The journey to Goa wasn't that uneventful this time... a few km out of the city, our bus had a tire burst, the front one at that... the vehicle wobbled seriously for a few seconds, but our driver kept his cool, and his control of the vehicle and pulled over. Maybe it was overheating... the tire was pretty new actually, but just burst open in the middle of the side walls. For the record, it was an Apollo, not a Bridgestone :)
We spent 40 mins or so while the crew replaced the burst tire, and were finally on our way... for exactly 2 mins. A few meters down the road was the dinner stop! If only we knew earlier...
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Sleeping in the Car...
We had a power cut the other night in Nerul... some kind of overload and tripping, for more than an hour. It was humid and unbearably hot, so Sanam and I found a solution. We went and slept in Shweta's car :) With the AC running, we had an amazing hour or so of sleep before the power came back on and we had to reluctantly return to our bedroom...
Nokia E75 and Nokia 5800 XpressMusic
We bought two very, very sexy phones yesterday, for myself and Madhavi. Mads went for the 5800 for its touch screen, something she was very keen on having. It's a nice phone, pretty sleek too, and has some sweet applications like a touch screen enabled piano and guitar... a good phone for the music inclined. Also, with it's orientation sensor and stuff, some exciting games too.
I bought the E75, one of the best offerings from Nokia in the business phones segment. With a better processor and lots of memory, the performance is super fast. It's sleek, will fit in any pocket, and it's chrome and silver cover elements make it extremely good looking. A full querty keyboard slides out from the side, while the standard alphanumeric keyboard on the front makes it a breeze for smsing. Setting up my office email, and gmail, was extremely smooth and took no more than a few seconds. Amazing.
Both cells support GPS and Wifi, which is really very cool too! And oh, needless to say, automatically switches from landscape to portrait mode, and has extremely effective cameras with flash (in the E75) :)
I hate having to say bye to my loyal and very efficient and effective 6300, but it had really taken a lot of rough use over the last 15 months, and was starting to fall apart... I do have to move on to the E75, but for those who are looking for a basic cellphone in the sub 10K range, the 6300 remains by far the best!
I bought the E75, one of the best offerings from Nokia in the business phones segment. With a better processor and lots of memory, the performance is super fast. It's sleek, will fit in any pocket, and it's chrome and silver cover elements make it extremely good looking. A full querty keyboard slides out from the side, while the standard alphanumeric keyboard on the front makes it a breeze for smsing. Setting up my office email, and gmail, was extremely smooth and took no more than a few seconds. Amazing.
Both cells support GPS and Wifi, which is really very cool too! And oh, needless to say, automatically switches from landscape to portrait mode, and has extremely effective cameras with flash (in the E75) :)
I hate having to say bye to my loyal and very efficient and effective 6300, but it had really taken a lot of rough use over the last 15 months, and was starting to fall apart... I do have to move on to the E75, but for those who are looking for a basic cellphone in the sub 10K range, the 6300 remains by far the best!
Back in Pune... and to the Blog :)
I am back in Pune after a week long vacation in Pune, and I have a few things to say... so watch out for some updates :)
Sunday, May 24, 2009
IPL too!
As IPl 2 comes to a close today, it's interesting that the last two teams last year, Hyderabad and Bangalore, are in the finals this time :)
We saw some good cricket this time, but in my personal opinion, both Pakistan and Australia were sorely missed. And not having the matches in India somehow robbed the tournament of the passion we saw last time... or who knows, maybe it was just the novelty rubbing off... And without Dada, KKR lost it's biggest fan (no, not SRK, me!). And without me, SRK too didn't attend any of the games... oh, guess I got something mixed up there.. anyways, I am sure you got my point...
The final is at 8 tonight, and I don't really have any plan to watch it. Yet.
One good thing came out of IPL being transferred - a super safe Indian elections!
And yes, my office group has started playing cricket on weekends... I need to start joining them, but my Goa contracts hasn't give me the opportunity yet :(
We saw some good cricket this time, but in my personal opinion, both Pakistan and Australia were sorely missed. And not having the matches in India somehow robbed the tournament of the passion we saw last time... or who knows, maybe it was just the novelty rubbing off... And without Dada, KKR lost it's biggest fan (no, not SRK, me!). And without me, SRK too didn't attend any of the games... oh, guess I got something mixed up there.. anyways, I am sure you got my point...
The final is at 8 tonight, and I don't really have any plan to watch it. Yet.
One good thing came out of IPL being transferred - a super safe Indian elections!
And yes, my office group has started playing cricket on weekends... I need to start joining them, but my Goa contracts hasn't give me the opportunity yet :(
Movie Review: Gallit Gondhal Dillit Muzhra
Yet another comedy hit from Makarand Anaspure, the movie is set in a small Maharashtrian town and traces the "struggle" of the village boy Narayan to achieve his politicla aspirations while doing chamchagiri for both the local Sarpanch and the local MLA...
A good laugh, tends to get a little boring towards second half, though.
A good laugh, tends to get a little boring towards second half, though.
Casatta Updates
I love catching the characters on TV!
Zzzzzz... I love it when Sanam puts me to sleep on her shoulder!
See, I told you!!!
I am trained to use the bathroom...
...but sometimes the basin is more fun!
A Bike Takes an Auto!
Apparently, she was too tired riding around and decided to take a ride herself... on Law College Road, some time around midnight
Britto's
Don't miss Britto's when you are in Goa. Anyone will tell you where it is, but if you are the type who doesn't like to ask - just watch out for it a hundred meters from the end of the road on the Calangute Baga beach.
Try anything and everything that used to move. Especially the crab-stuff prawns and the rava fry mussels.
Try anything and everything that used to move. Especially the crab-stuff prawns and the rava fry mussels.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Quote for the Day
Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan of the BJP today sent a clear message to the party saying "Vikas alone is Hindutva"!
Results from Andhra, Orissa and Bihar clearly point to what India wants - development, not divisive politics of caste and religion.
Results from Andhra, Orissa and Bihar clearly point to what India wants - development, not divisive politics of caste and religion.
Interesting Times!
With the UPA coming back to power with a thumping mandate, the Left, SP and BSP out of the way of reforms and development, the stock markets reacted with a never-before rally, gaining more than 2000 points, a rise of 17%, before two successive upper circuits triggered off and halted trading for the day, first time in history. And all this in just one minute of trading!
The Indian stock market, in that one minute, has become the best performing stock market in the world this year.
While all this was happening, Sri Lanka also annouced the end of the 30 year old war with the LTTE, with the killing of Prabhakaran and most of this key leadership.
Will we soon see a similar rout of the Taliban? Are good days here again?
The Indian stock market, in that one minute, has become the best performing stock market in the world this year.
While all this was happening, Sri Lanka also annouced the end of the 30 year old war with the LTTE, with the killing of Prabhakaran and most of this key leadership.
Will we soon see a similar rout of the Taliban? Are good days here again?
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Singh is King... and How!
As the results keep pouring in now, the trends are absolutely clear! The UPA is headed for a mammoth 260+ seats, almost 100 more than the BJP-led NDA, powered by 200+ seats for the Congress itself. Manmohan Singh has proved he's King, the only PM since Nehru to be voted back to power after a 5 year term.
As Naveen Patnaik and Nitish Kumar sweep their states of Orissa and Bihar, the verdict is clear. The Indian voter has rejected divisive politics and voted for governance and stability. Lalu and Paswan have been routed, Mayavati and her bahujan politics have been relegated to third position in UP, irrespective of the number of statues of herself she's got installed all over. The Left has got their lowest ever total in decades in Kerela and West Bengal, their shameless politics of blackmail given a strong thums down.
The Congress has cashed in on the strength of the Gandhi family, Sonia and Rahul's charisma and relentless campaigning turning into a strong positive tide in their favour. But for me, the winner has definitely been the performance and the clean image of our PM, Manmohan Singh, who's truly showed his worth! With many other strong, young leaders like Sachin Pilot, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Milind Deora, Priya Dutt and NC's Omar Abdullah, the country can finally look forward to a lot more involvement and power to the youth.
What did the BJP get wrong? Everything. Having Advani fly to Mumbai to try and make cheap gains out of 26/11, even while our soldiers were still battling, a few days after having publicly taken on the ATS and its chief Hemant Karkare, was symbolic of the depth the party has sunk to. From opposing the nuclear deal, to infighting between its own cadres, to the absolutely disgusting personal attacks against a man of the stature of Manmohan Singh, the BJP has proved it's complete lack of vision and leadership to run this country!
For me, this is a red letter day in the history of this country. Finally, truly, this country has grown up!
As Naveen Patnaik and Nitish Kumar sweep their states of Orissa and Bihar, the verdict is clear. The Indian voter has rejected divisive politics and voted for governance and stability. Lalu and Paswan have been routed, Mayavati and her bahujan politics have been relegated to third position in UP, irrespective of the number of statues of herself she's got installed all over. The Left has got their lowest ever total in decades in Kerela and West Bengal, their shameless politics of blackmail given a strong thums down.
