Missing India! bcz of Wanted!

This is the first time i am missing India...and u kno y...bcz Wanted has opened to rave reviews...and I wanna watch it with my Salman-fan frnds!! Man, an actioner frm Sallu aftr such a long time (Garv was the last one i guess, and it ws mediocre, to put it mildly!) with some rocking music and dances, and m not in India at the time! wat a tragedy...hope to catch it at the 1-hour drive away Naz theatre soon if i find some1 to accompany me...els gotta watch it ol this weeknd...

I wanna Jalwa!

Carnal humor?

This conversation happened today afternoon when me and my roomie, Adrit went shopping at Trader Joe's...

Adrit: Dude, u have picked up a lot of breasts! u sure seem to lik them!
Me: I like breasts!
Adrit: I picked up some thighs....i thot those wud b enough!
Me: Well...lets have some breasts too!
Adrit: U like breasts more or thighs?
Me: I kinda like both!!
Adrit: Ok lets take both then!

And then we realise tht quite a few ppl around r staring at us!

Later, as we moved to the billing counter, the chick thr got into the conversation...

Billing chick: I wonder why breasts r more expensive than thighs!
Adrit: Hmm...true its always tht way!
Me: ?!!
Adrit: I think thts because they have more meat than the thighs...that makes sense rit?
Billing chick: Yeah tht sounds rit...breasts r always more juicy than thighs...thr u go...have a nice meal... :)

If u havent guessed it yet, we were shopping for some chicken.

Stereo....Radio....I'm a superstar...

If u like watching a well-made, engrossing and complex-yet-brilliant movie tht gives ur intelligence the respect it deserves, then stop reading this article rit now and book urself a ticket to the earliest show of arguably (no... make tht unarguably!) the movie of the year!! Move over Dev D, Kaminey rocks Hindi movie-dom Quentin Tarantino style and how!!!

For all others who have ventured this far in the post bcz they arent too keen to watch intelligently made movies and who lik to give thr brain a break when watching movies, get ready for some real insults...I assume u guys r the ones who make trash lik Singh is Kinng and Kambakkht Ishq seem like pieces of art based on thr box office collections...well i have 1 word to describe all u guys - Kaminey!

I gues only some1 very interested in knowing abt Kaminey wud venture this far...so lemme start...Vishal Bharadwaj gives us a heady tale of twins with a rollicking screenplay that lets u fill in more than it tells, and in the process makes u a part of the movie...It wud b sad to giv away any part of the story but i gues the fact tht this is probably the BEST ensemble cast ever shud b good enuf to make u watch it first thing...the only hitch cud b tht by the end of the movie, u dont get enough of all these wonderfully crazy characters....bcz its a film and has to b wrapped up in 2-2.5 hrs...but for once, u wudnt mind if this one went on for 5 hrs, wit more abt each of the zany characters presented on screen...altho every1 pitches in fantastic performances, Amole Gupte deserves special mention for his portrayal of Bhope Bhau who is probably the most memorable "villian" on-screen since the legendary (and very dramatic) Gabbar...Shahid Kapoor is brilliant in both roles and this movie marks significant growth in him as an actor after being stuck in chocolate-boy roles for quite some time now, roles that he did remarkably, but also roles tht did little for his cud-have-been much better career...A superstar, nay a super-actor is well and truly born! Piggy Chops is lovely in a relatively small role and her Marathi accent is sure to give u goosebumps...the actors playing Mikhail and Lele are excellent! Technically, the movie reminds u a lot of Pulp Fiction, and thts saying a lot! Songs have been a rage since the music release so saying anythng abt them wud b redundancy...

Kaminey is for the people who r hungry for intelligent cinema, which, for a change, doesnt preach but just entertains....and in the process, keeps in mind the fact that ur IQ isnt below par!

Love Aaj Kal

I am surprised-pleasantly and otherwise...othrwise bcz a lot of ppl - and i mean a lot - have not liked Love Aaj Kal (in fact quite a few despise it), and pleasantly bcz inspite of the not so good reactions of ppl who hv seen the movie, it has emerged one of the biggest grossers of all times! Now i dont normally care much abt how much a movie makes, but sometimes its good to c well-made and well-meaning cinema make some money too, in times when any kinda trash lik Rab Ne and Singh Is Kinng makes moolah!

