The first one

The Infidel -The Maggi Noodle Review

2011-12-11T12:25:00.005+05:30

3 Noodles.

Missed the start of the movie. But good overall. Enjoyed it. Keeps balance between making outright fun and handling Muslims and Jews and their faiths sensibly. Ending a bit too convenient. Good performance by the cast - especially by the central characters. Good comedy. Laughed out loud may be 3 times. Recommended. And yes, super sexy Ms. Punjabi without ever trying to be.

The Dark Knight - A Review

2011-10-31T23:56:00.009+05:30

This is an old post written after the ecstatic first viewing of "The Dark Knight", one of my all time favorite movies, when the film first released here in Pune. I am reproducing it here again as a submission for the Reel-life Bloggers contest run by wogma and reviewgang.

The Knight is Darkest

I am incoherent (should probably turn off the TV).

The anticipation was there for the last three years. The excitement, had now become palpable. It had become almost too hard to concentrate on work. I don't remember the last time I got this excited. May be it was the hype. May be it was the raves being showered already by the critics. But mostly, it was curiosity, I suppose. Can the Bat seem plausible in the real world past its origins? How do they make it real, this time?

But first, my story till the multiplex. Ah.. no, doesn't matter anymore. Suffice to say that it involved waiting, more waiting, tickets, cancellation (Are you Serious), disappointment, more waiting, tickets, waiting, traffic jam, parking full (Oh.. no!!), parking open, running, settling in the seat, just in time.

Back to the earlier question. Do they succeed in fitting the Bat in Big Apple? Yes, very much so. Does the Joker provide a plausible enemy? Yes. Does the Joker rise to become a formidable foe? Yes. Are the encounters engaging enough? Yes. Are they spectacular? Yes. Do we know more about Batman? Yes. Does the Bat's character progress? Yes. Are performances competent? Very much so. Are there wow-inspiring shots? Yes. Is the movie as atmospheric as a Batman movie should be? Yes, even in the real world. Finally, does Heath ledger perform as well as everyone is raving about? He nails it.

A word about character development. The Nolan brothers impress again in this regard. Every central character in the movie is well fleshed out. The Joker's was obvious as he was the movies, er, joker. But the attention given to DA Harvey Dents character is impressive. The character is quite likable and almost has leading man potential which should be probably in part be credited to Eckhart's performance. He keeps the character fallible yet sympathetic and believable even when he turns a raging maniac. Freeman has been given more scope in terms of role play. But I was impressed by Michael Caine as Alfred. He is the pillar to both Batman and Bruce Wayne and provides that much needed support when either of them lose sight of their purpose. He is the Bat philosophy. Caine eeks out a finely balanced performance. Gary Oldman as the commissioner of police is good. Probably one of the normal guy characters in a franchise which is so full of dark, twisted tones. But I don't find his character as strong or in need of any more fleshing out than what has already been done in this movie. About Rachel Daws, I certainly wasn't expecting the twist. So, that was bit of a surprise. Maggie Gyllenhaal does well.

Now, lets move on to the two central characters - Batman and the Joker. From now on, if somebody says Joker, it should always remind everyone of this one. The conception is brilliant. The entry is nothing short of superb. It should end up as the one of the most iconic shots ever. The Joker is pure evil. He has no sympathy. He only has disdain for everyone save for one, Batman. Because he to him, is an able adversary, a worthy conquest. He has a maniacal zeal that resembles enthusiasm more than wicked fury. And he is scarily believable. Heath Ledger has given performance of a lifetime. His was cut short. He will live on with us. As the Joker, he is entertainingly creepy and scares the wits out of everyone. I don't even remember Jack Nicholson's Joker after this one. But probably its unfair to compare the two performances as the tones of the two films are completely different. But I can safely say that Heath has outdone Jack Nicholson in in dark demeanor stakes. I sincerely hope that his portrayal does not evoke mindless followers in the real world.

I would be disappointed if someone else was given the Oscar. Its not his tragic death that evokes this emotion but the pure genius of his portrayal. We have been denied a great and versatile actor.

Now, what about Batman? I don't think The Bat's character has been dissected so well in any other movie. I am sure I will see more of it as I have a second or third repeat viewing. He certainly has been given a hard time. He has been made to make tough choices. Batman struggles. By the end of the movie, he loses more than he gains. But by bearing the emotional cost, by sticking to the general good, he ultimately remains the Hero, he should be. He frees himself. Bale gives a finely matched performance. He ultimately wins approval as both Bruce Wayne and Batman.

This film has given me what I missed primarily in Batman Begins. An uncompromisingly evil Villain. Because idealists, as the League of the Shadows, can't inspire awe and fright. They merely evoke the need for removal. The movie, then, becomes a bit too dependent on pyrotechnics. To match the Batman, one needs more than that. Because Batman has an emotional core that needs to be matched. The Joker completes Batman. This movie, then, is not dependent on the big action sequences that are prerequisites of a big Summer blockbuster. They are there but as required ingredients rather than the sole purpose of the meal. The real fireworks, come from the drama and choices the characters have to make.

The length of the movie is testimony to the detail put in for each character. At two and half hours, the movie ends up a bit longer than expected. But I certainly didn't end up grudging that. To be honest though, I was a bit worried about the other audience in the hall. But somehow the movie struck a chord with the audience which is rare for a summer actioner. To my surprise, I was audience to a spontaneous applause as the credits rolled. Imagine that for a supposedly popcorn flick! This brings me to the ending. The choice of the ending is a bit bold, rather unsettling. The Bat chooses to be an outlaw, hunted. I am not sure if that's the way, Batman is intended to be. May be it is. In a way, it seemed closure for Nolan and Batman. To me it seemed that Nolan is taking his last bow. I sincerely hope not. If he does take up the mantle again, I will be very curious as to how they move forward in the direction they have taken. How does anyone go forward from here? Only time will tell.

By the first half ended, I had already got everything I had come for. I sat transfixed letting it unfold and soaking it all in. Even if the movie had ended there, at one and half hours, I had got all that I wanted to see. So, anything more was just a bonus. The next hour didn't let me down either. When I came out of the theater, I was wrestling with two words - magnificent and mind blowing. I couldn't settle on either. It is too dark to be magnificent. It is too disturbing to be mind blowing. But I could finally believe in the Knight. And he is the darkest.

(Probably, a second viewing will make me look at things a little more in perspective.)

Now, Surely...

2009-06-06T00:49:00.002+05:30

Can't be four years in a row. Go Roger. Let me be in peace. (The only thing left then would be to beat Rafa on just one more Orange final. Oh.. ok. Semi will do.)

Getting By

2009-01-12T16:21:00.002+05:30

I am surprised by how little you need to upgrade in order to get by in a software job. This, of course, applies only to them to whom the difference between MS Word and Vi stop at being primarily made available for two different operation systems. Then of course, you at least need to know that the thing waiting for you to do something when you boot up your PC is a part of Operating System. Then, of course, there are other things to it, the OS I mean. Can't remember most. But I know where the books are. At least the one with basics. Can get there. Hmm.

Recession

2009-01-12T16:14:00.002+05:30

I have recessed from "lets wait if the value rises further" to "I told you not to put this much in the market" speeches to some people I know. Most notably, my dad. Dabble and fall.

Peacock Man to the Top

2008-08-05T18:42:00.002+05:30

Though the colors in his nest have faded, I doubt that he can ever get rid of them. Or, put simply, I don't think Kevin Pietersen can do the job for England. Not the captaining one, anyway. As batsman, he has been excellent. But he is definitely not captain material. I'd be very surprised if he were. Captaincy is more about man management skills rather actual playing skill. KP has been seen more as his own man. What one requires is a People's person. KP is not one of them. Andrew Strauss, I think, would have been a good bet. England erred before in handing Flintoff the captaincy as against Strauss in the last Ashes. Everyone knows what happened then and after. Only when Vaughan returned did the semblence of normalcy returned to the English camp. KP is more in the mould of Flintoff rather than Vaughan or even Nasser Hussain. He can be one of the blokes but not lead them. Even handing capataincy to Alistair Cook would have been a good move keeping an eye on the future. The best example of this has been Graeme Smith for South Africa. Even, Dhoni for us has proved to have been a good bet as against Yuvraj. But KP commands more respect, or more aptly, can be expected to have more acumen than Yuvraj or Flintoff. So, England can expect to have at best an interim captain in KP rather than a long lasting one. One must not forget that he is not English. And the attitude that he has supposedly shown till now has been of a man playing for himself or at best his mates, rather than his country. So, it is very optimistic to assume that he can be a good future leader. At any rate, I wouldn't like to see an another attacking batsman curb himself to normal levels just because he leads ten guys to the field. No KP, this cpataincy thing, this ain't for you!!