The Congress has cashed in on the strength of the Gandhi family, Sonia and Rahul's charisma and relentless campaigning turning into a strong positive tide in their favour. But for me, the winner has definitely been the performance and the clean image of our PM, Manmohan Singh, who's truly showed his worth! With many other strong, young leaders like Sachin Pilot, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Milind Deora, Priya Dutt and NC's Omar Abdullah, the country can finally look forward to a lot more involvement and power to the youth.
What did the BJP get wrong? Everything. Having Advani fly to Mumbai to try and make cheap gains out of 26/11, even while our soldiers were still battling, a few days after having publicly taken on the ATS and its chief Hemant Karkare, was symbolic of the depth the party has sunk to. From opposing the nuclear deal, to infighting between its own cadres, to the absolutely disgusting personal attacks against a man of the stature of Manmohan Singh, the BJP has proved it's complete lack of vision and leadership to run this country!
For me, this is a red letter day in the history of this country. Finally, truly, this country has grown up!
3rd Weekend in Goa...
My third consecutive weekend in Goa :) And no matter how many times I come, and how inconvenient or otherwise the journey is, it's just not enough!
Really looking forward to dry fry crabs, masala squids, and rava fry shinanyo at Ritz tonight :)
Really looking forward to dry fry crabs, masala squids, and rava fry shinanyo at Ritz tonight :)
An Amazing Democracy... Maturing...
Elections 2009 have been an amazing step forward for Indian democracy... a mammoth exercise in the face of terror, a resounding success for the armed forces, for the election commission, for the politicians, and for the ever-maturing Indian voter.
Less than an hour into counting for half a billion votes, and results are already coming in for more than half the seats! Just an amazing testimonial of the maturity of this largest democracy in the world!
And the results... just stunning. Spoilers like Maya and Lalu getting routed, Nitish sweeping Bihar with his results of good governance, Left losing heavily after their politics of convenience. And most interestingly, the two main parties, Congress and the BJP, gaining heavily at the expense of the other smaller parties.
Still early hours... but with gains of around 40 seats, and a difference of almost 60 with the NDA, the UPA seems to be emerging the clear winner...
Less than an hour into counting for half a billion votes, and results are already coming in for more than half the seats! Just an amazing testimonial of the maturity of this largest democracy in the world!
And the results... just stunning. Spoilers like Maya and Lalu getting routed, Nitish sweeping Bihar with his results of good governance, Left losing heavily after their politics of convenience. And most interestingly, the two main parties, Congress and the BJP, gaining heavily at the expense of the other smaller parties.
Still early hours... but with gains of around 40 seats, and a difference of almost 60 with the NDA, the UPA seems to be emerging the clear winner...
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Amazing India
Nice piece in the Express today got me thinking...
When the politicians dithered about Nano and IPL, corporate India stood up and showed the world how to do things... fast, decisive thinking, and both projects were back on track!
And when corporate India threw up a Satyam, our politicians stood up, and showed the world how severely screwed up companies can be resurrected - in a matter of 2-3 months!
I guess, it happens only in India... :)
When the politicians dithered about Nano and IPL, corporate India stood up and showed the world how to do things... fast, decisive thinking, and both projects were back on track!
And when corporate India threw up a Satyam, our politicians stood up, and showed the world how severely screwed up companies can be resurrected - in a matter of 2-3 months!
I guess, it happens only in India... :)
Confessions of a Shopaholic (Family)
We did a bit of shopping and a lot of window shopping last night...
First to Twist and Tales. Sanam wanted to read about Shivaji, having been inspired by the movie. When she couldn't find something on him, she tells me, we can buy Secret Seven instead. Lol. Anyway, finally, I found a Shivaji comic in a set, along with 9 others... and had to buy the whole bunch.
Then we went to Croma. We checked out a LCD - Sony Bravia looked great, but the moment they switched from the Hi Def Promo to Tata Sky, it suddenly didnt look as sexy any more! So we'll probably just repair our existing Bazoomba and wait for Tata Sky to deliver HD content before we splurge another fifty grand.
Sanam then wanted to check out an electronic piano/keyboard. She tells me Yamaha is the best. Apparently, she checked out features and prices on Google! Oh, and yes, by the way, she's seven and half years old.
We saw a Tata Nano there, too. Croma belongs to Tata, remember? Pretty sexy car, I must say! Good job, Rattu!
Then to Natekar sports. Some swimwear for Sanam, and a baseball bat for myself. The moment he saw it, he knew - it's to keep in the car, right? he asked me! Yes, I said, surprised. Well, everyone who buys one, does it for the same purpose, he explained!
We also checked out an exercise bike - 5K, with hands and legs support. I was curios. What if it reduced my hands and legs, but left my stomach intact? He smiled and assured me that wouldn't happen. I am not completely convinced.
Then we had some Wazwaan chicken and wazwaan fruit punch, with some other normal sounding assortments, and came back home.
First to Twist and Tales. Sanam wanted to read about Shivaji, having been inspired by the movie. When she couldn't find something on him, she tells me, we can buy Secret Seven instead. Lol. Anyway, finally, I found a Shivaji comic in a set, along with 9 others... and had to buy the whole bunch.
Then we went to Croma. We checked out a LCD - Sony Bravia looked great, but the moment they switched from the Hi Def Promo to Tata Sky, it suddenly didnt look as sexy any more! So we'll probably just repair our existing Bazoomba and wait for Tata Sky to deliver HD content before we splurge another fifty grand.
Sanam then wanted to check out an electronic piano/keyboard. She tells me Yamaha is the best. Apparently, she checked out features and prices on Google! Oh, and yes, by the way, she's seven and half years old.
We saw a Tata Nano there, too. Croma belongs to Tata, remember? Pretty sexy car, I must say! Good job, Rattu!
Then to Natekar sports. Some swimwear for Sanam, and a baseball bat for myself. The moment he saw it, he knew - it's to keep in the car, right? he asked me! Yes, I said, surprised. Well, everyone who buys one, does it for the same purpose, he explained!
We also checked out an exercise bike - 5K, with hands and legs support. I was curios. What if it reduced my hands and legs, but left my stomach intact? He smiled and assured me that wouldn't happen. I am not completely convinced.
Then we had some Wazwaan chicken and wazwaan fruit punch, with some other normal sounding assortments, and came back home.
Movie Review: Me Shijaviraje Bhonsale Boltoy
Yet another fantastic Marathi movie! In the last few months, I have enjoyed some really good movies, and MSBB just ups the bar one more level.
Dinkar Rao Bhonsale is a middle aged, middle class Marathi manoos. He wears white formal shirts and trousers, travels by bus, and works in a bank. He buys Bombay Duck (and not the Pomfret) and waits for his arrears to come so he can buy a new shirt. His son is desperate for admission to Engineering college, but Bhonsale cannot afford the donation fees. His daughter wants to change her name to B Kala and then to a Chopra, because she finds Shashikala Bhonsale very down market. He loves to be called Baba, but the kids prefer Dad. And every South Indian and North Indian in Mumbai despises him for being a Ghaati. A typical Marathi manoos, lost in every day life, and incapable of moving in tandem with the fast moving "outsiders" in his own city.
He owns a palatial old bungalow in suburban Mumbai... When a builder eyes it, and offers Dinkar Rao an alternate bungalow in Badlapur, he refuses to move out. He wants to stay here, and he wants an apartment in the complex being built on his land. How can you non-veg fish-eating Ghaati stay in the midst of the rich vegeterian clientele, asks the builder? But Dinkar Rao is adamant. And that's when his troubles start.
From harassment by the BMC to threats and attempts on the lives of his children, will Dinkar Rao be able to fight back? Yes, he will! Because he has the support of the apparition of Shivaji and his loyal followers, who inspire and guide him to fight back, as a true Marathi manoos.
The production quality is pretty good, and for most past, doesn't feel like a movie shot on videocam (except some of the scenes of Shivaji on the horse in the city). Some of the camera angles are shots are pretty outstanding. There're a lot of laughs sprinkled around throughout the movie. The cast is perfect - every character an absolute perfect caricature of people you will meet and interact with every day. Sachin Khedekar does a fantastic job. Mahesh Manjrekar is good as Shivaji, though on close ups, he looks a little drunk and sleep deprived. Makarand Anaspure is fast proving himself to be the king of comedy in Mollywood. And as the daughter, Priya Bapat does a great job, and also lights up the screen whenever she's there!
The movie is a perfect rebuke to the antics of the MNS and other self-styled champions of the Marathi manoos. It has a serious social message, and yet, provides all the thrills and the entertainment of typical comemrcial cinema. One particular scene packs a lot of punch - when Dinkar Rao complains to Shivaji about outsiders, Shivaji retorts back, "Who asked you not to open hotels? Who asked you not to send your kids to IAS? Why do you take so much pride saying "amchi kuthech shakha nahin"?".
