The UK Diaries

So, almost 3 weeks after I returned from the UK, the photos have finally been downloaded from the cam, and I am ready to blog a bit about the trip... beautiful memories, and while the pics attempt it, they don't really do full justice to the beautiful land of the Queen (whose family, it was reported in the Times of India today, has Indian DNA in it... )

Let's make a gentle start with the Mumbai - London flight (and a few pics of the return flight to desiland)... we left early in the morning, at around 6:00 am, which meant we had to leave from our cousin's place in Mumbai at 3:00 - it's fantastic to see the city still awake at that time, although most of the roads offer a free run!

Here are some pics from the aircraft... notice the amazing patterns on the land, seen from 10 km up in the sky...

Somewhere over the Iranian desert

Over Europe

Snow-capped mountains in the distance

 

Approaching Heathrow

Touch-down!

That warm and fuzzy feeling on board Air India!

Mesmerizing

The sun sets down over Europe - the last few hours before touchdown in Amchi Mumbai!

My Endeavour on Nat Geo

Interesting series on Nat Geo - My Endeavour. Celebrities like Chetan Bhagat, Rajeev Khandelwal, Karun Chandok and Gul Panag on a journey through the interiors of India on their gleaming Endeavours :)

Feels good seeing the beautiful AT beasts prowling the jungles!!

Sadly, I wasn't home when they came to invite me to participate :(

Aadhar

Applied for the Aadhar card today, at a special camp organized in my company. A very simple one page form, and minimal documentation was required (just the passport copy was good enough as address, ID and birth proof). The operator quickly entered name, birthdate and address on the computer - which had an amazing auto-fill, continuously updating itself, and auto-translate into regional language. A quick photo, iris scan, and all ten fingerprints - the software checking for quality and duplicates, and that was it! For all three of us, it took less than 15 mins.

Pretty impressed.

NaMo Reigns

Finally, the inevitable. Bowing to growing pressures from overwhelming majority of the party cadres, and an unmistakable wave of support from Gen Y, the BJP today named Modi to head its election panel for 2014, virtually closing the Advani chapter, and with it, his decades long wish to be PM, a wish that now seems likely to stay just that.

Will this be the nail in the coffin for the Congress, or will the Indian electorate prove that it doesn't forget and condone the past? Will this be the push India needs to march into future, or will the country have to wait for the crown prince from the Congress dynasty to assume reins?

Most importantly, will this finally bring the BJP together, or will the sulking Advanis, Uma Bharatis, Jaswant Singhs and Shartughan Sinhas of the party do another Yeddy on it?

Time will tell.

I, for one, am getting my electoral roll updated!

Book Review: The Utopian Experiment

Another Covert One novel by Kyle Mills, based on the legacy of Robert Ludlum, the Utopian Experiment interestingly builds upon the same theme as Dan Brown's Inferno - too many people on Earth, and one crazed scientist's desperate and brilliant attempt to make things right, unmindful of the rightfulness of the methods used.

This time, it's the Merge, a technology that allows users to seamless connect the Internet to their own brain, overlaying external video and audio inputs onto their own sensory organs, drawing analytics from LayerCake, a unique search and analyze algorithm that can evaluate a person's good/bad quotient in seconds, drawing upon everything that is known about that person in the ether. While millions of ordnary citizens are getting hooked to the Merge for its multiple entertainment and life-enhancing capabilities, including the ability to induce perfect sleep, the US military is excited about using it in combat, riding on an exclusivity partnership with the creator of Merge, the reclusive and brilliant Christian Dresner.

But when Jon Smith, the man in charge of the military program, and his friend and ex-girlfriend's sister Randi Russel, stumble upon some strange occurences in Afghanistan, their curiosity lands them in a desperate battle to survive, and thwart Dresner's diabolic plans.

And unlike many of the earlier Covert One novels which took very early scientific research and created doomsday scenarios out of them (like the DNA computers), this one hits very close to real!

Book Review: Inferno

This time, our very dear Robert Langdon, after waking up in hospital bed with no memory of what brought him there, has to race against time to thwart the deadly plans of a brilliant, crazed and dead scientist to wipe out a third of the Earth's population, unravelling clues in Dante's Divine Comedy across Florence and Venice, with the help of his new-found friend and accomplice Dr. Sienna Brooks.

A decent read, although compared to the earlier books, the excitement is a level lower.

Dan Brown also seems to have missed a very strong Indian connection here - as reported in the Times of India, one of the two oldest surviving manuscripts of the Divine Comedy is very much in amchi Mumbai in the building of the Asiatic Society Library! Its some 450 richly illustrated pages, dating from the 1350s, are bound and wrapped in red silk. And in the 1930s, Mussolini reportedly offered a million pounds for it!

The Monsoon Is Here!

Finally, after a very dry and difficult summer for most of Maharastra, the monsoons are here in force, and on time! Really look forward to good rains this year - after a very thirsty season last time. Personally, also, I really want to make the most of the season, get out a lot and get wet.

