Sherbaug

We went to this awesome nature theme park near Panchgani today, called Sherbaug. We didn't have too many expectations, but I must say, we came back very impressed and happy. Beautiful natural flora, a very innovative (though a little dangerous) water park, and an astounding fossil museum, along with a huge cactus garden make this a really exciting option for kids as well as adults. There's also an art gallery and a house of horror, along with a sweet lil restaurant. At 400/person, it seems a tad expensive, but trust me, it's totally worth it. Don't miss it if you are ever in the vicinity.

Hmmm Hmmm Hummer

Not impressed much actually... especially since it was parked right to my gleaming Samara. I'm sure it rocks off road, but it's definitely not a looker!

Black and White

Samara Goes to Panchgani

We went to Panchgani today, Samara's first out-of-town trip after last week's quick romp to Lavasa. A full load, 5 adults and 2 kids, 250 kms. Expressway and ghat, on and off road. And she handled beautifully... safe and secure at high speeds, easy to manoeuvre and handle on the twists and turns of the ghat, and easy to get down and off road on the narrow roads of the hill stations.

And being able to play music from Madhavi's extensive collection on her cell, using Bluetooth, on the car's speakers meant freedom from having to change CDs for the entire journey :)

Here are some pictures...

Samara Gets A Bath

By the way, while her name's inspired by a friend I had way back in college, I just
found out it means "guardian" or "protected by god". Pretty cool :)

Stress Test

Just took Samara for a stress test on the expressway. She hit 140 easily, and with a little coaxing, the speedo kissed 160. Ride quality, handling and steering was fantastic, though the thought of the massive beast hurtling down the road at that speed is pretty unnerving. Braking was good too, although she does needs a little longer runway to touchdown compared to my Fiesta. Use the breaks to rev the engine a bit before take-off and you can easily draw sketch paintings on the tarmac.

And while we're at it, I must say the sound system totally rocks - close your eyes and you could well be in a very sexy (and loud!) movie theatre!

Some More Hill :)

Tips for Car Buyers

Pit one finance company against another, you can easily get the car loan rates down by 2-2.5%. Starting with 11.5, I managed to get 9.5 without much effort. Other areas of bargain include the processing fee and amount of coverage.

Pit one insurance company against another - again, I got 15K off, plus a 100% cover (no depreciation for plastics/glass etc). The insurance company might be able to pass on some additional discounts to you.

Make sure you carry your NCB from the earlier car. Since you can have only one car with the NCB, the insurance company might not allow you the NCB on the new car unless you sell off the older one. If you intend to keep the old car, you can move it to a thirt party only cover, and carry the NCB to the new (more expensive) car. If you plan to sell the old one off, you can then get the NCB applied to the new car by endorsing the insurance policy appropriately.

Understand and plan for the dependencies:
Insurance company needs car chasis and engine number to issue cover letter - make sure the dealer gives it on time
Finance company needs cover letter to issue disbursement - make sure the insurance company sends it
Dealer needs insurance cover note, and disbursement order to send vehicle for registration - make sure the finance and insurance company do their bit :)
Dealer needs registration, disbursement amount AND your balance/down-payment amount in the account to release car to you

Special Tip: If everything is ready, but you don't have the money in bank to do the down payment, try the credit card option! I did :)

Endeavour 24 Hour Report

The Good

Looks fabulous, sexy presence on the road, a truly beautiful beast
Cruises fantastic, the diesel engine is absolutely noiseless
Awesome torque, ability to squeal tires
Takes off-road with unbelievable ease, given its size and weight
Beautiful behaviour on fast turns, fluid and smooth, securely rooted to the tarmac while swaying gently on the suspension
Sexy and comfortable interiors, truly a premium segment experience

The Not So Good

Suspension is jarry on bad roads at slow speeds, rear in uncomfortably jumpy on those sudden speed breakers
Roof-mounted DVD screen didn't power on, probably not fitted correctly (or I don't know how to make it wake up!)

The Small But Significant Things

Independent AC controls for all three rows, cooling is fast and effective
Wonderful media & entertainment system - rocking speakers
Integrated GPS and Navigation from MapMyIndia
Integrated Bluetooth, seamless access to phone's dialled/received/missed call list, automatic call reception
Rear view camera for parking is super convenient
Inadequate lighting for the front row, lights positioned towards middle row
The chiller is a wonderful accessory (although I have yet to receive it)
Light thrown up by rear view mirror assembly when opening door ensures you don't step into puddles, lovely feature!
Alti-theft nuts for tires also a good idea! (again, I am yet to receive them)

Lavasa

Visited Lavasa today, the planned and privately run city coming up along the banks of a man-made lake, some 40 kms from Pune. Looks like a good option to invest in, and definitely a lovely place for a weekend getaway. Some early pictures...

Samara

Got delivery of my super sexy Ford Endeavour 4x4 3L yesterday. Here are some exclusive pics...






We took a full load up the hill slopes off the road to Lavasa, enjoyed some heavy showers, and basically had a great time cruising the city streets... Needless to say, it's been a fantastic 20 hours so far, and we're just getting started!



ps: The picture doesn't bring out the depth/height of the hill slopes at all, will upload some more "revealing" pictures next time!

Oh, and yes, her name's Samara, the younger sister to Lisa and Reona.

Russian Goa

Had heard a lot of the Russian mafia taking over North Goa. If ever there was proof needed, here's the clincher...



By the way, this isn't a one-off! Every sign board at Ashwem, near Morjim in North Goa was in Russian. The hotel menu, the instructions, the books and magazines in the hotel library - all Russian!

Кстати, это не \' t A одноразовые! Каждый знак Совета на ashwem, вблизи morjim на севере Гоа был на русском языке. Гостиница меню, в инструкциях, книги и журналы в гостинице библиотека-все русские!

Mobile Mania

The call was too important to miss, the helmet was too important to remove :)

Sunrise in Goa

Vietnamese And French Soups

Super tasty, clear soup with noodles, serves two. A great option, especially the veg version. Available at Polka Dots.



