Mumbai police filed a 11000 page chargesheet against Kasav and 40 or so more in the 26/11 case... sigh, when will I get time to read it yaar?
Oh, and Obama declared today that he will hold back tax breaks for American companies that outsource... Hmmm... let me get this right. With the economy in recession and companies going bankrupt, they will now have to hire employees who are two to three times as expensive... ? Hmmm... pretty stimulating!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Limca
One of the best ever ads... thanks to Jeetesh, I finally found the full version of the ad!
Which reminds me, Limca has always had some of the best commercials, very much in tune with their brand!
Which reminds me, Limca has always had some of the best commercials, very much in tune with their brand!
Monday, February 23, 2009
MapmyIndia Navigator
I bought a really cool GPS-based navigator yesterday for my car from MapmyIndia. I never expected it to be so awesome, but it has to be experienced to be believed. While I had seen this earlier in Europe, given that the real value of such a product lies in the quality of data, I must say I am very impressed! Not only does it give extremely relevant directions, it also recalculates, gives excellent voice-enabled directions, has a lot of cool features including ability to specify which roads to avoid, and a whole bunch of very smart algorithms. I have been trying to drive it crazy, but so far it's persisted in gently bringing me back on track :)
At a discount price of 10K, it's a steal!
For more, check out http://www.mapmyindia.com/
At a discount price of 10K, it's a steal!
For more, check out http://www.mapmyindia.com/
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Movie Review: Delhi 6
Delhi 6 is about Roshan, the younger brother who takes the responsibility of getting his dying grand mom back to India from New York, and ends up falling in love with the by lanes and the joys and complexities of community living in India.
Top Reasons to Watch it:
1) A fantastic representation of life and experiences in the by lanes old Delhi, some sweet some sour
2) An amazingly beautiful Sonam Kapoor with a million dollar smile
3) Couple of good songs - one devoted to the city (Rehna Tu) and one to a pigeon (Mashakalli)
4) A funny surrogate sex scene, no longer using the parrots and the roses, this time it's Chandrayaan and the sensex :)
But, be prepared for:
A very boring and uninspiring second half that preaches communal harmony through a pretty long drawn drama and a sreenplay that takes the movie from a very pleasant experience to something that leaves you uneasy and restless. The scenes of burning and looting shock you, which was probably the intention a la Rang De, but does nothing positive to the movie and to you as the audience.
The characters are either stereotypes - evil old money lenders (Prem Chopra), for example - that take you back to the movies of the 80s, or completely undeveloped like Roshan, who seems to have no past and definitely no future and only hangs around in his shades and jacket-jeans wear on the terrace of his home in the by lanes of old Delhi doing nothing but messing around in the private lives of his neighbours, with a constant expressionless look on his face - wouldn't you have expected him to at least hang around in a coffee shop and malls around Connaught Place instead, given that he's a guy from America on a visit here to drop his grand mom off? Sonam is very, very beautiful, and will mesmerize you with her smile, but is used only as a prop, with a role hardly worth mention. She wants to be an Indian Idol, and that's all. She doesn't want to get married and plans to run away, and then inexplicably falls in love with Roshan - inexplicable, because they've hardly spent any time together, unless loving him for his US citizenship is a valid reason.
Overall, movies need to touch, inspire, thrill, entertain, motivate, make you laugh and cry... and while Delhi 6 did a great job of entertaining and making me laugh in the first half, the second half was pretty much a waste of time.
Top Reasons to Watch it:
1) A fantastic representation of life and experiences in the by lanes old Delhi, some sweet some sour
2) An amazingly beautiful Sonam Kapoor with a million dollar smile
3) Couple of good songs - one devoted to the city (Rehna Tu) and one to a pigeon (Mashakalli)
4) A funny surrogate sex scene, no longer using the parrots and the roses, this time it's Chandrayaan and the sensex :)
But, be prepared for:
A very boring and uninspiring second half that preaches communal harmony through a pretty long drawn drama and a sreenplay that takes the movie from a very pleasant experience to something that leaves you uneasy and restless. The scenes of burning and looting shock you, which was probably the intention a la Rang De, but does nothing positive to the movie and to you as the audience.
The characters are either stereotypes - evil old money lenders (Prem Chopra), for example - that take you back to the movies of the 80s, or completely undeveloped like Roshan, who seems to have no past and definitely no future and only hangs around in his shades and jacket-jeans wear on the terrace of his home in the by lanes of old Delhi doing nothing but messing around in the private lives of his neighbours, with a constant expressionless look on his face - wouldn't you have expected him to at least hang around in a coffee shop and malls around Connaught Place instead, given that he's a guy from America on a visit here to drop his grand mom off? Sonam is very, very beautiful, and will mesmerize you with her smile, but is used only as a prop, with a role hardly worth mention. She wants to be an Indian Idol, and that's all. She doesn't want to get married and plans to run away, and then inexplicably falls in love with Roshan - inexplicable, because they've hardly spent any time together, unless loving him for his US citizenship is a valid reason.
Overall, movies need to touch, inspire, thrill, entertain, motivate, make you laugh and cry... and while Delhi 6 did a great job of entertaining and making me laugh in the first half, the second half was pretty much a waste of time.
Movie Review: Dasvidaniya
This movie was long overdue, and I finally got a chance to catch it on DVD.
Dasvidaniya (Russian for goodbye) is the story of Amar, a "simple" guy in his late thirties living his "normal, middle class" life, until he's diagnosed with stomach cancer and given three months to live. What does one do when faced with death? Give up, or fight it? Amar decides to fight it - with a list of "ten things to do before I die". This includes buying a car, learning guitar, finding love, going on a foreign trip and getting on the front page of a news paper.
