Kabul Express

(Long post warning!)

The diversity in the audience was something I really did not expect. It should probably have set the tone of the movie but nonetheless. It was extremely endearing to see so much diversity at that small theatre.

The row in front of me was completely occupied by about 10 americans, something I sincerely have not seen in all the years here. So many americans for an indian movie is not a common sight.

The row behind me was occupied by a pakistani family (yes, I can make out, thanks to the impeccable urdu-ish hindi or hindi-ish urdu that they speak).

A little further out what I could only guess was a family from Iran or thereabouts. The only reason i even venture a guess is because their spoken language reminded me of what this friend of mine used to speak with her mum(they used to speak in persian, were from Iran you see). But even if I am wrong , definitely from a middle eastern country.

Apart from the diverse crowd that turned up to watch Kabul Express, the movie is special for a lot of reasons.

In my opinion, its the emergence of the new hybrid generation of movie makers who venture into the un-tapped and un-chartered. Yes, I call them hybrid because there is a unmistakable external influence no matter what, not that its a bad thing. External influences are not a bad thing at all as long as they remain just that, an influence. A lot of times the film makers exploit the very term influence by totally ripping reel by reel of another movie or adding too much of what they absorb directly into the movie.

But Kabir khan, I am happy to say is not one of them. He comes across as a very talented director who knows exactly what he wants to see in his actors and where he wants to take the story. Preppy and modern nonetheless and it shows in every reel of the movie.

The protagonists are not idealistic, un-flawed or holier than thou. They are modern, guys next door with their share of prejudices and sentiments. I am so glad there is no so called heroine in this movie. thumbs up to the director just for that bold move. :)

There is a palpable excitement from the first scene. Cut back and forth it tells the story of two Indian journalists stranded in afghanistan searching for a story in the post 9/11 era. The prelude by Roshan Seth helps set the precedent for the movie.

I do not want to make this into a spoiler but I get carried away, so venture at your own risk.

What the movie has going for itself more than anything is the inbuilt satire track through out, very very expertly churned out by Arshad Warsi. That guy really cracks me up. He is so bloody talented its not even funny (pun intended!). But very very under-used in indian cinema. Hopefully this movie will help him in terms of making him more bankable for solo hero projects.

John Abraham is understated and that really works for the movie coz according to me he still has a whole lot to improve as an actor. In this movie he has a lot of unspoken to present and I think he does a good job of that. There are a few one liners that his cynical character has and that makes the scenes! I think it was a very intelligent screenplay to make him an indian muslim in the movie.

And truly only after a certain scene in this movie have i come to truly appreciate the meaning of Indian muslims in this world of today which has an anti muslim bias after 9/11.

This movie takes us through a country we have never really seen in its true form. It is heart wrenching to see a country so ravaged by war and nobody cares to do anything about. Ok, I take that back, there are red cross and other charitable institutions that are 'trying' to do something about it now. But think about it. 10 years (oops, corrected to 27 by a good friend) of ravage either by outsiders or civil war and no one cared to interfere to make the situation better.

No matter how much we see on news or TV channels, nothing drives the truth home like building a story out of it and presented on celluloid. Which is why movies like RDB and Yuva have such an impact. Movies, especially in the Indian sub context, have that power to influence and affect people in more way than one.

In this case, I think creates an awareness more than anything else. There is a certain sense of gloom, desolation and helplessness that runs like blood thru the veins in this movie. Whether its the bonfire scene where they discuss what they can do as journalists to help the cause or whether its the wise crack by Arshad where he say - yeh karo mar jaoge, woh karo mar jaoge.

The movies gives you a first hand look of Afghanistan post taliban era. Indian cinema has seen glimpses of kabul either from the old Khuda Gawah or the even older Kabuliwala (which doesn't show the country but somehow gives you the feel for it). But this something we were probably not prepared for.

The story packs a punch to begin with, 2 Indians, an American , an afghan and a Pakistani stuck together for 2 days in a jeep. I think that itself is such a powerful setting for anything.

The American journalist and that too a female journalist is a very sharp move by the story teller. When it comes to America and all it stands for, as far as Indians are concerned, they are all stereotypes, some good and some not so much. This movie makes you appreciate the good ones and completely cracks you up on the silly ones. E.g. Linda saying - I am an American, of course I can drive :)))

But like I said, there are other stereotypes as well, of a bolder woman who ventures out for reasons of her own, of a certain sense of arrogance and display of money :) Not really bad but you appreciate it nonetheless.

The actor who plays the pakistani in the movie is outstanding, he really is! I have very little clue about him but Boy can he act! In fact you come out of the theatre feeling really sorry for him inspite fo him being a talib. Which i think is a huge achievment for any director, if he can turn the whole character of a terrorist enough to evoke pity from the audience.

There are a lot of moments in this movie, which make you sit up and take notice or crack up completely. Like the incessant gun shots through out the movie, the gun fires are almost like background scores here. Arshad has you in splits continuously to lighten up the strong effect of the controversial subject. This movie would have a huge huge void if not for him. I think he is the sole thread which saves the movie from being discarded as a documentary or a movie with an extremely serious overtone.

A lot of people claim that the movie is aimed towards an intelligent and urban crowd and not the masses. And I think I agree. But I believe any movie should be made out of conviction and not for a certain audience demographic.

Now... yes we have to talk about some negatives as well right, nobody's that perfect :))

There is a serious undertone of paki bashing in the movie, you may justify it by giving a sentimental twist of father daughter or even patriotic overtures but you cannot escape from it. I am as patriotic as anybody but I am a little skeptical about controversial tones like this. I think I feel bad for the people who are in fact not even in the country but are subjected to bashing one after the other by indian movies. Anyways, not that I want to start a debate of anything but its something that is apparent in the movie.

I also think the ending is a little skewed. As long as the director refrains from making a personal comment of a global issue, things are ok. But you find that towards wee end, he cannot contain himself. And he ends the movie by tying up the lose ends with a sentimental dialogue for talibs. But get this, its a generic statement drawn completely from the incidents in the movie. To say anybody is blameless or that just because you empathize or make friends with somebody, they stop being phantoms. I think thats completely skewed observation to end the movie. I appreciate the humane touch to the story, the bondage between the hostages and the terrorist is a classic Stockholm syndrome. Even if we disregard that, we forget that we indians have a certain capability for tolerance and forgiveness no matter what.

Its an emotional statement no doubt and something the director wants to evoke thoughts with but ending a movie with that almost makes you wonder if its really that trivial or small an issue to be commented upon.

It is not, its a global issue with too many affected parties.. Can you really argue about humane talibs with parents of that girl who lost her life in 9/11 or the London blasts or the Mumbai blasts ?? You cannot! Nothing you can/show or argue will ever ever justify anything.

Which is why such subjects are sensitive and require to be treated with respect and no personal bias.

There are 2 train of thoughts I left the theater with:

1. Indian Muslims and their sentiments in the throes of this political agenda and bias the world seems to have in the post 9/11 times. The scene where Imran khan in the movie asks John's character whether he is a practicing Muslim resonates with cynicism for indian muslims and their liberal attitude, at least the so called modern ones. John retorts saying - Haan islam ka thekha to tum logon ne le rakha hai, siliye to AK-56 paas mein raklh kar namaaz padh rahe ho. (Translation - Sure, its you guys who have taken the reins of Islam, is that why you have an AK-56 by your side when you pray?) Its something I find extremely interesting and somehow, just somehow is linked with the second.

2. Indians and the so called indian mentality and value we have- This is so interesting, I spent almost half a day trying to read more and more thoughts ,so articulately penned by people around the world. Without further ado, I will only point you to some of those here and here.

Amen...

There is a certain sense of satisfaction and contentment knowing that somehow, by some random stroke of fate you lucked out..
With so many losers and jerks out there, you can very very easily lose faith, become cynical and become absolutely petrified to start all over again.. But then there is this one person who restores that faith back.

I have always believed that you lose a bit of yourself with every relationship, more they are, more jaded and cynical you get. But there is something to be said about that one person who inspires you to start all over again, all in good faith.

And you want to believe.. In all good things.. In love.. In togetherness for ever...In families..In unconditional support, In the unspoken ...

And then by some quirky stroke of fate you luck out.. You don't expect it, you are almost certain you wouldn't. Even after you do, for a while you wait with bated breath with a palpable feeling of the unknown (or known?) telling yourself that you would not be suprised, you will at least be prepared.

