There is no place for middle ground here - you either love Dhobi Ghat, or you hate it. Either way, you can't really ignore it.
I loved it, people. Hindi cinema is finally growing up. What's interesting is this movie isn't just about Aamir Khan, the superstar. The movie follows the lives of four people - Arun, Munna, Shai, and Yasmin.
The Cast
Arun is a reclusive painter, played to the hilt by Aamir. He gobbled up the part, easing into character like he were living it his entire life. Be it the careless way he makes his scrambled eggs, or the giddy happiness he feels when he looks at his work of art, Aamir is the master.
Munna is the dhobi, played by Prateik Babbar. The son of legendary actress Smita Patil, he does his mom proud. Endearing at times, curiously grown-up and matter-of-fact at others, Prateik is inching his way into Bollywood. He showed you don't need to bare your teeth to prove you are angry, or shed copious tears to prove you are sad. With a subtlety that most mainstream actors of today cannot dream of, Munna's role overshadows everyone else's.
Shai and Yasmin have been played by Monica Dogra and Kriti Malhotra respectively; Monica is like a breath of fresh air, and Kriti is, well, the lovely girl next door who no one can do without.
The Story
Unfortunately, I cannot write about the story without inadvertently spouting some spoilers - suffice it to say that Dhobi Ghat is the story of these four people, the story of a brief period in all of their lives. A brief period when their lives are entangled. Do they become better people afterwards? You are the judge. Do their lives change? Yes sir, very much.
The movie is completely based in Mumbai, doesn't have a single song, doesn't have a break, and wraps up in less than 100 minutes. Chew on that, Karan Johar and Bhansali.
I said the same thing about Inception, and I will say the same of Dhobi Ghat - don't miss it.
Sunday, 23 January 2011
Thursday, 13 January 2011
All India Silk Fair
I have this tendency to procrastinate almost everything - I really wanted to blog about the recent Hyderabad Book Fair that took place in December, but by the time I pulled up my socks and sat down to write, it was too late. For this one, I am on time.
Girls, moms, aunts, grans - this one is for you. The All India Silk Fair is on at Ameerpet, Hyderabad, and I had the good luck to visit it the other day. They have some impressive collections from all over the country - and boy oh boy, I had a hard time trying to keep my shopping instincts in check. I saw Pashmina saris for the first time, and was awed. Sambalpuri silks, beautiful patchworks and hand-embroidered silk saris that I've forgotten the real names of, real nice dupattas, stoles, and so much more.
Me and my aunt finally ended up with damages of 3.5K - two silk chudidar suits, and one pretty silk kalamkari sari. Beautiful stuff, folks. Quite affordable, too. Alright, enough praises sung.
The fair is on till 21st of January. In case anyone wants to go take a look, the address is - Kamma Sangham, Beside Chandana Brothers, Ameerpet. No way can you miss it.
Let me know if you buy anything. :-)
Girls, moms, aunts, grans - this one is for you. The All India Silk Fair is on at Ameerpet, Hyderabad, and I had the good luck to visit it the other day. They have some impressive collections from all over the country - and boy oh boy, I had a hard time trying to keep my shopping instincts in check. I saw Pashmina saris for the first time, and was awed. Sambalpuri silks, beautiful patchworks and hand-embroidered silk saris that I've forgotten the real names of, real nice dupattas, stoles, and so much more.
Me and my aunt finally ended up with damages of 3.5K - two silk chudidar suits, and one pretty silk kalamkari sari. Beautiful stuff, folks. Quite affordable, too. Alright, enough praises sung.
The fair is on till 21st of January. In case anyone wants to go take a look, the address is - Kamma Sangham, Beside Chandana Brothers, Ameerpet. No way can you miss it.
Let me know if you buy anything. :-)
Tuesday, 28 December 2010
The One With The Dentist
I had been putting off going to the dentist for weeks; one of my incisors had decided to stain itself brown, a stain that made people wince every time I smiled. I was driving away from Hyderabad Central this weekend when I chanced upon a tiny dental clinic. What the hell. I went in bravely, paid a consultation fee to the receptionist before I changed my mind, and barged into the inner sanctum.
"Hi!"
"Helll-lllo!" *Nervous laughter*
"So, what is your problem?"
