Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Happy Diwali 2008



First of all, a very Happy Diwali to all Indians !
This will be my 3rd Diwali in US ever since i have been here. The first year diwali memories of mine are still fresh, all indians at bovard auditorium at USC (University of Southern California) celebrating, dancing and wishing each other. No fireworks ofcourse ! And at home, i had not lit any candles to get a feling of diwali at home. This was not intentional, how can it be? Just that i was part of an organising commitee for Diwali celebration at USC and may have been busy.

2nd year i was staying with my American roomies and i took one of them to the same auditorium for a cultural show. This time i wasnt part of any commitee so i should say i had the time to lit candles outside my house. I did take some snaps of it and upload it on orkut, facebook. I made sure my roommate wore the Indian ethnic Kurta i gave him. We both looked great especially me in my saffron kurta !

This is the 3rd year, the dampest diwali of mine with no one around. Let me remind you that last 2 diwali's i was a student at USC but now a full time employee. Today is Tuesday, a mid day where even if you want to celebrate, you may not. This BTW is for Indians residing in US, Indians home are still celebrating Diwali on Tuesday, isn't it? So to start where i left, this is my first diwali in US while on job. Everyone is so busy with work. It indeed was a very busy today. Even Indians have no time to wish each other. Am getting the feeling there are more chinese in my office than Indians but as if i care for now. Mail fwding of nature jokes etc is kind of low in the industry i work for because evey mail you send is scrutinised and checked. Perhaps, someone then doesnt want to send but i did. Why should I stop wishing others if others dont? Mailing was one another way i could reach out to my friends who are working in different office locations. I would have sent mail to atleast 30 people and just got 6 replies. What the #$%^ ! If you are very well reading my blog, you very well know my nature that i aint sending mails for receiving any compliment that Sidharth took the initiative and send diwali greeting mail in office. But isnt it a spontaneous reaction you would be expecting when you wish someone Happy Diwali either through mail or in person. I still cant believe i just got 6 replies. Its not that my respect for other 24 has gone down, but i did expect them to see and wish in person if not through mail. One of the senior manager i mailed wished me in person. And i know that everyone had checked their mails as i mailed everyone yesterday and today is Tuesday. When i asked a fellow mate about his plans to celebrate, i was shocked when he said "What do you mean how will i celebrate Diwali. You know how it works here" ? Well, what kind of reply or question was that. I know Diwali in US wont be as like in India but was looking forward to him telling me much more that question. He didnt look at me again and went to his desk. Someone wished me today too on mail (infact one). Am i justified in expressing my anguish or do i expect too much out of life? I can wait till tomorrow but am disappointed at this moment from people i expected instant reply. After all, just because you work in NY makes you super busy huh? Diwali is very cold here guys just like the weather of NYC......Ill meet you next year telling my new experiences, till then have fun and be safe !!!

Rgds
Sidharth

Monday, October 27, 2008

Heroes or SuperHeroes or Zeroes




The ravishing poster of Heroes quickly made me think that after a long time we have a film dedicated for a heroic purpose. The four big cast on the front should give you some confidence about some seldome truth in the story. But untill you watch the movie you will realise that the 2 people on the bike are "cartoon superheroes". I wasnt sure who directed this movie but coming from a defense background, i gave time to this flick. The missing agonising part of the movie is that the director made no attempt to capture the heroic battles faught (as if there could be any) by the brave soldiers Salman, Bobby and Dino. The title is confusing to me as to who are the real heros, are they the ones fighting on the border or the ones who have lost their son, father, husband and now leading a void life.
Fist 5 minutes of the movie will spin your head as both Sohail and Vatsal are aboslutely pathetic in their roles. The introduction strip song damages and maligns the main theme of the movie which every cinema goer would have expected. Weak story line, flaw script all are disasters in this movie. To some extent, i felt preity played her part gracefully but during on of her interviews i heard, i thought she too played a military role which she was proud of. Not sure what preity meant by all this. The director could have casted sunny deol as the sikh who atleast could have spoken some fluent authentic "thhet" punjabi. Salman, preity couldnt carry this on their shoulders and disappoint. Why cant they practise and get into the punjabi character they have tp play. The half hindi punjabi dialect is hard bearing on ears. Their son speaks better hindi than Punjabi and is wise enough to answer all questions. The boy "jassi" says "Papa aisa kehte the..." when his father was dead when he was born. Stranger than fiction? Heroes lacks the spontaniety and depth a serious movie like this should have.
Sunny Deol cant walk but can drive his SUV. Mr sunny, you get too emotional and then showoff your acting skills. You forget you aint the sunny of betaab now. An old figure who swears by his chilled beer and his logic of patriotism goes over my head. In heroes, songs are boring, pathetic and unneccessary. You can have a cheesy pub at 20,000 ft above sea level in himachal with gals and firangs dancing in micro-minis. Sunny in his wheel chair cant be brought down by 15 young guys and looks superhero. He breaks floor tiles with his fists like a piece of cake. This movie is so disgusting guys. Dino Morea is playing American Football at Kargil. Do audience even know what a "TouchDown" is? Perhaps not nut all napalis at that height know much more than you. Bollywood is all about sporting the best look. Sohail and Vatsala are in their best attire in all scenes. sohail sports a NY yankees jersey. They have year clothes in their small rug.
Sameer Karnik is trying to promise lot of things but fails to deliver even the message in bits. A flop miserable director can never even imagine to come close to late Satyajit Ray ji or even todays Farhan Akhtar. Bollywood has to give training to these people who are journalists turned directors and have no common sense of directing the movie. He cant even get his actors act properly. He rakes in the worst star cast for a film like this except preity and salman who look lost too.
I cant understand why did the producers sunny and bobby even hire him. Am angry with myself i saw this movie and wasted my time. If he is to make films like this, god save India. Stay away from this film at all cost. Dont even watch it online for free !