Enough of analysing the public perception! On to the movie! Imtiaz Ali springs a pleasant surprise in the form of Love Aaj and Love Kal, with a non-linear, time-sliced narrative style tht enhances the movie considerably...the dialogues deserve special mention as they r very real and so-not-gimmicky! no1s expecting u to laugh at any of the "jokes" bcz lets face it, thr r few in the real world who spout witty, funny lines every minute!! The Love Aaj story is very relatable...its got slices of love stories u see around ths days...mayb even frm ur own! Love Kal story is really sweet and has unforgettable moments lik whn Harleen comes down and unveils Veer's favorite black coffee frm underneath her dupatta! beautiful!! romance at its adorable best! :)

Saif does decently well in both roles....Deepika is lovely and acts fittingly for her role, contrary to popular opinion...for all those who said Kareena wud hv been better for the role, i have the following to say - Main Prem Ki Diwnai Hoon, K3G, Khushi, Kambakkht Ishq and many more!! Rishi Kapoor is as usual dependable while Giselle as Harleen is cute but a poor actress...thankfully she doesnt need to act much :)

The movie is full of subtleties and for all those who r wondering which ones, no wonder u dint like the movie...let me put it this way - u dint undstnd the vein of the movie! On the flipside, the music is poorly utilized...such fantastic songs deserved better screen portrayal...wit the exception of Dooriyan and Chor Bazaari, othr songs r a bit of a letdown, not least Twist, whr u literally Twist in ur seat watching Saif make an ass of himself wit those idiotic dance steps...the slow pace can also get a bit nerve-wracking and it wud hv been a good idea to position the interval better! And finally, Love Aaj Kal is not really enjoyable in the true sense of the word...its good, very good, thought-provoking and real, but when it comes to entertainment, its like watching Sanjay Manjarekar bat! Nevertheless, its a well intentioned and decently made movie...

Looking fwd to somthng more definitive frm Imtiaz Ali next!

Coming soon...

Like i said before, Dhan Ta Dan from Kaminey is a rocking composition, much-reminiscent of the immortal Misirlou theme from Pulp Fiction and a sureshot chartbuster, dancefloor scorcher and the works...with a host of other interesting songs like the AIDS-awareness inspired Fatak and the beautifully written and sung title song, Vishal Bharadwaj has given the Hindi music industry a new lease of life after a severe 4-month long musical drought...the promos look engaging too...hope this one turns out to be a roller-coaster!

Meanwhile, the more promising looking movie currently is Love Aaj Kal...boasting of a novel concept, with a non-cliche approach to storytelling, this one seems like an interesting tale in the offing...with rollicking music by Pritam, once again, and fresh-looking promos of a charming Saif and a mesmerisingly beautiful Deepika, Love Aaj Kal hopefully will quench the thirst of movie-goers like me, who are waiting for something fresh from Bollywood!

Kambakkht trash!

What do you call a person who knows how insanely idiotic a movie is gonna be and yet who turns up at the theatre the day aftr the movie releases, spending hard-earned cash and invaluable time on what he knows is gonna be guaranteed trash the day they announced the movie? Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to this insane jackass....yours truly!

Now moving on to the Kambakkht movie...To put it plainly, it is juvenile trash that sucks at all levels! There are a few laughs, sure, but only if you belong to the sadomasochistic variety... It will be an honour to this movie if we discuss plot and performances...So lemme move on to the only thing i liked about the movie - Sylvester Stallone! He has screen presence amounting to much more than the sum of individual screen presence of self-proclaimed King, or more appropriately Clown, Akshay Kumar, Aftab, Kareena, Amrita Arora, Jaaved Jaafrey and all other what-nots.

If self-inflicted torture is your idea of a good movie, then we have a gem here in the form of Kambakkht Ishq!

P.S. : If you know any female surgeon who moonlights as a model in her spare time, to pay for, get this, MED school (!), lemme kno...wud love to meet the chick!

A Hangover i'll never forget!

