Sunday, July 19, 2015
Pune-Nashik-Mumbai
Just an hour from Pune, on the road to Nashik, the landscape changes drastically, and you will be forgiven for thinking you are in Southern Spain - groves of what might just pass off as olive plantations (I am told they are pomegranate though) interspersed with craggy rocky land and sparse bushes.
The road isn't too great, right now, but with aggressive work in progress to 4 lane the highway, things should be a breeze a few months from now.
Until then, the Mumbai-Nashik expressway is a great option - combined with the Pune-Mumbai expressway, it's a great option - much safer and quicker. And very beautiful too - especially around Igatpuri, a beautiful little town along the way.
The Cat's Miaow
Reproduced from The Economist (http://www.economist.com/news/obituary/21656623-tama-stationmaster-kishi-station-and-vice-president-wakayama-electric-railway-died)
Tama, stationmaster of Kishi station and vice-president of the Wakayama Electric Railway, died on June 22nd, aged 16.
AS SOON as she was born, Tama-chan (“Little Treasure”) knew she was divine. Most cats presume it; she was sure of it. Her immediate situation—whelped by a stray in the workers’ waiting room at Kishi station, on a rural railway line in western Japan—did not augur brightly. But as soon as her eyes opened, she saw what she was. Rolling languorously on her back, she admired her white underside; delicately twisting her neck to wash, she noted the black and brown bars on her back. She was a tortoiseshell, or a calico cat to Americans. They had been four in the litter; only she carried the propitious marks.
Tortoiseshells had long been prized in Japan. In another age she would probably have been a temple cat, leading a contemplative life among maple and ginkgo trees, killing mice and, in exchange, earning the regard of monks and pilgrims. Tales were legion of poor priests or shopkeepers who had shared their few scraps with the likes of her and had, in return, found riches. Or she might have been a ship’s cat, since tortoiseshells had the power to keep away the ghosts of the drowned, whose invisible bodies filled the sea and whose flailing, imploring hands were the white crests of the waves. But Tama, being modern, preferred trains.
In 21st-century Japan the mystic power of her breed was still invoked everywhere. Children wore tortoiseshell charms as amulets to keep them well. Nervous students cramming for exams put pictures of cats much like her on their bedroom walls. Most ubiquitous of all, the Maneki-neko, or beckoning cat (almost always a tortoiseshell), waved outside shops, restaurants and gambling parlours to draw customers in. These plastic cats stared rudely at one and all, where she appraised people with a green-eyed and sleepy gaze; their paws sawed up and down, where she made a virtue of curled immobility. In betting places they held up big gold coins to show they could bring good fortune. With a combination of punctuality, divinity and good manners, she achieved the same.
She was trained young by her mother, Miiko, outside the grocer’s shop by Kishi station. They would laze there in the sun to bewitch passers-by into suddenly needing a bag of rice or a bottle of mirin, and in exchange the grocer, Toshiko Koyama, gave them food. The bargain seemed a good one; the grocer prospered. Tama, too, grew sleeker as she improved her powers.
From there, it was only natural that she should save Kishi station. The little halt sat on a line, nine miles long and with 12 somnolent stops, between Wakayama City and Kishigawa. By 2006 it was losing 500m yen ($4m) a year. It should have been closed, but the customers said no; so it was sold to the Wakayama Electric Railway, which laid off the last man at Kishi to try to save some money. Mr Koyama became informal station-keeper, and the next year Tama was appointed stationmaster.
She kept strict hours: 9am to 5pm on weekdays, with only Sundays off. In exchange she was given a stationmaster’s cap in her own size, always worn at a jaunty starlet angle; a stationmaster’s badge; as much tinned tuna as she could nibble at; and eventually her own office, with basket and litter-tray, in an old ticket booth. The work was not demanding; if it had been, she would have disdained to take the job. But by snoozing most of the day on the ticket barrier, or rubbing against the legs of passengers as they arrived, she increased traffic on the branch line by 10% in her first year. People would travel just to be greeted by her smooth and lucky purr.
As the years passed more and more people came to the station, and rode on the train, because of her. Tourists flocked from all over Japan. The president of the WER thought she had probably injected more than a billion yen into the local economy. In 2009 a special bewhiskered cat-train, the Tama-densha, began to run on the line, covered with cartoons of her and with her image all over the seats. The next year the station was rebuilt in the shape of her head, with dormer windows for her eyes, and a café opened up with her portrait iced on cupcakes. A shop offered Tama bags, notebooks, key-fobs and figurines.
