Rabb ne bana di jodi

The movie certainly goes by its title. Only in reel life is it possible for a husband to stretch that far for his wife. Well, i didn't mean stretching ones arms but a husband playing a dual life to win his wife's heart. SRK movie backed by Yash Chopra productions will keep your spirits high to watch the movie during the holiday season. What i liked about the movie is SRK's attire where he is playing a Punjab Power engineer. A combination of PT shoes (you know what i mean) with pant and shirt, thats a typical Indian sarkari job like dressup. SRK looks really funny in those. It's easy for SRK to mould into the role of another self of his who is completely opposite of what he is actually. This is what intrigues me but remember its a film and from that perspective, SRK does a fair good job. Anoushka Sharma, the debutante actor may not appeal impressive in the beginning but shes does manage to gain some credits for her part, as far as i am concernd. Rabb ne bana di jodi is a family one which you will enjoy for all age groups. Vinay pathak again comes in to help SRK achieve his life goal. Movie is however long but "Haule Haule ho jayegaa" manageable to watch for Indian audience. SRK is one of favourite actors and needless to say, he has done a good job. I'll rate this movie 7/10.

Dasvidaniya

When i first heard of this movie, i had no clue as to what it was. First of all, the name of movie itself is neither English nor Hindi. Its a Russian name meaning "Good Bye". I hooked up on all my resources to read its review and trying to convince my mind if i wanted to watch it or not. The movie stars "Vinay Pathak" so automatically you realize this ain't a 3 hr long movie and i enjoy such kind of movies. I did read that Dasvidaniya was based on Bucket List which i already had seen . The theme of Bucket List was good but i found the movie boring. I finally decided to watch Dasvidaniya, the hindi version if you may say so.
Its a story about a guy who knows has merely only 3 more months to live and is a big loser in life. Vinay Pathak has certainly grown as an actor. He already had his forte in comedy but the film portrays some instances of heart breaking acting which Vinay has flawlessly perfomed. The scene where he begs for instant death will touch you. He is at his best till date. Movie is impressive from beginning to the end. Its light, digestable and will give you loads of oppurtunity to retrospect the question that what would you do if you were in his shoes. I greatly admire Vinays acting. The director too (lets say inspired by Bucket List) has made sense in every moment. Never will you ever feel that movie is boredom or exagerrated. Everyone has very well supported the actor including the boss Saurabh Shukla and Pankaj Kapoor. It's an evening movie to relax your senses and i highly recommend this movie to movie watchers. Vinay Pathak is the new era of self defining hero. I'll rate the movie 9/10. Go for it !

My first snow in NYC !!!! 18th Nov 2008

This was my first snow in NYC. I got up in the morning at 6.30 am as usual to get ready. When i opened the door of my house, i saw these flakes all over in the air. Was it snow or fire ash flowing in the air? Well, fire ash cant be white but these flakes were not thick. I was in a dilemma thinking as making my way to the train station. On my way, my confidence grew that this certainly was snow. Extreme cold my body could feel and this wasn't the cold i was used to in India. I was really excited and for a sec forgot about the harsh -1 degree cold weather. It was a beautiful scene, whites flakes falling over my black overcoat. I will never forget this day. In delhi (India) from where i hail from temperature doesn't go below 2-3 degree Celsius in winters. But this NY winter which i have always been scared of is getting beautiful day by day. I hope it doesnt get worse when i need to change my mind !

The Call

A sleepy-eyed soul ready to hit the bed
awakening frantically to a call in his head
should all hell break lose to this squall
if it wasn't for him, couldn't take a fall
the marinated air seems new and fresh
this ethereal call reeking under his flesh
from the one who now rests 6 feet under
the voices so familiar, causing a thunder
is that you or someone stranger
none in the world a threat or danger
cant believe if this is real or illusion
hopes lost down the drains of seclusion
breaks my heart this wild loneliness
ever since you left, this clinging distress
would life return to normal again
or struggle in this behold pain
perhaps the light at the end of tunnel may never glow
the call has a destiny i may never know...

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

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.....

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.