Should definitely make some people think...
I'm not a Marathi manoos, and I have no opinions to offer about them (at least not on this blog :)), but I enjoyed the movie, and I would highly recommend it to everyone else... as long as you can understand a bit of Marathi!
Dinkar Rao Bhonsale is a middle aged, middle class Marathi manoos. He wears white formal shirts and trousers, travels by bus, and works in a bank. He buys Bombay Duck (and not the Pomfret) and waits for his arrears to come so he can buy a new shirt. His son is desperate for admission to Engineering college, but Bhonsale cannot afford the donation fees. His daughter wants to change her name to B Kala and then to a Chopra, because she finds Shashikala Bhonsale very down market. He loves to be called Baba, but the kids prefer Dad. And every South Indian and North Indian in Mumbai despises him for being a Ghaati. A typical Marathi manoos, lost in every day life, and incapable of moving in tandem with the fast moving "outsiders" in his own city.
He owns a palatial old bungalow in suburban Mumbai... When a builder eyes it, and offers Dinkar Rao an alternate bungalow in Badlapur, he refuses to move out. He wants to stay here, and he wants an apartment in the complex being built on his land. How can you non-veg fish-eating Ghaati stay in the midst of the rich vegeterian clientele, asks the builder? But Dinkar Rao is adamant. And that's when his troubles start.
From harassment by the BMC to threats and attempts on the lives of his children, will Dinkar Rao be able to fight back? Yes, he will! Because he has the support of the apparition of Shivaji and his loyal followers, who inspire and guide him to fight back, as a true Marathi manoos.
The production quality is pretty good, and for most past, doesn't feel like a movie shot on videocam (except some of the scenes of Shivaji on the horse in the city). Some of the camera angles are shots are pretty outstanding. There're a lot of laughs sprinkled around throughout the movie. The cast is perfect - every character an absolute perfect caricature of people you will meet and interact with every day. Sachin Khedekar does a fantastic job. Mahesh Manjrekar is good as Shivaji, though on close ups, he looks a little drunk and sleep deprived. Makarand Anaspure is fast proving himself to be the king of comedy in Mollywood. And as the daughter, Priya Bapat does a great job, and also lights up the screen whenever she's there!
The movie is a perfect rebuke to the antics of the MNS and other self-styled champions of the Marathi manoos. It has a serious social message, and yet, provides all the thrills and the entertainment of typical comemrcial cinema. One particular scene packs a lot of punch - when Dinkar Rao complains to Shivaji about outsiders, Shivaji retorts back, "Who asked you not to open hotels? Who asked you not to send your kids to IAS? Why do you take so much pride saying "amchi kuthech shakha nahin"?".
Should definitely make some people think...
I'm not a Marathi manoos, and I have no opinions to offer about them (at least not on this blog :)), but I enjoyed the movie, and I would highly recommend it to everyone else... as long as you can understand a bit of Marathi!
IPL 2
IPL 2 kicked of in SA yesterday - pretty sad that it's not in India this time. Was really looking forward to it. And with Dada out as captain, with the Pakis missing, and with my TV conked off... at least as far as I am concerned, the IPL fever's yet to catch on!
Dr Phatak
Yesterday, as part of the BE Project Competition at Persistent, I had the good fortune, once again, to hear Dr D. B. Phatak, from IIT Mumbai speak to us at length about life, learning, values, ethics, India and dreams.
Be like DEW drops he said
Dream big
Enjoy life
Work hard
As always, it was an inspiring, humorous, and very memorable experience.
A piece of unsolicited advice: NEVER miss an opportunity to hear him speak!
Be like DEW drops he said
Dream big
Enjoy life
Work hard
As always, it was an inspiring, humorous, and very memorable experience.
A piece of unsolicited advice: NEVER miss an opportunity to hear him speak!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
26/11 Revisited
Bought a book on 26/11 yesterday from Crossword. A collection of articles and compilations, the book brought back vivid memories of those 60 hours of horror, with some new insights and understanding into what really happened in those hours of horror, bravery and pride. The cold and calculated planning and execution by the ten agents of death, and the unflinching bravery and courage of our officers, the staff of the hotels, and many ordinary citizens.
Do buy it, and read it.
Do buy it, and read it.
Movie Review: Evan Almighty
Saw a pretty interesting (and old) movie yesterday on HBO - Evan Almighty. When God meets and encourages a newly elected Congressman to build an ark, he thinks he's freaking out under stress. But when animals and birds start chasing him in pairs and when his beard refuses to bow to a shave, he realises he has no choice.
Why does God ask him to build the ark? Will there really be a flood on Sept 22nd?
What I liked was the message of the movie: you can change the world by doing "Acts of Random Kindness" - ARK.
Oh yes, and the animals too :)
Why does God ask him to build the ark? Will there really be a flood on Sept 22nd?
What I liked was the message of the movie: you can change the world by doing "Acts of Random Kindness" - ARK.
Oh yes, and the animals too :)
Movie Review: The Fast and The Furious 4
A treat for road action fans, F&F4 is set in the deserts and streets of southern USA and Mexico, with Vin Diesel, out for revenge against the drug lords for the murder of his girl friend (the sultry Michelle Rodriguez), teaming up with an FBI agent, Paul Walker, racing against and with each other in a deadly game of speed. Also watch out for the really hot Jordana Brewster, as the gangster's henchwoman.
The opening sequence is breathtaking, and there are a few cool segements later on, but the movie stretches for most part and could have easily been cut down by another 30 mins.
The opening sequence is breathtaking, and there are a few cool segements later on, but the movie stretches for most part and could have easily been cut down by another 30 mins.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Movie Review: 8 * 10 Tasveer
If you thought a camera clicking the future was innovative, check this out. Akshay Kumar, an Environment Protection Services officer in Canada, has a unique talent - he can stare at a photograph, and get his mind transported into the past where the picture was clicked. And yes, he can even look into the past through the eyes of those present, or not present, there. Every time he does that, he also goes close to death, and needs serious medical attention to stabilize. And yes, if someone burns the photo while he's in the past, he's going to be stuck there forever.
Anyways.
The story is pathetic, very predictable for most part, and the twist at the end is just about OK.
Akshay does a typical Akshay, and he should reasses his candidature to topple the King Khan. Ayesha is roly poly, yet very sweet and sexy. I like this girl. She's done some great movies, and she needs a good director to bring some amazing stuff out of her. Unfortunately, this isn't really one of those movies.
But yes, do watch the movie for some of the most beautiful locales ever captured in a Hindi film. Absolutely mesmerizing. Worth it, just for that.
Anyways.
The story is pathetic, very predictable for most part, and the twist at the end is just about OK.
Akshay does a typical Akshay, and he should reasses his candidature to topple the King Khan. Ayesha is roly poly, yet very sweet and sexy. I like this girl. She's done some great movies, and she needs a good director to bring some amazing stuff out of her. Unfortunately, this isn't really one of those movies.
But yes, do watch the movie for some of the most beautiful locales ever captured in a Hindi film. Absolutely mesmerizing. Worth it, just for that.
Movie Review: Aa Dekhe Zara
A camera that clicks the future. When Ray Acharya's uncle passes it on to his nephew after his death, Ray sees in it a sure fire way to unlimited riches. Just click the Playwin lottery boards, the finish line at the race tracks, the cricket score boards... bet on it, and lo! From a struggling photographer, Ray amasses wealth by the day.
He also meets, dates, and falls in love with a DJ, Simi Chatterjee.
But someone else is on his track, and desperately wants the camera, and will go to any length to get it. And things get even more complicated when the camera returns a black picture of himself - the camera's way of denoting death. And he has less than 6 days to leave.
Can he use the camera to see in to his future, and somehow, turn it around?
Overall, the movie is OK. The story keeps you wondering how it will turn in the end. Some of the locales are interesting too.
The cast, though, leaves you disappointed. Bipasha looks OK, and dances to some typically Bips steps, but Neil Nitin Mukesh is a big disappointment. He has sharp features, alright, and looks OK in good clothes, but he's literally WHITE! He's put any fair and lovely model to shame. His dialogue delivery is terrible, he cannot emote. Interesting and disappointing, also, is his character. Not a hero, not an anti hero, he's just a passer by in the movie.
Overall, OK to get a DVD and go through it when you have nothing else to do.
He also meets, dates, and falls in love with a DJ, Simi Chatterjee.
But someone else is on his track, and desperately wants the camera, and will go to any length to get it. And things get even more complicated when the camera returns a black picture of himself - the camera's way of denoting death. And he has less than 6 days to leave.
Can he use the camera to see in to his future, and somehow, turn it around?
Overall, the movie is OK. The story keeps you wondering how it will turn in the end. Some of the locales are interesting too.