Vinay Pathak once again excels in his role. This guy is one amazing actor, and completely gets into his character, whether it's the sad, simple Amar of Dadvidaniya, the irritatingly funny character from Bheja Fry or the brash, loud Bobby yaara from Rab Ne... watch the movie for him!
The movie is touching, but somehow doesn't make you cry. Amar goes through a lot of emotional pain, but for some reason, that doesn't hit you as much. And maybe that's where Amar's victory lies. He takes out the pain of death, and leaves in its place sweet memories of a life that's left us.
Much like my cousin, Rajiv, who died of leukemia a couple of years back, leaving some beautiful memories for us to remember him by...
Dasvidaniya (Russian for goodbye) is the story of Amar, a "simple" guy in his late thirties living his "normal, middle class" life, until he's diagnosed with stomach cancer and given three months to live. What does one do when faced with death? Give up, or fight it? Amar decides to fight it - with a list of "ten things to do before I die". This includes buying a car, learning guitar, finding love, going on a foreign trip and getting on the front page of a news paper.
Vinay Pathak once again excels in his role. This guy is one amazing actor, and completely gets into his character, whether it's the sad, simple Amar of Dadvidaniya, the irritatingly funny character from Bheja Fry or the brash, loud Bobby yaara from Rab Ne... watch the movie for him!
The movie is touching, but somehow doesn't make you cry. Amar goes through a lot of emotional pain, but for some reason, that doesn't hit you as much. And maybe that's where Amar's victory lies. He takes out the pain of death, and leaves in its place sweet memories of a life that's left us.
Much like my cousin, Rajiv, who died of leukemia a couple of years back, leaving some beautiful memories for us to remember him by...
Mumbai Meri Jaan
A random thought, I know... but I had to say this. The people in Mumbai are just awesome! Last week when I was in Mumbai, every time I stopped to ask for directions, I was touched by the way people came forward to help. People didn't dismiss me - they didn't get me out of their way. They stopped what they were doing to give me directions, making sure I understood. They wanted to help me, they wanted to see me succeed.
In the city of dreams, which are broken more often than realised, where life is usually a struggle, people standing in the sun, in the smoke and grime, slogging hard to earn the day's meal, still wanted to help this stranger in an AC car.
In his success, they took genuine interest and happiness.
I can never stop loving this city.
In the city of dreams, which are broken more often than realised, where life is usually a struggle, people standing in the sun, in the smoke and grime, slogging hard to earn the day's meal, still wanted to help this stranger in an AC car.
In his success, they took genuine interest and happiness.
I can never stop loving this city.
PJ Time
What's the difference between a fly and a mosquito? A fly can fly but a mosquito cannot mosquito :)
OK, tell me another difference...
A mosquito can fly, but a fly cannot mosquito :)
Lol
OK, tell me another difference...
A mosquito can fly, but a fly cannot mosquito :)
Lol
Quote for the Day
From Rocky Balboa...
It's not important how hard you can hit, it's about how hard you can get hit, and then be able to get up and carry on.
So true!
It's not important how hard you can hit, it's about how hard you can get hit, and then be able to get up and carry on.
So true!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Slumdog Millionaire, The Book
Just finished reading Slumdog Millionaire by Vikas Swarup (it says, earlier called Q&A!). And while I wouldn't really rave about it, compared to what Danny made out of it, I must say the book's fanatstic!
The situations and the questions fall in place so beautifully, each story having an interesting twist at the end. The story itself ends beautifully...
Now THAT's a story about hope for the millions of poor in third world countries...
The situations and the questions fall in place so beautifully, each story having an interesting twist at the end. The story itself ends beautifully...
Now THAT's a story about hope for the millions of poor in third world countries...
Osama Tracked?
Every TV channel is now carrying a story on how geographers at UCLA have tracked Osama in a Pakistani town. How did they go about it? They used some complex algorithms to narrow down to the town, and then using high resolution imagery tracked THE house based on the parameters he would need to have satisfied: tall house, with a wall around it, and electricity connection! Wow!
Are you freaking kidding me?
And now you are going on TV applauding yourself for tracking the most wanted man in the world, and you expect him to sit there and receive you with a red carpet?
ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?
Are you freaking kidding me?
And now you are going on TV applauding yourself for tracking the most wanted man in the world, and you expect him to sit there and receive you with a red carpet?
ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Virgin Mobile
Just checked out http://www.virginmobile.in/. Extremely impressive - awesome branding, exciting look, easy to navigate and lightening fast. Amazing... check it out!
Collisions...
After a Russian and American satellite crashed in space, leaving debris flying into Texas, we have news today of French and British nuclear subs armed with ballistic missiles colliding in the Atlantic! I thought these things had eyes...?
Monday, February 16, 2009
Young Indians...
Found this on Sanam's blog...
"But do you know the best visit this time? We went to see the TAJ and Trident Hotel where terrorist had attacked. I could not make out the difference but had seen on TV that it was burnt and lots of bullets being shot. I do not understand this much but felt proud about INDIA.
Kehte hai na I am proud to be an Indian !!!! Jai hind!!!"
"But do you know the best visit this time? We went to see the TAJ and Trident Hotel where terrorist had attacked. I could not make out the difference but had seen on TV that it was burnt and lots of bullets being shot. I do not understand this much but felt proud about INDIA.