But it doesn't happen...

I was talking to this friend of mine the other day and I was telling him that no matter what and how thinge were in the past, I have always felt blessed to even have what i have or had.. There are worse things out there believe me !

And now as i type this, I feel blessed than ever before. There is a certain warmth and security that engulfs me, which tells me you know what Rads, no matter how things go, it will all be ok... There is something to be said about that one person who no matter what can put a smile right back to where it belongs.. Whether its torturous days at work, irksome family, uncertainties in life which irritate you, or just plain unfortunate events in life...

I was crying like a banshee last nite and am sure he felt quite helpless not even being there by my side but he did not show that. He has a magical way of calming people down, I don't know how.. I guess I never gave it much of a thought :) But last night, I felt it. And believe me i have not felt like that ever ! I am quite a hyper-ventilating character and my mum is worse than me.. So at home, there is really no one to calm anybody down, people only worsen each other's panic stricken condition :))

But here I was, calm as ever in a minute.. In fact god only knows how, he even managed to make me laugh in the middle of a serious banter...And just like that said - forget about it doesn't matter.... And just like that it didnt......

**********************************

Why does any problem have to be a reflection of how you are as a person?? Try as I may, i am not able to shake that feeling off.. Once, twice, how many times?

Stuck

I am a sucker, a total sucker for nice going, melodious songs.. It may sound like a simple enough criteria for soundtracks..
But nope, is not for most parts. Most of the tracks out there don't even come close.

Seriously you wonder whats wrong with music directors of today, the songs are not even melodious, forget catchy! (E.g. Dhoom 2, soundtrack of which sucked big time!)

In the middle of all that there are 2 soundtracks that outshine the rest by some outer space metrics :)

Guru - A lot of people did not like it, I guess I wasn't too impressed myself at the outset. But I stuck to my gut feelin about Rahman soundtracks which have to be listened to in repeat mode to appreciate them. Which I did, and I have come to appreciate the songs. I don't think its spectacular, but I will not make the mistake of comparing it to any other Rahman creations coz its just not fair. As long as a soundtrack has at least 3 songs that have you humming, you have a winner and this one definitely does that for me.. I will not get into hashing and rehashing of the album, you can check out this, which is an echo of what I think of it :)

Salaam -e - Ishq - Now this is a typical SEL (Shankar Ehsaan Loy) composition. They are also quickly getting into a stereotype.. at least in my head :) But thats not such a bad thing coz their stereotype is Good Music ! Till date their soundtracks have not dissapointed me, even if the movie is a complete zero (e.g. Dil jo bhi jahe, Yeh kya ho raha hai etc). There are at least 2 nice songs per album if not more..

Now, even SEI (yes, I am heavily into acros now a days) is a winner as far as I am concerned, there are 3 songs that I have in repeat mode right now in my player. I just cannot stop listening to them. I am sure the rest are nice as well, but I just havent gotten over these 3 so I will get to them in a couple days :P

"Dil Kya kare" - This one is an Adnan Sami song sung with such an understated energy and attitude, sheer pleasure to listen to it. Very nice guitar work as well (maybe some scottish pipes too :P). The song has an acoustic feel to it..

"Mera Dil" - Ha , every album of theirs I wait for that Shaan song which will outshine the rest :) And I got one as expected in this one, breezy song that reminds you of "Kuch to hua hai" from Kal ho na ho.. But a lovely duet nonetheless with the new singer Nihira whos done a good job...

The title track is typical number, you get a sense of deja vu with it. But its again a foot tapping number so you are not disappointed. A lot of talented singers again (SEL are second only to Rahman to get so many singers for a single number, remember the title song of Dillagi? It had 10 accomplished singers!!). This one has all the top singers, Sonu, Kunaal, Shreya etc.. (yes, yes, I am on first name basis now :p)

All in all, I think Nikhil and SEL have another winning soundtrack on their hands, hope the movie lives upto the expectations. Its supposedly inspired by "Love actually".

Hmm.. waiting....

The weekend that was....

T'was a movie filled weekend for most parts.. Hubby an I decided not to travel this weekend (means he doesn't come here an I don't go there and not la di da lets not take a vacation :p)

So, I had to find alternative means to keep myself engaged.. Considering I swore to myself, subsequent to moving to SD, that I am not cooking unless I have more than 1 person to cook for, kitchen held no prospects for me.. Well, the dishwasher and laundry did, but given all the advanced technology involved, the prospects of engaging my time limits itself to approximately 2.7 mins (coz thats all it takes to load any of these jazzy things!)

So I decided to dedicate my precious time to the lappy and the TV :))

Friday night saw 'Vivah' - the new sob/senti flick from the infamous makers of HAHK an such.. You know I almost felt sorry for the director.. As he grows older, I feel he regresses, I don't know why.. At least his last movie was not so bad (Main prem ki diwani hoon), Ok, when I say it was not so bad, I do not mean in general, it was a really sucky movie, but compared to this one, even that seems bearable.. God, that reminds me of the lengths we went to to see that one.. Winky, remember getting drenched in the rains and the innovative multiplex ! Really, some dedication to movies we had :)) (I miss my movie buddy tho' :()

Anyways.. its interesting to see that the director who in his younger days (hay days) made movies that were so much more modern (I thought even MPK was quite modern for the times we lived in, at least frm my school girl eyes it seemed that way) is regressing much beyond his years.. The characters are extremely jaded, Theres a stereotype associated with every character he has, whether its the girls father or the boys father, brother, sister, whatever.. exteremely stereotyped. I am not sure why he's not capable of making movies a little bit realistic.. The Bhabhi character in the new movie was the most believable one, despite that fact that she almost seemed like a super human effort in order to make her look completey indian although being modern. Apart from that, the movie crashes from scene 1 coz its an effort to show how an ideal indian whoever should be like.. Its an ideal world according to Mr. Sooraj Barjatya. Unfortunately, its not something we can relate to..

The characters seem surreal coz they all seem to be from epics and mythology :)) The main bone that I have to pick with the director is the complete lack of purpose that women seem to have in his movies. Why are they all so meek and so eager to settle into matrimony and thereby into maternal roles. I just don't get it.. Is it a subconcious wish of his to see all women in the world like that in real life or is he really in denial?? I fail to understand which.. There is a certain sincereity with which this guy makes movies, I just feel he needs a reality check. I wish someone would inspire him to make movies which has empowered women who have careers or at least some semblence to profesional life. Women, who do not wear pallus over their head at the drop of the hat and who look up when speaking to people. And most importantly, please move away from small town movies like rampur, ramnagar, ramgarh etc. They just don't have that appeal anymore..

Saturday was the day for 'Vaisa bhi hota hai part2'. Yes, I did not understand the title at all. Anyways, it was infinitely better watching experience than the disaster on friday. Its not the greatest movie but it has its moments.. (Like I said earlier in some post, that its become so unrealistic to expect good hindi movies end to end, you should be glad if they even have moments worth mentioning)

In fact I think its a very very worthwhile effort from the young director. Its a technically well made movie with a very good cast. I don't think anybody's acting was below average in the movie, every single person was top notch. Especially Arshad Warsi and his gangster friend. The story is quite innovative and manages to capture your attention for most parts. But .. yes.. there is a but.. like most indian movies, it looses steam post intermission. The story dwindles and you just wanna fast forward it.. There are some songs that could have been left at best as background music..

The story itself has a few parallels which all tie up together, but unless you are familiar with that kinda theme, you maybe left wondering what the hell and who the hell :))

Arshad Warsi is, I have realized has been one of the most underutilized actor in todays times. He is quite capable of a varied character range and is quite versatile.. Its worth watching this one just for him..

Finally... sunday - Dhoom 2 :))))

So many people dissuaded me from seeing this one.. But how could you assume that I would miss anything that has two of my sweethearts ?? :))

This movie from start is full of eye candy.. There is no denying that.. I went in to admire and drool over AB baby and hrithik and wonders of wonders came out being completely impressed my missy ash.. She is quite a surprise package in this one.. I think with the newly acquired tan completely agrees with her, she looks almost human and not the usual stunning picture she usually resembles.. She seems to be finally at ease with her surroundings enough to explore and just be comfy.. And that shows big time in the movie.. For most parts, she doesnt seem cold or detached.. She looks stunning in hot pants and short skirts !!

