Yet another another, yet another MOM for Paul Valthaty, proving it wasn't completely a fluke the other day. Not only did Paul smash 75 in 40 odd balls, he also contributed strongly with the ball, taking 4 for 29. Of course, 3 of those came through his secret split finger slow ball, and it will be interesting to see how he copes with the teams who have now watched him and understood his secret.
Been a good IPL so far, with or without Modi. Most fans though are still confused about loyalties, especially after most franchisees went for a complete makeover from the teams in the first 3 seasons. KKR are looking strong under Gambhir, leaving Calcutta fans with a unique problem - protest because of Dada's absence or enjoy the resurgence of the team? And if Dada had finally got his break with Kochi (which didn't happen due to tournament rules..), it would have been a serious question of loyalties for Calcuttans, and SRK + Dada fans like me! The games have been good, the action has been rivetting, and while Kochi has not yet come to the party, Pune Warriors have added some good spice to the action. So now I have an added question - support my home team, or my SRK team? And with Captain Dhoni in CSK, the Pune-Chennai encounter will seriously test me :) And for the normal Puneite, who adores Sachin, the Mumbai-Pune match will border on blasphemy!
No wonder, I am an athiest! :)
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Paul Valthaty
Keep a watch on this guy Paul Valthaty... only the 4th Indian so far to hit a century in the IPL, he brought defending champs and Champions Trophy winner CSK down to their knees in a 50 ball 100, making the target of 189 runs look easy for Punjab! For once, Dhoni seemed clueless, and even dropped a skier!
Hope it's not a flash in the pan... because in him, India has a winner!
Hope it's not a flash in the pan... because in him, India has a winner!
Mumbai Tourists
This time around in Mumbai, we spent a lot of time touring the city - away from the usual attractions of InOrbit and Atria malls :) Here are some experiences of Mumbai from a tourist's eye...
First, the Jeejamata Udyan (Byculla Zoo). Most of the animals are gone, and the Zoo now awaits a multi crore renovation. All we could catch are 3 monkeys, a rhino, 2 elephants, 2 hippos, a hyena, a croc and a bear...
The majestic clock tower at the entrance is beautiful - just like so many similar buildings in Mumbai, especially in downtown.
The animals are missing, but there were some amazing, giant trees that made the trip worthwhile!
Medieval torture chambers like these are thankfully out of service now - can only imagine the hell the animals would have gone through in the early days of the Zoo.
Next stop, the Taj and downtown Mumbai.
It's always an amazing feeling being here, and every visit to the Taj makes me realise how well this city and this country has fought back terrorism and how pointless the 26/11 attacks have been. Another evening in Mumbai as a proud Indian.
What rocked most was the hospitality. The waiter who served us was Elvis, a Goan, who told us his experiences from that fateful night. He also treated us to the Bud Tea - an amazing concoction with hot water and a finger-sized dry grass like bud, which opens up into a beautiful "flower" in a matter of seconds in the hot water. We also got four scoops of delicious ice cream.
Being driven around town in a beautiful horse drawn carriage is a lot of fun.
From there, we went to the Planetarium, and a day later, to the Nehru Science Center - both must-do visits when you have kids with you. Both are close by, in Worli. Also make sure you land up there as early in the day as possible, so you get to see the various shows and movies, which wind up by late evening.
A tourist trip to Mumbai is incomplete without a visit to Esselworld.
Some of the rides made me go white with terror!
All in all, a good trip, and an excellent way to reboot after a difficult week in office.
First, the Jeejamata Udyan (Byculla Zoo). Most of the animals are gone, and the Zoo now awaits a multi crore renovation. All we could catch are 3 monkeys, a rhino, 2 elephants, 2 hippos, a hyena, a croc and a bear...
The majestic clock tower at the entrance is beautiful - just like so many similar buildings in Mumbai, especially in downtown.
Interesting multi-barrel cannon - hadn't seen one like this before!
The animals are missing, but there were some amazing, giant trees that made the trip worthwhile!
Medieval torture chambers like these are thankfully out of service now - can only imagine the hell the animals would have gone through in the early days of the Zoo.
Next stop, the Taj and downtown Mumbai.
It's always an amazing feeling being here, and every visit to the Taj makes me realise how well this city and this country has fought back terrorism and how pointless the 26/11 attacks have been. Another evening in Mumbai as a proud Indian.
The shark fin and crab meat soup at the Golden Dragon was simply out of this world. The lamb stir fry with cumin and prawns garlic also rocked.
What rocked most was the hospitality. The waiter who served us was Elvis, a Goan, who told us his experiences from that fateful night. He also treated us to the Bud Tea - an amazing concoction with hot water and a finger-sized dry grass like bud, which opens up into a beautiful "flower" in a matter of seconds in the hot water. We also got four scoops of delicious ice cream.
Being driven around town in a beautiful horse drawn carriage is a lot of fun.
From there, we went to the Planetarium, and a day later, to the Nehru Science Center - both must-do visits when you have kids with you. Both are close by, in Worli. Also make sure you land up there as early in the day as possible, so you get to see the various shows and movies, which wind up by late evening.
A tourist trip to Mumbai is incomplete without a visit to Esselworld.
I am not too much into the rides, but this Aqua Dive is really fun - you hurtle down in the car from a huge slope straight into the pool, and come out soaking wet. Terrific fun!
Some of the rides made me go white with terror!
With Varun, wet as a kitten, after the Aqua Dive.
The Golden Pagoda, being built as a meditation center by the Goenka group, is a fantastic edifice, and worth a visit. Looks absolutely majestic in the sun! Still a lot of work in progress, though..
And finally, it was time for the horse power to rest and refresh with coffee and pakodas.
All in all, a good trip, and an excellent way to reboot after a difficult week in office.
Pee Loon :)
Sanam and Prachi Desai at the Taj restroom... the song from Once Upon A Time In Mumbai suddenly seems so appropriate!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Rajnikant Joke
When Graham Bell discovered the telephone, he found two missed calls from Rajnikant!!
Thursday, April 07, 2011
New Look Samara
Finally got Samara a bull bar worthy of the baby! Original equipment from Planet Ford. Now, autorickshaws, BEWARE!
Missed Call
Show your support for Anan Hazare's anti-corruption crusade and demand for the Lok Pal Bill. The India Against Corruption movement has recently launched a unique drive where if you support the movement all you need to do is give a missed call to 022-61550789. While the aim is to receive 25 lakh missed calls, the Mumbai number has received 6.6 lakh missed calls in a month from different parts of the country, with an average of 2,000 per day.
Come on, pick up your cell and dial 022-61550789 NOW! It doesn't cost you a penny, only a want to make a difference.
Come on, pick up your cell and dial 022-61550789 NOW! It doesn't cost you a penny, only a want to make a difference.
Wednesday, April 06, 2011
Lt Col Dhoni
Yes, before he formally becomes Dr Dhoni, it will be Lt Col Dhoni with immediate effect, after the Indian Army gave him the honorary commission into the Territorial Army... Pakis, beware! :)
And the IAF will be letting Dhoni take a spin in a Sukhoi. Captain Cool is literally gonna fly!
And the IAF will be letting Dhoni take a spin in a Sukhoi. Captain Cool is literally gonna fly!
Monday, April 04, 2011
The Bald Dr Dhoni
Captain Cool already sports a new avataar, a sexy bald head, having shaved it off as an offering to the gods after our win. And with the Jharkhand government deciding to confer an honorary doctorate on him, Mahi will soon need to be addressed as Dr Dhoni :)
Way to go, Mahi!!!
Now let's get the IPL4 cup for Chennai, the next T20 cup from England, beat England and Australia in their own backyard this summer, and well, prepare for the next WC?
Ok, Ok, you can take a couple of days off before that!
Way to go, Mahi!!!
Now let's get the IPL4 cup for Chennai, the next T20 cup from England, beat England and Australia in their own backyard this summer, and well, prepare for the next WC?
Ok, Ok, you can take a couple of days off before that!
Sunday, April 03, 2011
National Identities
Got this SMS forward addressed to a certain political leader in Maharashtra...
A Chandigarh lad, a Jharkhand captain and a Delhi boy won the World Cup for us and dedicated it to a Maharashtrian legend. What do you have to say on this?
A Chandigarh lad, a Jharkhand captain and a Delhi boy won the World Cup for us and dedicated it to a Maharashtrian legend. What do you have to say on this?
Paes-Bhupathi No.1
Meanwhile, Paes-Bhupathi have won their second title of the season in Miami, to get to World No 1 in the ATP Doubles ranking...
Mumbai Proves A Point
And in the middle of the excitement and fervour of the victory, let us not lose sight of one very important aspect... just a few months back, barely a few meters from the Wankhede, Mumbai was brutally assaulted by a band of 10 terrorists focussed on hurting the city and scarring its reputation and spirit forever. The city burned, the people bled and cried in pain and horror.
But yesterday, this city (and the country!) once again rose to the occasion, hosting a superb tournament, safe and secure for millions of Indians and guests alike. And what can be a better statement than seeing the biggest of the big, Rahul and Sonia, and scores of celebrities, sitting among the common people, soaking in the atmosphere, free from the iron clad security of the black cats?
Go India Go! The world is truly at your feet! De Ghumake! Bleed Blue!
But yesterday, this city (and the country!) once again rose to the occasion, hosting a superb tournament, safe and secure for millions of Indians and guests alike. And what can be a better statement than seeing the biggest of the big, Rahul and Sonia, and scores of celebrities, sitting among the common people, soaking in the atmosphere, free from the iron clad security of the black cats?
Go India Go! The world is truly at your feet! De Ghumake! Bleed Blue!
The World At Our Feet
Anhoni Ko Honi Karde
Honi Ko Anhoni
Ek Jagah Jab Jama Ho Tino
Rajni
Ghajini
Aur Dhoni!
This SMS doing the rounds yesterday, based on the famous song from Big B's Amar Akbar Anthony, said it all. With everyone from India's superhero Rajni, who can do no wrong, Ghajini (Aamir) who can remember nothing from the past and can only look straight at action in the future, and Dhoni, the captain of captains, coming together as a nation with a single dream, this Indian team beat all odds, all naysayers, all statistics, all history, and some very strong competition to lift the World Cup for the second time after 28 years.
I was just an 8 year old back in 1983 when Kapil's Devils beat the Windies in a very big upset, and with no TV at home, have faint memories of watching the match at my cousin's place. Like my daughter today, I understood when folks got out, I knew my 4s from my 6s, but mid wicket and silly mid on made no sense. Well, frankly, some of it still makes no sense to me! :)
Those faint memories, and the visual of Kapil lifting the WC, have now been irrevocably replaced by Dhoni's men in shining armour, bleeding blue, sweaty, grimy and teary eyed, from a battle well fought, and well won!