Started with a bang with some really heavy showers this week... look at the pic, doomsday clouds hovering over the city before the storm crashed down, with almost a couple of inches of rain in 2 hours.

Movie Review: 12 Rounds 2 Reloaded

An EMT paramedic suddenly finds himself in a bizarre game of life and death, a game of 12 rounds, which he must win, or many people will die. A throwback to Saw, but infinitely boring. I switched off after round 1.

It's that kind of movie that you have seen a million times, the same dal subzi with nothing in it to excite your taste buds.

Avoid it if you can!

Movie Review: Gangster Squad

It's LA, 1949, terrorized by the ruthless mob of Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn), with the law reduced to mere spectators and the corrupt web of Cohen extends deep into the police, the judiciary, the administration and the politicians. As a last ditch effort, the Chief of Police sets up his own under-the-radar squad, led by Sgt O'Mara (Josh Brolin), with a single mandate - make no arrests, just clean up the muck.

A good gangster movie with some vintage car chase sequences, and hand to hand combat, but not for Bourne fans.

Movie Review: Movie 43

I have seen many outrageous, stomach churning, disgusting, shocking movies - but trust me, this one takes the cake. By far. Very far.

Two wasted teens put their kiddo hacko friend on the search for a fictitious movie called Movie 43 on the Internet, while they mess around with his laptop. As their friend comes up with one wierd movie after another, we, the audience are subject to stories so outrageous and at times, so disgusting, it will make everything else you have seen so far seem like stuff for the Cartoon Network.

The most amazing thing about the movie, though, is the cast - everyone from Hollywood, including Kate Winslet to Richard Gere seem to be there!

Caution: Absolutely not fit for watching with family

Joke Of The Day

I broke off with my gym.

We were just not working out!

LOL!!!

Movie Review: Now You See Me

Another amazing movie this weekend, Now You See Me! A total and complete entertainer with great visuals, a beautiful cast, excellent dialogues and humour, some simple but wonderfully executed action, and most of all, a very different story line that keeps you totally engrossed through the entire length of the movie, begging for more.

Four street magicians end up with an invite to a secret location, and the "Four Horsemen" is born. Performing stunning acts of magic in front of thousands of live audience, police quickly realize the magic is just a vehicle to pull off unbelievable cons. Are they looking simply for glory, or is this a build up to a mega con? And who is really controlling the four?

A special mention for the cast - each one is absolutely spot on, and a visual delight. The harried officer (Mark Ruffalo), the three guy magicians, their sexy female team member (Isla Fisher), the Interpol lady officer with her seductive French accent (Melanie Laurent), and Morgan Freeman as the guy who exposes magicians on TV...

This is a movie very much for the big screen, so do see it while you can!

Stymied By The Drivers

For once, I am not complaining about traffic... it's my USB drivers I am cribbing about. My laptop's USB drivers have gone corrupt, or so says my Sysad team, and that means I cannot access or upload any of my London pictures.

Until then, here are some movie reviews coming up :)

Movie Review: Fast And The Furious 6

Oh, what an entertainer! When Dom and his crew sign up on the side of the cops to take on an increasingly daring and sophisticated terrorist group in Europe, they know they have a precious target of their own - getting back Letti, and completing the family picture!

With a great-looking cast, especially the female leads, adrenalin pumping high octane action on the roads, breath-taking stunts, beautifully executed hand to hand combat and great humour, the movie keeps you thoroughly entertained, barring a slightly stretched climax and ending.

Absolutely must see for action buffs.

Movie Review: Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani

What's Hot:

Ranbir as Bunny, the "I, me, myself want to live my life all over the world" guy, with some very intense moments, especially in the second half. I rate his YJHD performance much higher than his potrayal of the rock star.

A sizzling hot Deepika as a simple, family girl, who decides she's had enough of her boring life, and goes out on the trip of her life, where she meets her schoolmate Bunny, and falls in love. And then falls again almost a decade later. The way she's cried and smiled, you can't help feel for her. Intensely. Check the smile on her face when Bunny turns up at the marriage, and her tears when he comes back to her on New Year's.

Kalki, in a role she does so well!

A couple of amazing songs that will stay on the charts for ever... Balam Pichkaari and Battameez Dil. Lovely melody, great choreography, a sensual treat.

Item song by Madhuri. Could have been better, but compare what her peers (Juhi, for example) are up to! Madhuri looks simply stunning.

Stunning locales, both Indian and foreign.

What's Not:

The story, or lack of it.

The second half, meanders along aimlessly after a racy and pacy first half.

Sidharth Roy Kapoor and some of the supporting cast. Very average.

Should you watch the movie? Absolutely, no doubt about it!