Kehte hai na I am proud to be an Indian !!!! Jai hind!!!"
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Tata Sky Plus
We got our Tata Sky Plus today - we can now pause and rewind live TV, record two programs simultaneously and watch a previously recorded one, or record one while watching another, and lots of other cool things that weren't possible before. The best use I see of this is to be able to record movies and then watch them without having to suffer endless ads - which I can now simply forward. Or, record those cricket matches and then skip the boring phases...
The Tata Sky digicom actually also has hardware support for a whole lot of things including Ethernet, but the platform doesn't support it yet.
Go for it, don't deny yourself the pleasure :)
The Tata Sky digicom actually also has hardware support for a whole lot of things including Ethernet, but the platform doesn't support it yet.
Go for it, don't deny yourself the pleasure :)
Getting High
Driving through 4 lanes of high speed expressway traffic in Mumbai is an absolute high... an exercise that pushes your body and your mind, an adrenalin rush that also makes you think hard every milli second... always calculating distances, speed, angles, direction, anticipating the moves of another twenty vehicles and their drivers around you, all while zooming along at hundred km per hour...
That's when you really appreciate the passion behind owning a Ford. No other car comes close... yes, yes, don't tell me about the Beemers and the Porches... I am not there yet :)
That's when you really appreciate the passion behind owning a Ford. No other car comes close... yes, yes, don't tell me about the Beemers and the Porches... I am not there yet :)
The 3rd Ford Baby :)
My sister just booked her first Ikon - we'll now have the 3rd Ford baby in our family :) Ye Ye Ye
PJs
Why did Bunty eat the delicious chicken his mom made and then throw it up?
Because his mom said, Arre Bunty, chicken khaoon bagh!
Why did Jitendar Singh go to Delhi to fill up his form?
Because the form clearly said, Write in Capital
Sita and Gita came to a river. Gita took the bridge, while Sita swam across. All the villagers who saw this applauded Sita as the smart girl. Why?
Because she got more marks in her tenth exams.
My brother in law's answer: They came to applaud Sita because she was the one drenched.... lol...
Because his mom said, Arre Bunty, chicken khaoon bagh!
Why did Jitendar Singh go to Delhi to fill up his form?
Because the form clearly said, Write in Capital
Sita and Gita came to a river. Gita took the bridge, while Sita swam across. All the villagers who saw this applauded Sita as the smart girl. Why?
Because she got more marks in her tenth exams.
My brother in law's answer: They came to applaud Sita because she was the one drenched.... lol...
Movie Review: The Stoneman Murders
Probably the first in its genre, The Stoneman Murders is based on a true serial murder streak in Mumbai in the early eighties, which were then repeated in Calcutta a few years later, and remains one of the unsolved mysteries in Indian crime history. The serial murderer was called the Stoneman because of his modus operandi - using a stone to crush the head of poor roadside homeless beggars while they were sleeping.
Kaykay does a fantastic job - these roles are like made for him. He's so good that the others don't matter. But do check out the beggar (his informer) on the railway bridge.
The story is interesting and well developed, and the suspense gripping. The screenplay is absolutely rivetting, the camera, lights and sounds play with your senses, keeping you at the edge of your seats. The climax is well done too, and shocks you with the cover up it offers as the reason behind why the Stoneman case never got "solved".
Overall, a good movie. And yes, it's just 90 mins or so... so you can always catch a good dinner afterwards!
Kaykay does a fantastic job - these roles are like made for him. He's so good that the others don't matter. But do check out the beggar (his informer) on the railway bridge.
The story is interesting and well developed, and the suspense gripping. The screenplay is absolutely rivetting, the camera, lights and sounds play with your senses, keeping you at the edge of your seats. The climax is well done too, and shocks you with the cover up it offers as the reason behind why the Stoneman case never got "solved".
Overall, a good movie. And yes, it's just 90 mins or so... so you can always catch a good dinner afterwards!
Movie Review: Billu Barber
Billu (Barber) is a sweet, simple story of two friends back together after years of separation, during which one ends up going to Mumbai and becoming a super star, while the other barely manages to make ends meet as a barber in a small town in UP.
The super star Sahir Khan, played by SRK, comes to the small village (town) of Budbuda for shooting of his next film, and word quickly spreads that he's an old friend of Billu the Barber. From a non-entity, Billu and his family suddenly becomes the darling of the town, everyone pampering him with gifts and attention, for one small favour - an introduction with his friend, the King Khan. But Billu is not interested - it's been far too long, and he's not sure Sahir will care to even recognize him now. Sahir is too busy with his shooting, and surrounded by Z security to keep him away from the thousands of teeming fans. He's not even aware that Billu is in this town. For that matter, one isn't even sure if he indeed is Billu's childhood friend. Will they finally get together?
The movie is a treat for SRK's fans - he looks simply awesome playing the King Khan. The movie is a tribute to the star entertainer he is - peppered with visuals from his earlier movies, some great song and dance sequences with the stunning Deepika, Priyanka and a never-looked-better-before Kareena, and some very naughty and smart one liners - watch out for the closing comment on Pappu Can't Dance - and see the smile on the King Khan's face and the twinkle in his eyes :)
Irrfan plays Billu with aplomb, delivering some high quality stuff. Lara as his wife is surprisingly good too. So are the kids. They make up a family that you will instantly relate to. The headmistress is fun, and a couple of other characters are well done - but many others are noticeably amateurish.
