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Rain Man

2010-06-10T08:40:00.000-07:00

Rain Man is a 1988 Hollywood comedy-drama starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise in lead roles. Despite being a couple of decades old, even today the movie hasn’t lost its appeal and appears to be as fresh as the morning dew. The context and the theme is such that one can easily relate to it even in the present day and I dare say even in the future days to come.

Charlie Babbitt (Cruise) is a rash and selfish young man, and a car dealer who doesn’t hesitate being unscrupulous. When he hears of his multi-millionaire and estranged father’s death, he rushes to Cincinnati to settle the inheritance and is only too shocked to discover that the major part of the estate has gone to an institution and he was left only with a car. Some investigation reveals that the he has an autistic older brother, Raymond (Hoffman) hitherto unknown to him, who lives in the institution which received his father’s estate. Determined to get his fair share Charlie embarks on a journey which begins with abducting the brother with an intention of claiming his share. This cross-country journey in their car is nothing short of a revelation and a beginning of a bonding between the brothers. Raymond, though devoid of any apparent display of emotions, has a razor sharp brain, capable of doing complex mathematical calculations and a memory that could recollect stacks of statistical data. Charlie’s selfish streak shows up when he is seen making use of his brother’s extraordinary capabilities, in casinos to make piles of money. But what is moving in the story is the change of heart that Charlie gradually has. Raymond is afraid of changes and follows a repetitive routine in his daily life, which exasperates Charlie. From being annoyed with this, Charlie slowly begins to understand his brother and even grows to become protective and begins to love him. It really touches you, when Charlie realizes that he does vaguely remember the memories of his old brother when he was a child. He had an imaginary playmate and friend all through his childhood whom he called ‘Rain Man’, only to realize now that it was no one else but his own brother ‘Raymond’. And the revelation as to why the brother was sent away to an institution also changes Charlie for the better.

The exploration of fraternal ties and emotional bonds between two brothers has been amazingly and touchingly portrayed. Charlie’s change of heart and character is what probably their father wanted when he left Charlie with nothing from the estate but a car. Watch this movie on a lazy weekend and enjoy the emotional and enjoyable journey that this multiple Oscar winning movie takes you on!

Köln Carnival

2009-12-14T04:47:00.000-08:00

Did you know that Eau de Cologne or just Cologne originated from Cologne, Germany? Well, I didn't know until we actually visited Cologne! Cologne had been on the cards for some time, but we decided to postpone it until the carnival week which started sometime towards the end of February. The Karneval is supposed to be the German version of Mardi Gras, and a chance for people to party wildly! Situated on the river Rhein, Cologne is the fourth-largest city in Germany in terms of inhabitants after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich.

We arrived in Köln on a wet Sunday noon. Just before the train pulled into the central railway station we crossed the river Rhein, and across the river we were greeted by the sight of the magnificent Köln Cathedral towering high above. It almost took our breath away. On alighting from the train we were came across huge crowds of people dressed up in costumes! We too had brought some props - devil's horns, pirate hats etc. But our preparation looked miniscule before the riot of colours that lay before us!

We got out of the station, and decided to take a peek into the Kölner Dom - the cathedral which we saw from the train. It was an awesome piece of architecture! Its towering height, and beautifully carved interiors captivated us. The peace and calm that prevailed inside the cathedral was soothing. Next we picked up some maps from the tourist information center. Because of the carnival most of the places of tourist interest like the museums were closed.

We walked around in the city, looking at people dressed as flowers, butterflies, superman, fairies and even ghosts! We walked toward the bridge to take a closer look at the river. It got windy near the river side but the skyline looked really beautiful. Coming back towards the city we decided to take our places before the processions began. It was beginning to get crowded with more and more people pouring in. We also bought some Pommes Frites (French fries) to feed our hungry selves! We perched atop some seats placed higher up on some temporarily created covered platforms on either side of the road. There began our wait for that day's parade - which was supposed to be the school children's procession.

It was the most in terms of variety and combination of colours that I had ever seem. Groups of children, accompanied by adults were dressed up in costumes and carried floats depicting a variety of themes. The atmosphere was vibrant, with the colourful exhbits, and people in the parade throwing chocolates and other little items to the people sitting on either side. We were so high up that we barely managed to get a few toffees. Children sitting closer to the road carried away bag loads of chocolates and other gifts!

After a couple of hours, with the procession still going on, we decided to stretch our legs and explore a little bit more of the carnival city. We were a group of 3 girls and 3 guys and the girls seemed to be more enthusiatic about trying out new things :) One such thing was the Kölsch beer which we had heard much about. In the crowds the guys somehow managed to get lost and we 3 girls merrily headed toward one such stall with served the Kölsch beer. I was told that it wasn't as bitter as the normal beer, but somehow couldn't agree! The huge mug that each one of us got was too much, so had to pour away a quite a bit into the drainage :( We also managed to locate a souvenir shop and I got myself the famed Eau de Cologne from Cologne!

Time was up, and we started getting calls from the guys asking us where we were! Well, they had already reached the station and were waiting for us. So deciding not to cause anymore grief to them we headed back to the station and boarded our train back to Frankfurt!

Heidelberg calls...

2009-12-11T02:42:00.000-08:00

Having arrived in Frankfurt in the middle of the one of its coldest and snowy winters, there wasn't much hope of successfully accomplishing any travels immediately. Every weekend we would check weather conditions, and drop any plans that we would mentally have of going out anywhere! But, thanks to AVK, who visited Frankfurt all the way from London just for a weekend, we finally decided, enough! Now we have to plan something, atleast for someone who is coming all the way from London through Paris by train(having missed his direct flight from London!) and hence would make it to Frankfurt only on Saturday evening! So it was decided... Heidelberg it would be on Sunday, the 1st of Feb 2009!