Back To Base

Reached back home early morning on Thursday, after a week long trip to London, Edinburgh and Inverness with my extended family. We were super lucky with the weather - imagine a whole week in the UK, with just a little rain on just one day, and beautiful sunny chilly weather rest of the time! Walked a lot, shopped a bit, took millions of photos. Tried some amazing dishes, and used the jetlag to my advantage taking some very early morning work-related calls, before kicking off the touring for the day!

Lots and lots of blog posts coming up, but for that, I got to first download and process my pics... so keep checking back :)

New Massage Parlour In Nerul

Azad Maidan in Panaji

Age Of Daughters!

A sign board like this can do so much more than all the rhetoric put together!

Gutsy Signboard in Goa!

Messages For... ?

Chilled Out Cat!

Can I? Looks Safe To Me!

Community Living

Cafe Real

While in Goa, I visited Cafe Real a couple of times - for the famous bhaaji pav, and samosas. Used to visit so often when I was in college with my then-girlfriend-now-wife, almost 25 years back! And guess what, the waiter who used to serve us then, still works at the same place! And people get surprised that I haven't changed jobs in 15 years...

Swinging Away

Resting

Belgaum

We passed through Belgaum on the way to Goa... I think I ended up in Belgaum after more than a decade - probably more like 13 years! We stopped at Sanman for some chai and snacks.. As children, summers always included a trip to Belgaum for rest and shopping, and Sanman was the preferred choice. The drive itself, though barely 150 kms, seemed like a huge deal in our old Fiat, requiring a couple of stops along the way, to pull up the bonnet, fill up the radiator and let the engine cool while we rested and had chai at a roadside tapari on top of Anmod ghat.

Sweet memories of childhood...

Driving To Goa

We went to Goa a few days back - and I never got around to blogging much about it. Anyway, here are some pics and updates from the trip coming up, starting with the pics of the drive down... starting from late afternoon, when the clouds started rolling in on a dry and sunny day, bringing cool breeze, showers and some wonderful climate!

Wonderful shrubbery along the highway makes the drive so beautiful for most parts

The beautiful jungles of Chorla Ghat - the best option from Belgaum to Goa

Ample Water

While Vidharba and rest of north eastern Maharashtra reels under a severe drought, most of the Pune-Kolhapur belt is comfortable, with plenty of water in its rivers and canals, and lush green sugarcane fields, which look better and better as you near Kolhapur. All thanks to Koyna and the westerns ghats, I guess!

Suhana Safar!

After what felt like decades, I was sitting in a bus this Saturday, on the way to Kolhapur from Pune. A road I have traversed dozens of times, but either at the wheel, or dozing off in a sleeper at night. For once, I was looking out at the landscape, the towns and villages, through the massive tinted windows. Watching a Marathi movie on the two screens in the bus. Although it was sizzling hot outside, the AC was doing a great job. The road was great, the Volvo powerhouse putting most sedans and SUVs to shame. Such a wonderful feeling.. Part of a group, yet alone in my own space and time, connected yet wonderfully isolated.

The way back was a different kind of fun. We had a puncture, and the roadside tinshed mechanic hadn't really worked on a tubeless bus tire before. Took all of 90 min to repair the flat, and in the meanwhile, while many others preferred to continue sitting in the bus watching Singham torture his nemesis, many of us enjoyed the roadside tea, watched the mechanic and his henceboys at work, and socialized around the common cause.

I should do this more often!

By the way, the car that came to drop us to the bus-stop at Kolhapur itself had a flat, requiring us to shift to a more humble auto - two flats in an hour, on two diff vehicles - now what are the chances of that?

Movie Review: Aurangzeb

Had a lot of promise in the basic plot, but it quickly gets too convoluted with multiple threads and confusions. Except for a credible performance by Rishi Kapoor and an interesting Jackie Shroff, the rest of the cast generally disappoints. Arjun Kapoor shows flashes of his Ishaqzade character, but fails to capitalize on a meaty double role. Sashaa Agha has a bikini scene, but is that really the best way to make a debut? Prithviraj uses his glum face to his advantage, and shows promise for similar roles in the future.


Very slow, average performances, and an entirely forgettable sound track makes this a pretty tepid movie.

Movie Review: Shootout At Wadala

SAW is the story of Mumbai's first "encounter" in which dreaded gangster Manya Surve was gunned down by the police at a college in Wadala. The movie tracks the transformation of a sincere college student trying to break away from a life of violence and crime, and how he is falsely implicated in a murder and sent to life in prison, propelling him to become one of Mumbai's most feared underworld dons in the 80s.

John Abraham does his best, but apart from the rippling muscles, doesn't have too much to show for it. Especially the scenes in which he roars like a wounded lion - hardly convincing! Kangana puts in one of her worst performances. Tushar Kapoor bags yet another role through his sister's support. Rest of the support cast is OK, especially Manoj Bajpai, but kudos are due to Anil Kapoor for an age-defying performance as the officer who goes after Surve.

Not one but three items songs which add nothing to the entertainment quotient, and just help in stretching an already-too-long saga.

