New First Impressions of San Francisco

The last time I came to the US was almost 12 years back, in July 05, and I was curious to see what would have changed. Would there be driverless cars zooming around? Would I see futuristics pods transporting people at the SFO airport, an upgrade from the driverless train that had amazed me the first time I had seen it?

Interestingly, it seemed just the same. Lonely, people-less streets, cars parked by the kerb, lots of vacant lots, and this time, dozens of homeless, jobless people hanging by the sidewalks. Or maybe I just passed through the wrong streets! I didn't really get the feeling that this was the happeningest place in the US, it almost seemed as if a switch had been turned off. If you told me this was debt-ridden & bankrupt Detroit, I would have believed you!

I checked into the Hotel Vertigo, where the famous Hitchcock movie was shot, a quaint place - clean and well maintained, and good value for money (although it doesn't have a restaurant and doesn't serve breakfast). Against my desire, I did fall asleep, wasting a good sunny afternoon, but then after almost no shuteye on the plane, I needed it desperately.

When I woke up, it was 730, and there was heavy, windy rain instead. I took a hot shower, and caught an Uber to Pier 39. The short drive passed through typical San Francisco neighborhoods - steep slopes, cars parked dangerously at right angles to the 45 degree slopes, defying gravity and physics to stay from being toppled sideways! My driver on the ride back to the hotel was a wonderful black lady named Delores who trusted her Ford Fusion to take extremely steep hills, stopping just before the crest at the Stop signs, putting my heart into my mouth, desperately hoping we didnt slide all the way down to the bay!

Pier 39 was quiet, with very little tourists out this late. There was some comicon kinda event though at a local joint, and you could see a lot of bunnies and other "animals" running from their taxis to take cover before their tails got wet!

I spent a few minutes shooting werewolfs with a laser gun in the 7D experience theatre, chomped on some crab and calamari for dinner, and called it a day!

Not too eventful, but hey, it wasn't meant to be so!

Day 1: Mumbai to San Francisco on the Emirates A380

After more than a decade, I am back in the US, a short one week trip. My last trip in Oct got cancelled after my Air India flight from Pune to Delhi developed a snag just before take off, so I was wiser this time, and booked on the Emirates A380 from Mumbai to SFO through Dubai. If there is any problem, there are much better chances of getting accommodated on some other flight, instead of being offered to be bused off to Mumbai!

The aircraft is huge, and no matter how many times you see it, you cant help but wonder how this thing even gets its ass up in the air!

The flight to Dubai was short and sweet, although at the unearthly hour of 4 am, with breakfast served just as I was about to get some shut eye. So I gave up trying to sleep and caught up with A Street Cat Named Bob - in hindsight, not a great decision, because it made me miss dear Whiskey a lot and completely changed my mood!

Even though Emirates has a dedicated terminal in Dubai, and a spanking new one at this, our aircraft couldn't get an aerobridge bay, and taxied for almost 15-20 min after landing to finally find a place to stop, and the bus took another 30 min to get to the terminal! Reminded me of Paris CDG a decade back, when it was quite normal to be driving around the tarmac for 45-60 mins to get around!

A short break and some intense security checks later (I was so sure they'd find some explosive traces on me!), we boarded the next A380 onwards to SFO, on an unbearably long 16 hour flight. I did catch up a couple of movies, and some reading, but OMG, this is one bad flight. Especially since it's on your day time, and then reaches in the early afternoon, and really messes up your body clock and sleep big time.

Interestingly, remember, the shortest path between Dubai and SFO doesnt involve going due West, but instead, it's up North and then down South :) Check this!

Thankfully, time always passes by, and we landed half an hour before schedule, after a relatively uneventful journey. Immigration took 5 min, baggage took another 20, and by 2 pm, I was checked into the famous Hotel Vertigo, and crashed into the bed.

