With Ajit Agarkar

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Sanam At Mannat

Sanam outside Mannat, waiting for the King Khan to arrive... in vain, I must say. The tall building in the background is his office, the shorter while building in the middle is Mannat. Most of the complex is hidden behind the huge compound wall. Right opposite, facing Mannat, is the beautiful Bandra sea-face.

The Bandra Worli Sea Link Bridge

A view of the Worli Prabhadevi skyline from the Sea Link bridge entrance on the Bandra side


The Sea Link bridge, nearing completion. Will bring down the travel time from Bandra to Worli from 30 mins at peak time to less than 10 besides decongesting Bandra-Mahim and Dadar. It's also expected to be a major tourist point and it's not difficult to imagine why! :)

ps: Apologies for the low quality pics, clicked by a seedha saadha Nokia in foggy weather

Bouncing Back!

On the eve of the second anniversary of the Mumbai terror attacks, we got the opportunity to visit the sites of the attacks, to pay our homage and express our gratitude to the men who laid down their lives defending us.

Our first visit was to the Trident and Oberoi. As we passed the entrance, the smiling and smartly dressed valets and security officers warmly welcomed us, no sign of terror or apprehension on their faces. Looking around at the Trident, it was hard to imagine the horror of two months back. While parts of the Oberoi remained boarded up under repairs, the Trident stood tall and beautiful in all its glory, the restaurants on the ground floor that had taken the biggest hits desked up and warmly lit, beckoning its guests again.

I got down for a minute, at the foot of the building, looking up and was overcome with emotion, fighting hard tears of pride - Radio Mirchi playing "Mar Jaawa", a song that could have very well summed up the admiration and love the country feels towards these heroes of 26/11.

Our next stop was the Taj. After 3 days of fire and assault, I was almost scared to imagine what I would find. In my last trip to Mumbai, I had marvelled at the beauty of this grand old building. I was almost hesitant to see it, knowing it would be really difficult to see it in ruins.

This is what we found.


The beautiful old lady, looking just as beautiful as a desert does in full bloom after a terrible storm! With hardly any external sign of damage, except a few boarded windows, and a fresh coat of paint to hide its scars, the Taj stood resplendent in the afternoon sun, thousands of admiring visitors gazing at it in pure awe, while the Gateway of India opposite it stood ready to receive thousands of visitors for the Satbhavna Concert organized by the Govt of Maharashtra on occasion of Republic Day to applaud the resilience and strength of this awesome city.

Here you can see workers replacing the focus lights illuminating the frontage, while other workers are hard at work inside restoring it to its full glory.

Our final visit was to the Leopold, and while we were unable to drop in for a cup of tea due to restrictions in our schedule driven by the baby in our midst, it was not surprising to see the Cafe thronged by hundreds of patrons, another fitting tribute to the never say die spirit of the city.

Yes, one might argue that life has to go on, and that this is just part of moving on. But truly, seeing the pace of work, and the positive vibes emanating from every place we visited, I can say one thing for sure... terror might put us down for a few days, but we will come up winners, stronger, more united and more resilient, with every attack!

Amchi Sexy Mumbai

We spent the weekend in Mumbai, enjoying every second of it. Here are some things that rated high on our to-do list:

1) An evening at InOrbit Mall in Malad - watching the people, some shopping, bumping into celebrities, and of course, a taste of the non-veg platter at the Food Court
2) A trip to Mannat at Bandra Bandstand, hoping to catch a glimpse of the King Khan. By the way, if you reach there late evening, the beach is an excellent spot too!
3) Oggling the Sea Link bridge - you can do this on the way to and from Mannat :) Also have a look at the unbelievable long and winding sky walk from BKC to Bandra Station over the WE Highway.
4) A trip to Trident, Taj and Cafe Leopold - our homage to the martyrs and the indomitable spirit of the city
5) A horse carriage ride through the cobblestoned streets of downtown Mumbai
6) Lunch at Tendulkars, with Ajit Agarkar for company on the adjacent table. Not to mention the 20% discount we got on a bill of 4500 from the Goan manager!

A Tale of Two Restaurants

Two nights, two restaurants, two very different experiences.