After movies like Satya and Lokhandwaala, this one feels like the Zombies have overtaken the city!

Very much avoidable!

Movie Review: Bombay Talkies

4 directors, 4 poignant stories, one theme - Bollywood. What's missing? The punch.

Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap, Dibakar Banerjee and Zoya Akhtar direct (completely independent) stories about gay relationships, children pursuing their dreams, a father desperate to bring a smile on his sick daughter's lips, and a son who goes to great lengths to grant his elderly father's Amitabh-wish. Chicken Soup for the Crazy Bollywood Fan, but stop short from touching you. And a needless, ineffective and kinda irritating "recap of Bollywood" item number at the end.

Watch Go Goa Gone instead, and if you have already seen it once, check it out a second time - it's even more enjoyable since you catch a lot of jokes you might have missed the first time!

Silver Linings Playbook

Watched "Silver Linings Playbook" on DVD yesterday - absolutely delightful movie, with great performances by the handsome Bradley Cooper, the ravishing Jeniffer Lawrence (who also got an Oscar for her role) and the always-awesome Robert Di Nero. A must watch - this is a beautiful love story, as good as it can get.

Tale Of Two Elections

Two interesting elections this week...

Across the border, Pakistan saw the first ever civilian govt to govt handover, a historic moment for the country plagued by home-grown terror, fundamentalism, corruption, domination by the army and a total economic collapse. Pakistan has voted for change, kicking out Zardari's party, and giving a third opportunity to Nawaz Sharif. Imran Khan's party put in a solid performance, boosted by the sympathy factor after his fall during compaigning, coming second ahead of Zardari. Interestingly, while development and issues like power cuts dominated the election pitch, most countries, including Sharif, promised to normalize and improve relations with India. Will this dream be realized? Remember, Sharif was in power during the Mumbai blasts, and during Kargil! What does this election mean to Zardari's future - already under the cloud for corruption, and not exactly most popular with the army? What does this mean for Musharraf, now in jail for treason, and at the mercy of the guy he allegedly sidestepped and overruled over Kargil?

Will anything really change on the ground? Does this bode well for India and Afghanistan?

The other very interesting development, of course, was in Karnataka, where the Congress rode anti-incumbency and the BJP vote split by Yeddy's caste based politics to hand the BJP a crushing defeat in its only Southern state, raising questions about the BJP's ability to call itself a truly national party at the 2014 elections. Without Yeddy, can they afford to fight? Can they afford to take him back, having distanced themselves from him so clearly with corruption as the core issue? With Nitish Kumar already drawing blood in Bihar, and SP-BSP as fickle minded as ever, the BJP seems to have nothing to bank on in the 2014 polls, inspite of the Congress handing it opportunity after opportunity on the corruption plank. Will the Congress pull off a Houdini yet again?

And while we are on the topic of corruption, where is AAP? There is only a deafening silence - Bansal and Ashwani don't fall in their scheme of things?

PM Issues

With Bansal and Ashwani out, the BJP is now baying for the PM's blood - and while I have been a staunch admirer of Manmohan Singh, first for his stint as FM when I was just out of school, and then the way he stood up to the Left's blackmail during the Nuclear Pact days, I am coming around to the view that there is justification in the demand, after all. In addition to the involvement of the PM in the Coalgate mess as the erstwhile Coal min, and the interference or collusion or plain and simple incompetence of the PMO, the way the PM shielded the two ministers for such a long time, and then had to give in to the demand of Sonia Gandhi, points to a very real conflict in the top leadership of the Cong and the govt, and raises uncomfortable questions.

There was a joke doing the rounds about why Manmohan Singh only takes his walk in the evening - because he is a PM not an AM! The question is, has the firing of the ministers also come too late?

Movie Review: Premachi Goshth (Marathi)

What can I say? There have been better. A very predictable and flat movie, with average performances, except Sagarika Ghadge, who shines as a very sweet and vulnerable girl, fighting to reclaim her life from her estranged husband and move on with her life.

Movie Review: Stand Up Men

Three men, partners in crime, are out for a night of action, Hangover-style. Except that, they are all in their sunset years. One (Valentine played by Al Pacino) has just been released from prison after 28 years, the other has just got out from his home for the dying, and the third, Val's best friend, has been hired to eliminate him.

Al Pacino puts in a great performance as Val, but the movie will appeal to a very limited kind - those interested in drama and dark humour. If you are one of those, this movie is not to be missed.

Movie Review: Go Goa Gone

3 friends - the chilled out Hardik (Kunal Khemu), the obsessed-in-love-with-a-FB-friend Luv (Vir Das) and the sincere Bunny (Anand Tiwari) - escape to Goa for some hard partying, and end up securing an invite to an exclusive rave party on a remote island off the Goa coast, organized by the Russian mafia.

After a crazed out night, they wake up to the nightmare - the new drug dished out at the party (and too expensive for them to afford) - has unleashed the walking dead - the zombies, with their twisted limbs, the slow but unrelenting march, the mission to convert more and more living to their kind!

