Passing thought...

BTW dont u thnk tht, just lik the main protagonists in Ghajini/Memento, we all also suffer frm anterograde amnesia? I mean...aftr every terrorist activity, we also tend to forget it within 15 minutes and dont seem to remember anything at al aftr tht...so do v also need notes and photographs to remind us of wt hs transpired and wt needs to b done??

Round off (Bollywood)

Here's a round-up of wat clicked for me and wat didnt ths yr in Bollywood...

5 movies tht deserved more thn they got-
1. Oye Lucky Lucky Oye! - refreshing
2. Dasvidaniya - moving
3. Mumbai Meri Jaan - poignant
4. Sorry Bhai! - interesting
5. Heroes - well-meaning concept lost in wayward direction

5 movies tht got more thn they deserved-
1. Singh Is Kinng - deplorably hideous
2. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi - pretentious
3. Fashion - mediocre
4. Golmaal Returns - puerile
5. Race - mindless mockery of the audience's intelligence

5 movies that simply ROCKED-
1. A Wednesday - brilliant
2. Rock On - awesome!
3. Bachana Ae Haseeno - delightful
4. Ghajini - style!
5. Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na - breezy

5 movies that made ppl contemplate suicide-
1. Tashan - utter crap
2. Drona - ughhhh!
3. God Tussi Great H0 - WTF!
4. Love Story 2050 - OMG!
5. Kidnap - juvenile crap

Music albums of the year-
1. Rock On!
2. Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na
3. Jodha Akbar
4. Jannat
5. Dostana
6. Yuvvraaj
7. Bachana Ae Haseeno
8. Race
9. Ghajini
10. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

Here' s hoping for a good enough, if not better, 2009...thrs AK in Three Idiots, Hrithik in Kites, Salman in 3-4 movies (again!), Farhan Akhtar in Luck By Chance, Akki in CC2C, Aby's baby in Delhi 6 and SRK in My Name Is Khan and Billu Barber to look fwd to...plus a no. of smaller, more intelligent movies tht r sure to knock us off the floor!

AK shows how it otta be done!

Have u seen the Nagarjuna-starrer Mass? Don No. 1? Chiranjeevi's Indra-The Tiger? Nope?? Well then the new AK starrer may not be ur cup of tea...or is it? well frankly i dunno....

AK continues to surprise the audience with a new turn as a loverboy-turned-maniacal killer in this south-ishtyle entertainer...The movie isnt wat u wud expect frm the perfectionist, since we are accustomed to being made to think aftr watching most of hs movies...and with hs habit of raising the bar a few notches high wit every movie, m not surprised tht most of us expect the moon frm hs next venture every tim...so its pretty much an anti-climax whn AK returns to the big screen wit a film as hardcore-devoid of logic-commercial as any and catches the viewers on the wrong foot...m not gonna get into any of the loopholes/cliches, which r plenty in number as wel as severity....simply bcz for the entire running tim of 3 hr 5 min (yep its tht long!), i dint look at my watch even once...and tht is a mark of hw engrossing/gripping ths movie is! its not a masterpiece, its not a landmark, it may not even b anothr feather in Aamir's gloriusly over-crowded cap, but entertaining it sure is! and hugely at tht!

The direction hs a distinct south-indian flavor and it works big tim bcz of the conviction wit which AK plays hs character...its lik he believes ths guy exists and it is him! ur willing to suspend disbelief during the corniest of action scenes....simply bcz they dont seem corny with AK getting into the skin of the character....any othr actor in ths role and i wud hv laughed my way thru the 3 hrs...hats off to Aamir for having the guts to try out a mainstream, commercial role and doing more than full justice to it...Asin is gorgeous and does a fab job...Jiah Khan is miscast! and i especially hated the guy aftr whom the movie is named...he and hs band of goons is so nauseatingly cliche tht they seem to belong to a completely diffrnt movie...the screenplay hs a couple of gaping holes...and the background music can get on ur nerves at times...but its all in keeping wit the mood of the movie...the action scenes r raw and stylishly shot and executed...music is a (not really necessary) filler...but every song wit AK in it is brilliantly shot and presented...unfair to othrs but true!

At the core however, wat keeps the movie togethr othr than AK, is the delightfully penned back-story, which is breezy and interesting, primarily bcz of the lead actors...and the clinching aspect for me ws tht the movie wsnt pretentious or preachy at al...it didnt pretend to b intelligent or sermonizing or morally correct...all it did ws entertain! and thts not saying less...bcz i dont remember a recent movie tht made me sit thru the entire 2.5-3 hrs without giving a single yawn or fidgeting uncomfortably or looking at my watch even once...

Finally, Ghajini is no Memento...its not even close in terms of class...but in terms of style and performance, it sure does pack a powerful knock-out punch!

Adding to the original post on 27/12:
Here's wat Mr. Masand hs to say...pretty much wat i hd in mind :)
"
Ghajini works despite its shortcomings because it's a reliably dumb film that is unpretentious in its intentions. Unlike many dumb films that take themselves way too seriously, Ghajini is a dumb film that celebrates its dumbness......
Ghajini isn't a particularly good film, but entertainment it delivers by the bucketful. At a running time of 3 hours, the film seldom drags and therein lies its victory.......
this is Aamir Khan's way of telling us, 'Anything that Shah Rukh or Akshay can do, I can do just as well.'
"
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/masands-verdict-ghajini-is-dumb-and-celebrates-it/81344-8.html
Spoiler: Sanglichi Mulgi Sai Tamhankar plays an "important" part in the movie- tht of the second female lead's close frnd who appears on screen almost everytim she does...thts two in a row for Sai after Black and White...hope to c her in a lead role in a Bollywood flick soon :)

Rab needs to retire.Now.

As i cringed helplessly in my seat for the better part of 2.45 hrs, i cudnt believe the horror unfolding in front of me on the screen...Thr i was watching possibly THE most awaited movie frm YRF since long, and thr they were-the prime architects of the mega-project - Mr. 'I-am-the-greatest-ever' SRK and Mr. 'I-have-made-the-longest-running-film-ever-and-hence-I-rock' Aditya Chopra - botching up the film unforgivably! Day before, I had seen SRK harping in an interview abt how hs beloved "Adi" hd written the entire script in 12 days....now i kno how!

Rab Ne...is possibly one of the most gimmicky, illogical, irrational, chauvinistic and boring movies ever made...The plot is plain stupid/unbelievable, and while i can make my peace with tht, having likd a no. of David Dhawan films, the screenplay is, to put it mildly, pathetic, and the dialogues make u go "WTF" every now and then, and not for a good reason...SRK hams it up uncontrollably as Raj and makes u wanna eat ur own brains, surpassing his hamster-job in OSO by miles....to giv credit whr its due, he does try honestly and sincerely to portray a common-man character, and does succeed in a few moments...however, SRK being SRK, cant really change the way he emotes, and thts wt brings both the characters down...The new girl hs a single expression for the entire movie and u just cant undstnd wt the problem is wit her character...why does she agree to the marriage in the first place, why does she begin to lik Raj, why does she begin to like Suri, why, why, why....In fact the entire movie overflows with such why's...the girl does kno how to dance tho and she hs 'maintained' herself wel...so no complaints on tht count ;) Vinay Pathak does hs job wel altho hs character is so over-the-top u cant believ y HE hd to do the role...

but lets turn our attention now to the most crucial player in this entire melange...Mr. Rab...now, Sir, if ur reading ths frm somewhr, i urge u frm the bottom of my heart to retire....pronto...its high tim u let the humans in Adi Chopra's movies fend for themselves rathr thn banao-fying thr jodis...believ me...they dont need it....and neithr do we-the poor, hapless audience...