The dialogues are good, streaked with humour. The Inspector acting scene got the audience in splits. The songs grow on you over time, and I particularly liked Marjaani, Love Mera Hit Hit, Khudaya Khair and Ae Ya O for their energy and beats. Khudaya Khair is also extremely well picturized and executed - starting with a innocent village setting and morphing into a hip and sexy number half way through. Deepika looks super stunning in Love Mera Hit Hit, and SRK executes one of the best dance moves I have seen - when he moves back while tapping his feet.
The locales are fantastic, the night sequences with the dark blueish tinged photo filters and the mist covered mountains in the background brings a magical hue to the setting. The town itself is represented by a minutely thought out set - check the characters and happenings in the backgrounds when the story shifts to the town square. The only problem - it's too well off to be a small town in UP, and everyone wears brightly starched, clean white kurtas and pyjamas.
Overall, if you are not a SRK fan, this is one of those movies you can check out over the weekend. If you are a SRK fan like I am, this one will take you to heaven.
The super star Sahir Khan, played by SRK, comes to the small village (town) of Budbuda for shooting of his next film, and word quickly spreads that he's an old friend of Billu the Barber. From a non-entity, Billu and his family suddenly becomes the darling of the town, everyone pampering him with gifts and attention, for one small favour - an introduction with his friend, the King Khan. But Billu is not interested - it's been far too long, and he's not sure Sahir will care to even recognize him now. Sahir is too busy with his shooting, and surrounded by Z security to keep him away from the thousands of teeming fans. He's not even aware that Billu is in this town. For that matter, one isn't even sure if he indeed is Billu's childhood friend. Will they finally get together?
The movie is a treat for SRK's fans - he looks simply awesome playing the King Khan. The movie is a tribute to the star entertainer he is - peppered with visuals from his earlier movies, some great song and dance sequences with the stunning Deepika, Priyanka and a never-looked-better-before Kareena, and some very naughty and smart one liners - watch out for the closing comment on Pappu Can't Dance - and see the smile on the King Khan's face and the twinkle in his eyes :)
Irrfan plays Billu with aplomb, delivering some high quality stuff. Lara as his wife is surprisingly good too. So are the kids. They make up a family that you will instantly relate to. The headmistress is fun, and a couple of other characters are well done - but many others are noticeably amateurish.
The dialogues are good, streaked with humour. The Inspector acting scene got the audience in splits. The songs grow on you over time, and I particularly liked Marjaani, Love Mera Hit Hit, Khudaya Khair and Ae Ya O for their energy and beats. Khudaya Khair is also extremely well picturized and executed - starting with a innocent village setting and morphing into a hip and sexy number half way through. Deepika looks super stunning in Love Mera Hit Hit, and SRK executes one of the best dance moves I have seen - when he moves back while tapping his feet.
The locales are fantastic, the night sequences with the dark blueish tinged photo filters and the mist covered mountains in the background brings a magical hue to the setting. The town itself is represented by a minutely thought out set - check the characters and happenings in the backgrounds when the story shifts to the town square. The only problem - it's too well off to be a small town in UP, and everyone wears brightly starched, clean white kurtas and pyjamas.
Overall, if you are not a SRK fan, this is one of those movies you can check out over the weekend. If you are a SRK fan like I am, this one will take you to heaven.
NASSCOM - Last Day Updates
Yesterday I had to participate in a 5 member panel discussion on Innovation, as part of the NASSCOM National Leadership Forum. The topic was – how did we innovate, what drove us to it, what were the challenges and so on. It was held in a Grand Ballroom at the Hyatt, and attended by over two hundred guests. The panel was chaired by a partner of the Boston Consulting Group, who were the “knowledge managers” for the leadership awards exercise. My co-panelists were CEOs of their respective companies – one a 32000 strong BPO, the other two startups around 200 in strength. We started with a 5 min presentation on our innovation, and then there was a panel discussion including questions from the audience.
The crowning moment of glory though, came during the showstopper session of the 3 day conference – a talk by management guru CK Prahalad on how to handle volatility in the market and what companies need to do to survive the economic climate today. There were easily over a thousand attendees, in a huge cavernous ballroom. And all through his talk, CK referred to only one example of how companies have used IT to propagate new business models that allow them to do more for their customer, moving from a traditional seller of product to a service partner – Bridgestone! He mentioned that the company doing this for them in Europe was based right here in India, but said he couldn’t name them because he didn’t have explicit permission from them :) A few mins later, when the talk ended, NASSCOM released a DVD of the case studies, and at that time Som Mittal, President of NASSCOM, told him that one of the winners of the Innovation awards was a company that had enabled the work he mentioned in his book, “our very own Persistent Systems”. And CK said, “Oh, it’s good that they have given you permission finally to mention their name, because they really deserve the credit!” Without doubt, it was the most rewarding moment of my professional life.
The crowning moment of glory though, came during the showstopper session of the 3 day conference – a talk by management guru CK Prahalad on how to handle volatility in the market and what companies need to do to survive the economic climate today. There were easily over a thousand attendees, in a huge cavernous ballroom. And all through his talk, CK referred to only one example of how companies have used IT to propagate new business models that allow them to do more for their customer, moving from a traditional seller of product to a service partner – Bridgestone! He mentioned that the company doing this for them in Europe was based right here in India, but said he couldn’t name them because he didn’t have explicit permission from them :) A few mins later, when the talk ended, NASSCOM released a DVD of the case studies, and at that time Som Mittal, President of NASSCOM, told him that one of the winners of the Innovation awards was a company that had enabled the work he mentioned in his book, “our very own Persistent Systems”. And CK said, “Oh, it’s good that they have given you permission finally to mention their name, because they really deserve the credit!” Without doubt, it was the most rewarding moment of my professional life.