The Knight is Darkest

2008-07-19T17:38:00.004+05:30

I am incoherent (should probably turn off the TV).

The anticipation was there for the last three years. The excitement, had now become palpable. It had become almost too hard to concentrate on work. I don't remember the last time I got this excited. May be it was the hype. May be it was the raves being showered already by the critics. But mostly, it was curiosity, I suppose. Can the Bat seem plausible in the real world past its origins? How do they make it real, this time?

But first, my story till the multiplex. Ah.. no, doesn't matter anymore. Suffice to say that it involved waiting, more waiting, tickets, cancellation (Are you Serious), disappointment, more waiting, tickets, waiting, traffic jam, parking full (Oh.. no!!), parking open, running, settling in the seat, just in time.

Back to the earlier question. Do they succeed in fitting the Bat in Big Apple? Yes, very much so. Does the Joker provide a plausible enemy? Yes. Does the Joker rise to become a formidable foe? Yes. Are the encounters engaging enough? Yes. Are they spectacular? Yes. Do we know more about Batman? Yes. Does the Bat's character progress? Yes. Are performances competent? Very much so. Are there wow-inspiring shots? Yes. Is the movie as atmospheric as a Batman movie should be? Yes, even in the real world. Finally, does Heath ledger perform as well as everyone is raving about? He nails it.

A word about character development. The Nolan brothers impress again in this regard. Every central character in the movie is well fleshed out. The Joker's was obvious as he was the movies, er, joker. But the attention given to DA Harvey Dents character is impressive. The character is quite likable and almost has leading man potential which should be probably in part be credited to Eckhart's performance. He keeps the character fallible yet sympathetic and believable even when he turns a raging maniac. Freeman has been given more scope in terms of role play. But I was impressed by Michael Caine as Alfred. He is the pillar to both Batman and Bruce Wayne and provides that much needed support when either of them lose sight of their purpose. He is the Bat philosophy. Caine eeks out a finely nonced performance. Gary Oldman as the commissioner of police is good. Probably one of the normal guy characters in a franchise which is so full of dark, twisted tones. But I don't find his character as strong or in need of any more fleshing out than what has already been done in this movie. About Rachel Daws, I certainly wasn't expecting the twist. So, that was bit of a surprise. Maggie Gyllenhaal does well.

Now, lets move on to the two central characters - Batman and the Joker. From now on, if somebody says Joker, it should always remind everyone of this one. The conception is brilliant. The entry is nothing short of superb. It should end up as the one of the most iconic shots ever. The Joker is pure evil. He has no sympathy. He only has disdain for everyone save for one, Batman. Because he to him, is an able adversary, a worthy conquest. He has a maniacal zeal that resembles enthusiasm more than wicked fury. And he is scarily believable. Heath Ledger has given performance of a lifetime. His was cut short. He will live on with us. As the Joker, he is entertainingly creepy and scares the wits out of everyone. I don't even remember Jack Nicholson's Joker. But probably its unfair to compare the two performances as the tones of the two films are completely different. But I can safely say that Heath has outdone Jack Nicholson in in dark demeanor stakes. I sincerely hope that his portrayal does not evoke mindless followers in the real world.

I would be disappointed if someone else was given the Oscar. Its not his tragic death that evokes this emotion but the pure genius of his portrayal. We have been denied a great and versatile actor.

Now, what about Batman? I don't think The Bat's character has been dissected so well in any other movie. I am sure I will see more of it as I have a second or third repeat viewing. He certainly has been given a hard time. He has been made to make tough choices. Batman struggles. By the end of the movie, he loses more than he gains. But by bearing the emotional cost, by sticking to the general good, he ultimately remains the Hero, he should be. He frees himself. Bale gives a finely matched performance. He ultimately wins approval as both Bruce Wayne and Batman.

This film has given me what I missed primarily in Batman Begins. An uncompromisingly evil Villain. Because idealists, as the league of the shadows, can't inspire awe and fright. They merely evoke the need for removal. The movie, then, becomes a bit too dependent on pyrotechnics. To match the Batman, one needs more than that. Because Batman has an emotional core that needs to be matched. The Joker completes Batman. This movie, then, is not dependent on the big action sequences that are prerequisites of a big Summer blockbuster. They are there but as required ingredients rather than the sole purpose of the meal. The real fireworks, come from the drama and choices the characters have to make.

The length of the movie is testimony to the detailing put in for each character. At two and half hours, the movie ends up a bit longer than expected. But I certainly didn't end up grudging that. To be honest though, I was a bit worried about the other audience in the hall. But somehow the movie struck a chord with the audience which is rare for a summer actioner. To my surprise, I was audience to a spontaneous applause as the credits rolled. Imagine that for a supposedly popcorn flick! This brings me to the ending. The choice of the ending is a bit bold, rather unsettling. The Bat chooses to be an outlaw, hunted. I am not sure if thats the way, Batman is intended to be. May be it is. In a way, it seemed closure for Nolan and Batman. To me it seemed that Nolan is taking his last bow. I sincerely hope not. If he does take up the mantle again, I will be very curious as to how they move forward in the direction they have taken. How does anyone go forward from here? Only time will tell.

By the first half ended, I had already got everything I had come for. I sat transfixed letting it unfold and soaking it all in. Even if the movie had ended there, at one and half hours, I had got all that I wanted to see. So, anything more was just a bonus. The next hour didn't let me down either. When I came out of the theater, I was wrestling with two words - magnificent and mind blowing. I couldn't settle on either. It is too dark to be magnificent. It is too disturbing to be mind blowing. But I could finally believe in the Knight. And he is the darkest.

(Probably, a second viewing will make me look at things a little more in perspective.)

The Talented Mr. Federer

2008-07-09T15:43:00.003+05:30

Taking this opportunity to revive my blog by posting my comments on Ramanand's blog about the Roger-Rafa Wimbledon Final 2008. So, here goes...

Got to see the match between the two rain beaks. So, I saw the best part of the match. After watching Nadal play in previous matches, I had predicted a comfortable Nadal win. Federer surprised me. Federer will never win French Open against Nadal. Its very difficult if he will win again here in Wimbledon against Nadal. Why? Because Federer doesn't practice enough. He doesn't bring his best game with him to every match. He just does what is required. This is very unlike Nadal who plays every point to the best of his ability. That is why he always has his best game to his beck and call. Federer doesn't. True, I rooted for Federer. But the true champion won. And so he shall remain. One final point. This not a decline of Federer. This is the same level at which he has played for years. Its just only now he is up against a genuine contender. I only hope this revives Federer to scale greater heights. If he has it in him, he will realize that there is no such thing as "my part of the season".

Now when I say practice, I mean it in terms of playing your best game against the best opposition when really required. That he couldn't play his best game, this much Federer himself acknowledged after the match. Case in point is his backhand in this match. It seemed to desert him for most part between the rain breaks. But we did see a scorching one ON championship point in the fourth set tie-break. As per Nadal's admission, he had deliberately placed the ball to Federer's backhand as he was missing a lot on backhand. So, had his backhand working fine, he would have won, I suppose. But he couldn't summon it. He is a great player. But most of his titles have come in an era when tennis has been uncharacteristically devoid of rivalries. I, myself, am a Federer fan since he came into prominence. But I have increasing realized that people often overlook the beauty of Nadal's game. How many times does he seem to miss these days? He also plays almost as great shots as Federer hits, only with seemingly less error percentage. But nobody seems to be raving about his shots. Does Federer's elegant personality translate to his shots being noticed as more graceful/beautiful? Does Nadal's battler reputation take the sheen off the beauty of his shots? We will have to make up our own minds. To me it certainly seems to be the case. Anyways, I must point out that I am only a grudging Nadal fan.

Me Soap-y Me!!

2007-08-05T14:07:00.000+05:30

I have been wading through an onslaught of soap after soaps since the time my parents descended. Must say, gets to you after a while. But I did like Indian Idol, better programming and contestants, I suppose. And of course, Anu Malik, a la Simon Cowell, is it? But I do find myself agreeing with him more often than not. On the movie front, found out a new site from which I can see most of the new movies (english) and make use of my broadband connection.