Turning our attention to the main culprit-Mr. Moneybanks....Aditya Chopra...i kno u lik to believe tht YOU are Rab...and the truth is, u need to retire before the original Rab (the 'uparwala pappe' as u ridiculously refer to Him in the movie!)... ur clueless as a director and very clearly stuck in a time-warp, much like Mr. Subhash Ghai, who gave us the 80s drama Yuvvraaj, and Mr. Harry Baweja, who ensured hs son wont get anothr movie by tryin to break the time-space continuum...and please-oh-please, kick ur dialogue writer for all he is worth...i wanted to kill myself whenevr i heard SRK saying in tht inimitably annoying style of hs 'Hum hain rahi pyaar ke....phir milenge chalte chalte' umpteen times in the movie...and the word Rab may soon enter the hall of fame of most used words in a worthless attempt at convenience and show-off...ditto for the ppl responsibl for the background music score...it gets so repetitive tht u start to feel somthngs wrong wit the audio...the no. of times they hv used the 'Haule haule' hook and the tune of 'Tujhme rab dikhta hai'....it drives u insane and makes u want to kill every1 responsibl for ths movie wit slow poison...

Thr r a couple of intelligent moments in the movie...especially the end credits, which r novel and interesting....and mayb the bollywood flashback song, which wud hv been a rage, hd v not seen somthng similar so recently in OSO, which btw ws light yrs ahead of Rab Ne.. in terms of intelligent humor (and sadly, stil dint manage to b path-breaking cinema, courtesy, once again, ham-star SRK!)...the placement of the song however, clearly shows the IQ level of the director...the songs r pretty good but fail to salvage the sinking ship...also, a couple of scenes r heart-warming and well-written, u thnk, but thn as soon as u begin to say to urself 'hey tht wsnt so bad....it ws pretty nice actually', the scene is stretched so much, it snaps into two, leading to the ugliest piece of acting and dialogue-delivery u cn imagine...and to make up for any sanity in the movie, u hv an array of ridiculously insane scenes, including the sumo-wrestler fight, the ILU light-up scene and the bike chase, which more thn manage to make u hang urself....

Also, the story reeks of chauvinism, and i cannot relate wit SRK trying hard to make his wife fall in love wit hs othr persona, and thn get all serious-an-emotional abt whethr she loves him or the othr 'him'...WTF dude, u startd the game and watevr she feels, ur utterly responsibl for it! m not even gonna bring up the pt of how the dumb @$$ Taani (yah...thts wt her name is!) cant distinguish between Suri and Raj, jus bcz of the outer appearance, altho they both hv similar emoting prowess...the famous monkey-expression on SRK's face is a dead, dead give-away...

This is possibly one of the biggest failures of the year, in terms of converting a good concept into a good movie, according to me...tht may not be the case for many, i kno, for, SRK enjoys an unending following...but all i wud lik to say is, Mr. Khan and Mr. Chopra, the world hs moved on....For an audience habituated to sumptuous food comprising of Rock On, A Wednesday, and even your own Bachana Ae Haseeno, and some tasty tit-bits lik Oye Lucky and Dasvidaniya, Rab Ne is lik the stale Chyawanprash tht ppl stopped eating long long long ago!

P.S.: ths movie doesnt deserv such a big review and so much of my tim...but thr r bound to b accusations of being anti-SRK(not entirely true) and promoter of realistic cinema(not at al true!), hence the detailed review :)

P.S. 2: check out http://passionforcinema.com/rab-ne-bana-di-jodi-a-question-of-answers/ hilarious :)

Oye Lucky!

This one's a fab film by Dibakar Banerjee, after his immensely enjoyable debut with Khosla Ka Ghosla...The film treats its audiences intelligence as somethng tht needs to be valued unlik a lot of recent movies and the multiple layers tht exist almost throughout the movie, are just brilliant from the conception and writing point of view...

Similar in theme (a rare case of genuine inspiration here, probably unintended!) to Spielberg's cat-and-mouse game Catch Me If You Can, Oye Lucky...Lucky Oye is a warm, honest film tht succeeds on all the counts. Abhay Deol deserves special mention here. He seems to b the only one in thr elite family who actually hs the sense to spot good scripts and then the sensibility to protray the characters with an uncanny chutzpah. His more brawny and less brainy cousins surely need to tk a leaf or 2 out of hs book!

The movie isnt straightforward tho and tht cud b a deterrent for those who hv no appetite for the subtle...the othrs, jus get hold of ths one!

Slipping away....

Slowly but surely, i felt life slipping away frm my tighly closed fist...the feeling ws horrible...it ws lik, all i hd ever dreamt abt, wud remain a dream forever...i ws happy in my own world, but not necessarily in the real world...the conflicts hd become too gory to endure...the minutes were running away...the sand tht ws tim ws dripping away....my tighly closed fist ws found wanting...i ws on the verge of losing a battle i dint choose to fight....and thn....a ray of light shone on the insides of my cerebrum...and my fist opened...it ws tightly closed no more...wonder of wonders, time stopped in its tracks...an thr i ws, back on my feet...ready to face the world....ready to accept and move on...ready for anothr innings....just ready and game for life!

P.S. : This is jus a fictional account...and NOT my story! ;) m too cheerful to be drawn into such depths of depression :)

Been there...done that...

Year: 1992 Courtesy: www.xkcd.com

Recent reads...

Wanted to write abt ths books i finished in the last couple of weeks since sometim but cudnt overcome my inertia...

1. The Interpretation Of Murder - Jed Rubenfeld



An excellent detailed study in Freudian psychology with a taut thrilling fictional storyline tht never overshadows the psychological base underneath...do go for it if ur a fan of Freud/psychology/Hamlet/books tht giv more thn entertainment....one of the best books in recent times...


2. Of Course, I Love You - Durjoy Datta, Maanvi Ahuja


Of Course, I Love You - Till I Find Someone Better
A chic-lit novel tht rises frm ashes to end as a truly inspiring, realistic tk on Gen Y...Good read tho not fantabulous, jus bcz the authors indulge in too much unnecessary trash initially...


On the anvil: The White Tiger, The Dilbert Principle, Jurassic Park, You Are Here, False Impressions, Garfield's 21st bday...

Me, We, Country....

To be or not to be....
To see or not to see....
Should I just look nonchalantly and let the drama unfold...
Or should I blow more hot and a lil less cold...
Is whats happening really relevant to me...
Is it just a nightmare that will eventually flee...
Should I jus sit back and wait for things to change...
Or is it something thats within my own range....
Am I just a pawn in this dirty game...
Or have I lost the ability to stay true to my name...
Does my opinion, my point of view, really count...
Am I also of importance paramount....
Have I lost my inner voice that wants me to fight....
Have I forgotten the difference between wrong and right....
Is life really a complex series of equations....
Or is it just a facade to hide the real complications...
If I do not know, I am living why....
Do I have to worry if I'll live or die...
Tit for tat may seem like a human rights violation...
But how else do you react when someone indulges himself in your immolation...
Being resilient enough to bounce back is indeed commendable...
But does it give others a license to kill and make you unstable...
Am I too confused about my personal and social life...
Am I too confused about whether I need a gun or a knife...
Is staying indifferent the solution to this plea...
To be or not to be....To see or not to see....

Finally out of the closet!

The coming-of-age story of Bollywood continues with Dostana...not too willing to dwell on the moral/social aspect of it, let me get straight to the point behind writing ths post...

Dostana is a hilarious mad-caper with plenty of intelligent and subtle moments of humor...(and also its share of puerile banality and needless showcasing of John's anatomy(sorry girls!), which i am just gonna ignore bcoz i want 2 :D)...the story plot is interesting, the screenplay is "convenient", the jokes simply rock, the performances r decent (the dialogues r by-and-large indecent tho ;) ), the drama sucks big-time, the climax is loooooooong-drawn and bobby deol needs to retire...but inspite of all this, i enjoyed the movie a lot, simply bcoz everytim ur abt to cringe, a dollop of clever humor puts a smile on ur face and in a matter of minutes, u forget wat u hated jus some tim ago...brownie pts to the debutant director for tht!