Friday, February 13, 2009
NASSCOM Award :)
Was at the glittering NASSCOM India Leadership Forum night at the Grand Hyatt in Mumbai today... as a winner of the award for market facing business innovation for the work we did for Bridgetone.
The award was presented by a very handsome, smart and dynamic Jyotiraditya Scindia, the MoS for IT, all of 38 years old - the perfect representative for young India. If our government has people like him, we are in safe hands! He talked about the eGov plan to put a broadband Internet kiosk in every one of India's 600,000 villages, an Information Highway that will connect the length and breadth of this beautiful country.
Among the attendees were Madhavan Nair, Chairman of ISRO, the man who put our Chandrayan on the surface of the moon. What an honour it was to be on the same stage as him!
The function ended with a "green" fashion show - Anita Dongre's Grassroots collection, which uses only organic textiles made with traditional, rural processes and materials like cotton.
The award was presented by a very handsome, smart and dynamic Jyotiraditya Scindia, the MoS for IT, all of 38 years old - the perfect representative for young India. If our government has people like him, we are in safe hands! He talked about the eGov plan to put a broadband Internet kiosk in every one of India's 600,000 villages, an Information Highway that will connect the length and breadth of this beautiful country.
Among the attendees were Madhavan Nair, Chairman of ISRO, the man who put our Chandrayan on the surface of the moon. What an honour it was to be on the same stage as him!
The function ended with a "green" fashion show - Anita Dongre's Grassroots collection, which uses only organic textiles made with traditional, rural processes and materials like cotton.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Movie Previews :)
Three movies I am eagerly waiting for...
Billu (Barber now hidden behind a strip of paper on all billboards!) will be a treat for SRK fans with his multiple special appearances with some of Bollywood's sexiest ladies. If promos are anything to go by, it will be a simple, light movie with some good natured humour in the first half, getting a little senti in the second half.
Dilli 6 will be all Sonam Kapoor. She's looking really awesome. Inside Info: Mashakkali is the dove, and the star of the movie :)
Stoneman Murders should be good, probably a first in this genre. KK Menon can be expected to deliver, and from what I have seen, should have some stunning action too.
Billu (Barber now hidden behind a strip of paper on all billboards!) will be a treat for SRK fans with his multiple special appearances with some of Bollywood's sexiest ladies. If promos are anything to go by, it will be a simple, light movie with some good natured humour in the first half, getting a little senti in the second half.
Dilli 6 will be all Sonam Kapoor. She's looking really awesome. Inside Info: Mashakkali is the dove, and the star of the movie :)
Stoneman Murders should be good, probably a first in this genre. KK Menon can be expected to deliver, and from what I have seen, should have some stunning action too.
Happy Brothers Day!
India beat Sri Lanka in a nail biting T20 encounter. Chasing 172 to win, India had lost 7 wickets with just 127 on the board, when the Pathan brothers showed what the new India is all about... a smashing six at long off bringing the winning runs with couple of balls to spare.
Jai Ho Slum Dogs :)
Jai Ho Slum Dogs :)
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Movie Review: Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire isn't just another movie. With the amount of attention its got globally, along with its Oscar nominations and hundreds of other awards in the West, its been the talk of everyone remotely interested in movies. From Amitabh to SRK, everyone has an opinion, and countless Indians have swelled their chests with pride at its Oscar nominations. People have talked about how it reflects the true India, and commented on how it has given hope and courage to countless slum dwellers all over the "real India".
That's what pisses me and upsets me.
But more on that later. Let's just stay with the movie for now, and treat it like just another movie. For me a movie is about a good story, innovative treatment of the subject, technical brilliance, an ability to touch your heart, to inspire you, to wake you up. It's about beauty, glamour, songs, dances. It's about energy. It's about tears and smiles. It's finally about either making you laugh and forget your troubles, or inspire you to think about what you can do for this world, and if not one of those two extremes, at least just let you spend a couple of hours letting your idle mind wander around somewhere else.
Slumdog did none of that.
First the story and screenplay. I read the book before I saw the movie - the first few chapters. The movie makes a complete hash of the interesting plot of the book. While the book beautifully lays out the circumstances under which the slum boy gets to know the answers to the quiz show's questions, the movie invents its own circumstances which 1) serve to further the director's agenda of bringing out the worst in the REAL India and 2) don't really explain the slum boy's success at the quiz. And what's this real India all about? A slum child, oops, sorry, a slum dog jumping in a pool of shit and being plastered head to toe in the goey to be able to get a glimpse of Amitabh Bacchan who, for some reason, decides to land his chopper in the middle of the filth. Police men standing by and watching with bored expressions as a communal riot goes on nearby and a man runs down the street by them while burning alive, while other people cooly go around their ways - to their offices and schools. Slum dogs playing cricket on the airport runway, before pot bellied policemen chase them into the slums. The chaiwallah taking over duties from one of the call center operators. And the icing on the cake is this firang tourist saying, now you see the REAL America, and handing over a hundred dollar bill to the slum dog! Wow, what would we do without their aid? You have a quiz show host insulting the participant because he's a chaiwalla.
The inconsistencies in the story are far too inconsequential given everything else. The police arresting him at the end of the penultimate question, torturing him through the night with third degree, and then surprisingly getting him back for the final question - a free man. Free enough to be a millionaire (which, by the way is 2 million), and then go to the railway station alone to meet his premika. And of course, the show's telecast live - including the "phone a friend" bit. But as I said, there are a lot more things to worry about.