We were a group of 5 which ensured the maximum utilization of the Schönes Wochenende Ticket ('Happy Weekend Ticket') that we bought. Early on Sunday morning, we climbed into one of the Deutsche Bahn's regional trains (RE and RB) and took a one and half hour ride to reach Heidelberg. How chilly it was! To add to our misery it was raining when we arrived... Despite all odds we braved our way out of the railway station to look for a map or some kind of a guide to help us explore the little castle city.

Soon we realized that it being a Sunday, the tourist information office outside the station was closed! So we just a bought a group ticket for the local transport and studied the huge city map outside and headed into the city. We decided to walk since it was quite picturesque and we had heard that the castle was within walking distance. We passed by a lot of amazing architecture and through the old town with narrow lanes and small buidings. Finally we came by to somewhere near the base of the hill (Königstuhl) on which the castle was built. It was such a steep climb all the way up to the castle, but we enjoyed it - clicking pictures on the way and stopping for short snack breaks. Once up there we bought the entry tickets and began exploring this 'fortress'. The view from high above was breath-taking. No photograph could capture what we were experiencing from up there. The old city, the river Neckar on which the city lay, the bridge across the river, all were a feast to our eyes. It was getting chilly up there so we decided to come down after buying some souvenirs. On our way back we visited an old church and also took some pictures in the town square. Next on our list was Alte Brücke (old bridge) and Brückentor (Bridge gate). As we came closer to the river, it began to get windy and all of us were dying to get back into the comforts of some warmth! But our attention was captured by the 'Heidelberg Monkey' which was a brass monkey with the face like a mask through which we could put our heads in and pose for photographs! One by one, all of us took turns to get our photos clicked :) As we crossed the bridge we took more photos, admiring the natural beauty, but also simultaneously deciding to get into a tram or a bus for some warmth! So we did, and took a ride through the entire city, crossing the river a couple of times! Then it was time to head back to the station with darkness almost about to descend!

At the station AVK treated all of us to butter pretzel which was one of the most amazing snacks that we had ever had. Back in Frankfurt all of us were really tired and headed almost straight to bed having spent a really worthwhile day!

Us: Poonam, Sudha, Nishit, Karthik (AVK) and Sukanya

Celebrating the spirit of India in Frankfurt – Durga Puja 2009

2009-10-16T07:49:00.000-07:00

If there is a place where there are grandiose festive celebrations, idols larger than life, dance and music, then it must be India! But far far away from India, in the country of Germany, festive spirits are kept alive by the bunch of the Indian community present.

Durga Puja – the biggest and grandest festival in Bengal - was brought to life this year like the past 26 years, by the Rhein-Main Bengali Cultural Association of Frankfurt at Saalbau Gutleut. A beautifully decorated idol of Goddess Durga along with her children Saraswati, Lakshmi, Ganesh and Kartik were placed on platform for worhip. The scale was miniscule when compared to that in India, particularly Bengal, nevertheless the effort put up was by any means Herculean which culminated in a spectacular show.

It was mix of crowds that the occasion presented, with not only Bengalees, but people from various Indian communities and also some Germans who participated. Men, women and children dressed in colourful traditional attire bowed before the Goddess to take her blessings. Everyone was invited to join in the celebrations of this autumn festival.

The first day of the Puja was MahaShashthi which began which the Shashthipuja followed by devotional songs invoking the Goddess Durga. The next three days were the main days of worship –MahaShaptami, MahaAshtami and MahaNavami. Each day began with the worship of the Goddess and then Pushpanjali (offering flowers to the deity). Every evening saw enchanting cultural programmes like classical and modern dance, music, plays etc. performed by the members or by troupes who came from India. Not to forget the delicious food that was served everyday cooked by the members themselves! The celebrations ended with the MahaDashami puja and the immersion of the idol with all the devotees praying to Maa Durga to pay her visit very soon next year.

Mesmerizing it was to see an Indian festival come to life miles away from India. The spirit of India is carried almost anywhere, where a few Indians get to meet, could we ever doubt that?

Long time...

2009-09-17T06:20:00.000-07:00

It's been really long since I last wrote anything. I wouldn't be too wrong if I said that I was very busy. Yes, busy with work and travel. Travelled around, visting picture-perfect places about which I hope to write sometime soon. But for the time-being I have a photo of the night view of Frankfurt am Main, where I am residing at the moment, pasted in here.

Fashion

2008-11-02T07:30:00.000-08:00

This was one movie that I had been waiting for quite some time now, and it certainly didn't disappoint me. It is also a film which saves Priyanka Chopra after a series of flops that she's had this year, and she's back with a bang. It's an all out female dominated film and the men are required for all the supporting characters. Madhur Bhandarkar true to his image of making 'realistic' films lives upto his reputation. It certainly won't come as a surprise if this film or the lead actor wins a National Award!
The movie traces the journey of an aspiring model (Priyanka) from a small town (Chandigarh) and her struggle to the top, her inability to handle success leading to arrogant behaviour and then to her fall and finally her rise back to being a supermodel. Through this journey Madhur shows the world of gay designers, the marriage of convenience between one such rich guy with a model (Mugdha), hints of casting couch, tranformation in attitide of models, and how they take up to drinking, smoking and doing drugs trying to cope up with the stress. Kangana plays an established model who is unable to cope up with the pressures - drinks, smokes and does drugs and finally succumbs. The newcomer Mugdha Godse has done pretty well for her first film in the role of a sensible and rooted model though not very successful one. The movie shows us the not so glamorous side of the fashion industry, the struggle and sacrifice and compromises involved behind all the glitz and glam. Priyanka and Kangana have displayed amazing acting skills (Kangana seems to playing similar roles of drinking-smoking-lost in life woman in all her movies) and I am quite sure this is one of their career deifining movies. Goes without saying it is a must watch!