I'll give it 1.5/10 just for its theme.....

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Yeh hai Mumbai Meri Jaan - Critique


The trailer of MMJ seems a promising flick but guess i was disappointed the way the story is unfolding. Critics says its Indian "Crash" (so expected to do well in filmfare i guess) but in noway i am seeing lives of different people connected with each other, its rather mutually exclusive. Couple of scenes and plots may have characters in each others lives but its missing the thread that can connect all. Am sure the director is trying his effort to make a crash like movie but here is where he fails. Those of you who are thinking i think in parallel with NDTV movie reviews will be wrong as over their you would find this movie recommended but i am not suggesting on same lines. So to start with,i have no clue what Irfan Khan is doing in the film besides making tea. Sometimes he makes tea,sometimes he is working as a servant. Mind you, You dont need to see the film to find out. Soha Ali Khan,a dumb journalist who gets convinced by her manager to film a documentary on her lovers tragic death in Mumbai train blasts. KK looks too old and alazy ass caught between hindu muslim religious divides. Decent performances by Paresh Rawal and Madhawan keepthe movie from drowning. Madhwan pays 3 lakh rs in tax and travels by train to work. Would you do that?? This movie tries hard but failsto impress. It can be avoided for others. My rating would be 5/10.

"A Wednesday" - A good day to pick


The power of a Common Man - A Wednesday shows what may be impossible in real life is possible in reel life. Superb performances from Naseer ji and Anupam Kher - this film will blow your mind untill the last scene. Nothing to fret about this movie as its without any nonsense, nonrequired songs or subplots. Its packaged to the point set in Mumbai Nagri (i feel its been a while since i saw a movie been shot in Delhi or am i wrong, may be a director can read my blog and dosomething) A family thriller, this kinda movie comes once in a while. When you have Naseer and Anupam, (id rather say for the former though Anupam ji has his own marktoo) the filmwill automatically fetch you returns in terms of what you want to see in a film. Ahard hitting simple story made bold by the director,illgive him the credit for thinking the non-stereotypical way and commend his work. All actors also contribute well. Now i know this is a movie and you want to show an actor (Oh a cop) riding on a bike w/o his helmet but nothing hurts if you show him with his helmet.Today generation should blindly follow their idols. My rating is going to be 8.5/10. GoWatch it !!!!

Welcome to SajjanPurrrrrr



A new product from shyam benegal, light hearted and humorous. I liked this movie for its simplicity and true characters that the director has designed for his film. A picture very well synonymous with reality in remote villages. The superstition, The orthodox prevailing, The messiah whom the villagers would look forward to , The rituals,The earthiness - Welcome to Sajjanpur has all in it except for its songs which i feel were not needed. Untill now,i was known to Mr Benegal as a director who only churns out hard serious movies but the comic flick this time was a surprise. Shreyas Talpade has leveraged his position from a theatre to a fulltime movie entertainer. He does a good job along with YashpalSharma for whom i wont stop laughing as Mr Sharma keeps mentioning about his "Mamaji". Amrita arora looks cute and was fairly delivering a good performance. Illa arun wanting to get her daughter married to a dog shows the legacy we still hold in villages. I certainly recommend this film who wants a breakfrom love,romance,violence type movies. My rating would be 8/10.