What a journey it was... India started well posting a huge score against the Bangladeshis in their opener, backed by a scintillating almost-double century by Sehwag, but the bowling looked scratchy, giving easy runs and seeming pretty harmless. Wins over Netherlands and Ireland were a given, but the team needed to fight for it. India fought back brilliantly against the English, but couldn't snatch a victory and had to settle for a tie. Against South Africa, the Indians looked set for a massive 400+ score, but capitulated in an inexplicable collapse, losing 9 wickets for 29 runs, and lost the game. With a victory against the West Indies, India came second in the group, setting up a semi final clash with the Australians.
Australia had beated India mercilessly in the 2003 finals, but Dhoni's men put those ghosts to rest in a clinical performance that ruined Ponting's career forever! Against the Pakistanis in the semis, the PM invited his counterpart for some peace initiatives, but the Indian team mercilessly mowed down their opposition, reducing them to dust. And finally, in Mumbai, on the night all India came to the party, they showed just why we are T20 champions, Test team No 1, ODI Team No 1 and ICC World Cup Champions.
It wasn't an easy feat by any means, and started out with a huge controversy when Sangakkara claimed a different toss than he had called, and even when it was audible on camera, Dhoni and the match referee gave in and a second toss was called. Sangakkara won the second toss, and elected to bat. A billion Indians were crestfallen - after all, only 3 out of 10 times, a team batting second had won a WC final. Add to that the fact that no host country had ever won. However, the Indians started positively, Zaheer's first spell included 3 maidens and a wicket, reading 5-3-6-1. India got rid of the feared Dilshan, Sangakkara and Tharanga with reasonable efficiency, but Mahela Jayavardena played a gem of an innings of 103* and gave Lanka a smashing 60+ runs in the batting powerplay to post a very dangerous 274.
No team had won in a WC final chasing anything more than 250, and India's hopes rested on a electrifying start by Sehwag and Tendulkar. However, just on the second ball of the innings, Sehwag was out, LBW to Malinga, and the nation was stunned into silence even before they had settled into their seats for the chase. Tendulkar looked calm and composed and hit some delectable shots, but fished outside his offstump at an outswinging Malinga slingshot, and India was in deep trouble at 31 for 2.
That is when the two Delhi lads took charge, Gautam going on to hit a masterful 97 while Virat batted beautifully for his 35. When Kohli departed to a C&B to Dilshan, in walked the captain Dhoni. He had not done too well as a batsman in the WC, but in the match of his life, he stood up, walking out to the pitch with his usual swagger, intent on proving a point. He started out very cautiously, nudging the ball around for some quick singles, and some scampering, and then slowly started cutting lose. India never lost sight of the RR, always kepeing it under 6, and when Gauti was bowled to a rare reckless shot at 97, Yuvraj joined his captain in the middle. There were to be no further hiccups, as the Indians went about their final 50 runs with ruthless efficiency. And if the Lankans thought they had any chance after a brilliant Malinga over brought the equation to 30 in 4 overs, Dhoni and Yuvraj ended their hopes in the next Kulasekara over with two smashing boundaries. Dhoni then followed with two fours in the next Malinga over, and finally, it was only fitting that Man of the Match Dhoni hit the winning runs through a massive six with his Man of the Tournament Yuvraj Singh at the other end. Dhoni ended with 91 not out in 79 balls.
As the nation erupted in a wild frenzy of celebrations, the men in blue were reduced to tears by the sheer bigness of the event - these brave men who had fought and bled through the past 50 days or so, were crying like babies. It was a moment that will be cherished forever.
Sachin had missed his 100th 100, but this Wolrd Cup was a fitting tribute to a living legend. As Kohli put it brilliantly, he had carried Indian cricket on his shoulders for 22 years, and today, it was only fitting that his team carried him on their shoulders around the stadium! Gary Kirsten, on his last assignment (he returns to SA now back to his family, having declined to continue his coaching engagement any more), who gave Indian cricket his all, was also carried around the stadium in a fitting tribute to him and his contribution in giving this country this WC.
As we left the theatre, blasting Chak De, Jai Ho, Hum Hindustani and De Ghumake from Samara's speakers, flags proudly waving from inside and outside the car, half its occupants sitting on the window sills, we were joined by hundreds of thousands of Indians... again, there was no caste, creed or religion today - just one identity - Indian! Even as hundreds of cops patrolled the streets to ensure there was no trouble, people poured out in their vehicles, while onlookers cheered and waved as if everyone of us had hit those winning runs! And for once, the cops simply smiled and clapped as vehicle after vehicle went by, people perched on the roofs, sitting on the window sills, and popping out from the skyroofs... everyone had come to the party.
And three hours later, when we returned home at 230 am and got our weary selves into bed, we finally made peace with it - India was world champion, and the world was at our feet!
Honi Ko Anhoni
Ek Jagah Jab Jama Ho Tino
Rajni
Ghajini
Aur Dhoni!
This SMS doing the rounds yesterday, based on the famous song from Big B's Amar Akbar Anthony, said it all. With everyone from India's superhero Rajni, who can do no wrong, Ghajini (Aamir) who can remember nothing from the past and can only look straight at action in the future, and Dhoni, the captain of captains, coming together as a nation with a single dream, this Indian team beat all odds, all naysayers, all statistics, all history, and some very strong competition to lift the World Cup for the second time after 28 years.
I was just an 8 year old back in 1983 when Kapil's Devils beat the Windies in a very big upset, and with no TV at home, have faint memories of watching the match at my cousin's place. Like my daughter today, I understood when folks got out, I knew my 4s from my 6s, but mid wicket and silly mid on made no sense. Well, frankly, some of it still makes no sense to me! :)
Those faint memories, and the visual of Kapil lifting the WC, have now been irrevocably replaced by Dhoni's men in shining armour, bleeding blue, sweaty, grimy and teary eyed, from a battle well fought, and well won!
What a journey it was... India started well posting a huge score against the Bangladeshis in their opener, backed by a scintillating almost-double century by Sehwag, but the bowling looked scratchy, giving easy runs and seeming pretty harmless. Wins over Netherlands and Ireland were a given, but the team needed to fight for it. India fought back brilliantly against the English, but couldn't snatch a victory and had to settle for a tie. Against South Africa, the Indians looked set for a massive 400+ score, but capitulated in an inexplicable collapse, losing 9 wickets for 29 runs, and lost the game. With a victory against the West Indies, India came second in the group, setting up a semi final clash with the Australians.
Australia had beated India mercilessly in the 2003 finals, but Dhoni's men put those ghosts to rest in a clinical performance that ruined Ponting's career forever! Against the Pakistanis in the semis, the PM invited his counterpart for some peace initiatives, but the Indian team mercilessly mowed down their opposition, reducing them to dust. And finally, in Mumbai, on the night all India came to the party, they showed just why we are T20 champions, Test team No 1, ODI Team No 1 and ICC World Cup Champions.
It wasn't an easy feat by any means, and started out with a huge controversy when Sangakkara claimed a different toss than he had called, and even when it was audible on camera, Dhoni and the match referee gave in and a second toss was called. Sangakkara won the second toss, and elected to bat. A billion Indians were crestfallen - after all, only 3 out of 10 times, a team batting second had won a WC final. Add to that the fact that no host country had ever won. However, the Indians started positively, Zaheer's first spell included 3 maidens and a wicket, reading 5-3-6-1. India got rid of the feared Dilshan, Sangakkara and Tharanga with reasonable efficiency, but Mahela Jayavardena played a gem of an innings of 103* and gave Lanka a smashing 60+ runs in the batting powerplay to post a very dangerous 274.
No team had won in a WC final chasing anything more than 250, and India's hopes rested on a electrifying start by Sehwag and Tendulkar. However, just on the second ball of the innings, Sehwag was out, LBW to Malinga, and the nation was stunned into silence even before they had settled into their seats for the chase. Tendulkar looked calm and composed and hit some delectable shots, but fished outside his offstump at an outswinging Malinga slingshot, and India was in deep trouble at 31 for 2.
That is when the two Delhi lads took charge, Gautam going on to hit a masterful 97 while Virat batted beautifully for his 35. When Kohli departed to a C&B to Dilshan, in walked the captain Dhoni. He had not done too well as a batsman in the WC, but in the match of his life, he stood up, walking out to the pitch with his usual swagger, intent on proving a point. He started out very cautiously, nudging the ball around for some quick singles, and some scampering, and then slowly started cutting lose. India never lost sight of the RR, always kepeing it under 6, and when Gauti was bowled to a rare reckless shot at 97, Yuvraj joined his captain in the middle. There were to be no further hiccups, as the Indians went about their final 50 runs with ruthless efficiency. And if the Lankans thought they had any chance after a brilliant Malinga over brought the equation to 30 in 4 overs, Dhoni and Yuvraj ended their hopes in the next Kulasekara over with two smashing boundaries. Dhoni then followed with two fours in the next Malinga over, and finally, it was only fitting that Man of the Match Dhoni hit the winning runs through a massive six with his Man of the Tournament Yuvraj Singh at the other end. Dhoni ended with 91 not out in 79 balls.
As the nation erupted in a wild frenzy of celebrations, the men in blue were reduced to tears by the sheer bigness of the event - these brave men who had fought and bled through the past 50 days or so, were crying like babies. It was a moment that will be cherished forever.
Sachin had missed his 100th 100, but this Wolrd Cup was a fitting tribute to a living legend. As Kohli put it brilliantly, he had carried Indian cricket on his shoulders for 22 years, and today, it was only fitting that his team carried him on their shoulders around the stadium! Gary Kirsten, on his last assignment (he returns to SA now back to his family, having declined to continue his coaching engagement any more), who gave Indian cricket his all, was also carried around the stadium in a fitting tribute to him and his contribution in giving this country this WC.
As we left the theatre, blasting Chak De, Jai Ho, Hum Hindustani and De Ghumake from Samara's speakers, flags proudly waving from inside and outside the car, half its occupants sitting on the window sills, we were joined by hundreds of thousands of Indians... again, there was no caste, creed or religion today - just one identity - Indian! Even as hundreds of cops patrolled the streets to ensure there was no trouble, people poured out in their vehicles, while onlookers cheered and waved as if everyone of us had hit those winning runs! And for once, the cops simply smiled and clapped as vehicle after vehicle went by, people perched on the roofs, sitting on the window sills, and popping out from the skyroofs... everyone had come to the party.
And three hours later, when we returned home at 230 am and got our weary selves into bed, we finally made peace with it - India was world champion, and the world was at our feet!
Saturday, April 02, 2011
So Far 50 - 50
35 overs gone, Lanka have put up 170 on the board for 3 wickets. Pitch is behaving good, score is not yet dangerous, but India would do well to get a couple of quick wickets to prevent Lanka from moving past 250.
Finally...
The big day is here... India take on Sri Lanka in the finals of the 2011 World Cup. Each has won the cup once, and will look to regain the glory, though India seem firm favourites with the gods, the bookies, the coincidences and the what nots. Sachin and Murali both play their last match, and probably Zaheer too. With a 100 today, Sachin can get 100 100s, the Man of Match, the Man of Series, The Cup, and maybe a Bharat Ratna! What a way to retire!