Dostana brings the fun back in movies aftr quite some time...tht its not a masterpiece is a given! but for some not-entirely-mindless entertainment (not to mention, some great eye-candy ;) ), ths is the movie to go for!

P.S. : Strictly not recommended for uptight,sophisticated prudes who turn thr noses away at the mention of the word 'gay'! If u fall in ths category, i hope u hvnt even read till here! U wud do better to find a copy of Champak rathr thn suffer thru ths movie!

Ha!

PhD comics hs come up wit exactly wat i and many lik me r feeling rit now or wil feel in few months frm now...hats off! :)

Source: http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1033

Cant hardly wait...

Ever since i have caught a glimpse of Aamir's cool dude act in the teasers of Ghajini, I have not been able to restrain myself frm watching the promo again an again...and the prime reason behind it, besides Aamir, is the background score...its like a whiff of fresh air tht precedes a cool breezy wind...with A R Rehman at the helm, we can expect anothr encore...ths guy hs given path-breaking scores thrice already ths yr wit Jodhaa Akbar, Jaane Tu and Yuvvraaj (make tht 4 if u count Ada)...and looks lik hes gonna come up with anothr tantalising score for this one...

coming back to the movie, the promo is really stylish and its cool to see Aamir play the tough guy for a change...admittedly, ths is an out and out masala movie acc to him and i hope its doesnt turn out to b anothr Fanaa, which hd all the elements of a turkey...Moreover, being a YashRaj movie and with Kunal Kohli in the driver's seat, all you cud expect was cliches galore and they didnt disappoint...but ths is different...being a rehash of a rehash (Tamil Ghajini which was 'inspired' frm Christopher Nolan's brilliant Memento) it does hv an interesting storyline...and Aamir being Aamir, rest assured it'll be different to say the least...Hope Ghajini gives us somethng to cheer for as ths yr ends...till then...

This December

forget everything

remember

only

GHAJINI

:)

The one with all the FRIENDS rip-offs...

This ones dedicated in the fond memory of all those who blatantly ripped off scenes and concepts frm FRIENDS and thot they were making thr movies cooler by doing so...As if none frm India watched, and still watches, FRIENDS....

1. On top of my list here is the climax scene frm the no-brainer Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya, which itself was a copy of the Hollywood vintage comedy Cactus Flower. The scene whr Sushmita gets a call which prompts fellow passenger Arbaaz to proclaim somethings wrong with the plane is such a frame-by-frame copy of FRIENDS 1oth season (and hence, series) finale tht i dont even want to say anythng els...The movie was a turkey, and did pretty good business in India, as most turkeys do!

2. The next one on the list is another shameless xerox...The introduction scene of Vatsal Seth in the recently released Heroes, which itself again is an 'inspired' version of Motorcycle Diaries...The scene bears uncanny resemblance to The One With All The Resolutions whr Ross's leather pants create a typically "Ross" situation :D

3. Preity Zinta's pregnancy in the unbearable unintended horror Salaam Namaste is so much like Rachel's whn she's gonna have Emma, tht u mit actually mistake one for the othr if u happen to catch a fleeting glimpse of either on tv....but wait for just a sec and u'll know which is which...while FRIENDS maintains humor in just the perfect vein, Salaam Namaste goes way over the top making the scene extremely puerile and juvenile...

4. Now this ones not really a rip-off...lets call it an inspiration...Akshay Kumar's nerdy look in college in the Broadway-musical inspired Jaaneman is inspired frm Ross Geller's college look...thrs more similarities thn differences betn the two...but ths i gues can b described as a case of genuine inspiration rathr thn plagiarism....

So thats that ladies and gentlemen! :) Do let me know in case u come across any more cases of FRIENDS being copied around and i'll be happy to add to this notorious list :)
Note: This post is strictly original and any copies of this would amount to plagiarism and catapult the culprit into the elite league above :D
P.S. : I apologise for the poor quality of some of the movie scenes...they r screenshots taken frm youtube videos. On the othr hand, all FRIENDS clips r frm HD videos i have with me, hence the quality difference...

Will Saina go the Sania way??? I hope not...

While watching all the adulation this precocious 18 year old is receiving for her fabulous performances in recent times, a rather strange thought struck my mind....Will this seemingly simple and highly talented girl's talent also get buried under the barrage of multinational sponsors, glamorous ad shoots, huge fan-base, spectators knowing zilch abt baddy wanting to watch her matches with 'ulterior' motives, careless statements, bollywood boyfriends, "anti-india" sentiments, unwanted stalkers, mms scandals, bold t-shirt slogans, broken wrists and short skirts??? Only time can tell....but i sincerely hope not...we dont need another pin-up girl, who flatters to deceive...

Economics and Raj???

Reproducing a highly insightful article i read on rediff today...Not too keen to debate on THE issue...but this is a rathr 'hatke' viewpoint on a much-chewed topic....