Gym shedule in NYC Cold

Did you NYC is getting colder? I had only heard or read about it but now ilive in NY and this is going to be my first NY winter. Till now, the weather aint that cold but later ice will be part of your life. So my worry is how will i complete my regular fitness exercise? I used to finish work by 6 and goto the gym which is in the same Goldman building which i love because i dont have to leave my office for that. After exercising, i'dlike to take a shower and there is a provision for same in the gym. But at 7 pm,its still cold outside and you dont wanna take a chance catching cold or becoming sick. As for me, i have started "running" during break hrs. I make good use of it exercising between 12-1 pm and eat my lunch then. The advantages are after 5.30-6 pm i can head straight to my home, no chance of falling sick (atleast by eve i am good to go out in winter as i have taken bath in afternoon), complete set of work and exercise together. After the 13 mile stint,i never fail to run on treadmill for 3-4 miles. This is getting little off topic now but i have a friend of mine who comes to work/gym with me. She is heavy and all she does is WALK on the treadmill. I know how hard i have tried to run that 13 mile and here i see a young gal WALKING on the treadmill. What on earth does she think that walking will help her shed 40 pounds? With that much to reduce,the schedule i'll give to somone will be very strenous and my advise to her didnt work. I feel more pity on her than overweight gals in India cuz she is exposed to American lifestyle and culture but in vain. Probably the guy whom she intends to marry and perhaps for whom al lthis is being done will have an effect on her.....

The "Lost" Lear


It was for Amitabh that i watched this movie. I am going to write reviews for more films as this was the day i saw 4 films in a row because cable TV wont show up !!! The Last Lear is set up in Calcutta with a dark-ish background. To be honest,the first thing i did was to search the meaning of the word "Lear". I got 2 definitions,rather meanings. One was a british writer of nonsense verse and other hero of William Shakespeare. When you watch this movie,you feel its a combination of both. Am not sure what Director Riptupurno Ghosh was expecting. I seldom like movies with dark background and set in places unfamiliar to me but the Amitabh factor and the film title intrigued me. Amitabh delivers his best as an old actor who is smitten by the Shakespeare work and is nonsensical. His performance and dedication to his work is an exemplary example close to a masterpiece. Delivery of Shakespare literature with great enthusiasm gives a push to the film. However,he hardly gets support fromhis collegues. Priety looks jaded with filmlife although she is one of my favourite beautiful actresses. Its take time to follow the movie with mainstream dialoguee delivery and a voice over in background. Arjun is an arrogant director and hardly contributes to the film. Ijust dunno what to write for Bengali actors portraying in the film. Ofcourse, Amitabh has hogged the limelight but slow narration, missing elements in direction, missing flow are major drawbacks of the film. One thing i wondered about the movie is why should someone be so interested in a nurses private life (nurse played by Divya Dutta) whom you dont even know? Someone please tell Divya to clear her throat. She looks completely off. Also,when divya dutta opens the house door,why do people look down on the floor as they are opening the door giving the impression that it aint their house but of the guy who is standing outside the house? I have seen this in lotta other films too. This may be a tiny part of film where noone would care. Atleast i would if i am to make a Film. Illrecommend thsi film to an Amitabh fan (you would want to look his long locks) and someone who has patience. My rating 6/10.

Rock ON-OFF !!!!


Am back after a long spell. Lot of things happened and will happen. One thing i can share with you is that i often log onto ndtv movies section to read movie reviews. The review was moderate and Farhans maiden film i decided to pay heed to it. So lot of people are complaining about this film being a new version of Dil Chahta Hai. Because this is my blog and i am writing under no influence, i wont agree on the DCH part. Sure ist about 4 friends who want to lead a ROCKING journey but ego issues drift things apart. The movie is surely slow and misses the ROCK or swiftness in the film. Personally,Farhan looks good on screen but when he starts speaking is what turns me off. He has a croaked voice and reflected against him. The young Arjun succumbing to his miseries and wifes tantrums. Never does he retaliate and always slip in his own shell. The young arun seemed more promising instead. Gals played their part good, i feel both actressed played good character roles to justify. The fourth guy who couldnt make it till the end was an easy-to-go personality. During the movie,you might feel that Farhan has himself directed the movie and not the original director. Overall,the movie doesnt showcast the trail which each band member follows after the split. This is a movie i can recommend somone who is looking for some sense, some time passand some MAGIK ;) Out of 10,ill give it 6.5