Mumbai is decked up, and fortified.. with the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the RAF, Force One, NSG, Coast Guard and the Police on alert to repulse any stupid attacks. Three rings of defences around the stadium, amphibious crafts patrolling the sea.
I was in Cuffee Parade yesterday, passing by a few meters from Wankhede, and the Taj where the team is staying. Interesting feeling it is - visiting a spot where history will be made, before it is made :)
So what will Dhoni do today? Again, in my opinion, bat first and put up a good score, and put the Lankans under pressure in a high voltage chase with disciplined bowling and fielding. But here's the deal. Lanka has an excellent opening pair in great form, and Sangakkara can do great too. If they get off to a good start, India might be in trouble. This team has done well chasing under pressure, so it might as well be a good idea to put in the Lankans to bat, make it their problem to put up a good total, get the openers out cheaply - they have chased well, but setting up a target is another matter altogether - and then expose their weak and untested middle order, which is even further weakened by Angelo Matthews' injury. Wankhede has got a new pitch, the Lankans have played on it, the Indians haven't. But going by the past experiences, it's likely to be a turner, and Dhoni should play Ashwin instead of the injured Nehra. In any case, 3 seamers will be a mistake at Wankhede, and there might even be a case for playing Piyush, Harbhajan AND Ashwin, with Zaheer the only seamer, and the "part timer" Yuvi chipping in with another match winning 10 overs. Crazy? Maybe, but that's what shocks the opposition and destroys plans!
Ok, I need to go now, and get my India colors prepped up...
Go Indiayaaaah Go!
Mumbai is decked up, and fortified.. with the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the RAF, Force One, NSG, Coast Guard and the Police on alert to repulse any stupid attacks. Three rings of defences around the stadium, amphibious crafts patrolling the sea.
I was in Cuffee Parade yesterday, passing by a few meters from Wankhede, and the Taj where the team is staying. Interesting feeling it is - visiting a spot where history will be made, before it is made :)
So what will Dhoni do today? Again, in my opinion, bat first and put up a good score, and put the Lankans under pressure in a high voltage chase with disciplined bowling and fielding. But here's the deal. Lanka has an excellent opening pair in great form, and Sangakkara can do great too. If they get off to a good start, India might be in trouble. This team has done well chasing under pressure, so it might as well be a good idea to put in the Lankans to bat, make it their problem to put up a good total, get the openers out cheaply - they have chased well, but setting up a target is another matter altogether - and then expose their weak and untested middle order, which is even further weakened by Angelo Matthews' injury. Wankhede has got a new pitch, the Lankans have played on it, the Indians haven't. But going by the past experiences, it's likely to be a turner, and Dhoni should play Ashwin instead of the injured Nehra. In any case, 3 seamers will be a mistake at Wankhede, and there might even be a case for playing Piyush, Harbhajan AND Ashwin, with Zaheer the only seamer, and the "part timer" Yuvi chipping in with another match winning 10 overs. Crazy? Maybe, but that's what shocks the opposition and destroys plans!
Ok, I need to go now, and get my India colors prepped up...
Go Indiayaaaah Go!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Chak De India, Once Again!
And finally, it's over - another exciting world cup, the best for India ever! Yes, we still have the finals in Mumbai, but that's like going on a honeymoon when you have already... LOL.. you get my point.
Early in the morning is when I get my bright ideas and yesterday was no exception. I was wondering how best to plan out the day when I thought of catching it at ESquare... we quickly booked 7 Platinum tickets on BookMyShow (it's amazing how freakingly friendly the site is - kudos to them!), caught a quick lunch and plunked ourselves in the airconditioned comfort of Screen 5, the mega high definition screen, where you can clearly pick out the poor fly getting squashed between the ball and the bat when there's a nick - technically, that should be not out, isn't it? With a thousand crazy fans screaming Bharat Maata Ki Jai, it was going to be a very exciting evening!
India had won the toss, and as I predicted in my earlier post, Dhoni chose to bat. Like me, he had read the pitch wrong, and gone in with an extra seamer Ashish Nehra, in place of the done-well-so-far-and-expected-to-play-today R Ashwin. Sehwag gave India the kind of start that only he can provide, smashing Umar Gul to the boundary 5 times in one over. He raced to 38 with 9 boundaries before Wahab Riaz did him in with a beautiful LBW. Gambhir joined him and stroked around for a subdued 27 before he perished stumped behind in the attempt to up the scoring rate. Kohli managed just 9, and then the shocker that silenced the nation - Yuvi going for a golden duck to a beautiful reverse swining yorker from Riaz. Tendulkar meanwhile was leading a very charmed life, dropped not once or twice, but 4 times! He also survived an LBW after a referral, and a stumping after a 3rd umpire review. Sachin was approaching his 100th 100 when his luck finally ran out, caught Afridi bowled Ajmal. Dhoni tried to hang around, but when he left and India were pretty much tottering at 205-6, Raina played another of his stellar knocks in the company of Bhajji and the bowlers, giving India a more than respectable 260 on the board. With the start India had got, 340 was not impossible, but the pitch had got slower and it was difficult to strike the ball. Would Indian bowlers be able to make a match of it? Would Dhoni's decision to drop Ashwin for an extra seamer come to haunt us?
And what a bowling performance they put in! Hunting in a pack, the seamers Zaheer, Munaf and Nehra, using guile and deception, the spinners Harbhajan and Yuvi using control and variation of flight and length, struck at regular intervals, backed by absolutely stunning fielding, even by the much maligned older members of the squad. Singles were impossible to steal, the returns fast and quick. Catches stuck like glue, and the pressure was building up every ball. From an asking rate of just over 5, the rate kept climbing as one Pakistani batsman followed another back to the pavilion after some excruciating moments on the pitch. The mastery and control of the Indians can be gauged from the fact that the first extra came only in the 35th over or so, and India conceded only 8 wides (5 of them came in one crazy ball from Zaheer that went right off the radar) and no no balls!
Pakistan never really got the upper hand, and barring the statistical possibility of winning the match, the Indians never lost grip on the innings. And the inexplicable strategies of the Pakistanis only served to make matters worse - Misbah played like he was trying to save a Test match, blocking and defending countless deliveries, never looking to even steal a single. Shahid Afridi refused to take the powerplay until it was too late. (And then came up with some unintelligible explanation during the presentation ceremony, ending with "I think the Indians played better than us"!)
With 30 to score in the last over, Misbah couldn't get a single shot to the boundary, ultimately holing out to Virat in the deep.
And it was India 5 Pakistan 0.
And it was only the beginning of the show! As fans streamed out of their homes, restaurants and theatres to celebrate, roads jammed, the incessant beats of dhols, tashas, car horns and chants of Chak De India rent the air. But no one was complaining.
On our part, we piled into the Endy, blasting Chak De India on the speakers, driving through town (wherever we could squeeze through traffic) with folks sitting on the car window sill.... the celebrations were unrestrained... there was no religion, caste, age, sex, or income bracket... people hugged and wished each other, with just one identity - proud Indians!!! India had beaten Pakistan, yet again, and there were no two ways about it... once again, a proud nation was adoring its heroes.
A lot was said and written - and along with the war cries were thoughts that this was all a hype. It was just a cricket game, after all, they said. But no, it was not just a cricket game. It was an event that united a country. It made millions of youngsters feel proud to wave our flag, to sing our anthem, and wear our colors. And when I see my daughter, first in 2003 and now in 2011, proudly wear India colors and wave the flag, proud to be an Indian, I think I have done well to expose her to the madness and hype called Cricket!
India travels to Mumbai on Saturday, and yes, I will be at ESquare too... but hey, now it's just a game of cricket :)
Early in the morning is when I get my bright ideas and yesterday was no exception. I was wondering how best to plan out the day when I thought of catching it at ESquare... we quickly booked 7 Platinum tickets on BookMyShow (it's amazing how freakingly friendly the site is - kudos to them!), caught a quick lunch and plunked ourselves in the airconditioned comfort of Screen 5, the mega high definition screen, where you can clearly pick out the poor fly getting squashed between the ball and the bat when there's a nick - technically, that should be not out, isn't it? With a thousand crazy fans screaming Bharat Maata Ki Jai, it was going to be a very exciting evening!
India had won the toss, and as I predicted in my earlier post, Dhoni chose to bat. Like me, he had read the pitch wrong, and gone in with an extra seamer Ashish Nehra, in place of the done-well-so-far-and-expected-to-play-today R Ashwin. Sehwag gave India the kind of start that only he can provide, smashing Umar Gul to the boundary 5 times in one over. He raced to 38 with 9 boundaries before Wahab Riaz did him in with a beautiful LBW. Gambhir joined him and stroked around for a subdued 27 before he perished stumped behind in the attempt to up the scoring rate. Kohli managed just 9, and then the shocker that silenced the nation - Yuvi going for a golden duck to a beautiful reverse swining yorker from Riaz. Tendulkar meanwhile was leading a very charmed life, dropped not once or twice, but 4 times! He also survived an LBW after a referral, and a stumping after a 3rd umpire review. Sachin was approaching his 100th 100 when his luck finally ran out, caught Afridi bowled Ajmal. Dhoni tried to hang around, but when he left and India were pretty much tottering at 205-6, Raina played another of his stellar knocks in the company of Bhajji and the bowlers, giving India a more than respectable 260 on the board. With the start India had got, 340 was not impossible, but the pitch had got slower and it was difficult to strike the ball. Would Indian bowlers be able to make a match of it? Would Dhoni's decision to drop Ashwin for an extra seamer come to haunt us?
And what a bowling performance they put in! Hunting in a pack, the seamers Zaheer, Munaf and Nehra, using guile and deception, the spinners Harbhajan and Yuvi using control and variation of flight and length, struck at regular intervals, backed by absolutely stunning fielding, even by the much maligned older members of the squad. Singles were impossible to steal, the returns fast and quick. Catches stuck like glue, and the pressure was building up every ball. From an asking rate of just over 5, the rate kept climbing as one Pakistani batsman followed another back to the pavilion after some excruciating moments on the pitch. The mastery and control of the Indians can be gauged from the fact that the first extra came only in the 35th over or so, and India conceded only 8 wides (5 of them came in one crazy ball from Zaheer that went right off the radar) and no no balls!
Pakistan never really got the upper hand, and barring the statistical possibility of winning the match, the Indians never lost grip on the innings. And the inexplicable strategies of the Pakistanis only served to make matters worse - Misbah played like he was trying to save a Test match, blocking and defending countless deliveries, never looking to even steal a single. Shahid Afridi refused to take the powerplay until it was too late. (And then came up with some unintelligible explanation during the presentation ceremony, ending with "I think the Indians played better than us"!)
With 30 to score in the last over, Misbah couldn't get a single shot to the boundary, ultimately holing out to Virat in the deep.
And it was India 5 Pakistan 0.
And it was only the beginning of the show! As fans streamed out of their homes, restaurants and theatres to celebrate, roads jammed, the incessant beats of dhols, tashas, car horns and chants of Chak De India rent the air. But no one was complaining.
