inconsiderate of the guests to take advantage of the host’s silence, throw co-habitation etiquettes to the winds and bite into the same arm whose hand of hospitality was wringed by them in first place.
This unfortunate happening marred what was a lovely joyride and ended it close to a big manhole staring right into your face. I’m glad nothing untoward happened, but the lessons have been learnt, and learnt well at that! Guys just keep proving how far down the evolution ladder are they STILL stuck and no matter how hard they try to climb up, it’s like the proverbial snail who slips down twice the distance he climbs up.

CLOSURE was quickened by the incidents of the last night of my stay. Though, as time passes, scars will also fade and beautiful memories are always there to perk one up and bring a mischievous smile that sends the face value to dizzying heights!!!!!!!!!!!!

Like I have always said…

MOOD I ROCKS!!!!!!!!!

2008-11-07T01:59:00.000+05:30

FOR MY PREETO!!!!!

This blogger is an extremist! Hence, views expressed in this piece are an expression of the immense love and respect I have for MY Preeto! But, before you go on, lemme just clarify…this is NOT an obituary. Period.

So…my emotional anchor…my only security blanket in the NAVAL GIRLS HOSTEL has left the hostel. [and everyone who was informed by this blogger of her departure, disbelievingly asked, “FOREVER?!] Well, thankfully, she’s left only the hostel-a temporary place of stay- and not the permanent place of a special person that she occupies in our [and especially THIS blogger’s] hearts!!!

I regret not being able to give her a ‘send off’ from the venue that’d made us meet. I don’t remember our first conversation [definitely not a long get-to-know-each-other types]…but we simply clicked! The 2^nd time her saw her…I remembered her from the last meet…not her name, though! And then… the rest is a history Preeti [ http://travel-o-graphy.blogspot.com ] and I deeply cherish.

After the above…there seems no need to indulge in some more ‘intro.’!!!

I WILL MISS HER…TERRIBLY!!!!! she was the only person with whom i could be a kid. More than ‘her’ [‘coz she’s habituated us to her absence!]…I will miss…her green-n-blue bandhini night suit…her casual bear-like stride…her lustrous hair…a voice[slightly husky] that I can recognize anywhere [it made me sprint and come back just to check if it’s her and so I could see her before that exam…’coz we didn’t get to see her on working mornings!]

Can’t say what I’ll miss the most… her exquisite smile [oh! That curling in of the upper lip when she flashes her pearlies…killer!] or her distinctive style of nailing the point on it’s head AND hitting it hard!!!!!

If this seems like a bagful of goodies whose paeans can be sung relentlessly…lemme assure you…it is NOT so!!! A positive and a negative make one neutral. To strike the perfect balance in one’s persona is impossible… it’s only a matter of opinion. This beauty has just the right amount of negative. And whether it’s ACTUALLY a negative

or not is, of course, a matter of perception!

Apart from providing unwavering support for a plethora of personal and professional issues, she was [yeah...”WAS”…because it will be quite some time before I will be able to invite her for my bashes] a constant feature in ALL my jam sessions. Preeto…THANK YOU for coming… you were a pleasure to dance with…can’t forget our ‘hips don’t lie’ video!

As closing remarks…I HAVE A DEMAND!!! Well…I wish you ALL THE BEST for your future endeavours! And may you find your “one love” soon!

Oh my Jiju…WHERE ART THOU?!!?!!

P.S. - [i] I take this opportunity to thank Mr. Ankit Chowdhary [for not bringing up copyright issues] and Ms. Preeti Datar for very graciously letting me address her as Preeto!

[ii] I will be ever grateful to Preeto for introducing me to one of the most creative people i've met...Mr. Vikash! [bihari...IITian...humourous...etc.! LETHAL COMBO?!!!!]

2008-06-10T14:23:00.001+05:30

The much-awaited RGV saga starring the Bachchan trio is out! Haven’t really checked out the verdict of ‘celebrated’ critics [most of them are biased!]…so this comment is an absolutely personal one…uninfluenced by the powers that might be!

When a sequel to a movie is made [though this statement was hotly denied and the director was even slapped with a notice by the previous producers] comparisons with the previous effort are inevitable. This is also true [amongst other] in case of different ventures by the same creative individual. So…the second [and later] book[s] of an author is bound to be compared with hiher previous ventures. A film director is [more or less] inundated with comment about his PREVIOUS movie/s when he/she comes out with a new offering. When Mani Ratnam’s Yuva released, he was told that Dil Se was a better movie, when Dil Se was released…the air was in favour of Bombay! He nonchalantly said, ‘good, at least the previous movie gets appreciated!’

SARKAAR RAAJ is [in many definitive ways] a carry forward from Sarkaar. RGV clearly said [for both the releases] that it isn’t a political film. The first one was a family drama. So is this one. Only difference being that the magnitude and playing ground of the family has been extended. Besides the addition of a few characters on either side…it is the same old story of trust, betrayal, deceit and the works. Hence same quality of violence…magnified to suit to the larger picture that RGV’s tried to paint.

The shooting has been done from a wide variety of angles with the camera being positioned and moved from a few unexpected positions. Colours of the movie suit the ambience really well. Lighting has been carefully manipulated for a profile view in majority of scenes.
The play of words is very interesting in a few dialogues. My favourite being the exchanges between Ash and Abhi on their first trip to the hinterland. though, most of the dialogues are quite predictable.
Bringing in more characters was a nice ploy, the ‘intricacies’ of politics could then be easily explained.

Background score isn’t very well done. In quite a few scenes the music playing wasn’t in sync with the intense expression on the actor [specifically Bachchan Sr.], diluting the impact that was meant to have been made. Though, 2-3 scenes where Veena/Sitar strains have been used…did manage to create the near-perfect feel.

Kailash Kher’s song is simply brilliant! This man has a dual-strain in his voice which gives you goose-bumps every time he renders a sufi or a soul-stirring number.
"Saam…Daam…Dand…Bhed" have been very intelligently used by the lyricist for this flick. Over the centuries this has been used and passed on to achieve the desired results!

The director leaves scope for a next movie carried forward from this one. That announcement will be made soon!

Amitabh Bachchan… reams have been dedicated to every conceivable characteristic of his personal and professional life. Needless to say, he doesn’t disappoint us. He completely justifies ALL the close-ups done on him!

Abhishek…WHOEVER thinks he’s handsome?! He has adopted an understated style of acting, in keeping with the character’s persona. does deliver a nice clean act despite knowing tht he'll be wiped out in this movie! tht's called dedication!

Ash….hah! has tried really hard over the years. But then, acting is a difficult thing to do. Haven’t u yet realised that, lady?

I MISS…….
I terribly missed the actor who played Amrita’s role!!!!! I hope they show her in the next one.
I miss seeing the bevy of sexy cars from Sarkar’s fleet!

Sarkaar Raaj’s still gonna take some time to prove it’s mettle at the box office. Irrespective of whether the producer incurs profit or not… this movie is okay for a one-time watch. the film gives an interesting insight into the brains needed to be in power and the things people can do to achieve, retain and regain power. as anyone who's tasted even a bit of power [in any way/area] will know [and agree]...it's addictive. like tasting blood...once u've had it....u juz can't let go of tht high! this movie is a decent example of the things people can and DO do to avoid the withdrawal symptoms of this addiction!

2008-05-18T23:07:00.000+05:30

late DD-V

On 22nd evening we went to Purana Quila to watch 1857: EK SAFARNAMA.
The NSD guys were really helpful…they were doling out ODOMOS at the entrance!!!!!
The play was around 2 hours long. Following are a few personal observations and comments about the play.

A lot has been said [both unwarranted and the opposite] about Bhanu Athaiya doing the costumes. I’m not joining the debate, but just putting forth my views [eh!].

The fabrics used for each of the characters costumes were absolutely apt, especially the rich silk used for the Indian rulers’ and courtiers’ costumes.
The detailing was very carefully done. Eg. In the Indian darbars…the end of every courtier’s dupatta [or uttariya, or whatever the traditional name is!] was different.
Shrimant Nanasaheb Peshwa’s costume was my favorite because of its gherao, fitting and the churidar effect on the sleeves.

The play is a musical, true to the Indian tradition of having a song for every moment. No, the actors are not singing every time! But the act is interspersed with a few well-meaning songs that capture the simmering mood very well, and also help spreading the feeling of nationalism.

The scene depicting a show of puppets [kathputlis] accompanied by lyrics meant to arouse a rebellion against the oppressive rulers [British] was played out really well. This is in keeping with the heartland’s entertaining way of conveying a strong message-to people who are basically illiterate- through fun and double entendre lyrics that underlie the need to fight for justice and freedom. Another example of this would be the playing out of Ramlila. Over centuries, this medium has been effectively used to reach out to large audiences and vehemently [but tactfully] convey messages that would otherwise be considered as treason!

The guy who played Tantia Tope… I think… he’s actually a Maharashtrian! Well…his style of speaking [to be carefully observed beyond the delivery of dialogues] gave off a hint of the marathi accent in it!

A slight error in delivery happened when one of the female actors in a pre-climax scene said, “…patthar ki lakir hota hai.” Alas…seems like she’d practiced it wrong… or probably it was just nervousness!

The most touching scene was when Bahadur Shah Zafar [after being told that he has been sentenced to Rangoon] woefully rues… “humein apne purkhon ke pyaare zameen mein dafnaane ka mauka nahin milega.” Allah!