Flying over the Artic

Movie Review: Split

After delivering absolute crackers like The Sixth Sense, M Night Shyamalan has had a string of movies that frequently show up on the worst movies list - but critics are going gaga over his latest - a psycho thriller in which James McAvoy plays a victim of childhood abuse, suffering from dissociative identity disorder with 23 distinct personalities. 

The film opens to a gripping scene in which one of his evil avatars kidnaps three young girls, locking them away in an underground bunker. McAvoy delivers a memorable performance, even though the director never develops, or even exposes more than a handful of the 23 personalities. McAvoy swings effortlessly between the sinister Dennis and the female avatar Patricia, to the kiddo Hedwig and a gay fashion designer Barry, but the movie never really builds up a gripping tempo. The 3 girls are completely wasted. Scenes show promise, but then just like the lethargic girls, die out with a whimper. The premise of a person with 23 completely disconnected personalities (and then add some supernatural stuff to it) opens up so many interesting possibilities in screenplay and story - and it was disappointing that the film meanders towards a predictable end. 

Unlike most of Shyamalan's movies, the end is predictable, and the "twist" when it comes, is more like a squirm in your seat, almost as if you are willing your body to react, so you justify sitting through until the credits begin to roll..

Movie Review: Rangoon

Set in the 40s, towards the end of the second world war, Rangoon is a love triangle between a married rich producer Russi Billimoria (Saif Ail Khan), the heart throb of the nation, the daredevil actress Julia (Kangana Ranaut) and Jamadar Nawab Malik (Shahid Kapoor), a braveheart in the British Army fighting against the invading Japanese. When the British convince Russi to send his paramour Julia to the Indo-Burma border to regale the troops, Jamadar Malik is assigned as her body guard. War is no hurdle to a passionate romance, and Jamadar Malik falls madly in love with the free spirited Julia, who finds in him a release from Russi's possessive, protective nature (he calls her his "kiddo", treating her as his expensive toy, albeit always with love and respect). But Julia finds out that Malik is a spy - he works for Bose's INA, and is tasked with spiriting out an expensive, exquisite sword to fund the INA's war effort. Will he win over Julia, or will she turn him over to Russi and the British? Or will there be another twist in this wartime romance saga?

Rangoon scores a perfect 10 on cinematography and set design. The locales are absolutely stunning, and the grim war scenes have been shot at a quality rarely seen in Bollywood. Even the lighting is spot on. My favorites are the plane attack on the river, and the mud fight between Shahid and Kangana.

Saif is dependable as Russi Billimoria, a dangerous streak always underlying, but never really surfacing. Shahid is also restrained and sincere. But Kangana absolutely hits it out of the park with a performance that's sexy, childishly innocent, free spirited, and very lovable. This is one Bollywood actor that never fails to wow!

However, the film lacks the razor edge that would have made this an extraordinary movie. While the first half sets up the stage beautifully, the story meanders post the interval - and the screenplay takes a major hit too. Even the liplocks between Shahid and Kangana lack chemistry and feels very superficial. The movie is peppered with songs that do not add too much value to the narrative, although "Yeh Ishq Hai" is very soulful! The climax, when it finally arrives, is dragged on forever, and could have been easily snipped nice and short to leave audiences desperate for more, instead of relieved that it's finally over!

A little less indulgence, and Rangoon would have been a “Bloody hell’ of a movie!

ps: Do not miss the wonderful rendition of Azad Hind's anthem, a beautiful version of the Indian national anthem!

Movie Review: The Ghazi Attack

On the sidelines of the much written about 1971 war, another intense battle was fought in the deep, murky waters of the Bay of Bengal - between the dreaded Pakistani submarine, the PNS Ghazi, and an Indian submarine, the S-21. Tasked to take out the INS Vikrant, which was proving to be impossible to tackle for the Pakistanis seeking to send supplies for its army in the East, the Ghazi runs into the S-21, sent on a recce mission with clear orders not to engage. With radio communication down, and the sub severely crippled by a cunningly placed mine, the sub's brave crew will need nothing short of a miracle to come on top in a deadly game of cat and mouse!