The economics that drives the politics of Raj Thackeray
M R Venkatesh
October 29, 2008
Draw a line between Chennai and Chandigarh. Seven out of the eight IPL cricket teams are on the line or to the 'Right' of this line. The only team that is to the 'Left' of this line, expectedly, is the Kolkatha team. And when the IPL will be expanded in the following seasons, one can readily think of teams from Ahmadabad, Nagpur, Goa, Kochi or perhaps Vadodara - all to the 'Right' of my imaginary line.
But to conceive of an IPL team from say Lucknow or Patna or Bhubaneswar - all to the 'Left' of my line even after ten years from now is as remote as snow in Chennai. The reference to IPL teams, at the outset, is to merely sensitise the reader to the issue on hand - growing regional (economic) disparity and its impact on national politics. After all, sport is an index of prosperity, isn't it?
While India had grown for the past three decades at approximately six per cent per annum, states like Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra which are to the 'Right' of this line grew much faster rate than the national average. In contrast, states like Bihar, UP and Bengal - those on the 'Left' of this line grew lower than the national average. In the process, they did pull down the national average substantially.
What is interesting to note here is that in contrast to the 'North-South' divide as propounded by Raj Thacakery and his brand of politics, this is an 'East-West' problem or better still a 'Right-Left' problem.
Economists point out that this regional disparity has reached a stage where the per capita income of Punjab is five times that of say Bihar. No wonder , out of the 150 Naxal hit districts of the country, constituting about 25 per cent of all districts in the country, virtually each one of them are to the 'Left' of my imaginary line.
This is not limited to income alone. On social indices like health, education and infant mortality, a state like Gujarat which seems to have caught up with at-least the South East Asia is no match for a state like say Bengal or Orissa.
The lower growth rate in 'Left' India, the relatively poorer quality of governance, the appalling state of infrastructure, social indices that match sub-Saharan Africa, growing Naxal menace leading to severe law and order problems have lead to the inevitable and consequential migration of people from these place to the other parts of the country.
It is the failure of policy framers to address the regional disparity that is providing fuel to the politics of Raj Thacakery and his ilk. Raj is clearly wrong in his choice of words, expressions and actions. Similarly, by mixing culture perhaps he is missing the woods for the trees.
But surely, he is not wrong with his larger idea. Sooner or later the nation needs to answer the profound questions raised by Raj - for how long can we permit one way migration from a set of states to others in search of jobs?
The bumble bee paradigm
According to the established laws of physics, a bumble bee cannot fly. Physicists insist that the body of a bumble bee is not by nature aerodynamic and hence conducive to flying. Yet the fact of the matter is that the bumble bee flies. The only explicable reason provided by physicists is that the bumble bee does not understand the law of physics established by them and hence is not constrained by it! Obviously, had the bumble bee understood physics, it would never fly.
Perhaps a similar analogy could be extended to the success of people to the 'Right' of my imaginary line. A difficult terrain - most of this area is parched or semi-arid - makes agriculture difficult in this area. Similarly, this area cannot boast of any substantial mineral wealth.
Similarly, this area is neither suitable for setting up industries or agriculture, except in patches. Like the bumble bee, people of this area have really discarded theory and have gone on to write their own grammar of economic success.
In contrast, it may be noticed that most of the perennial rivers flow through the left of this line. Naturally, the Gangetic plain is one of the most fertile places for agriculture in India. This flow of perennial rivers make is further blessed by copious rains year after year making it theoretically possible for this place to become the granary for entire India.
Further, most of India's mineral wealth is located to the left of this line. All these factors combine to make this area an ideal place for business, trade or agriculture in India. Like their counterparts to the other side of the line, people here too have rejected all these theories. No wonder, extortion is one of the biggest industries in Bihar!
In effect, India to the 'Right' of my imaginary line is comparatively (and that is the operative word here) more industrialised, far better governed and enjoys a higher level of human development indices than India to the 'Left' of this line. That explains in a way the shift of Nano factory of Tata motors from West Bengal to Gujarat.
Caste in economics, caste in politics
The answer to this contrasting development, achieved by people who are blessed in every possible way and those who are not, is indeed fascinating to say the least. How is it possible that in two distinct areas within a same country, governed by the same set of laws, rules and regulations, one is more relatively more prosperous than the other, especially given the fact that the latter has more natural resources?
The answer to this conundrum is perhaps as intriguing as the conundrum itself. It may not out of place to mention that the linkages between caste and economics (as they are with politics) are one of the most neglected aspects of economic and sociological studies in India.
The reason for the same is fairly obvious. Most economic theories in India are rooted in economic theories of the West. Since there is no caste in the west, western economists have the luxury of ignoring the impact of caste in their studies. But how can any one in India ignore caste, be it economic or politics?
Caste has been an important instrument of change in modern India. People to the 'Left' of this line - say in Bihar or UP have naturally associated caste with politics with an obvious belief that capturing political power through caste equations would deliver and emancipate them.
Naturally, politicians from these areas believe in portfolios like Railways, fertilisers or for that matter coal and mines that would facilitate them to deliver largesse to their own constituency through governmental interventions.
In a way caste in politics becomes important here. Politics and state power is sadly seen as an end in itself. This meant that private initiative was exterminated over the years in these states making virtually everyone dependent on government for employment
In contrast, people to the 'Right' of this line have traditionally leveraged their caste affiliations, not for capturing state power, but for strengthening their economics. Naturally, for these people caste is important for furthering their economic interests, while capturing state power through caste is incidental.
Bihar, UP or for that matter West Bengal cannot be exceptions to the global order of governments being incapable of delivering on growth and development. And having to this day believed that it is the government that would fully deliver on their growth and development, people to the 'Left' of this line are now caught in a bind.
Liberalised India, which unlike socialist India offers limited scope for the government itself. Naturally that translates into limited job opportunities. As opportunities shrink, naturally their tone gets shriller. That would explain the fixation with Railway recruitment, which provides for opportunities not only within their state but in others too.
It is this excessive reliance on the power of the government to deliver ignoring the natural resources and ability that has been at the root of the current problem in 'Left' India. Naturally, fifty per cent of our population living in this area have a choice to turn in Naxalites or to become an immigrant within the country. Either way it is not a happy situation as it puts extraordinary pressure on the rest of the country.
In effect, caste with politics in the absence of economics has been a wholesome disaster for some of these states while caste in economics with marginal assistance from politics has been a wholesome success. In effect, the present imbroglio is an issue between castes who have taken to politics and those who have taken to economics.
The only way out is rapid build up of confidence of business and businessmen in Bihar and UP and to ensure indigenous businesses in Bihar. Economic prosperity in these places must be ensured by local businesses, not by outsiders or their government.
Since it is a superhuman effort and cannot be done by ordinary mortals, will Laloo and Mulayam - the two caste leaders of these two states and considered supermen by their respective followers - give up politics and take to business? In the process they could do a world of good to India economics and to Indian politics.

PS: While the law of the land could well punish Raj, who will punish these politicians who have kept 'Left' India poor and created the problem in the first place?

The author is a Chennai-based Chartered Accountant. He can be contacted at mrv@mrv.net.in

11 reasons why Fashion didnt work for me

1. Its too shallow...thrs much more to the fashion world thn wat Mr. Bhandarkar claims to know.
2. I didnt feel anything for any of the protagonists/antagonists...no sympathy,no empathy,no love,no hate...nothing....zilch....
3. I am not particularly a fan of Fashion shows...i find them rather dull and boring...
4. Priyanka Chopra sleepwalked thru her role and thts wat made this more of a mainstream masala movie (with very less masala btw) rathr thn a realistic one....
5. Thrs zero shock value and v hv seen/heard/known more shocking thngs in our day-to-day lives...
6. There are more than half a dozen gaping holes in the plot (like for eg. why does priyanka hv a cigarette in her handbag if she doesnt smoke??) and i dont even want to discuss all of thm here....coming frm a director who claims to hv dished out a 'realistic' take on the fashion world, thts a huge disappointment...
7. I refuse to buy there are only gays in the fashion world...and i refuse to buy tht all gays are effeminates...
8. The story loses steam, and the audience patience, halfway thru the plot...
9. The movie is not really abt fashion...its abt a model and the story of her life...
10. You can see the twists and turns in the story frm a mile away...
And finally....
11. I saw the movie twice and dint find much worth on either occasion...

O2

After a long and eventful trip to la-la-land (read Sangli, with most time spent in The Shrine or on Dhav's couch), i cant keep back frm sayin' this....These guys r my oxygen...i wud probably choke without them in my life...without them, my life wud b like heart without beats (ah!melodrama), like Dev Anand without his leg-spinning action, like search without google, like news without IndiaTV, like devil without horns and like Aussies without Warne.... (sounds weird? so wat? who cares with ths guys around!) So guys, this ones a tribute to you...i hv one word/phrase for each of you...here goes...



Dhav: Bhai!


Niks: The othr half of our Phoonked-up pair and my partner in crime since ages


Ravi : Gentlest Big Brother anyone cud hv


Ro: Seems very profound...and is! in his PJs (no i dont mean in his Pajamas!) :D


Anup: Talented but A-May-Zzzing!


Varun: Dude!
Pic courtesy Ravs and his unending creativity!

Pu: Takloshri Mandar Kane


Vish: Gentlest and most understanding Small Bro anyone can hv


Andy: Riteish ;)


Jammy: Wacky!...until then 'Chhup Gaya Hain Badalon Mein Chand Kyon?' :D


Deeps: Atta girl!


Ru: Only girl i know, with a sense of humor!


Sur: Varu's sweetu! ;)


Niki: I'm stuck in my college! @#$%^&


Asa: I'm stuck in my work! @#$%^&


Nams: Ata kay baba...majja ahe eka mulichi! :)


YOU ALL ROCK! :)

Google-jacked!

Another brilliant one frm xkcd....thr brand of humor jus cracks me up... :)

Original and many more at http://xkcd.com/

P.S. : Guys (and girls who dont mind some harmless humor on even 'forbidden' topics) check this out ...

http://xkcd.com/487/

Not for the shy and inhibited....Dont sue me if it offends u!

Some points worth noting...

At the end of the day's play, there are a few pearls to take home....
1. Sachin is GOD.Period.
2. Inspite of him being GOD,India can still play like a mediocre team and let the advantage wrested away easily.
3. Aussie media in general sucks...big time...
4. Dravid may probably never regain his big-innings touch altho he can stil bat wit grace and panache....
5. Sehwag was born to b a whirlwind...and not even his Reliance-weilding mom can change tht...
6. The "old guys" are still looked upon to stabilize India in turbulent times even whn they r blamed for not putting thr hands up more often...and wats more, they respond almost everytim tht happens...
7. Aussies dont seem as intimidating this time as they usually do...but discipline is still the key to thr success....and our doom...
8. i dont see many ppl following the "biggest" rivalry in world cricket in the "purest" form of the game....is tht an indicator of something tht the "veteran" gang of experts refuse to accept?