Wow! Simply brilliant and amazingly hilarious "comedy" that redefines slapstick! A very interesting plot, handled exceedingly well by the director to ensure that the movie steers away from the Hollywood comedy cliche scene and becomes a classic in its own right! Not to mention fitting performances by the entire cast, especially by the little-known Zach Galifianakis, who redefines weird in the role of Alan! Rocking performance by him lifts the movie to a differnet level altogether, making it the Titanic of Hollywood comedies! Dont miss it for anything in the world! THE best comedy in recent times!

Wanna be 17 Again? :)

I went to see this movie just bcz we cudnt get tickets to Angels and Demons and we hd a lot of time to kill...My expectations werent much...i expected to see a run-of-the-mill, going-back-in-time Hollywood comedy, with liberal doses of chic-lit teen stuff! It was a pleasant surprise to watch a pretty decently etched out screenplay, with touching as well as funny moments, well directed and enacted! Surprisingly, Zac Efron was pretty decent and it was gr8 to see Mathew Perry again on the big screen, though why he has to be Chandler-ish in each and every role is beyond me....but undoubtedly, the show-stealer was Thomas Lennon as the nerdy Ned! His portions truly rocked and reminded me of some scenes frm The Big Bang Theory. Decent watch and perfect date movie! :)

New Dork!

A glitzy, much-cliched, occasionally gripping, often boring, more cosmetic, less hertfelt, stereotypical YRF stuff, thts saved frm being pure YRF-trash by a sensible director with some conviction and a heart somewhat in the right place and competent performances by John and Irrfan Khan and yet let down by unnecessary and unwarranted glamour, one-dimensional Neil, laughable loopholes, and an extremely banal, pointless and senseless climax, tht made me laugh my guts out at the end of the film when i shud hv been touched by the sensitive material on display....Its a crime to make a bad movie, but its a bigger crime to spoil an excellent concept, which in fact is pretty gripping till the last hour! Congos YRF on doing it yet again!

AFK...

I have been away frm my blog for , like, forever now...and its been a roller-coaster of a ride ths last 2-3 months...right frm the time i got my first admit frm CMU to the surprise admit frm Stanford to the amazing PF this yr (my last for a few yrs to come :( ) to last few weeks at HP to constant travelling to getting the visa power to last week in Bangalore! phew!! it hs been quite a year this...the next week will c me bid goodbye to a lot of thngs quite dear to my heart...its gonna b tough, probably not as tough as it ws 2 yrs ago, leaving pune :( but nevertheless tough...but more on tht l8r....lets not get nostalgic ahead of tim whn thrs so much more to talk abt :)


last few weeks hv been amazing, diffrnt to say the least...lemme do a wind up so tht i cn feel i never missd writing on my blog :)


1. IPL 2.0 ws amazing, contrary to wt most ppl said...i followed it completely and hd a gala time...esp in the latter half...rohit sharma, suresh raina, gilly, rp, haydos rocked the scene!! but perhaps the real star of ths edition ws fakey, with his witty, at times Madhur Bhandarkar-ish 'skeletons-out-of-the-closet' kinda writing, tht set this IPL apart frm the prev one...SRK hd a torrid time and so did Sachin...the first ws a delight to watch, the second ws just painful...i hope Sachin helps his team to win at least one major tournament final b4 he hangs up his boots...


2. Today FedEx tries to giv anothr shot to winning the only grand slam thts eluded him al these yrs...and surprisingly his nemesis isnt gonna b thr to stop him frm doing it...altho tht mayb a comforting thot fr al FedEx fans, including himself (cudnt resist tht, sorry :) ), the giant-killer may well prove to b handful fr the suddenly-turned-sentimental-and-all-mushy FedEx...i still hope Fed wins tho...he deserves to b rit up thr wit the GOD- Sampras! :)


3. ManU lost the Champions League final! i hv nothing more to say!

4. Watched Vicky Christina Barcelona...found it intriguing, even appealing...Woody Allen hs always given us interesting movies full of interesting characters....Penelope Cruz particularly rocks...so do Javier Bardem and Rebecca Hall...

5. India finally got a "stable" govt thts free frm "debts" of all kinds...so nw v can expect some "tough" and progressiv decisions to b made in yrs to come...plus the cabinet hs quite a few "young" leaders...so expect to c a 40 yr old PM "soon"...mayb in anothr 100-150 yrs!