Hrithik.. ahhhhhh He's god.. demi god.. He's in control through out the movie and knows the movie belongs to him.. When he's on screen, everything else just seems to fade away. All you see is his absolutely fab and toned body and of course the groovy moves when there is a song :))) Ahhh.. thats what I call eyue candy.. Damn my inability to whistle !!!

AB looks at best average in this one.. God knows I luv him, but he looks desperately in need of a good hair cut and shave.. I think it was just the fact that this movie was filled with all his childhood buddies (Uday, Adi, hrithik) that he thought he coudl just get up in the morning an come for the shoot. Anyways.. usko to har mishtake maaf hai :))

The movie looks extremely jazzy whether its effects, technique or even costumes an locales.. Its fast paced and does not lag for most parts except when there is Bips(the twin) or Uday on screen. There are certain things which seem extremely unnecessary in this movie e.g. the Bipasha twin, now what was the purpose of that, instead you could have the cop sis tag with the 2 dudes! But i guess they wanted Ash to stand out in the second half in all the cat and mouse game.. And stand out she does with all the oomph and show.. :)

Its has the usual dose of hindi masala and whats a hindi movie without these things. I swear the day they stop making hindi movies without masala or song and dance sequences, I will just... well.. do something drastic I guess :p

I completely enjoyed the movie right from the start, I went all prepared for lotsa action and eye candy.. and I got all that I expected :))) I don't know what the guys who did not enjoy the movie were thinking, really.. What expectations did you go in with ? Did you expect a fast and furious or Ocean's 11? I mean, you should know better... Its a hindi movie after all and in keeping with the traditions, you are never (repeat after me Never) to compare it with the subsequent prequels.. Enjoy the roller coaster ride as is, enjoy the songs (tho' I personally thought the songs sucked in this one, it was just Ash and Hrithik's dance prowess that saved the day), enjoy the locales...

If you are still expecting a hindi flick sans masala and babes with skimpy clothes and utterly meaningless sequences, I suggest you refrain from watching a hindi flick completely and stick to 'Italian job', 'Fast and furious' and such..

Do not complain about hindi movies if you cannot learn to appreciate the packaging as is.

Blip..

At the end of the day, its important to realize and admit that you have a big, wholesome and loving family..

even if they are a little quirky and dysfunctional at times.....

Middle class

What is so middle about it ?

I think it should be called the confused class :p.



The middle class in india has evolved beyond words and means in todays times.. There was a time when my grandpa proudly used to say - "We are middle class people, we are like this only". Now a days he is confused. He's not too sure about what is middle class anymore.


Especially in a cosmo/metro city like bangalore the definition is ever changing. Not too long ago, we used to think people who lived in flats/govt quarters working in public sectors and some in private sectors were considered middle class. Not only have occupations changed big time, also the demographic difference between jobs.
There has been a lot of economical reforms. The so called middle class has more buying power now..



There was also a talk about lower middle class and upper middle class and thats when it gets all the more confusing..



I think there are lot of perception issues. With the advent of IT/ITES jobs, the pay scales have changed overnight. But is that what gave people that buying power?



Or is it the fact that with the emerging techy class (as I would like to call it), many avenues have opened for a plethora of sectors to rake in the moolah.



Whether its the banks who offer loans (worth lakhs) at the drop of the hat! (Sir, just the visiting card if enough sir, as long as we can see the company logo and you name..)



Whether its the EMI schemes that are available for anything ranging from a water filter system to high end home theatre system (Not to mention EMI schemes for bikes and cars which have only added to the existing traffic woes of the city.)



Whether its the absolutely insane real estate prices, where people don't even pause to wonder why a teensy weensy 2 BR flat is costing them half their take home salary or bringing them twice their take home salary (depending on the end of the spectrum you belong to i.e whether u r a renter or rentee)



At the end of the day if you consider an average techy lifestyle, nothing is cheap. There is a cost associated with that lifestyle and it takes most of the high end pay package to maintain it..

Consider this, you are a 27-28 years old male working in a well known IT company in bangalore. A guy next door if you must, with a good/mid sized group of friends, likes to go out with friends kinda guy.


His apartment (own or rental irrespective) will cost him around 10K minimum. In fact if hes paying off premiums for the housing loan, I bet it will be double of that.


He must be still paying off the premiums for his car which takes him wherever he wants to go and drinks insane amount of gas waiting at every nook and corner due to the crazy traffic situation.
He must be spending at least 5 k for the house including utilities and groceries.


He must be spending another 2-3 K per month just on entertainment whcih includes an occassional drink with buddies, a movie or 2 at the local multiplex, a few dinners and a few dates.
That itself added to 20-25K rt ?
And believe me, I am downplaying it quite a bit! My so called bachelors friends in bangalore, don't flinch at spending 2-3k on just a saturday night..



So, where is the so called bank balance which gives them the so called higher salaried, upper middle class (if you must) existence? I think the older generation was more well planned and stable than we can ever aspire to be. And I personally think thats due to the saving/planning habit that they had.

Every purchase was planned and thought out, every vacation was only after the cost was saved even if it took an entire year to save up.. Now a days we take vacations at the drop of the hat. The irony is that we may not even call it a vacation, its a weekend getaway.. Its a break from work.. We have fancy terms for it.. We buy flight tickets at the drop of the hat.. We take those weekend getaways with whatevers there in the bank and then survive for the rest of the month on credit cards :))

We have all done that...



My generation has hardly any savings so to speak of ( Pardon me for making a blanket statement). Any saving if at all is with a definite purpose- car, apartment, siblings marriage etc etc..



Beyond that, where is anything to show for the enormous salaries we take home? I wonder....



My mum is so confident that no matter how much ever i earn, I will always have a hand to mouth existence..

I don't have the heart or the humility to admit that she is right :)

Post lunch read (I had to blog this!)

Being so far away, it becomes a challenge to keep up with whats happening baq home. I use the term home loosely. What I do mean is good ol' bangalore :)
I bug people online about whats happening and whats new but there is very limited info that trickles thru (an no, thats not even coz the so called frnds are not aware of nu places, its just that for them a lot of things/places around become passe!)

So, apart from -Dude tell me whats new in b'lore man!, You have to resort to keeping tabs on various metro blogs and other interesting stuff online..

One of the finds for today was this . It may be old news to some but believe me, for people like poor ol' me anythin like this is super cool :)

I think it was just a matter of time when we would see a lot of people from the so called Indo silicon valley wud be innovative enuf to create/host websites like these :)

The site though is quite interesting. Apart from the obvious service they provide which is free online ordering, menu browsing and even reserving tables at the restaurant of your choice, they have quite a few other interesting offerings..
They have a recipe section where you can browse for recipes when you feel quite brain dead to think of something to make..
They have coupons of all kinds, interesting articles and tit bits regarding food items and even help you plan parties :)

All in all a good find..

I got...

Satin sheets !! :))
and Satin comforter set :)))

Its all silky and satiny for now.... :p

Blip..

I want to believe..


in all good things
in love and all that it can conquer
in honesty and self righteousness

Blip...

My mum taught me (quite non verbally) when I was a kid that- Adversity is the greatest teacher, it will teach you most of what you need to learn in life. Whether its about how to derive that strength when you feel the weakest or about the rationale to decide right and wrong when wrong is the most desirable and convenient.

What she forgot to mention is how adversity teaches different people different things. You may think that similar events may trigger similar behavioral pattern. Certain types of situation results in certain types of behavior.. I did...

But I was wrong.. I think I have slowly come to realize that any form of adversity teaches you to be a better person only in the realm or sphere of whats relevant to you. Anything beyond that is just not a part of your psyche..

Did not understand what I meant? Take for example, a childhood thats predominantly about tight purse strings and too many other constraints can result in many a different kinds of adults years from now.. To consider a few...
There could be some who grow up to acknowledge the fact that things can go wrong and always be prepared and play safe..
While others who will be grateful for every good day and live life like its the last of its kind...

No matter what you think, these two kinds of people/adults are quite mutually exclusive.

Which one do you think you are?

CA

A lot has changed since I last wrote something like this ,about close to 3 yrs ago..
I guess I have changed a bit too, definitely a lot less self conscious, moved around quite a bit, met about a zillion more kinds of people..
All in all , I will say good times and some not so great too...