Mumbai Meri Jaan

2008-09-02T07:26:00.000-07:00

Mumbai Meri Jaan is a movie based on the serial train blasts in July 2006 in Mumbai. The films depicts the never-say-die attitude of the Mumbaikars even in the face of the most testing situations. Slices from the lives of 5 characters post the blasts are interwoven in this movie. The acting of each and every character is superb and at par with the superior script and direction. The story has been handled with utmost sensitivity digging deep into the various facets of human emotions which is bound to move you and leave you moist-eyed in the end. It effectively brings out how the same disaster can mean different things to different people depending on which side you stand - a victim or a mute observer. Over all it's a must watch movie and a meaningful one too in these times.

Singh in Kinng

2008-08-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

One of the blockbusters of this year with a record collection of Rs 18 Cr in the weekend of its realease. Well, but honestly this movie made no sense to me, since if I am asked I really won't be able to describe the story. The movie has its comical moments in phases and bursts (what with Akshay Kumar in the scene!) and the beauty called Katrina Kaif to ensure that there is sufficient (eye) candy to last through the movie. Must say that she is going through the most lucky phase of her career with back to back hits with Akshay, despite the fact that she can't act even a wee bit. Overall the movie is a good TP (time pass) provided you have left your brains at home and are prepared to go through a lot of mindless comedy.

God Tussi Great Ho

2008-08-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

Salman Khan as usual at his antics with his brother used as a prop which nothing but reminds us of "Partner". The movie is not so bad (but not too great either). It's the story of a man who is frustrated with everything going horribly wrong with his life that be begins to blame God for everything. One fine day God appears before him and hands him the reins of this world for 10 days. As expected he screws up everything and asks God to rewind those 10 days and thus comes to the conclusion that what ever and how much ever God has given each one of us is not only sufficient but approporiate too. The only attraction of this movie is the song "Tujhe Aksa beach ghumau, aa chalti hai kya..." :D

Bachna Ae Haseeno

2008-08-25T10:49:00.000-07:00

An entertaining movie, with the right masala mix of a typical song and dance Bollywood drama. The movie has pulled up all the Yash Raj movie names and used them indiscriminately and particularly has gone overboard with DDLJ. The references to DDLJ are a little too much and the nostalgia does help to push the movie forward. "Rajgiri" is a new term coined by the protagonist of this movie. The first half is quite fast paced and entertaining and the movie slackens post-interval and the scenes also don't make much sense. The three women - Bipasha, Minissha and Deepika have played their roles quite well. In any case I would describe this as a Paisa Vasool film, thanks to the beautiful picturisation and melodiuos songs. Ranbir as a newcomer has justified his role, though his attempts to match up to SRK's charm is best described as feeble.

Love Story 2050

2008-07-13T10:14:00.000-07:00

The futuristic appeal of the movie was what attracted me to go for a first day evening show. It didn't quite live upto the expectations, but it certainly wasn't a horrible movie. There were plenty of drawbacks some of them being a lack of a strong story line and it being too long a movie. But Harman as an actor and dancer does prove himself in his debut film. Whether his uncanny resemblance to Hrithik in appearance and dance moves is a lucky factor, only time can tell. The story is pretty confusing since it wasn't clear how the hero is so certain to find the dead heroine sometime in the futuristic timeframe (2050). However the visuals and the imaginative projection of Mumbai after so many decades was certainly interesting. Some serious editing should have been done before the film's release in addition to a better storyline. Nothing much can be expected from the movie, apart from Priyanka's cute little robotic teddy and the imaginary view of Mumbai sometime in the future.

Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic

2008-07-02T07:25:00.000-07:00

The Hum Tum couple fails to create magic expected in TPTM. In this movie, Rani plays a fairy, who is sent down on earth to bring together 4 kids and Saif - the latter being responsible for the death of the kids' parents in an accident. The court puts the kids under Saif's care as his punishment and Saif has a tough time handling them until Rani comes in bringing with her her magical powers. Ameesha who is supposed to have a guest appearance seems to me to have lingered on in the movie a lot more than was necessary. She struts her new hot-bod in an underwater song, and wears mini-dresses through out the movie and there's not much substance in her character (not meant to be there either). A nice attempt to blend together Mary Poppins, Sound of Music and the like, the Bollywood way but somehow it fails to stir the emotions the way it is supposed to. The kids are all fabulous in their roles and have done due justice. However, the eldest kid who is supposed to be 9 years old in the movie looks a lot older to me. Also Rani using her magical powers so often amidst the human being doesn't appear to be raising any sort of suspicion. Apart from these minor glitches, the movie is pretty fairly made and is a one time watch.

Aamir

2008-06-08T11:22:00.000-07:00

This movie definitely is a breath of fresh air in the deluge of movies in Bollywood. The title of the movie is the name of the protagonist, and the story revolves around the happenings in a single and the last day in his life. The movie shows how Aamir is manipulated very deftly by a fundamentalist group and an attempt is made to force him into an act of terrorism through threats made to his family. The movie takes one through the dingy and dirty lanes of Mumbai, showing the real and unglamourous side to the city of dreams. Aamir was handed a briefcase with a bomb to be planted in a bus. When he gets to know of the content much later, he is torn between his duty of saving innocent souls and his love for his family. However in the end he decides that the greater good takes precedence and gets down from the bus only to be blown up in a relatively isolated corner. But then in the end the media brands him a terrorist! Overall the movie is really well made, concept pretty original, and acting mind blowing. Rajeev Khandelwal debuts in Bollywood in a movie sans heroine, sans songs. Despite that he manages to win the hearts of the audience through his acting and amazing expressions. Definitely worth a watch.

Khuda Kay Liye

2008-05-13T10:17:00.000-07:00

An amazing movie. It's a very intense and thought-provoking movie. The issue of terrorism and religion has been very delicately dealt with. The direction, star-cast, screenplay etc. etc. is really beyond what words can describe. Watch it to know more about it. Btw, if it may add some value, I would like to mention that I myself have watched this movie twice on 2 consecutive days!