Technical brilliance includes panning shots of large slums, of flies buzzing around kids sleeping in garbage.
AR Rahman's brilliant music wasn't even noticeable till the end credits rolled in, when it probably became noticeable because there were no slums on the screen at that time.
Dev Patel is pathetic in his rendition of the Slum Dog. I heard that in an interview he said his big achievement was peeing with SRK in the same loo! I'm not surprised. I have no clue why Frieda thinks she's achieved stardom, because her 15 min role can be described in only one word - forgettable. And Anil Kapoor - I am sorry boss, was there nothing else you could do to justify that role? I wonder how Amitabh and SRK would have felt seeing you play the host. And to imagine people criticized the Khan for refusing the role. I mean, come on, you think that guy has nothing in his upper storey?
On a scale of one to ten, I guess Slum Dog would come a close 0.
But now I come to the larger picture. I don't fault Danny Boyle for making this movie. I don't fault Western audiences for applauding it. After all, with the recession screwing them up, and India's resurgence as a global nuclear power, with a vibrant democracy, a thriving middle class, a strong army, an impartial judiciary, a free press, and an extremely happy and confident populace, giving them a billion reasons to feel threatened, anything that helps them stay in the denial mode and reaffirm their confidence that the Chandrayaan on the moon is just an illusion hiding the real India with its slum dogs. Their jobs are safe, no slum dogs can take them away! The movie is an out and out attempt to reinforce those beliefs, the original story completely twisted to suit the director's agenda, the dialogues almost a kiddish attempt to further that agenda. The references to the chaiwallah as the call center worker, the dialogue between the slum dogs looking out over the high rises, the incident at the Taj... how cheap can you get in the pursuit of your agenda, man?
My problem is with Indians who are feeling proud at the movie being nominated for the Oscars. Indians abroad who will use this movie to reaffirm their belief that they did the right thing running away from their country and their responsibilities towards their motherland. I am worried about those in this beautiful country who ask me why I am upset. I am upset at people who tell me it's just a movie. If it's just a movie, then why feel proud at "just a movie" yaar? You say a firang showed me the real India? Well, I have seen the real India. I have seen some beautiful movies that showed me the real India. But there was elegance too, there was real hope, real emotions. Black Friday, Mumbai Meri Jaan, Traffic Signal, Page 3. These were about the real India too. But they made me cry, They gave me goose bumps. They inspired me, motivated me. Shocked me. But I don't remember you calling me to ask me to watch those movies!
Yes, I am terribly upset. I feel insulted by Danny Boyle. Not because he made a disgusting movie. But because he did it on purpose. He wanted to insult me. He wanted to call me and my countrymen slum dogs. But then Danny, I don't blame you.
As I said, I am only worried about my fellow Indians. Frankly, if you take pride in this movie, I don't think you deserve to be Indian.
That's what pisses me and upsets me.
But more on that later. Let's just stay with the movie for now, and treat it like just another movie. For me a movie is about a good story, innovative treatment of the subject, technical brilliance, an ability to touch your heart, to inspire you, to wake you up. It's about beauty, glamour, songs, dances. It's about energy. It's about tears and smiles. It's finally about either making you laugh and forget your troubles, or inspire you to think about what you can do for this world, and if not one of those two extremes, at least just let you spend a couple of hours letting your idle mind wander around somewhere else.
Slumdog did none of that.
First the story and screenplay. I read the book before I saw the movie - the first few chapters. The movie makes a complete hash of the interesting plot of the book. While the book beautifully lays out the circumstances under which the slum boy gets to know the answers to the quiz show's questions, the movie invents its own circumstances which 1) serve to further the director's agenda of bringing out the worst in the REAL India and 2) don't really explain the slum boy's success at the quiz. And what's this real India all about? A slum child, oops, sorry, a slum dog jumping in a pool of shit and being plastered head to toe in the goey to be able to get a glimpse of Amitabh Bacchan who, for some reason, decides to land his chopper in the middle of the filth. Police men standing by and watching with bored expressions as a communal riot goes on nearby and a man runs down the street by them while burning alive, while other people cooly go around their ways - to their offices and schools. Slum dogs playing cricket on the airport runway, before pot bellied policemen chase them into the slums. The chaiwallah taking over duties from one of the call center operators. And the icing on the cake is this firang tourist saying, now you see the REAL America, and handing over a hundred dollar bill to the slum dog! Wow, what would we do without their aid? You have a quiz show host insulting the participant because he's a chaiwalla.
The inconsistencies in the story are far too inconsequential given everything else. The police arresting him at the end of the penultimate question, torturing him through the night with third degree, and then surprisingly getting him back for the final question - a free man. Free enough to be a millionaire (which, by the way is 2 million), and then go to the railway station alone to meet his premika. And of course, the show's telecast live - including the "phone a friend" bit. But as I said, there are a lot more things to worry about.
Technical brilliance includes panning shots of large slums, of flies buzzing around kids sleeping in garbage.
AR Rahman's brilliant music wasn't even noticeable till the end credits rolled in, when it probably became noticeable because there were no slums on the screen at that time.
Dev Patel is pathetic in his rendition of the Slum Dog. I heard that in an interview he said his big achievement was peeing with SRK in the same loo! I'm not surprised. I have no clue why Frieda thinks she's achieved stardom, because her 15 min role can be described in only one word - forgettable. And Anil Kapoor - I am sorry boss, was there nothing else you could do to justify that role? I wonder how Amitabh and SRK would have felt seeing you play the host. And to imagine people criticized the Khan for refusing the role. I mean, come on, you think that guy has nothing in his upper storey?
