Indian Blog Awards!
February 13, 2007 Leave a comment
… are on here
Lets vote for the GreatBongs and the India Uncuts or whoever you guys support.
I gave in to Bong’s plea for the most humorous blog award!
Vodafone wins the race
February 12, 2007 Leave a comment
Valued at $19bn, hutch gets sold to Vodafone (link) – average valuation of every hutch customer is $778, and Airtel is $900 plus! 🙂
Reminds me of the INR1.8MM annual salary that MBAs were getting after graduating from IIMs back in 2001. And when I graduated, I had a feeling that I belong to the bottom 1 percentile of salaries! 🙂 .. This time, I feel like the top 1 percentile! I knew I wanted to go up.. but certainly not here!
Update: Salam-e-ishq
February 9, 2007 Leave a comment
Great Bong writes this hilarious piece on salam-e-ishq here
If only we were like Dhritrashtra’s Sanjay.. we would not have to go through the torture of going to a theatre to write all this!
Intimidating Gootube
February 9, 2007 Leave a comment
Interesting entry from blog maverick –GooTube’s Smart!
Not that I am much of a moral policeman on copyright infringement, but it seems right to be on the right side of things. 🙂
Movie Review: Parzania
February 7, 2007 2 Comments
I usually take pride in myself as being someone who does not get emotionally attached to a movie and/or get affected/disturbed by a movie, even though I am a big movie buff. The last movie that seriously got me depressed was “The Passion Of The Christ”. Last night, Parzania did end up affecting me a lot. (The tagline is justified – Heaven and Hell on Earth)
For a very long moment after the movie was over, noticing that I was still at a loss of words, I realized my true emotions. I was ashamed. For once, I was ashamed. Of being in a country where such vandalism happens. And goes unpunished. Religious fanaticism and its monstrous manifestation. How I hate the politics of this country (not better or worse than a multitude of other countries) for reducing the common man to a petty existence. Where the cheapest thing on the street is someone’s life. When will we start appreciating the value of people’s life? I can’t forget the communal tension on 1991-92 when some people decided that it was high time the religious atrocities of 15th and 16th centuries be avenged.
Let people live in peace. Who wants to sit in a classroom fearing the guy sitting a couple of chairs away from him? Think of the poor kid who might end up being a religious minority in that room.
Coming back to the “movie” – It’s a very well made movie (purely speaking in movie terms). While the first 25-30 minutes seem a little slow, the performances are absolutely top notch. Sarika, who in her own era, seemed to be meant more for B-class movies, has come up with a spectacular act. In the testimony scene, she just blows you apart. I can write one more time about how great an actor Naseerudin Shah is. The realization, the agony and the futility of existence – all in one scene, I can’t really think of someone who could have pulled it off with such consummate ease. The other artists have played their part very nicely. But the movie hinges on Naseer and Sarika, their little daughter (Dilshaad) and the boy (Parzan)-of Dhara’s “jalebiiii” fame!
The background score makes you cringe. There are times when you think that a hindi movie with English subtitles who have been more effective. Local sentiments in a local language. But that does not take anything away from the movie! It’s a must watch for everyone.
Let me leave you readers with a question – If killing avenges, what’s your plan B? Sooner or later, someone’s gonna get you!
Rating – 9 out of 10. Maybe 10.
Some other views on the Parzania-Gujarat controversy and Parzania as a movie
Bollywood Gupshup – State of Gujarat has managed to score another ace with this moronic act of banning the movie.
Rajdeep Sardesai on Modi(y)s – The man who made a fortune and the man who lost a son
Movie Review: Salaam-E-Ishq
February 2, 2007 Leave a comment
Sili Sili Jalti Raaton Mein
Jalta hoon main barsaton mein
Bhiga bhiga har pal yaadon mein
Dil kya kare
Kuch bhi kare, par ye movie na dekhe! (Whatever you do, please don’t watch this movie!). Serious advice from a movie lover.
A bad rip off Love Actually, hamming stories, meaningless editing, a lot of average performances, and wrongly placed focus. That’s what this movie is.