Last night it was Sigree, at the very end of DP Road, behind Mainland China. While we had visited the area dozens of times earlier, we had not visited Sigree. They have an outdoor seating with a buffet spread, and a la carte dining inside. We chose indoors. While the place was large and pretty full, with maybe 200 diners, it was also very spacious, comfortable and relaxed. We ate like crazy, the Adraki Lamb, Lamb Soup and the Rogah Josh was simply out of the world. So were the Mushroom Shabnam and Paneer Rawalpindi. When we finally licked down the last of the huge kulfis, we could barely walk. It had been a totally awesome experience!

Today, it was Flags. A restaurant that used to be extremely high on my list. Untill now. Apparently they went in for a make over. The new interiors are very inconvenient and impractical, making it impossible for the waiters to serve you properly. The food has turned from awesome to poor, with the mocktails being the worst. The worst was the music, loud and dicso, just completely at odds with the candles on the tables, and loud and jarring enough to make you want to run out. A truly disappointing experience.

So next time you are looking for a nice dinner... Sigree it should be!

Quote for the Day

I hate you...and then I love you...it's like I want to throw you off a cliff....then rush to the bottom to catch you!!!

Movie Review: The President is Coming

After a heavy dinner of Shengsi Crabmeat Soup, Lemon Coriander Soup, Eight Treasure Seafood Soup, Pepper Prawns, Crispy Corn Chilli, Schezwaan Noodles, BBQ Betki Fish and some delicious Chicken Lollipop, Siddha and I decided to catch a movie... and at 1130, there really weren't too many options. So we ended up watching "The President is Coming". I had warned Siddha it wasn't that great - that's what I had been told. On the other hand, I had a feeling it would be fun.

Feelings sometimes work better than feedback! :)

We loved the movie, and so did the other fifty or so patrons in the theatre.

President Bush is coming to India, and a PR agency is contracted by the US Embassy to find that one representative of the 30 million young Indians to shake the coveted hand of the President. And how do you do that? Through the mother of all reality shows - a no holds barred cut throat competition that puts them through the grinds, to find the one with the best understanding of America and a passion to be American.

The beauty of the movie is in its characters. From the gay South Indian mathematician geek, to the young dashing Gujrathi stock broker, the Bengali novelist, the wannabe Paris Hilton, the voice and accent trainer and the anti-social "MNS" social worker, the characters are just perfect! The conversations are hilarious, in a very Calvin sort of way - the best humour is probably what we see in the way we behave in everyday life.

The movie's probably exiting theatres soon, and you might be lucky to catch a late night show... try it, don't expect any insights and inspirations, and you might actually love it!

PM Goes to RTO

A couple of days back, our very own PM went quietly to the RTO to get his licence renewed :) The only favours he asked - that he be allowed to do it on a Sunday, and that Sheila Dikshit not be there to welcome him :)

Three cheers to our sweet PM :)

Proud to be a Slumdog?

I have not yet seen the movie, of course, but I do have some initial thoughts about what's happening with it. Yes, it might be a perfectly well done movie. Rahman has probably given an excellent sound track, Frieda and Anil Kapoor have probaby acted well, and so on and so forth. And it went on to win 4 Golden Globes for its primarily western creators.

But why are we Indians so ga-ga over it? It's not really an Indian movie. It's shot in the slums and dark under bellies of Mumbai. It is a story of hope written by an Indian, but it's also a vivid portrayal of the India that's always appealed to the westerners in search of heart wrenching stories of the third world, pictures and articles that gnaw at your conscience and makes for some great reporting!

That's probably why it's getting the acclaim that a Lagaan never did! Because, even if it was a period movie, Lagaan was about the positive in India. An image most westerners probably find loath to accept? Because it challenges their dominance in an ever-increasing flat world?

I have a feeling this movie will be most appreciated by NRIs and wannabe NRIs - because it gives them the reassurance that their decision to leave the country was very right!

Again, just my thoughts - and I am not really talking about the movie!

Movie Review: Chandni Chowk to China

Akshay Kumar has a flair for comedy and action, and CCTC tries to give you a combination of both. Does it succeed? Depends on how you look at it... if you are willing to keep logic aside and simply appreciate some silly jokes, literally flights of fantasy, and some great action, CCTC is a definite option this weekend.