Lastly… the ‘first war of independence’ reared its head a full 150 years after the Battle of Plassey. The feeling of inadequacy in terms of communication and organization was a bit palpable through the depictions in this production.
It is startling to know that despite so much of spirit and gusto…the Brits actually managed to still reign on us [and consequently plunder our treasure trove of resources] for a pretty long time. huh!

http://www.indiaenews.com/art-culture/20080419/112308.htm

DD-IV

2008-04-22T14:30:00.000+05:30

[i can't believe i'm actually doing this.......but yeah....this post is gonna be very sketchy. though, honestly...i'd love to go in the details...but sorry...m too lazy to do that right now!]

21st april... quite an interesting day. met a very dear friend [at around 11am]...and spend 4 hours...talking...talking...and LOADSA talking! didin't realise how time flew away!!!

in the evening....took mom to IHC for a kathak recital. since the entry was free...we reached 50 min.s before the scheduled time. but...no avail! there was a conference going on ....and the guard said tht it'll get over by 6.30pm.... then they'll clean the hall...and THEN entry will begin.

so both us strolled on to other parts of IHC...and reached the Visual Arts Gallery. i got engrossed with their notice board announcing various arty events across the city... some workshops, art camps, etc.
and then...there was this aunty...an army officer's wife who got talking to me. n after some time...i was like...she's so pakau!!! B-U-T...this lady's juz not ready to part! i had to go for my event...she said 'bye'...and still continued to talk!!! FINALLY...mom got me freed from her!!!!!

the show began by 7:15pm. there were 2 female performers [apart frm the musicians, of course]. one of them was learning from a guru for the past 10 years...and the other was a Sri Lankan...learning for the past 5 yrs...frm the same guru.
the difference on years in learning showed in the quality of both the performers. they did 3-4 pieces. i enjoyed watching them. and the best...was saved for the last! they did a "TARAANAA"...which basically showcases the influence of the Mughals on this Indian dance form. these artists changed their costume for the Taraanaa. the performance itself was also VERY beautiful. undoubtedly, it was the show stopper of the evening!!!

every viewing of a kathak recital makes me more inclined towards this beautiful performing art. and it also strengthens my desire to learn it some day!!!

bhaiya had come to IHC to escort us back home! we boarded a DTC and headed back. while walking back from the bus stop...we decided to go to Bikanerwala for sweet-shopping!!!

so we mom till the building and headed to Bikanerwala. firstly...we didn't get and auto...and whenever someone agreed...we didn't agree with the price asked for!
so...ultimately...we ended up reaching Bikanerwala by foot! i guess it's almost 1.5 kms frm home. once there...bhaiya n i had a sumptous dinner! this was followed by some lovely Indian desserts! then we picked up the sweets and left for home.
this time...thankfully...we had walk for just about 00 mt.s and a rick agreed. we reached home at 10 min.s to 11pm. and when mum opened the door.... i jokingly said... "see...we reached before the deadline!!!"

well...there's no official 'deadline', of course!!!

DD-III

2008-04-21T02:03:00.000+05:30

'twas the usual relaxed sunday. after watching ROADIES 5.0 in the afternoon and having a sumptous lunch of rajma-chawal with dahi ...all of us dozed off.

finally, in the evening...bhaiya and i headed to Purana Quila to find out about the passes for a play that's being staged there. after getting the details we went [by DTC] to Haldiram's South Ext. outlet and digged into some delicious snacks. he had raj kachori with 'blue ocean' [which i think...was one of the colas...blue in colour!]. i had a samosa [i don't even remember the last time i had a haldiram's samosa!] along with sweet lassi. LIP SMACKING!!!!!

although we wanted to sweet-shopping at their outlet...but there was nothing interesting enough!!!

and then...there was this unexpected call from a delhi friend ...who said that even she's in south ex. along with her bro n a pal. after some confusion about the location, bhaiya n i finally reached where those guys were. after hanging around in the ColorPlus shop and helping her pal decide on his buy we moved out.

next stop was the Sai Baba mandir at Lodhi Road which the other bro wanted to go to. this guy...whose car it was... is a TYPICAL delhi driver!!! GOSH!!!!!!!!! i'm happy nothing untoward happened!
he dropped us at our place....and this evening's masti reached it's desired conclusion!!!

DD-II

2008-04-21T01:55:00.000+05:30

The culture vulture spreads it's wings!!!

On 19^th evening Mom, Bhaiya n I went for a play by EKJUTE at the IHC [by DTC again!]. It was titled BEGUM JAAN directed by Nadira Zaheer Babbar.

This venture plays out on the theme of social commentary, comparing the golden ages with today’s materialistic pursuits. The elements of humour AND sarcasm have been subtly infused in the dialogues. If one goes on a mental holiday during the performance, too sad for them!

The stage design was very tastefully done. Not too cluttered…with enough space for actors to move around and well set to demarcate various areas of a house.

The background score is apt, except for in some scenes where the music was incongruent. Those, of course, were few and far in between.

Though there were many dialogues that tugged at my heartstrings… there are only a few I’d like to mention here. [b’coz I was too lazy to note down all my favourites…m relying on my memory for a reproduction of some of them]

At a point…Begum Jaan poignantly speaks out about her inability to move out of her time warp. She says… “makdi jaalaa saath lekar nahin chalti. Par jaale ke bina reh bhi toh nahin sakti!”

When the journo says that he’s needs some time to decide whether he’ll marry Begum’s young granddaughter, she tersely, but thoughtfully says, “apne faisle khud liya karo. Jo faisle waqt leta hai… who kabhi sahi nahin hote!”

And THIS is my favourite. Though I’m a champion of independence… I was in splits [as was everyone else in the audience] when she said it. The scene was between granddaughter n Begum Jaan. The former, when being asked by the latter about the scribe-cum-tenant’s background, told that he’s a DIG’s son. But he doesn’t like taking favours from anyone…wants to stand on his own two feet. To this, Begum contemptuously shoots… “aaj-kal ke bachche…maan-baap ka ehsaan nahin lena chahte! Toh unse kaho…paida bhi khud hi se ho jaayein!!!”

The Delhi crowd at such venues is a very refined one. one gets to see a lot of plump couples, salt and pepper hair, immaculately dressed ladies [oh! those classy chiffon sarees!], all the regalia is played out quite well!

PS: i feel REALLY happy when i take mom out for such events. incidentally, i'm the one who's taken her for all the 3 plays that she's seen to date. and co-incidentally...all of them have been EKJUTE's productions!

DIARY DETAILS-1

2008-04-21T01:23:00.000+05:30

Ever since I landed in New Delhi, it’s been an absolute joyride. From having a brainstorming session about the duration of my stay [the very night that I arrived!] to being out for all the evenings… I’m having a blast! Though I wanted to go out the very next day… I was advised to take rest, gauge the Delhi heat and then plan my moves. In the evening, we went out for shopping followed by dinner at one of my favourite outlets in the city. The last time I went there for a meal, I couldn’t finish it myself because of the large portion. Hence I was waiting to get an opportunity to go there with my bro so tht we can share a meal! What I did on 17^th april is mentioned 1 post below!

NOW…m first ‘day out’ was 18^th. We [my bro n i] headed to PVR at Connaught Place to watch a 2-week old flick. But, as it turned out to be …the weekend ticket rates at multiplexes are higher and this movie was not worth Rs.200/- !!! next we decided to go to INDIA HABITAT CENTRE [IHC] to make certain enquiries. We dropped into the BATA outlet which was nearby [ i wear ONLY Bata. talk abt 'brand loyalty'!!!], basically for window shopping. But ended up walking out with a new pair for each of us! As we headed towards the bus stop [yeah! My bro finally convinced me to travel in a DTC bus.] I spotted a poster of TANTRA t-shirts! I wanted to gift my cousin bro[in delhi] a Tantra tee, but didn’t have the time to shop for it in Mumbai. My joy knew no bound after seeing that poster and both of us rushed into the shop! After spending some 15 min.s checking out various tees, I zeroed in on the one that’s best suited on that guy for the current occasion. We walked out and headed to locate the bus stop. But again, somewhere in between, we spotted the NIRULA’S outlet and thought of having lunch there. So…we were on the other side of the road…25 metres away from the signal…had to cross… and the light went GREEN. We sprinted for our lives across the street!!! After a wholesome lunch, we finally headed to board a bus to IHC.

At IHC, after exploring our way through the extensive and labyrinthine pavements with well-manicured grass, I reached the right place! We bought tickets for a play being staged the next day and headed to EATOPIA .

When in Nirula’s, at the spur of a moment I told Bhaiya that I wanna have mango lassi! poor guy…got a li’l perplexed…but simply said, “I dunno any good place where you get it!” at EATOPIA…one of the counters had mango lassi…though it was a tad over-priced…at least the whim got fulfilled!

Next we headed to our old residence, which is quite close from IHC. En route, we took a short cut which we used to take while returning from school in ’01-’02. ah!!! Those good-old days!!!!! We went to our ex-neighbor’s home and spent blissful 45 min.s there. In fact, I even dozed off for half an hour!

FINALLY…. We were on our way back home. And yes, again, it was a DTC bus that he made me travel back on!!!