On a scale of one to ten, I guess Slum Dog would come a close 0.
But now I come to the larger picture. I don't fault Danny Boyle for making this movie. I don't fault Western audiences for applauding it. After all, with the recession screwing them up, and India's resurgence as a global nuclear power, with a vibrant democracy, a thriving middle class, a strong army, an impartial judiciary, a free press, and an extremely happy and confident populace, giving them a billion reasons to feel threatened, anything that helps them stay in the denial mode and reaffirm their confidence that the Chandrayaan on the moon is just an illusion hiding the real India with its slum dogs. Their jobs are safe, no slum dogs can take them away! The movie is an out and out attempt to reinforce those beliefs, the original story completely twisted to suit the director's agenda, the dialogues almost a kiddish attempt to further that agenda. The references to the chaiwallah as the call center worker, the dialogue between the slum dogs looking out over the high rises, the incident at the Taj... how cheap can you get in the pursuit of your agenda, man?
My problem is with Indians who are feeling proud at the movie being nominated for the Oscars. Indians abroad who will use this movie to reaffirm their belief that they did the right thing running away from their country and their responsibilities towards their motherland. I am worried about those in this beautiful country who ask me why I am upset. I am upset at people who tell me it's just a movie. If it's just a movie, then why feel proud at "just a movie" yaar? You say a firang showed me the real India? Well, I have seen the real India. I have seen some beautiful movies that showed me the real India. But there was elegance too, there was real hope, real emotions. Black Friday, Mumbai Meri Jaan, Traffic Signal, Page 3. These were about the real India too. But they made me cry, They gave me goose bumps. They inspired me, motivated me. Shocked me. But I don't remember you calling me to ask me to watch those movies!
Yes, I am terribly upset. I feel insulted by Danny Boyle. Not because he made a disgusting movie. But because he did it on purpose. He wanted to insult me. He wanted to call me and my countrymen slum dogs. But then Danny, I don't blame you.
As I said, I am only worried about my fellow Indians. Frankly, if you take pride in this movie, I don't think you deserve to be Indian.
Movie Review: Dev D
Dev D is one movie I can't really make up my mind about! We went for a team movie, and the dominant feeling was - what the f*&^ was the director thinking??? On the other hand, Times Of India gave it 5 stars (out of 5!), and Bani J on MTV gave it a double thumbs up.
But let me do an independent review.
Hmmm, it's a bold movie, going where very few mainstream Hindi movies have dared to. It's an interesting and very in-with-the-times version of Devdas. The dialogues and situations are very contemporary, and the first half will shock and thrill you, in a nice sort of way. The Emotional Atyachaar song was a lot of fun too! But it gets a little dark, then a little darker, and then pretty much gets on your nerves by the time it enters the late second half.
Abhay Deol is fantastic - so, so different from his other clan members! He's effortless in the role of the modern sex-and-drugs crazy and emotionally devastated Devdas. Paro (Mahi Gill) looks sweet in parts, and very ordinary in others. But the revelation was Kalki Koechlin, in the role of the half-foreigner Chandramukhi. She has the world's most beautiful smile, a fantastic figure, and had done a superb job in her role, with some really touching moments. Something about her character makes you love her, and even when she's in deep trouble, something tells you she doesn't need your support as much as you need hers!
My recommendation - watch it once. Watch it a second time. But look out for the positives. Else there'll be plenty to regret.
But let me do an independent review.
Hmmm, it's a bold movie, going where very few mainstream Hindi movies have dared to. It's an interesting and very in-with-the-times version of Devdas. The dialogues and situations are very contemporary, and the first half will shock and thrill you, in a nice sort of way. The Emotional Atyachaar song was a lot of fun too! But it gets a little dark, then a little darker, and then pretty much gets on your nerves by the time it enters the late second half.
Abhay Deol is fantastic - so, so different from his other clan members! He's effortless in the role of the modern sex-and-drugs crazy and emotionally devastated Devdas. Paro (Mahi Gill) looks sweet in parts, and very ordinary in others. But the revelation was Kalki Koechlin, in the role of the half-foreigner Chandramukhi. She has the world's most beautiful smile, a fantastic figure, and had done a superb job in her role, with some really touching moments. Something about her character makes you love her, and even when she's in deep trouble, something tells you she doesn't need your support as much as you need hers!
My recommendation - watch it once. Watch it a second time. But look out for the positives. Else there'll be plenty to regret.
Movie Review: Luck By Chance
Luck By Chance is Farhaan's second movie as actor, and after Rock On, I did expect a lot. And while it's a good movie to catch, somehow, it leaves you dissatisfied. Something's missing, and you can't really figure out what. One thing's sure - you won't want to catch it a second time.
The movie is about two characters, Farhaan and Konkona, and their struggles in Bollywood. While one makes it as a super star, the other finally realises it's not going to work. What does this do to their relationship? Will they overcome the differences and stay together, or will they tear apart?
The movie starts off extremely well, the opening credits are a cinematic treat by themselves! Some of the songs are fun, and you are treated to glimpes and special appearences by who's who of Bollywood including John, Aamir, Hrithik, Kareena, Rani, and of course, the King Khan himself! But somewhere in the second half, the movie starts dragging. And then comes to an end, leaving you with an empty feeling.
