Poochte hain wo ki Ghalib kaun hai… koi batlaye ki hum batlayein kya
June 21, 2011 Leave a comment
Sometimes,
Sitting inside an airconditioned cubicle,
As I look beyond the tinted windows
I see the winds blowing, I see the trees dancing with joy
And a silent voice reminds me
Of the sun, the humidity, the pollution
The longing doesn’t subside
I see the irony of my quest,
Of happiness, satisfaction and things like that
June 11, 2011 Leave a comment
The name of the Director is Bejoy Nambiar. But, the movie is stamped with Anurag Kashyap all over. Not just the narration and the screenplay, but the visual treatment of the movie as well. Some extremely creative use of background score, rapidly zagging camera work, dark shots, shots in slow-motion, and some insane music. It almost feels like Anurag Kashyap is continuing with his ode to Tarantino, having taken a pause after Dev D.
I loved the movie. The premise is simple, but not so frequently touched in bollywood. Spoilt brats high on life and high on dope making a mistake which comes back at them in a multi-fanged manner, and some of them (the more spoilts ones) keep adding mistakes over mistakes, and in the end its an unresolvable mess (almost). Somewhere in the canvas is a righteous cop having a tough time adapting to the system, and another one who uses the system to his advantage. A commissioner who cannot but depend on the volatile righteous suspended cop for getting him out of the mess, and a cop friend who is right in just about the right balance. Since I am not here to tell you the story, I would leave it at this.
What makes the movie stand out is the visual narrative. Right from the initial sequences, and the pace at which a social misfit finds her group of homies, the baap ka paisa gang and their antics, rave parties, etc., to one of the most well shot sequences running a brilliant remix of yesteryear’s Khoya Khoya Chand in the background, and two parallel narratives on the screen running on slo-mo. I can almost feel like I have seen such a scene in an English movie before. But then, that does not take the execution credit away from Bejoy and Anurag. It’s a scene that will be run on loop many times by many people.
The ending leaves you with a bit of a cheated feeling. You wanted it to be a little more crisp than it was, but saying any more will risk revealing too much. Go and watch the movie and let me know what you think.
The acting department delivers. Rajeev Khandelwal as the estranged cop is brilliant. So, is Neil Bhoopalam as video gaming trying to fit in the group rich boy. Neil is becoming one of my favourite theatre-to-cinema actors these days (have you see Hamlet The Clown Prince? All in one? No One Killed Jessica?). Shiv Pandit and Gulshan Devaiya are well cast. Gulshan (KC) comes across as a spoilt brat with no regards for anything, but only till nothing goes wrong. Shiv as Dash is a revelation, playing a very restrained act. Kalki is fine. Not great, but not bad either. She needs to work on her hindi diction rather quickly though, if she wants to play a long bollywood inning. She might end up a Kangna Ranaut otherwise. In fact, the little girl playing Kalki’s childhood version deserves a mention, and so does the lady who plays Kalki’s dead mother. I have seen her in several plays (including Vagina Monologues), and she continues to impress me. In fact, Neil, Kalki’s Mother in the movie, Rajit Kapoor, and the guy plays Inspector Mawalankar are all good theatre actors, and its good to see AK giving them a chance. Rajat Barmecha (of Udaan) gets a little cameo as well.
Music is worth highlighting. Right from the excellent remix of Khoya Khoya Chand, to Pintya, Josh, Zindagi and several other background tracks (instrumental ones) used across the movie. Ranjit Barot, and Prashant Pillai should walk away with the best background score for this movie.
Movie has some quippy dialogues as well – kuch dost aise hotein jinhe aap raaat ke do baje bhi phone kar sakte hain, aur kuch dost aise jinhe aap sirf raat ke do baje hi phone kar sakte hain.
I will go with a 8 on 10 for this movie. Very well shot and executed, great music and background score, and some good acting. The only let down is the editing, which could have stripped about 15 minutes from the movie. Go watch it.
June 4, 2011 Leave a comment
There are few things that can help you sail through a movie as beautifully well as the energy of the crowd around you, at a theatre like Chandan Cinema (Juhu), cometh to watch the first day first show of a Salman Khan movie. In cities where Multiplexes offering the comfort of booking tickets online for 250 bucks or so, and with an increasing dearth of single screen theatres, a theatre like Chandan is not always thronged by the people that we go out dining with. But they love their cinema. And they make bollywood tick. For instance, when I parked the car, I competed with three autorickshaws for space. Those guys hadn’t booked the ticket online. They had come earlier to book the ticket from advance booking window. And they had come to see Salman bhai (how do so many of them have such a strong rapport with sallu). At 60 bucks for stall tickets, I don’t think they come inexpensive, but way cheaper than what you’d pay at the shiny PVRs. And they offer a lot more. It’s a place where suddenly bursting into a dance is not weird, nor is hooting/seeti maaroing or expert commenting.
Yet. Ready. Disappointed. And before you bring me down as a pseudo intellectual, I present my candidature as the lover of Dabangg, Gunda, All The Best as well as Stanley Ka Dabba, 3 idiots, Kanoon, etc.