She took all this with equanimity. According to the Japanese principle of promotion by seniority, she rose effortlessly to super-stationmaster and honorary division chief. She was made an operating officer of the WER in recognition of her contribution to profits, the first female to be so honoured, and then became company vice-president. Each step was accompanied by gatherings of her devotees, presentations of certificates and extra stripes on her cap. Coolly tolerant, she allowed herself to be dressed in a velvet cloak with lace and white plumes, and to be hoisted in the air by jubilant WER executives.
At her funeral, attended by thousands at the station, the president of the railway company announced that she would be honoured as a goddess and buried in a Shinto shrine. Honour where honour was due. Meanwhile, her deputy Nitama (“Tama the Second”) assumed her duties at the station; and the Tama-densha ambled on down the line, joined now by the Toy Train and the Strawberry Train, as her worshippers in suits continued to follow the moneymaking path pointed out by the beckoning cat of Kishi, Tama the Divine.
Tama, stationmaster of Kishi station and vice-president of the Wakayama Electric Railway, died on June 22nd, aged 16.
AS SOON as she was born, Tama-chan (“Little Treasure”) knew she was divine. Most cats presume it; she was sure of it. Her immediate situation—whelped by a stray in the workers’ waiting room at Kishi station, on a rural railway line in western Japan—did not augur brightly. But as soon as her eyes opened, she saw what she was. Rolling languorously on her back, she admired her white underside; delicately twisting her neck to wash, she noted the black and brown bars on her back. She was a tortoiseshell, or a calico cat to Americans. They had been four in the litter; only she carried the propitious marks.
Tortoiseshells had long been prized in Japan. In another age she would probably have been a temple cat, leading a contemplative life among maple and ginkgo trees, killing mice and, in exchange, earning the regard of monks and pilgrims. Tales were legion of poor priests or shopkeepers who had shared their few scraps with the likes of her and had, in return, found riches. Or she might have been a ship’s cat, since tortoiseshells had the power to keep away the ghosts of the drowned, whose invisible bodies filled the sea and whose flailing, imploring hands were the white crests of the waves. But Tama, being modern, preferred trains.
In 21st-century Japan the mystic power of her breed was still invoked everywhere. Children wore tortoiseshell charms as amulets to keep them well. Nervous students cramming for exams put pictures of cats much like her on their bedroom walls. Most ubiquitous of all, the Maneki-neko, or beckoning cat (almost always a tortoiseshell), waved outside shops, restaurants and gambling parlours to draw customers in. These plastic cats stared rudely at one and all, where she appraised people with a green-eyed and sleepy gaze; their paws sawed up and down, where she made a virtue of curled immobility. In betting places they held up big gold coins to show they could bring good fortune. With a combination of punctuality, divinity and good manners, she achieved the same.
She was trained young by her mother, Miiko, outside the grocer’s shop by Kishi station. They would laze there in the sun to bewitch passers-by into suddenly needing a bag of rice or a bottle of mirin, and in exchange the grocer, Toshiko Koyama, gave them food. The bargain seemed a good one; the grocer prospered. Tama, too, grew sleeker as she improved her powers.
From there, it was only natural that she should save Kishi station. The little halt sat on a line, nine miles long and with 12 somnolent stops, between Wakayama City and Kishigawa. By 2006 it was losing 500m yen ($4m) a year. It should have been closed, but the customers said no; so it was sold to the Wakayama Electric Railway, which laid off the last man at Kishi to try to save some money. Mr Koyama became informal station-keeper, and the next year Tama was appointed stationmaster.
A train with whiskers
As the years passed more and more people came to the station, and rode on the train, because of her. Tourists flocked from all over Japan. The president of the WER thought she had probably injected more than a billion yen into the local economy. In 2009 a special bewhiskered cat-train, the Tama-densha, began to run on the line, covered with cartoons of her and with her image all over the seats. The next year the station was rebuilt in the shape of her head, with dormer windows for her eyes, and a café opened up with her portrait iced on cupcakes. A shop offered Tama bags, notebooks, key-fobs and figurines.
She took all this with equanimity. According to the Japanese principle of promotion by seniority, she rose effortlessly to super-stationmaster and honorary division chief. She was made an operating officer of the WER in recognition of her contribution to profits, the first female to be so honoured, and then became company vice-president. Each step was accompanied by gatherings of her devotees, presentations of certificates and extra stripes on her cap. Coolly tolerant, she allowed herself to be dressed in a velvet cloak with lace and white plumes, and to be hoisted in the air by jubilant WER executives.