Dieing Hard...

2007-07-24T14:30:00.000+05:30

No wonder its Dieing Hard, at least in India. If you are the type who likes things blown to bits and hurtled to every conceivable edge of the screen, you are going to love Die Hard 4.0. Its more in the mold of True Lies than Matrix. And thank God for that :-)

Finally, A Thought..

2007-07-11T15:01:00.000+05:30

1. Kill as much Time as possible because Time WILL kill you. Eventually.
2. Free your Marriage!!
3. I've had lot of IDEAS. But I haven't been able to RUN with them.
4. YOU have NO Idea.

Pick any of the above that might suit you today. Random thoughts...

Roger Serves Out Wimbledon

2007-07-09T00:01:00.000+05:30

Roger Federer did it!! A very good quality match ensued with Rafa. Roger came out on top mainly because of his booming serve. Twenty odd aces to one is some testimony to how good he served his way out of trouble. Specially, considering the number of time he was in trouble facing break points and number of unforced errors he made. Rafa simply doesn't have that intimidating serve that has been the hallmark of all recent Wimbledon champions, most notably Sampras. But he WILL win Wimbledon in couple of years. He nearly did today. But all credit to Fedex for hanging in there. And he played some great points in the decider. Sure he was push to the limit. But he himself wasn't playing at the highest level. Now he is in the throwing distance of equaling Sampras's seven. He should be able to do that in the next few years. But Rafa is fast approaching there.

Rise of the Serbians!

2007-07-07T15:32:00.000+05:30

Serbs have risen and how! Not one but at least two serbs have featured in Semis of the last two Grand Slams, both in mens and womens. One seems a fun loving teen on rampage and the other seems to have swam out of an empty swimming pool to drench the world in her beauty and of course, her fierce cross court forehands. Of course, I am talking about Novak and Ana.

It would be very interesting to the see how they develop in the years to come. But they have the potential to be best in the world. Novak specifically has that spark in him, that personality, that touch of Becker, Ivanisevic, Rafter, Agassi that is so devoid in the game today. Nobody seems to be enjoying these days. All are in one heck of a mission to win one match after the other. Djokovic, if he can sustain his current level, can bring that enjoyment of watching the game back. Ana Ivanovic, on the other hand, as talented and beautiful as they come. And she has loads of heart. Although, she lost in the semis in Wimbledon, she fought it out till the last point was won. Thats the hallmark of a champion and she has it. Off court also, she seemed quit a humble person in that BBC interview.

Finally, it seems things are taking a turn for the better in tennis.

Its Sports, Sister!

2007-07-07T14:59:00.000+05:30

I will be short and swift.

Watching Venus and Serena Williams strutting their stuff at the Wimbledon makes one realize their obvious difference in approach towards matches. More specifically, Serena doesn't seem give any credit to the opponent. After losing to Justin Henin in the quarters, all she can come up with was that she was not fit or else she would have DEFINITELY won. She also seems to resort to playacting on court, making faces displaying pain, disgust and utter superiority. The lower ranked the player, the better. Venus on the other hand seems more controlled and rarely shows any emotion. She seems like a great athlete and runs down every single ball as possible. In the post match interviews as well, she is not shy of giving credit to the opponent, as she did to Ana Ivanovic after her semi final win, alongside reiterating her confidence in her abilities. Both are gifted women and have been definitely good for tennis, but Serena's attitude has not endeared her to anyone. No wonder more than 80% people thought she was unfairly using gamesmanship in her match against Hantuchova when she seemed to be groaning in genuine pain.

From my limited sporting experience over the years, I have seen such personalities often. These people would have talent to some extent but have more arrogance than they can afford. So, they are rarely liked on field. I doubt that these people are really sports people at heart. Such people are no different to those ultra driven people who maximize their limited capabilities in their respective fields and strut about showcasing their limited achievements to other people. Sport is not just about talent, its more about heart. Sport might show your character but I doubt, it can build it.

Hmm.. I wasn't that short, after all.

Semi Final...? Nah!

2007-06-08T23:13:00.000+05:30

I think we have already seen the final of French Open 2007. Well, 70% of it, at any rate. The Semifinal between Rafa and Djokovic was nothing short of spectacular for the first 2 sets and the second half of the third. That Nafal won was only testamont to his supreme fitness apart from the consistent classy level of tennis he plays. Djokovic, on the other hand was supremely spectacular as well, let down only by his fitness today. Here was finally a young man, not afraid. not nervous, confident and enjoying his game. And assuming that there was no pressure on him would not be true. He was playing his first Grand Slam Semifinal. The pressure would have been immense. But soaked it all an twice came back from behind. He seemed the only guy capable of giving Nadal a run for his money, literally. That he is just twenty bodes well for Men's circuit for the years to come. At the risk of sounding a bit too optimistic, I would say that we might have seen a rivalry in the making. At least, on clay. In all, not withstanding the scoreline, it was a truly splendid match for which both players should be congratulated.

Contrast this with the Federer Semifinal against Davydenko. Scratchy display to say the least. Federer is providing me with no confidence at all. That he won easily was more down to Davydenko's inability to convert the innumerable chances that came his way, rather than his own magical touch. If he plays like he played today, there can be only one champion. And that champion is showing no mercy.

Roger Vs. Rafa??

2007-06-07T12:59:00.000+05:30

Will it be Roger? Or Rafa again? Depends on the day. Federers. Nadal can't be run down. Federer can be. And then he starts making mistakes. Have seen it again and again. His only chance on clay against Rafa is to keep rallies short and try to serve and volley. Sure he can churn out magical cross courters routinely but Rafas ability for the same has been largely overlooked. So, my bet is Rafa but I want Roger to win. At least give us a decent game. Moya game was a complete washout. Even Hewitt fought better. I thought, Hewitt just ran out of sets and probably started a bit too slowly. Else, we could have had a major upset already. Djokovic is a complete unknown quantity to me but I don't expect him to spring a surprise. Although, he did mention that he has beaten Rafa before on hard court. Davydenko, on the other hand might give Federer a tough time if he holds his game together. Very agile on court but has a fairly straight forward game. Anyways, lets hope we have a Roger-Rafa final and hope they give us a fitting finale and not a mistakes ridden damp squib.

More Likeness ...

2007-06-06T13:05:00.000+05:30

Back on the blog after a long time ...
Does John Terry look like Kevin Spacey? I certainly thought so after watching him celebrate after scoring off one bent it from Beckham. Taking a cue from quatrainman....

And what about Clint Eastwood in his prime and Hugh Jackman now??

Guess, who's who?

Foot-in-Mouth

2007-02-10T13:32:00.000+05:30

The recent comments made by Rahul Dravid about the report presented by Indian Cricket Team's manager for the tour of South Africa, Chetan Desai, did not come to me as a surprise. Not that I was expecting such a comment from him but its more a question of capability of doing such a thing or making such a comment, which might be considered silly by many. Talking about one person's credentials in the Indian Cricket History, who is doing a managerial job with the team, is at best laughable. Furthermore, since the comments made were more about general attitude of Sehwag's and not about batting or bowling technicality, they don't seem unfair either. No cricketing knowledge is needed to gauge general attitude. And I think, Mr. Dravid erred in criticising a person while batting for his player. Defending your player is one thing and questioning managers credibility is quite another. So, why am I not surprised given Dravid is a nice guy and all that? Simply because he has done such silly things before. Where he goes overboard. Two incidents come to mind. First one is when Dravid was still hanging on to his one day place by keeping wickets. During one appeal altercation, led obviously by Ganguly Dada, he became a bit too out of hand. I don't remember the match but I clearly remember seeing it. I was surprised then. I think the umpire gave him a warning. This was probably sometime during a Pakistan series. Ganguly, for all his show business, doesn't go too far. Never mind, the number of fines he has had. He was shrewd that way. The other incident was declaring Tendulkar while stranded on 194, I guess, in a Multan test during one of the recent Pakistan tours. I mean, you don't declare a batsman on 194. Send him a message. Get your runs before this or that time. Even Ganguly, out of the test due to some injury, wouldn't have done that. As Ganguly said later, "Kabhi Kabhi Galti ho Jati Hai...". So, Mr. nice guy is nice most of the times. But sometimes, may be, just gets a bit overzealous, I guess.

Who's Your Daddy Now?