Super sexy French sea food soup, for once, you can recognize what you are eating! Available at Papa Jolly's. Qualifies you for the next episode of Man vs Wild.

PCMC

Had been to Nigdi yesterday for some work, was pretty impressed by the neat roads and tree cover there. The old Pune Mumbai highway is really shaping up very well. With much lower taxes and pollution/population, this twin city to Pune has a bright future.

BMW second-hand

Advice for BMW aspirants - check with the dealer for showroom second hands, or company-owned cars. You will get some fantastic deals. Right now, I have the option of a 40 lakh worth 325i for 29 lakhs negotiable. And the car hasn't even been registered ever.

Ford Figo

Watch it - the Figo will eat up the market. A fantastic hatchback option, starting at 3.5 for petrol and 4.5 for diesel. The diesel version runs the same fantastic low-noise and zero-maintenance engine of the Fiesta, and is a super ooption. I am not a big fan of their "indian colors" concept for the interiors, but then you can always opt for the black.

And yes, in-built bluetooth is a definite x factor for the hatchback segment.

Nissan Teana and XTrail

Checked out the Nissan stable yesterday evening. Will get some test drives later, but frankly, I think Nissan are pricing themselves out of the market.

The Teana looks good, has plush interiors, an executive look, something you'd be happy to be driven around in the back seat - but 35 lakhs? I am not sure I would trade the blue and white logo for a Nissan!

And the X-Trail makes even less sense. A 5-seater car-cum-SUV, 2 litre engine, starting at 27 lakhs and going all the way up to 32 lakh. Really?

Movie Review: The Bounty Hunter

Gerard Butler is a bounty hunter, an ex-cop now busy chasing down criminals jumping bail. His latest assignment: get his ex-wife Jeniifer Aniston back to jail for a petty traffic accident involving the NYPD. In the process, will they rediscover the magic of their marriage?

The film is another of those countless such movies being churned out of the Hollywood stable, but worth a watch for Gerard, who's sexy as ever, and his witty dialogues. Nothing extra-ordinary, but definitely worth a watch as long as you don't get too critical of the plot.

Interestingly, the mega screen at ESquare was housefull for the midnight show Saturday night!

Movie Review: Phoonk 2

RGV needs to stop making movies.

That said, Phoonk 2 is not THAT bad, as long as you have some company to maaro stupid dialogues in the first half, and patience to wait till the second half. The movie does get a little to you towards the end.

Terrible editing and terrible screenplay, however, really wastes the movie.

Avoid it.

BMW 320d Test Drive

I got my BMW 320d test drive today, on insistence of the dealer's customer service representative. While the torque and handling was impressive, the ride quality is poor - you can feel the hardness of the suspension and the run-flat tires, ensuring you are troubled by every ripple and every pimple on the road :( At low speeds, the automatic transmission engages at lower gears than needed, building a yearning to go back to manual and adjust the gear to a more comfortable level, making city driving a not-so-exciting experience.

It's a pleasure to see heads turning to check you out, but I prefer seeing the sedans scurrying for cover at the sight of the massive Endy :)

Ford Endeavour

And finally, I got my hands on the Endy!

It was late evening, the light was fading, and after a disappointing outing in the Passat, I wasn’t even sure I was up for another test ride. But the 4x4 Thunder was around, and I decided to go for it. As I climbed in and took the wheel, I had psyched myself for the experience of driving the huge truck. Oh boy, was I in for a surprise! The moment I pressed the gas pedal, the Endy took off like a tiger unleashed, effortlessly grabbing the opportunity to jump the starting line. I had to stop and try it again – because I couldn’t believe I had actually managed to squeal its tires! The Endy is sheer power, yet a beauty to drive. It took the 40 degree Taliegaon slope with a load of 4 adults and 2 kids as effortlessly as cruising on an expressway. And as we left the tarmac and hit the dirt road, it almost squeals in delight. Rocks, gravel, shrubs and ditches pass under its massive wheels, it’s suspension letting you glide over the terrain while the power steering seems to tell you, don’t worry about guiding me, I can take anything that comes in my way! We took a couple of tight circles at the top of the hills, a merry go round for the kids, while the Endy kicked off a massive dust storm in its wake.

The interiors put all the luxury sedans to shame – an in-dash 6 CD changer, an in-built DVD player with two screens, one in-dash and one on the roof, in-built navigation system, reverse parking camera, individual AC vents for all three rows, plush seats. Sheer luxury.

As we reluctantly got back in the city, we also noticed another reason why it’s a wonderful option for city driving. As you cruise along sitting on what feels like the first floor deck, the sedans and the hatchbacks meekly surrender to the roar of the Endy, immediately moving out of the way. It took a lot of restrain from me to stop me from wanting to gently nudge a few of the not-so-cooperative cars off to the side :)

I have fallen in love, and small wonder, it’s a Ford baby all over again!

Volkswagen Passat

Given that the Passat is touted as a peer to the Skoda Laura, I must say it was very disappointing. The interiors are markedly poorer, and the looks are nothing to write home about. While both cars share the same engine, the same Tiptronik gears, and can hardly be distinguished for the driving experience, the Laura does have a wow factor in its strong, sturdy look. The Passat is just another very ordinary looking car. You might as well go for the Jetta, a good few lakhs cheaper, and equally good in all other respects.

Interestingly, too, the car I drove had automatic gears, but Volkswagen is phasing out the automatic options, and for both the Jetta and the Passat, you will only have the manual option. Strange move, when everyone else is going AT!

Overall, a clear thumbs down.

Skoda Laura

Awesome drive, safe and secure cabin, decent interiors, great looks, the AT version with the manual overdrive at the gentle touch of the hand is great... but makes it almost impossible to squeal tires or throw the car into a skidding turn... for someone who's driven a Ford for a decade, this is pretty much a dampener :(

Also, magazine reviews talk of poor AC, poor suspension and terrible after sales service. For a car this expensive, that's a major negative too.