Here’s how it happened. When I walked into the cinema hall (that’s the right word, not theatre), the crowd’s energy started at the same level as that of an India-Pakistan match with Tendulkar on song. Several trailers (Murder 2, Chillar Party, Singham) later, even a pedestrian initial credits/casting sequence was cheered for. Salman entered with Character Dheela, and a Katrina Kaif imitation Zareen Khan was gyrating to the latest chartbuster. So, what happened? In about 5 minutes, a barrage of guest appearances (Katrina Kaif.. sorry, Zarine Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgan, Arbaaz Khan, Kangana Ranaut) are thrown at you. And for some reason, as I look back, those were the somewhat better 5 minutes of the movie. From that point onwards, the movie goes downhill. It has its occasional sparks. And they are bound to be there when you have Salman, literally, playing to the gallery. Half the dialogues are spoken to the audience, and have nothing to do with other people on the screen. People tried hard to cheer even the worst-est of things, to keep their hopes alive. Every now and then, Sallu would give people hope. Like Ajay Jadeja. But that’s match-fixing. You keep hoping for some of the Wanted and Dabangg awesomeness. But, it’s just a ploy to make you watch the entire goddamn thing. The crowd energy by the end of it all is at that level of surrender, as the point when Wasim Akram might just have taken a hat-trick to polish off the Indian tail. Yet, all is not lost. For Ready would have already recovered the bulk of money over the weekend. People have booked, hoping to see another National Award winning movie after Dabangg (how many “g”s did we have in there?). And I like that. Industry needs to keep trying these movies – just so that every once in a while there is a flash of brilliance. OR, just so that you appreciate other movies. I appreciate the existence of Akshay Kumar and Khatta Meetha, just because they make the rest of the world look like a better place.
The high point of the movie are the two songs (Character Dheela and Dhinka Chika), with DC coming up trumps, in the spirit of the movie. The choreographer (most likely Raju Khan) deserves credit for making a double footed Sallu look like he is dancing, while he is largely standing at just one place making an insanely cool twist with his hands. Almost like there are wipers in his pocket, set at speed 2.
The reason I am alive is – Salman. He is a star. Even when he doesn’t actually, he manages to show off his shirtless body. And then ask you – mazaa aaya kya? The movie is so full of star-juice-extracting one liners like – “jiske paas ho family ka support, use nahi kar sakta koi deport”, “koi to rok lo yaar”, “tumhara shauq poora karoonga”, “jeans ki fitting kaafi achi hai”, “jahan pakadna hai pakdo, jo karna hai karo” – you could have called the movie – Cornflakes, or, Salman Juice Stall, or something like that.
I don’t blame anyone. I blame myself. I went to see a Salman movie. I forgot that its an Anees Bazmee movie. The man with a magical sense of humour. The man who believes in a suraj barjatya world, where there should be at least 15 people in 90% of the movie. And they should all, usually, shout when they talk. Akhilendra Mishra (Kroor-Singh of Yakku fame), that guy I love (the boxing villain from Ghulam), Mahesh Manjrekar, etc. etc. They all shout. Bazmee – Don’t you ever buzz me again. If it ever in my power, I’d bring you down some day. From that place from where you keep throwing these rotten tomatoes at us, just for getting your personal laughter.
Ah. A special mention for Asin. She is beautiful. And she has a very expressive face. Someone, anyone, please give her some better roles to work with. I am sure if Tusshar Kapoor can get a Shor, and if Sunil Shetty (what’s the right spelling these days?) can get a RED, someone can give her a decent role, no?
Endnote – Don’t watch it if you are a pseudo intellectual. Don’t watch it expecting to see a Dabangg. Watch it if you love Salman’s style of doing things. Watch it if Housefull, Thank You, etc. worked for you. And extract as much value as you can through the 4/5 trailers you get to see, and the two songs. Sallu bhai – please avoid Anees bhai. I love your movies (of this genre), but I can’t stand that idiot’s movies.
April 28, 2011 4 Comments
For my dadaji.. who left us on the evening of April 26th, 2011.