2007-02-04T13:45:00.000+05:30

Finally, England have their first win against Australia during the ongoing travesty called the "Commonwealth Bank Series" after their miserably botched Ashes campaign where the only thing that they won was the toss a couple of times. And by travesty, I meant for the English. They have been generally deriding one day cricket during their build up to the Ashes. How very stupid of them.. I mean, I can understand Australians deriding one day, tests or whatever form of cricket. Hell, the guys win most of the games, any form of it and win every single one that matters. What I don't understand is how can England, so miserable in anything which says limited overs or any cricket in general these days, have such a complacent attitude. Specially, with the World Cup barely few months away. Till the Ashes were comfortably snatched, every other English player seemed to be in Ashes dreamland. Anyways, Ashes have gone to dust now and the English need wins like the other day to boost/salvage any sort of "joy and pride" that they might have left in the cupboard. The performance was suitably impressive whose groundwork was done by mostly new recruits, themselves found by scrapping the bottom of once "joy and pride" full barrel. Ed Joyce (though, lucky couple of time) with the bat and Liam Plunkett with the ball did their 2 bits to ensure England's big byte. In the process they also brought back that very famous and very sorely missing thing back, Freddie's smile. Given all the brouhaha the original Ashes campaigners made about Australian being "Dad's Army", at least these new recruits, on their behalf, instead of rolling over like them, can proudly turn around and say, "Who's your daddy now??". For now... ;)

My Cup of Eleven

2007-02-01T00:25:00.000+05:30

I have good amount of optimism about India's chances in World Cup 2007. I believe the pieces of the puzzle are slowly falling into place. So, here is my eleven for the World Cup given present form and fitness. I will give the reasons for my optimism later on in the post.

1. Sourav Ganguly
2. R. Uthappa
3. R. Dravid
4. S. Tendulkar
5. Yuvraj Singh
6. MS. Dhoni (wk)
7. V. Sehwag
8. Irfan Pathan
9. AB. Agarkar
10. Harbhajan Singh
11. Zaheer Khan

The rest to make up the 15 are as follows:
12. Dinesh Kartik (wk/middle order bat)
13. S. Sreesanth
14. Ramesh Powar
15. VVS. Laxman

Let me give you my opinions about each one case by case:

1. Ganguly has done enough till now to be included in the squad as the first choice opener. He has scored runs regularly since his return in all conditions home and abroad. Also, the fellows unquestionable thirst for the bigger stage will hold India in good stead. If I were the coach, I will tell him not to throw away his wicket and build his innings as far as possible. He can let the fireworks burst from the other end and shift gears later on when possibly Dravid or Tendulkar come on.

2. Uthappa has shown in his recent innings that he can be the able explosive partner for Ganguly. He is hitting the ball well at the moment carrying on his great nick from domestic competition. Gautam Gambhir is prone to be nervy and chancier than Uthappa, in my opinion. Uthappa seems to play straighter than him and hence, is a better option. He has also tasted international waters already. So, is a better bet on the whole.

3. Dravid forms the fulcrum of the team. The longer he stays at the wicket the better are India's chances. He is the lone man in the team whom you can expect to rotate the strike, shepherd the tail and generally fight till finish.

4. Tendulkar has hit good enough form to be depended on for the middle order. But he is not in that good a form to open the innings. His presence in the middle order can be greatly comforting to the batsmen coming before him. So, I'll play him in the middle order despite his much published resistance.

5. Yuvraj should be fit enough with couple more matches under his belt.

6. Dhoni should be an automatic choice for the wicketkeeping slot. But Dinesh Kartik has done better with the gloves and enough with the bat to justify his place as well. On the other hand, Dhoni will be more explosive anytime. But Kartik might be played when the pitch looks more sluggish and the ball is not supposed to come to the bat easily.

7. There are two brave picks in my choice of the team and Sehwag forms the first one. I'll play Sehwag as a specialist off-spinner expecting him to bat down the order, which incidentally is his preferred choice as well. If he gets on with his batting, no score would be out of reach. He is a more than decent off-spinner and has shown good form in the field as well. So, he is my choice above Kumble.

From whatever I have seen of Kumble, he is not bowling well at all. In the only match that India lost of West Indies in the current series, he was bowling too far short and too far down the leg. Nothing to speak of his batting as well.

8. Pathan is the other brave pick given his current bad form with the ball. But when he is bowling well, he gives an incredible balance to the side given that he has been batting well all these days. Going by the break he has had and with a little more match practice, he can be expected to deliver the goods. But he needs to be played in at least a couple more matches against the forthcoming series against Sri Lanka. Sreesanth has just missed out from the team due to his lack of control shown recently. Also, he has had limited success with the left handlers and they tend to upset his rhythm. Since, he bowls well to the righthanders, he can be played
instead of Pathan depending on the opposition composition.

9. Agarkar is an improved customer overall and can be relied for the new ball duties along with Zaheer who, like Ganguly, has made a very successful and disciplined comeback to the Indian team.

10. Harbhajan and Zaheer fill up the spinner and fast bowler slots. Harbhajan has been bowling well in the one day variety.

11. Of the rest, Laxman forms the backup middle order bat. His experience will come in good stead in case of injury to any of the senior players. I believe that he is in decent nick as well. He made quite some runs in South Africa in tests. Picking him for the solitary one dayer and then dropping him again on account of the same bad fielding excuse is just plain stupidity and makes no sense at all. He should be there to mend the solidity of the middle order in case of injuries.

12. Ramesh Powar didn't perform all that well during the last tour to Caribbean and was subsequently dropped from the team. But he provides options in terms of his accuracy and is a wicket taking option which one should not ignore. He can be quite useful in the low, slow conditions that one might encounter in the Caribbean. So, he should be a match by match choice like Sreesanth.

So, that's my team for the cricket World Cup. We will win the cup with this team. And never mind those Aussie bullies ;-)

Fedex Rolls On

2007-01-30T21:38:00.000+05:30

So, Roger Federer wins another Grand Slam. 10th to be exact. 3rd Australian. At just 25 years. How many more he will win, is anyones guess. This Australian Open final was a majestic and elegant display of the repertoire that he possesses. Almost everything in his arsenal was on display. And poor Fernando Gonzalez just had to admit that he was in the presence of greatness, afterall. But he did not just hand it over. He fought for his place in the sun. And very gallantly too.

The first set of the final was pure ecstacy. Both players played some great tennis, especially, Gonzalez. Breaking Federer, playing already at a high level, should not be considered mean. Gonzalez befuddled Federer with his heavy spinning, sliced returns, and also peppered him with strong forhand winners. Finally, he was serving for the set, and at 40-15, it sure looked sealed. But then the rise of the master was inevitable. Federer duly broke back and then easily held his serve. But the game of the match was to follow next. Gonzalez displayed great resolve with back to wall and saved at least 5 set points in that game and held on for the tiebreak. After that, Federer just stepped up his game furthur and never let Gonzalez have any realistic chance. It was amazing to see him make Gonzalez work for every point when facing serve and then hold on his own service game easily. So, in the end although Federer was a deserving winner, Gonzalez was a worthy loser as well.

These days, Grand Slam presentation ceremonies have become more about thanking the sponsers it seems. Every winner/runner, be it in singles, doubles or mixed events thanked the sponsers. Gonzalez comments (".. and thanks for a really big cheque") were refreshing and funny. Federer's on the other hand seem more and more like the king that he is these days ("...I 've been watching your progress.."). The guy seems in waiting of some serious competetion. His careless, sighed, yeah-well shrug when the presentor asked him that it must be boring winning so easily. I, too, hope for some competetion for him. The only man to run him down in 4 of the previous 5 meetings, Rafa Nadal, is struggling with injuries. Who knows what happens in the next 4 months. May be, just may be, someone will rise to challage the master.

My tips for beating Federer? Run him down, get on his nerves and wait for him to start making mistakes.

Will-kin?

2007-01-28T17:04:00.001+05:30

Alan Wilkins doesn't make too much of a lawn tennis commentator. Sleepy and irritatingly at loss of words. Of course, he doesn't seem to know the game well enough. V-ee-jay Amritraj is better. Or shall we put him in the cricket commentary box??

Likeness..

2007-01-28T15:41:00.000+05:30

Watching the Australian Open final, some physical likenesses regarding the players come to mind:
1. Roger Federer -> Quentin Tarantino
2. Fernando Gonzalez -> Robbie Williams

Guru - the day after

2007-01-15T10:25:00.000+05:30

After having a good night sleep, I am in the mood for making allowances. Or rather putting down these few more thoughts that occurred to me this morning. Firstly, speaking of songs, I do remember one, Tere Bina Besuadi-Besuadi.... Mildly aching and soulful, it was admittedly beautiful and well sung by Rehman. But as I have said before, this song too, is more of a reminder. Remember Swades?? So, over all the music was routinely good but had a already-heard-before quality.