SURAT SOJOURN

2008-04-19T23:15:00.000+05:30

This Indian city is as famous for its diamonds n garments industry as it is infamous for the plague epidemic that struck it not too many years ago!

I’d to make my maiden trip to this city all alone, because my bro had some exam to give! B-U-T…it was worth going alone…right from the word ‘go’!!!

Since the ticket wasn’t confirmed, I went to check the reservation chart when it was being put up. And…I didn’t know how to check that chart! So I asked the officer putting up the chart “how does one check the status?” and he very politely looked it up for me told me my confirmed seat and bogie no.!

When the train arrived I went and took my seat. The next two people to take seat were ladies. And by the time the train reached its second station in Mumbai, the other seats in that side of 6 seats were all occupied by ladies. So, I jovially commented to the co-passenger next to me… “hey! All the 6 seats are of ladies!!!” She smiled and replied that these were the ladies quota seats! All of us positioned ourselves very conveniently. I caught up on much needed forty winks. After some time, one of them pulled up the middle seat to sleep on it. So this beautiful lady next to me says…now u can lie down straight…and we shared a good laugh on it!!!

Later, we all got talking. One of them was a Psychology graduate from KC College-1994. the other one was from Sophia’s~ Socio-history and currently working with SOTC. She was going to Surat to her fiancé’s home for Holi. Basically, all of us were making a ‘HOLI’ visit to the city and no one was a native!

I felt so happy being in the midst of these ladies. It makes you realize that all this talk of ‘women empowerment’ is not a bluff, or restricted to the upper crust. There are ordinary women, going out there in the [ahem!] big bad world, using their education, skills and talent…and living it up!

SURAT has all the trappings of a tier-I city. THAT is a simple corollary of having high disposable incomes. As the service providers get a whiff of moolah, they come rushing to tap into this lucrative region. So, we get to see everything from a Pizza Hut to Gold’s Gym, from McDonald’s to Kaya Skin Clinic!!!!!

But, the Gujju’s inherent sedentary nature means that life still goes on at a very relaxed pace! I got to see a glimpse of many parts of this country in that city. From the Nagpur feel to Calcutta roads to Jamnagar by-lanes…it has a heady mix of all! Now, here’s what, makes Surat a typical tier-II city…one that is in no hurry to don the metropolis feel!...

- roads are broad and well-paved.
- traffic signals that don’t work [no..they really don’t! the only saving grace is that during peak hours… some of the busier junctions~ where the chances of accidents are higher~ have a traffic cop stationed there.]
-rest of the traffic moves on mutual understanding!
-lot of two-wheelers… mainly the non-gear ones.
-loads of female drivers…with their typical covering of the face and neck area with a duppatta…leaving only the eyes bare, that too covered by glares!
-the city sleeps too early for any business hotspot. But then, considering the gujjus’ fetish for sleep…the shops shut quite early!
- shopping centers are another characteristic feature of tier-II cities that are ubiquitous in Surat too. These, of course, are a more like desi malls, with all kinds of outlets and affordable prices!

Here’s the brief on what ‘I’ did out there. I reached in the afternoon of 21^st march n left for Mumbai on 24^th early morning. Now, I’m somebody who doesn’t do pillion-riding as a principle. But there, I’d no option. And I had both my cousins [a bro n a sis] taking me around on their TVS Pleasure for most part of my stay! In fact, on 23^rd when we got out in the noon, I tied my bandana to cover my face eyes downwards and sported shades, because of the terrible heat!

By 21^st noon the HOLI mood had set in. and there were youngsters throwing water balloons at passer-bys from their homes. In daytime when we went out, no water balloon was aimed at us. But in the evening, I was actually in the mood to get hit. And twice, the balloons almost hit us…since we were riding on the scooty…hence it missed the aim. But, when we were about to reach home…someone’s balloon got it right and hit me on the thighs…so MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!

On the main day…ie HOLI- 22^nd…I had LOADSA fun!!! In fact, for the first time I actually danced on Holi, coz I’d never really got a chance to do that before. Then, my cousin sis drove me to their old residence to play with her friends. But, they were already done with it and the building compound had just 3-4 men and a lady in the holi colours. I’m someone who never resists while being applied colour…so I let one of the men put as much colour as he wanted to. But, I guess, he put some weird dark colour, because when we were driving out…one of the kids around looked at us…got surprised…and I THINK he said ‘bhoot’!!!! we also drew a lot of stares on our ride back home. A little before we were about to reach our compound…two guys on a scooty, on the other side of the road threw what I thought was a water balloon at us. But it missed the shot and hit the ground…n then I looked back n saw….it was a coloured egg!!!!!!! So I shouted to them… “BAD LUCK GUYS!!!!!!!!!!”

After all this dhamaal…when I finally took a bath…the colour didn’t go entirely. And I was very surprised, ‘coz I’d taken appropriate precautions before going out to play. I don’t mind colours…but that time…I actually looked like a terrorist! There were a few purple spots on the left cheek, right side of the face was a shade of red and a part of the neck was shaded in green!!! Thanks to mom’s solution on the phone, when I left Surat on Monday…there weren’t any holi colours left!

On holi evening, when we went out to my uncle’s family friend’s place…I wore a saree that was peach-coloured with silver appliqué work and in a flowing fabric. The best part of it…was the blouse…which had a deep cut on the back-side. This was the first time I wore a blouse with that deep a neckline and it felt so sexy with the hair brushing on the back!!!!!

23^rd evening, my cousins took me out for a movie. I’d fixed up a meeting with an e-pal after the movie. But then…my cell phone balance was really low. There was no recharge available around…coz all those shops had closed! Adding to our woes was the fact that my cousin couldn’t start the scooty…and later…she said there was no petrol! Also…my e-pal had not yet arrived. Balance was miserable and no recharge in sight. One of the medical store guys tried to be helpful by calling up some phone retailer for recharge. He took my no. but didn’t get the recharge done. Instead…I’ve had him calling me up [quite often] after I reached Mumbai. Though, I’ve been sensible enough to not take those calls!

Well, I finally did meet my e-pal…fun guy…as I already knew. next …I wanted to go to this one specific sweet-shop and none other. The problem was that none of us knew where the shop was! And I didn’t have enough balance to call up my uncle and ask for directions. Here, this e-pal was REALLY helpful. In the meanwhile that my cousin got her scooty filled…this guy called up one of his friends’ and got some hint on the shop’s location. He offered to come along to locate the shop, but I politely refused. He still persisted [gujju hospitality!] and ultimately had us guiding to the place his friend had told him of. In between he stopped to ask for further directions at a mall and then started ahead. But, as they say, when misery comes…it comes by dozens! after my cousin stopped behind my friend at the mall…she couldn’t start the vehicle!!!! There were people around who tried starting and even they couldn’t. I frantically tried my friend’s no. but, obviously, he wouldn’t pick up because he was riding his bike! Ultimately he did pick up and worriedly asked about our whereabouts. I managed to tell him the scene and asked him to come back. THAT WAS IT…my balance was over…can’t make any calls or send msgs!!!!! He came back and with a lot of difficulty got my cousin’s vehicle started. Not far ahead was the sweet shop. We reached and he said…this is it. I said…but this shop is closed. He was shocked…coz it was open 2 min.s back!!!!!!!! I stood perplexed for a min. and then ran towards the back door of the shop!!! I requested those guys to let me in … “I’m from Bombay and m leaving tomo!!!” so…there I was…making a back door entry!!!! I picked up my favourite sweets, profusely thanked the guys and made a hasty exit! Outside, my e-pal rode along till a point and then said that he’d be taking the other turn. I expressed my gratitude, pulled his leg for one of our inimitable jokes and parted ways.

THIS was one eventful trip. At the end of it, I decided I’m gonna go to a different place every year for holi!

Though, the sad part is that on my way back my health started getting bad. And by the time I reach hostel…I was really sick. Ultimately, I had very high fever…and was in bed for ONE entire week! Huh! as mom pointed out, i'd had to fall sick! i plunged into frenetic activity after my exams ..without much care for health. the surat heat and all that water juz compounded the scene and i got bed-ridden. it was the FIRST time i was properly 'sick'...and that's a bad thing to happen!!!

Delhi Diary

2008-04-19T01:25:00.000+05:30

HERE I AM...back in the capital of the world's largest democracy! a city m not exactly fond of coming to. n i keep telling mom [on various occasions] tht u r in the wrong city! so...after many debates and i-don't-hv-the-time-to-come-homes... i ultimately did make a trip to NEW DELHI.
tht happened coz my VOICE ACTING course got postponed. and i'd had a mini emotional breakdown very recently....so an option to repair myself was to make a trip home. and though i still had other commitments in mumbai...AND...i was also indulging in other options of rejuvenation...i juz decided to come down.

finally...amidst a lot of frenzy i boarded a flight to new delhi...n was at home on 15th April at 9.15pm.

it's been a joyride since then!!!!!!! i consciously decided against taking up any sort of engagement...b'coz i wanna enjoy me last 'proper' holiday of the student life! the moment i entered the house...it changed the whole mood! we had a lengthy discussion about my stay...and i was bristling with ideas of what all i wanna do out here. ultimately...it was decided tht the next day m juz gonna take rest...n then we'll start the sojourn! so...on 16th...it was a no-show...except for going out shopping in the evening followed by an amazing dinner at one of my fav. outlets in the capital. i was 'happy and full' after almost 1 month!!!!