What the Phoonk!

Is tht supposed to be terrifying?or is it funny?
Phoonk off RGV...You need a psychiatrist...and a better suited job...

What A Wednesday!

Blown Away! Thts wat i felt when i saw this masterpiece for the first time last week...
Blown Apart! Thts wat i felt when i saw this masterpiece for the second time last week...

Rarely does a movie touch ur heart and soul to such an extent tht u feel the actor mouthing the dialogues on screen is actually you...those r ur words....tht is ur body language...tht is ur frustration...those r ur hurt eyes....those r ur thoughts....tht is YOU!
Naseeruddin Shah and Anupam Kher give career-best performances in this slice of real life, whose simplicity of putting across a very poignant and apt point in today's troubled times, when a blast is as routine as load-shedding, will never cease to amaze people for ages to come....Naseer sir's monologue in the end is so exactly wat u an i hv hd in mind for so long...we hv been wanting to say it...but cudnt find the words...and the guts...

hats off wud b a very tiny thng to say to such a masterly effort...
hya movie shi associated saglyana majha sashtanga namaskar!

Hello...

A pretty decent adaption of a pretty decent book, enacted by pretty decent actors who come up with some pretty decent performances, under pretty decent direction...Go in after reading all the movie-bashing reviews and u mit even feel lik u hv seen a very good movie :) A rare case whr bad reviews actually help the movie... :)

Check out what Chetan Bhagat himself has to say abt Hello...

LMAO...

The silliest comment i hv read on the internet in a long long time......

A 'guy' commenting on the review of kidnap on a news website...
Hi Minisha,
I male
You cute
When we marry?
Take care
Yours truly
Anil

Kidnapped cleavage....

Pardon my language ( to borrow a phrase frm A Wednesday)... but Kidnap is such an amateurish attempt at movie-making tht u can actually hv a gr8 tim laughing ur @$$ off in the theatre, just like i did...the only redeeming factor (just for guys...and some bicurious girls :P) is plenty of cleavage (and a lot LOT more) on display throughout the 2.25 hrs...if thts ur definition of wholesome entertainment, go for it! Its definitely not mine....altho to be entirely honest, i dint mind the 'show' at all. Which guy in his right senses would?!! :)

Can you believe this chick's been kidnapped a few hrs ago by tht brooding guy standing in the background???

...and check out her 'wardrobe' while shes in captivity!

@Mr. Gadhvi: As if Dhoom 2 wasnt enough!!!

Drona who?

By now all of you must hv seen the strikingly 'original', 'Mummy-esque' promos of tht horribly miscast, botch-up-of-a-movie 'Drona', which hs AB's baby playing an (utterly overweight) superhero in a ridiculously golden fantasy world...I happened to chance upon an interview of the director of the movie, who's fatso's childhood frnd and apparently thts his only claim to fame, othr than his trophy wife, the ravishing Sonali Bendre! (oh yes...he made tht long-forgotten flick 'Bas Itna Sa Khwab Hain' 5-6 yrs back, but i wudnt call tht a claim to 'fame'!)...The interview is a study in how some people love to dig their own grave...much in advance...its as if they are relishing thr own impending death... :)

Here's the article along with some 'vishesh tippani' :D

Bollywood Hungama reports:

Bollywood director Goldie Behl said his decision to make a sequel of his forthcoming film Drona will not depend on its box office performance. Behl, who had announced a sequel of his movie Drona even before its release, said "I will be making a sequel of it anyway. I hope that the film is well received, but even if it is not, I will go with its sequel".

BRAVO! You sure have guts!

"When I wrote this film, I had written so much that it cannot be incorporated in a single film. The end of the film leaves a question mark. So there is already a story before and after the film. It has a prequel and sequel written in the story form. I am sure people would like to know what happened before and after this," Behl said.

Really?! How can you be so sure of wat the ppl like and wat they dont? And if u hv perfected tht particular art, why dint u use it to design better promos thn the tacky ones currently on air?

The director said it now depends on Eros, Rose movies and Abhishek Bachchan to come up together as he is ready to start the sequel immediately after its release. Behl said Abhishek would be part of the sequel but as far as other actors are concerned he has not decided yet.
What about casting Aishwarya Rai? "Aishwarya is my 'bhabhi' and if she likes the subject and role, it would be privilege and honour for me to work with her."

Stop licking AB's feet, you jackass!And cut the 'bhabhi' crap....

Goldie Behl, who is the son of veteran director producer late Ramesh Behl, debuted as a director with Bas Itna Sa Khwab Hai which starred Abhishek Bachchan along with Rani Mukherjee and Sushmita Sen. Behls and Bachchans are family friends as Ramesh Behl had produced and directed various films with Big B which included hits like Kasme Vaade and Pukar.

Pukar??A hit?? It had the ignominy of being cald Tukaar rathr thn by its real name in the era bygone...

"Abhishek is my younger brother and I want him in every film unless he has no problem with it." So is there any chance for other actors in Goldie's film? "It will all depend on the script. I go with the casting according to the script and if there is any chance for any other actor I along with Abhishek will decide on whom to cast in the film."

Just observe how he contradicts himself!Abhi wil b in all his films....and yet the casting depends on the script whn it comes to othr actors!!! Or does this Goldie guy thnk AB can suit any role?! jus lik his over-exposed dadda! :P

About his future plans, Behl said after Drona his production company Rose Movies are planning for three movies, one of which will be directed by him.
"Film production has been our family business and we are now trying to come up with it in a big way," Behl added.
There have been speculations in the media that Drona which was supposed to be released sometimes in August was postponed to give Yashraj's Bachna Ae Haseeno a fair run in theatres. What does Goldie have to say on it?
"There is no truth in it at all. The release date was postponed as I needed more time to work on my special effects which is an integral part of it."
He said half of his film's look has been created in computer graphics.
"This is a super natural film where many things are fictional which need to be created in a computer and which takes a lot of time. So the time taken for it will be worth watching, that I can assure."

Beat this! The fictional 'things' need to be 'created' "IN" a computer!!! Which colg did u go to dude?

About the story of the film, he said though it is a supernatural story everyone will be able to relate to it. It is a film which children as well as grown ups can enjoy.

Now hows tht for originality!Never heard any director say tht abt his upcoming movie!

"It's an adventure fantasy which belongs to the category of Harry Potter or Indiana Jones. It is inspired by comic books, graphic novels and Indian mythology and it is truly Indian in approach."

Dude wait for the film to find its own destiny...M darn sure you will hv ur foot in ur mouth in 2 weeks frm now...And plz oh plz...Potter and Indiana Jones r legend franchises...ur moronic attempt at an Indianized version of Mummy-meets-paunch may not even come close to Hollywood crap like 'Journey to the centre of the earth' or even 'Mummy III'

It is the story of Aditya, a descendent of a royal family, played by Abhishek who realises the purpose of his existence and how he lives up to it.

Has Abhishek realised the purpose of HIS existence yet??

Aditya, who is also called Drona, fights with a powerful evil magician Ritz played by Kay Kay Menon in order to save the world from his evil intentions.

Ritz??Isnt tht the name of a French hotel?And dint this Goldie dude just say its an Indianized version?! He must b getting all old and senile...He wud rathr change his name to Oldie...

And hv u seen the TinTin-hairdo tht Kay Kay Menon sports as Ritz-the evil magician!Was tht a result of one of his evil magic tricks?! And why do all superheroes always hv to save the whole wide world??