Next, Madhwan and Vidya Balan didn't have much to do. But Mr. Madhvan should believe in his ability and should not look like he is acting. Bit harsh, yes, but after his opening RHTDM salvo, I have become a little circumspect of the guy. STOP COPYING , DUDE!! Vidya is easy on eyes though.

Make up was also good. Abhishek looked rather convincing as the paunch flaunting, ageing industrialist. On the other hand, post Dhoom2, Ms. Rai seems to have shed the extra flab and was looking beautiful.

These days I have been watching movies on Sat/Sun mornings. Why? Cheaper shows at E-Square. And I have enjoyed starting my day with a movie. Plus it does leave the whole day for all other activites. And you can round off the day by watching another movie after dinner at home on any of those English movie channels :-)

Guru kee Ma(y)ya

2007-01-14T14:10:00.000+05:30

While the wife cooks me Sunday afternoon lunch, I am trying to pin down my thoughts on Guru. Pin down, yes... that's it, that's the reason. Guru doesn't leave you uncomfortable, neither here, nor there but comfortably in between. That should account for my lack of strong sense of either acceptance or rejection or invigoration or dejection or liking. Speaking of liking it, yes I did like the film. The experience was pleasant. That's what the film amounts to.. pleasant. And pleasant is gooood :-). The story of a lone crusader rising from the ashes to claim the top prize is not new. But the touch of reality makes it all too believable. And the references to the real person are not concealed either.

(Ah... Writing after a long time does leave one searching for correct words..) :-/

Direction was good. I do not understand the need for song placements where they are not required. But amazing rain shots. As usual, in this directors case, I guess. Reminded me of Bombay. And rain song, of course. Choreography and camera work were good. The camera work/shot arrangement gave a familiar feel (Yuva/Bombay). One of the songs seemed like Kehna Hi Kya from bombay both in sound arrangement and choreo.

The music, of course by Rehman, seemed a bit repetitive as well, again Bombay and Yuva. Nothing new there. Yes, as the closing credits rolled, I did manage to spot the obvious similarity between track playing and Michael Jackson's, Dangerous. Not that I am complaining. I love Dangerous. And yes , I don't remember a single song. Neither my wife. So, there goes....

Gulzar saab, I am sorry. But I don't seem to comprehend, what you write these days. Must be good, eh.. Ab fir Barso Re.

Menon Jee, Lets cut down on those jerks. But good job otherwise. Good overhead shots. Good closeup (Abhishek with head tilted).

Locales.. good. The initial Turkey shots somehow reminded me of The Godfather. Don Michael Corleone in Sicily. Good earthy flavour to the set ups. But what do those round, typically south, cane fisherman boats doing in the Barso Re song? I felt I was down south with a Gujrati pair in tow.

Dialogues were OK. They fit the situations fairly comfortably. So, I am ok with that. And Abhishek pulled off the dialogues fairly competently. Good actually. The same dialogues, from his Dad's mouth might have reduced the character to a caricature. Amitabh needs something better to match his talent. Here, the talent and the dialogues were more in sync.

Now, the acting. Hmm... I actually liked Ashwarya for a change. Not dough but Not plastic either. And efficient as well. So, well done Ms. Rai or Mrs Bachchan.. oops ..;-). That brings me to Mr. Bachchan. Yes, this might be his better/finer performances. I liked him. I am already over my disappointment about his limited capabilities long ago. And I'd happily settle for this. Good Job, Junior. Dad would be proud. He actually reminded me of Amitabh in some scenes, not that he is anywhere close. But good enough for me. I just sometimes think how a bit more girth in his voice would have made him so much more complete. And by that I mean his Dad of course. Now talking of senior Bachchan, there is one man who would always hold his own against him. And Mithun Da, doesn't disappoint. To me, his was easily the best/seasoned performance of all. But wasn't it expected? I would have been disappointed if it wasn't so. The hardness, the steel, the vulnerability were all there. The man is still alive and well.

So, all in all, a good watch. Not thought provoking but inspiring enough. Some grey shades of the character were explored as well. But the film succeeds in bringing out the one main thing it aims to impart, the winning spirit, the never say die attitude and the courage to dream big. Grey or black aside, those were also the make up of the character and probably the man in question. So, go ahead, have a peek in Guru's life.

PS: Sherawat girl sizzles ;-)

Look - a - Like

2006-03-28T11:57:00.000+05:30

Has anyone noticed how similar South African fast bowler, Andre Nel looks a acts the way the character Cramer (Michael Richards, I believe) behaves in Sienfeld??

Gangoo(g)ly

2005-12-15T14:29:00.000+05:30

Now that selectors have finally got rid of Ganguly, all I can feel is a bit sad about the whole thing. Although, I am not one of Ganguly's maniacal Kolkatan supporters, I am not one to disregard him as well. So, I think the selectors have been a bit hasty in chucking him out of the squad. He might have been given another go in the third test, if not as a number 6 then at least, as an opener. If Indian team management can send Irfan Pathan as an opener then why not have Ganguly open as an experimental move. Gautam Gambhir has looked a wee bit low on confidence in the recent inings. Also, I do not buy the selectors and some past players logic that as a senior player, he must be played. IMHO, he might be kept in the squad and the better person on the day might be taken in the playing eleven. And this might be made clear to Ganguly beforehand. Bad behaviuor, attitude and all, no one can question the guy's fighting qualities. So, probably, he should have been let to live one more day. Who knows, the fallen hero might just have been able to wield his sword once again...

Sarkaar

2005-07-07T20:44:00.000+05:30

Since, my emotions have now ebbed having seen the movie nearly 3-4 days ago, I'll not be as eloquent/scathing as I am generally prone to be ;-) Here, I'll generally list down certain facts that occured to me during the movie.

Firstly, I found the movie underdeveloped. By that I mean a movie that promises more when it starts but delivers considerably less when finished. Considering that Ram Gopal Verma (referred to as RGV henceforth as done by my fellow bloggers) attributes this as his greatest effort till date, it whimpers more than it roars. Not that the movie is bad. Rather, the movie is just not good enough. Satya and Company were far more assertive and assured in their makeup. Sarkaar, on the other hand ends up a bit too restrained. Probably, the expectation of emulating the cult series "The Godfather" proved a bit too much.

Let me try other explanations.

The movie didn't had much weight. I wanted to get consumed by the movie. I wan't.

Mere staring and no speaking leads to a movie in depth leaking. All great movies have great dialogues. Or, great dialogues make great actors. On the other hand, Great actors can not necessarily make dialogues sound great. In this case, I was left remembering only a couple of dialogues, one of which is (prominently) "Maira style south but operation complete naarth" delivered by the villain and (a very subdued) "Main tujhe marte hue dekhne ka mazaa nahin khona chahta tha" by mikee, er..Aby's baby. The movie didn't have any great lines for the king of dialogue delivery, Amitabh Bachchan. And that too, in a role tailormade for Him. What a shame!

The characterisation is very fast forward. The movie assumes that you know the characters. Which is a completely wrong assumption. I might read Puzo's The Godfather
or seen the ensuing movies, but I would like to judge Sarkaar own its own merits. I would have liked to see how Amitabh performs when given enough time and space to make me understand the complexities of his character. Instead, all I know is that He is a don kindish character with big political connections, not caring a hoot for them, ensuring justice by his own methods. I donn kinow what kind of business he allows and what he doesn't. Why is he so opposed to Rashid. Rashid has a stylish entry and then he goes mute and stares. The only redeeming thing is Sonny style Kay Kay's character. (Anybody noticed that he looks like the guy who played Sonny in the Godfather in some side shots of his face). It has been given enuf attention to let us understand him. And Kay Kay shines. His best scene is when someone asks him about the heroine of the film he is producing and has ambitions for. One single expression tells you what kind are we dealing with here. Brilliant.

Apart from Kay Kay, Amitabh has given a very seasoned performance. But there wasn't anything for him that he can't do or be challenged in the least (thats why I liked him Black). Abhishek, I thought, seemed a bit bogged down. But he did justice to whatever he was offered. The more I see him, the more I lament the fact that he can't reach the astronomical heights of his legendary parents. He also seems a wee bit irritated in some scenes. Unintentional of course, but he should learn to wipe that expression off his face (anybody out there with my eyes ;-)). I also liked Mrs. Sarkaar (forgot her name :-( ).