5. And... Stanford let me in... :) even the US govt hs given the green signal...so if all goes well, come Sept, i'll b continuing writing my blog frm SF :)

Cheers to wt has been and wts to come in days tht'll follow! :)

How I Avoided Lifting The Brush

Cause: An irresistible urge to go back to the long dead and buried dreams of painting....

Effect: An amateurish attempt at MS Paint...

Result:

Inspiration:

P.S. : Its all handwork...No tricks/converting softwares involved...any imperfections r a result of my limitations at painting wit MS Paint....any perfections are a result of persistence and luck! :)

A twist in the tale!!

The extent to which human mind can go to "ensure a few laughs" is outrageously wicked :D
(with all due respect to the players involved in the game!!)


Pray define an "honest" effort!!

'Sifting' towards the future...

What if objects were intelligent enough to interact spatially and 'understand' each other through their colours, orientations or relative positions? MIT grad student David Merrill ws puzzled by the same question and he and his team came up with an answer thts not just amazing in nature but also in implications...Siftables opens up an entirely new world in interactive computing and cud well prove to be the next HCI tht will become a household phenomenon, provided a practically feasibl and inexpensive prototype is possible....
Watch the video if u hvnt seen or heard abt siftables already....

Finally F1!

The season hs been kick-started by an amazing Australian GP and looks lik, aftr long, this season is gonna be really interesting....my interest in F1 hd kinda reduced aftr Schumi retired and i hardly watched any races in the last 2 seasons, altho i did keep track of the results...but somehw ths yr, somthng inside me wants me to get back to my old self and watch all the races incl qualifying, just lik it used to b few yrs back....so heres to an awesom season ahead!! and as always, m willing to bet my bucks on Ferrari yet again, altho Brawn Mercedes seems the team to beat ths season...but this is just the beginning...the field is wide open! only time will tell whos gonna top!

Aarambh hai prachand...

Anurag Kashyap's Gulaal is perhaps the best film ever made on student-politics...Altho it mayb argued tht the crown belongs to Haasil, i'm tempted to say Gulaal scores, basically bcz of the power in the screenplay and dialogues....not to forget the impact it creates by the time the mindblowing journey on-screen culminates!

Gulaal comes really close to becoming a flawless flick, especially bcz of the straightfwd and raw handling of the subject by AK and the towering performances...KK is amazing as usual...Raj Singh Chaudhary, who hs also co-written the story wit AK, is perfect as the submissive nerd who gets entangled in things he hs zilch knowledge and attraction abt, thru circumstances totally out of his control....Abhimanyu Singh as the brash, rowdy Ransa is simply superb and leaves a strong impression....AK's Asst. Director Ayesha Mohan makes a sparkling acting debut as Kiran...more thn her performance, the graph of her character is so well-etched, u cant help but accept her ways of life...the manner in which she uses Dileep is one of the numerous high-points of the movie...Deepak Dobriyal is pitch-perfect as KK's side-kick....Aditya Shrivastava, Jesse Randhawa and Mahie Gill are good in thr small parts...especially Mahie Gill, who conjures up some of the most entertaining scenes in the film...and to top it all, the sucker punch is delivered by Piyush Mishra, whos also the lyricist of the film, in the role of KK's elder brothr, Prithvi Bana, a brooding, bordering-on-insanity individual, who seems to hv lost it, but is in fact more on terms with reality thn any1 else....his monologues r the peaks of the Alps...in fact he deserves double kudos, for writing such amazingly pithy, dark, profound lines and then delivering thm so well, be it thru prose or song! Piyush Mishra is the real star of the movie considering hes responsibl for most of the profundity in the lines as well as the music and the vocals...the songs, once again lik Dev D, are used to carry the narrative ahead and tht registers a really strong impact...of note especially is Aarambh, as it makes u dizzy by the tim the song climxes...

again, thr r plenty of subtle references and sly remarks towards society for ppl who appreciate such art, and altho not all of thm are readily tangible, the ones tht can be deciphered raise ur opinion of the film so much tht the ones tht dont, not only remain few but also insignificant! The references to John Lennon, Gandhi, Hitler, nihilism and America's war on terrorism are simply brilliant and light up the proceedings with thr wit and the manner in which they r portrayed!