The cast, though, leaves you disappointed. Bipasha looks OK, and dances to some typically Bips steps, but Neil Nitin Mukesh is a big disappointment. He has sharp features, alright, and looks OK in good clothes, but he's literally WHITE! He's put any fair and lovely model to shame. His dialogue delivery is terrible, he cannot emote. Interesting and disappointing, also, is his character. Not a hero, not an anti hero, he's just a passer by in the movie.
Overall, OK to get a DVD and go through it when you have nothing else to do.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Virgin Exceeds Expectations... Again
I sent a query about my plan to Virgin customer care late on Sunday evening, and I was pleasantly surprised to receive not an automated acknowledgement, but a very detailed and clear explanation of my plan within a few minutes. I am impressed with the level of customer service. Keep it up, guys!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Buchanan's Lost It!
Buchanan inexplicably announces multiple captains in the KKR team! I mean, hello, does this even make sense? SRK - come on, wake up and look into what's happening, man!
And Dada, I know you will win in the end :) Your fans believe in you!
And Dada, I know you will win in the end :) Your fans believe in you!
NASSCOM Award Ceremony
Finally found pictures of the NASSCOM awards presentation ceremony :) Here I am receiving the award from Jyotiraditya Scindia, MoS for IT with Ganesh Natarajan and Som Mittal looking on.
And here's one of the panel discussion I participated in on "Innovation":
And here's one of the panel discussion I participated in on "Innovation":
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Goa bans the SRS
The Goa government today banned the Sri Ram Sene, even before it set up it's first branch in the state. Even the BJP supported the government step. Thank god, some sense still prevails!
MapMyIndia
I had to visit PICT today, and starting from Sangam Bridge RTO, I knew the general location but had never been there today, and decided to let my MapMyIndia gadget take me there. It took me right through the city, cutting across from Shaniwarwada acrosss Laxmi Road and directly into Swargate, and then took me straight to the gate of the college off Satara road. Pretty neat!
It was fun at PICT, meeting the students, spending time in the canteen... reminded me of my good old days as a carefree student...
But frankly, I prefer it now :)
It was fun at PICT, meeting the students, spending time in the canteen... reminded me of my good old days as a carefree student...
But frankly, I prefer it now :)
3rd in the Family!
My sister bought her very own Ford Ikon yesterday, the 3rd sexy Ford in our family :)
I'm A Virgin :)
Yes, well, I got a Virgin Mobile last week... 1699 for the phone and the pack, with 499 worth of free air/talk time, I thought it was worth a look! Their plan promises 100 free smses every day, after the first 3 are charged. Will help me save around a 1000 bucks from my cellphone bill every month... a good thing during recession :)
Let's see, for now, I am clinging on to my virginity :)
Let's see, for now, I am clinging on to my virginity :)
Movie Review: Straight
Straight - A Tedhi Medhi Love Story is another gem from Vinay Pathak.
Owner of the Gaylord restaurant in London, Vinay's life turns very complicated when a new stand up comedian cum cook joins his restaurant and becomes his best friend, and one day, ends up smooching him. Am I turning gay? How do I tell Renu I love her? Will I ever end up losing my virginity?
The movie is a typical Vinay gig - at times funny, at times serious, but always very real. Very identifiable. I found Anuj Chaudhary as his friend, and Siddharth Makkar as his step-brother pretty likeable too... oops, am I...?
Not a bad option for a weekend...
Owner of the Gaylord restaurant in London, Vinay's life turns very complicated when a new stand up comedian cum cook joins his restaurant and becomes his best friend, and one day, ends up smooching him. Am I turning gay? How do I tell Renu I love her? Will I ever end up losing my virginity?
The movie is a typical Vinay gig - at times funny, at times serious, but always very real. Very identifiable. I found Anuj Chaudhary as his friend, and Siddharth Makkar as his step-brother pretty likeable too... oops, am I...?
Not a bad option for a weekend...
Movie Review: Little Zizou
I quite liked this one. A movie about Parsis, made by Parsis, with Parsis, this is however a universally appealing story about real people and real lives, that will definitely touch you if you like understanding the lives of normal people. Forget the story.. just sit and relax and enjoy the small things that make life so beautiful. Some amazing characters, played by some amazing actors.
Watch it. Worth it.
Watch it. Worth it.
Movie Review: 13B
13B is a suspense thriller rather than the horror movie it is projected to be... and actually gets funny at times.
When a happy joint family moves into their new apartment, their TV behaves rather strangely - forcing them to watch a serial about a happy family that just moves into their new apartment. What is the TV trying to tell them? What message are the spirits trying to pass on?
Interesting story, worth a watch. But don't expect too much.
When a happy joint family moves into their new apartment, their TV behaves rather strangely - forcing them to watch a serial about a happy family that just moves into their new apartment. What is the TV trying to tell them? What message are the spirits trying to pass on?
Interesting story, worth a watch. But don't expect too much.
Movie Review: The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Some pending movie reviews coming up.. the first being the Oscar-motivated Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Brad Pitt (thanks to all those who quickly pointed out my mistake when I wrote Matt Damn) does a fantastic job as the man who ages in reverse... being born as a freak kid with the shrivelled look of an old man, he grows into a weak and stumbling fellow, then slowly gets strength in his feet, his features become younger... becomes a handsome young man, then a kid...
What does this do to his love life? How do you handle your daughter being the same age as you, and then elder to you? What do you do when the woman you love grows older, while you grown younger and smarter...?
Interesting story, some fantastic make up. Matt is top class.
However, the movie is slwo and stretched, and you come out feeling drained and bored. Definitely not worth wasting time in a theatre on a good weekend, might be better to just get a DVD and keep the remote handy to push through those boring parts... well, most of the movie, actually!
Brad Pitt (thanks to all those who quickly pointed out my mistake when I wrote Matt Damn) does a fantastic job as the man who ages in reverse... being born as a freak kid with the shrivelled look of an old man, he grows into a weak and stumbling fellow, then slowly gets strength in his feet, his features become younger... becomes a handsome young man, then a kid...
What does this do to his love life? How do you handle your daughter being the same age as you, and then elder to you? What do you do when the woman you love grows older, while you grown younger and smarter...?
Interesting story, some fantastic make up. Matt is top class.
However, the movie is slwo and stretched, and you come out feeling drained and bored. Definitely not worth wasting time in a theatre on a good weekend, might be better to just get a DVD and keep the remote handy to push through those boring parts... well, most of the movie, actually!
India Breaks the Kiwi Jinx
With a well-deserved 10 wicket victory, Team India proved to be too strong for the Kiwis in the first test. With Sachin's 150+, a fascinating spell of swing bowling in the first innings and Harbhajan's 6 wicket haul in the second, India completely outplayed their counterparts to take a 1-0 lead.
Meanwhile, still on cricket, Vijay Mallya dropped Dravid as the captain of his IPL team, putting Kevin Pieterson (to be followed by Jacques Kallis) in his place.
Meanwhile, still on cricket, Vijay Mallya dropped Dravid as the captain of his IPL team, putting Kevin Pieterson (to be followed by Jacques Kallis) in his place.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Sun Outage!
Something really cool happened today while watching cricket - check the screen grab from my TV! Never knew such things happened :)
India on the Offensive...
After giving a drubbing to the Kiwis in the first one dayer, and having to let go of a good start in the second to rain, India set a target of just less than 400 for the Kiwis in the third one dayer at Christchurch.
At the time of writing this blog, NZ was fighting a losing battle, having lost 7 wickets and still needing 153 from 77.
Rock On, India!
At the time of writing this blog, NZ was fighting a losing battle, having lost 7 wickets and still needing 153 from 77.
Rock On, India!
Friday, March 06, 2009
Study in Contrasts...
NSG commandos storming the Taj. The army surrounding the Trident. Braves heroes giving up their lives for our countrymen. 9 terrorists shot dead. One captured. Memories and visuals that bring tears to the eyes, while the heart swells with pride.
Contrast this with the shame of Lahore. The world stinging in its criticism. Terrorists calmly walking away in full glare of cameras (and how did they get there?) and police vans.
That's the difference, isn't it?
Contrast this with the shame of Lahore. The world stinging in its criticism. Terrorists calmly walking away in full glare of cameras (and how did they get there?) and police vans.
That's the difference, isn't it?
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Tribute To Friendship
Got this beautiful collage from a friend, as my birthday gift... a tribute to the awesome times we've shared as friends and colleagues. It's been awesome having you guys around... and I look forward to many more such great moments!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Obama and Kasav
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!
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!
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!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Sanam At Mannat
Sanam outside Mannat, waiting for the King Khan to arrive... in vain, I must say. The tall building in the background is his office, the shorter while building in the middle is Mannat. Most of the complex is hidden behind the huge compound wall. Right opposite, facing Mannat, is the beautiful Bandra sea-face.