In shots and sequences reminiscent of that other wonderful sub movie "The Hunt For Red October", The Ghazi Attack scores the full monty on the screenplay in the cramped, really authentic-looking interiors of a 70s sub, and the maneuvers as the two commanders pitch their experience and skill against each other. The performances, led by Kay Kay Menon, Rana Daggubati and Atul Kulkarni as the S-21's officers, are honest and restrained, and Taapsee, in a tiny, special appearance, adds just the wee bit of color to the drab interiors of S-21. The only let down are the pot-bellied officers of the Southern Naval Command (notably Om Puri in a distinctly uncomfortable role) and the unshaven, unkempt, disheveled crew of the S-21, more likely to be found in fishy fishing boats fishing for fishy stuff in enemy waters!

To the credit of the SFX and camera team, most of the sequences underwater look authentic, although a couple of Titanisque shots could have been done much better. The movie has not one, but two renditions of the national anthem, and the Supreme Court ruling allowing citizens not to stand up for the anthem if it is part of a movie will seem to have come at just the right time for many!

Like the longest disclaimer in the history of movie-making claims at the beginning, the movie is a fictionalized version of the events, and the real truth may never be known. This was a classified mission, and the Pakistanis claimed the Ghazi sunk due to an explosion on board. But that shouldn't deter you from raising a toast to the brave soldiers of the Indian Navy! 

Movie Review: Kaabil

Rohan and Supriya are blind, but that doesn't stop them from dreaming of a beautiful life together. A couple of dates later, Rohan slips a ring on her finger. Life is perfect. 

Not for long, though. The local corporator's younger brother takes a fancy to Su, and he isn't one to be denied! Repeatedly raped and humiliated, she finally caves in, and the sold out cops leave Rohan with only one choice -to fight for justice on his own terms. 

The first half is pacy, even though some of the scenes are a little over done - like the mall sequence, which is amateurish in screenplay. Hrithik and Yami do have an absolute cracker of a dance number together, beautifully executed! Their romance is sweet, although you always know it's not gonna last very long.

The movie takes off in the second half - the story does grab your attention, although, to be honest, there is nothing that will come as a surprise or a shock - if you pay attention to the screenplay, you can predict what's coming up at least 15 min earlier!

The highlight of the film is Hrithik’s performance, and in my opinion, his best to date by a mile. He is especially effective in the second half - not too many theatrics, not too much of the goody goody stuff - and in most scenes, he actually looks human. Yami looks great, and complements him well. Ronit Roy is great as the badass corporator, although Rohit Roy as his younger brother is wasted.

The sound track is just about passable. The remixed Saara Zamana and Dil Kya Karen are pale and eminently forgettable. The item number needs to be snipped out!

Overall, a mixed bag - and yes, don't take your kids! 

Movie Review: Raees

Raees is set in a small border town in Gujarat, where our anti-hero runs a massive empire built on the illegal alcohol trade, and his cat and mouse game with a dogged police officer, ACP Majmudar, forms the crux of the movie. Koi dhanda chota nahi hota, aur dhande se bada koi dharam nahi hota, is the motto our Raees lives by. His run in with the law starts at a very young age, when he steals a pair of spectacles from a Gandhiji statue - the specs also earn him the nickname "Battery", which is the one thing that riles him no end. A gracious Robinhood to his people, he has one other motto - no hurting the innocent. But a betrayal leads to a deadly mistake, and Raees has to face not just the wrath of the police, but his own conscience.

Here's why Raees makes it to one of my favorite SRK movies...

1) The King Khan is at his best - the kaajal, the pathani outfits, the beard, the bloodshot eyes, the voice - the perfect anti-hero you know is in the wrong, and yet, you can't help root for him as he fights an increasingly lonely battle. No hamming, no outstretched hands, just heart-stopping action. Watch out for the scene where he slams down the phone - and tell me you didn't get the chill. His entry is also powerful and memorable, maybe the only better one was Don 2!