"One of my teeth has stained just a tiny little bit. On second thoughts, it's probably nothing a good vigorous brushing won't cure." *More nervous laughter*
The lady graciously asked me to lie down on the whatever-they-call-it patients' couch and instructed me to open my mouth.
"Good lord, you call this a little stain? There, there, tell me about your smoking habits."
"What the! Lady, I don't smoke!"
"Drink lots of tea and coffee, perhaps?"
"If two cups of tea a day count as lots, then yeah."
She then proceeded to poke my teeth one by one with a dangerous looking instrument that I cannot remember right now. That finished, she sighed, busily wrote something on my card, and started rambling about how I needed atleast ten different kinds of procedures done to my teeth if I did not want to end up a toothless hag by the time I reached thirty five. Oh, and let's not forget the outrageous amount she nonchalantly rolled off her tongue.
I stared at her, nonplussed.
"Remember, money is not important. Would you rather save a few bucks and watch your teeth fall off?"
"Err, no. The thing is, I've got this urgent appointment elsewhere... I need to go there pronto. So perhaps I can come back next week..."
She was shaking her head already. "Polishing and scaling will take just 15 minutes. It is completely painless, and you will walk out of here with ultra-white teeth. You can come back for the other procedures next week."
Hmm, time to do some quick thinking.
"15 minutes, you say? 15 minutes of ultra-painless dental thingummy to get my teeth white again? Let's do it!"
It took one hour. One hour of painful writhing and helpless squeaks from my side, and authoritative "You should bear the pain!!!" grunts from hers.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to me, she pronounced I was good to go. I shot out of that place like my behind was on fire. Since then, I have been diligently taking care of my teeth - brushing twice a day without fail, rinsing ten times even while just drinking water, and going to the extent of considering taking my toothbrush in my handbag to use it after every meal.
Anything, anything at all to keep away from having to make another dreaded visit to the dentist.
"Hi!"
"Helll-lllo!" *Nervous laughter*
"So, what is your problem?"
"One of my teeth has stained just a tiny little bit. On second thoughts, it's probably nothing a good vigorous brushing won't cure." *More nervous laughter*
The lady graciously asked me to lie down on the whatever-they-call-it patients' couch and instructed me to open my mouth.
"Good lord, you call this a little stain? There, there, tell me about your smoking habits."
"What the! Lady, I don't smoke!"
"Drink lots of tea and coffee, perhaps?"
"If two cups of tea a day count as lots, then yeah."
She then proceeded to poke my teeth one by one with a dangerous looking instrument that I cannot remember right now. That finished, she sighed, busily wrote something on my card, and started rambling about how I needed atleast ten different kinds of procedures done to my teeth if I did not want to end up a toothless hag by the time I reached thirty five. Oh, and let's not forget the outrageous amount she nonchalantly rolled off her tongue.
I stared at her, nonplussed.
"Remember, money is not important. Would you rather save a few bucks and watch your teeth fall off?"
"Err, no. The thing is, I've got this urgent appointment elsewhere... I need to go there pronto. So perhaps I can come back next week..."
She was shaking her head already. "Polishing and scaling will take just 15 minutes. It is completely painless, and you will walk out of here with ultra-white teeth. You can come back for the other procedures next week."
Hmm, time to do some quick thinking.
"15 minutes, you say? 15 minutes of ultra-painless dental thingummy to get my teeth white again? Let's do it!"
It took one hour. One hour of painful writhing and helpless squeaks from my side, and authoritative "You should bear the pain!!!" grunts from hers.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to me, she pronounced I was good to go. I shot out of that place like my behind was on fire. Since then, I have been diligently taking care of my teeth - brushing twice a day without fail, rinsing ten times even while just drinking water, and going to the extent of considering taking my toothbrush in my handbag to use it after every meal.
Anything, anything at all to keep away from having to make another dreaded visit to the dentist.
Thursday, 4 November 2010
Draft Attack
A growing number of unfinished posts in my drafts folder is giving me the creeps. Will try and finish as many of them as possible, for some peace of mind. The drafts section currently includes several movie reviews, book reviews, personal experiences, politics, and some whatnots.
God give me strength.
God give me strength.
Thursday, 30 September 2010
No Man's Land
Even terrorist attacks do not have this kind of magnitude. A magnitude that is baffling, to say the least.
1993 Mumbai attacks - 257 killed
2006 Mumbai train attacks - 209 killed
2008 Taj attacks - 173 killed
Number of people killed due to the Ayodhya land dispute - a whopping 2000.