आज फिर बूँद एक टूट गयी
आज फिर खो दिया है कुछ मैंने
जैसे सदियाँ गुज़र गयीं पल में
जैसे सब ख़त्म हुआ, फिर भी अधूरा है कुछ
अभी कल शाम की ही बात है ये
हाथ जोड़े खड़ी थी एक नज़र
रात का इंतज़ार करते हुए
एक झूठा करार करते हुए
मैं कहीं जाऊं क्यों, इस कोने में रहने दो मुझे
मेरा क्या है मैं बस इस रात का मुसाफिर हूँ
बस ज़रा देखने दो आज भरी आँखों से
क्या पता मुझको मिलें या न मिलें कल ये पल
फिर उसी कमरे के अँधेरे में
अब कोई स्विच टटोलता भी नहीं
पान की डाली वो सूनी होगी
और कोई शाम को टहलेगा नहीं
आज माँ मेरी परेशान ना होगी
पर बहोत दर्द होगा आँखों में
आज ये सोचना नहीं होगा
कौन से जूस से दिल बहलेगा
और क्या सब्जी बनेगी घर पर
और मसाले ये ज्यादा तेज़ तो नहीं
देखो, वो आये नहा कर या नहीं
देखो, वो धोती, वो कुर्ता, वो नाश्ता वो चाय
ना जाने कितनी ही ऐसी वैसी बातें लेकर
ज़िन्दगी का वो एक रूटीन गया
सर पे साए की तरह रहता था जो
आज वो पेड़ किसी झील में बहता होगा
कैसे भूलेंगे वो एक मंज़र
जो जभी आँखों से गुज़रा ना था
कितने सालों से देखा है उनको
अपने पैरों पे शाम करते हुए
आज कंधों पे उठे, आखिरी घर जाते हैं
आप जैसे भी कभी, इस तरह कमज़ोर नज़र आते हैं
कल जो देखा था वो सिमटा हुआ, सकुचाया बदन
और किसी कोने में फूला हुआ, बिखरा सा बदन
हाथ नीले पड़े थे और था ठंडा सा बदन
एक मुट्ठी में बंधा आग पे लेटा सा बदन
कैसे भूलूंगा वो एक मंज़र
कैसे जायेगी साँसों में बसी ये राख की बू
कौन बोलेगा थैंक यू वो घर पहुँचने पर
कौन बोलेगा वो सॉरी, वो हाथ जोड़े हुए
कैसे बदलेंगे फिर वो एक नियम सालों से जीते हैं जिसे
आज फिर बूँद एक टूट गयी, आज फिर खो दिया है कुछ मैंने
April 20, 2011 Leave a comment
मेरा माजी मेरे चेहरे पे छुपा बैठा है
झुर्रियों से भरी ये शाम बड़ी बोझिल है
میرا ماضی میرے چہرے پی چھپا بیٹھا ہے
جھرریوں سے بھری یہ شام بدی بوجھل ہے
April 6, 2011 Leave a comment
एक ख्वाब हो तुम ….
और मेरा डर
कि अधूरा न रह जाऊं
वक़्त के साए में…
ठहरी हुई
ये कागज़ कि नाव
किनारे से लग कर
लहरों से लड़ कर,
थक कर
फिर तुम्हारी साँसों से
ज़िन्दगी जीने का सबब पूछेगी…
और फिर
तुम मेरा हाथ थाम लेना …
मेरे डर को किनारों की जरूरत है…
इस कागज़ की नाव को
बह जाने दो..
कुछ किनारे समंदर के बीच होते हैं….
April 1, 2011 Leave a comment
My heart skips a beat, as I think about the match tomorrow. In anticipation, trepidation, excitement and fear.
In 1983, when India won the worldcup, I was 3 years old, my brother was 7, and we were a joint-ish family living in a small town of Uttar Pradesh. I think it was around the middle of the world cup that our family bought a TV, a black and white Uptron TV, that used to come with wooden slider doors to keep the TV safe while you weren’t watching it. It was on that TV that my mamaji, my cousin, my dad and everyone else saw India lift the cup, and it was then that my brother became a cricket fanatic. I think my love for cricket has something to do with that world cup, because I do remember watching every match of the World Championship Series in Australia after that, and Ravi Shastri winning that Audi as the man of the series.
In 1996, I was a India fanatic when it came to cricket. A fan, who believed that irrespective of the quality of opposition, India is entitled to win every match. Just to get disappointed every now and then, but holding on to the belief. Tendulkar had come of age. I had belief. And there was a small matter of faith in match winners like Ajay Jadeja and Anil Kumble.
In 1996, we played Pakistan in Bangalore, and in that era, my brother was a gully cricket mate of a certain Mahindra Singh Dhoni, and I was Mahi’s school cricket mate. I had played cricket at the school and district level. I had played alongside this someone who I thought could make it big, but never would. It was too difficult to break the shackles of corruption in Bihar, inside sports as well. Nepotism was a fact, and the opportunities were fewer. My brother had stopped representing any team, and started trying to build a career based on academic education, and I had chosen to get ready for the mass orgy known as IIT Joint Entrance Examination. I had, for what it was worth, hung my boots. But I was a fan nevertheless. The evenings in a small town like Ranchi, and in a township like Mecon are all about celebrating the victory of the match gone by, or the drowning of the loss. We played tennis ball cricket. We felt happy that India had defeated Pakistan. Few days later, we met Sri Lanka, a team we had lost to in the league stage (and we called it a fluke), and a team that we lost to yet again (bad pitch, right), despite that oh so hopeful brilliance of getting Jayasurya and Kaluwitharana out early. The memory of Vinod Kambli in tears still swells me up. Even though I know for sure that we could not have won the match from there.