The villains provided comic relief.

In summary, RGV should have spent more time to develop the movie. I wouldn't mind an extra 40 minutes at the theatre. But I want the promise delivered.

Recommended. But not whole heartedly.

War of the Worlds??

2005-07-05T14:35:00.000+05:30

Firstly, the movie is wrongly titled. There is no war in the movie. Cause there can't be any one sided wars, can it? Mars Attacks Revisited or Attack of the Cloaks or The Running Cruise might be more appropriate. So, now that we have established the correct name of the movie, lets go ahead with the plot. Oops. There isn't any. Ok. Never mind. At least, we have the Tom Cruise. Cruise?? Hell, he didn't jump on the couch this time. Why did he have to restrain himself to hamming and running and generally irritatingly yelling at the kids? He even got under a table. At least he shoudl have climbed on it. Ok. Ok. What about the special effects?? Umm...they are ok, good actually. But only in some scenes. Watch them on TV rushes instead. Ah...Direction? I'll comment about that when Speilberg completes the movie in the sequel (which is never going to happen).

Lets move on to Indiana Jones, Stevie..

Cha-(hel)-ppe-(ha)-l

2005-06-05T14:13:00.000+05:30

Well, the title refers to a Hindi word meaning commotion. And thats what seems to be the state of Indian cricket journalism, post Chappel selection. There is too much being written about him and his methods, even before a single match has been played under him. He has been regularly touted as The Professor (there goes your invention, Deano!) who has come in and now will teach all cricketers out of form/luck/attitude/technique/health/prime/etc, correct methods to acquiring cricketing excellence in four simple steps. This is completely mindless. And mindless aftermath it would be when India again loses despite having a master tutor like Chappel riding with them. As for Chappel himself, I don't think he has been handling media well himself. He is certainly not helping matters by touting Sehwag as the future captain and branding Sachin as past his prime. Though, he is fully entitiled to his views, he must learn to keep them to himself and work with the players concerned through individual player interactions. I don't think he has yet come to terms with the fact that he is working with a very Indian setup. He has to work with in the setup first and not try to revamp it in a single day. He has to understand that in India, the line between being a King and a pauper could be as thin as a single stroke. The sooner he understands that, the sooner he would be able to take Indian Cricket in the Wright direction.

Play Catch!!

2005-06-05T13:53:00.000+05:30

Looking at the rate at which Brian Lara is raking up centuries, he would get to that 35th century mark, much desired by a certain Sachin Tendulakar, first. He has been in sublime form right from the start of the South African tour and is running full steam ahead into the Pakistan tour as well. On top of that, Lara doesn't seem to be habouring any injury worries as well. With Sachin out for at least four months and West Indies scheduled to play about 5 tests(2 vs Sri lanka, 3 vs Aussies) by the year end, the mark doesn't seem entirely out of reach. And Lara might not be playing for that 35th century as Sachin seems to be these days. So, that might give him a slight mental advantage. Anyways, we spectators are in for a good race for sure :-)

God's Own Practice

2005-05-26T11:45:00.000+05:30

Has anybody ever noticed that the third child in the family has the most refined features of all the siblings? I should say, sharpest to be more accurate. My observation is - the more the number of children a couple has, better the features of the next born child get. In my generation of kids, three was a generally accepted number. Four kid families were rare. One kid was considered good family planning. But two to three, generally, was the case. And I have heard a couple of interesting remarks whenever there was gathering at our house or when some friends of my parents came over. One being that the third child was an "accident" with a "if you know what I mean" kind of (sheepish) laughter. (Apparently, nobody was paying attention that a seemingly harmless kid lurking around had started to get a know how into their world ;-)

Coming back to the third child theory, in my section in school, there were at least 7 to 8 (may be more) three sibling students. And in most of the cases, the third kid had the sharpest features of them all. And this phenomenon I keep encountering time and again. So, guess we are losing out on better looking kids by sticking to at most 2 child policy ;-)

Bitter or Incompetent??

2005-05-25T11:21:00.000+05:30

I was appalled by some of the comments that the aspiring coaches of Indian origin made on the selection of Greg Chappell(/them being not considered) as Indian cricket teams coach. Sample some of the comments by Ajit Wadekar, Ashok Malhotra, Amarnath etc at cricinfo http://content.cricinfo.com/quote/content/page/156062.html.
I fail to understand why they are raving about an Indian not been given the opportunity to coach. Before John Wright came along, there were only Indians all the way. And what did they achieve? Did anyone know that the Cricket Team HAD a coach before? If anybody knew, how many attached any importance to it? Not many, I guess. All these stupid comments are a further testimony of their incompetence. The only Indian worth considering, Sandip Patil, quietly rejected the offer without making any hue and cry about it. And he was worth considering only because he had proved it. He had taken a far lesser team to the World Cups semis, Duckworth-Lewis, rain, boycott and all. He also had apparently done a good job with India A. Lets consider the other options:
Wadekar-had his chance,
Malhotra - come again?,
Sunny- not interested,
Bedi - foot in mooth,
Kapil Paaji - Mera business bhi meri biwi chalati hai,
Mohinder - are you crazy?
And the selection committee, apparently, is crazy given the adhoc manner in which it has handled the entire selection episode. It would have been far better if the level of transaparency was higher in the whole process.

Anyways, whats done is done. Greg Chappell has been selected and all the rest can do is to spew venom and grab some print space. But we must be wary of having any high hopes at this moment. This team doesn't merely need a coach, it also needs a complete mental overhaul. It has slowly begun to go to dumps with its Captain. It needs energy that was so much evident earlier. And it needs a Captain too. Rahul Dravid, inspite of true grit, character and all, might not be the right choice. And I am not saying I want Dada back.

Vader-naama

2005-05-20T14:33:00.000+05:30

The force is stronger in this one :-)

Finally, got to see Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, yesterday. Pretty decent. Definitely better than the last couple of prequels. And it did stoke my fire to see the original series once again, mostly to see the flashes between Obi Van Kenobi and Vader. It would be interesting to see their interactions now that I have seen their relationship and parting encounter and note if they come across as stranger in the original series or not. Lucas has also been able to tie up the loose ends put forth in the last two prequels, nicely. It does indeed serve as a good docking point for the "A New Hope". Guess, they should release the original series again, at least in India.

So, take out your sabers and run to the temple ...

Who's Acting Strange??

2005-04-15T16:28:00.000+05:30

"He/she can't act!!". How often have youn heard this? Plenty a time, I guess. I mostly get amused when I hear this. This sets me thinking because this comes from ordinary, plain vanilla people like you and me (Well, I am not that plain ;-) ) who one would suppose donn know a whit about acting. What IS Acting? In my opinion, if somebody doesn't seem unnatural on screen, he is doing ok. Thats how the so called non actors like Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Sunil Shetty.. etc have survived more than a decade in the industry. Of course, they might not make u cry when they themselves shed loads of glycerine on screen. But generally, they won't make you inflict injuries upon yourself.

To be concluded ...;-)

Captain Saab

2005-04-15T15:43:00.000+05:30

So, Team India (BTW who has coined this team india crap??) got a new captain, though only temporarily. A lot of debate has been going on in the past about Rahul Dravid replacing Sourav Ganguly as India's Cricket Captain. Who is better?? I think, a comparison is not at all fair at this point. But I still think that Dravid might not prove to be as good a captain as Ganguly. Ganguly has done the hard yards. He has practically built this team from nothing (which is slowly withering away). He is definitely a better man- manager in my opinion. He chides and makes up (remember his fisticuffs with Srinath). And he has won battles both on personal form and team front. Dravid, if he takes over, will have a slightly easier task. First of all, he has a clutch of talented/proven players already available to him. Secondly, he does not have to bring in a culture change in the team. He has already done that with Ganguly. So, his task is promarily to get that burning desire back. Or, may be more importantly, he has to bring back the fun in the game. He has make his teammates enjoy the game, again. This they have probably forgotten. This is the reason why this team is suddenly withering away (like its captain). Whenever they had a point to prove, they proved it, well, nearly. They went to the finals in the World Cup. They defeated Australia in Australia. They trashed Pakistan in Pakistan. And then they let the Australians take revenge. Why? Because all the battles had been won. The team and more importantly, THE CAPTAIN, had proved everybody wrong. There was nothing else to prove. Their fight for survival was over. But so is the passion. It has been spent. Dravid will have to bring back that desire and pure joy. His task, I believe, is cut out. Now, he has to show his steel and may be insert it into his teammates as well. He has to make them rise from being just passionate to being professional as well. And then we would have a proper side who can take on anyone. Like the Australians...