At her funeral, attended by thousands at the station, the president of the railway company announced that she would be honoured as a goddess and buried in a Shinto shrine. Honour where honour was due. Meanwhile, her deputy Nitama (“Tama the Second”) assumed her duties at the station; and the Tama-densha ambled on down the line, joined now by the Toy Train and the Strawberry Train, as her worshippers in suits continued to follow the moneymaking path pointed out by the beckoning cat of Kishi, Tama the Divine.
Parking Spot Lights At Infiniti Mall
Saw an interesting innovation at Infiniti Mall last weekend in Mumbai - above every parking slot, activated by sensors, are these red and green lights that tell you quickly where the open parking slots are, as you scan around for a vacant spot. Wonderful idea!
The camera couldn't capture the color of the lights clearly, but I am sure you can see what I mean!
The camera couldn't capture the color of the lights clearly, but I am sure you can see what I mean!
Nashik Collector's Office
We met Nashik Collector, Deependra Kushwah, IAS, last week at his office - an amazing old building with inlaid tiles, and endless corridors. Absolutely beautiful old world charm.
Mr Kushwah, himself, is a dynamic, honest, young officer - it was such an inspiration watching him at work, as he kept an unscrupulous businessman at bay! The country is in safe hands...!
Saheba At Nashik
We were at Nashik the other day; visited Saheba for lunch - used to be a total tapari; and still serves some of the best non veg in the city...
Camels In The Desert
Lovely pic of camels in the desert - but look closely. The black camels you are are really the shadows!
Got it?
Got it?
Movie Review: Insidious Chapter 3
A prequel to the other two previous installments, IC3 is one of the better horror movies in recent times, and will give you the real chills. No matter how brave you are, I am pretty sure you will end up screaming. Watch it with lights out, and a light breeze swaying the shadows on your window pane - this is one to be relished with your loved ones!
Expressway Tales
A couple weeks back... we were in Nariman Pt for a meeting. We left by 445, took a 30 min break for an early dinner, and were home in Aundh by 815 - can you believe that? All thanks to the amazing Eastern Freeway and the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, which has brought the sister cities together like never dreamt possible!
We had another amazing experience on the way. A self
proclaimed VIP was arguing with toll booth staff and refusing to pay toll. The attendant
refused to give in to the pressure to open the gate, and after a couple of minutes, with the VIP unrelenting, he simply closed the lane, asked other cars to switch lanes and left the VIP fuming, the toll barrier blocking his path, while everyone went along their business.
Absolutely commendable!
Pune Monsoons
A few days back...
 |
| Abhimanshree Society is an absolute delight with the tree canopies and newly laid out concrete roads with well maintained footpaths |
 |
| No rainy day outing is complete without the bhutta! |
 |
| Raindrops on the windscreen |
Mumbai
Can't agree more! Lived 18 months in Mumbai during my IIT days - and fell in love with the city. No matter what its limitations and shortcomings, this is one beautiful city with beautiful people!
Movie Review: Jurassic World
The dinos are high definition, and there are a couple of decent surprises, but if you have seen the original, there is really nothing in JW that you haven't seen before.
Totally avoidable. Unless of course, you wanna see our very own Irrfan Khan try to be the hero.
Totally avoidable. Unless of course, you wanna see our very own Irrfan Khan try to be the hero.
Movie Review: San Andreas
We know it's always existed - the big San Andreas fault that straddles California. But what we are not ready for is the scale of devastation.
A rescue heli pilot (Dwayne Johnson) and his estranged wife set out to rescue their daughter (eye candy Alexandra Daddario), battling earth shattering convulsions in the ground, raging fires, and tsunami waves determined to gobble up SFO.
The SFX are extremely high quality, and combined with the deadly soundtrack, which literally shakes you physically along with most of the theatre, makes this a thoroughly enjoyable disaster movie although the story and the ending are foregone conclusions.
A rescue heli pilot (Dwayne Johnson) and his estranged wife set out to rescue their daughter (eye candy Alexandra Daddario), battling earth shattering convulsions in the ground, raging fires, and tsunami waves determined to gobble up SFO.
The SFX are extremely high quality, and combined with the deadly soundtrack, which literally shakes you physically along with most of the theatre, makes this a thoroughly enjoyable disaster movie although the story and the ending are foregone conclusions.