15 years later, I am still a fan. I am not fanatic anymore. MSD is inside the television, and I am on the armchair. Given the company I keep, and the analysis that everyone does, and the views and opinions that are bombarded at me from all corners, I have, I believe, become pragmatic. When India plays Australia, I weigh options, and think of getting Ponting out cheaply because he is not just a sheet anchor, he is also a destroyer, and an aggressive leader. I evaluate the weaknesses of Indian bowling. Back then, watching a cricket match was about shouting childish abuses, stupid chants of abracadabra – arvinda desilva swaha, and wishing that every delivery get a wicket, or every shot from Tendulkar’s willow be a boundary. Today, it’s about appreciating that brilliant spell from Wahab Riaz or Brett Lee, even as they come close to demolishing the Indian dream of winning this world cup. If I don’t do that, people will think that I am a biased Indian who is not enjoying the game in totality, and missing out on much the game has to offer. Well – intellectualism comes at a price. It often takes your passion away. One upon a time, I too wanted to wear the blue. And those who wear it, and have walked inside a stadium full of people cheering you to win (Mahi wears it. I envy him. And I love him for that), I can only dream of the high they feel. At that one moment, its not rational. And I create that moment. I am no Navjot Singh Sidhu sitting in an air-conditioned studio analyzing the game. I am ‘The Indian Fan’. And to me, the only thing that eventually makes or breaks my days, is whether India won or not.
And so, this world cup, for the quarter final and the semi final, against two brilliantly tough opponents, I let my heart be where it belongs. I watched and predicted like an Indian fan. Before the match started, my heart and mind knew only one thing. That we will win. I chanted. And I cursed. I did not get up from seat with the fear of jinxing things. Things might have looked like going this way or the other as the match progressed, but I knew only one thing. That we will win. As Ponting accumulated a masterclass century, and people started talking about the pressure, I still said only one thing. That we will win. As Wahab Riaz ripped Indian top order, and analysts and pundits said that we are some 30 runs short, I still said only one thing. That we will win. I added, purely from my heart, that the margin will be 30 runs at least. And my heart was right. We did win. By 29 runs.
Now, we are back to an opponent who’s given us one of the worst scars of cricket, with the exception of Miandad’s Six in Sharjah. Incidentally, after India lost the sharjah, I tore off all the Chetan Sharma posters at home, that used to come with Cricket Samrat. When India lost that 1987 match against Australia, I did feel betrayed by Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri and co. In 1996, I felt sorry for Sachin, and I hated the entire team for what they brought the match to (apparently). Was there any logic in those emotions? I doubt.
I don’t want to be pragmatic and think about the strengths and weaknesses of my team. No. I am back to where my heart belongs. I know that we are going to win. And damn it, I will raise the stakes this time. If India bats first, we will win by at least 35 runs, and if India chases, we are winning by at least 5 wickets. And till these predictions are violated, you can try and use any mathematics, logic, divine analysis to suggest that something otherwise would happen. I would just stick my tongue out at you.. make a :P, and then go “brrrrrrrrrr”. I will be there. Watching every ball of the match. And believing in only one thing. That we will win.
You still want to say something? Brrrrrrr…. We Will Win
March 30, 2011 Leave a comment
One of my big arguments before today’s semifinal between SL and NZ was that tomorrow’s 11th man toss-up for India should be between Sreesanth and Chawla. No Munaf, No Nehra. If SL win, India should play Sreesanth, and if NZ wins, India should play Chawla. Now that SL has won it, Sree it is!
Let’s look at SL – they have largely been clinical so far. Except when they lost to Pak. That was also the only occasion none of their top four scored a half century. They did get exposed against NZ this time as well. Let’s face it – SL have a below average middle order (except Angelo, who I have extreme respect for). Moreover, they have four pure bowlers who can hardly bat. So, the recipe to defeat SL is easy to understand and difficult to implement. Get 3 of their top 4 back cheaply.
Pak has been a rather poor batting side getting whittled for less than 200 on more than one occasion in an otherwise high scoring tournament, and a tremendous bowling side managing to restrict the opposition nevertheless. Umar Akmal has been the only relatively consistent batsman. There are no tonners in the side, and their war veteran, Younis Khan, has looked out of sorts. Also, not surprisingly, they have looked more susceptible to pace than spin.
Indian batting has been positive, except for the Powerplay collapses, with Sachin, Sehwag, Gautam, Yuvraj, Virat (and Raina) amongst runs. Indian bowling, on the other hand, has struggled to get rid of top order batsmen. Tamim Iqbal (BAN), Strauss (ENG), Porterfield (IRE), Amla (SA), Smith (WI), Haddin (AUS) – one of the openers has scored a half century in 6 out of 7 matches they’ve played so far. So, it can be safely said that they need something different against SL. The problem with Chawla, Nehra and Munaf is that there are no surprises (barring Chawla’s googly) when it comes to them running in, throwing ball, and going back for the next one. India’s 11th player has been, generally speaking, a value destroyer for the team. Not really contributing much or bleeding sufficiently to cause enough worries in a close match.
This brings me to the conclusion that India should play Sreesanth in both the matches. Sree has some pace, and a lot of histrionics in him, which will come handy. He is not predictable. He himself doesn’t know what he will come up with next, and can produce some unplayable deliveries by design or by accident every now and then. Mohali pitch should have something for pacers. Both SL and Pak have reasonable good players of spin bowling. Lastly, looking at the 12 non-descript overs bowled by Munaf in the last two matches, I am sure MSD can hide Sree in a corner, if required. He is definitely a better fielder than Munaf, and hopefully, will talk sEo much that some opposition batsman will lose concentration.