So, anyways. moved into a new city.. Sunny California :) I guess I always wanted that in some quirky way, wanted to stay in CA before leaving for good.. And like they say, be careful what you wish for :P

Moving cities is not easy, but being in the kind of job that I am in, you tend to get used to it.. At the very least, you learn to get over it and stop fussing :)
But nonetheless, when i moved last, i swore i will never ever move again and i wanted to stay put, enjoy the settled life..

But here I am.. another city, moving yet again.. At the brink of that, I really wonder if I wanted this along.. Obviously no one likes the whole irritating moving, packing bit. But I slowly realize that I do like being on my own..

Of course I also like to work and the whole not working bit was driving me crazy and in turn making hubby crazy.. So, with the realization that I did miss being on my own, I concede to my fate...

There is a bit of me which thrives on being independent, being on you own, doing your own thing.. Its a really weird thing to say especially in the sub context of being married..

I love being married mind you, something I recommend for everybody.. But I think its just .. Well.. theres something about being on your own.. Being with someone is great.. But i think for the kind of person I am, i tend to lose myself. I get all too consumed by the relationship, associations that a marriage brings to your life and just the day to day routine of being with someone. Its nice and I guess something that every girl wants, comfort and security of being in a relationship..
But there is a part of me (at least deep down), which has seen how difficult it is to bounce baq to being your own person, gathering surviving friends and just simply salvaging whatever's left of you at the core. Its a cynical side of me no doubt.. A self preservative side of me..But its also something that keeps me from driving myself crazy and helps me maintain my identity as me and not just as someone's better half..
So, in the celebration of being so called single again, I tell myself that this time I will not restrict myself to conventional life. Life is too short for that. And shocking as it may seem, I think close to 3 years down the line since I wrote that blog, I will eat some words of my own.. I think it takes a lot of grit to set out all by yourself. You need to shed a lot of inhibitions.

Well, considering that the town itself is not a hip hep busy city but a suburb, the options themselves are limited.. But nonetheless, I did venture out to a bar all by myself last friday. It felt weird.. It felt incomplete.. But I had to do it for myself, maybe proving a point to myself.. That I am not as archaic as I may seem to myself sometimes.. I can go out of my way to try new things.. I think its the beginning of getting out of the rut..

Find for the day

http://www.ehow.com/how_116958_mend-broken-heart.html

:)

Tum bin jaon kahan..

Its amazing when you miss something only when you cannot have it.. It may have been a constant factor in your life, even a good part of your life. It just remains unappreciated. Till the time you cannot have it, smack!!! You want it, you want to do everything with it !

Like my cooker, which apparently, gave up on me and died 2 days ago.. Now, considering that we have rotis more often than not, this should not bother me so much.. The only so called cooker stuff we make, aka the weekend Rice, is made in the electric rice cooker so, again should not bother me..

But I have no idea whats gotten into me.. All i wanted to do from yesterday was make stuff that needed a cooker. I wanted to make dals, i wanted to boil potatoes, I wanted to cook vegetables in it!
Its like this sudden itch I can't get rid of ! grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....

Hum do hamare do.

The eternal search.. First you search for that best friend in your toddler years, then you search for cool people to hang out with when you r growing up, then you look for that special someone, then you look for cool people to hang out with, then you search for the perfect someone to spend the rest of your life, then you look for someone cool to hang out with....

Do you see a pattern here ??? I do.. With lives taking so many turns and taking us to all those places, its very difficult to keep in touch with your friends, leave alone be in the same zip code...It just ends up with you trying to probably meet up over some long weekend once in 6 months...But obviously thats not the same as having people /friends close by you can hang around with..

With all the places I've been to, especially since I was living alone, it was a challenge to find friends. After a while, you tend to give up on the so called 'friends' category of people and you make do with the bearably cool ones you can spend friday/saturday evenings with. Well.. suffice to say its been a challenge.. but not been bad.. Maybe its good luck, but I have always managed to find people I could hang around with.. Its not always easy and sometimes you have to go through a lot of trial and errors..Sometimes you just hafta grin and bear whatever shape and size they come in...

But nothing prepared me for this.. The eternal search for the perfect cool couple to hang around with.. When you are a couple, sometimes you want to be with other couples, its just natural.. I think everybody goes thru that..Its just that we hadn't gone thru it before...You see, last few months were really the only times we actually stayed together sans me getting packed off to another city.. So, its been great and all that.. But... after a while, you want to reach out you know.. you want to make new friends.. you want to call people over and you want to go out with company..

Since I have no patience with the so called W fraternity we have going on everywhere, its just that much more difficult to find or meet people elsewhere.. I don't think I ever had this problem in b'lore, there were always people around, singles, not so singles and couples! Lots!

But now, I just don;t know how to tackle this problem.. I have half the mind to put up an ad that says - Need cool couples to hang out with, with these these an these qualifications.

What ? You thought there weren't any qualifications required ?? Think again mister! We have a strict filtering system in place here :)) In fact my hubby calls it the nose system, my nose goes up in the air everytime i meet a couple who r sooo sooo not cool !! :(( From across the room, he can make out if I have got along with anybody or not...

Well, its not like I am picky, but come on.. people gotta have some style man! I belive in impressions and the choice of clothes and topics to talk about really indicates the kind of personality you have (or the lack of :p)

So, theres been a round of filtering in the last so called Diwali party we had, where there were these tons of couples to chose from.. But its sad coz, sometimes the guy is creepy or the gal has a really bad taste in shoes! Its a miserable state of affairs here...

How on earth do you find that couple you can get along with, when you have a list thats as long as the great wall .. Good taste in shoes an clothes, a so called intellectual bent of mind, someone who knows his finances (yes, thats something hubby seems to like, don't ask me its a mystery to me too), people who do not associate having a couple of drinks with alcoholism, someone who likes shopping and most importantly people who like and can appreciate good music..

See, thats not a bad list at all.. in theory that is...But when it comes to reality, you will be surprised to find how far from theory people really are.. You will meet couples who are either too mushy and gushy (yuk yuk yuk !) or couples who are completely wound up around their li'l kids! Its just so tough to find sane couples anymore..

Ahh... maybe one of these days....

Yummy in my tummy

Been catching up on my reading and todays' been the day for this.

Quite an interesting blog about various restaurants and food from around..

So, after about a few posts, it got me thinking of restaurants in bangalore that are my all time favourites.. See, the thing also about bangalore is that theres always something new and interesting coming up and given the fact that I am out of the country currently, i really miss all that "hey theres a new place in town, lets check it out!"

So, the list is a little outdated but these places are where I would go to everytime I go back...without further ado and not in any particular order:

a. Desmonds' - I found this place courtesy Prash (Dude man!). A small place on lavelle road near the maruthi show room (or service station). The food is soo good there, I have eaten there quite a few times and there has been nothing that has disappointed me. The food is multicuisine and they have 2 things a week day quick lunch eater may like- a salad bar and an executive lunch thali.. And not to forget the yummy deserts that are simply well.. yummy.. One of the few places where I have tried a cheesecake and liked it immensely. And yes, they do server liquor.:)

b. Rice bowl - This place has been the venue for like a numerous team dinners and lunches back when I was working in MG Rd. This place is a standard fixture for chinese food in bangalore i tell ya.. They have a good vegetarian selection as well. The ambience is nothing spectacular and there is always a 15-20 mins wait no matter what time you land here. But the food makes up for it.. Damn , I miss the hot an sour soup! The place is dimly lit and is quite noisy with like about a zillion tables.. But the food makes up for all that..

c. Aangan - This punjabi restaurant has dhabas at 2 locations, one on lady curzon road and another on race course road. (Unless they have another one now). I have always enjoyed the food here, smells and tastes authentically punjabi.. The kababs and the dal makhhani is to die for ! This place used to be really small and there were 2 uncles who would run this place and who would always stop by our table to ask how things are.. I miss that familiarity in the restaurants now a days.. Its almost impersonal.. When i was with my ex BF, we also used to order for home delivery ever so often from here...