17th ...i finally w'ANDAZ APNA APNA'...the 1992 Raj Kumar Santoshi flick! and then...late afternoon dad left for his native place. SO...we called up at another family friend's place...whose head of the family wasn't there too!!!!

the way to their place [AIIMS] is actually quite simple from home. there r 2 fly-overs to cross n a bit more. but...we couldn't get a rick! and after loadsa walking ...[we'd crossed 1 flyover already!] one empty rick-wala finally agreed. AND...he dropped us on the other side of AIIMS!!!!!!!! i ws a unsure abt the way..hence didn't direct him....and... HUH!!!
so...again began the walk to go to AIIMS' main gate. we went frm inside the campus of the hospital [my first visit to a non-Forces hospital!]. after reaching the other side...n a li'l bit of calling n asking...we were FINALLY at our destination.

moral of the story...we almost walked all the way to tht place...in 1.25 hrs! actually...it'd have been much faster...if we had pre-decided to juz walk to tht place!

and yeah...we left their place at arnd 11:10pm...and reached home in 10 min.s flat!

on 18th...i had my FIRST proper 'going out' session. i'm very lazy at this point of time. hence...i will write abt 18th...and the further days'... next post onwards!!!

[ideally speaking...i'd have like to name this series "DILLI DHAMAAL"...coz tht's more suited to kinda plans tht i have for my stay at home. but...juz decided to stick to the more cliched 'delhi diary'!
now...i'd originally wanted to do posts chronologically...which meant i had 2 other posts of prior events'topics...to type n put up...but i've been too lazy to do tht. hence...i've motivated myself to go ahead with DELHI DIARY at least...otherwise even this will get added to the back log...n tht's not really a great idea!
also...apologies for not using 'propah' language. as much as i'd have loved to do tht...i wasn't really in the mood for it. also...i wasn't typing in MSWord ...so the typos and internet lingo may kindly be excused!]

OSO

2007-11-19T13:11:00.000+05:30

OM SHANTI OM… had been in the making since quite sometime… and especially made a lot of news as a part of pre-release propaganda. What follows here are my comments after watching the flick.

The film, basically, has a very kitschy and glossy look. Indians will probably state it as totally ‘filmy’!!! The mise-en-scene is very detailed. And even though the concept gets slightly incongruent sometimes, the stuff put into a frame has been carefully thought over and placed. I had a smile on, all throughout its run. Guess that’s what makes it really ‘filmy’! I later saw an interview where SRK said that he’d like people to have a smile on their faces while watching the movie. Dude…you’ve been successful!

The background score has been done by Sandeep Chowta. The first time I noticed this guy was for his music for Company and then as a judge on Channel[V] Popstars. Then after 2 private albums he slipped into oblivion, except for getting some news-space for his affair with Urvashi Dholakia. Last heard was the break-up that ensued with that fiercely independent lady. Honestly, I don’t know H-O-W Farah reached the conclusion of signing this guy to do the background music?! B-U-T….WHAT a choice!!!!!!!! He’s done an awesome job with the duty assigned. The score conveys the mood of any scene perfectly. Be it building up the tempo in the climax or the contemporary welcome for OK…he’s done it really well. All I wanna say is…WELCOME BACK! But, he needs to slimmen up. And not a little bit… but big time!

The music of the film is by Vishal and Shekhar. Both of them are accomplished artists in their own right. Vishal is a part of the hugely successful rock band Pentagram and Shekhar is a trained classical musician. When paired together, the duo have to their credit some of the most jazzy, hummable and rocking music in recent times. I personally feel that sometimes they give awesome music, Dus, for eg. And sometimes it just borders on average, Shabd, for eg. Maybe it depends on the details furnished by the director, his/her involvement and other such finer nuances. Farah instructed them to use different singers for every song. I later saw an interview where they said that SRK was present during all the recordings to pep them up and give some interesting inputs. See…THAT’S called involvement!!! They’ve done an awesome job with the film’s music. All the hard work shows as the songs convey the vision very well and also help in carry the story forward! A last word on them…the songs have lovely beats…it’s their forte…who can forget ‘dus bahaane..’ from Dus?!!!

As for the story… it’s ‘masala’ to the core! It’s a film about films, there’s a film within the story. At least in Bollywood… most of commercial cinema is based in la-la-land…please don’t look for perfect logic! It may sound weird, but you can conveniently let your brain take a nap and just enjoy the jazz! I wouldn’t bother much about the story, because there are better things to appreciate than the film’s ‘story’!!!!!

~ the climax has been lifted from Madhumati [1958]
~ the element of reality is the depiction of change in the nature of financing movies. Not so long back, movies were ordered to be made who had excess cash and wanted to feel some control. People with good stories had to do a lot to convince an ‘angel’ investor to let them make their story. THAT has somewhat changed now. Many a times, financers collect money from the market and everyone who’s put in their bit gets a share from the profit. And if the movie bombs, the load is shared too! Rajat Kapoor, for example, collected money for Raghu Romeo from people over the net.

The lyrics have been written by Javed Akhtar. And I don’t need to sing paeans of his skill and brilliance. What perplexes me is the fact that HOW can a poet par excellence come up with streety lyrics like ‘…dhoondha maine London paris LA san Francisco…’ or something like that!!! Well, I guess that’s where lies the skill to transcend your great self, come down to underground level and write! But, that ‘…daastaan…’ song…what amazing lyrics! Only a poet can come up with something of that caliber!

Moving on to the casting of the movie, I’ll talk about only those I want to!

Shah Rukh Khan- very himself. No more comments!

Shreyas Talpade- endearing, as always!

Arjun Rampal- frosty. He’s never been able to convince me in ANY of his roles. I’m baffled at how-on-earth does he have people signing him on….god alone knows!

Shahwar Ali- AWESOME! I don’t know how much effort for put into looking for someone to do the role he’s done, but he fits it to the T! He was smart enough to not do any more movies after that dumb flick with Meghana Naidu, and concentrate on his modeling. This has been a great choice to be seen on the big screen.

Vishal- don’t remember which role he played. But…he’s a natural dude!

I liked the fact that Nasser was self-named in his miniscule role as the star’s secy.

And now…possibly the most-awaited debutante of the year…DEEPIKA PADUKONE…is perfectly caste! The media has been very supportive of her, all the propaganda done since a little before she left modeling…has worked tremendously in her favour. Everybody loves her, except Shobhaa De! Talking about her acting skills, well…you never really wanna go gaga over a newcomer. She plays the ‘newcomer’ role perfectly. She has just the right amount of frostiness… dainty… and quite appreciable. As the cliché goes, there’s always a scope for improvement. Just to add, she was chillingly moving in the climax scene.

Hey…they mentioned Arti Gupta Surendranth somewhere in the credits. I didn’t know her maiden name was Gupta!

Hema Malini was sorely missed in ‘…deewangi deewangi…’

And LAST, but not the least…the woman behind this drama…FARAH KHAN! All I wanna say is…keep going, lady! We are ready to lap up your OTT concepts and their execution…they are a great medium to experience escapism!

[she shelved HAPPY NEW YEAR to make this movie, I hope HNY gets made sometime!]

life mein PEHLI baar....

2007-11-01T23:02:00.001+05:30

The blogger has now decided to adopt a more personal tone with usage of direct address.

Yours truly FINALLY moved out of ‘home’ and shifted to a hostel. Well…it’s all a part of a long-thought plan….natural progression… from posh [Worli Sea Face] to posher [Colaba]!!!!!

The first thing most people said after moving in was… ‘u must be missing ur parents/home’. And the natural response… ‘NOPE! I don’t have time to miss them!!!! Almost immediately after shifting into the hostel [june end], I was appointed as the Contingent Leader[CL] for Malhar’07. this kept me uber-busy for the next 1.5 months…till 16th August.

In fact, my movement and activities were ALL scheduled around work related to Malhar…. coming in late…dinner….taking head baths at 12 in the night…’coz there was no other free time! The CL job made it very easy for me to slid into the hostel environs, otherwise… I guess…I’d have to make conscious attempts to adjust…maybe!

Funnily….for the entire routine of coming in late, I was too lethargic to learn how to warm food in the microwave. And after Malhar when I finally found the simplicity behind it…felt a li’l uncanny…I ate cold food all during the run-up to the festival…whereas I could have easily warmed it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here’s another anecdote… for all those odd hours that I came in…food NEVER got over. And one day… not far after Malhar…I came in late and dinner and ACTUALLY gotten over! I had a nice laugh and…..put together some 8 food items, in small quantities, and had them for ‘dinner’.

An important realization that set in was the fact that I have the capacity to stay up WHOLE night [basically working without ANY sleep] and still be able to sail through the next day without any problem. This opportunity presented itself when I decided to do MY first Psychology assignment [only Xavierites doing Psycho. will understand what I mean by that statement!]… to hand-write at least 60 pages…referring to a stack of fat books…and the works. All this happened in the span of ONE NIGHT with its share of a dinner break, mithaai break and coffee break, each!!! A corollary realization that surfaced was… the first time the cock crows…don’t think it’s morning…it’s juz about 3’o clock in the morning!!!!

Since I decided to take a complete break from extra-curricular activities after Malhar, it was quite often [especially in the last leg of September and later] that I was in time for lunch… quite an enjoyable fare.