Team India

2005-04-15T15:35:00.000+05:30

And Team India has got it seriously wrong. Whats wrong with these guys? Although, Afridi is a far better batsman than he is given credit for, Indians should have had a plan against him. I don't think they had/have any considering that in every other match he gets away with a blistering knock against them. And today, he absolutely pummulled the Indians. Time for the team to get its act together.

Clogger-Blogger

2005-04-15T15:33:00.000+05:30

Blogger has got it wrong too. Why doesn't the time and date setting get hold of my comps date-time-zone automatically??

Email-Gmail

2005-04-15T15:26:00.000+05:30

GMail has got it wrong. They don't provide the user the facility to create their own folders. This is seriously annoying if one has a some daily/professional mails coming all the while which one doesn't necessarily want to remove but which eat up your inbox view nevertheless. Hence, personal/directed mails are harder to find. Labels are just not good enough. Search is good but folders are better. No point in wading through the junk to find some obscure mail that you want to make a point to your friend. :(

Why I won't get into movies full time?

2005-02-12T04:45:00.000+05:30

Because Art is an imitation of life and not life itself. So, I would like to work for the betterment of the quality of life rather than merely portraying it in some form or the other.

Why do I watch movies?

2005-02-12T02:51:00.000+05:30

Why am I drawn to the movies? Why do I flock to the various theaters spread across the city week after week? What do I get in those 2 hours that I can shun the real world with all happiness? Who are those other people filling up the rest of the seats in the theater? These questions, every now and then, pop up from nowhere and make me wonder. so, I'll jot down a few things that have occurred to me over the past few years.

1. Life and movies: I find movies reflecting the life around me in some way or the other. Sometimes they are a saga of the triumph of the Human Spirit. Sometimes they depict the complex interplay between Man and Woman. Another time they paint the picture of humungous imagination (All those sci-fi flicks). Still another time, they paint human misery in such realistic colours that one is forced to take stock and realize how lucky one is not facing that same situation (war flicks, Black??).

2. The Craft: I am intrigued by the craft - the camerawork, the direction, the acting, the audience. I might even have some talent for it. But I would probably make no difference.

3. The entertainment factor: Every now and then I get bored stiff from the mundane life I lead and hence find the idea of escaping to a more glitzy or least different world painted by someone else alluring.

So, for me movies are way to soar, aspire, imagine and yes, get thoroughly entertained. For me, movies are a way to stay grounded. They are also the packets of hope I buy when my stock runs out. They sometimes make me see reason for the alternative life I lead. These are some of my reasons. You will have yours too. We all wear different glasses. But probably, my glasses are the ones they give out for the 3-D movies :-)

Bla(n)ck...***1/2

2005-02-11T05:25:00.000+05:30

Oops...I lost all that I had written because of some curious mix of key presses.

:-(

Ah! Well...
Audience, of course, is the parameter of success. And for a filmmaker, it definitely is. And by that paramater, Sanjay Leela Bhansali has surely succeeded. At least in my book. He made the audience go blank. After the movie. Generally, the noise, the clatter, the laughter, the chit-chat after the movie will give you an idea about how the movie has fared in terms of audience acceptance/rejection. In the case of BLACK, I found the audience curiously quiet. Were all of them affected by the movie? Were they moved? I would not know for sure. But I certainly was. Probably, the people were too. Or, somebody in there would have screamed when an already aged Amitabh touched(or at least gave an impression of) the lips of a young, in all its glory, Rani. Somebody would have whistled. It made me uncomfortable. I was afraid of the people reaction. The scene passed. And the director, too. Nobody moved from his seat. Nobody moved at all.

Technically, the movie is brilliant. No jump cuts, no abrupt changes in narrative, a simple story dealt with sensitivity. Each shot is a poster shot. You can just sit back and enjoy the beauty that unfolds in front of you. The slow emergence and disappearnace of a blank screen, the proverbial Directors cut, does make an imprint on one of the blankness and blackness of some peoples reality. Ultimately, it also defines the movie. And contradicts it. Because the movie, as a whole, is
rich. Rich in treatment, senisitivity, color and yes, boldness.

Performances are also great. Amitabh, for once in recent times, rises above his personality and becomes the wild eyed, alcoholic teacher that he is supposed to play. He never once loses his grip on the character. A true master at work. Although, his depiction of schiezophrenia and oldness induced walk seems a bit melodramatic/theatrical. But that I will attribute to the director. Rani is first rate too. Curiously, in some scenes she resembles Jaya Bhadudi, of a bygone era. Overall, a very good performance by her. The support cast is also good.

Overall, this movie is getting fairly extreme reactions. Some people like it a lot. Some don't. I liked it and you might too. So, go on. Get sentimental...

All Over Again...Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

2004-09-16T22:48:00.000+05:30

I am on a week off from work (well deserved, mind you). I have been reading Atlas Shrugged a bit, the novel, of course. After about 50 odd pages, I am, frankly, disappointed. Ayn Rand is as indifferent as can be in this novel as compared to the widely acclaimed, the Faountainhead. The characters act and look the same. They pretty predictable as well. There is too much blabber as well. Also, I can't understand her fetish for creating strictly one dimensional characters. Though, I u nderstand her depiction of (and sort of identify with) an uncompromised self upheaval, I can't really see why some of the characters act as complete idiots. The contrast if at all needed to be emphasized is not served well by this kind of character conflict creation. All in all, I would recommend either of the 2 novels but not both. Because, if u understand Ayn Rand in the first, there is not much left to be understood in the second.

A minor note: I found "The Fountainhead" to be brilliant. In my own words, "She will wear you down with her relentless brilliance. She is one fine writer who evoke the strange feeling to loving to hate the characters and yet making it impossible to not get intrigued by their world, all at once."

In-fame...

2004-07-11T20:28:00.000+05:30

I have become quite known in my office circle for propounding theories about anything and everything in sight and related to human relationships. I have also been lovingly(grudgingly) branded "Aaj ka Freud (misspelled as fraud)" by a certain well known celebrity across my cube wall who also happens to share my office circle. I have also seen some kids reading some heavy handed philosophical stuff from which they seem to get affected quite easily. This has given me quite a neat idea to write about such stuff (or mostly my findings) in some form in this blog. The ways in-fame are mysterious ;-)

Still Blank and More ...

2004-07-11T19:47:00.000+05:30

Its been quite a while since I wrote anything. Hmm...probably a good sign, who knows.

Nothing much has changed since I wrote last. I have pondered about my state almost every single minute since. My Mom has made her usual remarks about her already found a bahu with only date to be fixed and about all the exploits of my not yet 2 feet bhateeja. My dad, now leading a happily retired life, is anxious about my non chalance/disgust about every possible thing life has to offer (and a wife being one among them), and is learning computers himself. Given his enthusiasm, he will surely beat me to the post which should give me some jitters, I guess :-) I have also watched my usual quota of movies. In between, I have slogged quite a bit as well. So, all the more reason to hate what I do or more accurately not (want to) do. This seriuosly is turning out to be an anti climax though frankly, as the wise would say, it should be starting. I have also sufferred my old childhood friend for the past 2 days who had come to town on some official visit. I have become quite anti social in the past years. Good that he is an old mate of mine and would attribute my rashness to my brilliance ;-) I have also met some pretty interesting people(one, to be exact) in the past weeks. And believe it or not, I have also tried making up my mind about marriage. But the more I think about it, the more far fetched it seems. Who needs a girl when you can peacefully eat and sleep and watch movies and make fun of every dick, harry and teena in sight without feeling guilty or ashamed a bit? On second thoughts, as dick, harry and teena are disappearing fast getting tied up with each other, its actually a neat idea to get a teena for urself so that u can crack ur tasteful(less, to them) jokes on them. Hmm..will have to think abt that. By now, if u are reading this and thinking that I have completely lost it than u can not be more right. U understand me exactly. I have reached a state where I can't make up my mind about anything. Because, if u at it your way, it might be important. On the other hand, if u look at it my way, then it doesn't matter much and u should also stop worrying about it. Now, donn u think that I don't worry. In fact thats what I do all through the passing vehicles and time. I keep worring that I donn worry and hence something is wrong with me. In short, I don't care.