On our part, we piled into the Endy, blasting Chak De India on the speakers, driving through town (wherever we could squeeze through traffic) with folks sitting on the car window sill.... the celebrations were unrestrained... there was no religion, caste, age, sex, or income bracket... people hugged and wished each other, with just one identity - proud Indians!!! India had beaten Pakistan, yet again, and there were no two ways about it... once again, a proud nation was adoring its heroes.
A lot was said and written - and along with the war cries were thoughts that this was all a hype. It was just a cricket game, after all, they said. But no, it was not just a cricket game. It was an event that united a country. It made millions of youngsters feel proud to wave our flag, to sing our anthem, and wear our colors. And when I see my daughter, first in 2003 and now in 2011, proudly wear India colors and wave the flag, proud to be an Indian, I think I have done well to expose her to the madness and hype called Cricket!
India travels to Mumbai on Saturday, and yes, I will be at ESquare too... but hey, now it's just a game of cricket :)
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
So Far So Good
India have won the toss and elected to bat, so far so good!
At ESquare, HD cricket with Dolby, electric atmosphere, and Viru has just smashed Gul for his third boundary... And 21 off the over
At ESquare, HD cricket with Dolby, electric atmosphere, and Viru has just smashed Gul for his third boundary... And 21 off the over
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Options in Mohali
Mahi has always struck it lucky with his strategies, the latest master strokes being his handling of Ashwin, keeping him under wraps till the crucial final games, and getting the finisher Raina in place of the hard hitting Yusuf Pathan in the match against Australia. Both have worked brilliantly in his favour...
So what awaits us in Mohali?
Mohali is expected to be a pacer's delight, which will suit India well, because it neutralizes Shahid Afridi, who has been the only real threat from the Pakis in the run up to the semis. Shoaib is a spent force, and playing him against India will most likely help the Indians milk him like they have done in the past. Umar Gul and Abdur Razzaq are good, but not likely to hurt the Indians too much. On Dhoni's part, I think Sreesanth will get a look in, fresh from being on the bench all this while. He might replace Munaf, or in extreme situations, might also end up playing instead of Ashwin, with Zaheer, Munaf, Harbhajan and Yuvraj completing the line up, and Sachin rolling his arms over for the part timer. Yusuf might just get a look in too, adding both an extra bowling option, and hard hitting against Shahid and the quickies.
I would definitely bat first, set up a massive total, and put in the Pakis to bat under pressure. Chasing any score, especially with an unfortunate couple of early dismissals, will really put the Indians on the boil, although they are likely to come out unscathed.
So what awaits us in Mohali?
Mohali is expected to be a pacer's delight, which will suit India well, because it neutralizes Shahid Afridi, who has been the only real threat from the Pakis in the run up to the semis. Shoaib is a spent force, and playing him against India will most likely help the Indians milk him like they have done in the past. Umar Gul and Abdur Razzaq are good, but not likely to hurt the Indians too much. On Dhoni's part, I think Sreesanth will get a look in, fresh from being on the bench all this while. He might replace Munaf, or in extreme situations, might also end up playing instead of Ashwin, with Zaheer, Munaf, Harbhajan and Yuvraj completing the line up, and Sachin rolling his arms over for the part timer. Yusuf might just get a look in too, adding both an extra bowling option, and hard hitting against Shahid and the quickies.
I would definitely bat first, set up a massive total, and put in the Pakis to bat under pressure. Chasing any score, especially with an unfortunate couple of early dismissals, will really put the Indians on the boil, although they are likely to come out unscathed.
Libyan Crisis
The tide is turning again in Libya. After Gadhaffi's forces had quashed the rebels and taken back most of the cities from rebel control, US-led air attacks by NATO forces have crippled the government, and rebels have regained control of Ajdabiyah and other areas. Hope this bodes well for the people of LIbya, but what is stark and repelling is the United States' obvious double standards with respect to human rights and democracy. When oil is concerned, the US is a "saviour" of human rights... Kuwait, Iraq, and now Libya. But when millions die in Congo, Sudan and other African nations from unspeakable atrocities by its dictators, the US simply turns away, and leaves it to poor, under-equipped forces from the UN member countries to try salvage some humanity. Come on big brother, you can do better than that!
Movie Review: The Eagle
A braveheart Roman commander sets out in search of his family's honour, on a quest to find and return the "Eagle", lost along with his father's 5000 strong army in the unconquered wild world in the Northern part of Britain. Brilliant locations and a good cast make this period drama a good bet, although one feels the movie could have been subjected to a little more liberal dose of the editor's knife.
Movie Review: Mumbai-Pune-Mumbai (Marathi)
MPM is a sweet story about strangers, about love, about Pune and Mumbai, and their love-hate relationship. Shot in popular locations around Pune, the movie takes a light hearted jab at Puneri paatis, the people and the Puneri abhimaan that will resonate with anyone who's lived in Pune, although pukka Puneris might not agree with all that's said :)
Swapnil Joshi is a little repetitive with his dialogue delivery, but Mukta Barve as the Mumbai girl does a very good job.
Do watch it, and if nothing else, try identify all the Puneri locations. My personal favourite - seeing my favourite waiter at Wadeshwar in the movie :)
Swapnil Joshi is a little repetitive with his dialogue delivery, but Mukta Barve as the Mumbai girl does a very good job.
Do watch it, and if nothing else, try identify all the Puneri locations. My personal favourite - seeing my favourite waiter at Wadeshwar in the movie :)
And Now, The English!
Another semi-final, another crushing defeat.. the time, the Lankans making a joke of laboriously compiled English total of 220 something, toying with the attack to reach the target with all 10 wickets to spare, and Upul Tharanga joining T Dilshan with his own century off the winning shot.
With the wannabes joining the once-champs, the semi-final lineup now boasts India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka along with the New Zealanders, each winning their own QF encounters with convincing and one-sided wins over their opponents.
Sri Lanka stand an excellent chance against the Kiwis on Tuesday, while India should win the mother of all games on Wed.
With the wannabes joining the once-champs, the semi-final lineup now boasts India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka along with the New Zealanders, each winning their own QF encounters with convincing and one-sided wins over their opponents.
Sri Lanka stand an excellent chance against the Kiwis on Tuesday, while India should win the mother of all games on Wed.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Chokers At It Again!
The chokers have done it again, crashing to a humiliating defeat against NZ in the third quarter final, failing to chase a tiny 200 odd score, after being in a commanding 100 for 2 at one stage. As the South African captain said in the presentation ceremony, there's really nothing else to say!
Movie Review: Black Swan
When the director of a popular ballet company chooses her to play the lead role in the new version of his production, Swan Lake, Nina (Natalie Portman) sees all her hard work and commitment as a ballet dancer paying off. But Nina has competition from a new dancer, Lily (Mila Kunis). Swan Lake requires a dancer who can play both the graceful White Swan, and the Black Swan, who represents the dark side of seduction and sensuality. And while Nina fits the White Swan role perfectly, the director believes Lily's spontaneity more closely represents the Black Swan. Nina faces off Lily in an increasingly complicated relationship. Or is it just her mind playing tricks?
A good psychological thriller, but only for serious movie buffs. Natalie Portman puts in a fantastic performance!
A good psychological thriller, but only for serious movie buffs. Natalie Portman puts in a fantastic performance!
Yet Another Life
While we were clapping and shouting our hearts out for India, yet another beautiful life was snuffed out, a young 19 year old on her 2 wheeler, struck by a bus, died of grievous head injuries, just a few meters from where I live. For a lot of us, a 2 wheeler might be unavoidable, but can we at least take precautions and wear a helmet? Ride slow, and carefully? There are really no second chances here.
Sweet Revenge!
Almost exactly 8 years ago, on 23rd March, a young Indian fan borrowed 3 chunnis from his sister to stitch together an Indian flag. It was India vs Australia in the finals of the 2003 WC, and India had played brilliantly to beat the best teams in the competition, and deservedly eyed the trophy. A victory rally was planned, and he wanted to be prepared! But before the last stitches were through, Australia had batted India out of the game with a 350 odd score.
Yesterday, 8 years later, along with a billion other Indians, he had his revenge!
Australia won the toss and elected to bat on a difficult pitch at the Motera in Ahmedabad. Ponting probably wanted the Indians to flash back to 2003, and bat them out of the game. However, the much-maligned Indian bowlers were raring to go. Led by the indomitable Dhoni, they kept at the Aussies, striking at regular intervals, never allowing them to settle down. Dhoni opened the bowling with his secret card Ashwin, who struck in the 10th over, Yuvi got two critical wickets, and Zaheer's brilliance with the ball meant that Ponting's lucky 100 (he was given not out when LBW to Harbhajan, and India had already exhausted its quota of referrals) just about managed to take the Aussie score to a respectable 260. India fielded brilliantly too, saving at least another 15 runs with diving efforts.
When the men in blue took the field, Indians wanted just two things - Sachin's 100th 100 and an Indian win. Sachin and Sehwag opened with a flourish, and Sachin soon raced to a brilliant 50 after Sehwag's early dismissal, in the company of Gambhir. In the process, he also completed 18000 ODI runs. But the stadium was stunned into silence when he was given out to a possible backfoot no-ball. With a not-so-threatening RR, Indians never lost sight of the target. But after a disastrous set of mix ups in the middle with Yuvi, Gambhi ran himself out. With Virat falling to a rank bad shot, and Dhoni similarly catching himself out, India suddenly seemed vulnerable for the first time in the game. With 70 odd runs to go, and 5 down, with the last recognized pair of Yuvi and the out of form Raina in the middle, would the team falter like they did in the SA encounter? The pitch was also expected to deteriorate and turn, but Ponting had packed his side with his "fearsome" pace bowler quartet. But Yuvi and Raina were up to the task, first striking Lee for 14 in the 40th over, followed by Tait's 13 run over. Suddenly the pressure was off. Raina even hit Lee for a huge six, the first and only of the innings. When Lee got hit with the ball at the boundary during a diving attempt, and had to walk off the field bleeding under his eye, the signs for Australia had turned very ominous. There was no stopping the men in blue, and it was only fitting that the winning boundary came off the blade of the Prince of Indian cricket off a Lee delivery. With his 4th fifty and 4th consecutive man of the match award, Yuvi had silenced all his critics with a performance when it mattered the most.
With Chak De India blasting from his Endeavour's speakers, the young man and his daughter took off on a vistory rally to celebrate what had been a most memorable victory! FC road was jam-packed with revellers, clambering on buses with huge waving tricolors, and celebrating like there was no tomorrow. India had proved, once again, why we are #1 in the world, and for a billion Indians, here was yet another reason to celebrate!
Next stop, Mohali, for the war with Pakistan. As Dhoni said, for most Indians, this is the match that matters, and if we win this, the WC will no longer matter!
Yesterday, 8 years later, along with a billion other Indians, he had his revenge!