Let’s spare a thought from Pakistan’s perspective as well. They will have to win it through their bowling. However, it’s the inadequacy of their batting that makes me wonder if they can win. Their bench is not likely throw a batsman who can take care of their woes. They can surely hope that a Younis/Misbah does an Inzamam. But then, Pakistan team hasn’t really every performed up to the predictions. They, usually, write their own destiny, a minute at a time.
However, there is a very disturbing reality to “what happens if Pakistan defeats India”. For one, India not playing the finals would mean a likely 70%+ reduction in the potential revenue from the final (for various parties), just as India playing the finals would maybe increase the currently projected revenues by 20% (these are educated guesses). The producers and directors will have to set the IPL pre and post-production work in full speed right away. Dhoni will have to request Jharkhand Govt. to increase the protection levels for his family. Sachin will be heartbroken. And a nation full of zealots will look for a new religion.
Eleventh Hour googly:Eleventh Man
One of my big arguments before today’s semifinal between SL and NZ was that tomorrow’s 11th man toss-up for India should be between Sreesanth and Chawla. No Munaf, No Nehra. If SL win, India should play Sreesanth, and if NZ wins, India should play Chawla. Now that SL has won it, Sree it is!
Let’s look at SL – they have largely been clinical so far. Except when they lost to Pak. That was also the only occasion none of their top four scored a half century. They did get exposed against NZ this time as well. Let’s face it – SL have a below average middle order (). Moreover, they have four pure bowlers who can hardly bat. So, the recipe to defeat SL is easy to understand and difficult to implement. Get 3 of their top 4 back cheaply.
[AD1] Pak has been a rather poor batting side getting whittled for less than 200 on more than one occasion in an otherwise high scoring tournament, and a tremendous bowling side managing to restrict the opposition nevertheless. Umar Akmal has been the only relatively consistent batsman. There are no tonners in the side, and their war veteran, Younis Khan, has looked out of sorts. Also, not surprisingly, they have looked more susceptible to pace than spin.
Indian batting has been positive, except for the Powerplay collapses, with Sachin, Sehwag, Gautam, Yuvraj, Virat (and Raina) amongst runs. Indian bowling, on the other hand, has struggled to get rid of top order batsmen. Tamim Iqbal (BAN), Strauss (ENG), Porterfield (IRE), Amla (SA), Smith (WI), Haddin (AUS) – one of the openers has scored a half century in 6 out of 7 matches they’ve played so far. So, it can be safely said that they need something different against SL. The problem with Chawla, Nehra and Munaf is that there are no surprises (barring Chawla’s googly) when it comes to them running in, throwing ball, and going back for the next one. India’s 11th player has been, generally speaking, a value destroyer for the team. Not really contributing much or bleeding sufficiently to cause enough worries in a close match.
This brings me to the conclusion that India should play Sreesanth in both the matches. Sree has some pace, and a lot of histrionics in him, which will come handy. He is not predictable. He himself doesn’t know what he will come up with next, and can produce some unplayable deliveries by design or by accident every now and then. Mohali pitch should have something for pacers. Both SL and Pak have reasonable good players of spin bowling. Lastly, looking at the 12 non-descript overs bowled by Munaf in the last two matches, I am sure MSD can hide Sree in a corner, if required. He is definitely a better fielder than Munaf, and hopefully, will talk so much that some opposition batsman will lose concentration.
Coming back to today’s match;Let’s spare a thought from Pakistan’s perspective as well. They will have to win it through their bowling. However, it’s the inadequacy of their batting that makes me wonder if they can win. Their bench is not likely throw a batsman who can take care of their woes. They can surely hope that a Younis/Misbah does an Inzamam. But then, Pakistan team hasn’t really every performed up to the predictions. They, usually, write their own destiny, a minute at a time.
However, there is a very disturbing reality to “what happens if Pakistan defeats India”. For one, India not playing the finals would mean a likely 70%+ reduction in the potential revenue from the final (for various parties), just as India playing the finals would maybe increase the currently projected revenues by 20% (these are educated guesses). The producers and directors will have to set the IPL pre and post-production work in full speed right away. Sachin will be heartbroken. And a nation full of zealots will look for a new religion.
Dhoni will have to request Jharkhand Govt. to increase the protection levels for his family. Maybe its time for another eleventh hour googly from him and get Sree in.
[AD1]Do u want it after 3rd and 4th para…talk of pak side first and then Srilanka as first matc h is Pakistan. Migfht go better after the intro
March 30, 2011 1 Comment
Today should be noted in the books of history. It doesn’t happen too often. And it’s unlikely to happen again in the next 8 years. As India play Pakistan in the semifinal of Cricket World Cup, the world of adveritsing would have changed, and the price barriers would have set a new benchmark for how expensive an ad slot can be. It will be interesting if any weed smoking son of the gun can calculate the real ROI of an ad slot today.