Bhoothnath

2008-05-13T10:16:00.001-07:00

I wonder why Big B even plays such horrendous roles! Is he trying to compensate for the all the money that Junior B is unable to rake in? The only good point of this movie is the cute little boy who has acted decently well. Juhi Chawla and SRK were nothing but support characters, but who nontheless did justice to their roles. But what's wrong with Mr. Bachchan? What inspired him to play a Bhoot of all characters :). And well this was no ordinary bhoot- he had a lot of powers, he could magically move around things and had the capacity to vanish into thin air and make himself visible only to a select few as and when he desired. He seems to develop a special attachment to the little boy, seeing in him his own grandson. Although he had in the past scared away all the earlier residents of the house (which actually had belonged to him) who had come to live there after his death, he wanted the young boy and his family to stay on. The movie ends with the ghost finally being given "Mukti" by performing "Shraddh" but for some reason he still appears in front of the kid to amuse him :) Overall it is a once watch movie, with nothing particularly noteable to make it a must-watch.

U Me Aur Hum

2008-05-01T06:39:00.000-07:00

A much awaited movie marking the comeback of sorts of Kajol and Ajay Devgan together. It honestly failed to create the magic that it promised, but nevertheless is a movie worth a watch. The first half of the movie is spent with Ajay trying to woo his lady love - Kajol - who plays hard to win. No prizes for guessing that he wins and they finally get married. Now comes the difficult part - the stage of keeping together a relationship which is almost on the verge of falling apart. Kajol is diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and that makes it really difficult for Ajay since she keeps forgetting everything. Added to it is that they have a baby to take care of which Kajol proves incapable of doing. The decision whether to keep Kajol under professional care in an asylum or to keep her at home tears apart Ajay. The movies marks the triumph of love and the keeping of a promise of togetherness, under the most trying circumstances. Certainly not a bad movie to watch.

Race

2008-03-30T08:03:00.000-07:00

There wasn't another movie of which I have heard such mixed reactions from people. There were people who absolutely hated this movie to ones who liked it. I fall in the latter category. Admitted that the plot wasn't original, but then which Bollywood movie is? Accepted that the comedy was a little cheap at times, but how many Bollywood comedies fall under the A1 category? The overall packaging was done keeping entertainment in mind and no doubt it has succeeded in the same. An Abbas-Mustan movie cannot come without its shares of thrills and suspense, but I guess the twists and turns in this movies was just too much which keeps you guessing all the while as to who is the one who is running the show all the while. Added to this were fast horses and even faster cars, steamy scenes, sexy ladies, hot hero(es?? :)), to serve an absolutely spicy movie. The movie is so fast paced that before you can say Jack Robinson, on comes another twist and the climax is something which is totally unexpected (and unreal too- but again which Bollywood movies isn't?). A total Masaledar movie but then again not everyone likes such movies is what I have discovered!!!

Jodhaa Akbar

2008-03-07T11:58:00.000-08:00

Well, my first and foremost caution to one and all would be you 'd better know good Urdu, unless you wanna end up being like me- totally lost amidst the ocean of heavy words in an un-understood language. Secondly, the movie is too dragging- I really wonder whether the emperors of those days really had so much time and patience to win over their lady love slowly and steadily with lots of music, dance and poetry thrown in. In addition there is always the scheming saas of all Indian sagas, albeit this was not the real mom-in-law, but the one that brought up Akbar as a baby. Despite all the boredom of the snail-paced progress, and the complex dose of language-test endurance, the movie is worth a one-time watch if you have all the time in the world, and particularly so if you are in a light mood to absorb the fan-fare, grandeur and elaborate rituals of the olden days' kings and the not so infrequent battles being fought. Was Akbar really as generous as has been portrayed in the movie? Well, I leave it to the historians to debate and answer.

Enchanted

2008-02-20T08:30:00.000-08:00

A fairy tale like movie with a happily ever after ending :) though with a twist in the tale. It begins with an animation which is rather cute with plenty of music and songs thrown in. The animation describes a wicked step-mother queen who doesn't want his son to fall in love and get married for the fear of losing her throne. She punishes the young prince's lady love on the wedding day, by throwing her into the land of human-beings (NY- this is where the animation part ends) where the young girl learns many a human traits and emotions the hard way. What happen subsequently is rather unusual with her falling in love with a common being on earth. There has been many a use of fairy tale events like Cinderella's shoe and Snow White's poisonous apple in the story. Over all quite a sweet musical movie with an unexpected turn of events.

Sunday

2008-01-30T08:51:00.001-08:00

Time time time!!! kab milega ki main likhu :) ??

Halla Bol

2008-01-30T08:50:00.000-08:00

Will write when I get some time :)

Welcome

2007-12-30T09:19:00.000-08:00

No clue why the movie is called Welcome :). Also, I believe there's no point in going on and describing the storyline as it's not worth narrating, but the movie is definitely worth watching at least once! It's a laugh riot, although it can't be described as an A grade comedy. The actors have definitely performed well and they leave you in splits. It's a good way to de-stress yourself after a hectic week through "laughter-therapy":)

Taare Zameen Par

2007-12-26T08:54:00.000-08:00

This is a really touching movie, moving most of the movie-goers to tears. Taare Zameen Pe is a movie about a dyslexic child and how he copes with his problems. It also tells us how to deal with it and finally points out the fact- which most of us donot notice- that every child is special in his or her own way and it's just the myopic view of the world which fails to identify it.

Ishaan is a Std. 3 kid who somehow manages to earn the wrath of all his teachers and he always ends up failing in all the subjects with red marks all over his books and papers. His parents are quite concerned and perplexed with his situation and send him to a boarding school for improvement, which doesn't happen until a new art teacher played by Aamir Khan turns up. He goes on to identify the kid's problem and tries to help him learn in innovative ways. He also brings out the kid's true talent which is painting and organises a competition which Ishaan wins and thus helps to boost his morale and develop self-confidence.