On the lighter side, here's a wonderful review I found of the Laura on one of the online review sites:
Car Very Good. I buying Car 2yrs Back then driving all time. Slow speed very good. Full Speed Very good. All the time i like the car. Full speed raining no problem. Light like tube light i full see in night. Light automatically on in night. I bug fridge in the car for Rs.20000 now i drink cool moor in car itself. My wife no driving this car because i like the car very much and my wife spoils while driving. i say u buying this car very good.

Ford Endeavour

Found this awesome piece in a review of the Ford Endeavour:

The Endeavour carried everything from my sons bycycle to his toy basket and all of us had the luxury of carrying our own suitcases and everything you could think of and yet the Endy kind off looked back and said ’is that it or do you want to try and fit the santro in the back space’.

BMW

Checked out the BMW 320d the other day. The base version comes in at 29L, while the fully loaded version comes at a premium of 8L. Interestingly, the dealer also had a 6 months old, used car, coming in at around 32L, in the fully loaded version. Main differences - a sky roof, a TV display, and some other cosmetic stuff. Unfortunately, the car hadn't really been prepped for customers, even though it was on display - the doors had boot marks, the arm rest had scratches on the veneer, and the car was a little dusty. The auto climate control didn't seem to work - until I set the AC on manual, when it immediately made a difference. And with the 6 CD changer requiring you to get into the boot, unlike my poor car which offers it in-dash, and the "TV reception" limited to Doordarshan, the entertainment module wasn't too hot either.

Overall, the 320 was a disappointment I must say. Felt like the 30L were more for the logo than anything really wow.

On to the Audi now.

PS: let me be fair here, there were some minb-blowing models too, but coming in at 80-100L, even looking at them felt like sacrilege :)

Thought For The Day

We don't need to worry about things changing over time... because, before anything else does, we change ourselves!

Impressive Flyovers...

Impressive structures coming up all over Mumbai - this is the Airport Expressway, just outside the Hyatt. Check the flanks jutting out from the central spans.

Persistent Lists on the NSE & BSE!

It was a very proud moment for all of us at Persistent yesterday, with our company making a stunning listing on the stock exchange yesterday morning! Starting with around 380 against the IPO price of 310, the stock rose to 440 or so within a minute of opening trading, backed by huge demand. By the middle of the day, it had stabilized around 420, and ended the day at 408, an impressive gain of almost 30%.

I was at the function, and it was a very unique experience. The NSE building itself is beautiful, a huge foyer welcomes you, the glass and marble spick and span, the grandeur of the building so completely representing the bold, new India. The function was meeticulously planned, all speakers on the dias given no more than 3 minutes, and at the end of a countdown from 10, at the stroke of 9.00 am, amidst loud cheering and clapping, Anand rang the bell to signal start of trading, and the listing of the company on the bourses. Within microseconds, the screen was flashing the Nifty and the PSL stock ticker and trading was on in full flow - just another day at work in one of the most sophisticated stock exchanges in the world. Awesome moment.

Some pictures from the function below - excuse me for the poor quality of the pics, the lighting wasn't good enough for my cell, and maybe my hands were shivering a little with all the excitement :)


The impressive foyer of the NSE building at the Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai.


Here I am, proudly standing beside our banner in the foyer of the NSE building.


The listing ceremony is kicked off. It is interesting to note how many women hold key positions in the Indian financial system!


Anand addresses the small, exclusive gathering moments before the listing. Speakers had no more than 3 minutes, keeping the hard stop of 900 am in mind.


Anand and Dada ring the bell to signal the listing and start of trading. The rest of us were simply thrilled to be rich :)


Moments after the stock went online, it had hit 440.

Blog, Facebook, Twitter... And Orkut? And LinkedIn?

OK, I am officially sick of maintaining my status in a dozen locations :)

So here's what I have decided...

Blogger is what I love.. and I will continue blogging as much and as often as I can. Twitter is offically non-sustainable, until I become a celebrity and tweet like iamsrk does. So Twitter is gone... unless I feel like wasting time on it once in a while from my cell, when I have nothing better to do. Orkut is off too, I just hate the cluttered new avataar it's given itself. Facebook was on for a reason - a lost friend. I am sick of all the updates I get there. But I will visit it once in a while.. just for the heck of it. And LinkedIn - once a while, again, just to check out my new clients and customers!

Bad Week...

My best friend, my most trusted colleague, my dearest sis left this week to pursue further studies at ISB Hyderabad...

And my dearest Lisa is also leaving me this week - we finally took the tough decision to give her away to a new owner, since it was impossible for me to drive her in Pune, and she'd just rust away in Goa.

Just hate it... wish I could stop it

Beautifying Pune

Have you noticed the latest additions to our beeautiful cityscape? Rows of beautiful social workers staring at you from those huge posters at every traffic signal, every chowk, every possible place to hang them?

What a way to cheer up your day!

Movie Review: The Men Who Stare At Goats

An elite US Army unit, trained to control enemies through their minds and win the future wars through love and non-physical violence - these are the "men who stare at goats" and kill them by power of their minds!

Watch it only if you are a die-hard George Clooney fan!

Movie Review: 88 Minutes

Dr Gramm (Al Pacino in another fascinating performance) has to keeep his wits and find the guy who's threatening to kill him in the next 88 minutes. Is it the serial killer scheduled for execution after having been convicted based on Dr Gramm's testimony trying to prove he was innocent, or is it a copy cat killer? As the bodies mind, the movie picks up pace... but, and maybe it was the late night, it does stretch a bit towards the end!

Movie Review: Hum Tum Aur Ghost

A good family story, Hum Tum and Ghost relies on some very sweet performances by Arshad, Boman, Sandhya Mridul and Diya Mirza, in an otherwise predictable and oft-repeated theme. The soundtrack isn't remarkable, but has a couple of good tracks that might grow on you. The climax scene is well done too - but if I was a VW marketing manager, I wouldn't be too pleased :)

Not a must-watch, but not bad at all.