Here’s the opportunity (the ‘for dummies” version) –
What you are assured of is an assured and a HUGE number of viewers who’d not flip the channel even as you beam them with the most inane and absurd ads, and there are quite a few of them. What you gonna do that’s gonna leave a name for you? In advertising, there cannot be bad recall, as long as there is recall.
And yes, its also a day where the nation’s collective productivity loss would have most likely offset any commercial return possible. Even the Prime Minister is not working. Yet, wouldn’t the ultimate master of ceremonies say – “People of India, and People of the World, ARE YOU HAVING FUN?”
March 25, 2011 Leave a comment
It’s a fairly serious question. For someone like me who would like to tell his team every day that its not. Because winning anyway happens while you are trying to become better than yourself. Someone quoted on Twitter the other day – I get worried when people are more passionate about success than being passionate about the things that they love to do.
The debate cropped up yesterday during the India-Australia QF match (where else, but on twitter) with a friend. I have a fundamental disconnect with abusive cricket, people walking down to the batsmen and trying to sledge them out, or generally creating a muck of what’s otherwise such a beautiful feeling of competing to win. And in that sense, a leader which encourages that is more so at guilt than the player who does it. To me, that leader can be a great competitor in the game, but never a legend.
You probably know by now that I am referring to Ricky Ponting. The man is a batsman almost as good as any that most of us have seen in our lifetime. Not surprisingly, Twitter Intellgensia (Twigensia?) was quite unnerved by the boos received by Ricky Ponting, given he is a “legend” with prodigious talent. However, Ricky Ponting needs to ask himself if he deserved that. The answer is a resounding Yes. And its not true just of him. Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth from our own team deserve some of that whenever they face fans of other countries, because they represent not the game, but this sick notion of winning is everything, and I shall win at any cost. I am sure there are as many quotes supporting Lombardi’s “winning is everything”, as there are opposing with a “how you played the game”. To set the contxt, unlike many, I am not one of those who looks at India’s sledging fest against Aussies in the series down under as – “Damn right, time to give them back” with great admiration. I still believe in a hostile spell of fast bowling shaking the batsman, or some Sehwagian aggression in batting destroying the line and length of a bowler being far more telling than the choicest abuses about who’s mother is sleeping with whom.
And hence, my conclusion is that Ricky Ponting, one of the grittiest batsman today, does not come close to being a true sportsman, for what he lacks is the spirit to play fair and square. If he is so good a player in such an excellent team (which I believe that he is, but probably he himself does not), why hide behind the cover of cheating, abuses, panic and blame-gaming whenever something is not going your way. The question has never been about his batting skills or his prodigious talent or the indisputable champion that Australian team has been. The question is – whether he needs to do what he does to win the game. Most likely, the answer is no. Victory is insecure. Greatness/Legend is not.
And for me, the logic extends to day to day life, office culture, music and theatre and movies, sports, writing, anything and everything. Being a cheat, standing up for cheating, being insecure in your victory are not signs of a great person. And while I can, I will keep reminding myself and everyone that winning is definitely not everything. It’s about becoming better than everyone else, including yourself. And if that does not ensure winning, nothing can.
BTW – The legendary ones are usually not known to be jerks. The keyword is “known”. They still might be jerks.
And remembering Ritesh’s quote – “Paisa khuda nahi hota Mr. Das.. par khuda kasam, khuda se kam bhi nahi hota!” 😉
February 11, 2011 2 Comments
गई रात हमने चाँद को
झील में डुबो के रखा…
नर्म हो गया,
सिला सिला भी…
जैसे चाय की प्याली में
अरारोट बिस्किट का टुकड़ा
डूब गया हो…
चाँद निगल कर रात गुजारी,
जिगर के छाले और पक गए…
दर्द दबाया,
सूखे कपड़ो से किनारियाँ दबा कर
फुलकों की तरह फूले अरमानों का
तकिया बनाया…
रात बहोत महीन थी…
रात के मांझे से कट कर
चाँद झील में डूब गया था…
January 22, 2011 Leave a comment
Nope. I won’t even attempt to sound intellectual and say that the movie is great in parts, and the blah blah. Dhobi Ghat did not work for me on Friday night. Dhobi ghat may work for me on Sunday afternoon 3 weeks from now, when I have no emotions attached to a Friday Aamir Khan release. Not when I have just been sitting on meetings all evening, and it is my only way to avoid slowing down my life. And Dhobi Ghat slows down the world around you. Come to think of it, that’s so against the natural spirit of the city that I know as Mumbai.
DUMB ALERT: I would likely look back at the movie five days from now, and I may say that the movie is a good watch. But I was quite bored while I was watching it. For some reason, I could not understand why some people were clapping at the end of the movie. It did not even seem like sarcasm. Maybe, I am not intellectual, after all. What is an investment banking consultant by the way?
What worked:
What did not work
I can rant about the movie for a few hours. But the net conclusion is – For the want of a better word, its a Bangaali Intellectual movie :). You can IM about it for long, but its dull and its not a movie I’d recommend you watch in theater. But it’s a reasonable one time watch for a Sunday afternoon.