Basic mathematics suggests that six couples in a movie would mean 30 minutes per couple in a 3 hour long movie. 10 minutes for everyones background, 10 for setting up the love story, and another 10 minutes for the culmination, emotion, drama, et al! Is that enough. Well, it might have been. But… But I forgot to mention that 5 minutes per couple should be dedicated to Songs. Where would bollywood be without all this song and dance drama! Worse still, there are some couples who should not have, have got 30mins plus! And those who shouldn’t have, have got less than 30 mins in the movie.
Priyanka Chopra and Salman Khan- The first and the worst couple of the movie are the lousiest.
Anil Kapoor and Juhi Chawla – the golden oldies have put in a good show, but for a worthless script.
Akshay Khanna and Ayesha Takia- Akshay is believable as the young “I-don’t-want-to-commit” dude representing the youth of this country. Ayesha has been wasted
Sohail Khan and Isha Kopikkar –I don’t know why they are there. Even though they are funny, but the director could have done away with the 5 minutes of wasted footage on this deprived couple.
Govinda and the foreigner girl – The best couple of the movie. Govinda is not quite back to where he was, but he still is the best act in the movie. And the girl doesn’t disappoint a lot.
John Abraham and Vidya Balan – decent, but useless. They keep crying for 70% of their presence in the movie. But the good part is, the climax of their story is not about everything falling into place. They just decide to make do with whatever they have!
Best thing about the movie – the music. Title song, Dil kya kare are the winners so far. But my favorite is Kailash Kher’s Ya Rabba. Another song where this amazing singer showcases his talent!
Rating – 3 on a scale of 10.
Sitemeters and my blog
February 2, 2007 Leave a comment
Yesterday, I discovered a lot about sitemeters. While the regular blogger, I am sure, knows a lot about them, for me it was a new thing to understand where all my page visits have been from, and for what.
The most interesting things –
I realized that I had a very recent visitor from Australia!
I also realized that a lot of the visitors had come to the site looking for a review of Bhagam Bhaag! That, I think, was the most blatant lie I had written on my blog to have a bit of fun. A big sorry to Anupam and a whole lot of other people who might have watched the move based on my review. Bhagam Bhaag, let me correct, is one of the worst movies I had seen around that time! 😉
A lot of the visits to my blog had originated from my orkut profile and some of the floating emails that might have had my blog address in my email signature.
One thing however, that the blogs cant help with is the US IP addresses that I lot of PCs in Indian IT companies have. Probably because they are on a VPN and stuff! I don’t understand that side.
And yeah, there is a place called Alipur in Delhi, India.
Fishes, Turtles n Whales
February 1, 2007 Leave a comment
Fishes, Turtles n Whales
Originally uploaded by dingydas.
Pics from my trip to Shedd Aquarium (Chicago). You can always question
– WHY AM I POSTING THEM HERE?
Well.. Just like that.. Or, its my “not just birds need be beautiful”
counter to my Bharatpur trip!
On the road, who do I blame?
February 1, 2007 Leave a comment
Came across this interesting read sent by a friend! I am not really subscribing to the doomsday prophecy here, but the first couple of paras do strike a chord with me!
While questioning someone’s eligibility to give advice, I can also advocate the sheer objectivity with which an outsider adds perspective. While it may not be possible to avoid the nails when you are driving at a breakneck speed, the old age maxim tells you that speed thrills, but kills. The question is – do you want to blame the road? or do you want to blame the nails? OR, are you better off questioning your style of driving?
Forwarded by Dhaval Dalal –
Avoiding Nails On The Road
Many years ago, when I was barely out of college, I knew a teenager named Bhola who worked as an assistant at a roadside tyre puncture repair shop. I didn’t have much in common with him so it was interesting to have a chat with him whenever I would go to that shop to get my scooter’s tyres patched up. And since the worn-out rubber of my second-hand scooter seemed to developed holes almost spontaneously, I used to meet him quite often.