A very sensitive issue that has been tackled in a very mature fashion, bringing out how the society ridicules a slow learner without trying to understand the root cause for such behaviour. Truely, after watching this movie, hopefully each one will be able to appreciate the fact that 'Every child is special'.

Dus Kahaniyaan

2007-12-26T08:46:00.000-08:00

It was really good to see experimentation in Indian Cinema. This is very unlike regular movies, and is a collection of unrelated 10 short stories. Some of the stories are really good in terms of content and arousing audience curiosity, but at the same time a couple of them really left me wondering about what they actually meant. But overall the movie is worth watching only if for 60-70% of the stories.

Office Office-2

2007-12-06T08:43:00.000-08:00

Life appears settled when you have to just 'walk' up and down from office and more so when things are chilled out at work. That's when you realize that after all 'office-office khelna' is not that bad at all. But good times don't last forever... do they? There comes the awaited twist in the tale :). Just went you thought things couldn't get any rosier, you start seeing red! When you are absent things are as smooth as butter but when you are very much present and working they decide that your account has to be suspended. Can things get any better? And there's a certain indispensable function in all organizations which is supposed to look into the softer and sensitive issues but I doubt if they possess the certain soft tissues on the top floor which make us the social animal! Well things could have been worse- and that's my only consoling thought and silver lining- and I keep hoping that one day things will 'really' be smooth coz ummeed pe duniya kayam hai!

Aaja Nachley

2007-11-30T11:02:00.000-08:00

Mads is back! And with a Big Bang! More... after I watch the movie :)

Now that I have seen the movie...

If you are a Madhuri fan, and love dance, then it's a must watch movie! There's no point talking a lot about the story line since there is nothing much to it. Yet this does deserves a brief outline at least. It's a very ordinary story of an NRI coming down to her home-town when she hears that her guru- who taught her how to dance, how to live, how to 'fly' -is dying and the theatre where they learnt dance is on the verge of destruction. She launches her battle against the land hungry politicians and businessmen who wish to replace the theatre with a swanky mall. Her challenge lies in getting the town folks to come up and participate in a dance drama 'Laila-Majnu' with the selection and preparation time being 2 months. No points for guessing that she does succeed in convincing them against several odds and emerges with an enthralling performance on the D Day and gets the demolition orders revoked.

So what's worth watching about the movie? Madhuri and her graceful movements :) She proves it once again with her comeback film that there is no match yet in Bollywood against her beauty and dancing skills. She beats any heroine half her age when it comes to expressions and her graceful 'latka-jhatkas'. You hardly notice her age in this movie where she mesmerizes you her acting skills and amazingly flexible and flowing movements. All in all it's an all Madhuri movie which enchants all her admirers leaving one wishing for more of her song and dance sequences.

Saawariya

2007-11-30T10:13:00.000-08:00

An aesthetically made movie and a treat for the eyes. A true blue SLB style film which springs a certain element of surprise; very tastefully made to be appreciated only by really classy audience. The youthful charm and innocence of first love has been captured and brought forth to the viewers artistically.

Ranbir and Sonam have given praise-worthy performances despite the fact that they both are debutantes. Set in a dream city where a starry eyed boy comes and becomes the leader singer in RK club, which is in a way a tribute paid to the legendary Raj Kapoor and the umbrella only adds to it. Rani plays a prostitute, and as always she does her act with a lot of panache and conviction. The young man played by Ranbir sees a beautiful, lonely girl standing on a bridge played by Sonam, and instantly falls in love. What follows is a depiction of the myriad emotions experienced by him as he tries to absorb the fact that he has fallen in love and how he could go about expressing it to her. But to his disappointment he learns that she is love with a man whom she met a year ago and was waiting for him to return as he had promised. The subsequent change in his emotions and the flashes of jealousy that appears are only too realistic. A momentary flicker of hope lights up in his heart as her lover does not turn up at the promised hour and as she also begins to accept his love. Then there is the beautiful portrayal of the last moment of torture as she has to leave him for her lover who finally has arrived. This is a classic end.

A very easy way to dismiss the movie would be to call it boring, slow, dull, lifeless etc. But one does need to go beyond the outer facade and try and look deeper into the emotions and the artististic play of colours and design that has been successfully brought out. In my opinion this is a very different movie to be appreciated for it uniqueness and style and not for its 'entertainment quotient'.

Om Shanti Om

2007-11-24T06:36:00.000-08:00

Om Shanti Om did not live up to its hype. The kind of interest generated by the promotions and aggressive marketing of the film only added to the disappointed. This films traces the film stars of Bollywood from the 1970s to the current date in 2007 through re-incarnation. Shahrukh Khan has been a big let down especially after a terrific performance delivery in Chak De! India.

Shahrukh plays Om-a junior artist of the 70s -who is in love with the lead lady of those times 'Shantipriya' played by Deepika. The twist comes when he gets to know that his lady love is secretly married to a film producer (Arjun Rampal) and is carrying his child too. The first half of the movie ends with the producer killing Shantipriya and Om also dying in an attempt to save her. Om is reborn as Om Kapoor, in short OK who is the super star of the millenium. He remembers his 'pichhla janm' through some twists of fate and vows to avenge the murder or his last birth's love. Now comes more 'masala' with Sandy- a Shantipriya lookalike- who helps him and it would do injustice not to mention the Shantipriya ghost who finally aids OK to kill the villain.

What's new about the movie? Nothing other than SRK's six-pack abs and Deepika Padukone and in my opinion both fail to create any charm! The only 'worth-watching' aspect of the movie were the two song sequences 'Dard-E-Disco' and 'Om Shanti Om' which has 31 stars featured. A dismal movie as compared to the high expectations that it had set.

Stardust

2007-11-08T04:38:00.000-08:00

A nice and cute movie. I am not much into Hollywood so it would be really unfair on my part to try to critique it. I would say that Stardust is a really well made movie, complemented with great acting and good flow of the script. With mystical lands, magical powers, falling stars, kings, heirs and kingdoms, witches it is indeed a wholesome fairy tale style entertainer. If you like the fanatasy world then you must go for it.