The producers have spent a huge amount of money -- Rs.220 million -- for the look of Ritz, his den and troops and the special effects.
"We wanted to show Ritz as extremely powerful so we have created the atmosphere which builds up an extra-powerful image of the villain."
"The more powerful the villain, greater the conflict and more the excitement," quipped the director.

Oh crap! 220 million for tht fit-for-an-asylum-inmate hairdo and those tacky sandstorms???

However, Behl said the USP of his film is Jaya Bachchan. He said: "Jaya aunty is playing the reel life mother of Abhishek for the first time which is the USP of my film."
"She has a very important role in the movie which needs to be watched out for," Behl added.

You can guess how good a film is gonna b whn its USP is a real life mom-son pair debuting as an on-screen mom-son pair! This despite the Gold-jerk harping endlessly abt how the special effects cost so much of thr money and time!

The film, slated to hit the theatres Oct 2, also stars Priyanka Chopra as Abhishek's body guard.

The telling blow is dealt with a finality in ths last stmt which showcases tht the cry-bABy still needs someone to guard him...even aftr getting an ice-cold wifey! :P

Afterthought: Is Drona wearing a golden costume bcoz the name of the movie's director is Goldie? :P

Time....

Time heals everything....
Unfortunately it also destroys everything....

The One

No no...I am not inspired by the lame Jet Li-starrer of the same name that ushered a new era in banality a few years ago :D This is the title of a poem i had written in my third year of UG...sometim in Dec 2005...while preparing for my GRE (there goes the widely-held misconception - tht i was 'ultra' sincere in my GRE prep - for a toss :D ) I am not really a poetic kinda guy - I lack the patience - but don know how and why i composed this one...it just sort of flowed...and no prizes for guessing whr i composed it :)

I am reproducing the poem below for people who mit be genuinely interested...and also for those searching for an opportuinity to tk a potshot at me :P

The One
Standing at the crossroads
When you have a say,
It is way too easy
To take the easier way

Ignore the righteous path
And just let it be,
'That'll take gumption,
And it is not for me'

The one who treads the lonely path
And walks the tougher lane,
No doubt will be bruised
And tested time and again.

Will take more than mere grit
To see him safely through,
Delve deeper in your psyche
And see if it can be you.

The poem was published in COEP's Annual Magazine for 2006-07 'Niyanta' ...altho m not sure if it was due to its "merits" or some othr reason :)

P.S. : For anyone who hs managed to yawn to the bottom of the post, the poem was conceptualised(i was tempted to use the word 'conceived' but (wisely) decided against it :) ) in one of the bath cubicles of the great D block of COEP hostel, while i was taking a bath...weird, isnt it! :)

Some stuff you never wanted to know...

The net is replete with insignificant,moronic data...
Here's some food-for-nought...some invaluable addition to your "knowledge" ...
1. Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.
2. If you keep a Goldfish in the dark room, it will eventually turn white.
3. If Barbie were life-size, her measurements would be 39-23-33. She would stand seven feet, two inches tall and have a neck twice the length of a normal human's neck.


4. Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.
5. If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days, you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee.
6. If you fart consistently for 6 years and 9 months, enough gas is produced to create the energy of an atomic bomb.

Now, did you know ANY of that?!!
And we call ourselves educated and learned...

Keep It Simple Stupid...

To quote my friend Harsh...(and to borrow a line or two frm his blog :D )

Statutory Warning: Chaste women, extra sensitive girls and overtly sensitive males... do NOT visit the link that is shown on this post. If you do, it will be at your own peril, I take no responsibility for anything the other guy has written. If it offends you, don't sue me!

Its a mad mad world...

The last line in the above article deserves special mention!

(@Harsh: I hope you dont mind the blatant plagiarization! :D )

MS...aa raha hoon main...

Maa kasam...this application stuf hs beaten the pulp out of me...so much tht i feel lik m a boxer in a ring who gets a kick out of getting his @$$ kicked...

itni sari universities hain yaar...its impossible to keep up wit the american bozos...they keep on updating thr webpages on a regular basis...some as regular as bloggers...i doubt some may even be thnking of those websites as thr personal blogs...

really, applying is a hell of a job...as if studying for and worrying abt GRE wasnt enough...m so so bored looking at websites rit now tht i wud giv an arm and a leg for a web-free world (no pun intended Mr. Spiderman...u can continue to kick @$$ and prove tht 'with gr8 power comes gr8 responsibility')...i hv decided tht m gonna jus apply to whichevr univs i feel lik...go by my instinct...rathr thn continue wit ths time-devouring, idiotic and utterly hopeless survey i hv been carrying out for the past 4 months...

MS waalon...look out...kyonki aa raha hoon main...

A Prisoner....of Habit

Finished Archer's latest thriller last night...felt good to read a book by him aftr so long....My previous reads in a reverse chron order in the past few months hv been: 3 mistakes, Fountainhead, Timeline, Shantaram, Andromeda Strain, The Google Story.... So aftr Chrichton and some heavy-duty stuff, felt safe and at ease in Archer's hands...
No one entertains like him!

Rock On ROCKS!!!

Ladies and gentleman, guys and gals, brothers and others, the time has come! Finally!!! Indian movies' coming-of-age story has taken a much-awaited, poignant, all-important twist with 'Rock On!!', which itself is a coming-of-age story about a wannabe rock band. Just read why, before getting all cynical about the veracity and validity of my statements... :)

1. The movie is unconventional in almost every sense of the term despite having a conventional premise...

2. None of the characters feel overreacting is becoming to thr character...

3. When Farhan's wife asks him why he has kept her out of his previous life, neither of them shout,rant or rave...

4. When Farhan meets his ex, who had been unceremoniously and insensitively dumped by him a decade ago, she doesnt give him a 'look'... nor do her horrendous memories come gushing out all of a sudden...They are both mature individuals and they interact like any1 ought to...

5. 10 years down the line when Magik walk into the Channel V office for a meeting with the honcho, only to find tht its one of thr bitter, old-time rock-rivals, all they do is bat an eyelid...thts it...none of the old contempt flows out, the dude doesnt act like he's in charge of thr futures/lives, thrs no bad blood between thm....in fact most even manage a smile :)

6. The ending scene which describes the aftermath of the show, shows the rival guy along wit Farhan's ex, who is married to rival guy, as a part of thr later lives....very real, mature and inspiring!

7. The rock arrangements are true-blue rock... and mind-blowing....Rarely have we seen live music of such authentic nature in any form of art....

8. The movie is markedly different frm the lovely Tom Hanks-starrer 'That Thing You Do' but its spirit is basically a worthy clone of DCH....

9. Every actor in the movie is worth his/her salt and knows how and whr to act and react...Be it Shahana (Arjun's bitter wife), Prachi, Purab or Luke...

10. The cinematography is compelling and complements the script and music beautifully...

11. The music ROCKS! Jus ponder over the lyrics to know wat i mean...

12. The lead actor has sung all the songs himself...and done a commendable job...His vocals lend an added charm and raw quality to the songs...

13. The tumor-guy Luke doesnt fall down on the stage a-la SRK in innumerable movies, to seek audience sympathy...

14. The movie doesnt end on an unrealistic note showing the protagonists as successful rockers in thr 30s....

15. The end screen is not ur regular 'THE END' or 'Happily Ever After' tag...it urges you to help prevent piracy...

These are jus a few of the many thngs tht stood out in this amazing movie-watching experience...

First JTYJN, then BAH and now Rock On!!! Indian cinema is on a roll!!!And we are not complaining... :)

Can u recognize this guy?

THEN ....



....AND NOW :)



Found this extremely rare pic of Michael Phelps online...He was a tru champion right frm the beginning...or was it even before the beginning?! :D

Messi-merising!

Riding high on the absolute brilliance of Lionel Messi, the Argentines defeated a battling Nigerian outfit to make it two times in a row in the Olympics...
My favorite team finally managed to win a major(?) tournament after thr dismal exit in the 06 WC :D
Three cheers to the South Americans! :)

Bachana....He is here...