Joined by the Delhite-turned-blond Russian "Baaris" (Saif), who likes to "keel dead people", the three friends and their female interest Luna (Pooja Gupta), must outwit and outmanouever the zombies to escape the island.

I loved the movie. Totally. From the first frame to the last, the movie is unrelenting with great dialogues, smart wit, and some really funny moments. The play on Scooty, the "what did we know, what have we learnt", the conversation with God, the dumb charades with the Russian, the dancing around the trees with the zombie girl - absolutely delightful. The performances also are top notch. Kunal, Vir and Saif are absolutely spot on - and Pooja and Anand are easy and comfortable. All this while the zombies are real, the danger fatal, and the blood and gore in your face.

If you enjoy zombie action (or even if you can just tolerate the spurting blood), and enjoy intelligent humour, you will absolutely love every bit of the 110 mins the film has on offer.

Oh, and yes, don't miss Saif's very sincere and touching message against smoking, drugs and violence at the beginning of the film. And as he says, respect Goa for the beautiful place it is!

Social Gamification

My article on social gamification techniques for enterprises

http://www.gamification.co/2013/05/07/4-social-gamification-techniques/

Samara's 3rd Birthday

Samara had her 3rd birthday (and 55555 kms) on the 30th of April, and to celebrate, the next day, we (4 adults and 2 kids and lots of shopping) piled into her and set off for Goa.


It was hot and humid until we hit Kolhapur, but then the rain clouds enveloped us in beautiful weather, and by the time we hit Belgaum, the chilly winds and drizzle really made it a lovely drive. We tried out a new route through Chorla Ghat this time - and even though you have to get through Belgaum city (still retains its charm as a quaint hill station and shopping paradise for Goans), the road is in excellent shape (though a tad narrow and winding for my taste), and highly recommended for sedans driving into Goa from Mumbai/Pune/Kolhapur.

With the kids and multiple stops for grub, pics and nature's calls, it was a long day - but when you are headed to Goa in one of the best SUVs in the country, you can't really complain much, can you?

Why Gamification Fails

Read my article on why many gamification projects fail at the following link on HRExaminer.

http://www.hrexaminer.com/12-ways-to-make-your-gamification-project-fail/

Hi Fashion!

The Mumbai Monorial - Ready To Go?

The Amazing Ford Ecosport

And finally, she's here. Ford's most awaited mini SUV Ecosport was on display at InOrbit mall this weekend.. drool over these pictures, while you wait to get your hands on her!

I just loved the contours, especially the front grille which stands out so beautifully. The color was so striking. The dash rocks, the boot space is more than adequate and the seating very comfortable with plenty of leg space. Should be just wonderful to get her squealing off the blocks!

Costa Coffee

India's favourite capuccino, and not just for the pretty picture!

While CCD and Barista seem to be faltering with quality and ambience, Costa really gets my top vote for a wonderful experience - service, ambience, and most of all, the coffee!

Nokia Disappoints: This Time With The Lumia

Yet again, Nokia's proved why it is no match for the Androids and iPhones - the second consecutive smart phone I bought from the once super reliable Nokia, this time a Lumia, has developed problems with its internal charging circuitry, and after one week of keeping the phone, the local Nokia Care office said they would need to send it to HQ for repairs, and it would cost a bomb - 7000 bucks.

Obviously, I decided to simply discard it and went ahead and gifted wifey a Samsung Galaxy.

Yet another bunch of die hard Nokia fans, disillusioned and disappointed, and wanting to have nothing to do with the brand any more!

Movie Review: Aashiqui 2

I was in those impressionable teens when Aashiqui was released and became the rage for its interestingly hairstyled Rahul Roy, the irresistible Anu Agarwal and the soulful music which still evokes beautiful feelings.

Sadly, the Bhatt magic fails to work its charm on Aashiqui 2, which by the way, has nothing to do with the first installment.

The lead pair is barely passable, and while Shraddha has looks going for her, the hero has neither looks, nor acting. When the audience starts laughing at every serious dialogue you mouth, you know something's gone really wrong. The amateurish dialogs don't help, and the direction and story has glaring loopholes that irritate. As a failed singer, the hero is forced to sing at shady dos and get into brawls, but lives in a swanky penthouse overlooking half of Mumbai, and drives some of the sexiest SUVs in town. When his girlfriend, the latest singing sensation to hit India, comes to the police station to bail him out, she offers the officer her earrings and bangles as a bribe! And when he begs her to help him out of his alcohol addiction, she literally takes to bathing him, drying him, shaving him and putting on his clothes!

And the music - one endless, stream or rock cum sufi, with not one single standing out from the rest.

With a story that goes around in circles, the only saving grace is the acceptable ending!

Very avoidable, if you ask me!

Adlabs Imagica Near Khopoli - A Great Day Out For The Family!