2) A great sound track, that beautifully complements the screenplay, pumping your adrenaline! Sunny Leone's execution of Laila is another amazing sequence, providing the perfect backdrop to a crescendo of violence.

3) The ever-so-dependable Nawazuddin Siddiqui as the determined cop delivers a memorable performance, with just the right sprinkling of humor.

4) The art department does a great job - delivering great locales, beautiful sets, and amazing props that add so much to the authenticity and visual impact.

5) True, hard core, gritty action - not the Shetty-style physics-defying style. Raw violence. Be warned, the sequence in the meat market might just be a little too much to stomach for the vegeterians!

6) And probably, most of all, the dialogues - lines that generate hoots and claps from the audience well into the almost 150 minute running time of this action thriller.

The only weakness of the movie is the female lead, our neighbor from West, Mahira Khan, who frankly, is a let down, in looks as well as in the acting department.

After Dear Zindagi, Raees completes the transformation of SRK from the badshah of chocolate romance to the mature, oh-so-desirable George Clooney of Bollywood, and this can only be great news for the fans!

Don't miss it - but ditch the lounge for this one! This one is for watching with the masses!

Republic Day

26th Jan is India's Republic Day, and the grand parade on Rajpath in New Delhi is a much awaited event in the year! This year, too, was no different.

Millions of Indians watched the proceedings on TV, along with thousands of excited Delhites lining the parade route, in the august presence of the 3 service chiefs, PM, President and the Chief Guest, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Many of our bravehearts, from the armed forces, as well as children, who defied odds and put everything at stake, including their lives, were honored. Beautiful tableaus depicted the rich cultural heritage, innovative govt schemes, and the might of the Indian armed forces, while impressive contingents in beautiful uniforms displayed determination and discipline, and grace. The Shwet Ashwa motorcycle daredevils of the military police were truly astounding. A wonderful fly past wrapped up the proceedings.

But for me, the most impressive contingent was the NSG, the elite black cat commandos of the Indian Army - absolutely swooning over them, still!

If you missed the parade, here is the link to the full HD coverage of the parade by our very own Doordarshan!

Movie Review: XXX: Return of Xander Cage

XXX is still in action - stealing transponders for cable TV sets and hurtling down mountainside jungles in skis and skateboards, in an exotic land of hot women and football. However, when a "Pandora's Box" that looks like a cable set top box and can send any satellite on a collision course towards Earth in 2 clicks, turning it into an assassin, is stolen, XXX needs to get his act together to save the world, with a team that includes a sniper and, hold your breath, a DJ.

With our very own Deepika Padukone playing the kickass, no nonsense love interest for the much loved Vin Diesel, XXX did raise a lot of interest before its release. Sadly,a juvenile non-existent plot, mostly bland seen-it-before action, and average dialogues makes this a movie you can safely cross off your bucket list. 

After Anil Kapoor's much-acclaimed "performance" in Slumdog, PC looked like she was running away with the title of self-proclaimed Hollywood killer in the country. And I guess that title remains her's. Deepika gets barely a few minutes on screen, and doesn't have much to do other than making intense faces while she shoots and kicks her way through the bad men, and mouths some long winded, meant-to-be-serious-as-hell dialogues, in her uncomfortable Indian accent, over shadowed by the other two women in the movie - one through her cuteness, the other through her stunts.

Avoidable. 

Movie Review: Dangal

Dangal was a great way to cap my movie going experience for 2016... the heartwarming story of 2 young girls from the dusty plains of Haryana on their quest for sporting glory for India. Under the almost-fanatical coaching of their father, a wrestler himself, Geeta and Babita Phogat break countless stereotypes and traditions along the way - from fighting with boys in the arena, they steadily prove their worth at the state level, then at the nationals, finally fulfilling their father's dream when Geeta wins gold at the Commonwealth games in Delhi.