Australia won the toss and elected to bat on a difficult pitch at the Motera in Ahmedabad. Ponting probably wanted the Indians to flash back to 2003, and bat them out of the game. However, the much-maligned Indian bowlers were raring to go. Led by the indomitable Dhoni, they kept at the Aussies, striking at regular intervals, never allowing them to settle down. Dhoni opened the bowling with his secret card Ashwin, who struck in the 10th over, Yuvi got two critical wickets, and Zaheer's brilliance with the ball meant that Ponting's lucky 100 (he was given not out when LBW to Harbhajan, and India had already exhausted its quota of referrals) just about managed to take the Aussie score to a respectable 260. India fielded brilliantly too, saving at least another 15 runs with diving efforts.
When the men in blue took the field, Indians wanted just two things - Sachin's 100th 100 and an Indian win. Sachin and Sehwag opened with a flourish, and Sachin soon raced to a brilliant 50 after Sehwag's early dismissal, in the company of Gambhir. In the process, he also completed 18000 ODI runs. But the stadium was stunned into silence when he was given out to a possible backfoot no-ball. With a not-so-threatening RR, Indians never lost sight of the target. But after a disastrous set of mix ups in the middle with Yuvi, Gambhi ran himself out. With Virat falling to a rank bad shot, and Dhoni similarly catching himself out, India suddenly seemed vulnerable for the first time in the game. With 70 odd runs to go, and 5 down, with the last recognized pair of Yuvi and the out of form Raina in the middle, would the team falter like they did in the SA encounter? The pitch was also expected to deteriorate and turn, but Ponting had packed his side with his "fearsome" pace bowler quartet. But Yuvi and Raina were up to the task, first striking Lee for 14 in the 40th over, followed by Tait's 13 run over. Suddenly the pressure was off. Raina even hit Lee for a huge six, the first and only of the innings. When Lee got hit with the ball at the boundary during a diving attempt, and had to walk off the field bleeding under his eye, the signs for Australia had turned very ominous. There was no stopping the men in blue, and it was only fitting that the winning boundary came off the blade of the Prince of Indian cricket off a Lee delivery. With his 4th fifty and 4th consecutive man of the match award, Yuvi had silenced all his critics with a performance when it mattered the most.
With Chak De India blasting from his Endeavour's speakers, the young man and his daughter took off on a vistory rally to celebrate what had been a most memorable victory! FC road was jam-packed with revellers, clambering on buses with huge waving tricolors, and celebrating like there was no tomorrow. India had proved, once again, why we are #1 in the world, and for a billion Indians, here was yet another reason to celebrate!
Next stop, Mohali, for the war with Pakistan. As Dhoni said, for most Indians, this is the match that matters, and if we win this, the WC will no longer matter!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
India Takes On Australia
So here we are, probably the match of the tournament.. India takes on Australia. Australia have won the toss and happily for India, have decided to bat. Probably looking at a repeat of the 2003 final, when they batted India out of the game.. but if Zaheer, Harbhajan and Ashwin (is he playing?) can restrict the Aussies with some early wicket, the Indian batting machine can finish off the job.
Fingers crossed, here we go...
Fingers crossed, here we go...
Monday, March 21, 2011
Holi
Back in Goa after a couple of years for Holi, we had an awesome time! After warming up at home with eco friendly colors, buckets of water and the garden hose, we piled into an open top Gypsy loaded with screaming kids and buckets of colored water and water cannons and went out into the battlefield :) The great thing about Holi in Goa is the decency about the whole event... You don't play dirty. Most folks sportingly joined the fun, the rest were left alone. Foreigners, especially, love the experience and we obliged :) Of course being in an open top jeep meant we were completely exposed too, and took buckets of water ourselves!
To end the day, we had a good win over the Windies... along with some chicken cafreal!
To end the day, we had a good win over the Windies... along with some chicken cafreal!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Samara's Masti in Dapoli
We were off on yet another trip this weekend, to Dapoli. And Samara took the opportunity to indulge in her favourite passtime - splashes in the Dapoli rivulet by the beach.
Movie Review: Tanu Weds Manu
TWM is one of these movies that you go to with low expectations, and come out having had a good time, actually! Shot in small town UP, the screenplay and cinematography is excellent, and evokes poignant memories of a different India a couple of decades back - which is still alive and kicking in most of the small towns all over the heartland. Vividh Bharati, for example.
Kangana as the rebel Tanu and Madhavan as the simple Manu are perfectly cast. Jimmy Shergil looks pretty good in his role too. And while the story is nothing extraordinary, the 2 hour 15 min movie will keep you interested till the end.
A good one time watch, especially for Kangana fans.
Kangana as the rebel Tanu and Madhavan as the simple Manu are perfectly cast. Jimmy Shergil looks pretty good in his role too. And while the story is nothing extraordinary, the 2 hour 15 min movie will keep you interested till the end.
A good one time watch, especially for Kangana fans.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Movie Review: Battle: Los Angeles
Yet another alien invasion, this time water-thirsty creatures and machines that hurl thousands of meteors on Earth, aiming to colonize us. Yet another US Marine platoon sent out to retrieve a clutch of civilians from the "bomb zone", a lot of sacrifices, lot of hardware, dust, blood, and finally, the noble Marines of the US of A save the world and we all live to fight another day.
If the camera work was not so shaky (yes, we get it, it's tough during a war, but really - do you HAVE to shake it so much?), I would actually have enjoyed the visualizations...
Not too bad.
If the camera work was not so shaky (yes, we get it, it's tough during a war, but really - do you HAVE to shake it so much?), I would actually have enjoyed the visualizations...
Not too bad.
Movie Review: Hall Pass
If you have loved your "Hangover", this one's for you. When Rick and Fred, two no-longer-in-college married men, are given a week off from marriage by their wives, they are confident they can quickly make some kills, but alas, realise they don't really have it in them anymore to lift their plans! And when their wives themselves start having some fun, things quickly get out of control. A lot of graphic crude humour a la Hangover, this movie is a lot of fun if you go along with your partners in crime, but definitely not a recommended date movie!
Guys, watch it!
Guys, watch it!
Monday, March 07, 2011
Movie Review: Saat Khoon Maaf
The movie had been pending for quite some time now, and I finally got a chance to catch up with it today. Not bad at all! A well made dark movie, it keeps you spell bound right through to the end... which itself will ensure you get out of the theatre more than just a little confused, and wondering. I loved the way the camera has been used, and the stifling atmosphere that engulfs you in every scene, making you want to break free, making you emphatize with the "murderer"...
Priyanka puts in another excellent performance. The rest of the cast is pretty much on the dot, too.
Overall, for those who like serious cinema, not a bad option at all. For those looking for a light hearted entertaining evening, avoid it.
Priyanka puts in another excellent performance. The rest of the cast is pretty much on the dot, too.
Overall, for those who like serious cinema, not a bad option at all. For those looking for a light hearted entertaining evening, avoid it.
Sunday, March 06, 2011
India Beat Ireland
On a day England came back from staring defeat in the face to beat a stunned "choker" South Africa, India went about their business calmly ensuring Ireland didn't need to party tonight. Winning the toss, Dhoni put in the Irish to bat first on a placid wicket, and Zaheer struck immediately twice, before the Irish put up a century partnership, exposing India's weak link - their bowling. A fine 5 wicket haul by Yuvi ensured that the Irish folded at 208. India went about their task cooly, and while wickets fell regularly, the depth and experience of the lineup meant victory was never in doubt. And after Dhoni departed, Pathan struck some lusty blows to ensure any hopes the Irish had of a close fight were quickly dashed. Yuvi got a well deserved 50, and became the only cricketer in WC history to get both 5 wickets and 50 runs in a single game.
India now meet The Nedherlands, followed by SA.
India now meet The Nedherlands, followed by SA.
Which Is Better?
Samara recently got some of her "flab" removed - need you to tell me which looks better :)
Movie Review: The King's Speech
It's the 1930s, and Europe is on the brink of war, with Hitler's histrionics unnerving an increasingly worried England. With King George V dead, and his eldest son abdicating the throne in order to marry his commoner, divorcee lover, England desperately needs a charismatic King to lead it into battle. The man next in line to the throne is the younger brother George ("Bertie"), the future King George VI, father of Queen Elizabeth II. Suffering a dreaded stammer and considered by many as unfit to be king, Bertie takes treatment from a speech therapist, Lionel Logue. Will Lionel's unorthodox techniques break the barriers between the commoner and the royalty, and will the King find his voice?
Colin Firth puts in an Oscar winning (and deserving) performance as the King, while Geoffrey Rush as Lionel is outstanding too. While the movie is slow, the performances are brilliant, and coupled with some fantastic screenplay, gives an outstandingly intimate look at the lives of England's royalty, a romance with which has been unshaken, inspite of not so inspiring examples in recent times.
A definite watch for serious movie aficionados.
.
Colin Firth puts in an Oscar winning (and deserving) performance as the King, while Geoffrey Rush as Lionel is outstanding too. While the movie is slow, the performances are brilliant, and coupled with some fantastic screenplay, gives an outstandingly intimate look at the lives of England's royalty, a romance with which has been unshaken, inspite of not so inspiring examples in recent times.
A definite watch for serious movie aficionados.
.
Revolutions
As Egypt comes to terms with a new order, searching for the promised freedom post Mubarak under an army and institutions ruled pretty much by the same old order, Libya's embattled people are fighting for survival against an increasingly maniac Gadaffi, who has vowed to fight till the end, and for whom sending air fighters to bomb his own cities is a very acceptable strategy. The Saudis and the Sheikhs of the oil rich gulf are pumping in billions of dollars in social schemes, aiming to quash any revolutions before they take unmanageable proportions, like they threatened to do in Bahrain. China, having already blocked Facebook and Twitter, is ensuring that any online calls for meetings and demonstrations are quickly overwhelmed by a huge show of force, with police officers completely outnumbering any potential trouble makers. Iran has also responded in a pretty similar fashion. After Tunisia, Ivory Coast and a bunch of other smaller nations threaten to follow suit, but the governments there have responded with ruthless show of brutality and power. The next few months will tell if this is good or bad for the world - will we see the rise of true democracy and human rights in the Middle East and Africa, or will these nations degenerate into a boiling cauldron of terrorism and fundamentalism? Interestingly, the US, its faithful alliy UK, and pretty much all of the West, is uncharacteristically quiet - concerned, but unsure how to engage in the region.
In India, another revolution is quietly but surely taking place. From religion and caste based politics, the focus is shifting to corruption. A resurgent Supreme Court, a revitalised BJP, and a very involved common man is ensuring that corruption is top of the agenda. Kalmad is facing intense scrutiny on the CWG scam, and is likely to be arrested any time soon. The high rollers of Adarsh society are nervously waiting for the inevitable demolition. Raja has spent close to a month in jail now, while head honchos of dozens of corporates are very worried about the fall out of the 2G scam sucking them in as more and more skeletons fall out of their closets under investigations by the CBI, CAG and a bunch of other enforcement agencies under tight supervision of the SC. The PM and his government, unfortunately, seem to be clueless on how to tackle this, unable to read the minds of the people, allowing blow after blow to sully the government's image, and allowing the BJP to resurrect itself from near extinction. With the CVC's appointment being quashed by the SC for his involvement in earlier corruption cases, the PM has had to suffer a very public humiliation, given his open support to the CVC and his feeble attempts at justification of the appointment earlier. How many of these cases will ultilately go to closure, how much of the black money will eventually be recovered, and will the BJP be able to wrest control is yet ot be seen... but the departure from religion and caste is a result well deserved by this country!