Ranbir Kapoor has arrived ....and how! :) Bachana Ae Haseeno obliterates the highly unsuccessful year and a half YRF has had with a breezy, likable, occasionally brilliant rendition of every guy's dream ;) :D

I wont dissect the movie much here because i dont feel like :) I'll just say this...its a well-directed, well-enacted, entertaining flick with a good script, competent performances from a supporting cast which thankfully stays caricature-free(Minisha-wow, Bipasha-hot, Deepika-mesmerising, Hiten Paintal-amazing), nice music, great locales (a YRF trademark!), its share of glitches, and surprise,surprise,surprise a rejuvenated Ranbir Kapoor, who overwrites any memories u hv of him frm Saawariya with a natural, suave, endearing and immensely likable show! Let me clear here tht i was one of those who hated his silly act in Saawariya....In fact, i had gone to the lengths of saying tht Bachna Ae Haseeno has 4 heroines and no hero...

Well, this dude surely hs made me eat humble pie...I take my words back... :) Welcome the next superstar!

Go...get entertained! with gen-y :)

P.S. : The only time i have ever regretted not joining Microsoft is while watching this movie...if you know wat i mean ;) :)

Ha!

Excellent one frm xkcd...

Just goes to show that math and love do not have a common denominator... :D

Check out the original and many more at http://www.xkcd.com/

Aaaannnnd...Here.......We.......GO!!!

To say that 'The Dark Knight' is a masterpiece would be a gross gross understatement...I can safely say tht i have seen no movie with so many layers to it, movie which not just keeps you on the edge of the seat for those blessed 2.5 hrs but which also makes you question ur own beliefs on morality and good and evil and above all, which makes you feel great after those 22 reels in the dark are over, not bcoz ur finally done with it,but bcoz u want more!!! Kudos to Nolan and his team for giving us this dark,brooding,intelligent and yet,adrenaline-pumping,pulse-racing rocker-of-a-movie, which no doubt, will go down the annals of history as a well-deserved classic!

I dont feel inclined to review the movie, simply because reviewing somethng as phenomenal as this is akin to insulting the movie-making effort! Just a word or two about the best performer of the show...You may hv read reams about how great Heath Ledger is as Joker, how he fleshes out the character in his own inimitable way, blah blah blah....All i hv to say is.... Ledger takes the audience by the scruff of the neck and immerses them in a whirlpool of such masterful psychological deceit that you connect to your own darker side like never ever before....Now if tht performance doesnt deserve an Oscar, nothing does...in fact, they shud rename the Oscars and call them the Joker's :) An overstatement probably, but just watch the Joker slurp away gleefully in the most tense of moments and u'll know wat i mean! :) His dialogue delivery, his swagger, the philosophy behind his character just blow you away...

That Nolan is a master at his job was evident in Memento, the lesser known Insomnia and Batman Begins...With TDK, he proves he's not just a gr8 storyteller but also adept at making you delve deeper into your psyche and question ur long-held conventions....

The Dark Knight raises the bar so high tht few movies probably might manage to become even half as entertaining and thought-provoking, if they care to try hard enough...Its one of those rare movies which you will watch again and again and again and again and again.....and yet everytime find some new layer till then hidden frm view...

A stupendous, worthy-of-a-bow effort!

Two sides of the same coin...

One of the most over-hyped movies in recent times, the unimaginatively and abominably named 'Singh is Kinng' (Wats wit the extra 'n' seriously??! That doesnt make a 'good' film! A good script does!), released day before....Here's two facets of this so-called movie...
-------------------------------------------------------
Here's wat critic-unparalleled Rajeev Masand had to say about SIK (or rathr SICK!) on IBN....

Masand's Verdict: Singh is Kinng, a dead comedy **

Most films can be divided into two broad categories - those that aim to entertain an audience, and those that have been produced with the sole purpose of making money. As far as I’m concerned, Singh Is Kinng is not so much a film as it is a clever money-making racket.
I know that people who make films shouldn’t be made to feel guilty about wanting to earn money from them - I agree with that completely. My problem is with people whose only objective for making films is to make money - they could be in the construction business, they could be manufacturing cigarettes, but they just happen to be making movies for a living. My problem is with those guys.
Singh Is Kinng is a film that has little or no regard for its audience. It’s the kind of movie whose makers couldn’t care less if you hated the film, fell asleep during the film, left the film in twenty minutes, or collapsed from a stroke midway through the film. They only care about the fact that you paid your two hundred bucks and bought your ticket. To hell with you after that.
I understand all filmmakers don’t want to change the world - they don’t want to make message movies like Swades or Lage Raho Munnabhai. They probably don’t want to address issues either. I get that. But how can a filmmaker not care about engaging his viewer - how can he not care if his audience is entertained or not? If you’re making what you describe as a comedy, shouldn’t you want the audience to laugh? The makers of Singh Is Kinng simply don’t care.
What better example of their indifference than the fact that they make a movie that they claim celebrates the spirit of being a Sikh, and yet they completely disregard the most basic detail of Sikh identity - how can your Sikh characters sport turbans but not full beards?
We’ve all seen enough films by director Anees Bazmee to know that we shouldn’t expect very much in terms of plot, and Singh Is Kinng is no different. Akshay Kumar plays Happy Singh, a bumbling do-gooder in a nameless village in Punjab, who manages to offend his friends and neighbours with his knack for causing trouble.
No wonder they pack him off to Australia with the responsibility of bringing back another Singh - underworld kingpin Lucky Singh (Sonu Sood, that is) who has tainted the reputation of their village and their community by his infamous deeds. Once there, by a strange hand of fate - the kind you can only expect in Anees Bazmee films - Lucky Singh slips into a coma-like state and Happy Singh is put in charge of his gang.
Not only does the new King set about reforming this motley group of criminals, he also falls head over heels in love with pretty-but-vacuous Sonia (played by Katrina Kaif) who sadly is already committed.
Singh Is Kinng is the kind of film whose screenplay is constructed almost entirely on the basis of silly coincidences and misunderstandings - airline boarding cards get exchanged by mistake and as a result passengers end up travelling to wrong destinations; dumbfounded Lucky Singh points accusingly at Happy Singh but his gang misinterprets that as Lucky picking his successor.
If this kind of pedestrian humour isn’t your thing, then perhaps the toilet jokes are. Like that moment in which Happy Singh inadvertently pees on the face of another villager, or the one in which it’s insinuated that his privates get entangled in a table fan.
The problem with this writing is that there isn’t any - the screenplay goes from one stupid gag to another, one set-piece to another. Singh Is Kinng goes through the motions of a comedy, but there is deadness at its center - a feeling that no one connected with it loved what they were doing.
I’m one of those who hated Welcome, director Anees Bazmee’s last film - supposedly a comedy. I thought the plot was preposterous, the humour completely banal, and most of the performances below standard. It’s a film I violently disliked.
In all fairness, I can’t say I feel the same way about Singh Is Kinng - it’s certainly not as bad a film as Welcome although that’s not saying very much.
Singh Is Kinng is the kind of film that simply doesn’t arouse any passionate response - I didn’t love it, and I didn’t hate it either. I just didn’t care. And there I think lies the failure of this film - few of the characters are even remotely interesting, the story can’t exactly be described as original, and the actors aren’t in their finest form either.
Akshay Kumar has an endearing goofiness to him and he’s the only reason you’re willing to give this film a chance. How you wish he'd use his popularity and his clout to do better films.
Of the supporting cast, Om Puri and Kirron Kher give the film its handful of genuinely comic moments, while the rest try earnestly to raise your spirits with the kind of lines you’ve heard so many times before.
Katrina Kaif is an eyesore in every sense of the word - her costumes resemble something you might pick up in a fancy dress store, her acting so weak you want to urge her to watch everyone from Madhubala to Madhuri so she might pick up a few tricks. But my heart sank when I saw Ranvir Shorey wasted in a thankless supporting role. I can only hope a fat paycheck was his reason for choosing this film.
In the end, Singh Is Kinng is a dead zone of comedy. It might have been a time-pass film if the makers had made even the slightest of effort, but in its current form the only thing you can appreciate about it is the fact that it’s not terribly long. When the lights come back on in the end, you leave the hall completely emotionless. You just don’t care.
I’m going with two out of five for director Anees Bazmee’s Singh Is Kinng. I do hope the makers can afford swanky new BMWs from the money this film will invariably make. Someone should get something from this film, because the audience gets nothing.
Rating: 2 / 5 (Average)
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Now here's a news report from, again, IBN....