The entire two weeks that my 1st term exams lasted…. There were some cooking escapades that took place. One evening… I rustled up some corn-pasta in the microwave….turned out to be quite tasteful and was enjoyed by everyone who got a spoonful of it. Staying up late [2am is not late…. 3am is!!!] was not an irregular feauture during exams. One night/morning[ wateva!] I made pasta for myself at 3:30 in the morning!!!!! And before some exam… I had a mugful of milk at 3:00 am. THAT was fun….but at the end of it I was SO full…that I decided never to have that much milk so late in the night!
The only inconvenience amidst all the luxury is the howling of dogs! When at 3am …you finally decided to call it day…and take a nap….the 4 dogs downstairs will wake up from their slumber and for no rhyme or reason start wailing in unison. Shaayad unhein hamaara sona pasand nahin hai!

And NOW….the B-E-S-T of the entire lot…….has been saved for the last!

On the first day of my exam…before leaving… I locked my cupboard…and realised… the keys were inside…GOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After coming back from the paper… I tired all possible means for breaking the lock…but of no avail. Then… I sent an SOS to MES…and pleaded them to send someone fast… ‘coz my 2nd exam was the very next day!!! Unexpectedly… the response time was an unbelievable 9 minutes! the carpenters came in and took some 15-20 minutes to break the lock….5 levers…Godrej!!!!!!!!! But…all’s well that ends well. Thankfully….the godrej ka taala finally gave in and my cupboard was free! No regrets….it’s all worth the learning experience as a part of hostel life!

[we …a dear blogger in collaboration with other hostelmates…..will come up with another post about characters in the hostel and the works!]

Until then….BON VOYAGE!!!!!!

BANGALORE SMOKES

2007-06-17T16:18:00.001+05:30

Bangalore has become synonymous with the IT boom in the country. And, of course, who can forget… ‘My job got BANGALORED’!!!

Well… on ground…it’s still very much an Indian city… with it’s slightly unique flavour. The public transport system is almost non-existent. Consequently the roads are choked with private cars and auto-rickshaws. All this leads to unbearable levels of pollution and… as expected….increased travelling time. I had a tissue perpetually clung to my nose ALL the time when on road...:-(

It was due to this terrible congestion in most parts of the day, tht plans of mall-hopping had to cancelled! Urs truly visited juz one mall -FORUM- which had a somewhat cosmo crowd…. ‘coz u could see a lot of people who were not looking typically like natives and were speaking in the common Indian languages.

The heading of this post is so… mainly due to awful amounts of fuel exhaust guzzling from vehicles. And to the crowds of execs smoking outside their snazzy offices. N ‘crowd’ could be due to common levels of stress or… peer pressure! [yeah…peer pressure isn’t all tht prevalent in THAT age group….but it’s certainly NOT non-existent!]

Something weird about the city is its speed breakers…which are, essentially, extended from centre in their design. Juz WHAT purpose does tht serve? Also… the city is lacking in presence of dust bins. The city did appear to be mostly clean. But….. it could surely do with some dust bins for public use.

The weather of that city would spoil anybody’s. the closest any other metro would come to b’lore in terms of a lovely weather… is Mumbai. Tht’s it! It was nice to see soooooooooooo many trees across the city. They were partially reminiscent of New Delhi’s boulevards.

To conclude, I had loadsa fun in my short stay out there. M certainly gonna go there for more fun sometime in the future… it’s a well laid-out and pretty inviting, if I may say so!

Almodovarian world...

2007-03-21T19:38:00.001+05:30

The man from La Mancha

Volver,set in Pedro Almodovar’s hometown, La Mancha, is a movie where the living and the dead co-exist without problems

PRAGYA TIWARI

Volver, Pedro Almodovar's latest venture opens to action which shifts between his hometown of La Mancha and a working class neighbourhood in Madrid but in sooth the film is situated in the sort of Almodovarian world his followers have grown to love over the last two decades - where every room and street corner is saturated with bright color and there is a dash of red in every mis-en-scene alongwith vivid and discordant feelings of violence, pain and love.

With Volver, he abandons the dark terrain of his male-centric films like Live Flesh, Matador and Bad Education to revisit the woman-centered territory of his films like Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown and All About My Mother.
His women are hearty, self-possesing and compassionate despite the monstrous abuses that plague their lives. They live in a world nearly free from prejudice, luminous and optimistic. He loves his women characters and watches over them like a guardian angel (sometimes literally with top shots), generously handing the film over to his actresses who shoulder its weight almost entirely and easily on their gorgeous shoulders. The film may be reminiscence of the early American Feminist ideas of sisterhood but Almodovar's greatest source of inspiration is clearly his own childhood memories of being brought up by women in a patriarchal and gender-divided world of fascist Spain.

With the years the enfant terrible's films have become more self assured and simpler with lesser intricate parallel plots or flashbacks and more structural niceties. Also missing is the wild overt sexuality of previous films like Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down; but the essential quirkiness that accentuates his work is intact in this film as ever.

The film deals with death in the most natural way treating it as just another human state and liberating it from the clutches of heightened tragedy. The directors violent rebellion against the church is less pronounced but puts in an appearance nonetheless as he indulges the idea of resurrection of body. One of the central characters long thought dead reappears and expresses her desire to color and style her hair before she can elucidate the more mstical reasons for her return.
The plot is full of twists and turns, secrets and mysteries- embroiling cancer, incest, ghosts, murder and the ills of tv. It is often improbable but that is of little concern given that it is merely a tool for the director to get to the heart of his matter- the soul and spirit of women. And in laying bare their soul, he lays bare the soul of Spain through History. In a blink-andmiss shot there are turbines that dot the skyline. Clearly, much has changed in La Mancha from the times of Quixote's windmills, but the essence of the small town- its superstitions and madness are preserved as if from the times of Cervantes.
Volver means coming back and true to its name the film marks the coming back of this unsurpassable Spanish master to his home town, his comedic roots, to Carmen Maura who he casts for the first time after a fallout 16 yrs ago but most importantly to the world of women he has created with his previous films- a world where they survive boisterously balancing reality and romance-The only of its kind where it is always great to be a woman.

ISF, 2006

2006-11-18T23:40:00.000+05:30

The India Social Forum (ISF) 2006 was held at New Delhi from 9th to 13th November. The forum saw a confluence of activists supporting various causes, along with performers from different regions showcasing their art.

The theme for the ISF – “Building Another World: Visions for the Future” – is one that focuses on stimulating dialogue, optimism and hope, by creating a space that will enable a greater mobilisation of resources for an alternative future.

There were activists from ALL kindsa backgrounds out there. From the NBA to feminist organisations to tribal issues… alternative sexualites….u name it…and they were there!

I had loadsa fun at the event… was busy roaming, sloganeering, giving sound bytes, observing, getting clicked, collecting freebies, celeb-spotting, shopping, watching movies….. PHEW!!!!!!!

There were seminars and workshops being held simultaneously across the venue, along with folk performances and street plays. Across the three main days of the Forum, I attended seminars/workshops on issues ranging from “Children’s Sectoral progress with respect to the UN’s Millennium Development Goal”, “Child Marriage and its impact on children”, “Displacement and Children”, “AIDS- Anti Retro Viral for HIV+ve”, “Faces and Vision of Children”, “Environment, Development Displacement”, “Women as Decision-Makers” and “Threats to Higher Education”.

In case u did sense it, these are the causes that I support… namely, Children’s rights, women’s rights and HIV awareness.

It was a common sight for artists (from the traditional Indian ones to African... et al!) to break into jigs at any spot!!!!!!! though, there were also many small stages put up at various corners.....where ALL through the day there were street plays, rendition of folk songs and other such rusticity was on display!

urs truly also sat thru a 70 min play in Gujarati in a musical (kathaageet) format.. outlining 600 yrs of the history of Ahmedabad.

Amongst the docu.s that i saw were....

"Kitte mil ve mahi" - a window onto Dalit aspirations to carve out their own cultural and religious space, filmed in Punjab.

"Bullshit"- on Vandana Shiva... India activist and physicist, campaigns against globalisation, bio-piracy and patenting.

"Delhi - Mumbai - Delhi" - an intimate look into the lives of dance-bar girls, shot against the backdrop of Maharashtra govt.s controversial move to ban them from dancing.

"Seven islands and a Metro" - a tale of my city structured around imaginary debates between Ismat Chughtai and Sadat Hasan Mano, the two legendary writers who lived in this metropolis, etc.!!!

as for the numeorus celebs present out there... i spotted Sunderlal Bahuguna (v. cute!!!), Medha Patkar and many others........whom i have seen and read about.

To conclude, I’d like to say that it was a great learning experience. With stalwarts from various fields all around us, it was an exposure worth it!

9/11 to US...