This Sunday, with my sister, her family and my parents in town, we decided to get off the mall circuit, and try something different. The radio ads had been talking about Adlabs Magica, and I thought it would be a great choice for a family outing.

Checking their website raised hopes - the site looked nice and fresh, and I booked our tickets right away. The normal tickets were 1500 (all rides included) for adults, 1200 for a child, while the Express tickets were priced at 2200 for the adults. Not wanting to waste time in queues at the venue, we went for the Express option. Even though the site failed to send me ticket confirmations on email or SMS, I was confident it wouldn't be a concern, and just took a quick pic on my cell for further processing later on.

Sunday morning, after a good breakfast, we all piled into Samara, and set off - eager and excited about what was to be a great day!

After crossing Lonavla ghat, at the toll naka just before the booths, we took a U turn, and then a few meters later, took the Khopoli exit, and then a U turn again, to the bridge over the Expressway. Three km later, we were at Imagica. For those coming from Mumbai, cross the Khopoli toll booth, and then take the exit just about 100 m from the booths, then across the Expressway over the bridge. You cannot miss it.

At the ticket counter, the staff told us that being just the 4th day, there weren't too many crowds, and offered to downgrade our tickets, which we agreed to, saving a lot of money!

As you enter the park, the rides are on the right, the other theme attractions on the left. Since the theme attractions begin around 12, and it was just around 1030, we first went for the rides. Our first ride was in boats on rails, with water guns to blast at other boats in front and behind you. It was a blast, a lot of fun! The staff was also very thoughtful, offering plastic pouches so that our phones and wallets didn't get wet!

After the boat ride, we took a mini boat roller coaster, and then the kids got onto a couple of other merry go rounds.

By then, it was around 12, and we were famished. We walked over to one of the restaurants, a wonderfully airy and smart set up serving Chinese, Punjabi and Chaat.

Large fans with misting machines kept the interiors cool and humid, even though it was hot and dry outside. It will take a few seasons for the transplanted trees to really take roots and flourish, and until then, these fans will have to do!

The really interesting thing about this restaurant will be the innovative way in which dishes ordered will be served - flying through the delivery channels high above the diners, directly to the table. Not yet operational, but it will be total entertainment when it happens!

In addition to this, there is a nice coffee shop, the Arrmada, and another African theme restaurant.



After lunch, we set off on the amazing theme based attractions. First, the 360 theatre, Prince of the Dark Waters - an amazing HD visualization under a cavernous dome theatre that will wow you.

We met Zayed Khan there, went over to chat, and clicked some quick pics too!

A few mins later, we saw KK, the singer, but this time, we didn't really act like crazy fans :)

After the 360 theatre, we went to the 4D experience, the Mr India theme. Chasing Mogambo through the theme park, helping Mr India save his kidnapped friends was a huge thrill. Next, the Rajasaurus ride, a wonderful boat ride through an amazing jungle with dinosaurs, falling trees and aligators, until suddenly, the boat climbs a steep incline, and then hurtles forward, trying to escape the dinosaurs, suddenly taking a huge 20 meter plunge into the waters below. What an adrenalin rush!

Next, was the Wrath of the Gods, another truly memorable experience - seeing the fury of Vayu, Agni and Jal - an experience that will enthrall you, and lead the audience into spontaneous applause.

Next, the Alibaba and Chalis Chor ride - where you get to shoot the thieves using laser guns, collecting points as the trolley cars traverse the cave.

Many of the theme attractions are yet to open, but it was already getting late, and we knew we would have to wind up soon. We had coffee and snacks (the chole bhatura was awesome, and so was the coffee from Arrmada), and then enjoyed a beautiful street dance performance, Gangnam style. Absolutely unbelievable acrobatic dance!

A pretty hop on hop off invited us to take a quick tour of the area.

So on we hopped, getting down at the crazy fountain, where the kids enjoyed the water, while the adults posed with the beautiful mermaids who seemed to have a natural born talent for posing!

It was around 645, and the sun was still high in the sky. We wanted to wait for the laser show, but also needed to be back home, so with a heavy heart, we said bye to Imagica, and set off for Pune.

The park had dozens of attendants and crew, all of whom were super polite, and extremely helpful. You just had to look around to find smiling and eager staff, willing to answer all questions.

The attractions and rides are top quality, matching the best I have seen any where in the world - with a beautiful Indian touch, that should make your heart swell with pride!

So what are my recommendations?

It's a must do for all Puneites and Mumbaites, as long as the prices don't scare you. But for the quality of entertainment, it is definitely value for money! Take the Express ticket if you can. The rides can fun, and some mega roller coasters are being added, but do not miss the theme attractions - not a single one of them!

For those who don't live in this area, it's time you plan to be here!

So go ahead, plan a trip with your family, a mega outing with your team, or just a beautiful day with your friend. It's Imagica!

Gayle Storm

Chris Gayle hit an unbelievable 175* with 17 sixes, pushing Pune into abject surrender, helping RCB set up an impossible 264 target for the Warriors. What an innings!