The star of the movie was undoubtedly the very smart and talented Fatima Sana Shaikh, who pulled off the wrestling scenes effortlessly and beautifully; and I am sure Geeta would have been proud! Fatima is ably supported by the other girls, Sanya Malhotra (Babita), Zaira Wasim (the extremely cute young Geeta) and Suhani Bhatnagar (young Babita), as well as Ritwik Sahore (young Omkar). Aamir gets my huge appreciation for his commitment to the project, putting on dozens of kilos for his role as the older Mahavir, and the transformation from the muscled younger Mahavir is jaw dropping! The rest of the cast - Girish Kulkarni as the coach, Aparshakti Khurana as Omkar and Sakshi Tanwar as Mahavir's wife, is also spot on.

The best part of the movie? The wrestling scenes. Shot beautifully, executed perfectly, with a great sound track, and adequate technical background, it never fails to grab your undivided attention. And when Geeta wins the CWG gold and the national anthem plays in the stadium, it's beautiful to experience how the audience in the theater spontaneously stands up in respect to the flag. Something you cannot miss, so go watch the movie only in the theatres!

There are quite a few beautifully rendered songs too, and they stay with you long after the movie ends. Gilehriyaan (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RunYl3Q0SYI) is definitely my favorite, but there are other gems too - and they go extremely well with the visuals! Haanikarak Bapu is a lot of fun and Dhakkad will inspire millions of girls!

That said, the movie does raise a couple of uncomfortable questions. (Warning - story spoilers coming up)

For one, for a movie that is almost a biopic on Geeta and Babita (irrespective of the disclaimer at the beginning of the movie), there are far too many liberties taken on authenticity. The CWG gold wasn't Geeta's first international gold. The entire incident of the father being locked out by the coach is fictional. Even the final match itself was an easy peasy win for Geeta, not the edge of the seat thriller it is made out to be. I believe you should make honest movies, or entertaining movies, but Dangal takes too many liberties with truth, in the process probably hurting a lot of people (like Geeta's real life coach!).

The second question has nothing to do with the movie, but with the situation Geeta and Babita found themselves in (as characters in the fictional movie, or in reality if it was true). It is true that their father dreamed bigger things for them, in a time and land where girls were married off as soon as they hit puberty. However, one begs the question - would he have done the same if he had a son? Was he not selfish to pursue his own dream of gold through his daughters, never giving them a choice in the matter? Was it fair to make them fight wrestling, a very intimate contact sport, with boys? What if one of them wanted to be a doctor, or pursue any other sport? If they hadn't gone on to be successful on national/international stage, would we still hold Mahavir in such high esteem? What message does it send to millions of Indian parents? That it's OK to use your children to pursue your dreams? That they don't have a choice in the matter?

Important questions, but an excellent movie nevertheless. Do watch it, in the theaters!

The Year Gone By for India

For most of the 125 crore Indians, 2016 can probably be summarized by one word: demonetization. In one swift stroke, Narendra Modi took on the corrupt, black money, terror funding, and fake currency by withdrawing 500 and 1000 Rs notes in an operation that took everyone, including his own cabinet by surprise. ATMs ran dry, and for almost 2 months, citizens lined up outside banks and ATMs, to deposit old notes and try and get hands on the precious new currency.

It's a huge boost to digital payments, and will bring lakhs of crores into the formal banking system. It will increase tax compliance, bring down interest rates, and give the country a far truer picture of the economy, allowing the government to spend more on social security and infrastructure, while giving sops to the honest tax payers.

Yes, it created a lot of disruption, and will impact the economy for a little while, but when you have cancer, chemo is necessary, and it hurts! And in his new year eve speech, the PM rolled out a slew of measures to provide much needed balm to the poor, the farmers, the senior citizens, and to women. We do hope that the budget continues to bring cheer to the honest and the hard working, while further tightening the screws on the corrupt.