d. Nandini - I had never really been a fan of andhra food, which is why I am probably one of the few who have just been to 1 or 2 andhra chains that are present in banaglore..I just thought it was spicy and would always put me to sleep after eating all that rice. But I should really thank an old BF for getting me hooked to this one. This was our usual weekend lunch place where guys could hog as much as they wanted and gals (well, it was just me..) could taste all the spicy stuff on the thali :) Not very authentically andhra (as in its a mix or improvised), as I found out later when I married into an andhra family :P But the food is good no matter what. You should not miss out on the dried chillies and that gun powder !! (God bless u )

e. Shiok - I actually got to know the chef and the owner of this place online :) And its been a pleasure to visit him and his restaurant.. I think he has done a good job with the place. The lounge is really nice and cozy and the food is quite commendable. Its not often that you get to eat good thai or other oriental cuisines in Bangalore, but this one is really worth a visit :)

f. Jukebox - Man, this one only brings back memories, ol ol college memories.. Jukebox is another standard fixture in koromangala. Famous for a little parsi food and lot for its steaks.. Now that I have travelled here n there, I know steaks are not really how they are supposed to be. But I have reasons to believe that the steaks at jukebox are yummy nevertheless. Its just a small place and sometimes crowded, but its a place that reeks of familiarity and ol memories.. The only problem I have with this place is that they serve only beer and nothing else !

g. Casa P - On the similiar note as above, Casa P as we call Casa Piccola.. Its a chain of restaurants scattered across banaglore and the food is well.. western (or maybe intercontinental).. Its difficult to call it anything else.. lots of italian thrown in.. but they also have sandwiches and good soups.. Another college time fixture and has been a venue for soooooo many lunches I have lost count of..

h. Lalitha's paratha point - This one again has 2 branches, one near commercial and one in domlur (near indira nagar). I cannot forgive or forget the latter as the owner also ran sweet chariot franchise next door and she screwed up my budday cake! (Hmmpppff). But the one near commercial have provided respite from afternoon sun and sheer exhaustion for the enthu shoppers of commerical street. About 3-4 years ago, except for Woody's there was no other restaurants on commerical street. So in case you are famished from all that excercise, you had very limited options. One of my favourite options was Lalitha's.. This place is famous for its paratha's , they have all kinds. But careful, they are heavy on ur tummy and if you are wtahcing your weight, this may not really be a paradise for u ! But the parathas are simply outstanding.. I also like to mix it up a bit at times and order the sarson ka saag, another fav of mine ! Yummm....

i. Samarkhand - There are certain specific reasons you should go to this place. First being the ambience (which is like an afghan cave), second being the mirchi ka salan and the thrid being dehydration from partying in Hypnos.. Out of the 3, I prefer the mirchi ka salan :)

j. Food Street , VV puram - See, this one is not one restaurants, but a foodie paradise spread across a whole street! Can you believe that, a whole street! Its difficult to describe this, you have to see it and eat here to believe it..

k. Noodle Bar - Bombay central is where you will find this one, now merged with the bombay something. I really like the food here, its the quintessential oriental place with a variety of food choices.. I havent tried Jap food anywhere but the yakisoba here is definitely worth a mention.. Its yummm.. Its another respite for the shoppers if you must... I especially like the outdoor seating and they have a good selection of veggie food.

l. Olive bar - Ok, this one's not being mentioned as a restaurant.. I found exactly 1 veggy dish that I could order here which was a pizza :p. But this place is pretty according to me and has a nice medditeranian theme goin on.. I like the wine selection they have and its been fun to just sit there with friends, a big bottle of wine and just chill :)

I can go on and on.. Bangalore is such a foodie paradise, i really miss being there... But here are a few for the uninitiated in case anybody's interested :)

Arre deewanon...

A very filmy weekend..

Mum is shocked coz every day that she calls, I am forever watching a movie. But I have to tell ya, this Netflix is really addictive and is too cool :) I have upgraded in fact to 3 movies at a time rental!

But anyways, this weekend was not just about rental movies but 2 latest ones.. Don and Jaan e mann.

Don.. well.. well.. The moral of the story is do not try and remake any movie of Mr. Bachhan's!!
Its just not possible :) Every inch of the screen screamed for his presence, every dialogue spoken and every fight sequence. Big B is big B!

Shahrukh.. oh well.. I am confused.. People who know me know that I really really have a soft spot for him. Despite all the hamming and the not that great looking reasons...I sincerely believe that he is all about energy, its something that fills up even the most emptiest of the screen or screenplays...well, at least he tries.. There are movies which would not have been without him.. there are scenes which would not have the same effect if not for him.. More often than not, I think he is best in Yash movies, whether chopra or johar productions.. Maybe its the subjects or the candy floss romance, I don't know.. All I know are that these movies have their moments..Moments that make the movies bearable, moments that stay with you. After all movies now a days do not have the capability to hold your attention for the entire 2-3 hrs of the duration. Its only the moments that remain in your memory, some movies do not even have that.. Actually most do not.. But like I said, Shahrukh's movies have them.. even the latest disaster KANK.

Remember - "Mohabbat ke zamaane guzar gaye janaab, ab chote mote pyaar se hi kaam chala li jiye aap " :)

Or the evergreen - "senorita, bade bade shehron me aisi choti moti baaten hoti rehti hain"

But... alas, his energy or that overboard enthusiasm for seeming like an arrogant cold blooded killer, could not save the movie from being a dud that it is.. What do I think the problem was?.. I don't think the movie failed technically, I dont think the movie failed the intent or that the performances were bad.. But there are 2 key factors for a remake to succeed (IMHO)

1. You need people(actors) who will not make you cringe and then cry for the people from 70's! Which means that every actor or role needs to match up against the older one.. Which unfortunately just does not happen. And with all due respect, its too much to ask for.. How can you expect Priyanka to ooze that impish sexiness of Zeenie man ! Its just not possible..

2. You need to take a side when you want to re-make a movie.. Either you just do it cut to cut like the older one and don't care about the modern sentiments (which is a little like what Devdas intended to do). Or you have to just take the basic script but adapt it completely to look like a DJ Aqeel remix :)

I think Farhan tried to do the latter and wanted to make a remix.. But it fell short.. For like umpteen reasons.. the top of the list being, too much missing Big B :)) The movie is slow.. It just doesn't grab you like a caper should.. The dialogues are eeks! For a complete modern adaptation, at the least dialogues should reflect the modern sensibilities.. I mean, at the end of the day, if you just say the dialogues in your head, I am sure you will realize on your own accord that they are corny and so not like something any sane person will say..

"Main tumhare saath hoon bete, tumhe ghabraane ki zaroorat nahin hai" - Who can believe that a so called yuppie looking Arjun Rampal can talk like that to an equally yuppie looking and sounding son of his !!??

I think Farhan thought snazzy chase sequences, hot babes and designer costumes (a la velvel jacket) will do tha trick, but my dear, as much as i loved your other movies, you really need a reality check..in the form of.... Fataak !

Even the hairstyles which I thought was one of those talked about things in his movies falls short, Don's hair cut is soooooo D'uh, especially of the bumpkin Vijay.. Its really quite similiar to the nerd one in Main hoon na !

Which is sad, coz as it is people can't wait to rip SRK apart.. And in this movie he had to share a space with Arjun Rampal who is sooo infinitely good looking! Like infinitely.. I am sure babes in some screens, looked twice at him and thought, hmm why fight for him (SRK) when i can have a piece of that :) (muuaaaaaaaaaahhh)

I was dazed and confused after seeing that movie.. I kept asking myself how someone who could make DCH and Lakshya could not know a Dud when you see it in the making ?? How.. Well.. I had to see DCH all over again just to get DON outta my head....

You know what, this made me think (and yes, I do have a lot of time on my hands, vot to do..) I think this is how the movie should have been.. It shoudl have actually been a sequel to Don, you know,. Don 2....:)

So, the movie starts from where the previous one left off.. The Don is thriving and played by the ever saucy Mr. B. Enters a new cop, a la Junior B (AB baby :p) and the chase begins.. But little do they know that Abhishek is really Zeenie and Big B's son ! (aha !) .. The race continues till the last shot where Big B holds a gun to his head and just before AB grabs to ctahc him.. dishhhhkaonnnnnnnn... "Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahin......."

See that would be an apt sequel for the movie and yet racy and modern..(yes, yes lot of time and jobless...)

But sigh.. yeh log meri sunte hi kahan hai :P

.... Jaan e mann review to come....

Coming this fall...

Scrubs ...

I just love this one ! Cracks me up everytime.. Now, I can happily say. Coupling has been de-throned !

To do or not to do..

I have finally reached a conclusion to stop doing things for logical reasons.. You know, the right ones and the wrong ones... Reasoning just doesn't cut for me!

So.. I decide to do things that I really want to do, feel like doing. At least at the end of the day no matter what, I did something that I wanted to do right...? Right....