One day, as he fished around inside my scooter’s rear tyre for the nail that had just slashed the tube to ribbons, Bhola told me that the reason people got punctures was that they didn’t know how to drive. He said that all one had to do was to look at the road carefully while driving and then swerve whenever one spotted a nail. Now, I was such an inexperienced driver at the time that for a moment I actually took this statement at face value and started wondering that why, in fact, did everyone not do this.
And then realisation dawned. Actually, Bhola didn’t have a clue what he was talking about. Not only had he never driven a scooter or a car, he had probably never even ridden any vehicle except a bus. He really had no idea at all that it was humanly impossible to do what he was describing. Bhola had observed activities that he had never performed. He had then formed a theory and was now dispensing supposedly practical advice based on that theory. It was almost as if he was preparing for a career in consulting.
But if you think about it, all of us who have anything to do with equity investing, either professionally or as investors, are Bholas today. We’ve never been in the situation that we are now, and we all think that we know what to do based on some theory that we have. Consider the situation objectively. India’s economy is growing like it has never done. There is an optimism in the air the like of which none of us have ever experienced. The stock market is at an all time high and this all time high is not a trivial one. The BSE Sensex is now is almost three hundred per cent higher than the levels at which it has spent a majority of the last decade. Moreover, not only is it at such a high, it has gotten there through a journey of ups and downs that has a most solid, believable and sustainable ring to it. A huge mass of people have made an enormous amount of money through equity investing over the last four years. On the other hand, some of the dark clouds that are gathering are also the kind that we have never seen.
In balance, this seems like a good time to make one’s investments grow but I think we should all sit down and admit that we are in a profoundly Bhola-like situation. We are driving down a strange and wonderful road where we’ve never been before and it seems to make more sense to stay focused on the horizon than to try and look for nails on the road. You see, since we are anyway going too fast to be able to swerve in time to avoid the nail, it’s probably better to cover as much distance as we can before the inevitable puncture happens.
of Gurus.. Ganguly.. and Gunners… isn’t this GGGGGGGGGood
January 23, 2007 Leave a comment
Over the last week, I witnessed a 3G performance.
Abhishek Bachan, after getting completely washed out by Hrithik Roshan in Dhoom 2 (the movie itself being a washout is a different story altogether), marks his finest performance till date as Guru – A Villager! A Visionary!! A Winner!!! The Dhirubhai Ambani modeled story of Gurukant Desai is a fine portrayal of human characters. Guru does get to see a good performance by the good ol’ Mithunda of Gunda and Mrigya fame as well.
Ganguly, in a different setting, was marking another fine comeback. After being written off by all TDHs, Ganguly decide to take the sword to the WI attack. It was a fine display interspersed with a six that only he can hit (dancing down the wicket, sailing over the long on/off boundary with an effortless precision), some arrogant strokemaking and a sad ending (2 runs short of a century). He should stop focusing on Dada ads, and concentrate on Gadha, I mean, Ganguly ads.
Gunners, on the other hand, took ManU down. Three strokes off three fine crosses helping ace scorers find the net (Henry, v.Persie and Rooney). The game was not quite up there considering the 22 dancing daisies adorning the field. But then, ever since Henry has come back from injury, Arsenal too have started showing a steady improvement and a lot of faith in their abilities.
What does it all tell you? That this week, I will worship Lord Ganesha, eat Good/Gult food, listen to GnR, or, The Grateful Dead, talk like Gulshan Grover, wear Green shirts. And yeah, I will rename myself GAmit Das. On second thoughts, Amit Gas sounds better.
GAS – An MBA! A Consultant!! A GasBag!!!
Bye Bye Birdie
January 9, 2007 3 Comments
Goodbye Current Job!. My home close to home for 2 years. 🙂 It takes a lot to drag yourself out of office here to go home.
A lot of silence at home to continue with the unfinished work
A lot of angry family members at home.
A lot of anger/frustration/diffidence.
A lot of energy to have some still left for driving back home.
Before I go – some “quick n dirty comments” about the “nature of the beast” which is “still evolving” in a “high growth environment”
The upside – the long hours mean that you end up making a lot of good friends. Your partners in crime, your darlings in distress!
The clincher- Inductees are a Smart bunch of buggers. You can take a smart bugger out of Inductis, but you cannot take smartness out of Inductis buggers. That probably is the single biggest reason why it took me 2 years to say No!