The Bandra Worli Sea Link Bridge
A view of the Worli Prabhadevi skyline from the Sea Link bridge entrance on the Bandra side
The Sea Link bridge, nearing completion. Will bring down the travel time from Bandra to Worli from 30 mins at peak time to less than 10 besides decongesting Bandra-Mahim and Dadar. It's also expected to be a major tourist point and it's not difficult to imagine why! :)
ps: Apologies for the low quality pics, clicked by a seedha saadha Nokia in foggy weather
Bouncing Back!
On the eve of the second anniversary of the Mumbai terror attacks, we got the opportunity to visit the sites of the attacks, to pay our homage and express our gratitude to the men who laid down their lives defending us.
Our first visit was to the Trident and Oberoi. As we passed the entrance, the smiling and smartly dressed valets and security officers warmly welcomed us, no sign of terror or apprehension on their faces. Looking around at the Trident, it was hard to imagine the horror of two months back. While parts of the Oberoi remained boarded up under repairs, the Trident stood tall and beautiful in all its glory, the restaurants on the ground floor that had taken the biggest hits desked up and warmly lit, beckoning its guests again.
Yes, one might argue that life has to go on, and that this is just part of moving on. But truly, seeing the pace of work, and the positive vibes emanating from every place we visited, I can say one thing for sure... terror might put us down for a few days, but we will come up winners, stronger, more united and more resilient, with every attack!
Our first visit was to the Trident and Oberoi. As we passed the entrance, the smiling and smartly dressed valets and security officers warmly welcomed us, no sign of terror or apprehension on their faces. Looking around at the Trident, it was hard to imagine the horror of two months back. While parts of the Oberoi remained boarded up under repairs, the Trident stood tall and beautiful in all its glory, the restaurants on the ground floor that had taken the biggest hits desked up and warmly lit, beckoning its guests again.
I got down for a minute, at the foot of the building, looking up and was overcome with emotion, fighting hard tears of pride - Radio Mirchi playing "Mar Jaawa", a song that could have very well summed up the admiration and love the country feels towards these heroes of 26/11.
Our next stop was the Taj. After 3 days of fire and assault, I was almost scared to imagine what I would find. In my last trip to Mumbai, I had marvelled at the beauty of this grand old building. I was almost hesitant to see it, knowing it would be really difficult to see it in ruins.
This is what we found.
The beautiful old lady, looking just as beautiful as a desert does in full bloom after a terrible storm! With hardly any external sign of damage, except a few boarded windows, and a fresh coat of paint to hide its scars, the Taj stood resplendent in the afternoon sun, thousands of admiring visitors gazing at it in pure awe, while the Gateway of India opposite it stood ready to receive thousands of visitors for the Satbhavna Concert organized by the Govt of Maharashtra on occasion of Republic Day to applaud the resilience and strength of this awesome city.
Here you can see workers replacing the focus lights illuminating the frontage, while other workers are hard at work inside restoring it to its full glory.
Our final visit was to the Leopold, and while we were unable to drop in for a cup of tea due to restrictions in our schedule driven by the baby in our midst, it was not surprising to see the Cafe thronged by hundreds of patrons, another fitting tribute to the never say die spirit of the city.
Yes, one might argue that life has to go on, and that this is just part of moving on. But truly, seeing the pace of work, and the positive vibes emanating from every place we visited, I can say one thing for sure... terror might put us down for a few days, but we will come up winners, stronger, more united and more resilient, with every attack!
Amchi Sexy Mumbai
We spent the weekend in Mumbai, enjoying every second of it. Here are some things that rated high on our to-do list:
1) An evening at InOrbit Mall in Malad - watching the people, some shopping, bumping into celebrities, and of course, a taste of the non-veg platter at the Food Court
2) A trip to Mannat at Bandra Bandstand, hoping to catch a glimpse of the King Khan. By the way, if you reach there late evening, the beach is an excellent spot too!
3) Oggling the Sea Link bridge - you can do this on the way to and from Mannat :) Also have a look at the unbelievable long and winding sky walk from BKC to Bandra Station over the WE Highway.
4) A trip to Trident, Taj and Cafe Leopold - our homage to the martyrs and the indomitable spirit of the city
5) A horse carriage ride through the cobblestoned streets of downtown Mumbai
6) Lunch at Tendulkars, with Ajit Agarkar for company on the adjacent table. Not to mention the 20% discount we got on a bill of 4500 from the Goan manager!
1) An evening at InOrbit Mall in Malad - watching the people, some shopping, bumping into celebrities, and of course, a taste of the non-veg platter at the Food Court
2) A trip to Mannat at Bandra Bandstand, hoping to catch a glimpse of the King Khan. By the way, if you reach there late evening, the beach is an excellent spot too!
3) Oggling the Sea Link bridge - you can do this on the way to and from Mannat :) Also have a look at the unbelievable long and winding sky walk from BKC to Bandra Station over the WE Highway.
4) A trip to Trident, Taj and Cafe Leopold - our homage to the martyrs and the indomitable spirit of the city
5) A horse carriage ride through the cobblestoned streets of downtown Mumbai
6) Lunch at Tendulkars, with Ajit Agarkar for company on the adjacent table. Not to mention the 20% discount we got on a bill of 4500 from the Goan manager!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
A Tale of Two Restaurants
Two nights, two restaurants, two very different experiences.
Last night it was Sigree, at the very end of DP Road, behind Mainland China. While we had visited the area dozens of times earlier, we had not visited Sigree. They have an outdoor seating with a buffet spread, and a la carte dining inside. We chose indoors. While the place was large and pretty full, with maybe 200 diners, it was also very spacious, comfortable and relaxed. We ate like crazy, the Adraki Lamb, Lamb Soup and the Rogah Josh was simply out of the world. So were the Mushroom Shabnam and Paneer Rawalpindi. When we finally licked down the last of the huge kulfis, we could barely walk. It had been a totally awesome experience!
Today, it was Flags. A restaurant that used to be extremely high on my list. Untill now. Apparently they went in for a make over. The new interiors are very inconvenient and impractical, making it impossible for the waiters to serve you properly. The food has turned from awesome to poor, with the mocktails being the worst. The worst was the music, loud and dicso, just completely at odds with the candles on the tables, and loud and jarring enough to make you want to run out. A truly disappointing experience.
So next time you are looking for a nice dinner... Sigree it should be!
Last night it was Sigree, at the very end of DP Road, behind Mainland China. While we had visited the area dozens of times earlier, we had not visited Sigree. They have an outdoor seating with a buffet spread, and a la carte dining inside. We chose indoors. While the place was large and pretty full, with maybe 200 diners, it was also very spacious, comfortable and relaxed. We ate like crazy, the Adraki Lamb, Lamb Soup and the Rogah Josh was simply out of the world. So were the Mushroom Shabnam and Paneer Rawalpindi. When we finally licked down the last of the huge kulfis, we could barely walk. It had been a totally awesome experience!
Today, it was Flags. A restaurant that used to be extremely high on my list. Untill now. Apparently they went in for a make over. The new interiors are very inconvenient and impractical, making it impossible for the waiters to serve you properly. The food has turned from awesome to poor, with the mocktails being the worst. The worst was the music, loud and dicso, just completely at odds with the candles on the tables, and loud and jarring enough to make you want to run out. A truly disappointing experience.
So next time you are looking for a nice dinner... Sigree it should be!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Quote for the Day
I hate you...and then I love you...it's like I want to throw you off a cliff....then rush to the bottom to catch you!!!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Movie Review: The President is Coming
After a heavy dinner of Shengsi Crabmeat Soup, Lemon Coriander Soup, Eight Treasure Seafood Soup, Pepper Prawns, Crispy Corn Chilli, Schezwaan Noodles, BBQ Betki Fish and some delicious Chicken Lollipop, Siddha and I decided to catch a movie... and at 1130, there really weren't too many options. So we ended up watching "The President is Coming". I had warned Siddha it wasn't that great - that's what I had been told. On the other hand, I had a feeling it would be fun.
Feelings sometimes work better than feedback! :)
We loved the movie, and so did the other fifty or so patrons in the theatre.
President Bush is coming to India, and a PR agency is contracted by the US Embassy to find that one representative of the 30 million young Indians to shake the coveted hand of the President. And how do you do that? Through the mother of all reality shows - a no holds barred cut throat competition that puts them through the grinds, to find the one with the best understanding of America and a passion to be American.
The beauty of the movie is in its characters. From the gay South Indian mathematician geek, to the young dashing Gujrathi stock broker, the Bengali novelist, the wannabe Paris Hilton, the voice and accent trainer and the anti-social "MNS" social worker, the characters are just perfect! The conversations are hilarious, in a very Calvin sort of way - the best humour is probably what we see in the way we behave in everyday life.
The movie's probably exiting theatres soon, and you might be lucky to catch a late night show... try it, don't expect any insights and inspirations, and you might actually love it!
Feelings sometimes work better than feedback! :)
We loved the movie, and so did the other fifty or so patrons in the theatre.
