A bitter-sweet symphony....

Just when you begin to feel things are finally falling into place, a piece of the puzzle lifts itself and turns over...and ur back where you began...Just when you think you can now come to terms with reality, reality decides to play the bitch and refuses to come to terms with you....Just when you think this is it, this is the moment I have been waiting for all these years, you get an email which tells you the moment isnt coming anytime soon...Just when you think you have made a sweet discovery, you make another one which sweeps the first one off its feet and not in a good way....Just when you think things couldnt get any colder, a ray of sunshine pierces the clouds and brightens your day...Just when you think you cant be more lost, you are given a map which tells you you are not even in the same book, forget the same page as others....Just when all seems lost, you come home and find a surprise waiting for you....Just when you think, you are right on track, you find that the game has changed now, and you need to switch if you want to continue playing....Just when you begin to harbor hopes of a new beginning, you find ghosts from the past trying hard to haunt you...Just when you get rid of them, you run into new potential ghosts...Just when you want to move forward, you take a step back....Just when you think all is lost, someone comes along and holds your hand....Just when it seems life cant get any better, it surprisingly does...

Time flies, shit happens, people move on, seasons change...friends and family remain the only constant in life....enabling you to play the symphony....ensuring you continue playing even if you miss a note or two...

Your best friend is suing you...for 600 million dollars

I must admit....the first time I saw the trailer of The Social Network, I was skeptical. I couldnt understand why Hollywood had decided to screw up the story of the founding of one of the biggest phenomenon of our times. I was sure the movie would be over-simplified, over-dramatized, and basically moronic, and the understated promo did nothing to change that. Having dismissed the movie, I moved on with life, and it was only today, the day the movie premiers, that the media coverage caught my attention - for some reason, everyone was talking about the movie. And not just because its a movie about Facebook but because its a good, (according to some, great!) movie about Facebook! That was so unexpected and totally unforeseen and 12 hours later, I was at the cinemas, with a bunch of friends, waiting for the saga to unfold, curious about how interesting and binding a movie about coders could be. And boy! Was I wrong or what! The Social Network is probably the best movie out of Hollywood this year....and yes! This is indeed the year when soon-to-be cults like Inception, Toy Story 3 and Despicable Me have enchanted audiences worldwide!

Director David Fincher, whose last effort - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - was a cosmetic bore, has done a fabulous job by extracting some noteworthy performances from the entire cast, and that is no mean feat considering the cast comprises of Justin Timberlake! Jesse Eisenberg is brilliant as Mark Zuckerberg, resembling the youngest billionaire in the world in look and (reportedly) mannerisms perfectly. Andrew Garfield as Eduardo is excellent and lends a load of credibility to the frames he is present in. Armie Hammer packs a sucker punch in dual roles of the Winklevoss twins, while Justin Timberlake takes you by surprise completely with his flamboyant, genius-bordering-on-self-destruction portrayal of that shrewd wolf Sean Parker, who not only gave the world Napster and Plaxo, but was also instrumental in making Facebook the phenomenon that it is today. But the real star of the movie is undoubtedly screenplay writer Aaron Sorkin, who creates such a spellbinding script full of energetic and relatable dialogue, it elevates the movie to an altogether different level. The background score deserves special mention for lending a lot of emotion and feel to the proceedings.

The movie is a part-fiction, part-real portrayal of the rise of Facebook, and while which parts are more real than others is debatable, herein lies a tale that catalogs the conceptualization and implementation of one of the most influential ideas of our generation. More importantly, it is a study in human psyche and the fact that, while you cant stop admiring Zuck for his spirited and almost single-handed launch of Facebook, at the same time, you cannot forgive him for being so influenced by Parker and being unfair to his best friend and business partner Eduardo, shows how well the character has been etched. Above all, the movie is an inspiration and a warning for budding entrepreneurs, who have dreams of making it big but can oversee friendships in the process. Although the movie paints Zuck as an a-hole and shows how inept he is/was at social relationships (while ironically building a social networking website!) , I found something ultimately inspiring in the way he went about his business. True - his motive was wrong, his conduct too, his maturity was virtually non-existent and he didnt get chicks or entry to the elite clubs, but in the end, he succeeded in building his vision and preserving it without giving in to the demands of others.

There's something to learn and a lot to observe in The Social Network. All wannabe entrepreneurs, all CS people, all Facebook users and all movie lovers, go watch the movie...NOW!

P.S. : Oh! and Aaron Sorkin FTW \m/ If they dont give him the Best Adapted Screenplay this year, the Oscars will just become another Filmfare for me.

Of dashed dreams...

SEL hv come up with a brilliant single in Luck By Chance and the lyrics hv swept me off my feet every single tim i hv heard the song! Here they are...

Song: Sapnon Se Bhare Naina

Bagiyaa Bagiya Baalak Bhaage
Titli Phir Bhi Haath Na Laage
Is Pagle Ko Kaun Bataaye
Dhoondh Raha Hai Jo Tu Jag Mein
Koi Jo Paaye To Man Mein Hi Paaye

Sapnon Se Bhare Naina..
Toh Neend Hai Naa Chaina..
Sapnon Se Bhare Naina..
Toh Neend Hai Naa Chaina..

Aisi Dagar Koi Agar Jo Apnaaye
Har Raah Ke Wo Ant Pe Rastaa Hi Paaye
Dhoop Ka Rasta Jo Pair Jalaaye
Mod To Aaye Chhaav Naa Aaye
Raahi Jo Chalta Hai Chalta Hi Jaaye
Koi Nahi Hai Jo Kaheen Use Samjhaaye

Sapnon Se Bhare Naina..
Toh Neend Hai Naa Chaina..
Sapnon Se Bhare Naina..
Toh Neend Hai Naa Chaina..

Door Hi Se Saagar Jise Har Koi Maane
Paani Hai Wo Ya Ret Hai Yeh Kaun Jaane
Jaise Ke Din Se Rain Alag Hai
Sukh Hai Alag Aur Chain Alag Hai
Par Jo Ye Dekhe Wo Nain Alag Hai
Chain To Hai Apna Sukh Hai Paraaye

Sapnon Se Bhare Naina..
Toh Neend Hai Naa Chaina..
Sapnon Se Bhare Naina..
Toh Neend Hai Naa Chaina..

Movie Name : Luck By Chance
Singer :Shankar Mahadevan
Music Director : Shankar Ehsaan Loy
Lyrics : Javed Akhtar

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... :)

Dream home...

The trip to Pondicherry last week with mom and dad reopened a small vault inside my heart where i had kept something hidden from myself for quite a few months now...My dream abode...
It mite sound quite funny/silly...but nevertheless i just wish to share it today...A few years ago, i had this idea of how i would like my dream home to be... a nice, smart,small and self-sufficient bungalow with a small garden around it and with some open space for leisure activities...the seashore on the backside with my own pristine beach whr i can relax whn i want and frm whr i can get all the seafood i need...a poultry on the right side for a steady supply of chicken...far enough to not affect the aura of the place and yet,near enough to be easily accessible...a dairy on the right side to ensure an year-round supply of butter,cheese,curds and milk....A nice mango grove nearby so that i can hv all the mangoes i want in summer...and a coconut grove on the other side for regular supply of fresh coconut water....

Bassss...jeene ke liye aur kya chahiye!!!

P.S. : I know its all focussed on the food aspect but cant help it....my life HAS been centred around food for quite some time now!