The victory of Gulaal lies in the fact tht it manages to tk the viewer into an unknown era and surroundings and yet manages to convince him hw and why, wt happens, happens...if living-the-movie ws one experience u hd been missing all ths time, heres wt the doctor ordered! :) undoubtedly one of the best movies of the yr! and thts a feat considering its just april....and in the first 3 months, v hv hd path-breaking stuff lik Dev D, Luck By Chance and Delhi-6!

Mirror mirror on the wall...

After the revolution-inducing RDB, ROM is back with a different kind of a journey...while RDB sparked a mass awakening, Delhi 6 is more a journey into ones own psyche...a journey of discovering our own prejudices, convictions, biases and putting them in perspective of the society...a journey of a deeper, more meaningful, inner realisation...

While Delhi-6 is a study in metaphors, what limits its overall impact is the fact tht not many in our society hv the patience and open-mindedness to delve deeper into the layers and absorb the morale...ths is precisely why the movie hs flopped...nevertheless, such movies cn never be measured in terms of the money they make...D6 succeeds in wt it sets out to prove and tht is its biggest victory, despite the cliche-laden, icky climax...I personally loved the metaphors used to depict the maladies ailing our mindsets, and consequently, our society...the acting by the ensemble cast is apt and drives home the point with elan...of particular note r the acts by Atul Kulkarni, Pawan Malhotra and Divya Dutta...the music is fitting and used intelligently...the cinematography is visceral and creates a perfect ambience for the tale to b told...the background music, however, is jarring at times and the fact tht ARR complted it in 5 days, in the week b4 the release, explains why!

ROM is in sublime form, especially with the Kaala Bandar bit and the mirror incident...however, subtlety is somehow lost in the climax, whr BigB had to make an appearance and spoil the party :( sadly, it ensures dilution of the impact tht the movie hs created til thn...and the consequent re-birth of AB ws totally uncald for...a populist gimmick for sure...yet, u hv to giv it to ROM for having the gumption to paint such a gutsy revelation on celluloid...for in todays society, whr ppl r busy minding thr own business, nobody likes to be told wats wrong with thm as a society...tht is wt elevates the movie to dizzyingly honest heights...unfortunately, it also proves to be the movie's bane, commercially...

nevertheless, masterful effort....which sadly went largely unnoticed and unappreciated... :(

Glumdog Gazillionaire... :D

http://bedusworld.blogspot.com/2008/12/slumdog-millionaire.html

Kaminey firft look...

Lookf like Vifhal Bharadwaj if back with another adaption -thif time itf Fhakefpeare'f Comedy of Errorf...

Check out the theatrical trailer....fundoo :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0Z61ue5G4Q

Will he do an encore after converting vintage literature into mafterpiecef twice already with Omkara and Maqbool? Letf hope fo :)
DhanTaDaaaaaan....TaDaDaDaaaaan :)

The Wonderdog! ... and the others...

For all those wondering what all the brouhaha abt Slumdog Millionaire is, here's a revelation....Slumdog may not be a gr8 movie in the 'Oscar' sense of the word but fact is its won 8 of the 10 categories it was nominated in including Best Picture and Best Director.... ya ya...i know....everybody knows tht! wats so new abt it?!! every damn news channel worth its rock-salt is shouting frm the rooftops abt surmounting Mt. Oscar ever since the news broke....

Well...the news is...some "biggies" hvnt been taking it the rit way! What surprised me most whn Slumdog released abt a month ago in India was the way some ppl reacted to it, as can be read here...while i cudnt digest wt Bachchan said thn, i still decided to leave his opinion to him....until....this happened!
Right at the bottom of the post, BigB goes
"SlumDog is ok and Delhi 6 not ??"