And finally, the WC continues to lumber along, the pace slowly picking up... but into its nth week now, the excitement and passion is yet to really explode, the minnows ensuring that most 50 over matches end up finishing faster than T20s! Yes, Ireland beat England and Indians will have just that additional crease on their foreheads today when they take on the Guiness guzzlers today, but come on, if ODIs are to survive, we need a lot more of the India-England action from last week.
And finally, Mazda is recalling thousands of a popular model on fears that a particular yellow spider might have built nests in its fuel tanks. It's a spider's world!
In India, another revolution is quietly but surely taking place. From religion and caste based politics, the focus is shifting to corruption. A resurgent Supreme Court, a revitalised BJP, and a very involved common man is ensuring that corruption is top of the agenda. Kalmad is facing intense scrutiny on the CWG scam, and is likely to be arrested any time soon. The high rollers of Adarsh society are nervously waiting for the inevitable demolition. Raja has spent close to a month in jail now, while head honchos of dozens of corporates are very worried about the fall out of the 2G scam sucking them in as more and more skeletons fall out of their closets under investigations by the CBI, CAG and a bunch of other enforcement agencies under tight supervision of the SC. The PM and his government, unfortunately, seem to be clueless on how to tackle this, unable to read the minds of the people, allowing blow after blow to sully the government's image, and allowing the BJP to resurrect itself from near extinction. With the CVC's appointment being quashed by the SC for his involvement in earlier corruption cases, the PM has had to suffer a very public humiliation, given his open support to the CVC and his feeble attempts at justification of the appointment earlier. How many of these cases will ultilately go to closure, how much of the black money will eventually be recovered, and will the BJP be able to wrest control is yet ot be seen... but the departure from religion and caste is a result well deserved by this country!
And finally, the WC continues to lumber along, the pace slowly picking up... but into its nth week now, the excitement and passion is yet to really explode, the minnows ensuring that most 50 over matches end up finishing faster than T20s! Yes, Ireland beat England and Indians will have just that additional crease on their foreheads today when they take on the Guiness guzzlers today, but come on, if ODIs are to survive, we need a lot more of the India-England action from last week.
And finally, Mazda is recalling thousands of a popular model on fears that a particular yellow spider might have built nests in its fuel tanks. It's a spider's world!
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Ireland Blanks England
What an incredible match today - chasing 327, Ireland beat England by 3 wickets with 5 balls to spare. Kevin O'Brien scored the fastest century in WC history (off 50 balls), and John Mooney chipped in with a chanceless run a ball 30 odd runs in the end to take the very calm and cool Irish to their first historic victory in the WC.
Finally, the minnows are making heads turn!
Finally, the minnows are making heads turn!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Budget
Another year, another budget. The India story continues... a strong 9% growth projection, reduction in fiscal deficit by 0.4 percentage points and as the honourable FM put it, it's a path breaking budget in the sense that there was nothing path breaking in it - the sign of a strong, mature economy that knows what it is doing!
Mechanic
Ever since the Bhandardhara trip 3 months back, Samara had picked up a very irritating intermittent rattling from the underbody.. and it seemed to come from the sidesteps. There was nothing obvious, so I lived with it - but every time it rattled, it hurt :(
Yesterday, finally, I decided to explore it a little more, got down and dirty on my back and slid underneath to investigate. A little thumping and I realised the sound wasn't coming from the sidestep, but rather from the thick metal plates protecting the underbody. And guess what! It wasn't a lose screw - it was a large metal stone, kicked into the thin space between the plate and the engine :)
What a relief!
Yesterday, finally, I decided to explore it a little more, got down and dirty on my back and slid underneath to investigate. A little thumping and I realised the sound wasn't coming from the sidestep, but rather from the thick metal plates protecting the underbody. And guess what! It wasn't a lose screw - it was a large metal stone, kicked into the thin space between the plate and the engine :)
What a relief!
Tale Of Two Autos
I had the chance to jump into two autorickshaws today, getting around the parking problem in the HDFC building I needed to visit... the first one charged me 11 Rs, and since I didn't have change, simply smiled and waived off the change.
The second was even more fun. This time, the charge was 19, so he took my 20 and said, "Sir, I don't have change so let me keep the extra 1 - I will give you a free round when we meet the next time!"
Lol, yes right!
The second was even more fun. This time, the charge was 19, so he took my 20 and said, "Sir, I don't have change so let me keep the extra 1 - I will give you a free round when we meet the next time!"
Lol, yes right!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
It's A Tie!
It was billed as the game to watch for in the WC - the first real encounter between two strong teams, after more than a week of relatively one-sided matches. And what a match it turned out to be! India powered themselves to 338, on the back of a brilliant 100 by Sachin, and useful contributions from everyone in the top order. India seemed on course for 350, but the last 3-4 overs saw India lose all their wickets in a large collapse, adding much lesser runs. And the last ball was even more critical... trying to max the scoring, they went for a double, got run out, and then the umpire signalled one run short! In the quest for the second run, Zaheer had run the first one short. But 338 seemed more than enough...
Or so we all thought!
But England had other plans for the evening. Powered by a chanceless 150 score from captain Strauss, and another 50 by Ian Bell, England cruised through the overs, dashing all hopes of even the most optimistic Indian fan. An LBW decision went against India, even when the Indians referred the decision to the 3rd Umpire, and when replays and Hawkeye clearly showed the ball hitting the middle of the stumps, he was still given not out since he was forward of the crease! At one stage England needed 58 from 45 balls, 5 PP overs and 8 wickets in hand. That is when the Indian spirit kicked in... Zaheer came with a gem of an over, scalping both the danger men, a few more wickets followed in subsequent overs, and the tide had turned. At 29 runs needed in 12, Indians were celebrating, and I was preparing to take Samara out for a victory lap.
It was then that the match turned another corner. Piyush Chawla was hit for 2 sixes, but came back with a wicket in the last ball. 14 to win in the last 6, and their bowler Shahzad at the crease. And the first ball went for a six! It finally boiled down to 2 in 1. The ball was hit hard, and fielded by Pathan at mid wicket. England had taken 1, and the match was tied.
Remember the last run Zaheer missed?
Fantastic match, a bittersweet ending, and while India's batting and comeback was heartwarming, the bowling is worrying... and needs to quickly come together if India want to win this cup.
Or so we all thought!
But England had other plans for the evening. Powered by a chanceless 150 score from captain Strauss, and another 50 by Ian Bell, England cruised through the overs, dashing all hopes of even the most optimistic Indian fan. An LBW decision went against India, even when the Indians referred the decision to the 3rd Umpire, and when replays and Hawkeye clearly showed the ball hitting the middle of the stumps, he was still given not out since he was forward of the crease! At one stage England needed 58 from 45 balls, 5 PP overs and 8 wickets in hand. That is when the Indian spirit kicked in... Zaheer came with a gem of an over, scalping both the danger men, a few more wickets followed in subsequent overs, and the tide had turned. At 29 runs needed in 12, Indians were celebrating, and I was preparing to take Samara out for a victory lap.
It was then that the match turned another corner. Piyush Chawla was hit for 2 sixes, but came back with a wicket in the last ball. 14 to win in the last 6, and their bowler Shahzad at the crease. And the first ball went for a six! It finally boiled down to 2 in 1. The ball was hit hard, and fielded by Pathan at mid wicket. England had taken 1, and the match was tied.
Remember the last run Zaheer missed?
Fantastic match, a bittersweet ending, and while India's batting and comeback was heartwarming, the bowling is worrying... and needs to quickly come together if India want to win this cup.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Slow Start
Almost a week after it began, the first real match of the WC kicks off today, with South Africa taking on West Indies. In the age of T20, this is definitely not good for the 50 over format. ICC's decision to restrict the WC to the elite 10 next time is already late in coming. While there are some individual flashes of brilliance - the Dutch gave a good scare to the British couple of days back - the rest of the matches have been completely one-sided and are doing nothing to improve the profile of the game.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
End Game for Corruption?
With Kalmadi's left and right hands, Bhanot and Verma now in jail, questions are being raised now - will Kalmadi be next? With Raja already in jail, and the Adarsh scam very much on the boil, corruption is finally on the BJP's agenda, and one can only hope that they continue to play the role of a mature opposition and help clean up the system.
Unless, of course, they have their own skeletons to hide!
Unless, of course, they have their own skeletons to hide!
Monday, February 21, 2011
After Egypt, What Next?
We are witnessing history unfold in the Middle East.. after Tunisia and Egypt, we have popular uprisings in Iran, Libya, Bahrain and Yemen. Even China is feeling jittery... is this good for the world, will this ring in democracy, or will the void created by the downfall of these authoratarian regimes be filled by unrest and Islamic fundamentalism? Very interesting developments indeed! We can only wait and watch.
Meanwhile, the Bahrain Grand Prix has been called off... not surprisingly
Meanwhile, the Bahrain Grand Prix has been called off... not surprisingly
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Hindi Commentary
In the good old days of DD, one had to undergo the most excruciating pain of listening to the Hindi commentators... parajai ke baadal mandhara rahe hai and all that. I thought things had changed since the advent of satellite channels, but apparently some things never change!
Here are some gems from today's Canada vs Sri Lanka match commentory on Star Sports:
Vivek Razdan: Cricket mein kuch bhi asambhav nahin. Aakhir asambhav se a nikaala toh kahin na kahin sambhav chupa hai!
Sushil Doshi: Arre wah, acchaa laga ke aap jaise cricketer bhi aise hindi bolte hai!
Sushil Doshi: Aur ye beheterin shot aur ball seedha boundary ke pass chala gaya (lol, mind you, it did NOT cross the boundary!)
More...
Lagta hai unko kisine ne nahin bola ki apni disha sambhalein, kyon ki Canada mein woh league mein khelte honge toh baaki ballebaajoan ko woh daravne lagte honge!
Agar aap disha se hatke gendbaaji karenge, toh aapko padenge fatke!
A few seconds later,
Aur yeh hatke balling ki, par fatke nahin pade iss baar!
In the 4th over of the first innings,
Lagta hai Sri Lanka ka yahi prayaas hoga ki woh pure 50 over khele!
Really?
While on the match, the Canadian team has only one native Canadian on the team. The rest are all from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka! Wonder what goes through the minds of these exports, when they play on their "home" soil!
Here are some gems from today's Canada vs Sri Lanka match commentory on Star Sports:
Vivek Razdan: Cricket mein kuch bhi asambhav nahin. Aakhir asambhav se a nikaala toh kahin na kahin sambhav chupa hai!