Quote For The Day

I don't mind if others don't like me. After all, I am not a FB status.

7cha Aat Gharat

Like many other teenagers, our cat stayed out last night, giving us a lot of worries - after having lost 2 cats in the last 3 years, I had a very disturbed sleep, until early in the morning, around 6:15 am, I went down to check, and there she was...

She came home quietly, knowing she was probably in trouble, had a late dinner cum early breakfast, stayed around for a bit of laad, and then quietly went and curled up on my pillow.

Movie Review: Ek Thi Dayan

This is probably as good as it gets, at least as far as modern Hindi dayan movies go.

After tormenting him as a child, and having killed his father and very cute baby sister, it looks like the dayan is back for him. Is it the pretty foreign-returned girl who has mysteriously turned up at his magic show, and now wants to buy his old dayaned apartment? Who is after his girl friend's life? In the world of the devil, accessed by taking down the building's rickety life to 666, he must face the dayan, and his own shocking truth.

The movie has a decent first half, and builds up the tempo well, with subtle yet effective "horror", with some excellent SFX. It gets a little predictable in the second, and the dayan's antics become a little comic, but overall, not too bad a movie (especially when compared to a lot of the nonsense that's been dished out in recent times).

As cast, Emraan is his usual self, extremely competent and natural. He is very ably assisted by the three lead female characters: Konkona as the dayan from his childhood, Kalki as the foreign returned girl and Huma Qureshi as his girl friend.

There are a couple of needless songs, and the end could have been executed better, but I would rate this movie 3 out of 5.

Unfixed Results?

In two close games, just as things looked all set, Pune threw away a game they just couldn't have lost. A few days back, it was a dramatic collapse, including 4 wickets in the last over. And yesterday, when the opposition needed a tall 29 in 12 balls, Dinda and Luke responded with low full tosses in the off side, as good a ball as any to hit over the fence.

I am an optimist and think all sports are generally played in the spirit of the game, and maybe the close losses hurt me as a Pune fan, but I also start wondering, maybe, just maybe, the results weren't really unfixed after all????

Wishes

Sometimes, wishes do come true - in the most amazing and wierdest of ways!

Movie Review: Nautanki Saala

Aayushman Bhava! This guy really has an amazing sense of humour and timing. And after a superb Vicky Donor, he does it again!

Nautanki Saala is a beautiful story of RP, who saves a wretched Mandar Lele from a suicide attempt, and then finds himself obliged to help him out get back his life on track. From finding him a job in his musical Raavanleela to trying to win him back his sweetheart, he risks pissing off his girlfriend and his producer, but doesn't give up on his new friend. But will he be able to continue playing God to Mandar, when his own happiness is at stake?

The script is brilliant, the jokes effortless, the execution faultless. A couple of the songs are hauntingly beautiful. The rest of the cast is also fairly competent, but Aayushman totally steals the show.

Here is one talented actor. And Nautanki Saala is fultu entertainment! Don't miss it; one of the best films in a long time!

Movie Review: Oblivion

It's 2017, and an alien invasion has destroyed the Earth's moon and enveloped most of the Earth in a deadly nuclear radiation. Just a few hi-tech warriors remain, protecting what little is remaining on the planet, as they prepare to leave and settle down on one of Saturn's moons. But when one technician, tasked with the servicing and upkeep of the security drones, steps out of his boundaries, he is confronted with the sinister truth...

The movie opens to some amazing visualizations - the security towers high in the sky, the drones, the amazing skies high above the ground, the destroyed civilization, just the tips of skyscrapers jutting out of the buried cities...

But as the minutes drag by, the action disappoints. The story meanders along, aimlessly. Confused. Boring. Uninviting. Post interval, it just gets worse. Just when you are about to get out of your seats, thankful for the end, you are rudely pushed into another scene, and then another. It never seems to end until you promise yourself you are going to get up and walk off.

No redemption. Avoid it. Watch the IPL instead, or watch Dhichkyaon dhoom dhoom.

Movie Review: Commando

Why see Commando Reason #1: the best ever hand to hand action sequences ever seen in Bollywood. Vidyut Jamwal is truly outstanding, all brawn and rippling muscle, superb athleticism and thankfully, very little dialogues to mouth.

Why see Commando Reason #2: a very good looking, "hatke" Pooja Chopra, our Pune girl, with some very cute dialogues and scenes to boot. You will fall in love with her chubby and disarming smile.

Why see Commando Reason #3: a couple of beautiful songs, Saawan Bairi and Lutt Jaawan, which are also beautifully choreographed and shot.

Why see Commando Reason #4: some nice jokes dished out by the wierdly outfitted but well characterized villain from his iPhone.

A weak story (if you can call it one), very amateurish dialogues, unnecessary and noisy "songs", and very poor execution in all the peripheral scenes pulls down the movie. Overall, though, there are enough reasons to catch the movie once.