Probably, I should change the topic.

Blank....

2004-06-14T04:14:00.001+05:30

I am trying to think. I am staring at the screen. I am trying to recall the questions. Just out of reach. Sigh.

I have decisions to take. The choice of moving on is hard. The choice of waiting is harder still. Even if I choose to move on, would I be able to? Who will fill my heart again? Would I see hope once more?

Why do I keep waiting? Will the past turn its back and hold my hand again? Will the present stop turning into inconsequential bits of future? Will the future wait until it becomes the past once more?

Why am I writing this? Whom do I need to tell? What is there to tell, anyway? Would anyone understand?

I feel angry. It feels strangely good. As if life hasn't deserted me afterall.

I feel trapped. Can see the way out. I have tried it before. But I have no strength.

I feel numb. I can see the smile draining. I am watching anxious faces. I smile. I have no pain.

I feel happy. Blood rushing through my veins. Spirit soaring. Everything is sunny. I have forgiven. I have given myself a chance, again. My heart is full of hope. The sun is oozing warmth..life. I feel whole. I am singing a song.

I know the song will end, the sun will hide, the rain will come back. But I'll breathe on. May be I'll be whole. May be I'll see reason someday. May be my eyes would laugh again. May be I'll keep waiting.

May be. Just may be...

Hum-Tum and the Rain - Part II

2004-06-13T16:46:00.000+05:30

Yes..So where was I? Deconstructing Hum-Tum doesn't seem fun anymore. So, I 'll write about the rain. Yes, the rain. The rain in the movie. I loved the song towards the end that is picturised mostly in rain. Somehow, it seems to bring out the softer emotions of the heart. Drenching of the body gives me a feeling of cleansing of the soul. But then I love all slow, rythmic songs with the rain. One of my favourites being that Akshaye khanna song in the rain from the movie Taal. I even love all rain sequences in the movies. I loved the way Abhishek dragged Rani in the rain in their chawl type howrah home in Yuva. Didn't the heavy rain add such authenticity to the environment, the scene? Why do anger, frustration and passion seem more real in the rain? Who can forget the rain drenched sequences from Bombay? Love and passion were so beautifully lent flavor in that movie, mostly because of and by the rain. I have truly come to believe that rain can give life. Well, at least to the incurable romantics like me :-)

Hum-Tum and the Rain - part I

2004-06-06T12:31:00.000+05:30

Kunal Kohli's latest effort is a lot better than the original "Mujhse Dosti Karoge". And it turned out to be a lot better than I expected.

My first observation about the movie was its vibrant colors that currently have become hallmark of Karan-Aditya school of film making. So, the movie, shot in the locales of Europe, is visually appealing. But the cartoon strip doesn't work. Those small clippings/jokes of Hum and Tum cartoon characters are at best new indian cinema (although, can't deny the "How cute" parameter for all the girlish kind out there). I found them distracting from the films narrative.

The movie, according to Mr. Kohli, is not in anyway like "When Harry met Sally" save for the fact that its a conversational film like WHMS. Well Mr. Kohli, u got it right and wrong. Right cause its in no way like WHMS, save for the extended tenure of should I say, courtship, which spans a decade. Wrong 'cause its Not a conversational film at all. What conversations do I remember after the movie is over? None at all. Why? 'cause there are none. Part of the reason is that Saifs character is not developed well enuf. He is not beleivable enough to have a conversation. He is not as deliciously, humorously unconcerned as was Billy Crystal in WHMS. He is at best a confused guy who has a low opinion about himself.
So, it is a boy meets girl, girl leaves boy, boy and girl meet again multiplied by 3, boy and girl fall in love, story. Its as an event movie as any other full blown indian film.

Ah...got to run.

Harry Potter and the Monster of all things banned

2004-06-05T17:01:00.000+05:30

And at around 6 pm, yesterday, I was at E square, all over again. The weekend was looming large and I had only one thought in my mind - Harry Potter. Yup! the new movie. But I was in for a disappointment as the late night show was a sell out already. But a couple of current show tickets were available. I bought tickets for the late night Hum-Tum show and was about to leave the scene. But then the megalomaniac movie monster inside me stirred. I had to get back to the office and finish some work. But what the heck..what of those few HP tickets still left. But then I hesitated. The battle lasted for exactly 3 mins which was just enough for the monster to squash the fledgeling voice of conscience. At the end of those 3 minutes, I was filled with that feeling of immense excitement and anticipation that is known to those who are have that resident evil lurking inside. But as it turned out the battle time was also just enough for the rest of the HP tickets to be sold out. I had rushed to park my bike inside, paid the damn guy(well he refused to refund me later :() at the parking. And then it hit me. The the look on my partner in crime, a young(er..) nubile friend from office said it all. We had lost it, damn it. Ah! the lucky fellow inside the theater. And instantly, I was filled with the bitterness that is know only to them who, again, have the resident evil inside. Anyway, a lesson learnt. When its the matter of the monster, just as when it is of love, donn think. Just let the monster take control and will be happy for at least the next 3 hours or may be till the new day dawns.

The one with the review - Yuva

2004-05-22T16:20:00.000+05:30

Yuva: ***1/2

Just when I thought that I'll have to settle nicely for the weekend movie at home on TV, the mobile rang and I was there at the theater about half an hour later, having hastily devoured whatever dinner I could eat in 2 minutes. Then the ever hardball master of bargain, Himanshu, ate into the first 10 mins of movie. Well..what the heck, we saved 10 bucks, at least :-)

So, here is the my review. My hopes had drastically reduced after having heard mostly negative reviews of the movie. But as I never have too high a opinion about other peoples opinion, at least in this regard, this didn't effect me too much. The plot was nothing new. But neither was hackeneyed nor cliched. The movie revolves around creating the world of the three protagonists belonging different strata of the society. And it suceeds to varying degrees. The most fleshed out character is Abhishek Bachchans, Lallan Singh, the local goon. He is clear abt his goals of rising high and doesn't mind doing anything, even murder. This is probably Abhisheks best role so far and he comes off with flying colors too. I was finally heartened to see a brooding Amitabh back. This guy has the potential to reach higher credentials, inspite of constant comparisons with his legendary Dad.

Ajay Devgan is his usual self in his role of the student leader Michael Mukherjee. But I think Ajay has gone into a rut a bit. He seems the same in every film. The last film worth his talent was probably Deewangee. This role didn't demand too much to his talent. But he does justice to his role of an inspiring leader.

Vivek Oberai plays the usual cute boy next door role quite easily. Meat wise, his role is the least strong or noteworthy in the film. He almost plays second fiddle to Ajay.

Om puri lends a certain beleivability to the role of the oft repeated role a corrupt politician. His interludes with Ajay are interesting and curiously funny.

The performance of the ladies is also competent, Rani in particular gets a good role, as always.

The romance between the lead pairs varies from earthy to frothy to candy floss. Watch out for the frothy one between Ajay and Esha.

The story telling technique is quite novel in the Hindi film industry. It was interesting to see the three separate stories merge at a crucial point in the movie. The suspense is maintained thru a large portion of the film, most interestingly for Abhisheks character lallan singh. Songs are fast paced and well embedded in the story. Camerawork is excellent. Some of the night shots are absolutely brilliant.

On the flipsite, the movie won't appeal to people with a frothy tastes such as the recent Shahrukh ones or family entertainer stuffs. This clearly is a lightweight movie for a people interested in dissecting other people.

So, my verdict is definitely ***1/2 stars. I donn see this movie doing well in the northern packets but is a surefire hit down south if Madhavan enfuses as much energy and believability to Lallan Singh's role as Abhishek has. So watch it for lallan Singh and the obstacles in his way, a certain strong minded student leader and a suitably influenced boy.

The first one

2004-05-21T20:27:00.000+05:30

Finally, I decided to create a blog for myself where I intend to put down anything worth my/anyones time. Why, I can put down anything here even if its worth nothing at all :-)

Finding a url for my bolg turned out to ne pretty difficult. I wanted "daemon" and then "adonis" but later settled on "blogmeif ucan" because thats the movie tonight(weekend..ahhh).

I am hearing dreadful reports of "Yuva", Maniratnams latest offering. Haven't got tickets though. Will have to wait a few more days to pass my judgement.

Adios, lazy surfers of the web, Got a movie to devour.