June 4, 2010 14 Comments
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I watched Prince of Persia – The Sands of Time on last Friday itself, and loved it immensely. But am getting down to express my opinion only now (no, I did not update my status on FB, post something on twitter or write a blog or call someone to tell them). For a change, I haven’t read any of the critics’ opinion on the movie yet as well. It’s hard for me to reflect back on the movie and identify that one thing that worked for me. The movie was as movies should be. An idea well executed. Fast paced, full of excitement, on many occasions larger than life, and on a few, just as narrow as living itself. The stars of the movie did not do anything great (Ben Kingsley included). But they did not do something wrong either. And that’s why I liked the movie I think. For the ~2hours, I did not think about anything else. Not even the movie. It was, for some reason, about being in the moment on the screen. So, in short, the movie worked for me. It’s the kind of movie that I would easily give a 9 on 10 to. Maybe a 10. Except that the purists would find too many flaws with the dialogues and cheesiness of a lot of scenes 😉
On an alternative note, I watched 12 movies on a recent US trip (inflight entertainment stuff). The movies I watched were – Invictus, Leap Year, Valentine’s Day, What Happened In Rome, Did You Hear About The Morgans, The Hurt Locker, Shutter Island, Dr. No, Golden Eye, Deewana Mastana, Fung Wan II, and The Blind Side. They ranged from “Yea Right” to “Oh Yeah” to “Hell Yeah!”.
Yea Right
Leap Year – lame chick flick about a dame who wants to follow the hypothetical Irish tradition of proposing on 29th Feb to his boyfriend, and falls in love with another dude in the Irish countryside while everything else around her is going wrong. Amy Adams and Matthew Goode are fine in a movie which has nothing to offer really.
Did You Hear About the Morgans – another lame movie, generally speaking. Especially if you are tired of the Hugh Grant movies where he just keeps mumbling. By the end of the movie, I was so strongly reminded of that separated at birth picture of Sarah Jessica Parker and a horse. The cowboy dude living in Ray, Wyoming was a pretty cool dude though.
Valentine’s Day – Lots of chick flick studs in this movie, like Ashton Kutcher, Anne Hathaway et al. And a lot of other big names too – Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, etc. But the movie, an extreme Hollywood stereotype. Multiple threads running in parallel, and converging in the end in that final mushy mushy scene. There isn’t much to write about, except that it explores hundreds of different relationships in the valentine context.
When in Rome – OK OK! I don’t quite enjoy most of the chick flicks, but I watch them nevertheless. Its an addiction since Notting Hill. WHIR is another lame one about a girl picking coins from a fountain, and the guys who had earlier made a wish on those coins falling for her, etc etc. You get the drift, right? No? Then you’re on the wrong blog. You should be downloading the movie right now.
Oh Yeah
Dr. No – Have seen it many times. Saw it again. There is something about the “Bond” style, and then there is the famed Ursula Andress scene. Overall, the movie is the kind of 60-70s flick that I absolutely louuve watching. Random gadgets, wicked villains who would not kill the hero when they get the chance, but would rather explain their entire world domination plan to him, a sexy heroine who doesn’t mind kicking a few butts in the climax scene, a friend, water, boats, cars, etc. Good fun.
Golden Eye – Need I say more?
The Hurt Locker – I know the movie won an Oscar, and a lot of people would put it in the Hell Yeah category. Maybe I was sleepy, maybe I am not that enlightened, or maybe I don’t care about Iraq war anyway. But net result, I liked the movie, but I did not louuuve the movie. Honestly, I think I was sleepy. I still don’t know what is the meaning of Hurt Locker. But the actors were all good, and the editing, screenplay and direction – pretty damn good.
Deewana Mastana – baby steps, baby steps. Loved the movie several years back. Love it still. Absurd, ridiculous, but great paisa vasool. And imagine, I was watching it for free, free, free. Govinda does what only he can do, that is, be ridiculously funny. And Juhi is so pretty, and so funny. Isn’t she?
Shutter Island – did not work, did not work, did not work for me. Its not a badly made movie. But its not a movie that left me with a nice feeling. Way too much. Of what? I don’t know. I guess everything. I am ok with putting it here, simply because its pretty well made.
Hell Yeah
Fung Wan II (The Storm Warriors) – Man, we need more martial arts movies. What a ridiculous movie!! What a lovely movie to watch!!! Style, action, and martial arts. From the word go. And a sad ending to top it up. What more do I need in life?
The Blind Side – Agree. It’s a movie that was made to get Sandra Bullock on the Oscar’s list. But I loved the movie. I generally have a soft corner for sports movies. But this one was a rocking one. The dude who played Big Mike was awesomer than Sandra Bullock. And the little brother was phenomenal. Everyone else did quite well. But the manipulative story that it is, it was just newyork cheesecake kinda smooth and gooey and sweet and feel good.