History tells us Babri Masjid was built in Ayodhya after Babar defeated the Hindu king and took over his kingdom, and Hindu groups claim there used to be a Ram temple at the same spot. People, we were not even a speck of dust when all of this happened! I understand Ayodhya is a holy place for Hindus, but let us face it, the Mughal kings destroyed lots of temples. It wouldn't be feasible for us to cry foul now, would it?
Back in 1885 when a certain Mahant Raghubar Ram moved the court to build a temple at the site, Judge Col. F.E.A. Chamier ruled as follows,
"....It is most unfortunate that a Masjid should have been built on land specially held sacred by the Hindus, but as that event occurred 356 years ago, it is too late now to agree with the grievances. ..." (Source - WIKI)
So why hurt the sentiments of a group which had nothing to do with the original sin? I really do not understand the fanaticism behind a piece of land. Will a God come down and heap praises on you if you kill fellow men in His name? No, you just go to jail, you morons! I might be treading on blasphemous waters here, there might have been a temple, a mosque, but hey - in the end it is a piece of land. Of course, I will not deny that there is a teeny tiny part of my Hindu upbringing that is curious about the outcome, but it is not earth shattering. If anything I am worried about how the verdict is going to affect everyday life; it is just noon in the office and we are shutting down shop already, precautionary measures in place.
Where there is something to gain, our politicians are not far behind. BJP and VHP took advantage of the sensitive site and demolished the mosque in 1992, thus winning the elections. Today on the 30th of September, 2010, the verdict on who the land belongs to is finally going to be out - and I am strongly for the court declaring the Babri Masjid site to be "No Man's Land". Like a colleague suggested, perhaps it could be converted into a tourist spot. "People, so this is that piece of land due to which 2000 people are dead."
And no, they can never come back.
We are a secular country; two of my closest friends are Muslim and Christian, and never ever, ever, has religion come between us. It is unthinkable. Folks, I really hope you do not lose your cool and lose friends for the sake of land that you might never even see in your lifetime. A piece of land that couldn't care less about who was standing on it. And if today Lord Ram and Prophet Mohammed were alive, I am sure they would've said the same thing.
Like Bill Maher said -
"We are a nation that is unenlightened because of religion. I do believe that. I think religion stops people from thinking. I think it justifies crazies."
Wednesday, 21 July 2010
Inception Review
Reviewing Inception is sure going to be difficult.
Am no stranger to Christopher Nolan - I've seen The Prestige and cried for Hugh Jackman; and I've lost count of how many umpteen times I watched The Dark Knight, each time with the same fascination. So, ahem, my expectations of Inception were huge. I hoped fervently that it wouldn't be an Avatar repeat.
The movie starts out innocently enough; slowly, with each passing frame, it starts sucking you in. What Nolan did was let his imagination run rampant, no bars whatsoever, and then strived to mold that imagination into reality. The end result is nothing short of amazing.
Dom Cobb can extract a person's thoughts from his subconscious. He can enter a person's dream and steal his innermost secrets. He faces the challenge of his life when, instead of extraction, he is required to plant an idea in a person's mind. Inception. A team of expert extractors have to travel therefore, into the subconscious of the subject - go through multiple layers of dreams so they can plant that single thread of thought flawlessly. What follows is a masterpiece of creativity, stunning visuals, and multi-dimensional complexity, the core of which is so simple, it boggles the mind.
I saw Ellen Page for the first time after Juno, and was struck by how young she really is. Cillian Murphy, I've had a mild crush on him since his Red Eye days, and he didn't disappoint. Di Caprio is a master, though I wish he had more of that boyish look from Titanic.
People do not really make what this movie really is; it probably wouldn't have mattered if Nolan cast a bunch of unknown faces - the movie would still be awe-inspiring. It's the kind of psychological thriller that will make you question reality, and re-play scenes of the movie in your mind long after you step out of the theater.
Summing up - edge of the seat narrative, nail-biting pace, and a gripping plot - I can say I got my money's worth, and then some. Go watch it, people.
Am no stranger to Christopher Nolan - I've seen The Prestige and cried for Hugh Jackman; and I've lost count of how many umpteen times I watched The Dark Knight, each time with the same fascination. So, ahem, my expectations of Inception were huge. I hoped fervently that it wouldn't be an Avatar repeat.