A record breaking opening for Singh is Kinng

New Delhi: Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif starrer Singh is Kinng had a record opening in theatres across the country on Friday. The collections totalled to Rs 8 crores on day one and the weekend collections are projected to be anywhere between Rs 28 to Rs 30 crores.
The highest first week collections for a Hindi film till date is for the Shah Rukh Khan-Deepika Padukone starrer Om Shanti Om which earned Rs 37 crores. Modest projections for the first week collections of Singh is Kinng is put at Rs 45 crores, which could be a new box office record.
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A really sad state of affairs i must say! After seeing senseless and pretentious movies like Dhoom 2, OSO, Race, Partner, and the like raze box office records and raise the bar considerably high (in terms of both-the moolah and the banality!), to see a 'dont-care' movie lik SIK poised to beat much much better movies like TZP, DCH, RDB, Lage Raho at the BO is sickening...Dont get me wrong...i loved the spoofs in OSO, the Filmfare spoof in particular rocked!even parts of Welcome,Partner and even, D2 were enjoyable (who doesnt want to see Hrithik in top form!)....but to see such mediocre and highly hypocritical stuff reign supreme at the BO is jus so unfair! These movies delivered nothing of what they promised...and all the good stuf was thr in the trailers...so if u hd seen a promo, u hd virtually seen the whole movie! Such undeserving crap leading the list of Highest-Grossing movies of all time is unimaginable....and yet, the fact is, more ppl thronged to the theatres to 'enjoy' SIK than to take in the msg in TZP...
As Dilbert's pointy-haired boss would have said, IT IS AS IT IS! Guess marketing matters much more and scores over content in this age!

P.S. read this hilarious review online and wanted to share it with you...foll are some of the excerpts...to catch the full review, go to http://www.bombaybitch.com/site/singh_is_kinng/

1. The Bitch‘s Verdict: Vipul Amrutlal Shah, I want my money back
2. Bazmee thinks he can pull off retarded cinema under the guise of an entertainer.
3. Pritam‘s music is doing the usual rounds but for all you know it was probably copied. Some music producer in Korea must be buying a ticket to India right now.
4. Katrina Kaif is bad as always. Apart from her bangin‘ bod she has little to flaunt. Nobody cares how she acts anyway and that accent of hers seems will make you want to drive a pen through your ear...Especially when she says "theeeenk you" in that Brit accent of hers, you feel like causing her harm, but thinking of Salman you dispense the thought swiftly. Even Neha Dhupia is looking better than her this time. And now that‘s an insult.
5. Speaking of Neha, all those so called stunts she kept on boasting of, which she did herself, are never shown in the movie. Probably she considers jumping, hopping, running and staying clothed as stunts. In that case... Bravo!
6. All this and more crap is at a theatre besides you. The question is, do you still want to go and watch it?
:D

I wonder???

I wonder .....
if the thunder will breach the wonder of being under the surrender of the thunder, perhaps make a blunder, spread things asunder, begrudge the thunder and spoil the wonder?
I wonder....

On the rocks...

We waited with bated breath as the water came gushing down the rocks...it had been about 45 minutes since we had entered the water...we were drenched to the bone...and yet terribly excited...it had been an amazingly adventurous 3-quarters of an hour...and even me, someone who rarely lets excitement get to his head, had to admit tht my adrenaline was flowing at a pace several notches higher than normal :)

8 of us were new to this game...or adventure sport really...1 was a veteran...he had to be...he had done this for years,probably decades....it wasnt new for him...and yet in a way, every day, every time was a new experience even for him- someone who could genuinely claim to have seen it all...15 hours ago, if some1 had told me that the next day, i would be floating in the turbulent waters of Kali river-a name i had never heard in my life before-on a rubber boat,with 3 of my best frnds and 4 guys i hd never met in my life, guided by a Nepalese guy of unidentifiable age and unfathomable accent, i would have asked him to get his nuts and bolts checked! and yet, here i was, headgear and all, paddling away happily, happy to be back in familiar terrain, excited to be doing somethng completely new for a change...

We had spent a good part of the last 45 min trying to mitigate the obstacles, go around them, and all the while not forgetting to absorb each and every iota of the fun...the rapids were just awesome,unlike anythin i hd previously experienced...its one thng to go down along spiral rides perfectly engineered for safety in water parks with lots of ppl around u and a completely different one to sign a disclaimer where u own all the responsibilty of ur death, any injury or any trauma...the first one is just fun....the second one, a riot! :) without a care in the world, we 'rapid'ly crossed numerous rapids and now stood on the brink of wat was supposed to be the pinnacle of the adventure...the capping glory....the real thing...white-water surfing! :)

we had been instructed to paddle very very hard against the flow of the river and try to overcome the strong current to cross the rocks along which the water was gushing down...and the moment our force matched the river's, the moment the balance was at its tantalising best, we had to duck inside the boat and take the river head-on in a collision of sorts! Let me tell you the text feels nothing like the real thing! its gotta be one of the best experiences man can ever have...right up thr with...ummm ....well forget it :) The feeling when u are swaying on the beats of swirling water caught between a natural and a man-made force, with the natural force slowly but surely gaining an upper hand and swamping everythng coming in its way, is somethng tht cannot be described...

10 minutes later, after 3 'collisions', as we made our way to the othr end of the ride, we were feeling on top of the world...the outward calm was clashing with, and yet, somehow, in a strange way, complementing, the inward torrent of pleasure,happiness,adventure,pure adrenaline and above all, the wonderful feeling of being in the vicinity of such a powerful yet serene force....nature! :)

One for all and all for one! After conquering the tides...

The fab four: Andy, Me, Ravs and Jammy...clicked by none othr than dude Dhav :)
You can find more pics from the trip here

A swell book...

First things first....Lets not indulge in comparison and form a biased opinion about 'the 3 mistakes of my life'....Yes, it may not be as memorable as that cracker of a story 'Five Point Someone' or even the above-average 'One Night @ A Call Centre', but its a pretty entertaining and well-crafted book on its own. Yes people, Chetan Bhagat has done it again!

The book has been on the stands for almost 3 months now and i know its a little late to say somethng abt it....but Fountainhead held me up and thts as good as a book can get!
Coming back to 3, its a roller-coaster of a ride which makes you want to finish the book in one go! And considering its just 260-odd pages, its possible too, with Bhagat's simple language being the icing on the cake! Pretty well-etched characters, good incorporation of some real-life events into the story and a feel-good culmination make this book worth a dekko...

I went through a lot of reviews of the book, which accused Bhagat of writing the book such that it can be easily adapted into a movie....Hmmm, while its true the story is unabashedly 'filmy' and quite far-fetched, i dont really know if its a point that can be held against the author...He always made it clear that he writes books to entertain and not to enlighten....And considering his first two books are being made into movies by a well-known and a flop director (apologies Atul! and Salman!), none can blame him if hes looking towards script writing as a career option!
In fact, you can read his views on the subject here...

Dont go for it expecting another FPS and m sure u wont be disappointed...