Tech and more tech

that given my current non working situation is quickly making me feel like an isolated vegetable!

Thanks to a so called daily dose of whats happening around me, at least I get to find out what and how others are contributing to the society!

So keeping with that trend, here's what I took a look at today and it really makes me feel more an more outdated :))

www.mapmyindia.com

Its a commendable effort towards creating a map feature similiar to google maps or yahoo maps.
I tried the beta site and made a direction search from my home in bangalore to MG road (which is sort of the city center). It did provide exact directions.

A look at that seemed too good to be true, infact too visionary for words ! I have been told that there are similiar web sites trying to do the same thing.

You can find a more comprehensive review for mapmyindia here

Another amazing find along the same lines was this. Here i tried cinema theatres near my home in bangalore and it gave me all the theatres sorted by (i think) proximity. The site is not your answer to everything under the sun kinda thing (And I didn't quite find quite a few other things) but i think its a first and an excellent step in the right direction. It has an auto fill (just like the google search toolbar) which fills out most of the locations starting with what you type in. The categories they offer are basic but I am guessing they will expand soon.

Apart from the generic features, there are also lotsa cool features such as a floating help window, ratings for every establishment etc.


Excellent stuff out there, pity there is only so much that you get to hear about...

Ha

I may be on the speedway to old n fat-dom but nobody can take the coolness away frm me :)

Bro wants to join Kingfisher, apparently wants to be a commercial pilot. (this is what happens when you let people take time an figure out what they want to do in life :p)

Him: Oye, I am going to Delhi tomm, I have decided to attend the interview for Kingfisher.
Me: Hmm...
Him: Kya?..
Me: hmmm..
. (really ?)
. (pilot?)
. (but...)
Achha anyways, at least there are good looking babes there...


Mum: Is that what I told you to tell him?????

Blip from the vegetable..

I am trying to get out of this perpetual lethargy I seem to have sunk into. Life as I knew it is changing so much that I am scared I will get be thrown out tangentially very soon. Am becoming quite completely oblivious of whats happening around me.. I think this is how it starts.
So.. I tell myself I am gonna put an end to this right now and definitely catch up more often on whats happening around me.

In keeping with the promise, here is what I bumped into today as my post lunch read. Its been a pleasure to check out Blogswara-United in music. Its a collaboration of musically oriented bloggers from around the world. Its refreshing to see how the net has really empowered to get anybody and everybody globally on a single platform to express themselves and collaborate on such a scale. There is ample details about them on their website as well as songs that you can download and listen to as well. They even have a blog site :)
Oh and btw, I came by the website via Harish's blog site which informed me that he was one of the participants of the Airtel Super singer. My Mum's been telling me about that program and good to know that its been a good show case of talents.

My feeling of being so called insignificant is really gathering momentum now :) I better start to catch up on more stuff around me..

Of KANK, life and such...

This is an extremely long and boring blog (with some spoilers), so if you are not particularly fond of Karan Johar, Hindi movies or well... my blogs.. stop right here and please continue doing whatever you were doing..

I saw 'Silsila' when i was just about wee bit. Since then I think I have seen it just about every time it has played on TV in the different cable channels. When I started buying/collecting DVD's of the movies that I have liked through the times, this one definitely features in the list. I am a great great fan of Yash Chopra and proud to say that I have seen all of his movies starting from 'Waqt' in the 60's. (ahem, not that I saw it in the 60's d'uh! but its from then you see).
So, I have quite a few of his movies in my collection. Silsila in particular has been a movie I have enjoyed immensely (much to my mum's chagrin! Imagine a 15 yr old really liking a movie about extra marital affairs, not quite something for a mum to gloat about :p). It has the most beautiful songs and its such a brilliantly made movie, the understated performance by Jaya and Sanjeev Kumar was such a pleasure to watch. Who can forget Rekha in those halter neck blouses, man she was sexy! My mum tells me that the halter necks were a craze after that and I am not surprised .. AB is AB and I rest my case...

Before you wonder whether this is a blog about Silsila, not really.. But it does start from there and I think its also a movie that inspires KANK. We all know Karan Johar has had all the Yash Chopra movies dissolved in his daily dose of horlicks and given to him even when he was about wee bit..

I have for reasons unknown always always liked the story of silsila even though it was not a movie which rocked the box office or was much talked about (at least not for the right reasons tho', the chemistry between AB and Rekha is palpable and you can almost feel it thru the screen I kid you not!). I think the movie, for the times it was set in, was quite futuristic and the indian sensibilities did not appreciate the fact that:

a. Extra marital affair was glorified enough to make a much hyped movie about it
b. The fact that an indian woman went out of her marriage to indulge in a relationship with another man..

Both the reasons I guess were justified in those times even though it was all BS. Point remains that it is till date the most sensitively made movie about a subject which is always been so controversial.

Since my younger days whenever I used to watch that movie I really empathised with Rekha and AB. I think its also the age which makes you think that love conquers all, no matter what you should fight for your love, you are entititled to love and happiness and blah blah...I am not saying it like a bad thing mind you. But I think that is the reason why I didnt see anything wrong with that story, I still struggle to find loops in it..

I have had heated debates with friends about how there was nothing wrong in the characters to find their true love even if it existed outside of their marriage. Mainly because the marriage itself was a compromise. The premise of the story apart from the whole love bit is about choices in life or the lack of...AB's character had a choice in the movie (if you havent seen the movie, and are interested plz watch it). But he decides to go a certain way and that decision paves the path for the rest of the movie.. There will always be a question of whether you can turn back time, the thought of reversing judgements and the integrity to stand by your decisions.. All these and more make the movie that much more interesting.

Kank unfortunately for me, lacks these basic convictions to begin with. It also starts with a decision made by Rani and the life there onwards. But the gaps are too distracting after you have seen the movie (ahem btw for the record I enjoyed the movie and as always I think Karan Johar has done a good job. I just tend to hash and rehash movies after seeing them :p).
There are 2 basic faults with the movie as far as I can see:

a. The whole Rani and Abhishek's marriage falling apart bit. You really are left wondering why is their marriage falling apart. You can see that a certain chemistry is missing but beyond that there are too many other indications to say otherwise. You see a very loving husband who as far as you can see has done nothing wrong and is not someone you cannot work on. Rani's character herself is shown to be amenable to making things work which does not happen if you have fallen out of love and have nothing to hold you back. The director makes it seem like they have compatibility issues and communication problems but there is not enough indication of that in the movie, so in the end you are like - Ok, I have been told that their marriage is not working so umm. instead of breaking my head over it might as well get over it so that the movie may move on (as it is its 3.5 hrs long!)
b. Whats up with SRK's character being so obnoxious???You almost do not feel any kind of sympathy or empathy for him. There are scenes in which I admit I felt like slappng him right across and asking him to shut up.. (and that given my usual dedication for his movies is saying a lot!). His marriage story again seems quite unfortunate but at least in this case you are being told that his wife has been too busy supporting him and the family. Which is fine and believable.. But honestly according to me, the only reason (tangible reason) you can see which broke his marriage was him. It was really his character which just stopped putting in enough for the marriage. I am almost scared to think if not for that what else could have been the reason.He is really shown to be a terrible dad and a terrible husband. There is a brilliant scene where Priety asks him if a husband is too busy providing for his family why is he not blamed for the lack of involvement and that according to me is pure directional excellence. So... if its really his sullen and insecure attitude that breaks his marriage, there is really no reason why he should find happiness elsewhere. I find that quite a hypocritical loop in the movie..

But having said all that, I have to say that I did enjoy the movie a lot, every melodramatic minute of it.. I am a complete sucker for Karan Johar movies and I will always be.. Despite that fact that the movie is long and melodramatic (those are the trademarks really), you have to give credit to Karan Johar for attempting a movie like this. A spinoff of Silsila in a modern age setting must have been a daunting task.. He is really a sensitive director who I think brings out certain nuances about human relationships and women which is not very common in the usual male dominated bollywood.