Upgrade

Just got Sanam's desktop upgraded - 1 GB RAM and Win 7, with Belkin's USB Wireless Adapter for connecting to my wireless broadband network.

My first computer was in my third year of Engg, with 4 MB RAM, 160 MB HDD, and 40 MHz 386 processor. I didn't have access to the Internet until I joined my MTech at IIT Bombay :)

IPL Fever: Cheerleader @ Coffee Day

Sneak Peek: On the Sets of Dum Maaro Dum

Met Bipasha and crew shooting for Dum Maaro Dum in Panaji the other night - we weren't allowed to shoot on the Carnival set, but managed a sneak peek anyway!

Dolphin Tour

Old Beetle in Goa

Goan BBQ

Had a fantastic BBQ at my place the other day, during my team's picnic to Goa. Crabs, prawns, fish, chicken, paneer and mushrooms... everyone ate to their heart's content. And then some more :)

Time Can Come Back, Opportunities Don't

We always talk about not wasting time, because it doesn't come back. However, we do have lots of time in life, and some time wasted might not be that disastrous after all. For example, you fight with your girl friend this weekend, you always have the next one to make up!

What doesn't come back are certain events and opportunities. That is when wastage of time becomes criminal. It's your last day on that Goa trip you waited for so long, that's when wasting the evening becomes unpardonable!

Morale of the story - it's OK to waste time sometimes, but NEVER lose an opportunity!

Do you need me...

Do you need me when you want to have a good time
or
do you have a good time when you are with me?

Small difference, but BIG difference!

It's My Life

It's my life
take it or leave it set me free
What's that crap-papa-know-it-all? I got my own life
Live your life and set me free mind your business
And leave my business you know everything papa-know-it-all
Very little knowledge is dangerous
Stop bugging me stop bothering me
Stop bugging me stop forcing me
Stop fighting me stop yelling me
It's my life.

It's my life
it's my life my worries
It's my life
it's my life my problem
sIt's my life
it's my life my worries
It's my life
it's my life my problems.

It's my life
do you understand?
I live the way I want to live
I make decisions day and night
show me signs and good exemples.
Stop telling people how to run your business
Take a trip to east and west you find
that you don't know anything
Every's getting tired of you sometime
you have to look and listen
You can even learn from me little knowledge is dangerous

It's my life.
It's my life ...
It's my life
set me free so you bed so you lie
What you see is what you get
listen to people and sort things out
Things I do I do them no more
things I say I say them no more
Changes comes once in life
Stop bugging me
stop bothering me
Stop bugging me
stop forcing me
Stop fighting me
stop yelling me
Stop telling me
stop seeing me

It's my life.

Movie Review: LSD (Love Sex Aur Dhoka)

For me, LSD is Loot, Sona, and Dhoka to the audience! This is about as crappy as a movie can get. Please donate the ticket money to some charity, and you will be far happier.

ps: Apparently what's running in the theatres is a highly censored version, but apart from some more voyeuristic scenes, I do not think we missed much!

A Special Cup of Tea

I was at a multiplex the other day with a friend of mine, and as we checked through security, I commented to my friend that the chai the security guys were having looked so inviting, and we asked the security guy where I could get such tea. He immediately said, yeh le lo na Sir, and offered the tea to us. As we walked away, with the tiny cup of tea in our hands, we realized that he had just offered his only cup of tea to us. Working day in and day out, for our security, he hadn’t even hesitated to think twice before offering us his one chance at a small break.

KKR Wins

KKR started IPL 3 with a good win over DC, with Dada firmly back in the saddle and at his scheming, aggressive best :)

Go KKR Go!

Movie Review: Karthik Calling Karthik

Good story - great suspense!
First half - a lot of fun
Deepika - HOT, her stylist needs a serious pat on his/her back! Awesome look!
Farhan - COOL
Songs - Awesome, check out Uff Yeh Ada, Jaane Ye Kya Hua, and Hey Na. They grow on you.

Overall, a good watch. Don't miss it.

Ideal Student :)

One of my school teachers won the Goa State Award for Teaching, and in his acceptance speech, he apparently referred to me as his ideal student :)

Wow, 20 years later!

Wow!

Chak De India

India 4 Pak 1. Hockey World Cup.

It was just so awesome to see one of the forwards saluting the Indian flag after scoring... such a proud moment

Quote for the Day

Money, attitude and ego are like underwear. One should have it, but should not show it.

:)

Sachin Double Ton-dulkar

India thrashed the South Africans in a match that made history at Gwalior yesterday, taking an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the series, retaining the #2 spot in one dayers and firmly staking claim to be #1, following up with being numero uno in Test.

Backed by a "first time ever in the history of over 6 decades of one dayers" unbeaten double century by the Little Master, India posted a huge 401/3 and then demolished the South Africans under 250 to win the match that saw the Indians take not a single wrong step.

Tendulkar showed why he is the God of cricket in an innings so bereft of any blemishes, hitting around 25 boundaries, including some effortless hoists over the fence, making the South African bowlers, including world #1 Dale Styne look like galli cricketers. Karthik got a run a ball 80 something, Yusuf Pathan played a cameo 35 something, including 3 huge sixes, and then Dhoni played a captains knock of 60 something at the end to take India beyond 400, becoming the only team to cross that milestone thrice.

Way to go, India!

Movie Review: Up In The Air

Ryan leads a life out of a suitcase, flying around the country firing people for a living, until his company decides that it's more economical to do so over the Internet. And some other stuff. That's about it. Really.

Watch it only if you love George Clooney. Vera Farmiga looks good, too.

Avoidable.

Movie Review: My Name Is Khan

I will try and keep this review completely objective and unbiased, none of the SRK-worshipping I am dying to do!

At the same time, I do need to make some more generic statements before I get to the movie itself. SRK is not just an actor, he represents the new, bold, aggressive India. Millions of young Indians the world over identify with his struggles, listen to his every word, and aspire to be like him. He represents dreams, and unlimited opportunities. A world of possibilities.