Invictus- Something about Morgan Freeman, isn’t it? Again, a movie made for the Oscars or so. But I liked Matt Damon’s restrained performance, as well as the overall narrative style. Not the usual movie where the president might have had resorted to some crazy things (like picking the ball and giving a long speech). Overall, very composed and very interesting movie to watch. And it touches on some of the apartheid issues, without blowing them out of proportion.
So, what have you been watching? How do you spend your flight time? Sleeping?
May 18, 2010 2 Comments
May 11, 2010 Leave a comment
Haven’t been writing a lot lately, so thought I would summarize my views of some of the movies I have watched in the last 3-4 months. How’ve y’all been?
How To Train Your Dragon
Excellent movie! Extremely adorably, excellent screenplay, great characters and some wonderful animation. Not the usual kids acting beyond their shoes lamentation in any part, no pity when something sad happens, and no masochism when something big is done. Everything that happens, happens smoothly. And that’s the beauty of the movie. The Night Fury dragon’s character, just as much as Hiccups, the kids and the Vikings in general, was a delight. I can keep gushing about how much fun it was to watch the movie, but I would let you go and enjoy the movie yourself. And by the way, watch it in good quality 3D if you have an option.
Badmaash Company
Decent, but suffers from the usual Indian problem. No closure. We drag everything to infinity and beyond, but not the way Buzz Lightyear does. Many of our movies are known to have a great start (like Sehwag) but seem to falter somewhere in the middle (like Ravindra Jadeja). I liked the first 40-odd minutes of the movie reasonably fine, which was just about the time the director decided to put the same print in spools. The pace of getting through the cons was a drag, and so was the high pitched melodrama. Surprisingly, Chang (of Indian Idol fame) was not too bad, though most of the jokes on him were about his chinese face/origins. Anushka seemed to be in a hurry to change her image. Her entire first half presence is dedicated to wearing dresses that break the Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi mould, and the smooch sequence is the final frontier in Bollywood these days. Vir Das is ok. Anupam Kher and Pawan Malhotra are wasted largely. So is Kiran Juneja (the Ganga of B.R. Chopra’s Mahabharat). Worst though is Shahid Kapoor. He needs to have a middle name starting with R, so that he can also start calling himself SRK. Hamming like a rooster, his acting skills seem smaller than the size of a pimple on the butt of a mosquito (that’s a phrase borrowed from one of my bosses). Anyways, its not so bad that its not watchable on DVD/ cable TV, but should be avoided in theatres, unless you are watching it with the comfort of a large recliner sofa.
Ironman-2
Not sure why some of the fanboys seemed to have loved the movie. The movie is far too patchy for my taste. And as Anand said after we walked outta the theater, there is no epic crisis in the movie, which is essential for a superhero movie. You don’t want to watch a total of 3 minute conflict/exchange between the superhero and the epic villain who is almost about threatening to unleash 50 Ironmen on the mumbling (Robert Downey) Jr. Ironman. More so, when it ends with a lame dialogue like – “you lose”. Someone like me can still manage to enjoy bits of the movie, and not feel completely cheated, but I do not see how most people would like it. It has a bad screenplay, some fairly average editing, some great action sequences, and a lot of patchy technological brilliance thrown in here and there. Watch it if you are a comics lover.
Housefull
Arrgh! Why do I agree to watch such movies? Why didn’t I learn from Hey Babyyyy (did I get the number of ‘y’s correct)? Anyways, the long story short is that I took the plunge because 7-8 of us from the office were going together, and the idea seemed fine. For such mindlessness, you need the comfort of numbers. However, not good enough. Housefull is full of such inanities and ridiculous sequences that even mayhem would feel threatened sitting in the theater. The jokes are not funny, and actors far too many and wasted, the usual gags of gay-ism and mistaken identities, make your life miserable. But what Sajid does in the last 15 minutes of the movie is a housefull of idiocy. Why would you make a stump-faced Arjun Rampal try and act under the influence of laughing gas. That good looking goofball cannot act normal scenes. Knowing the limitation of your team doesn’t seem like a skill that directors have these days. Anyways, Sajid Khan has an extremely long and idiotic 15 minute sequence which is an attack on the not-so-discerning senses of people like me. Yet, I know, and know it really well, that the movie would do great business. As Dodi and I were discussing yesterday, we no longer represent the average audience in our tastes, especially when it comes to identifying hits and misses. Though, to my credit, I knew “Wanted” was going to be a rage the moment I saw its first trailer.
A couple of other movies of note –
Wanted! Please watch it if you haven’t. But watch it with a sense of detachment that you can’t have when you are watching a Karan Johar movie. And you’ll love it. I would have loved to see it in theater, but I missed it. Loved it on TV as well. I wonder why Ayesha Takia did not become more successful. She seems quite decent, especially when I look at the competition we have to suffer.
Karthick Calling Karthick – quite a decent one time watch, though the pace of the way is way too erratic. And again, this is a movie which could have been 20 minute shorter with good editing.
Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge – I liked it. Light, Hrishikesh Mukherjee kinds. Some of the gags are old, but some of them are quite refreshing. Paresh Rawal is brilliant, and Ajay Devgn and Konkona Sen Sharma don’t disappoint either. Definitely, a decent DVD/TV watch.
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