The performances are superb as usual (yes, SRK hams a lot but you hafta get over it by now!). Abhishek is underused I think. I personally have a soft spot for him and I hate to see him not being given an author backed role. He is capable of soo much more. But he does shine through some of the emotional scenes and honestly its his character which is really the ace in the whole movie..
AB is a surprise package in the movie as a casanova.. I am still struggling to get over it and its a little difficult you have to believe me. He does his best to portray that flamboyance but I think its 3 decades of living and feeding on a certain image which makes it very difficult to chew this avtaar of his. But kudos to him and the director to even venture in this direction..
Preity has very little to do in the movie except to look good and maybe its for the better, its a relief to see her not so hyperactive on the screen.
Rani is good, that girl has talent for sure, we have all seen it and I think we all agree to that so like in the case of AB, I don't think I need to elaborate.
Kiron Kher looks very cute :) She is becoming the modern day screen mom now.. I was really secretly wishing something would cook up between her character and AB's. In the middle of the movie I also wondered why Karan Johar could not get Rekha to play that role! It would really have been soo coool!!

There were a few scenes that stand out in my memory really:
a. The one I mentioned previously where Preity defends her busy life by comparing it to being the bread winner of the family. It stand out because it really shows the hypocratic mentality where men (ok people!) do not hesitate to point fingers at women the moment they get any busy with their professional lives.
b. The scene where Kiron Kher asks Preity whether she can stay with her after the divorce. That was such a minscule scene but I think one which really brings out a lot about the modern sensibilities. The beautiful part is the dialogue where she says - My son did not ask me before stepping out of this marriage and you did not ask me before throwing him out of the house....Its such a subtle indication of the modern age where youngsters no longer indulge in family discussions to decide matters of life or decisions pertaining to families. Times have changed....
c. Scene towards the end where AB comes to meet Rani to invite her for the wedding. Gosh I really had a lump in my throat during that scene..
d. The dinner table scene where everybody discusses boundaries in a relationship. It was a glimpse of what a great scene it could have been. A potent scene that could have really made a difference if explored properly with some intelligent dialogues. Instead it shows us a glimmer of how it could have been with just about 2-3 dialogues but nevertheless I think quite interesting.
e. Ah, my fav really, that 10 seeconds of Kajol on screen. Man motherhood really agrees with her! She looks stunning (I never thought I will say this about Kajol of all people!). She looks ravishing in a pink sari, absolutely in shape and the smile which really makes you miss her presence in the movie..

All in all a good movie to watch, it definitely does justice to what I expected from it despite whatever glitches.. The songs are awesome and in particular Mitwa is really great! I am not sure if the sound track is as popular as B&B but Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy have definitely given a good score to back the movie..

All said and done, I really wonder whether even now I stand by the story of Silsila or not.. And somehow it causes a conflict in my sensibilities now that I am married myself.. I don't think a marriage is to be taken lightly. I am conventional, vot to do.. I truly believe that it is something which is of more permanence than anything else in your life so you better not have any doubts about it. If you do, take some time, think about it and only if you are really sure should you get into something like it.

I see people around me and I see them split into 2 categories, ones who are fast losing faith in the institution of marriage and ones who think its like a piece of footwear, you try to see if its fits you (if it doesnt try another one!). Both of which scare me because they are both extremes. Also unknown to them they are interrelated.. Its really the lack of understanding of what a marriage is and the commitment involved, which causes people to swing in either direction..

I sincerely hope and plead that if you are not convinced about marriage as an institution or do not understand it well enough, maybe just maybe its not for you. Which again is not a bad thing. Its better not to get married for the heck of it than to ruin it after you have gotten in..

The sad thing is that we are now caught between what we think we are entitled to and what we work hard at getting. Marriage as an institution in India will not really work out if we think we can always get out of it if we are not happy or not getting what we deserve. Which is also why we always look up to our parents and other family members to emote their marriage. Stable marriages in a family makes a lot of difference in the ideologies of the children. If you were brought up believing that its something we get into for social reasons or worse, that we can get out of it if we are not getting what we want, we would really be floundering to make anything work..

The pursuit of happiness is not wrong, the search for eternal love is not wrong, what is wrong is the misguided and inflated ideology with which people seem to be entering into marriage..

Mami's take over the internet!

Thought for the day

I noticed something yesterday in the mirror. It was a completely relaxed, glowing and smiling face staring back at me. Something believe me I probably havent seen since I was probably 18 and yes that was long time ago :)

And immediately what struck me also was the fact that this is what we lose out on being the overambitious women that we have tend to become now. And I don't even mean overambitious as a bad thing. And I don't mean overambitious in a purely professional sense. I mean ambitious in every sphere of life. Wanting just about everything. I know thats how I am..

In the eternal race to achieve everything, we miss out on taking time to be, we miss out on chalking time out for yourself for the little things that you want to do. It could be something as simple as making sure you use ample moisturiser everyday. I know that personally, I obsess about moisturiser. Its been my bane for the last 7 years that I have been working. I have always felt that I dont get enough time to do silly things which as a woman I should be doing and am entitiled to and not to mention enjoy doing. Why do we let that race to achieve things, the hunger for greater things (which we intuitively know we are capable of and defeinitely have a right to), get in the way of being and enjoying being a woman?

So i tried to time things that I have been doing lately, now that I have very less to do..
a. Cooking for about an hour
b. Half an hour to an hour time out for all your cosmetic needs
c. Gym everyday and yoga twice a week
d. Sleep for at least 9 hours a day.

Ok, so now what is it that stops me from doing any of this on a normal week day when I work? I find myself at a loss of ideas. Is it the lack of required hours per day ? Is it the lack of enough energy and enthusiasm? It could well be a combination of that and more..Lack of motivation at the end of a tiresome 10 hour day is not that far fetched.

But I worry, for myself and for other women like me who unknowingly are losing out on more things than one. The ability to take care of yourself as a woman, the ability to relax on a daily basis, the awareness of stress that we carry along all day. All this and more. I know we want it all and we will compromise and adjust and re-adjust to make it happen. But maybe, just maybe we can help the situation..

This is how I figure it, life is probably not gonna get any saner. I sincerely believe that the 20's are the most time for yourself that you are gonna get. The 30's are crazy, you definitely have family, children and mortgages to worry about. Being a woman will get even crazier in 30's. Kids, schools, maids, house cleaning and not for forget in Laws! Yes, I am anticipating all that and more in my future I can tell ya! (which is why I am only too glad to push all that out till I hit the big 3 O)

Anyways, since I am already aware of that fact, maybe its time to salvage the rest of my 20's (ok fine late 20's :p) and maybe, just maybe, that little will go a long way.

Why should I lose out on something so intrinsic and something thats definitely so worthwhile. Maybe it will take some more time crunching, but wouldn't you want to do that now while you can and that time doesn't belong to anyone else? I think so..

Scoop!

A very refreshing movie in the recent times bar none. Every year I guess there is something that comes along completely as a pleasant surprise, last year it was 'Kiss kiss bang bang'. Another masterpiece and quite a case of serendipity as far as I am concerned but more of that later.
This year its 'Scoop' ! A Classic Woody Allen comedy.

Sondra: I think he might ask me to marry him
Sidney: Your family is quite conservative, do you think they will accept a serial killer ?

Absolutely understated but yet in your face kinda comedy if you get my drift. Its been a pleasure to see Woody back in action and oh what an action it is.

Scarlett (and I do like that name btw) is perfect in her role. I think she is Woody's new gal friday really! I think her looks are deliberately understated for the character that she's playing coz otherwise she is quite stunning. She has come a long way from the freakish 'Lost in Translation'. I wish she does more roles like these where she seems more at ease.
Beautiful and yet quite sneaky as the budding american journalist in London.

Woody is the neurotic and twitchy Splendini who gets caught up in the action by the virtue of being at provider of the molecule defragmentor (ha watch it I tell ya :p). Nothing else I will say would really justify this guy's passion for movies and good looking women. He's been accused of being repetetive but when what is served is so delicious, I would not mind a tad bit of repetitions or second helpings for that matter.
Hugh Jackman, o gosh, everytime he's on the screen it just lights up (at least for me it does). He's unbelievably good looking! Much trimmer and in shape than he was in X-men and boy this character is far from anything like that. He also fits the role of a previledged Brit I must say. Ok, and I can go on and on about him but thats not really a point, I am the greatest fan of Hugh Jackman but this movie is out and out Scarlett's and Woody's who shine as amateur investigative journalists.

The humour is classic Woody, script is a bit out there but when its so funny you rarely tend to question the rather mundane logic in things. Dialogues will grab you when you least expect them and don't be surprised if you laugh your guts out when you do catch the drift of it. This is a must see for all Woody fans and definitely is a nice summer movie.

Procrastination is my current theme..

Put it off for later is my anthem.. Days are flowing by, my to-do list is mounting by the day..