Sidhu is a "vegetable cutter" from a dhaaba in Chandni Chowk, with dreams but no way to get there. Mysteriously, there appear two Chinese, convinced he is a reincarnation of the legendary warrior Liu Sheng, and the only solution to the problem of the evil Hojo, who's taken over their village. Sidhu, conned by the fraud Feng Shastra (yes, he knows both Feng Sheu and Vaastu Shastra) expert Chopstick, lands up in China. Now, add to this a story of two separated twins, Suzie and Sakhi, born to an Indian girl and a Chinese man who speaks Hindi. One is brought up in India, and lands up in China looking for her missing father and sister, the other joins Hojo. And of course, we can't not have Dada, Mithunda playing Sidhu's adopted mother, father, brother, teacher, mentor, guide and everything else. As one review said, you take all the masala Bollywood has been spicing up for years, and try make a mother of all masala movies, and you have CCTC.

So is it really worth watching? I think so, yes!

Here's what to watch out for...

1) Some simple jokes which will make you laugh. Try catching the "this is true love" joke...
2) An excellently choreographed title song - a dream sequence just before Sidhu lands in China. Probably one of the best ever usages of martial arts in a dance sequence!
3) Deepika's arrival on the scene as India's contribution to the "action heroines", a la Kill Bill. I'm not kidding - her fight sequence at the airport has to rate among the very best. And yes, apart from her moves, do check her facial expressions. Here's an actress waiting to be unleashed.
4) Some good fight sequences by Akshay
5) A short and sweet "floating with an umbrella" song sequence
6) Akshay's dance routine while waiting for the Chinese visa
7) Some amazing locales
8) Deepika. Deepika.

A little less loud, and minus Mithun Da's irritating dialogues, this would have been a show stealer :)

Rab Ne, Again..

I've seen Rab Ne a few times already, and every time I've enjoyed it a little more than the earlier time! Maybe it's in the innocence of Suri, the very real life portrayal of the Indian middle class, the vivacity of Taani, the dance numbers, the over-the-top cool Raj, naam toh suna hoga, or simply the peace of the Golden Temple coming out so beautifully, this movie has been growing on me. It's also interesting to profile the audience.. most seem to be repeats, from the kids to the oldies, everyone laughs with Suri, everyone cries with Taani, and everyone has their smiles back on their faces after the honeymoon, as they stream out of the theatres...

Truly a timeless movie, I hope a lot more would be able to gain from this as much as I have, instead of getting stuck in questioning the possibility of a wife unable to recognize her husband in a new outfit.

Updated Syllabus!

Sanam had a question in her Hindi exam - name three of India's desh bhaktas. Her answer - Hemant Karkare, Mahatma Gandhi and Ashok Kamte.

Teacher gave her full marks!

Ab Tum Kabhi Maa Nahin Bann Sakti...

Miyou had a sterilization operation today... and apparently, she was already pregnant a second time, less than 4 months from the time she had her three kittens...

We got her operated on at Pet Aid in Erandwane in the afternoon. She had to be kept without food or drink since morning, and after we got her back from the OT, she was groggy till morning. I had to take her beside me all through the night. It was very touching to see that even though she knew well that it was I who had taken her to the hospital and put her through her ordeal, she still wanted to sit in my lap, and be comforted by my patting.

Sometimes, I wonder if we really have the right to decide for her... but then I remember the three months we spent cleaning up the mess from her litter, and then it doesn't seem that difficult a question to answer any more!

Happy New Year

Another eventful year has gone by... and oh, what a year it has been! When the year began, the Sensex was at a never-before 20K, and market pundits were already talking about 25K. Then came the turn. It started with the sub-prime crisis, and quickly ballooned into an all-encompassing recession that enveloped not just the US, but the whole world. Markets crashed to half their levels at the beginning of the year, losing trillions in market capitalization. Investment banking turned overnight from the alchemy of the finance world into a curse, auto makers scrambled to keep afloat, airlines and hotels struggled desperately to survive.

And then came 26/11. 3 days that have forever changed the way India, and the world, will look at terror.

And yet, I would describe the year 2008 best on one word: growth. Growth of India as a real super power on the world stage. From Chess to Boxing to Badminton and Shooting, India is no longer begging for attention. The CommonWeath Youth Games heralded the rising dominance of young Indian in sports. IPL showed that BCCI didn't just have the money, but the vision and the powers of execution to change the cricket world. With fantastic victories over Australia, India rose as the leaders at home and away! ISRO's Chandrayaan propelled India's space program to the moon, and yet again, India's democratic institutions showed the world what people's power was all about. Tatas bought Jaguar and Land Rover, while the Nano emerged as the most exciting new kid on the block since the Model T! And with the signing of the Nuclear Treaty, India's dominance on the world stage was complete.