Sushil Doshi: Arre wah, acchaa laga ke aap jaise cricketer bhi aise hindi bolte hai!
Sushil Doshi: Aur ye beheterin shot aur ball seedha boundary ke pass chala gaya (lol, mind you, it did NOT cross the boundary!)
More...
Lagta hai unko kisine ne nahin bola ki apni disha sambhalein, kyon ki Canada mein woh league mein khelte honge toh baaki ballebaajoan ko woh daravne lagte honge!
Agar aap disha se hatke gendbaaji karenge, toh aapko padenge fatke!
A few seconds later,
Aur yeh hatke balling ki, par fatke nahin pade iss baar!
In the 4th over of the first innings,
Lagta hai Sri Lanka ka yahi prayaas hoga ki woh pure 50 over khele!
Really?
While on the match, the Canadian team has only one native Canadian on the team. The rest are all from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka! Wonder what goes through the minds of these exports, when they play on their "home" soil!
Orchid Towers
We bought a new apartment the other day, something more like a holiday home in Baner... a nice, quiet neighbourhood with excellent connectivity to Aundh, Kothrud and Hinjewadi. If you are interested in renting out, let me know! :)
Mumbai Vistas
The sun rises over Goregaon West, as seem from Chandan Bhai's living room at 630 am
Antilla, the multi million dollar "mansion" of the Ambanis. A very interesting building, no doubt, but doesn't win my competition of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring mansions.
In a cricket crazy country, it's no surprise these buildings look like wickets :) But I wish there were the bales too!
Antilla, the multi million dollar "mansion" of the Ambanis. A very interesting building, no doubt, but doesn't win my competition of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring mansions.
In a cricket crazy country, it's no surprise these buildings look like wickets :) But I wish there were the bales too!
Guts
A 1500 gm beauty taking on a 3000 kg beast... every morning, I wondered who put the paw prints on Samara's bonnet and windscreen, and this time, I had my evidence! This is Catrina's baby, Casatta's brother, Chocobar.
Quote For The Day
Good judgement comes with experience and most of that comes from bad judgement. "The Mechanic".
India Take Revenge
India exorcised the ghosts of the 2007 WC game loss against Bangladesh after burying the hosts under a mountain of runs, mercilessly piled up by an extraordinary Sehwag with 175 and a cool as cucumber Virat Kohli on 100 NO. Chasing 370 was never going to be easy, and after Shreesanth allowed the Bangladeshi openers to get a good start hitting him for 25 in one over, the experience and variety in the Indian bowling came to the fore. Munaf and Zaheer hit back with some controlled swing bowling, and Harbhajan was at his usual best, and the RRR quickly piled up into double digits.
A great start to the WC campaign, after very comfortable victories against Australia and NZ in the warm up games, India continue to be hot favourites this time to bring the cup home. Of course, it's going to be a long and tough journey over the next 45 days, but even the most pessimistic Indian fan will feel more than a little optimistic this time!
A great start to the WC campaign, after very comfortable victories against Australia and NZ in the warm up games, India continue to be hot favourites this time to bring the cup home. Of course, it's going to be a long and tough journey over the next 45 days, but even the most pessimistic Indian fan will feel more than a little optimistic this time!
Friday, February 18, 2011
Movie Review: Yeh Saali Zindagi
Pretty dark, but with two positives - a super stunning Chitrangda, and 2 steaming sexy Endeavours :)
Other than that... pretty stretched and uninteresting. Avoidable.
Other than that... pretty stretched and uninteresting. Avoidable.
Movie Review: Patiala House
Bad. Very bad.
Akshay is getting on my nerves now with his sad, stupid roles. Anushka is pretty but type cast. The songs are very forgettable, the story is lame, the screenplay absurd.
Completely avoidable.
Akshay is getting on my nerves now with his sad, stupid roles. Anushka is pretty but type cast. The songs are very forgettable, the story is lame, the screenplay absurd.
Completely avoidable.
Movie Review: The Mechanic
This Statham movie has some good action... but is pretty predictable. A good one time watch, but if you miss it, you won't miss too much!
Movie Review: Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji
Supposed to be a romantic comedy, DTBHJ lacks punch. Emraan doesn't get to kiss, Ajay is lacklustre as a 35 something divorcee looking for new love, and the third idiot Omi is wasted. So is Shruti Haasan. Shraddha Das gets repetitive, and the eye candyish Shezahn finally gets on your nerves with her over-the-top kiddish behaviour.
Overall, could have been much better...
Overall, could have been much better...
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Series Leveled
The Invicibles lost to SA in a run curtailed chase last night after giving away too many runs in the last overs to Duminy, to level the series and set up an exciting final encounter of one of the most keenly competitive tours in recent times.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Impressive CM
I am attending Microsoft TechVista at the Westin in Pune. Sat through a very impressive and inspiring speech by our CM Prithviraj Chavan. Being a masters from Berkely, you can expect him to be well versed in technology but what was really impressive was his ability to relate technology to social needs in a country like India and the way he answered queries raised by eminent but boring speakers in earlier speeches on issues like state of research in India. Very impressive guy, wonderful personality. With politicians like him, no wonder India is shining.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Incredible Invincible Unbeatable India
Yet another cliffhanger, yet another win snatched from an almost impossible situation by an Indian team that simply seems to have forgotten how to lose! Chasing a tough 220 by SA, on a difficult to score pitch, India seemed to be in deep trouble with most of the side back in the pavilion and more than 100 to go. That's when Yusuf Pathan played a fantastic fifty with some lofty hits into the crowd, and one landing outside the stadium. However, once Pathan lost his wicket to a brilliant catch, it was all down to Zaheer, Harbhajan and then Ashish Nehra to steer the team to safety with well over 50 to get... the recently-reinforced die-hard fan in me however decided to stick on, setting up my new Win Mobile 7 phone while keeping fingers crossed...
What a win! Cheers, India!
What a win! Cheers, India!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Balaji Temple Near Pune
Went to the Balaji temple near Narayanpur, around 40 km from Pune, yesterday. Built a few years back as a replica of the Balaji temple in Tirupati, we'd heard a lot about it, but it was a disappointing anti-climax. The temple is crowded and noisy, with loud speakers blaring chants and slogans, the barren land, dusty parking and gravelled paths doing nothing to add to the ambience. Temples should be peaceful, allowing one to sit quietly and retrospect and feel at one with god and himself. This felt like being part of one and only one endeavour - make money from those who cannot go all the way to Tirupati. The "business" is expanding...
Stampede At Sabarimala
Yet another temple, yet another crowd, yet another stampede, yet another tragedy. Over a 100 killed in the latest terrifying episode in Sabarimala in Kerela, more than 900 have now been killed in similar stampedes in the last 9 years. Is god really forgiving, or is god taking revenge? Or is it just one of those small things he cannot be bothered with?
India Level Series at 1-1
After a big defeat in the first ODI, India came back with a heart-warming bowling performance in the second ODI to beat SA by one run in Johannesburg. Choosing to bat first, Dhoni's men succummed to pace and were bowled out for a not impressive 190, with only Yuvraj Singh putting in some resistance with a fighting fifty. SA, led by Smith who scored a fluent 77, started the chase strongly, and were cruising to victory when Munaf castled Smith making it 152/5 in the 33rd over. Munaf led India's fightback with 4 for 29, ably supported by Zaheer who scalped 2.
Yet again, this Indian team has proved they are no pushovers, and has sent out a strong message for impatient fans like me who go to sleep long before the last ball has been bowled!
Yet again, this Indian team has proved they are no pushovers, and has sent out a strong message for impatient fans like me who go to sleep long before the last ball has been bowled!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Simple Pleasures Of Life
Pesarattu and Aapes at Wadeshwar
Movies at E-Square and Inox
Shopping at Shoppers Stop
Arguing and fighting over stupid topics
Making up
Taking Samara for a drive
Simplest pleasures of life are the most precious...
Miss you!
Movies at E-Square and Inox
Shopping at Shoppers Stop
Arguing and fighting over stupid topics
Making up
Taking Samara for a drive
Simplest pleasures of life are the most precious...
Miss you!
20000
K3G has crossed 20000 hits since we started counting in Aug 2009, the first 10K taking just above 10.5 months, the next 10K getting logged in just over 6 months... that's an average of 50/day, up from 30/day for the previous 10K. And yes, I also crossed 400 posts in 2010, making it definitely my bloggest year by far!
Thank you, readers :)
Writing a blog is an immensely satisfying activity by itself, knowing it is read and appreciated by you folks makes the experience all the sweeter!
Thank you, readers :)
Writing a blog is an immensely satisfying activity by itself, knowing it is read and appreciated by you folks makes the experience all the sweeter!
Movie Review: Gair (Marathi)
Marathi cinema has given some great entertainment in the last couple of years, and Gair is another Marathi movie that's worth watching.
A pretty young girl (Amruta Khanvilkar) marries the most eligible bachelor in town, but her happiness is short lived when a number of strange unexplained incidences with her husband (or is it a duplicate?) starts making life a living hell. As the web of duplicity gets murkier, no one is above suspicion.
A fast paced thriller, and except for some amateurish moments in the screenplay, it grips you till the end.
A pretty young girl (Amruta Khanvilkar) marries the most eligible bachelor in town, but her happiness is short lived when a number of strange unexplained incidences with her husband (or is it a duplicate?) starts making life a living hell. As the web of duplicity gets murkier, no one is above suspicion.
A fast paced thriller, and except for some amateurish moments in the screenplay, it grips you till the end.
Quote For The Day
For those who believe, no proof is needed. For those who do not believe, no proof is enough.
Herd Mentality
Next time you approach a busy junction with traffic getting into a grid lock, hold back and let others get right of way. Very soon, more sensible minded people will join you, and the traffic will clear soon.
It is possible to break herd mentality. And you can do it too. Try it.
It is possible to break herd mentality. And you can do it too. Try it.
Movie Review: No One Killed Jessica
More than a decade ago, Jessica Lal, a young beautiful model in Delhi was shot dead in cold blood by a politician's spoilt brat for refusing to serve drinks at the bar beyond closing time. The police acted quickly in arresting Manu Sharma and his cohorts, but as the case progressed, witnesses turned hostile, critical evidence was tampered with, and ultimately, a helpless court acquitted the accused for lack of evidence. However, sustained journalistic activism and public opinion slowly turned the tide against political pressure and systemic failures, finally resulting in the Supreme Court over-turning the acquital by the trial courts, and awarding life imprisonment to Manu Sharma. Finally, justice had been delivered. And as I have blogged about earlier, India's free press and democracy continues to kick and kick hard - and that bodes well for this country in the coming decades.