Office office...

2007-11-03T00:05:00.000-07:00

Office office 'khelna' is not a fun game. Especially when you presume that you will enjoy all the comforts of working in an IT organization but land up in quite the opposite situation! People say it's a goverment company like atmostphere and you can chill out.. cool it. But here you are all heated up. Ugh...

People 'busy' with all sorts of activities from certifications to 'increasing'one's knowledge online; that's a life one (read I) would love to live. But fortune... oh my fortune that had a ugly role to play. Destiny had other plans in store. Life became running around and trying to catch buses which never seem to arrive. Trying to get to office and back home which consumes more effort than the job in itself... well well.. that's an example of bad utilization of resources. And what more to add to this pitiable situation than the fact that all that glitters is not gold; physical appearances aren't the truest manifestation of health conditions!!

To add to this crowning glory is all the paperwork and formalities, which seem to be going in circles- a vicious one too. No one will do anything until a request is raised! And no one will accept a request from another's account. So how does one log into his own account without a password to retrieve which a request needs to be raised... Catch-22; what say?

Closing comment: Yeh hai life meri jaan...

Jab We Met

2007-10-30T04:32:00.000-07:00

My first comment would be: a movie completely worth your time and money. Although the story presented is nothing unique, the script, the acting and the direction is really amazing resulting in one of the greatest entertainers of recent times. Shahid and Kareena are of shown to be of diametrically opposite characters with the former being serious and reserved and the latter a complete chatter-box and fun-loving person with evident streaks of immaturity. When Kareena misses her train, she forces Shahid to leave her till her home-town Bhatinda. What happens during the journey will leave you in splits. The later half of the movie loses its momentum for a while but somehow the audience will not lose interest since there is enough comedy interspersed even during seemingly serious situations. The end is quite predictable with the hero finally getting the heroine but their performance is truly commendable. This romantic comedy is a must watch - will really help you de-stress amidst a hectic schedule :)

Laaga Chunari Mein Daag

2007-10-27T02:15:00.000-07:00

Forewarning: Don't start forming ideas on my taste and choice of movies :)

Well now since I eventually ended up watching this movie, I guess I should give an honest opinion on it.

A very predictable sob-story - a cash strained family which forces the eldest child to choose a not so respectable means of earning-which has left very little to the actual event of the movie-watching. The only worth-watching aspect is Rani's and Konkona's acting. Being a predominantly woman-oriented movie there's hardly any role of the men and they are nothing more than show-pieces or rather support factors to complement the women's presence on-screen.

A different treatment of this oft-used theme was conspicuous when unlike in the olden days they harped on the 'laachari' and 'majboori' of the 'bechari' woman for choosing this profession, Rani doesn't offer any excuses, rather says that it was purely by chioce and a consciuos decision that she has opted to become an escort to earn money for her family. Another rather amusing scene was when she actually gets advice from a friend saying that she was not to be an ordinary call-girl but would be a sophisticated and expensive escort. Well well.. whatta training did she receive to get converted from a simple girl to a sophisticated and much sought after escort :)

Jokes apart the film hasn't received a mature handling which shows streaks of 'purana zamana' style tear-jerker movies which can get rather irritating for the present day multiplex audience. A very pertinent issue but presented in a rather amateurish manner which can hardly evoke any interest. After Parineeta most people certainly had high expectations from Pradeep Sarkar; but what a disappointment we had to suffer! Absolutely no excuses to watch this movie unless you are a die-hard Rani Mukherji fan.

Bhool Bhulaiyaa

2007-10-25T11:53:00.000-07:00

A remake of the original Malayalam movie Manichithrathazhu. The same was remade later in Tamil and Telugu- Chandramukhi and Kannada-Apthamitra. Apparently these were superhits.
Since I haven't watched the original version no question of 'movie' comparison arises but what I feel is worth a mention is the fact that Vidya Balan is no match a dancer when compared to Shobhana. Shobhana's dance to 'Oru Murai Vandu' in the Malayalam movie exudes excellent expressions and graceful movements. But on the other hand Vidya Balan, who dances to the equivalent 'Ami je tomar' in Bhool Bhulaiyaa does nothing but some amateurish body movements which is deftly covered by clever videography. No wonder this dance never features in the promos.
The movie overall is an 'okish' one with a very obvious lack of originality and pathetic display of forced humour unlike what is expected from a 'Priyadarshan' product. The idea of ghosts and spirits is presented in the garb of a mental illness just to cater to the scientific and inquisitive temperament of the present day audience. On a positive note it is able to create a moderate amount of suspense holding people to their seats, though I wouldn't say that it was enough reason to make one watch the movie. Go and watch the movie if you have plenty of time to spare and are fond of 'bhoot-pret' stories albeit with a scientific explanation. :D

Just in case you are interested in dance make it a point to watch Shobhana's moves in the video below.

Durga Puja - The spirit of Bengal in Mumbai

2007-10-25T11:35:00.000-07:00

This was the first Durga Puja celebration which I attended in Mumbai. As members of the 78 year old Bombay Durga Bari Samiti which organizes the Puja at Tejpal Hall, my family and I were present during the Puja as well as the cultural programmes held in the evening beginning from Panchami to the last day of Puja on Navami before the immersion on Dashami. Needless to say the scale of celebration is miniscule when compared to that of Kolkata, but still the Mumbai celebrations are quite a large scale when compared to those of the other smaller cities in India. It begins with the 'AnadaMela' on Panchami evening when families set up stalls with delicious home made goodies like rolls, luchi -aloo dum, singhara, kachuri, ghoogni, sweets etc. which leave your taste-buds craving for more. Then on 3 main days of the Puja i.e. Saptami, Asthmi, Navami, people come down for the Pushpanjali which is followed by distribution of fruit-prasad. Every one's invited to join in these celebrations and in the afternoon there is the tasty bhog of kichudi, labra, payesh and mishti. In the evenings there are plenty of entertainment programmes performed by the members themselves, invited professional troupes from Kolkata and other places , celebrity singers etc.