But most heartening was the way the country rallied as one after 26/11. As Shiv Sena activists protected mosques and madrassas, Christians protected Hindus, Parsis distributed free bread, and for once, Vande Mataram and Jai Hind was the mantra of the country. MNS's hate campaign bit the dust and people of all faiths and castes joined hands against terror. For once, petty politics gave way to true national unity, and the parliament voted as one to bring in a slew of measures to strengthen our defences. And of course, the true heroes were the countless, faceless jawans, police officers, commandos and fire men, who gave their all, and their lives, in the service of the nation.

For me, personally, it was a truly exciting year! I got my entry into the executive management, finally giving me ability to truly make a difference to the company I have treated as my own for over a decade. We got Catrina, and a few months later, Casatta and her two siblings were born. Siddha and Shweta were blessed with Samah, Sanam had finally got her prayers answered!

What does 2009 have in store for us? Terror, Global Warming and Recession will dominate the headlines for sure... but the optimist in me tells me, this will also be a year when the tide will turn. For the better!

A Fortress in the Sun

Back from Goa after a 4 day break, the hang over still there, the most dominant image of the trip has to be that of the commandos - camouflage uniforms, black bandanas, machine guns slung over the shoulders, some taking position behind sand bag bunkers, others strolling on the beaches, eyes ever watchful. Dozens of them, securing the beaches, the cities, the air ports. Heavy police presence, yet completely unobtrusive. Foreign and Indian tourists enjoying the sun, the sea, and the food - protected and secured by our armed forces. Coming back from Goa last night, I saw this posse of commandos stopping a truck for inspection on the highway, somewhere in Malvan taluka in Maharashtra. Everytime you see the commando, you get a sense of security, not a sense of fear. Interesting...

For the first couple of days, it did feel as if the beaches were empty, the usual festive spirit dampened, recession and terror taking its toll. But by the time we left, the tourists had started streaming in, more and more flights landing with foreigners, and scores of Indians driving in with their bikes, cars and jeeps. Terror has lost, yet again.

Movie Review: Ghajini

It was billed as the showdown of the year - the two big Khans facing off, Rab Ne versus Ghajini, the new eight pack Khan versus the older six pack Khan, Anushka versus Asin, so on and so forth. Unfortunately, Ghajini is a complete let down, a B grade South Indian action flick with dollops of gore and violence, with absolutely no comparison against the superbly crafted Rab Ne. And while the King Khan dishes out one superb performance after another, the wannabe King resorts to his barber and his gym instructor, and lots of screams and growls to try instill fear in his audiences as the Indian Hannibal cum Super Man cum Hulk. All he succeeds in is assaulting your senses with mindless violence.

I agree I am a SRK fan, but I loved Aamir in QSQT, I loved him in Jo Jeeta, and in Dil Chahata Hai, and in Lagaan, and in countless other movies where Aamir was a great actor, with chocolate boy looks, and a lot of sense on his shoulders. Somewhere along the way, he lost it in the pursuit of being number one, wanting to be called the King. Obsessed with insulting the King on his blog, Aamir seems to have lost focus from what he was good at... acting.

Back to the movie. Inspired by a Tamil movie of the same name, which itself was inspired by a truly beautifully executed Memento, Ghajini is the story of a young business tycoon who falls in love with a wannabe model, but never reveals his true identity to her, because he loves being loved by her as the middle class simple fellow she thinks he is. It's not moot how she never figures out that he is in fact one of the richest men in the country, who moves around with a sleek fleet of black Band Mercs, accompanied by a platoon of assistants and security guards. When she is killed by a gang of child smugglers, the smart Van Heusen dressed businessman suddenly develops eight pack abs, gets a football haircut, learns to growl and snarl, and having lost his memory (he can't remember anything beyond 15 mins), learns to live with a set of photos and notes, and tatoos, constantly reminding him of his mission - take revenge on Ghajini.

The story has too many flaws. While Memento, with its back and forth narration, beautifully pieced the puzzle for you, Ghajini does none of that. It neither brings out the complexity of his life, except for one short sequence of him trying to find out his own house, nor does it bring out the anguish of a man unable to remember even his own name. There are too many unanswered questions, too many loopholes. The screenplay leaves a lot to be desired, although the camera work and technical brilliance of South Indian film industry will catch your attention, especially in a couple of unhummable songs.