President Bush is coming to India, and a PR agency is contracted by the US Embassy to find that one representative of the 30 million young Indians to shake the coveted hand of the President. And how do you do that? Through the mother of all reality shows - a no holds barred cut throat competition that puts them through the grinds, to find the one with the best understanding of America and a passion to be American.
The beauty of the movie is in its characters. From the gay South Indian mathematician geek, to the young dashing Gujrathi stock broker, the Bengali novelist, the wannabe Paris Hilton, the voice and accent trainer and the anti-social "MNS" social worker, the characters are just perfect! The conversations are hilarious, in a very Calvin sort of way - the best humour is probably what we see in the way we behave in everyday life.
The movie's probably exiting theatres soon, and you might be lucky to catch a late night show... try it, don't expect any insights and inspirations, and you might actually love it!
PM Goes to RTO
A couple of days back, our very own PM went quietly to the RTO to get his licence renewed :) The only favours he asked - that he be allowed to do it on a Sunday, and that Sheila Dikshit not be there to welcome him :)
Three cheers to our sweet PM :)
Three cheers to our sweet PM :)
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Proud to be a Slumdog?
I have not yet seen the movie, of course, but I do have some initial thoughts about what's happening with it. Yes, it might be a perfectly well done movie. Rahman has probably given an excellent sound track, Frieda and Anil Kapoor have probaby acted well, and so on and so forth. And it went on to win 4 Golden Globes for its primarily western creators.
But why are we Indians so ga-ga over it? It's not really an Indian movie. It's shot in the slums and dark under bellies of Mumbai. It is a story of hope written by an Indian, but it's also a vivid portrayal of the India that's always appealed to the westerners in search of heart wrenching stories of the third world, pictures and articles that gnaw at your conscience and makes for some great reporting!
That's probably why it's getting the acclaim that a Lagaan never did! Because, even if it was a period movie, Lagaan was about the positive in India. An image most westerners probably find loath to accept? Because it challenges their dominance in an ever-increasing flat world?
I have a feeling this movie will be most appreciated by NRIs and wannabe NRIs - because it gives them the reassurance that their decision to leave the country was very right!
Again, just my thoughts - and I am not really talking about the movie!
But why are we Indians so ga-ga over it? It's not really an Indian movie. It's shot in the slums and dark under bellies of Mumbai. It is a story of hope written by an Indian, but it's also a vivid portrayal of the India that's always appealed to the westerners in search of heart wrenching stories of the third world, pictures and articles that gnaw at your conscience and makes for some great reporting!
That's probably why it's getting the acclaim that a Lagaan never did! Because, even if it was a period movie, Lagaan was about the positive in India. An image most westerners probably find loath to accept? Because it challenges their dominance in an ever-increasing flat world?
I have a feeling this movie will be most appreciated by NRIs and wannabe NRIs - because it gives them the reassurance that their decision to leave the country was very right!
Again, just my thoughts - and I am not really talking about the movie!
Movie Review: Chandni Chowk to China
Akshay Kumar has a flair for comedy and action, and CCTC tries to give you a combination of both. Does it succeed? Depends on how you look at it... if you are willing to keep logic aside and simply appreciate some silly jokes, literally flights of fantasy, and some great action, CCTC is a definite option this weekend.
Sidhu is a "vegetable cutter" from a dhaaba in Chandni Chowk, with dreams but no way to get there. Mysteriously, there appear two Chinese, convinced he is a reincarnation of the legendary warrior Liu Sheng, and the only solution to the problem of the evil Hojo, who's taken over their village. Sidhu, conned by the fraud Feng Shastra (yes, he knows both Feng Sheu and Vaastu Shastra) expert Chopstick, lands up in China. Now, add to this a story of two separated twins, Suzie and Sakhi, born to an Indian girl and a Chinese man who speaks Hindi. One is brought up in India, and lands up in China looking for her missing father and sister, the other joins Hojo. And of course, we can't not have Dada, Mithunda playing Sidhu's adopted mother, father, brother, teacher, mentor, guide and everything else. As one review said, you take all the masala Bollywood has been spicing up for years, and try make a mother of all masala movies, and you have CCTC.
So is it really worth watching? I think so, yes!
Here's what to watch out for...
1) Some simple jokes which will make you laugh. Try catching the "this is true love" joke...
2) An excellently choreographed title song - a dream sequence just before Sidhu lands in China. Probably one of the best ever usages of martial arts in a dance sequence!
3) Deepika's arrival on the scene as India's contribution to the "action heroines", a la Kill Bill. I'm not kidding - her fight sequence at the airport has to rate among the very best. And yes, apart from her moves, do check her facial expressions. Here's an actress waiting to be unleashed.
4) Some good fight sequences by Akshay
5) A short and sweet "floating with an umbrella" song sequence
6) Akshay's dance routine while waiting for the Chinese visa
7) Some amazing locales
8) Deepika. Deepika.
A little less loud, and minus Mithun Da's irritating dialogues, this would have been a show stealer :)
Sidhu is a "vegetable cutter" from a dhaaba in Chandni Chowk, with dreams but no way to get there. Mysteriously, there appear two Chinese, convinced he is a reincarnation of the legendary warrior Liu Sheng, and the only solution to the problem of the evil Hojo, who's taken over their village. Sidhu, conned by the fraud Feng Shastra (yes, he knows both Feng Sheu and Vaastu Shastra) expert Chopstick, lands up in China. Now, add to this a story of two separated twins, Suzie and Sakhi, born to an Indian girl and a Chinese man who speaks Hindi. One is brought up in India, and lands up in China looking for her missing father and sister, the other joins Hojo. And of course, we can't not have Dada, Mithunda playing Sidhu's adopted mother, father, brother, teacher, mentor, guide and everything else. As one review said, you take all the masala Bollywood has been spicing up for years, and try make a mother of all masala movies, and you have CCTC.
So is it really worth watching? I think so, yes!
Here's what to watch out for...
1) Some simple jokes which will make you laugh. Try catching the "this is true love" joke...
2) An excellently choreographed title song - a dream sequence just before Sidhu lands in China. Probably one of the best ever usages of martial arts in a dance sequence!
3) Deepika's arrival on the scene as India's contribution to the "action heroines", a la Kill Bill. I'm not kidding - her fight sequence at the airport has to rate among the very best. And yes, apart from her moves, do check her facial expressions. Here's an actress waiting to be unleashed.
4) Some good fight sequences by Akshay
5) A short and sweet "floating with an umbrella" song sequence
6) Akshay's dance routine while waiting for the Chinese visa
7) Some amazing locales
8) Deepika. Deepika.
A little less loud, and minus Mithun Da's irritating dialogues, this would have been a show stealer :)
Rab Ne, Again..
I've seen Rab Ne a few times already, and every time I've enjoyed it a little more than the earlier time! Maybe it's in the innocence of Suri, the very real life portrayal of the Indian middle class, the vivacity of Taani, the dance numbers, the over-the-top cool Raj, naam toh suna hoga, or simply the peace of the Golden Temple coming out so beautifully, this movie has been growing on me. It's also interesting to profile the audience.. most seem to be repeats, from the kids to the oldies, everyone laughs with Suri, everyone cries with Taani, and everyone has their smiles back on their faces after the honeymoon, as they stream out of the theatres...
Truly a timeless movie, I hope a lot more would be able to gain from this as much as I have, instead of getting stuck in questioning the possibility of a wife unable to recognize her husband in a new outfit.
Truly a timeless movie, I hope a lot more would be able to gain from this as much as I have, instead of getting stuck in questioning the possibility of a wife unable to recognize her husband in a new outfit.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Updated Syllabus!
Sanam had a question in her Hindi exam - name three of India's desh bhaktas. Her answer - Hemant Karkare, Mahatma Gandhi and Ashok Kamte.
Teacher gave her full marks!
Teacher gave her full marks!
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Ab Tum Kabhi Maa Nahin Bann Sakti...
Miyou had a sterilization operation today... and apparently, she was already pregnant a second time, less than 4 months from the time she had her three kittens...
We got her operated on at Pet Aid in Erandwane in the afternoon. She had to be kept without food or drink since morning, and after we got her back from the OT, she was groggy till morning. I had to take her beside me all through the night. It was very touching to see that even though she knew well that it was I who had taken her to the hospital and put her through her ordeal, she still wanted to sit in my lap, and be comforted by my patting.
Sometimes, I wonder if we really have the right to decide for her... but then I remember the three months we spent cleaning up the mess from her litter, and then it doesn't seem that difficult a question to answer any more!
We got her operated on at Pet Aid in Erandwane in the afternoon. She had to be kept without food or drink since morning, and after we got her back from the OT, she was groggy till morning. I had to take her beside me all through the night. It was very touching to see that even though she knew well that it was I who had taken her to the hospital and put her through her ordeal, she still wanted to sit in my lap, and be comforted by my patting.