The other famous Pujas in Mumbai include the ones at Shivaji Park and Lokhandwala. The latter is famous as the one begun by the Bollywood playback singer Abhijeet and attracts lots of celebrities. Also there is the famous Mukherjee family's Puja ( Rani and Kajol) which is quite old and revered that is held at Poddar school.

Well, the spirit of Bengal is carried anywhere, where a few Bongs get to meet; could we ever doubt that?

Chak de! India

2007-08-24T07:37:00.000-07:00

Finally!! After quite a bit of a long wait, appearing especially prolonged owing to the 'hero' in question being none other than King Khan, who by no means can be given diminutive importance by one of the many ardent fans of his, I watched Chak de! India.

My preliminary preparation began by hunting for the meaning of 'Chak de' and a Punjabi friend of mine came to rescue with the meaning - 'Dhoom macha de', 'Waat laga de'. A quick google search yielded 'Buck Up India', 'Come on India' as the equivalent of' 'Chak de India'.

Wow!! What a movie it was. A power packed performance by Shahrukh Khan bringing out the best of his histrionic capabilities supported by 16 young girls portraying the members of the Indian Women's hockey team.

What better way to kick alive the patriotism lying dormant in every Indian's heart than to release it close on the heels of the Independence day. SRK, patriotic fervor, sports, women's issue-couldn't have been a deadlier combo and perfect mix to deliver a sure-shot hit.

It is the story of Kabir Khan (SRK) who had been previously blamed as a captain for the loss of the Indian hockey team at the World Cup by missing a goal, and hence proclaimed a traitor. Seven years later he vows to redeem his honour by coaching the Women's hockey team and leading them to victory at the World Cup and successfully does so.

Of all the scenes portrayed the one which really struck me was the one where the entire team of women unite against a gang of eve-teasers and give them a taste of their own medicine by showering them with a sound beating. Though a little impractical as it may seem in our current scenario, and the objective of the scene being altogether different - that of team effort and building unity - I believe it really serves as a wake up call for all women to stand up and fight instead of meekly resigning to their destiny.

Overall a really classy and standard movie made without a minimally dressed lead lady or hip-swinging item girl and definitely worth a watch considering that such movies are rare to come by.

Lajja(Shame) by Taslima Nasrin, 1993

2007-08-23T10:51:00.000-07:00

A book that I read a couple of days ago which really moved me was Lajja. Post-reading I realized the guts the lady had to write such a book which bares the inhuman side of one's motherland.

This book captures vividly the aftermath- the riots that the demolition of Babri Masjid in India (U.P.) on 6th Dec 1992 sparked in Bangladesh. The inhuman torture meted to millions of Hindus in the Muslim dominated country and the resulting outflow of Bangladeshis to India and how a patriotic Bangladeshi Hindu family clung to its roots, and homeland through all the travails and gruesome murders only to be finally ousted from their motherland when the daughter of the family is carried away by young fanatic Muslims.

It's a heart-rending story which shows how deep a patriotic fervour can run in a family which crosses over the distinction of religion, bound together by the common thread of nationality and held strongly by beliefs of humanity only to be shattered and rudely awakened when the bitter truth finally hits them that in such a situation of crisis, the country really doesn't come to the rescue or try to protect its citizens and finally it's the religion which triumphs. Despite being declared secular this goes on to prove the deep rooted communal hatred that rears its ugly head in a country which fought for its independence with the combined efforts of all its citizens irrespective of religion.

It is a must read if one wants to get a peek into the post Babri Masjid demolition impact on Bangladesh free from the media 'make-up'.

Mere pass blog hai.. tumhare pass kya hai....?

2007-07-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

Just thought that such a heading would be hilarious. Sorry for the disappointment. I have absolutely no content. If anyone ever reads this and gets some path-breaking, ground-breaking, earth-shattering, mind-boggling etc. etc. idea please pass it on to me... I shall write something on this topic. :D

Rains!!

2007-07-28T02:46:00.001-07:00

Who doesn't like the smell of the wet earth after the first spell of rains? It gives rise to a mix of emotions which differ from person to person ranging from high spirited, cozy, romantic disposition in some to gloomy depressive feelings as ominous as the threatening dark clouds above! What is the secret behind this? The reasons seem obscure.

Talking of rains in Mumbai, which are as unpredictable as the Indian cricket team, these showers from heaven are perfectly capable of conjuring images of joy and relief, parallely with a looming sense of imminent destruction and loss to the extent of death.

Although I wasn't there in Mumbai during the incessant rainfall 2 years back on the 26th July, reading and watching the coverage of the havoc created and mass scale destruction wrought by nature was apalling. This only goes on to prove that man has little control over the will of Mother Nature. The least we can do is perhaps improve the disaster management system and engage in prevention of activities which harm the environment.

On a positive note, rains are hailed ecstatically by kids and younsters who get the perfect excuse for bunking school due to 'rainy day holiday' and get to enjoy the cool spells happily drenching themselves and floating paper boats. A little older ones- teenagers and young adults- find all their fervent passions gushing out. This is the best time to find couples hand in hand, under an umbrella along the sea shores soaking up the romantic season. And of course there are folks who stay at home and immerse themselves in the heavenly experience of a steaming hot cup of tea and munch into piping hot crispies. What ever be one's source of enjoying this blissful season with the pitter patter of raindrops on the window sill, there is no denying the fact that this is one of the most anxiously waited for seasons in the Indian calendar!

Dil vil pyaar vyaar...