But before demonetization took over the country, Narendra Modi delivered another reason to cheer and feel proud to be Indian. In response to the ghastly Uri attack, the Indian Army delivered a stunning counter blow to terror sponsorship and support by Pakistan, in a surgical strike deep inside Pakistani territory, a move with known precedent. Calling Pakistan's nuclear bluff, the government and the army made it clear that Gandhiji's mantra of offering the other cheek would no longer be the operating philosophy, and the country would strike back and strike back hard. Thankfully, while the world grappled with terror attacks, especially in Europe, India remained relatively peaceful.

It was a good year for sports. Virat and Dhoni let India to glory on the field of cricket, while new stars were born - from PV Sindhu's badminton exploits to Sakshi and Dipa Karmakar's Olympic medals in wrestling and gymnastics, Indians have a lot to cheer about! Football is also picking up very well in the country, with the ISL providing excellent exposure and opportunities to some very talent youngsters. Hockey is on a good rebound, and both the men's and women's teams have had great success. As with everything else, it's the confidence and spirit that matters, and over the last couple of years, Indians have discovered it in plenty!

Thankfully, dirty politics, while still very much in play, is proving to be ineffective in swaying the voters. From the intolerance award wapasi tamasha, to the JNU student agitations, from stone pelting in Kashmir to Dalit atrocities and cow slaughter controversies, and even to aspersions being cast on the Indian Armed Forces, a lot of attempts have been made to destroy the fabric of the country. The media has been used to spread falsities and mislead the people. Social media has seen better days. However, if recent polls are anything to go by, the Indian voter has woken up and while caste and religion will never completely die, parties and leaders that focus on aspirations, development and growth are being consistently rewarded at the hustings. And that can only mean good news.

Meanwhile, the Smart City initiative is taking off in earnest. Along with Swacchh Bharat, Make in India, Skill India and Digital India campaigns of the government, cities are focusing on better lives through technology and sustainable development. Public transport, garbage management, solar/green power, pedestrianization, digital citizen engagement - a multi-pronged strategy is in place to improve livability and transparency in our cities, and with Indian jugaad, government commitment and the hard work of our officers, good days are ahead!

2017 brings high hopes - we should have an interesting budget, Trump will make life interesting, and all the seeds of the initiatives sown in the last 30 months should start sprouting results! It's gonna be a great ride!

Resolutions for 2017

Another eventful year has gone by, and it's time to start on a clean slate in many ways (unless you are in finance in India, and still have a quarter to go :))

While I am not a big fan of making and keeping resolutions, a new year does give the chance to revisit your priorities and life decisions, and try and make some positive changes. Here are a few of the things on my bucket list for 2017:

1) Further commit to positivity and reduce negativity, especially on social media: while 2016 saw me cut down significantly on criticism, especially when you have such irresistible candidates like RaGa and Kejri and the entire CON clan, I'd like to desist from engaging with such issues, and instead focus on the positives, much like The Better India initiative, which has been really beautiful! Similarly, just read this wonderful thread on Twitter by a Canadian astronaut, Commander Chris Hadfield (@cmdr_hadfield), listing out so many positive things about the year gone by. I'd like to do more of that!

2) Digital detox - something I have been conscious of, but really haven't tried too hard, is to reduce my digital life and get back to a real world. Being off Facebook certainly helps, and I am sensitive to real experiences and relationships versus virtual ones, but I need to stop sleeping with the phone. I want to keep the phone off when I am in meetings, whether professional ones, or with friends and family. I want to wake up and smell the coffee and play with the cat before I bury myself in email and Whatsapp. I want to read more, I want to walk, I want to enjoy my DSLR, I want to play with cats, I want to travel, and experience life, with sights and smells and touch, and not just bits and bytes.

3) REDUCE HONKING. I normally don't honk much, but I do get irritated when people break rules or act like asses on the road, and that should be no excuse for putting other citizens and animals at the mercy of my hoots!