How much did I plan to do during my time off, plenty. How much have I done, hardly!

More than anything else, I promised myself I will change my blog template. Even started doing it but blame HTML for not making this simpler! Tried to be smart and started fooling around with Div tags.. Promptly found out that my changes were working in Firefox but completely screwed up in IE. Swore never to touch existing templates again. I will search till I find a free template online if my friends are generous enuf to point me to one. If I don't get it, Hmmppf, I stay with dis one !

Have been making very very efficient use of Netflix I must say. There isn't a day when I am not watching a movie, wanted to write a few more reviews for the sweet people who take out time to drop by to read moi reviews! Where did I get with that? Nowhere, half written stuff lying in my drafts folder going nowhere.

I think all your inspiration dies out the moment you have time for it. Its like a no-win situation. You think you have no time to be inspired or write stuff but when you have all the time, no momentum, no muse..

Wanted to organize my mp3 player, started doing it, but realized its not really a simple task. I mean, the idea is straightforward of course. You want to classify songs per language, per genre, per movie, per singers/band. So in theory not that difficult at all. But if you knew me better you will also know that I am not organized by nature, I am random at best! So, the songs I listen to, the playlists I make are random. A vague fear gripped me when I made that first folder in my jukebox. What if I am in the mood to listen to only peppy numbers. Umm how am i gonna get peppy numbers out of the 20 odd folders that I am planning to make now.. And that thought had me mortified.. If you knew me, you will also know that I am the laziest person on the earth, to traverse thru 20 odd folders to make a playlist is not my idea of fun..

So in the end, here are a few of my folders...
2004
2005
NJ
Favs
Oldies
Angrezi
Random
........and many more such...

So, you see what a disaster that organizing activity was :p

Out of everything else, I think my main accomplishments would definitely include:

a. Dedication towards Yoga judging by how religiously I have been going for my classes.
b. Charmed - watching almost 3 hours of this series every day! I mean thank god, they made 8 seasons of it, means a lot of episodes to go around..

Ah.. Almost left out the best part.. I now have all the 4 seasons of 'Coupling'. The saving grace!

Hmmpff! Doctors!

Doc: So what do you think is contributing to the pain in your shoulders?
Me: Well, I am not sure. (Ahem, aren't you the doctor???)
Doc: But there must be something that you are doing which needs to be stopped, can you think of something?
Me: I do tend to read a lot..
Doc: Do you think you can stop doing that for a while ? Just to check..
Me: Stop reading ?? (Bewildered and... Are you kidding me?!)
Doc: What else can you stop doing?
Me: Umm.... (Is this going anywhere..)
Doc: What about the way you sleep, how is that?
Me: Mostly on my tummy and usually all coiled up...
Doc: Can you stop doing that?
Me: Ahem.. I don't think so.. You see its quite involuntary.. (Well that and the fact that my mum's been trying to make me sleep properly since I was 2 and she hasnt succeeded)
Doc: What about working on the comp, you said you are not working anymore.
Me: Yes, most of what I do nowadays is squat at home and just check mails a few times a day.
Doc: Can you stop even that?
Me: ?? (Really ? You think I have any chance of survival without checking all my zillion mails ?)
Doc: Ok what else, there doesn't seem to be many sustained postures in your daily activity, but you still seem to have a lot of pain. What about sitting?
Me: (ok, by now losing patience, he wants me to stand all day ??) Umm.. I do think I know how to sit and all that plus we have a very comfy couch..(:p)
Doc: What about standing..
Me: (About to bash him up now!) What ?
Doc: You know standing for a prolonged period could cause tension in your shoulder..
Me: (this has to be a joke) Ummm.. I am hardly standing and doing anything. I dont really believe in overworking myself.. (Plus its not like I do any work around the house, you see hubby and I have a deal, I cook and he cleans.. Dishes, house, everything else...)
Doc: But there must be something, can you think about this and get back to me.
Me: (And I am paying you for this ???)

Corporate

Corporate

Quite a hard hitting movie. Being in the private sector myself, could relate to some bits of the movie, politics and diplomacy at least.
It was quite a no pretense movie which I guess is true for most of Madhur Bhandarkar's movies.

But a few other things are true as well for most of his movies:
a. He's overtly cynical, to the extent that you wonder why that is. I mean, as a person I think there is only so much cynicism that you can write or portray but to be out and out that, you need to be quite disillusioned in life or totally out to prove a point, I am not sure which.
b. There are small things blown out full swing e.g. partying in page 3. That movie really gave a really really misguided spin on harmless partying on saturday night. For a long time, my mum kept turning up her nose everytime I would tell her I am going out with friends on a saturday night!
c. His movies never ever end on a hopeful note. I mean i don't mind if a movie has a sad ending but to leave you depressed is another matter all together. Chandni Bar was like that, no matter how you see it, you can't help but just wish Tabu would kill herself to get out of her misery!

But.. all said and done, it is refreshing to see movies that are closer to real life than most. Corporate is a good movie with excellent start cast inclusing Rajat Kapoor, Kay kay menon and Raj Babbar. Bipasha is the surprise package in this one. She fits the role to a T. A modern, sharp, intelligent and extremely easy on eyes. She does look quite good looking in this movie even with minimal make up. Good to see heroines feel at ease like that.

Nishigandha the character is the pivotal role that holds the movie together. We see her rise and fall in this movie which takes you through the drudgy corridors of the corporate world. The good thing is the solid script which gives makes her character so believable. She is cut throat but at the same time very sensitive and feminine. In her scenes with Kay Kay menon, you can see how her eyes shine and there is a understated smile which is so typical. Only a good actor can do that and I am glad to see Bipasha morphing into one. An endearing character who at no point makes you feel iffy about all her unethical 'I will do anything to make this company move forward' attitude. Her attitude makes you feel proud of the fact that indian movies have come to age with powerful female characters like her. Madhur has done a good job portraying female characters so strong in all his movies.

Kay Kay Menon desperately needs a stronger role in most of his movies. I am getting tired of seeing his angst in all the movies he's been a part of. I wish he would take on more happy and positive roles. He is good no doubt, I have always stood by that, his acting is mindblowing whether its Hazaron Khwaishen aisi or Sarkar. But i think he may be getting into a mould of being either very angry or very victimized. Both of which are not quite indicative of his holistic acting skills.

Rajat Kapoor. I like that guy, I really do. He is very talented as an actor and a director. I think his potential is still to seen totally. But I have enjoyed his work so far including Mixed Doubles.

A good movie all in all, definitely worth watching. Portrays the corporate culture and politics with no holds barred. Very refreshing to see reality taken seriously for a change ;)

Ok, so 1 down 2 more to go.. Omkara and Yun hota to kaisa hota.. Will be back when i get hold of those.. blip blip...

POTC-DMC :)

- Its not as good as the first one
- Its not as fast as the first one
- Its quite dissapointing especially Johnny Depp, he hasnt created the same magic

All these and more such feedback for Pirates of the Carribean - Dead Man's Chest.. Considering that I wanted to see the movie the day it released or even the midnight show if possible, you can guess how excited I have been about the movie.

Unfortunately could not see it till about 10 days post the release! Believe me it was not for the lack of trying. Went to the theatre twice and could not get tickets so I guess I just said maybe I am not meant to see it here.
Ah, in Phoenix now, blissfully at home. Feeling a little happy and a little restless (ha a seperate post for that). So went for the late evening show yesterday.

I loved it.. I really did. I promised myself I will not make the mistake of comparing it to the first one at any point unless for any story continuity. And that helps believe me. Johny Depp is magnificient. Even if his role in this one did not have the depth like the first one. (Ok am not comparing, am just stating the fact :p) I think thats also because in the first movies you always seen the main characters introduced in a grandiose manner. But by now, we are already familiar with all of them and most importantly Captain Jack Sparrow ! So we can go on with the story really..

The visuals are stunning! The whole flying dutchmen imagery is so awesome I cannot begin to describe it..This one story wise is a little more slower but thats not such a bad thing. Its got more emotional dialogues, more guilt tripping and more kisses ha! Its funny nonetheless and I have enjoyed every minute of it.

Forget the first part and just give yourself in to the adventure called Captain Jack sparrow. He does not let you down. He's quirky as ever and still sooo adorable!

I came out of the theatre wanting more and more than anything else wanting to see the 3rd part of it !! Damn thats gonne be a real adventure!