2006-09-11T20:51:00.001+05:30

What happened on Sept 11, 1906
— AVIJIT GHOSH
On September 12, 1906, Johannesburg’s Rand Daily Mail reported an event that had taken place in the city’s old Empire Theatre the previous day. The report said: “The united protest of the British Indian community against the Draft Asiatic Ordinance constituted one of the most remarkable gatherings Johannesburg has seen. The size of meeting, the enthusiasm of the audience — practically the entire Indian population ceased work for the day — and the depth of feeling displayed, formed a striking testimony to the indignation which the proposed legislation aroused.”
The newspaper was reporting the birth of one of the greatest ideas of modern times: non-violent resistance as a form of public protest. Its architect was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.
In an old photograph published in Eric Itzkin’s book, Gandhi’s Johannesburg, Empire Theatre comes across as a stolid, rectangular building resembling a government office. But exactly a hundred years ago, the atmosphere inside was anything but officious. Around 3,000 Indians working in different parts of Transvaal province had gathered there. “The old Empire Theatre was packed from floor to ceiling. I could read in every face the expectation of something strange to be done or happen,” writes Gandhi in the book, Satyagraha in South Africa.
Many of these Indians, both Hindus and Muslims, had arrived as indentured labourers in South Africa. They were Gujaratis, Tamils and Telugus. Over the years, many had become successful businessmen and traders. Yet the proposed ordinance required every Asian to register their fingerprints and carry registration certificates . Or else, they could be deported. This, as Gandhi wrote, virtually equated them with criminals. A shocked Gandhi immediately met some influential members of the Indian community. This set the stage for the 9/11 meeting which was presided by Abdul Ghani, chairman, Transvaal British Indian Association.
The most important of the several resolutions passed at the meeting said: “Indians solemnly determined not to submit to the Ordinance in the event of its becoming law and to suffer all the penalties attaching to such non-submission.” Gandhi outlined the course of action and its consequences: “We might have to endure every hardship that we can imagine, and wisdom lies in pledging ourselves on the understanding that we shall have to suffer all that and worse. If someone asks me when and how the struggle may end, I may say that if the entire community manfully stands the test, the end will be near. If many of us fall back under storm and stress, the struggle will be prolonged. But I can boldly declare, and with certainty, that so long as there is even a handful of men true to their pledge, there can only be one end to the struggle, and that is victory.”
Historian Robert A Huttenback in Gandhi in South Africa writes, “With a roar of enthusiasm, the Transvaal Indians rose to take the pledge and a new political technique was born.”
Strangely, Empire Theatre was destroyed in a fire the next day. Writes Gandhi: “Friends brought me the news... and congratulated the community upon this good omen, which signified to them that the Ordinance would meet the same fate as the theatre.”
It did. But only after a long struggle where satyagraha was put to stern test.

What Code...eh?!

2006-05-29T15:18:00.000+05:30

Hey…. I am posting in my blog after what seems like centuries!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Leaving the faff aside I’ll just get on with the works!!!!!!!!!

I saw ‘The DaVinci Code’ on 27th May, 2006. Not TOO late considering the movie was released in India the previous day!!

Well, I don’t have much to say about the movie. Nice flick. I am leaving the flogging to the critics… that’s what they’ve done ALL over the world…. From Cannes to Canary!!
People….. TAKE A BREAK!!!!!!

Juz relax n have a dekko. The movie is an unpretentious piece of fiction trying hard to be a racy thriller. But….. simply put…..it’s cool. Don’t bother about who’s saying WHAT!

You don’t need to have read the book to watch the film. I didn’t!! and I will not. Yeah… u MIGHT have many points contention if you have been the reader as well as the viewer of this thingy… but that’s okay. It juz shows that ur brains r in place n well oiled!!

Though, it’d help if u have some idea about the history of Christianity. No…. not for establishing whether Christ fathered someone or not. But just to be at ease when the Pagans and their likes come into the scene (not literally).

My fav. scene... when Sophie drives her cute car backwards at a somewhat neck-breaking speed.

My fav. dialogue… “The French cannot be trusted.”
Touche.

Did u KNOW?!?

2006-01-16T01:43:00.000+05:30

Adobe - came from name of the river Adobe Creek that ran behind thehouse of founder John Warnock.

Apache - It got its name because its founders got started by applying patches to code written for NCSA's httpd daemon. The result was 'A PAtCHy'server -- thus, the name Apache.

Apple Computers - favorite fruit of founder Steve Jobs. He was three monthslate in filing a name for the business, and he threatened to call his company Apple Computers if the other colleagues didn't suggest a better name by 5 o'clock.

CISCO - its not an acronym but the short for San Francisco.

Google - the name started as a jokey boast about the amount of information the search-engine would be able to search. It was originally named 'Googol',a word for the number represented by 1 followed by 100 zeros. After founders,Stanford grad students Sergey Brin and Larry Page presented their project to an angel investor, they received a cheque made out to 'Google'.

Hotmail - Founder Jack Smith got the idea of accessing e-mail via the webfrom a computer anywhere in the world. When Sabeer Bhatia came up with the business plan for the mail service, he tried all kinds of names ending in'mail' and finally settled for hotmail as it included the letters "html" - theprogramming language used to write web pages. It was initially referred to as HoTMaiL with selective upper casing.

HP - Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard tossed a coin to decide whether thecompany they founded would be called Hewlett-Packard or Packard-Hewlett.

Intel - Bob Noyce and Gordon Moore wanted to name their new company'Moore Noyce' but that was already trademarked by a hotel chain, so theyhad to settle for an acronym of INTegrated ELectronics.

Lotus (Notes) - Mitch Kapor got the name for his company from 'The LotusPosition' or 'Padmasana'. Kapor used to be a teacher of TranscendentalMeditation (by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi).

Microsoft - coined by Bill Gates to represent the company that was devoted toMICROcomputer SOFTware. Originally christened Micro-Soft, the '-' wasremoved later on.

Motorola - Founder Paul Galvin came up with this name when his companystarted manufacturing radios for cars. The popular radio company at the timewas called Victrola.

ORACLE - Larry Ellison and Bob Oats were working on a consulting project for the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency). The code name for the project wascalled Oracle (acronym for: One Real Asshole Called Larry Ellison)

Red Hat - Company founder Marc Ewing was given the Cornell lacrosse team cap (with red and white stripes) while at college by his grandfather. He lost it andhad to search for it desperately. The manual of the beta version of Red Hat Linuxhad an appeal to readers to return his Red Hat if found by anyone !

SAP - "Systems, Applications, Products in Data Processing", formed by 4 ex-IBMemployees who used to work in the 'Systems/Applications/Projects"

SUN - founded by 4 Stanford University buddies, SUN is the acronym for StanfordUniversity Network.

Xerox - The inventor, Chestor Carlson, named his product trying to say 'dry' (asit was dry copying, markedly different from the then prevailing wet copying). The Greek root 'xer' means dry.

Yahoo! - the word was invented by Jonathan Swift and used in his book 'Gulliver'sTravels'. It represents a person who is repulsive in appearance and action and is barely human. Yahoo! founders Jerry Yang and David Filo selected the namebecause they considered themselves yahoos.

Juz wat did he say??

2006-01-16T01:39:00.000+05:30

British treasury chief Gordon Brown said on 14th Jan. ’06 that Britons should be more patriotic and openly celebrate their nation’s history, achievements and culture. “Think for a moment: what is the British equivalent of the US Fourth of July, or even the French 14th of July for that matter,” said Brown, the heir-apparent to PM Tony Blair in a speech to the Labour Party’s Fabian Society.

Ahem, Dude…that’s what happens when your country’s history comprises ONLY of going around colonising the world and trying to bring as large a no. as possible underneath the Crown. Well, when almost every nation around the world has an Independence Day to be proud of, you guys lose out on one (and a VERY important day) reason to celebrate!! Poor guys!!

Maybe, just maybe, the scenario would’ve been slightly different if the Brits wouldn’t have gone around the world trampling already happy/ self-sufficient/ independent civilisations.
Well, simply put, it’s a classic case of, “As you sow, so shall you reap.”
Celebrate! Celebrate!!

We...The People

2006-01-09T01:11:00.000+05:30

INDIYEAH!!

Salary & Govt. Concessions for a Member of Parliament (MP)
Ø Monthly Salary : 12,000
Ø Expense for Constitution per month : 10,000
Ø Office expenditure per month : 14,r000
Ø Traveling concession (Rs. 8 per km) : 48,000 (For a visit to Delhi & return: 6000 km) Daily BETA during parliament meets : 500
Ø Charge for 1 class (A/C) in train : Free (For any number of times) (All over India)
Ø Charge for Business Class in flights : Free for 40 trips / year (With wife or P.A.) Rent for MP hostel at Delhi : Free

Ø Electricity costs at home : Free up to 50,000 units

Ø Local phone call charge : Free up to 1,70,000 calls. > TOTAL expense for a MP per year : 32,00,000

Ø TOTAL expense for 5 years : 1,60,00,000

Ø For 534 MPs, the expense for 5 years : 8,54,40,00,000 (nearly 855 cores)

Ø And they are elected by THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, by the largest democratic process in the world, not intruded into the parliament on their own or by any qualification. This is how all our tax money is swallowed and price hike on our regular commodities....... Think of the great democracy we have............. Every Indian citizen has the right to know this......

Live n...

2006-01-09T01:06:00.000+05:30

...Let Live

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

During a BBQ a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food - while she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital. At 6:00pm, Ingrid passed away.

She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ - had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. It only takes a minute to read this-

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed in getting to the patient within 3 hours which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE:

Thank God for the sense to remember the "3" steps. Read and Learn! Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

1. Ask the individual to SMILE.

2. Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

3. Ask the person to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (i.e. . . It is sunny out today)
4. If he or she has trouble with any of these tasks, call help immediately and describe the symptoms to the doctor.