4) Take care of my health. 2016 gave me a lot of days in hospital nursing my kidney stone, and I want to pay a lot more attention to what my body needs. More exercise (evening walks, and maybe I can convert them to morning jogs sometime in the year!), sleep early, get some sun, reduce sugar and milk and oil, and generally stay fit! Switching to books and sleeping early instead of watching endless TV through the night should be a great way to start!

5) Get cracking on a couple of projects I have in mind for a long time now. I can't say more here, but if you know me, I am sure you know what I am talking about!

and finally,

6) Cut down on Whatsapp broadcasts and groups. Whatsapp is just a vehicle, but the intention is to get serious about cutting down on giving unsolicited advice, and sharing information with those who really don't care for it! Those who care to will always know where to connect and engage with me! The rest deserve their peace :)

Here's wishing everyone a fantastic new year 2017!

Movie Review: Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk

Private Billy Lynn is a 19 year old American hero, back home from a deadly stint in Afghanistan, for a short victory tour along with fellow soldiers from the Bravo company. Drafted in to participate in the halftime show at a Thanksgiving Day football game for some PR, Billy's thoughts become our gateway to discover what it really is like to be fighting a war, contrasting the realities with public perception, giving a fascinating peek into what lies beneath. 

Moving back and forth between the traumatic experiences on the frontlines and back alleys of Afghanistan to the razzle dazzle of the halftime show, from the cowering residents during raids in Afghan homes to the families back in America, the film takes you back and forth, blurring the lines between reality and perception, until you start asking, what's more terrifying?

Joe Alwyn as Billy does a good job, sharing great chemistry with his mentor (Vin Diesel, who initiates him into Karma and Krishna!) and his commander (Garett Hedlund). Kristen Stewart excels at playing the very sick (recovering from a very bad accident and break up) Kathryn, his sister, who pleads with him not to return to duty. Steve Martin and Chris Tucker are also memorable in short but well essayed roles as media men seeking to do a movie on the Bravo company. Makenzie Leigh, as Billy's one-hour-long cheerleader-lover, sizzles the screen and more than makes up for Kristen.
The film is a technical marvel, directed by Ang Lee, who lists Life of Pi and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon among his other brilliant works. Shot in 3D with a 4K resolution, at a speed of 120 frames per second, 5x the normal, the movie should be a visual treat. Sadly, very few theatres in the world, leave alone in India, will be able to make the most of this format in the near future. That said, the immersive presentation coupled with Destiny's Child's "Soldier" at the halftime show, is enough to give you goosebumps and a racing pulse, and make you want more, even when the credits roll 2 hours later...

Definitely worth a trip to the multiplex, but watch it in the best one you can get into!

Black and Whites - Old Goan Houses!

Caesar

Our grand old Caesar, all of 95 years old!

Old Goan Homes

Brought up in this amazing old Goan home, you can imagine how tough it was for me to shift to a hotel room that measured barely 8 ft x 5 ft during my IIT Bombay days! :)

The Old Charms of Panaji, Goa

Spent an evening walking through the beautiful heritage burrough of Mala Fontainhas in Panaji last week, looking through my 10-18 lens, as a tourist might do - taking time to stand and stare. Old Portuguese architecture, some well maintained, other recently renovated buildings adorn both sides of tiny but uncongested lanes. Here are some pics, including those taken in other parts of the city as well.

Movie Review: Doctor Strange

I am not an Avengers fan, I don't partake (at least in an intelligent fashion) in the Marvel vs Disney arguments, I didn't even know until recently that you gotta sit through the entire end credits roll to get a peek into the next big Marvel. And Doctor Strange isn't even a real superhero (all he does is dash in and out of time and space warps, and outta his physical body). But I loved the movie!

When an extremely talented neurosurgeon crashes his car, smashing the nerves on his delicate fingers and with that, his blossoming career, he turns to the psychic world to master his body, mind and spirit. And ends up getting sucked into a fight for Mother Earth against the dark forces in the Universe, bent on sucking life out of the world as we know it into a timeless, endless vortex. Etc etc. Yes, we have heard that before.