It doesn't really touch you. It doesn't influence you. It does entertain for some time, but the dominant feeling is definitely one of incompleteness.
Anyway, Farhan's good. For me, the find of the movie was the sexy, sweet and very, very pretty Isha Sharwani. She took my breath away.
And yes, The King Khan :)
Do not miss it, but if you do, don't fret over it!
The movie is about two characters, Farhaan and Konkona, and their struggles in Bollywood. While one makes it as a super star, the other finally realises it's not going to work. What does this do to their relationship? Will they overcome the differences and stay together, or will they tear apart?
The movie starts off extremely well, the opening credits are a cinematic treat by themselves! Some of the songs are fun, and you are treated to glimpes and special appearences by who's who of Bollywood including John, Aamir, Hrithik, Kareena, Rani, and of course, the King Khan himself! But somewhere in the second half, the movie starts dragging. And then comes to an end, leaving you with an empty feeling.
It doesn't really touch you. It doesn't influence you. It does entertain for some time, but the dominant feeling is definitely one of incompleteness.
Anyway, Farhan's good. For me, the find of the movie was the sexy, sweet and very, very pretty Isha Sharwani. She took my breath away.
And yes, The King Khan :)
Do not miss it, but if you do, don't fret over it!
Movie Review: Veer Zaara
OK, this is a OLD movie, I know :) But I'd never seen it before, and I was feeling very SRKaish the other day, and ended up getting the DVD.
Let's not get into details, but frankly, SRK looked handsome but also felt very raw - definitely not the King Khan he's now :) Preity is OK, Rani is OK too. A couple of songs are nice, but the others are extremely forgettable. There are a few extremely touching scenes, especially when Amitabh blesses Preity before she leaves for Pakistan after her India trip. The ending made me cry a lot, and I was glad I was watching it alone :)
Overall, must have been a great movie back then, but it's a little out of the league now...
Let's not get into details, but frankly, SRK looked handsome but also felt very raw - definitely not the King Khan he's now :) Preity is OK, Rani is OK too. A couple of songs are nice, but the others are extremely forgettable. There are a few extremely touching scenes, especially when Amitabh blesses Preity before she leaves for Pakistan after her India trip. The ending made me cry a lot, and I was glad I was watching it alone :)
Overall, must have been a great movie back then, but it's a little out of the league now...
IPL and Movies...
I have quite a lot of movies to review, but before I get down to that, a quick question... why would two great friends, SRK and Preity Zinta, fight between themselves at an auction to go ahead and end up spending 600K USD for an unknown Bangladeshi bowler, at ten or more times his base price? I mean, I am not complaining about how much he's worth - but hello, you could have just discussed between yourselves and saved so much money!
But then, well, it's ONLY 600K USD yaar... and it was good fun for the pretty Preity and SRK's representative, a certain ex Ms Chawla, I guess!
But then, well, it's ONLY 600K USD yaar... and it was good fun for the pretty Preity and SRK's representative, a certain ex Ms Chawla, I guess!
India's No 2 in ODI Rankings...
It's the Proteas at 1, with the Men in Blue close on their heels... with the Kangoos at 3. Come on Maahi, we want the crown now :)
Thursday, February 05, 2009
It's Now 4-0, and 9 in a Row!
Another smashing victory... Gautam contributed with a chanceless 150. Will it be 5-0 next? :)
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Customer Service After All!
We always crib about poor service all the time, but trust me, there are a lot of great examples of great customer service too!
A few days back, we had a pretty poor experience at the new, renovated Flags. After a couple of days, I got a mail from them asking for feedback, and I took the opportunity to crib, and made some suggestions. Surprisingly, I soon received a mail from their Corporate Head, Kedar Partagalkar, apologizing and thanking me for my suggestions. Nice!
More interesting, some time back we had visited Ecoscapes at Ishanya Mall. I gace my card for swiping, but the machine screwed up and finally I paid in cash and left. A few mins back, I got a call from the lady at the counter that the machine had actually swiped my card successfully after all, not once but twice, and could I please come and collect the cash refund? I went back to her, told her it wouldnt matter even it it swiped, since I had not actually signed any receipt and hence she wouldn't really be able to charge me anyway. She said OK, and said I could always come back a few days later once I got confirmation from my bank. A few days later, I got a call from her, confirming that the machine had actually swiped - again, I told her the same story, and promised her I would come back to collect the refund if the bank did at all charge me. Very, very sweet!
A few days back, we had a pretty poor experience at the new, renovated Flags. After a couple of days, I got a mail from them asking for feedback, and I took the opportunity to crib, and made some suggestions. Surprisingly, I soon received a mail from their Corporate Head, Kedar Partagalkar, apologizing and thanking me for my suggestions. Nice!
More interesting, some time back we had visited Ecoscapes at Ishanya Mall. I gace my card for swiping, but the machine screwed up and finally I paid in cash and left. A few mins back, I got a call from the lady at the counter that the machine had actually swiped my card successfully after all, not once but twice, and could I please come and collect the cash refund? I went back to her, told her it wouldnt matter even it it swiped, since I had not actually signed any receipt and hence she wouldn't really be able to charge me anyway. She said OK, and said I could always come back a few days later once I got confirmation from my bank. A few days later, I got a call from her, confirming that the machine had actually swiped - again, I told her the same story, and promised her I would come back to collect the refund if the bank did at all charge me. Very, very sweet!
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Eight in a Row
India have now won 8 one days in a row, with a crushing 150 odd run victory over Sri Lanka today, taking the 5 match series 3-0. It just gets better!
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