When SRK did a Chak De, it led to a serious revival of fortunes for our national game!

And today, with MNIK, SRK takes an extremely big step, taking India and Indians to the world stage like never before. A movie that couldn't be more relevant to the world today, a message desperately needed, a message that should be lapped up by every human being.

For me, MNIK wasn't just a movie. It was a life-changing experience. An experience whose lessons will remain with me all my life - my name is Khan and I am not a terorist.

And when liberal minded, educated, fairly secular guys like me can take so much from the movie, I can only imagine the wonders it can do to this world.

OK, now to the movie.

Rizwan Khan, an autistic with Asperger's syndrome, is on a mission to meet the President of the United States - to tell him that he is a Khan, and he is not a terrorist. To understand why, roll back a few years.

Rizwan Khan comes to America, sponsored by his younger brother. He meets and falls in love with Mandira, a single mother, and marries her. Life's perfect, and the family is complete. Until 9/11. As America struggles to cope with the tragedy, the Khans bear the burnt of racial hatred, and lose their son. And though he doesn't understand why being Muslim is a crime, Mandira has had enough. Get out of my life, she pleads with him. When do I come back, he asks her, in all his innocence. Go and tell the President, she says, that you are not a terrorist, and neither was Sam. He was just a baby, my baby.

Will he succeed in his mission?

Karan and SRK take the audience into an amazing journey through the United States, exploring its facets in a wonderful bouquet of experiences - seen through the childish innocence of Rizwan Khan. SRK plays a devout Muslim, but unlike his Chak De character, is very upcoming about what it means to be one. Namaz included. A wonderful introduction to "true" Islam, this one will make you see Muslims in a very different light!

There are some amazing moments in the movie, moments that will make you laugh, and cry, moments that are impossible not to get overwhelmed by. The "We will overcome" sequence in the church, the strip search at the airport, the sequence where Rizwan proposes to Mandira and makes a deal and the moment she proposes to him, are some of the very best.

The music is beautiful, a limited but wonderful set of numbers that just add so much to the movie. The songs aren't just relevant, but such an integral part of the screenplay, the movie wouldn't be the same without them. Karan doesn't just use background score, he takes the screenplay to a completely new level with it.

SRK puts in his best performance to date, going so far beyond the showman, letting the actor in him do the talking. From the gait to the flirting, unfocussed eyes, the blunt but innocent dialogues, the effect is mesmerizing. And Kajol, WOW... she looks so, so beautiful. Their chemistry is electric, they look so good together. Check the final sequence in Tere Naina, I can watch that over and over again, millions of times, and not have enough of it!

A beautiful movie, with a beautiful message, yet never getting heavy or philosophical, this is one movie you just cannot, cannot afford to miss.

I am gonna watch it at least a dozen times, 4 down, 8 more to go :)

India #1, Still

After a innings defeat in Nagpur, India came back in style to beat SA by an innings and 58 runs, to level the series and retain the world #1. After almost a whole day was lost yesterday due to rain, India would have been really disappointed if the last SA pair had survived for another 3-4 overs...

Good job, guys!!! Cheers!!!

Fainted

For the first time today... effect of this stupid Dexona tabs I have been taking for my cough. Very scary, suddenly realising you are down on your knees, a cut on the hand, and a painful knee, watchman asking, Sir, Sir, are you OK?

Movie Review: My Name is Khan

MIND BLOWING

That's all I can say for now, will need some more time before I can write a more sensible review :)

Movie Review: Rann

A take on the "reality" of new channels today in the war for TRPs, Rann disappoints through its flat plot and predictive story line. Could have been a great thriller, but ends up being just a sermon.

AB is OK except the big sermon at the end, but Sudeep impresses in parts as Jay Malik, the bad guy. Ritesh is fine, he's better at comedy!

Nothing to boast about the soundtrack either.

Missable.

Terror in Pune

A day after the country overwhelmingly rejected the Sena's politics of hate, and a day before the world celebrates love and togetherness on Valentine's Day, terror visited Pune in the form of a bomb blast at the popular German Bakery in Koregaon Park, claiming 9 and injuring around 50 peace-loving citizens and tourists, out to enjoy a beautiful weekend.

Pune's loss of innocence...

And while security forces took charge of the scene, and ordinary men and women pitched in to help the victims, Uddhav Thackeray went on TV to make yet another of his disgusting statements, "The police should take the victims not to hospital, but to the theatre, to watch MNIK".

Many have commented that the police found it more important to protect theatres and MNIK, and hence the blast occured - and I think this is a very childish argument. For one, this isn't about a movie. It's about the freedom of choice for people for country to do what they want to do without the threat of goondagiri and vandalism. By protecting MNIK, the police did a fabulous job protecting the law of the land, and the freedom of its people! Political parties cannot be allowed to hijack a country of a billion people based on the senile thoughts and comments of its leaders.

And let's be real please. There is no way in the world for a police force, no matter how sophisticated and strong, to monitor every hangout, every restaurant, every roadside eatery, every bakery... for days and years... If only the waiter who opened the parcel had decided to call the police instead, this tragedy could have been averted!

14 months of peace has come to a shattering end, but the country will need to move on. We cannot let terror win.

It Gets Funnier from the SS

Sanjay Raut: It's not aam aadmi seeing the movie, it's Congress workers and the police watching the movie, the aam aadmi is with the SS

Lol lol

Joke for the Day

Bala Sir saying, the stir has been successful, no one came to see the movie!

Sirjee, aap kaunsa channel dekh rahe the all day? :)

SRS

And while MNIK grabbed headlines today, one incident yesterday was equally heartening... another slap in the face of the so called moral police in Bangalore, when the SRS chief's face was blackened by ordinary citizens who stand up for individual choice and freedom.

Go India Go...

My Name is Khan and I am Not a Coward

MNIK opened to a rousing welcome across the world, and while the jury is still out on the movie, one thing is certain - and heartening. This man has the balls to stand up to the cowards, one man against the shame of Mumbai. And with packed halls across the city and across the country, the people of this country have showed once and for all that dirty politics of hate and separatism will no longer work in this country.