What's stunning though, is the SFX, especially if you can catch it in IMAX 3D. When you think you have seen it all before, Marvel comes up with a fascinating rendition of warped time and spaces, and such high fidelity psychedelic graphics, that nothing else really matters - just sink back into your comfortable lounge seats and let your eyes go wide with wonder. The accident is also extremely well shot, as are a couple of panoramic shots of Kathmandu and the surrounding mountains.

An excellent performance by Doctor "Sherlock" Strange, and the extremely cute Rachel McAdams, keeps you engrossed throughout the running time, with more than a couple of good laughs. The best part is that the end game comes quick and fast, unlike many similar super hero/sci fi movies that seem to drag on and on in a blur of SFX overdose!

Do check out this Strange movie, and in IMAX 3D if you can find one in your city!

Movie Review: Ae Dil Hai Mushkil

I didn't want to watch this movie. Nothing to do with Fawad (I actually loved him in Kapoor and Sons!), but really because I got turned off by the entire controversy, dragging the army into it, and the eventual capitulation by the producers, which was such a shame. Then I thought, heck, what and who am I taking a stand against anyway? It's just a movie. The politicians will play their part, especially with elections around the corner.

Or maybe because I've never been a great fan of Ranbir, or of Aishwarya. But then Anushka Sharma (never been my favorite, but I have to admit, she's done some fantastic roles lately in NH10, DDD) was a plus, and when SRK has a cameo, how could I say no, really?

Sometimes in life, you do make mistakes. Maybe, this was one of them.

To be honest, the first half was actually OK. Quite pacy, and enjoyable, if you keep low expectations from everyone. The second half is all downhill into a deep crevice from where there is no coming back. A muddled storyline, insipid dialogues, and a very predictable and stretched ending makes this a very mushkil watch as the minutes drag on.

On the plus side, some of the numbers are beautiful and will stay on my play list for a very long time. SRK mouths some memorable dialogues in the 3 min he is on screen, Lisa Haydon is sexy and funny, and Fawad simply takes your breath away. Anushka is dependable, for most part. Ranbir is also tolerable, for most part. Aishwarya looks good, sometimes (especially when she is the model instead of the actress).

Oh, and there are a bunch of other cameos too. I think I saw Alia in one shot!

Now that Diwali is over, maybe ADHM isn't such a bad idea.

Movie Review: Shivaay

This is one movie I had really high hopes about - maybe because at some subconscious level, I thought it might be an adaptation of one of Amish Tripathi's novels, or at least borrow some ideas from! The awesome action seen in the trailer only served to heighten those expectations.

The movie opens to a great sequence, the cinematography, the locale and the background score creating a sense of purpose and direction that's hard to buy into. Sadly, just like the protagonist (Ajay Devgan) nosediving down the steep cliffs, the movie goes just one way - downhill - from there on.

In spite of some great action shots and wonderful locales and the breathtaking cinematography, the movie is done in by stretched sequences of uncalled for emotional drama that completely upsets the pace and the narrative, dialogues that are unintentionally funny where they should be taut, and insipid direction and editing, where a good cut of the scissor could have made this a movie Jason Bourne could have been proud of. Entire scenes could have been snipped out and no one would have missed a thing!

Ajay Devgan the actor is let down by Ajay Devgan the director. The two imports, Erika Kaar (Ajay's love interest) and Abigail Eames (his daughter) are decent, except when Erika mouths the overly accented Hindi dialogues. Thankfully, Abigail is verbally challenged and doesn't have to go through the torture. Vir Das, Girish Karnad and Saurabh Shukla are completely wasted, which is such a shame. And the tub scene being the highlight of Sayesha Saigal's debut, it does her no favors.

News is that the directors have obliged distributors and cut off a good 10-15 mins - and that might just make Shivaay a lot more tolerable. From me, 2.5 stars out of 5, the negative marking not so much for what's missing, but what should have never been there in the first place!