The frills – The IT security policy is still not fool-proof. 🙂 So, at any point in time, LAN has a lot of movies, cartoons and music!
The Ayes – its interesting work!
The Nayes – its too much of work!!
The irritants – Too much confusion!
The downside – Its a small company wanting to become a big company. So it adopted the big company culture while they were still too small to act big.
Future.. remains futuristic.. ‘ere I come!
For Whom The (CAT) Bell Tolls
January 3, 2007 Leave a comment
Every year, a couple of lakhs of students participate in the annual festival known as CAT (Common Admission Test). How the deities look upon your performance decides which temple you get to go to, that is, for 2 years of penance!
Why? Because you think its taking you closer to the heavens- IIMs.
Today, the list of god’s own children came out! Some expected successes, some disappointments, some who are great but not godly enough.
The funny thing is – nobody realizes that to be a God, you can either be a God or you can create your own religion!
All the best folks!
Perchance he for whom this bell tolls,
may be so ill,
as that he knows not it tolls for him;
and perchance I may think myself so much better than I am,
as that they who are about me and see my state
may have caused it to toll for me, and I know not that.
may be so ill,
as that he knows not it tolls for him;
and perchance I may think myself so much better than I am,
as that they who are about me and see my state
may have caused it to toll for me, and I know not that.
…
God employs several translators;
some pieces are translated by age,
some by sickness,
some by war,
some by justice;
but God’s hand is in every translation,
and his hand shall bind up all our scattered leaves
again for that library
where every book shall lie open to one another
…
Any man’s death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind;
and therefore never send to know
for whom the bell tolls;
it tolls for thee.
Pictures from My Trip to Ghana Bird Sanctuary
December 31, 2006 Leave a comment
My sentiments after I came back (Yaar … Ullu Bana Diya!!)
Oh Media Media! Where art thou?
December 24, 2006 Leave a comment
Two interesting news items… here and here.
While 1. reminds of some systemic deficiencies in the way Media is evolving in our country
2. reminds me of Manusmriti -which had prescribed fines for such behavior. Read the history section here
I guess its time we have some changes here! Media – wake up! You can play a constructive role in this country..
Movie Review: Bhagam Bhaag
December 24, 2006 Leave a comment
What I am going to write is going to be nothing short of blasphemy. But let me do it.
I was actually scared of watching this movie. But then, I was the one who got 15 people together, and convinced them to watch this movie. So, even after hearing/reading the reviews that came out during the day, I could not pull out!
Those uncertain steps were certainly not needed. The movie is actually a laugh riot! And as the name suggests (it would means – Utter Chaos! Or Run-Run! Or something like that), the movie should be a runaway success!
The movie has a proven comical duo – Paresh Rawal and Akshay Kumar. And Priyadarshan has pulled in the No.1 Comedian – Govinda as well. The comic timing, as expected, is brilliant. Paresh Rawal, as usual, keeps the story together as “Sethji”. Govinda looks old and a little fatigued, but he still is doing what he does best. Meaningless gabs and witty gags. Akshay Kumar must be thinking – Why the hell did I waste so many precious years trying to kick people around in jeans and full sleeved t-shirts.
Bottomline – the movie rocks! Must watch, irrespective of what the serious critiques tell you. There are times when meaninglessness is shown in an amazingly funny way. And that’s what bhagam-bhaag is all about
Now, I wouldn’t ever become a critique worth my money if I don’t tell you the downers –
- Music definitely is one of them. The “Signal” song is pretty much the draw of the lot. The other songs don’t quite measure up.
- Lara Dutta looks pretty as ever, though her role and character could have been defined slightly better. But then, she would have looked lost when sharing the frame with three of the best comical actors of modern times.
- And lastly, the end-sequence could have been made a little more normal. This time, Priyadarshan has overdone it!
Oops – why is my review a blasphemy? Well, I don’t think I have too many people out there giving out positive and raving reviews about the movie! But then, aren’t we a democratic country?
My blogging avatars
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As I Was Saying 