For the actors themselves, well, there's really nothing positive to say! Aamir has a good body, one must admit, but coming as it is after every other actor and actress did it, it does leave a "oh, you too" feeling lingering around. He's a good actor, but frankly, an innovative haircut and some loud growling and screaming isn't a big ask. I would have liked to see more anguish, more mental agony, more basic instincts, more questions for the mind. Asin was billed as the next big thing to hit Bollywood after Deepika - she is a huge disappointment, her over acting and extremely ordinary looks coupled with a disastrous wardrobe, make her very uninteresting and boring. Jiah Khan was great in Nishabd as the Indian Lolita, and she has a couple of interesting moments, but overall, she doesn't make the cut. Ghajini himself is also extremely loud and amateurish, again reminiscent of the B grade action movies of the 80s and early 90s.

If you are a die hard Aamir fan with an avowed will-not-miss-a-single-movie existence, and you are comfortable with scenes of heads being smashed with iron crow bars and blood dripping out from taps inserted in stomachs, go ahead and spend the pretty long 3.15 hours on Ghajini. Frankly, a better idea would be to watch Rab Ne for the 3rd or 4th time.

Oh and yes, do keep your kids away from the movie... trust me on that!

Bangaluru Rocks!

OK, make that, the new Bengaluru Airport rocks! I was in Bangalore today for a NASSCOM Innovation Awards roadshow - in fact, I am blogging from the airport while waiting for boarding to start - and flew in this morning. It's spanky new, clean and spacious, extremely well laid out, has a very upmarket Western feel to it. Very nice. The expressway into the city is also awesome, and you pass these sexy shiny green Meru taxis and red Volvos on the way. Almost so-not-India! Or rather, oh-wow-so-new-India :) Shopping is good, food is awesome too. And what's best - you have free Internet - all you need, is to send a SMS, and key in the password you receive, which gives you free connection for an hour. Need more? Just send one more SMS, that's all!

Another interesting thing was that Jet Airways actually did my online checkin for the return journey too - what's surprising? Well, I am coming back on Kingfisher!

Anyway, chalo, my boarding call is beckoning me... catch you later!

Movie Review: Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

I need to see this movie a few times before I can really review it objectively - happens to me with SRK movies :) But here's my first attempt...

First the story. Surendar Sahni is middle class small town Indian thirty something male personified, his life defined by his work at Punjab Power, in a 4 by 4 cubicle, surrounded by dusty files and a never ringing phone. Fate gets him married to a bubbly, effervescent Taani, who loses her lover and her love in a tragic bus accident on the day of her marriage. While Suri falls in love with Taani at first sight, he knows Taani can never love him. With the help of his saloon-owner friend, Suri changes into a metrosexual Raj, complete with gelled hair, tight jeans and biceps, and spends some very happy moments with Taani learning dancing together for the dance competition. Will Taani finally figure out that the Raj she loves to be with, is also her boring Suri? Will Suri change? Will Tanni ever love him?

SRK is King, and once again, he proves why. And to all his detractors who said he couldn't act, inspite of movies like KANK and Chak De, RNBDJ has some absolutely stunning moments - every move Suri makes, the scene where he realises she won't run away with Raj, the conversation he has with his Suri mannequin are abolute gems. He's looking great too, especially in the medley song sequence.

Anushka makes a great debut - she's sexy, she's sweet, she looks hot in tracks and demure and innocent in her kurtas. She has a beautiful smile, and while she looks a little common at times, her confidence, her attitude and her poise make up for any shortcomings. Overall, a stunner :)

The screenplay and cinematography are excellent, the sets beautiful. I loved the opening sequence which really sets the atmosphere of the small town life Surendar lives. The medley is fun, and Hole Hole and Dance pe Chance really grow on you as you keep listening to them.

The story could have been a little more innovative - it does get a little boring at times, especially in the 2nd hour. And I think a more exciting way to end it would have been to let Suri change a bit into the new Raj - incorporating his "forced" habits... making Taani like him more and more, until one day - the day she sees her Rab in Suri at the Golden Temple - she realises that they are the same! Would have also been a more serious challenge to the King, to play that slowly evolving character...

Anyway, either way, it's a MUST SEE :)

By the way, what was really interesting to see was the variety of the audience for the movie - old and young, kids, rich and high society, middle calss families... King Ka Jadoo doesn't spare anyone! :)