Sometimes, I wonder if we really have the right to decide for her... but then I remember the three months we spent cleaning up the mess from her litter, and then it doesn't seem that difficult a question to answer any more!
Happy New Year
Another eventful year has gone by... and oh, what a year it has been! When the year began, the Sensex was at a never-before 20K, and market pundits were already talking about 25K. Then came the turn. It started with the sub-prime crisis, and quickly ballooned into an all-encompassing recession that enveloped not just the US, but the whole world. Markets crashed to half their levels at the beginning of the year, losing trillions in market capitalization. Investment banking turned overnight from the alchemy of the finance world into a curse, auto makers scrambled to keep afloat, airlines and hotels struggled desperately to survive.
And then came 26/11. 3 days that have forever changed the way India, and the world, will look at terror.
And yet, I would describe the year 2008 best on one word: growth. Growth of India as a real super power on the world stage. From Chess to Boxing to Badminton and Shooting, India is no longer begging for attention. The CommonWeath Youth Games heralded the rising dominance of young Indian in sports. IPL showed that BCCI didn't just have the money, but the vision and the powers of execution to change the cricket world. With fantastic victories over Australia, India rose as the leaders at home and away! ISRO's Chandrayaan propelled India's space program to the moon, and yet again, India's democratic institutions showed the world what people's power was all about. Tatas bought Jaguar and Land Rover, while the Nano emerged as the most exciting new kid on the block since the Model T! And with the signing of the Nuclear Treaty, India's dominance on the world stage was complete.
But most heartening was the way the country rallied as one after 26/11. As Shiv Sena activists protected mosques and madrassas, Christians protected Hindus, Parsis distributed free bread, and for once, Vande Mataram and Jai Hind was the mantra of the country. MNS's hate campaign bit the dust and people of all faiths and castes joined hands against terror. For once, petty politics gave way to true national unity, and the parliament voted as one to bring in a slew of measures to strengthen our defences. And of course, the true heroes were the countless, faceless jawans, police officers, commandos and fire men, who gave their all, and their lives, in the service of the nation.
For me, personally, it was a truly exciting year! I got my entry into the executive management, finally giving me ability to truly make a difference to the company I have treated as my own for over a decade. We got Catrina, and a few months later, Casatta and her two siblings were born. Siddha and Shweta were blessed with Samah, Sanam had finally got her prayers answered!
What does 2009 have in store for us? Terror, Global Warming and Recession will dominate the headlines for sure... but the optimist in me tells me, this will also be a year when the tide will turn. For the better!
And then came 26/11. 3 days that have forever changed the way India, and the world, will look at terror.
And yet, I would describe the year 2008 best on one word: growth. Growth of India as a real super power on the world stage. From Chess to Boxing to Badminton and Shooting, India is no longer begging for attention. The CommonWeath Youth Games heralded the rising dominance of young Indian in sports. IPL showed that BCCI didn't just have the money, but the vision and the powers of execution to change the cricket world. With fantastic victories over Australia, India rose as the leaders at home and away! ISRO's Chandrayaan propelled India's space program to the moon, and yet again, India's democratic institutions showed the world what people's power was all about. Tatas bought Jaguar and Land Rover, while the Nano emerged as the most exciting new kid on the block since the Model T! And with the signing of the Nuclear Treaty, India's dominance on the world stage was complete.
But most heartening was the way the country rallied as one after 26/11. As Shiv Sena activists protected mosques and madrassas, Christians protected Hindus, Parsis distributed free bread, and for once, Vande Mataram and Jai Hind was the mantra of the country. MNS's hate campaign bit the dust and people of all faiths and castes joined hands against terror. For once, petty politics gave way to true national unity, and the parliament voted as one to bring in a slew of measures to strengthen our defences. And of course, the true heroes were the countless, faceless jawans, police officers, commandos and fire men, who gave their all, and their lives, in the service of the nation.
For me, personally, it was a truly exciting year! I got my entry into the executive management, finally giving me ability to truly make a difference to the company I have treated as my own for over a decade. We got Catrina, and a few months later, Casatta and her two siblings were born. Siddha and Shweta were blessed with Samah, Sanam had finally got her prayers answered!
What does 2009 have in store for us? Terror, Global Warming and Recession will dominate the headlines for sure... but the optimist in me tells me, this will also be a year when the tide will turn. For the better!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
A Fortress in the Sun
Back from Goa after a 4 day break, the hang over still there, the most dominant image of the trip has to be that of the commandos - camouflage uniforms, black bandanas, machine guns slung over the shoulders, some taking position behind sand bag bunkers, others strolling on the beaches, eyes ever watchful. Dozens of them, securing the beaches, the cities, the air ports. Heavy police presence, yet completely unobtrusive. Foreign and Indian tourists enjoying the sun, the sea, and the food - protected and secured by our armed forces. Coming back from Goa last night, I saw this posse of commandos stopping a truck for inspection on the highway, somewhere in Malvan taluka in Maharashtra. Everytime you see the commando, you get a sense of security, not a sense of fear. Interesting...
For the first couple of days, it did feel as if the beaches were empty, the usual festive spirit dampened, recession and terror taking its toll. But by the time we left, the tourists had started streaming in, more and more flights landing with foreigners, and scores of Indians driving in with their bikes, cars and jeeps. Terror has lost, yet again.
For the first couple of days, it did feel as if the beaches were empty, the usual festive spirit dampened, recession and terror taking its toll. But by the time we left, the tourists had started streaming in, more and more flights landing with foreigners, and scores of Indians driving in with their bikes, cars and jeeps. Terror has lost, yet again.
Movie Review: Ghajini
It was billed as the showdown of the year - the two big Khans facing off, Rab Ne versus Ghajini, the new eight pack Khan versus the older six pack Khan, Anushka versus Asin, so on and so forth. Unfortunately, Ghajini is a complete let down, a B grade South Indian action flick with dollops of gore and violence, with absolutely no comparison against the superbly crafted Rab Ne. And while the King Khan dishes out one superb performance after another, the wannabe King resorts to his barber and his gym instructor, and lots of screams and growls to try instill fear in his audiences as the Indian Hannibal cum Super Man cum Hulk. All he succeeds in is assaulting your senses with mindless violence.
I agree I am a SRK fan, but I loved Aamir in QSQT, I loved him in Jo Jeeta, and in Dil Chahata Hai, and in Lagaan, and in countless other movies where Aamir was a great actor, with chocolate boy looks, and a lot of sense on his shoulders. Somewhere along the way, he lost it in the pursuit of being number one, wanting to be called the King. Obsessed with insulting the King on his blog, Aamir seems to have lost focus from what he was good at... acting.
Back to the movie. Inspired by a Tamil movie of the same name, which itself was inspired by a truly beautifully executed Memento, Ghajini is the story of a young business tycoon who falls in love with a wannabe model, but never reveals his true identity to her, because he loves being loved by her as the middle class simple fellow she thinks he is. It's not moot how she never figures out that he is in fact one of the richest men in the country, who moves around with a sleek fleet of black Band Mercs, accompanied by a platoon of assistants and security guards. When she is killed by a gang of child smugglers, the smart Van Heusen dressed businessman suddenly develops eight pack abs, gets a football haircut, learns to growl and snarl, and having lost his memory (he can't remember anything beyond 15 mins), learns to live with a set of photos and notes, and tatoos, constantly reminding him of his mission - take revenge on Ghajini.
The story has too many flaws. While Memento, with its back and forth narration, beautifully pieced the puzzle for you, Ghajini does none of that. It neither brings out the complexity of his life, except for one short sequence of him trying to find out his own house, nor does it bring out the anguish of a man unable to remember even his own name. There are too many unanswered questions, too many loopholes. The screenplay leaves a lot to be desired, although the camera work and technical brilliance of South Indian film industry will catch your attention, especially in a couple of unhummable songs.
For the actors themselves, well, there's really nothing positive to say! Aamir has a good body, one must admit, but coming as it is after every other actor and actress did it, it does leave a "oh, you too" feeling lingering around. He's a good actor, but frankly, an innovative haircut and some loud growling and screaming isn't a big ask. I would have liked to see more anguish, more mental agony, more basic instincts, more questions for the mind. Asin was billed as the next big thing to hit Bollywood after Deepika - she is a huge disappointment, her over acting and extremely ordinary looks coupled with a disastrous wardrobe, make her very uninteresting and boring. Jiah Khan was great in Nishabd as the Indian Lolita, and she has a couple of interesting moments, but overall, she doesn't make the cut. Ghajini himself is also extremely loud and amateurish, again reminiscent of the B grade action movies of the 80s and early 90s.
If you are a die hard Aamir fan with an avowed will-not-miss-a-single-movie existence, and you are comfortable with scenes of heads being smashed with iron crow bars and blood dripping out from taps inserted in stomachs, go ahead and spend the pretty long 3.15 hours on Ghajini. Frankly, a better idea would be to watch Rab Ne for the 3rd or 4th time.