Whats wrong Mr. Bachchan?? y do u want to compare every damn movie to Slumdog? and y do u hv to defend every damn movie ur son decides to portray his thespian skills in??
I must admit here tht i hvnt yet hd the chance to watch Delhi6...and i am very much looking fwd to it...ROM is probably one of the most responsible directors around and he makes socially relevant cinema which is the hallmark of an aware and awake citizen! but wt i do not undstnd is y the "so-called" superstar of Hindi cinema is unable to digest the success of Slumdog!! and y cant he take commercial failure of his son's movies in his stride?
Now, i did read the entire post, and tht guy surely seems to be having problms with critics...but at hs age an experience in ths field, u wud thnk he wud hv outgrown all ths stuff, wudnt u? he on the othr hand hs begun to tk everythng very personally and startd reacting to all and sundry....some maturity tht!!
Mr. Bachchan sir, thr r millions around the globe who still believe ur a good actor, urs truly being one of them.....but ths barrage of uninteresting roles, crappy adverts, constant nepotism (yeah thts wt it is!) and venomous immature statements tht u hv unleashed on the 'big,bad world' is totally uncalled for...whn u say 'Slumdog represents India as a third-world nation to the globe, is tht wt we r?', do u realise wt 'Boom', 'Bunty Aur Babli' or for tht matter even 'Amar Akbar Anthony' made out of us Indians? thank God, not many watched those movies globally, or mayb we wud never hv got the chance to showcase a rare Monsoon Wedding or Namesake or Slumdog to the world! With all due respect, I think its time to get back into action sir...Let ur 'bat' do the talking....shut down tht prejudiced blog for a few months and let the creative juices flow whr they ought to!
Amen!

Meanwhile, a certain Mr.Priyadarshan hd also taken potshots at Slumdog calling it cheap, trashy and mediocre....really sir? mediocre?? tht coming frm the director of gems such as Mere Baap Pehle Aap, KyonKi, Dhol and Bhool Bhulaiyya!! (yes, i am pointing out ur trashy, cheap and mediocre films only...bcz isnt tht wt u hv done!) ....for some1 who thrives on remakes of acclaimed malayalam movies, a story based on a novel is cheap only bcz of reasons as mundane as these: (in his own words)
"Why has Danny Boyle not taken one shot of Marine Drive? Do his slumdwellers exist only within their slums? And look at the absurdities…A boy becomes a national hero on a game show. One cop takes him under arrest and interrogates him relentlessly. Where is everyone else? Is this kind of confinement possible in this day and age when television cameras enter your bedroom?"
Ya right Mr...if i tried to apply so much logic to one of ur Bhagam Bhags or Billu Barbers, i wud b insane before i said B! look at ur own torn pajamas b4 pointing at someones trendy shorts and calling him naked! i kno, u hv made some good movies...and virasat is one of the best hindi films i hv seen till date...but tht doesnt giv u the right to judge any1 else's work so viciously...ur entitled to ur opinion and u cn keep it...dont say it out loud simply bcz ur in the same business and the day ur next movie releases, ur gonna hv a taste of ur own bitter medicine!!

Mumbai Meri Jaan...

First of all, i deserve a kick for not watching this movie much earlier, while at the same time ensuring i watched mindless crap lik Rab Ne, Race, Tashan within hours of release...Now, lets get to the point...

Mumbai Meri Jaan is sensible, sensitive, thought-provoking, subtle and responsible cinema... (Note how frequently the word 'subtle' has been used recently! hindi cinema IS changing after all!!)...the story is good, the characterizations are brilliant, the portrayals are almost-perfect, and most importantly, the direction is extremely apt and competent...thr r several moments in the story which touch u, move u, choke u, blast u away with thr simplicity and impact! i for one, cudnt hold back my tears at multiple points in this journey, notably KK's realization, Madhavan's visit to the hospital, Paresh Rawal's last scene and Irrfan Khan's redemption...Technically brilliant, the movie has its heart in the right place...and manages to put our hearts in the right places too...

Each and every actor deserves a standing applause for not just doing this film, but doing more thn full justice to it...one of the best ensemble casts ever! The end is so fitting and moving, tears refused to stop rolling down my cheeks whn Rafi's timeless rendition of 'Aye Dil Hai Mushkil Jeena Yahan...Zara Hatke Zara Bachke...Yeh Hai Mumbai Meri Jaan' began...

Truly the city rocks...and Mumbaikars rock the most! A fitting tribute to thr spirit! (and by spirit, i dont mean the gutless indifference tht the media keeps blabbering abt...i mean the real 'spirit'...watch the movie and u'll kno wt i mean :) )

P.S. : You can check out the official movie site here...creative!!

P.S. : If u read this post before sunday noon and if u hvnt seen the movie, u hv a golden chance to watch it on zee cinema sunday 12 noon....enjoy :)