Movie Review: Freaky Deaky

Set in the 70s, FD has a big and impressive cast, and shows some promise initially, but a weak story and weaker execution fails to enthrall. Someone like Quentin Tarantino directing it - now that would make it awesome. As it is, you can skip it.

Movie Review: Chasme Baddoor

A very simple love story. Great locales, with most of the movie shot in beautiful Goa. Lots of jokes that will resonate with the young, but also managed to extract laughter from my aunt and uncle.

But undoubtedly, the reason to watch, and what makes it all so worthwhile - the gorgeous, super freaking cute and sizzling hot Taapasi Pannu. Don't miss the Dhichkyaon song which comes immediately after the break - it's such a simple, beautiful, catchy song with the sweetest moves, you just can't afford to miss it!

Do watch it, if only for Taapasi!

Save Twitter

Here are a few things Twitter must do to stay useful!

1) Find a way to hide all the #tags and the @s. Tweets become simply unreadable with the profusion of the tags.

2) The tiny URLs are another scary feature - how do you even know whether to click them or not?

3) And finally, the volume - maybe we should put a limit on the amount of tweets you can emit?

Gamification 2.0

The next wave of gamification will be about taking business problems and mapping them to game play. Read my article on gamification.co at this link:

http://www.gamification.co/2013/04/03/moving-beyond-points-and-badges-gamification-2-0/

 

Jhumping Jhapang

If I hear any more of that super irritating jingle, I am gonna have to stop watching the IPL telecasts! I mean, yes, I get it... Jhumping Jhapang Thumping Thapang... but how much can you rub it into someone? Isn't there something called "overdose"?

Please stop it!

It's A Beautiful Morning

Expensive Medicines and Unreadable Prescriptions

I have had some minor health issues lately, and two thoughts have been playing on my mind a lot...

The first one is related to the SC ruling denying patent rights to Novartis on its cancer drug. Can you believe how much Novartis charges? 1.2 lakh per month, and this is a drug you need to take life long! Forget the poor and the middle class, this puts the medicine out of reach of even the rich! Bear in mind, these drugs are sold by Indian pharma companies in a generic form for 4000-8000 per month! Yes, pharma companies may spend money on R&D, but surely these medicines can be sold for much cheaper, and not be another way to add to the agony of the patients. Imagine a middle class father whose child has blood cancer, or a husband whose wife is suffering. Does he deny her the medicine, or does he spend and live in poverty for the rest of their wretched lives? Hopefully the SC ruling in India will pave the way for cheaper generics not just in India, but all over the world.

The other issue, though less serious, has kept me thinking a lot too. Most doctors scribble prescriptions in a way that only pharmacists can read them, that too, with much difficulty. The dosage, the timings for the dosage, the after-effects, diet requirements are rarely explained. For educated folks like us, it is a challenge. Iamgine what happens to the illiterate, people who cannot check out the meds on Google, people who cannot read labels and figure out what medicine should be taken, and when. I was at the pharmacy yesterday, and a poor man and his wife were standing there, staring at the strips of tablets that were being dished out to them, clueless about what was what. So he pays for those medicines and goes home - and then what? How does he even figure out what to take and when?

Scary!

Movie Review: Day Of The Falcon

With Antonio Banderas, Mark Strong, Freida Pinto and Tahar Rahim in the lead roles, Day of the Falcon is an epic on bravery, suffering, honor, betrayal and valor. After years of  death and destruction in wars, the kings of two neighbouring kingdoms sign a peace accord, marking the disputed land between them as a no man's land. But when oil is discovered there, greed takes over, and the war is re-ignited.

One king looks at the oil revenues as a way to rid his kingdom of death and disease, the other, frozen in time, looks at it as evil. As egos and values clash, their children have to take a stand, defend their honor, putting their love and their lives at stake.

A tad slow, but a good watch for some sandy action!

Movie Review: Django Unchained

In true Quentin Tarantino tradition, Django will mesmerize you with the dialogues, the actors, the shocking raw action, the atmosphere, the setting - it just draws you in, and never lets go, staying with you long after the movie credits have begun rolling.

Set in Southern United States two years before the Civil War in the 1850s, Django Unchained stars Jamie Foxx as Django, a slave who is contacted by the German bounty hunter Dr. Schultz (Christoph Waltz in an amazing role, reminiscent of his character in Basterds), and given an offer to partner in his "business". Schultz is after the deadly Brittle brothers, and only Django can help identify them. Meanwhile, Django remains focused on finding and rescuing his wife, Broomhilda, who was taken from him and sold as a slave on another plantation a long time ago. Django and Schultz's search leads them to the unpredictable Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), at Candyland.

Their audacious plan seems to be working, until they arouse the suspicion of Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson), Candie's trusted house slave.

Things quickly turn bloody, it will be a deadly fight to the finish.

An absolutely must-see, but not for the faint-hearted. And for Tarantino fans, soak in every moment!