Movie Review: Camp X-Ray
Stationed at Guantanamo Bay on her first assignment, rookie soldier Amy Cole (Kristen Stewart, as different from Bella Swan as you can imagine) bonds with one of the detainees, a smart and intellectual, English-speaking Amir Ali (Peayman Mooadi). Their conversations, as she rolls a book cart through the cell block, tentative at first, warmer as time passes by, are fascinating.
Shot almost entirely in the confines of the prison, Camp X-Ray is definitely one of Kristen's best performances, and quite a human drama, if you like that kinda stuff.
Shot almost entirely in the confines of the prison, Camp X-Ray is definitely one of Kristen's best performances, and quite a human drama, if you like that kinda stuff.
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Movie Review: Mad Max Fury Road
I remember Mad Max from my childhood. My uncle took us for MM2 and we absolutely loved it. Then I made my parents take us for MM1 on a visit to Belgaum, and that was a disaster, because it was an A rated movie, and we got a real terrible admonition! Even then, the sight of the speedometer inching towards 200 always stayed in our minds. MM3 turned out to be dark and crazy, and I didn't even get to its end.
Decades later, I watched MMFR in Goa - and what an experience it was! Almost 2 hours of adrenalin pumping, heart pulsating action, with stunning visuals, fantastic stunts, accompanied by a thunderous background score. Almost the entire movie is a chase sequence, and you just don't get any respite from the action.
This is not for the weak hearted - and definitely not to be wasted by trying to catch it on your laptop! Go catch it on the biggest, loudest screen you can get to!
Decades later, I watched MMFR in Goa - and what an experience it was! Almost 2 hours of adrenalin pumping, heart pulsating action, with stunning visuals, fantastic stunts, accompanied by a thunderous background score. Almost the entire movie is a chase sequence, and you just don't get any respite from the action.
This is not for the weak hearted - and definitely not to be wasted by trying to catch it on your laptop! Go catch it on the biggest, loudest screen you can get to!
3M Plastic Sheating
Recently got Myra additional protection on her bumpers with 3M's plastic sheathing, designed to protect her from stones, mobikes and other hazards on the roads. It costs a bomb at around 520 per sq feet, and sheathing the whole car will cost 6 figures. Let's see how this works.. and if it goes well, in the future, one can think of colored matt sheathing to add some real glamour and differentiation to the cars!
Be Careful - Big Brother Is Watching!
Pune
now has an extensive set of cameras for security, which are now also being used
by cops for catching traffic offenders. More than 50 drivers were issued challans on the first day,
using the cameras and software to trace the addresses of the offenders.
Be aware, the cops are now watching you even when you cant see them hanging around in the dark corners!
Be aware, the cops are now watching you even when you cant see them hanging around in the dark corners!
Audi Q Drive Experience
A few weeks back, we attended an Audi Q Drive event in Pune - we assembled at the Audi showroom, then drove in a convoy of Audi SUVs (brand new vehicles provided by Audi - not our own!), through a small detour off road in a small forest, to a specially designed track, where every participant got the chance to test drive a Q3, Q5 or Q7 (I off roaded in the Q3 and then chose the Q7 for the test track). It was an amazing experience, and wowed everyone with the capabilities of the mean Audi machines, with the advanced Q Drive technology (which allows the SUVs engines to optimize and divert power to the wheels based on traction and other factors).
Here are some pics, which say a lot, but come nowhere close to the adrenalin rush we all experienced!
Here are some pics, which say a lot, but come nowhere close to the adrenalin rush we all experienced!
A (Different) Pepsi
When we were kids, in the 80s and early 90s, we enjoyed these small plastic tubes of colored, frozen liquid, which we called Pepsi (yes, Pepsi had not yet made an entry into India at that time!). They used to come in 2 sizes - and cost 50 paise and 1 rupee respectively!
Decades later, here we are - with our fav Pepsi yet again! My brother in law found these in a tiny grocery store in Talegaon, a virtual suburb of Panaji...
Have you ever had one of these? Let me know!
Decades later, here we are - with our fav Pepsi yet again! My brother in law found these in a tiny grocery store in Talegaon, a virtual suburb of Panaji...
Have you ever had one of these? Let me know!
Cafe Real
Goa has dozens of small, simple cafes where "bhaaji pav or puri" (as opposed to pav bhaji) is the staple, and draws Goans of all ages and social status. from politicians to students, businessmen to housewives, for breakfast or for an afternoon snack, popping into one of these hotels for chai and bhaji pav (and sometimes for samosa, mirchi or other bhajiyas) is as much a part of being Goan as the afternoon siesta.