NOKJ is a wonderful adaptation of this shocking incident that threatened to shame the nation, and the subsequent fight for justice. Even though the end is a foregone conclusion, the script is crisp, the screenplay moves at a brisk pace, the background scores create the perfect moods, and the audience is left engrossed till the very end. Rani and Vidya Balan do a good job, getting into the skin of their characters with sincerity. Newcomer Myra Khan as Jessica is a delight to watch, her fresh face, amazing smile and sexy look will open a lot of opportunities for her in Bollywood in the months to come. The most interesting character is the investigating officer, who takes a bribe to keep his hands off Manu in custody, but tries his best to put up a good case. His helplessness in securing the much-needed witnesses from the crowd of over 300 at the disc the day of the shooting highlights the malaise that's gripped parts of Indian society today.
Except for the profusion of avoidable cuss words, NOKJ is a great movie that will grip you and touch you... not to be missed!
NOKJ is a wonderful adaptation of this shocking incident that threatened to shame the nation, and the subsequent fight for justice. Even though the end is a foregone conclusion, the script is crisp, the screenplay moves at a brisk pace, the background scores create the perfect moods, and the audience is left engrossed till the very end. Rani and Vidya Balan do a good job, getting into the skin of their characters with sincerity. Newcomer Myra Khan as Jessica is a delight to watch, her fresh face, amazing smile and sexy look will open a lot of opportunities for her in Bollywood in the months to come. The most interesting character is the investigating officer, who takes a bribe to keep his hands off Manu in custody, but tries his best to put up a good case. His helplessness in securing the much-needed witnesses from the crowd of over 300 at the disc the day of the shooting highlights the malaise that's gripped parts of Indian society today.
Except for the profusion of avoidable cuss words, NOKJ is a great movie that will grip you and touch you... not to be missed!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Social Networks
Wrote this article on my Musings blog on how there is a profusion of very exciting social networking sites coming up, with some exciting new offerings. I will not replicate the blog here, but please do check it out!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Treatment for Nose Boils!
(Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, this is my personal blog and this is my personal experience. Please do not treat yourself at home, please visit a real doctor)
Now, I know this really isn't a fun topic to blog about, but after surviving a very painful and scary week with onee, I realised the least I can do to give back to society is write about it :) This is a graphically explicit post, so reader discretion is advised. But yes, it could save your life.
So, what's a nose boil? It's what you get when your friendly nasal bacteria (you'll never meet them in person, but just in case you do, address them as Staphylococcus aureus) decide to infect a small cut, abrasion, or hell, even the hair follicle in your pretty nose! What you then get is a small irritating swelling that quickly grows into an ugly, big fat boil that affects and disfigures your nose, lips and cheeks to a point where your cat runs away on seeing you approach her, even if you have fish for dinner. And if the humiliation were not enough, you have the pain and the fever to contend with.
Now here's where it gets scary. And I am serious. The nasal cavity and face is where blood vessels come on their way to your brain, and any infection on your face or in your nasal cavity can quickly spread to your brain, and the rest of your body, putting you into possibly fatal septic shock.
So, lesson number one, and I am super serious here: IF YOU GET A BOIL IN YOUR NOSE, DO NOT IGNORE IT, RUSH TO YOUR DOCTOR.
The doctor will most probably put you on a dose of anti-biotics, and I would recommend you request a strong dose (like Augmentin 650), accompanied with the usual anti-acidity tablets (like Pan - D) and some pain killer/anti-swelling tablets (like Enzoflam). Also, insist on a topical cream (like T-bact), which will help in controlling further infections and help break the boil more effectively.
If the boil is big and not showing signs of subsiding within 1-2 days, go to a surgeon and get it surgically drained.
Now, what the doctor did not tell me, and I would like to share with you is this:
1) Be prepared to suffer for a week or so, at least. But again, it's important to go to the doctor AS SOON AS YOU HAVE THE FIRST INDICATION OF A BOIL IN YOUR NOSE. It can be fatal if allowed to fester.
2) Using a warm water press (simply douse a clean hanky in hot water and use) provides great relief from the pain and swelling, and helps bring the boil to breaking point.
3) DO NOT try and squeeze, press or prick the boil - the infection can spread further inside your body instead of getting out, and that can kill you.
4) After the boil starts to soften, you will start feeling all the liquid built up in your upper lip region sloshing around. It's painful and scary, but it's the good news - you are ready to deliver your baby!
5) Avoid all tendencies to pick, squeeze, prick or coax! It will happen when it has to happen. Wait for the moment when global warming and terrorism will seem like problems once again!
And until you have your first nose boil, happy picking!
Now, I know this really isn't a fun topic to blog about, but after surviving a very painful and scary week with onee, I realised the least I can do to give back to society is write about it :) This is a graphically explicit post, so reader discretion is advised. But yes, it could save your life.
So, what's a nose boil? It's what you get when your friendly nasal bacteria (you'll never meet them in person, but just in case you do, address them as Staphylococcus aureus) decide to infect a small cut, abrasion, or hell, even the hair follicle in your pretty nose! What you then get is a small irritating swelling that quickly grows into an ugly, big fat boil that affects and disfigures your nose, lips and cheeks to a point where your cat runs away on seeing you approach her, even if you have fish for dinner. And if the humiliation were not enough, you have the pain and the fever to contend with.
Now here's where it gets scary. And I am serious. The nasal cavity and face is where blood vessels come on their way to your brain, and any infection on your face or in your nasal cavity can quickly spread to your brain, and the rest of your body, putting you into possibly fatal septic shock.
So, lesson number one, and I am super serious here: IF YOU GET A BOIL IN YOUR NOSE, DO NOT IGNORE IT, RUSH TO YOUR DOCTOR.
The doctor will most probably put you on a dose of anti-biotics, and I would recommend you request a strong dose (like Augmentin 650), accompanied with the usual anti-acidity tablets (like Pan - D) and some pain killer/anti-swelling tablets (like Enzoflam). Also, insist on a topical cream (like T-bact), which will help in controlling further infections and help break the boil more effectively.
If the boil is big and not showing signs of subsiding within 1-2 days, go to a surgeon and get it surgically drained.
Now, what the doctor did not tell me, and I would like to share with you is this:
1) Be prepared to suffer for a week or so, at least. But again, it's important to go to the doctor AS SOON AS YOU HAVE THE FIRST INDICATION OF A BOIL IN YOUR NOSE. It can be fatal if allowed to fester.
2) Using a warm water press (simply douse a clean hanky in hot water and use) provides great relief from the pain and swelling, and helps bring the boil to breaking point.
3) DO NOT try and squeeze, press or prick the boil - the infection can spread further inside your body instead of getting out, and that can kill you.
4) After the boil starts to soften, you will start feeling all the liquid built up in your upper lip region sloshing around. It's painful and scary, but it's the good news - you are ready to deliver your baby!
5) Avoid all tendencies to pick, squeeze, prick or coax! It will happen when it has to happen. Wait for the moment when global warming and terrorism will seem like problems once again!
And until you have your first nose boil, happy picking!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Private Holiday Home in Goa - Xanadu
My cousins and I have recently launched a couple of private holiday homes in Goa, perfect for a large family, a group of professionals or college students, looking for reasonably priced luxurious accomodation with the freedom to cook your own meals, live in a real home, and have all the privacy and freedom you need!
Two fully furnished, luxurious apartments on the same floor, each with 2 bed rooms and huge living rooms, cable TV, and fully equipped kitchen, located in Panaji within walking distance from Miramar beach, with breathtaking views of the Arabian sea, perfect for up to 6 families, or groups between 4-8 per apartment. Closely connected to the tourist hubs of the Calangute-Baga stretch, equally close to the commercial hubs of Margao and Vasco, and conveniently close to the Old Goa church or the temple belt of Mangeshi and Kavlem, this is one awesome location that will suit any purpose!
But it's not just the accomodation that will excite you! On request, we promise to help you with the travel arrangements to and from Goa, pick up at the bus/train station or airport, local commuting, rental cars/bikes, insider tips on where to eat, dance and shop, and any other help you need to make your Goa holiday a complete experience like never before.
Our endeavour is to have scores of happy tourists enjoying Goa as our special guests, going away with beautiful memories, and wanting to come back again and again!
For inquiries and reservations, leave a comment on this blog or call +91 9822126306, and we will get back to you in a jiffy!
 |
| Tastefully decorated living room - relax with the morning newspaper, or catch up on your TV serials! |
 |
| The beach atmosphere follows you into the bedroom! |
 |
| Wooden flooring, lush bedding - perfect for your nth honeymoon! |
Two fully furnished, luxurious apartments on the same floor, each with 2 bed rooms and huge living rooms, cable TV, and fully equipped kitchen, located in Panaji within walking distance from Miramar beach, with breathtaking views of the Arabian sea, perfect for up to 6 families, or groups between 4-8 per apartment. Closely connected to the tourist hubs of the Calangute-Baga stretch, equally close to the commercial hubs of Margao and Vasco, and conveniently close to the Old Goa church or the temple belt of Mangeshi and Kavlem, this is one awesome location that will suit any purpose!
 |
| Like Lothar and Mandrake's Xanadu, this one promises you a lot more fun on your vacation than you can imagine! |
But it's not just the accomodation that will excite you! On request, we promise to help you with the travel arrangements to and from Goa, pick up at the bus/train station or airport, local commuting, rental cars/bikes, insider tips on where to eat, dance and shop, and any other help you need to make your Goa holiday a complete experience like never before.
Our endeavour is to have scores of happy tourists enjoying Goa as our special guests, going away with beautiful memories, and wanting to come back again and again!
For inquiries and reservations, leave a comment on this blog or call +91 9822126306, and we will get back to you in a jiffy!
Delivery
First, the pleasure. A mistake. A seed implanted. Slowly, the swelling. Unbearable pain. And finally, after the gestation period, the break. Slowly, painfully at first, releasing the pressure. Then a gush.
No, I didn't have a baby. Just riddance from a week of a very painful nose boil!
No, I didn't have a baby. Just riddance from a week of a very painful nose boil!
Tejas Inducted
India today joined the select club of countries making a fighter jet from scratch with the Indian Air Force providing operational clearance for the lightweight indigenous multi-role Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas. The supersonic fourth generation fighter will form a 200-strong fleet for the IAF to replace the ageing Russian-made MiG-21 fleet.
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Series Leveled
Indian batsmen kept off a listless SA attack on the fifth day, ensuring a draw and extending Dhoni's run of undefeated series. If not for Kallis's fighting century yesterday, India had a great chance of winning this test, but to Kallis's credit, the South Africans put up a fighting 340 target for India on the last day.
India retain their number 1 position, and more importantly, silence critics who dared them to perform in SA's difficult conditions.
India retain their number 1 position, and more importantly, silence critics who dared them to perform in SA's difficult conditions.
Movie Review: The Blair Witch Project
Supposed to be a trend setter in horror, this movie was the precursor to the Paranormal kind... filmed in typical home movie style, it's touted as the footage discovered a year after the disappearance of 3 young film makers documenting the legend of the Blair Witch in the Maryland woods.
The movie starts slow, building up nicely to the finale.. but then ends with a thud. Nothing.
Very disappointing. Needed a lot more punch at the end.
The movie starts slow, building up nicely to the finale.. but then ends with a thud. Nothing.
Very disappointing. Needed a lot more punch at the end.
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)