The police and Mr Chavan might have taken a lot of flak in the past few days for having been soft on the law breakers, but I think today the government also deserves a pat on the back - good job, Mr Chavan! Once more, subtle but effective!

Can't wait to see the movie now! SRK is always the King, but Kajol looks simply beautiful!

Quote for the Day

if my partners lose so be it. if i lose so be it.my stardom is transient.my integrity in non negotiable...my being indian unquestionable.

SRK on Twitter.

Uff Teri Ada

Check out the Uff Teri Ada song from Karthick Calling Karthik. Beautiful music, very different sound, very, very catchy.. and very peppy. Listening to it on continuous loop since last 15 mins :)

Movie Review: Ishqiya

In the Omkara genre, Ishqiya will entertain, humour and shock you till the end. The cast is simply superb, Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad share a unique chemistry on screen, and Vidya Balan sizzles as the not-so-innocent seductress. The story is interesting, although you lose the plot towards the end.

The sound track is interesting, with some eminently hummable songs that will grow on you.

Worth a watch, has some light moments, but is essentially serious stuff.

The New Mile Sur Mera Tumhara

Check out the new Mile Sur video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mbBloTAvPE

I loved the end, and I loved the new, young look representing the new young India. Watch out for Salman's mime with the deaf and dumb, SRK at the end with the sea link in the background and Rahman's music pad.

What I didn't like though was that this is all Bollywood, I would loved to see some of our sports icons, young politicans and industry leaders too!

Punjabi Confidence

George Bush was sitting in his office wondering whom to invade next when his telephone rang.

"Hello, Mr. Bush!" a heavily accented voice said, "This is Gurmukh from Phagwara, District Kapurthala, Punjab .. I am ringing to inform you that we are officially declaring the war on you!"

"Well, Gurmukh," Bush replied, "This is indeed important news! How big is your army"

"Right now," said Gurmukh, after a moment's calculation, "there is myself, my cousin Sukhdev, my next door neighbor Bhagat, and the entire kabaddi team from the gurudwara. That makes eight"

Bush paused. "I must tell you, Gurmukh that I have one million men in my army waiting to move on my command."

"Arrey O! Main kya.." said Gurmukh. "I'll have to ring you back!"

Sure enough, the next day, Gurmukh called again.

"Mr. Bush, it is Gurmukh, I'm calling from Phagwara STD, the war is still on! We have managed to acquire some infantry equipment!"

"And what equipment would that be, Gurmukh" Bush asked.

"Well, we have two combines, a donkey and Amrik's tractor."

Bush sighed. "I must tell you, Gurmukh, that I have 16,000 tanks and 14,000 armored personnel carriers. Also, I've increased my army to 1-1/2 million since we last spoke."

"Oh teri...." said Gurmukh. "I'll have to get back to you."

Sure enough, Gurmukh rang again the next day.

"Mr. Bush, the war is still on! We have managed to get ourselves airborne...... We've modified Amrik's tractor by adding a couple of shotguns, sticking on some wings and the pind's generator. Four school pass boys from Malpur have joined us as well!"

Bush was silent for a minute and then cleared his throat. "I must tell you, Gurmukh, that I have 10,000 bombers and 20,000 fighter planes. My military complex is surrounded by laser-guided, surface-to-air missile sites. And since we last spoke, I've increased my army to TWO MILLION!"

"Oye...." said Gurmuk, "I'll have to ring you back."

Sure enough, Gurmukh called again the next day.

"Kiddan, Mr.Bush! I am sorry to tell you that we have had to call off the war."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Bush. "Why the sudden change of heart"

"Well," said Gurmukh, "we've all had a long chat over a couple of lassi's, and decided there's no way we can feed two million prisoners of wars!"

Racism or Cricket ?

TOI had this interesting question the other day... are the racist attacks in Australia somehow connected to India beating Australia at cricket?

Me thinks, VERY possible!

Indian DNA?

What is it in many Indians that makes us so keen on criticizing our own country so much? Why do we feel so great when we get to extoll the vices of our bureaucracy, our police, our cricket teams, our politicians, our education system, our poverty.. ? No matter how good we do, no matter what's right, why are we always so happy when we find a wrong?

I met this guy the other day, when India was on the verge of demolishing the Bangaldeshis in the first test, and he remarks, "kya khel rahe hai yaar...", and when I reminded him we were winning easily, he says "well, but that guy hit a century right, anyone can hit centuries against us, people we have not even heard about earlier!". What do I say to that? We are #1 in test cricket, we are #2 in ODIs, and we were World T20 champs last year, and yet, we still have people ready to stamp us down!

Is it the Indian DNA, developed and refined by years of slavery under the British, that makes us happy to be the under dogs, the have nots, representative of every thing that is wrong and undesirable? Are we so uncomfortable being world leaders?

Movie Review: New York I Love You

A compilation of ten short stories by ten different directors, boasting a wonderful cast, NYILY focuses on the human stories set against the backdrop of NYC. While a couple are ordinary, some of them are truly brilliantly executed.

Do watch it. And wait for Mumbai I Love You! :)

Movie Review: Case 39

When a young child is rescued from being burnt alive in an oven, the child services officer believes she's the victim of her murderous parents. But when she takes the child into her custody, hoping to give her a new, normal life, things turn out to be very different!

The movie has its moments, although it's predictable. A good movie for thrill seekers.

Happy Republic Day

As we celebrate our 60th Republic Day, how many of you know what it means to be a Republic?

A Republic is a state without a monarchy, where the people govern themselves, they are not under a King or Queen.

Interestingly, check out Wikipedia for Republic, and look at the "forms of governments" tab on the right... just amazing to see how many there are. Literally dozens!

It's A Mad Mad World in 2010

India beat Bangaladesh in the first test. After Sehwag claimed that Bangaladesh was too weak a team and incapable of beating India, India played catch up for the first 3 days, before showing their mettle in the last two, ultimately winning pretty comprehensively.