The most popular of these haunts is probably Café Real in Panaji. I used to visit it very regularly as a student, way back in the early nineties - and nothing has changed (except that they now have a mushroom bhaji, and seem to have phased out the "salad" bhaji).
Not just the food, even some of the waiters are still around!
The most popular of these haunts is probably Café Real in Panaji. I used to visit it very regularly as a student, way back in the early nineties - and nothing has changed (except that they now have a mushroom bhaji, and seem to have phased out the "salad" bhaji).
Not just the food, even some of the waiters are still around!
 |
| A lazy afternoon at Café Real |
 |
| Tomato and Suki Mix with Goan Paav |
Samara Turns 5
Samara turned 5 in April, a few days after Myra came home. With around 80K kms under her belt, all she needed to celebrate was a new engine timing belt and a nice day at the car spa. Interestingly, in spite of having a brand new expensive set of wheels in the garage, Samara still rules the roost at least when it comes to reliability! No wonder, when we had to spend 3 days in Mumbai with the extended family, it was Samara that made the cut :)
One of the main differences from the Samara of the last 5 years is that she no longer sports the tinted glasses - with cops getting super serious about enforcing the no-tints rule, a few weeks back, they had to be stripped off! Does rob her a lot of the oomph, but other than that, it hasn't really made too much of a difference (to the cooling and heat inside, for example).
Here's wishing Samara another glorious 5 years and many, many more kms of exciting drives!
One of the main differences from the Samara of the last 5 years is that she no longer sports the tinted glasses - with cops getting super serious about enforcing the no-tints rule, a few weeks back, they had to be stripped off! Does rob her a lot of the oomph, but other than that, it hasn't really made too much of a difference (to the cooling and heat inside, for example).
Here's wishing Samara another glorious 5 years and many, many more kms of exciting drives!
Movie Review: Gabbar Is Back
I guess in today's world, with an extra dose of citizen vigilantism in the air, Gabbar Is Back does resonate with a population that is fed up of corruption and crime in high places, and stymied by a system that grinds forward very, very slowly. I am not sure, though, that movies that encourage taking the law into your own hands, is the best way forward.
But GIB has some great action scenes by AK, who has himself performed most of the fight scenes, which aren't exactly Rohit Shetty Ishtyle!
The end is macabre, and a few might have preferred a happier ending, but I think it's the ending that leaves the biggest impression.
But GIB has some great action scenes by AK, who has himself performed most of the fight scenes, which aren't exactly Rohit Shetty Ishtyle!
The end is macabre, and a few might have preferred a happier ending, but I think it's the ending that leaves the biggest impression.
Movie Review: Bombay Velvet
Most of us weren't even born in the 60s... even then, Anurag Kashyap's wonderfully created atmospherics with the jazz bars, motorcars, trams and the harbor of a Bombay on the cusp of tremendous growth from a "seven island city" to India's biggest metropolis will enthrall you, and transport you to a very different era.
Raveena Tandon in a tiny but memorable cameo, Remo Fernandes in an unmemorable one, Karan Johar as the villain (well, one of them, anyway... with a couple of good scenes, but otherwise pretty flat), Sidharth Basu, and of course, Ranbir and Anushka in decent performances - the real star, though, is the beautifully rendered "you are no one if you aren't invited here" night club Bombay Velvet, where illegal liquor flows as freely as shady deals, while gorgeously dressed singers croon to jazz music.
The story is slow, but there is an underlying current of tension and unpredictability, and the amazing soundtrack, the all-permeating jazz and the Quentin Tarantino-style action sequences, which reach a crescendo towards the end, all add up to make this a wonderful cinematic experience (but only if you experience it on 70 mm with Dolby!)
Raveena Tandon in a tiny but memorable cameo, Remo Fernandes in an unmemorable one, Karan Johar as the villain (well, one of them, anyway... with a couple of good scenes, but otherwise pretty flat), Sidharth Basu, and of course, Ranbir and Anushka in decent performances - the real star, though, is the beautifully rendered "you are no one if you aren't invited here" night club Bombay Velvet, where illegal liquor flows as freely as shady deals, while gorgeously dressed singers croon to jazz music.