Oh and yes, do keep your kids away from the movie... trust me on that!
I agree I am a SRK fan, but I loved Aamir in QSQT, I loved him in Jo Jeeta, and in Dil Chahata Hai, and in Lagaan, and in countless other movies where Aamir was a great actor, with chocolate boy looks, and a lot of sense on his shoulders. Somewhere along the way, he lost it in the pursuit of being number one, wanting to be called the King. Obsessed with insulting the King on his blog, Aamir seems to have lost focus from what he was good at... acting.
Back to the movie. Inspired by a Tamil movie of the same name, which itself was inspired by a truly beautifully executed Memento, Ghajini is the story of a young business tycoon who falls in love with a wannabe model, but never reveals his true identity to her, because he loves being loved by her as the middle class simple fellow she thinks he is. It's not moot how she never figures out that he is in fact one of the richest men in the country, who moves around with a sleek fleet of black Band Mercs, accompanied by a platoon of assistants and security guards. When she is killed by a gang of child smugglers, the smart Van Heusen dressed businessman suddenly develops eight pack abs, gets a football haircut, learns to growl and snarl, and having lost his memory (he can't remember anything beyond 15 mins), learns to live with a set of photos and notes, and tatoos, constantly reminding him of his mission - take revenge on Ghajini.
The story has too many flaws. While Memento, with its back and forth narration, beautifully pieced the puzzle for you, Ghajini does none of that. It neither brings out the complexity of his life, except for one short sequence of him trying to find out his own house, nor does it bring out the anguish of a man unable to remember even his own name. There are too many unanswered questions, too many loopholes. The screenplay leaves a lot to be desired, although the camera work and technical brilliance of South Indian film industry will catch your attention, especially in a couple of unhummable songs.
For the actors themselves, well, there's really nothing positive to say! Aamir has a good body, one must admit, but coming as it is after every other actor and actress did it, it does leave a "oh, you too" feeling lingering around. He's a good actor, but frankly, an innovative haircut and some loud growling and screaming isn't a big ask. I would have liked to see more anguish, more mental agony, more basic instincts, more questions for the mind. Asin was billed as the next big thing to hit Bollywood after Deepika - she is a huge disappointment, her over acting and extremely ordinary looks coupled with a disastrous wardrobe, make her very uninteresting and boring. Jiah Khan was great in Nishabd as the Indian Lolita, and she has a couple of interesting moments, but overall, she doesn't make the cut. Ghajini himself is also extremely loud and amateurish, again reminiscent of the B grade action movies of the 80s and early 90s.
If you are a die hard Aamir fan with an avowed will-not-miss-a-single-movie existence, and you are comfortable with scenes of heads being smashed with iron crow bars and blood dripping out from taps inserted in stomachs, go ahead and spend the pretty long 3.15 hours on Ghajini. Frankly, a better idea would be to watch Rab Ne for the 3rd or 4th time.
Oh and yes, do keep your kids away from the movie... trust me on that!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Bangaluru Rocks!
OK, make that, the new Bengaluru Airport rocks! I was in Bangalore today for a NASSCOM Innovation Awards roadshow - in fact, I am blogging from the airport while waiting for boarding to start - and flew in this morning. It's spanky new, clean and spacious, extremely well laid out, has a very upmarket Western feel to it. Very nice. The expressway into the city is also awesome, and you pass these sexy shiny green Meru taxis and red Volvos on the way. Almost so-not-India! Or rather, oh-wow-so-new-India :) Shopping is good, food is awesome too. And what's best - you have free Internet - all you need, is to send a SMS, and key in the password you receive, which gives you free connection for an hour. Need more? Just send one more SMS, that's all!
Another interesting thing was that Jet Airways actually did my online checkin for the return journey too - what's surprising? Well, I am coming back on Kingfisher!
Anyway, chalo, my boarding call is beckoning me... catch you later!
Another interesting thing was that Jet Airways actually did my online checkin for the return journey too - what's surprising? Well, I am coming back on Kingfisher!
Anyway, chalo, my boarding call is beckoning me... catch you later!
Movie Review: Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
I need to see this movie a few times before I can really review it objectively - happens to me with SRK movies :) But here's my first attempt...
First the story. Surendar Sahni is middle class small town Indian thirty something male personified, his life defined by his work at Punjab Power, in a 4 by 4 cubicle, surrounded by dusty files and a never ringing phone. Fate gets him married to a bubbly, effervescent Taani, who loses her lover and her love in a tragic bus accident on the day of her marriage. While Suri falls in love with Taani at first sight, he knows Taani can never love him. With the help of his saloon-owner friend, Suri changes into a metrosexual Raj, complete with gelled hair, tight jeans and biceps, and spends some very happy moments with Taani learning dancing together for the dance competition. Will Taani finally figure out that the Raj she loves to be with, is also her boring Suri? Will Suri change? Will Tanni ever love him?
SRK is King, and once again, he proves why. And to all his detractors who said he couldn't act, inspite of movies like KANK and Chak De, RNBDJ has some absolutely stunning moments - every move Suri makes, the scene where he realises she won't run away with Raj, the conversation he has with his Suri mannequin are abolute gems. He's looking great too, especially in the medley song sequence.
Anushka makes a great debut - she's sexy, she's sweet, she looks hot in tracks and demure and innocent in her kurtas. She has a beautiful smile, and while she looks a little common at times, her confidence, her attitude and her poise make up for any shortcomings. Overall, a stunner :)
The screenplay and cinematography are excellent, the sets beautiful. I loved the opening sequence which really sets the atmosphere of the small town life Surendar lives. The medley is fun, and Hole Hole and Dance pe Chance really grow on you as you keep listening to them.
The story could have been a little more innovative - it does get a little boring at times, especially in the 2nd hour. And I think a more exciting way to end it would have been to let Suri change a bit into the new Raj - incorporating his "forced" habits... making Taani like him more and more, until one day - the day she sees her Rab in Suri at the Golden Temple - she realises that they are the same! Would have also been a more serious challenge to the King, to play that slowly evolving character...
Anyway, either way, it's a MUST SEE :)
By the way, what was really interesting to see was the variety of the audience for the movie - old and young, kids, rich and high society, middle calss families... King Ka Jadoo doesn't spare anyone! :)
First the story. Surendar Sahni is middle class small town Indian thirty something male personified, his life defined by his work at Punjab Power, in a 4 by 4 cubicle, surrounded by dusty files and a never ringing phone. Fate gets him married to a bubbly, effervescent Taani, who loses her lover and her love in a tragic bus accident on the day of her marriage. While Suri falls in love with Taani at first sight, he knows Taani can never love him. With the help of his saloon-owner friend, Suri changes into a metrosexual Raj, complete with gelled hair, tight jeans and biceps, and spends some very happy moments with Taani learning dancing together for the dance competition. Will Taani finally figure out that the Raj she loves to be with, is also her boring Suri? Will Suri change? Will Tanni ever love him?
SRK is King, and once again, he proves why. And to all his detractors who said he couldn't act, inspite of movies like KANK and Chak De, RNBDJ has some absolutely stunning moments - every move Suri makes, the scene where he realises she won't run away with Raj, the conversation he has with his Suri mannequin are abolute gems. He's looking great too, especially in the medley song sequence.
Anushka makes a great debut - she's sexy, she's sweet, she looks hot in tracks and demure and innocent in her kurtas. She has a beautiful smile, and while she looks a little common at times, her confidence, her attitude and her poise make up for any shortcomings. Overall, a stunner :)
The screenplay and cinematography are excellent, the sets beautiful. I loved the opening sequence which really sets the atmosphere of the small town life Surendar lives. The medley is fun, and Hole Hole and Dance pe Chance really grow on you as you keep listening to them.
The story could have been a little more innovative - it does get a little boring at times, especially in the 2nd hour. And I think a more exciting way to end it would have been to let Suri change a bit into the new Raj - incorporating his "forced" habits... making Taani like him more and more, until one day - the day she sees her Rab in Suri at the Golden Temple - she realises that they are the same! Would have also been a more serious challenge to the King, to play that slowly evolving character...
Anyway, either way, it's a MUST SEE :)
By the way, what was really interesting to see was the variety of the audience for the movie - old and young, kids, rich and high society, middle calss families... King Ka Jadoo doesn't spare anyone! :)
Movie Review: Transporter 3
Saw this quite a long time back, but somehow never got around to reviewing it. After Death Race, Statham pulls off another action caper, this one about a "transporter" who needs to deliver a cargo - a wierd at first but gradually grows on you Natalya Rudakova. There is catch though -his armed and exposive wrist band ensures that he cannot get more than a few feet away from his car!
Watch it for some very innovative and different action - especially the hand to hand fights, and some good car action, again, treated very differently from the usual!
Definitely a watch for action lovers.
Watch it for some very innovative and different action - especially the hand to hand fights, and some good car action, again, treated very differently from the usual!
Definitely a watch for action lovers.
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