Medical volunteers could identify facial weakness, arm weakness and speech problems, researchers urged the general public to learn the three questions. They presented their conclusions at the American Stroke Association's annual meeting last February. Widespread use of this test could result in prompt diagnosis and treatment of the stroke and prevent brain damage.

AND SHARE THIS ARTICLE WITH AS MANY FRIENDS AS POSSIBLE, you could save their lives.

Watch out!

2006-01-07T00:28:00.000+05:30

One of the not-so-important- but imperative nevertheless- things that I wanna do is… watch the following movies.
As you’ll see they r some of the best Hindi movies released in 2005.And I missed out on them due to various, but kinda similar, reasons. AND it wouldn’t be before March 2006 that I’ll start seeing them. So, it’s a long wait till then!!

Mentioned here r the films, followed by (in short), why I wanna watch them…

BLACK (for obvious reasons)

PAGE 3 (I love that notion)

PARINEETA (haven’t yet read the book. But, it’s ‘good’ cinema)

KYA KOOL HAIN HUM (I liked MASTI, n I wanna watch this one for being on the same lines, except for not featuring marriage in the plot.)

MEET THE FOCKERS (complete laugh riot!)

SALAAM NAMASTE (wanna see Preity n Ness- they aren’t together, of course!)

HANUMAN (for the fun of it)

MAIN, MERI PATNI AUR WOH (jlt!)

GARAM MASALA (to enjoy the experience)

NEAL N NIKKI (what’s the BIG deal!)

KALYUG (nice story plus, I wanna see Deepal)

BLUFFMASTER! (for the spunk of it)

A-N-D the movies I’ll make a beeline for in 2006 are…

RANG DE BASANTI (love the story!)

SAANWARIYA (what’s the story about?)

KRRISH (what happens next?)

KABHIE ALVIDA NA KEHNAA (hopefully, I can sit through!)

UMRAO JAAN (how beautiful will the Lady look?)

VIVAAH (should have the utility of HAHK)

CORPORATE (what’s the idea?)

2005-11-15T16:53:00.001+05:30

You wanna....?

Nearly 2 weeks after Chetan Bhagat’s (the author of the –ahem-ahem!!- bestseller “Five Point Someone- What not to do at IIT) latest offering ONE NIGHT @ THE CALL CENTER hit the stores, I laid my hands on one.

As the title clearly suggests, the book records incidents taking place in a sequence, over the span of around 11.5 hours.

The back cover reads, “Welcome to one night @ the call center, another witty, dark novel from award-winning author of the nation bestseller Five Point Someone.”

a) WHICH awards did the author win???
b) The book isn’t all ‘that’ dark. Witty? A li’l bit. But ‘dark’, hmm…….anyone wanna define it?

It took me nearly 4 hours to devour the book. Yeap…in1 sitting, flat!! It didn’t hurt, BECAUSE, this book is kinda fast-moving. (The only other authors, whom I’d like to put in that category, are Shobhaa De n Farrukh Dhondy.)

The author’s pretty straight forward in whatever he wants to say. No beating around the bush!! Not short, but crisp for sure.

He’s actually put down the so-called pre-decided series of event prevalent in society. It just ended up as being corny. Everyone knows what he/she is gonna go through. What someone else has gone through. And what someone else will go through. Writing them down, was probably his way of alerting people who live in their own sweet world!!
Sample this, “ ‘…it’s the girl who always gets to choose. Men propose and women accept the proposal or, as in many cases reject it.’

It’s true. Girls go around rejecting men like it is their birthright. They have no idea how much it hurts us. I read that the reason for this is that the female of the species has to bear their offspring with a lot of effort. Hence they choose their mates carefully. Meanwhile, men dance around, spend cash, make them laugh, write stupid poems, anything to win them over. The only species where courting works in reverse is the sea horse. …I wished I were a sea horse. How hard can it be to carry a couple of eggs in a backpack?”

Well, the narrator is trying to be real. Not bad! But, I’m sure, there r far better reasons why women get to chose, n why it is not the reverse!!!!!!

Apart from the above, there are a few other instances, where the narrator gets real. Really real!

It gives u an insight into the hierarchy at a call center. And a brief idea about what all a call center agent MIGHT have to go through!

I’d recommend this book only if,

* u wanna follow up on what exactly happens??

* U JUST want to read this one, because u read the last one. And wanna be one of those, ‘ well-informed’ ones!!!!

* U think, it might help u, and lastly,

* U wanna do some time pass. As in, getting really bored? Okay with the idea of reading something, it might relax u? well the, GO AHEAD and grab a copy!

2005-11-11T01:36:00.000+05:30

This is fun for those who have lived in or around Bombay ....
Bombay has no bombs and is a harbour not a bay.
Churchgate has neither a church nor a gate. It is a railway station.
There is no darkness in Andheri.
Lalbaug is neither red nor a garden.
No king ever stayed at Kings Circle.
Nor did Queen Victoria stay at Victoria Terminus.
Nor is there any princess at Princess street.
Lower Parel is at the same level as Parel.
There are no marines or sailors at Marine Lines.
The Mahalaxmi temple is at Haji Ali not at Mahalaxmi.
There are no pigs traded at Dukar bazaar.
Teen bati is a junction of 3 roads, not three lamps.
Trams used to terminate at Kings circle not Dadar Terminus.
Breach Candy is not a sweetmeat market.
Safed Pool has the dirtiest and blackest water.
You cannot buy coal at Kolsa Galli.
There are no Iron smiths at Lohar chawl.
There are no pot makers at Kumbhar wada.
Lokhandwala complex is not an Iron and steel market.
Null bazaar does not sell taps.
You will not find ladyfingers at Bhendi Bazaar.
Kalachowki does not have a black Police station.
Hanging Gardens are not suspended.
Mirchi Gully does not sell chillies.
Figs do not grow in Anjir Wadi,
Sitafals do not grow in Sitafal Wadi,
Jackfruits do not grow at Fanaswadi
But it is true that you may get fleeced at Chor (Chira) Bazaar!!!

THINGS TO PROVE YOU'RE A BOMBAYITE.
1. You say "town " and expect everyone to know that this means south of Churchgate.
2. You speak in a dialect of Hindi called 'Bambaiya Hindi',which only Bombayites can understand.
3. Your door has more than three locks, or you have more than one door.
4. Rs 500 worth of groceries fit in one paper bag.
5. Train timings (9.27, 10.49 etc) are really important events of life.
6. You spend more time each month traveling than you spend awake at home.
7. You call a 10' x 10' clustered room a Hall.
8. You're paying Rs 10,000 for a 1room flat, the size of walk-in closet and you think it's a "steal."
9. You have the following sets of friend: schoolfriends, college friends, neighborhood friends, office friends and yes, train friends,a species unique only in Bombay.
10. Cabbies and bus conductors think you are from Mars if you call the roads by their Indian name, they are more familiar with Warden Road, Peddar Road, Altamount Road.
11. Stock market quotes are the only other thing besides cricket which you follow passionately.
12. The first thing that you read in the Times of India is the "Bombay Times" supplement.
13. You take fashion seriously. You're suspicious of strangers who are actually nice to you.
14. Hookers, beggars and the homeless are invisible.
15. You compare Bombay to New York's Manhattan instead of any other cities of India.
16. The most frequently used part of your car is the horn.
17. You insist on calling CST as VT, and Sahar and Santacruz airports instead of Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport
18. You consider eye contact an act of overt aggression.
19. Your idea of personal space is no one actually standing on your toes.
20. Being truly alone makes you nervous.
21. You love wading throughv knee deep mucky water in the monsoons, and actually call it ''romantic'.
22. Only in Bombay, you would get Chinese Dosa and Jain pizza , Jain Chicken.
23. You call traffic policemen as 'Pandus" and expect out-of-towners to understand that.
24. ''Lochya, lafda, Chutya, item, kalti, zol'' are some of the common words used with some specific meaning which you will not find in any dictionary
PS :- ‘BOMBAY’ is actaully the portugese for ‘GOOD BAY’. ie. ‘Bom’ means good.

2005-11-04T15:22:00.000+05:30

MUMMMMEEEE!!!!!

Housekeeping is one S-E-R-I-O-U-S business. It took me full 30 hrs to realise that!!!!!!

Well, my mom’s out of town for 2 weeks, n 30 hrs down the line, I have made truce with the fact that this ‘business’, or so I’d like to call, requires big time management skills, intelligence and god knows what!! Housewives, hats off to u! Thank god, at least I won’t be one of them!!!!!
But then, who’s cribbing?? I’ve been gorging on exotic fruits ever since she left. And, never on earth, she’d let me make ‘Caribbean fruit salad’ for my lunch!!
Mmmm ……I’m loving it, or rather, living it!!!!

Confession

2005-10-26T00:39:00.001+05:30

NINE weeks after the much-acclaimed film of Nagesh Kukunoor “IQBAL” was released, I managed to catch it at one of the rare A Grade single-screen theatres in my city. There were a few incidents mired around the aforementioned event. But, I’ll stick to the movie, as these so-called incidents, are worth overlooking at!

I haven’t watched any of Kukunoor’s movies before. But, of course, I have heard/read as lot about him. Also heard a li’l bit of him (giving some sound bytes before “IQBAL’s release) and I must say, he speaks good Hindi. No airs about it!!

*As everyone raved, I must say, it was a really nice film. One, which can be safely slotted into the ‘intellectual’ category. I had an instinct long before the movie released that this is a film worth watching, considering the fact that I prefer only intellectually stimulating ones, once in a blue moon that I watch any!