The story is slow, but there is an underlying current of tension and unpredictability, and the amazing soundtrack, the all-permeating jazz and the Quentin Tarantino-style action sequences, which reach a crescendo towards the end, all add up to make this a wonderful cinematic experience (but only if you experience it on 70 mm with Dolby!)
Tire Troubles for Myra
4500 km, and Myra has already had two tire-related incidents, which Audi claims is due to a combination of two factors - incorrect (low) tire pressure and encounter with a bad pothole on the road. To their credit, even though they could have simply refused, Audi has gone ahead and replaced the pretty expensive tires free of cost - both times.
Yes, that's the spare on the rear right, not an autorickshaw tire I borrowed :)
The first incident was a bubble in the tire wall (see above) that allowed me to continue driving until I got the replacement, whereas the second time, the tire got a huge cut that immediately put it out of commission. And then the worst part is that the spare provided is only meant to take you to the service station - you can't drive on it, really. See the pic below (edited to show the tires that were hidden in the dark in the original pic) and you will know exactly what I mean :)
Yes, that's the spare on the rear right, not an autorickshaw tire I borrowed :)
MooBoo Bubble Tea
Another delicious treat I discovered in London was the bubble tea - an interesting combination of hot or cold (flavored) tea, with these absolutely naughty and delightful bubbles of juice (like tiny jelly beans with a soft inside) that break in your mouth and release these explosions of flavor... the hot tea version wasn't as exciting, but a watermelon cold tea with mango bubbles was just heavenly! Don't miss it when in London!
Little Persia
Yes, I know this is way too late, but I was going through some of my trip pics, and remembered this meal very fondly - at the Little Persia restaurant and lounge near Bayswater/Queensway tube stations. The most delicious humus, a gigantic soft naan, and some wonderfully invigorating and aromatic Persia tea.
Nando's
While on the topic of Nando's, when in the UK, it's a must-visit. Just imagine a cooler version of KFC, with some freaking good chicken - the food has African and Portuguese origins, and the décor and service is pretty good, too.
UK Baby Boom?
One of the very interesting things I noticed on my last trip to the UK was that cities like Leeds (see pic below, at Nando's) is witnessing a major baby boom - and malls and public spaces are literally crawling with prams! I am not kidding - look around, and you can see at least a dozen prams being pushed along by young parents.
According to some quick research Britain is seeing birth rates soar by almost 18-20%, which, I guess, can only be good news! And no, at least in Leeds, it didn't seem to be driven by immigrants...
According to some quick research Britain is seeing birth rates soar by almost 18-20%, which, I guess, can only be good news! And no, at least in Leeds, it didn't seem to be driven by immigrants...
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Movie Review: Piku
If you ever wished for an offbeat topic to be at the center of a storyline, it doesn't get better than what permeates Piku's 3 hours - constipation.
Saddled with a difficult old dad (Amitabh) who is forever obsessing about his health and his bowel movements, Piku (Deepika Padukone) struggles to balance her own love life (which is more about physical needs than marriage and emotional bonding, which is perfectly fine with her "selfish" dad), her career and her need to take care of her dad.
Fate (and some heavily constrained planning) puts her in a cab on a long drive from Delhi to Kolkata, along with her dad and the taxi company owner (Irrfan - his drivers refuse to tolerate the difficult Piku for that long, leaving him with no option but to set out on the journey himself).
Beautifully written, with fantastic performances from the Big B, who excels in every frame, and Deepika, who shows how amazing she can be when given the right roles, and Irrfan, with his wonderful sense of humor and chemistry with Deepika, Piku will delight you, entertain you, and leave you with a warmth in your hearth.
Absolutely beautiful. Don't miss it.
Saddled with a difficult old dad (Amitabh) who is forever obsessing about his health and his bowel movements, Piku (Deepika Padukone) struggles to balance her own love life (which is more about physical needs than marriage and emotional bonding, which is perfectly fine with her "selfish" dad), her career and her need to take care of her dad.
Fate (and some heavily constrained planning) puts her in a cab on a long drive from Delhi to Kolkata, along with her dad and the taxi company owner (Irrfan - his drivers refuse to tolerate the difficult Piku for that long, leaving him with no option but to set out on the journey himself).
Beautifully written, with fantastic performances from the Big B, who excels in every frame, and Deepika, who shows how amazing she can be when given the right roles, and Irrfan, with his wonderful sense of humor and chemistry with Deepika, Piku will delight you, entertain you, and leave you with a warmth in your hearth.
Absolutely beautiful. Don't miss it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)