Haiti was devastated by a super earthquake, initial death toll estimated around 200,000. US rushed in troops and helicopters and warships, took control of the airport, turned away non-American aid planes, pissing off France and other countries in the bargain. One of the first actions of the Americans in Haiti - setting up an army base in the now-ruined presidential palace. Guys, this is a rescue mission, not war! Anywayz...

Obama suffered a huge defeat in the Mass. elections, his healthcare bill is now in jeopardy and likely to get rejected.

After the Haitian crisis, Obama's job ratings have gone up.

IPL franchises refused to buy any of the desperate Pakistani cricketers. To me, this sounds like good business sense! Why waste millions on players who aren't guaranteed to be there? The Pakistanis found it insulting. Insulting that they were not deemed to be safe business bets. Oh, forget that 26/11 thing... that was just one of those days. We need to play cricket!

Eric Segal died at 72.

Ajmal Kasab has learnt Marathi. Now, once he proves he's been in Mumbai for 15 years, he can even own a taxi. Raj should be pleased.

India Online...

Yet another amazing experience today...

Was trying to do some fund transfer online through my HDFC account, and the website asked me for answers to some verification questions, which I couldn't answer correctly. It then gave me an option for phone verification, and once I selected my mobile number from the list of phones registered against my name, I got a call from the IVR system, I was asked to punch in the verification code I could see on the bank website, and once I punched the right code in, I was authorized!

It took all of 30 seconds!

Happy Birthday Reona!

Reona completed 4 years today... 70000 kms and endless hours of amazing experiences that I cannot ever forget...

PJ

What's the difference between Mithun and Chipkali?
Mithun is Chakravarty and Chipkali is Bhintivarthy

Lol Lol

Movie Review: Sherlock Holmes

This Sherlock Holmes too lives at 221 Baker Street, and has Dr Watson for company. And he very much has that amazing power of observation and deduction.

But he also fights, and fights hard. He's young, and pretty attractive in a rugged, exhausted, smelly sort of way :)

When Lord Blackwood rises from the grave after being hanged for black magic, London is thrown into a web of terror. Will the magicians from the secret order overthrow the governments of England and America, and bring in a new terrible future for the world? Can Sherlock and Dr Watson unravel the mystery and save the world from this horror?

Inspite of the dreary London locales (not in a negative sense, it actually does a great job of invoking the experience in you!) and some hard-to-catch dialogues, Sherlock Holmes is an interesting take on the classic character, and will hold your attention for the most part.

Robert Downey Jr is perfect as the sexy, young Sherlock (though a far cry from what you would have expected after reading Conan Doyle), Jude Law couldn't be more perfect as Dr Watson, and Rachel McAdams brings some much-appreciated color and eye candy to the otherwise gloomy settings.

A good watch, but make sure you clear your ear wax if you do not want to miss the dialogues!

Movie Review: The Spy Next Door

A retired CIA agent, Bob is on a mission to win over his neighbour's three kids, and make them love and accept him in their lives. However, the Russians believe he has downloaded their secret formula for oil-eating bacteria, and are out to eliminate him.

Jackie Chan is old, but the energy and fun in his action is still as good as ever. Add 3 cute kids and a beautiful kitten, and you have the perfect recipe for a feel good family movie.

A good watch, especially with your kids...

Passport and Visa Photos

So what do you bother about when you need a simple photo for passport or visa? Here's a list...

White or red or blue background - you need to know which one is right
Full face including years
80% face - no this is not about showing 80% of face, it's about your face filling up 80% of photo real estate :)
Size of photo, of course - they come in many shapes and sizes!
And yes, matt or gloss finish! Apparently, that matters too!

As you can see, I really have nothing to do to pass away my time :(

One more piece of generic advice not connected with the topic at all... keep copies of all the bills, receipts, etc - you never know when they come in handy!

When Do I Blog?

Too many things happening in life
Nothing happening in life

Right now, I am just sitting in office doing nothing. Sorry, I am blogging.

Washing Machine

We finally got our LG Tromm, and I was so happy, I got it installed myself. By the time the LG fellow called to ask about when he could come for the installation and demo, we had already run a couple of cycles :)

PS: If you need me to help with your installation, call 1-800-WASHING

Passport Record

We got our passports renewed in Pune (earlier ones were issued in Goa) in, hold your breath, 6 days from submission of papers to delivery at home!

India on Top

Third clinical performance in a row, India beat Bangladesh comprehensively after a similar perfect victory over the Lankans last night in the Idea Cup. Virat Kohli continues his brilliant form as a finisher, this time bringing up his century along with the victory runs.

India meet Lanka in the finals on Wednesday.

Movie Review: Jeniffer's Body

Megan Fox is worth it. The movie is not. You decide.

Movie Review: Paranormal Activity

Shot on a budget of 15000 USD (most of which went in renovating the house used as the location for the movie), Paranormal Activity reportedly grossed millions at the box-office the world over.

Shot with a home video, with the slickness and quality of a home video, the movie is in a genre of its own. It has two actors (a third makes a brief appearance for a few mins), absolutely normal people just like you and me, who were reportedly just given the broad story line, and specific situations to act out, but no script.

So what's the story? Well, the couple moves into a new home, and feels haunted by paranormal activity. To try and unravel the mystery, the husband buys a video cam and sets it up in the bedroom.

As night after night goes by, the camera starts catching some action! No, not sex :)

So should you watch it? Well, I watched it on home video and regretted it. Definitely not fun at home. In a theatre, a late night show with your girl friend, that might be a lot more fun!

Oh and yes, I saw only half the movie - and went to bed. (I did hear some noises late at night though...)

Why Men Shouldn't Write Advice Columns

Croma and LG - Bad Service

We bought a LG Tromm washing machine from Croma in Aundh the other day - last Saturday to be precise, and were promised delivery the next day.

We had to compromise on the color, since the shiny gray model would take ten days, and we needed a washing machine urgently.