2007-07-16T11:45:00.000-07:00

Not my forte to write about the softer side which is supposedly a right brain function, yeah... I mean emotions, those feelings we can't do without and can't live with-LOVE which with it's double edged sword simultaneously puts you on cloud 9 and brings you down to the ground reality with a thud -weird isn't it? Well... I believe that's what love is all about.
Love- the word inspires something mushy and romantic and also reminds me of the central theme depicted invariably in all Bollywood movies embedded with singing and dancing around the trees- is that all about love? Young people, starry-eyed, absent-minded, love lorn youth yearning to be in the arms of their loved one, poets being born, love letters, rather e-mails and sms in the modern context etc etc... To be in love is the most beautiful feeling on earth and to be without it is like having missed out on a vital experience supposedly brought about by one of the most vital organs of the human anatomy.It has inspired countless poets, numerous melodies , umpteen books and of course the ubiquitous movies!
Before digging any deeper let me try to separate the love that I am trying explore herein from the love for parents, children, siblings and friends and move ahead without bringing in further complexity :)

Is love necessary to live? Well yes of course! One does need constant reassurance and support; a source of deriving strength to push on further with life; to tell you that life is precious and you are not a selfish being, that you need to live for someone other than yourself; and what else would you call it but love- be it from anyone- family, friends, lover, spouse!
Does love hurt? Ask anyone who has been or in a relationship and you will see a vigorous nod of the head and hear an unanimously YES. If it hurts why do people fall in love? That's an eternally unanswered question and an attempt to answer it would be no less than Hara Kiri! :D The hurt brings with it a pleasure which can't be replaced with anything else, then wouldn't you be called a sadist?
Talking of love or be it any relationship the biggest killer I believe is EXPECTATION. That's the root of all evil! Such a strong statement- well yes, I believe so. It hurts to see someone you love giving a little more attention than you would like to your best friend-what else is it if not a by product of expectation from your lover? He/she forgets your birthday, or anniversary and you are greeted with volley of angry remarks. He praises the pretty girl at the coffee shop and she sulks. She is seen talking to a guy with whom he has forbidden her to talk to and he threatens to beat the shit out of him... and countless other instances. And no points for guessing this leads to over possessiveness and lo and behold trouble is brewing... Fights, tears, angry exchanges and of course they do 'make-up' only to end up in a similar situation again. And who can forget the ' you have no time for me' remark so oft heard :)
How to avoid all this? Well my take is forget about being in love if you want to avoid all this :) there's no fun otherwise you see, but it's a different story that it's the bystander who has all the fun while you have your share of heart ache.

Why do people fall in love? Easy answer- blame the hormones :) I believe it's not only that, it's sometimes the circumstances that one is in too plays a role to bring two people together. Circumstances could be anything from a common background to common hobbies to common classes to common friends! and could even extend to common problems to maybe loneliness, or possibly forced to be together, not to forget desperation due to peer pressure since all your best buddies have a bf/gf and you cannot do without one.Of course there are instances of lust under the guise of love which lead many a young heart to finally end up broken!

Why do people fall out of love? Why do relationships end?It is seen more often than not people suffer and to end the sufferings stem it from the root- end the relationship. But is it really the end of all problems? I believe not. In today's world you maybe blame it on changing lifestyles, lack of time, empowerment of women, exposure to the Western world and it's vices, lack of patience and thousands of other reasons.... but deep within every man or woman knows that it's the people who are to blame on having fallen victim so easily to the aforementioned reasons. Everyone wants the easier way out, no one wants to compromise. With lesser social stigma attached, one has new found freedom to explore greener pastures on realizing that the current 'field' has lost its golden charm. But of course in a lot of cases it does make sense to make a quick exit when a good amount of sincere effort has gone into maintaining the relationship. But easier said than done- how does one decide when to draw the line?

The problem's not with love but with the people who are in it and know not how to handle it. You need 2 hands to clap and hence co-operation from both partners is necessary to ensure a harmonious and fruitful relationship. With a similar logic not one but both are to be blamed for a troublesome situation; but as I had heard someone saying Love is Irrational... Long live love and it's irrationality- only then could be produced more matter for the silver screen :P

Would I fall in love? Ha ha ha... I love myself too much to let myself suffer. Unless under some life threatening compulsion I would say that the farther away I am from this vicious trap the better. Just kidding folks!!! Live and let live... :D. One life- Live life king size-love or no love

PS: The inspiration behind penning down my thoughts has been another blog which I just read a while ago :)
Let me also mention that I have left out the psychopath and sadist cases who derive pleasure out of torturing in the name of love- those who seek love to hide under it's false pretense to gain acceptance and to shield one's insecurity. I thought that such cases did not fall under the 'normal' love cases.

The importance of being Earnest

2007-07-12T06:26:00.000-07:00

That's the title of a famous play by Oscar Wilde. Wonder why I suddenly remembered the title of this trivial comedy play which we studied in school. But now since it has already attacked my mind it's going to linger around for quite a while and transfer me to my world of thoughts associated with it.

This play is based upon 'Ernest' and 'earnest' being homophones and the comedy is a must read for all those serious people who desperately need their monthly dose of laughter; and which is only and only generated through some really genuine efforts put in by their friends or acquaintances.

Secondly, the contents of the play apart, on trying to interpret the meaning of the title standalone it may be readily comprehensible how truly the author was able to capture a simple truth of daily life in a succinct statement as this. Just as the protagonist is able to achieve his objective with sheer perseverance and by displaying a lot of earnestness, in real life too a little bit of earnestness in what ever we do be it professional or personal can take us a long way.

Well this also brought back the beautiful memories of those fun-filled and care-free school days and particularly those classes where we seemed to have a gala time sitting in the last bench and playing our own games while the teacher was busy on the black board; those paper rockets we used to launch one of which actually landed straight on the teacher's desk.

Why do people blog?

2007-07-12T04:41:00.000-07:00

I searched on the net and found a zillion reasons. Yet I couldn't find one which satisfied me :(
Hence I start this blog of mine with loads of curiosity and a dash of hope to give me a sense of fulfillment on having at least tried my hand at it :D