*Elahe Heptoolah, if I’m not mistaken is the director’s lovely wife. Well, she apart from being the Exec. Producer of this film, also shares one of the other credits, I don’t recollect which!

*Shweta Prasad (as everyone including yours truly observed) is a real prodigy. I’ll not be surprised if Nasseruddin Shah picks her up to essay a character in any of his future productions, plays to be specific.

*Also, I have never seen Girish Karnad in action before. Yes, that includes not being an audience to any of his plays, previous films and any other artistic expression, whatsoever. And on the basis of all that what I had read about this man, I know, I have missed out on a lot: (.
I fervently hope, that he is around, when I’m in a position to watch him live. I’ve just read his one of his plays (Tughlaq) and heard a production of something, which had to do with the Kid Krishna.

*Another thing that caught my attention was KK’s vocals. Voice, as it is said, matures like old wine……okay wait, I’ll change that analogy. (I believe in preaching what u practice, and I’m a teetotaller!). So, lets juz say, voice matures over a period of time. As I (and most of us) have seen, or rather, heard him from “Tadap tadap” (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam) to “Aawarapan banjarapan” (Jism) to now…”Aashayein”. His other singles like “Pal”, “Yaaron dosti”, etc. obviously added finesse to his repertoire.

* It was mentioned, Salim-Suleiman have done the background score of this film. The first time I heard about them, was when they worked with VIVA (Channel-V Popstars I) for “Jaago Zaraa”. After that, they’ve been consistently doing backgrounds scores for a lot of films and have also done music for a few films. Ek Haseena Thi was one of them?? I specially liked it, when they had a India Today did a spread on them featuring their state-of-the-art studio!!

*Lastly, many of the frames of Iqbal resembled those of Swades!! And that particular scene where Shreyas and Shweta or rather Iqbal and Khatija first enter’s Mohit’s house, it looked like a shorn version of the scene preceding the one in Sarfarosh where a lamb enters Naseer’s maikhaana……or wateva that was!! I’m sure, it wasn’t a maikhaana because, he was doing riyaaz out there!!

*A-N-D….i came across the quote “If u really want something, the universe conspires in your favour to help you achieve it.”, in the Alchemist. Will someone please enlighten me about its origins, considering the fact that it's an oft repeated dialogue in the movie?

2005-10-23T01:53:00.000+05:30

Look WHO’S Talking!!

The guys who talk the most, are the ones who have ‘done’ the least! Sounds funny, but it’s true. Very rarely will you get a guy talk openly about his exploits. It’s only those who are yet to be ‘inducted’ that will talk as though they have ‘been there, done that’. Fact is, they talk because they want to feel belonged. While guys who have ‘gone all the way’ will have that permanent grin plastered on their face when talk veers towards girls!!

2005-10-16T01:58:00.000+05:30

Look Who's DYING ?!
Everyday 300 species get extinct.
If the entire population of pollinators gets swiped.......
it'll take ONLY 1 (ONE) year for the TIGERS to dissapear....A-N-D.....
another just 3 (THREE) years for Homo Sapiens to V-A-N-I-S-H.
Other species will follow suit!!..........Is this the world we are GIFTING to our children???

Man is only a strand in the Web of Life
He is not the WEAVER of the web.
If he does ANYthing he does to the Web,
it'll surely affect him:(

2005-10-02T23:41:00.001+05:30

ASSORTMENT

* Einstein earned a lot of fame, respect, etc. for his proposition of “E= mc2”.
I came across a graffiti, which propounded another expansion, deviating from the normal “energy = mass * (velocity of light) 2. and this one truly deserves an applause.
“ Einstein = man of conscience 2”

* Bunch of Completely Conniving Individuals (BCCI!!)
For the uninitiated BCCI is actually Board of Cricket Control in India.

* Richard Glover challenged listeners to his ABC radio show to spot holes in the English language and then find the perfect label to fill them. Here are a few of them…..

hope couture (howp’ ku toor) n.
The item of clothing you keep for years in the vain hope that u might fit into it some day.

knack-nicker (nak’ nik ah) n.
Someone who can’t leave a hotel room without taking every tea bag, sugar sachet, complimentary shampoo, etc.

flaparazzi (fla pah’ rah tzee) n.
Someone who’s always in the background of a live news report, waving stupidly at the camera.

tortune (tor’ tyoon) n.
A catchy yet awful song that you just can’t get out of your head, even after hearing it played just once.

FOR MORE, check out the September issue of Reader's digest.

2005-09-30T00:01:00.000+05:30

SHOES....anyone????
Fashion mags r going all over the town proclaiming sexy stilettos/boots as part horsey, part rocker, these accessories are an absolute must for every chick’s closet.
John Galliano's skin-stamped croc leather boots for Dior the season’s ultimate buy. NOT REALLY…. I prefer the Louis Vuitton’s sleek black creation ( E 420 : Rs 22,567). The streamlined finish, pencils, et al. They r juz so sexxxy!! Compared to them the Dior one’s come at more than TWICE the price ($ 1,265 : Rs 55,527), r shorter, may not be flattering to all skin tones and MIGHT anger animal rights activists!!!
HEY…. Those pencils by Armani, they can give few of the Manolo Blahniks a serious run for their fame!!!!! Comfortably priced, the Armani, Oscar de la Renta and Chanel creations r worth a pick.

Statutory Warning :- Heels will make your rear look 25% larger – scientifically proven!!

SPICE QUOTE: “I don’t know who invented high heels, but all women owe him a lot.” – Marilyn Monroe.

2005-09-14T00:37:00.000+05:30

ASH N FAT!!!!!!!!

Heard the latest one????????
Adi Chopra's engaged a fitness expert to put Ash back in shape for Dhoom-2. Thank god!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I still can't get over all that flab she has been showing since Cannes 04!!

2005-09-14T00:31:00.000+05:30

It’s not said for nothing that “public memory is very short”. Well, now who’s talking about the declassification of the infamous tapes in which President Carter (oh my god!! I don’t even know whether it was him or someone else!!) used the choicest of invectives for the ex Indian PM Mrs. I Gandhi.
The recent decision by the Aditya Birla group to merge 3 of its companies, 2 of them being Indian Rayon & Indo- Gulf Fertilisers, seems like a sound move. Though, I have absolutely NO expertise about business moves and the likes………what’s wrong in giving ur comment. There’s nothing I stand to lose!!

2005-08-28T02:04:00.000+05:30

Men, u know........

Though i'm not all that of a feminist........I'll not deny the fact that i'm a li'l bit of pro!!!!!!!!!

Read on.......
>>Men Are Just Happier People-- What do you expect from such simple creatures?
Your last name stays put.
The garage is all yours.
Wedding plans take care of themselves.
Chocolate is just another snack.You can be President.
You can never be pregnant.
You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.
You can wear NO shirt to a water park.
Car mechanics tell you the truth.
The world is your urinal.
You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky.
You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
Same work, more pay.
Wrinkles add character.
Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100.
People never stare at your chest when you are talking to them.
The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected.
New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
One mood all the time.
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat. Y
ou know stuff about tanks.
A 5-day vacation requires only one suitcase .
You can open all of your own jars.
You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.
Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.
Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.
You almost never have strap problems in public.
You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.
Everything on your face stays its original color.
The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe even decades.
You only have to shave your face and neck.
You can play with toys all your life.
Your belly usually hides your big hips.
One wallet and one pair of shoes = one color for all seasons.
You can wearshorts no matter what how your legs look.
You can "do" your nails with apocketknife.
You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.
You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.
No wonder men are happier.

2005-08-26T00:06:00.000+05:30

Gal Talk!!!

When a GIRL is quiet, Millions of things are running in her mind.
When a GIRL is not arguing,She is thinking deeply.
When a GIRL looks at u with eyes full of questions,She is ......wondering how long you will be around.
When a GIRL answers "i'm fine" after a few seconds,She is not at all fine.
When a GIRL stares at you, She is wondering why you are lying.
When a GIRL lays on your chest, She is wishing for you to be hers ...forever.
When a GIRL wants to see you everyday, She wants to be pampered.
When a GIRL says I love you, She means it.
When a GIRL says "i miss you", No one in this world can miss youmore than that !!

2005-08-22T00:50:00.000+05:30

HP n the VOCAB

I seriously think J K Rowling's vocab is not all that strong as we think it is to be. She probably sits with an Oxford ....or wateva Dictionary for constant referance. One possibly can't be using words like the following for their regular communication!!!!!!!

Sample this.........shufti, prat, merpeople, skulking.......n so on. Now, i'm not sitting with an HP to give u the complete inventory of lost words used by the author!!!!!!!!!!!

2005-08-17T17:49:00.000+05:30

BOOKS!!!!!!!!

I currently have my hands FULL with "The Monk who sold his Ferrari" and "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" and "The Zahir".

2005-08-07T01:04:00.000+05:30

Everyone who's seen SARKAR can't help oohing n aahing abt it. But hey.......did someone notice their lovely fleet of cars?? I say, there's a Merc n loads of swanky SUVs. All they need is an Octavia to complete the bevy of beauties!! and that lady playing the charcted of Amrita,,,,,,is juz soooo gorgeous!! Wot say abt Katrina's mole on the left cheek??