Sunday afternoon, at the promised time, the delivery was done... and on a hunch, I decided to ask them to open up the box, and we realised to our dismay, that the machine was defective - lots of scratches and worse, the control panel was jutting out from its "fit". We decided to send it right back.

A week later, a replacement was delivered. Well, it wasn't really a replacement, because they sent the very same piece!

I have always tried to highlight examples of great customer service, and things have definitely changed in India, but in this case, I must say it was back to the old days :(

3 Idiots Again...

Well, one thing I don't like about 3 Idiots, and for that matter, another famous Aamir movie, RDB - the message!

What is 3 Idiots trying to say? Yes, there's the whole thing about making education about learning and not about training. But let's look deeper. One guy does a mess of his final year project, asks for extension, is refused, and ends up singing a soulful song about life being tough, and then hangs himself!

Another guy pees on his Dean's mailbox, gets caught drunk in class, is rusticated, and jumps off the window, wanting to give up his life.

Look at RDB - youth waking up against injustice. And how? By taking the law in their own hands, resorting to cold blooded planned murder of politicians?

Is this really right?

Book Review: Think India

Think India by Vinay Rai is a must read for three categories of people: young Indians who are proud of our country and wanna know more about the amazing journery of the last decade and the wonderful future ahead, old or stubborn Indians who still live in the 70s and 80s and fail to realise how we have changed, and everyone else who doesn't care about this country, but should!

A very breezy read, Think India is a wonderful summary of the history, culture, people and the economic miracle called India. With more than a billion people, a free press and judiciary, a strong and focussed army, and very deeply-rooted democratic values and respect for diversity, India is poised to dominate the world stage. This book takes you behind the known and the obvious, with facts and figures that will astound and amaze you.

Check it out.

Movie Review: 3 Idiots

A new cult classic is born. 3 Idiots promises to do for a whole generation of young India what QSQT and MPK did for us, and DCH followed with a decade later.

Reportedly, and (partly) admittedly, based on Five Point Someone (a book I never really liked or related to as an ex-IITian), 3 Idiots is based on the life of three friends, Rancho (Aamir), Raju (Sharman) and Farhan (Madhavan) and their kabhi khushi kabhi gum life in Delhi's Imperial College of Engineering. Their exploits will regale you, their tribulations will make you cry, their jokes will make you laugh, and their frolicking will remind you of those beautiful days of kattas, overnight assignments, cycles and rose days.

Then suddenly, after the graduation ceremony, Rancho is gone. For 5 whole years, without a word.

When their scholarly, always competitive classmate Chatoor Ramalingam (Omi, in a fantastic rendition) informs them that he knows where Rancho is, they set out on a journey to Shimla and beautiful Ladakh to find him... and the truth. And on the way, they also take a detour to Manali to entice Rancho's love angle, Pia (a very subtle and beautiful Kareena), from her marriage pandal.

And of course, at the end, Aal iz well!

The movie has some hilarious moments, the teacher's day speech sequence will make you clutch your stomach in pain from all the laughing. The ragging sequences are funny, and superbly executed, although I am not sure if the close ups were really necessary :)

And while I have no comment on the on-going debate and controversy over how much credit should have been given to Five Point Someone, the script is a disappointment, for two simple reasons. Some dialogues are repeated and the jokes are borrowed.

The music can be missed the first time, but definitely grows on you with the soulful renditions. Jaane Nahin Denge Tumjhe and Saari Umr Hum are simply outstanding.

The cast is fantastic. While they do look their age, Aamir, Sharman and Madhavan do pull it off, and have some brilliant moments. Kareena, as I mentioned before, is subtle and beautiful. Mona Singh, as Kareena's sister has a small role, but looks really good! Omi really impresses in his Chatoor role, but the best has to be Boman Irani as the obsessed Director of ICE, he just adds so much to every role! Truly an amazing performance!

Definitely a must watch, at least a couple of times. Be ready for lots of laughs, a few tears, and many, many memories.

Jaane Nahin Denge Tujhe...

Jaane nahin denge tujhe
Jaane tujhe denge nahin
Jaane nahin denge tujhe
Jaane tujhe denge nahin

Chahe tujhko rab bulaa le
Hum na rab se darne waale
Raahon mein dat ke
Khade hain hum Yaaron se nazrein Chura le
Chahe jitna dum laage le

Jaane na tujhko aise denge hum

Jaane nahin denge tujhe
Jaane tujhe denge nahin
Do kadam ka yeh safar hai
Umr chhoti si dagar hai
Ek kadam mein ladkhadaya
Kyon
Sunn le yaaron ki yeh baatein
Beetengi sab gum ki raatin
Yaaron se rootha hai saaale
Kyunn

Jaane nahin denge tujhe
Jaane tujhe denge nahin
Jaane nahin denge tujhe
Jaane tujhe denge nahin

Maa ne khat mein kya likhaa
Tha
Jiye tu jug jug yeh kahaa tha
Chaar pal bhi jee na paaye tu
Yaaron se nazrein milaa le
Ek baar tu muskura de
uth ja saale yun sataaata hai
Kyonn

Jaane nahin denge tujhe
Jaane tujhe denge nahin
Jaane nahin denge tujhe
Jaane tujhe denge nahin
Jaane nahin denge tujhe
Jaane tujhe denge nahin
Jaane nahin denge tujhe
Jaane tujhe denge nahin

Good Governance

Know which is the state showing highest economic growth in India? No, guess again. It's Bihar, at an unbelievable 11%, when 5% is thought to be miraculous. No coincidence that this phase overlaps with the implementation of Nitish Kumar's good governance mantra for the state...

One more politician who's proved this country is in safe hands...

New Year...

As we go into the new year, spare a moment to thank the armed forces and the forces for having given us a safe and secure, terror-free 2009.

Renew your pledge to root out corruption, live a greener, cleaner life, and do your bit to partake in the growth and success of this beautiful country.

Happy New Year!

Poem

u r my sunshine,
u r my pain,
u r my destiny,
i want to live again