The movie starts out innocently enough; slowly, with each passing frame, it starts sucking you in. What Nolan did was let his imagination run rampant, no bars whatsoever, and then strived to mold that imagination into reality. The end result is nothing short of amazing.
Dom Cobb can extract a person's thoughts from his subconscious. He can enter a person's dream and steal his innermost secrets. He faces the challenge of his life when, instead of extraction, he is required to plant an idea in a person's mind. Inception. A team of expert extractors have to travel therefore, into the subconscious of the subject - go through multiple layers of dreams so they can plant that single thread of thought flawlessly. What follows is a masterpiece of creativity, stunning visuals, and multi-dimensional complexity, the core of which is so simple, it boggles the mind.
I saw Ellen Page for the first time after Juno, and was struck by how young she really is. Cillian Murphy, I've had a mild crush on him since his Red Eye days, and he didn't disappoint. Di Caprio is a master, though I wish he had more of that boyish look from Titanic.
People do not really make what this movie really is; it probably wouldn't have mattered if Nolan cast a bunch of unknown faces - the movie would still be awe-inspiring. It's the kind of psychological thriller that will make you question reality, and re-play scenes of the movie in your mind long after you step out of the theater.
Summing up - edge of the seat narrative, nail-biting pace, and a gripping plot - I can say I got my money's worth, and then some. Go watch it, people.
Saturday, 10 July 2010
A Quaking Story
Date: December 26, 2004. Time: Crack of Dawn. Place: Ancient city of Cuttack.
"Stop shaking the bed! Stop it!"
"Me shaking the bed? What the heck is wrong with you, you stop shaking it first!"
Both of us were wide awake in an instant - me staring at the ceiling in awe expecting it to crash at any moment, and my Mom yelling for my Dad. He had returned from an early morning walk and fallen asleep in the hallway again.
"Daaaa-dddd-iieee! There's an earthquake happening!"
He opened his eyes briefly, mumbled, "Eh?" and started snoring.
A piercing scream from the guest room - my aunt was huddled up on the bed in a fetal position, mumbling about her dead mother-in-law.
"Maa-ji, mujhe akele chod di jiye, please! Bed ko aise mat hilaaiye! Aiiieeeee, bachaaao!" The bed was trembling as if it's life depended on it.
"Idiot, it's not a ghost, it's a quake. Get the hell out of the house!"
We ran out, hearts thudding.
Scene inside the house on the other side of the street -
Manisha Manjari AKA Mamuni, our pretty neighbor was asleep with a smile on her face, dreaming about her upcoming wedding. She was alone in the house with her mother - her Dad and brother were in different cities at the time.
It was pitch dark; they slept with every light off, and had no idea what time of the night it was. Mamuni sat up with a start. The bed was shaking violently, carrying promises of a vicious fiend underneath. Mamuni had an active imagination and imagined the worst. One leg on the bed, and another on the wall, she managed a sprint that only Olympic standard athletes could have managed.
Out in the hall in two beats, she had just begun to wring her hands to cry when she stopped, shell-shocked. A figure was propped up against the door, a frightening silhouette, half hidden behind the wall. She let out a wailing shriek that woke half the city up. The figure moved forward slowly, hands dangling by the sides. Mamuni was by now crying in earnest - the hand-wringing was on in full swing. The figure revealed itself as her mother, who had woken up for a drink and dozed off against the wall.
By this time the news trickled in that there had been a massive quake, affecting the entire coastal belt. It was only later in the day that the news of the tsunami reached us, leaving us awe-struck and counting our lucky stars.
Though at that time the events of the day seemed fearsome, as years passed they became a favorite topic of conversation, always starting with, "Remember the day when......", and ending with, "Yeah, I was so silly LOLOL..... I was absolutely fearless and.... Yeah, so was I.... Yeah RIGHT....!"
"Stop shaking the bed! Stop it!"
"Me shaking the bed? What the heck is wrong with you, you stop shaking it first!"
Both of us were wide awake in an instant - me staring at the ceiling in awe expecting it to crash at any moment, and my Mom yelling for my Dad. He had returned from an early morning walk and fallen asleep in the hallway again.
"Daaaa-dddd-iieee! There's an earthquake happening!"
He opened his eyes briefly, mumbled, "Eh?" and started snoring.
A piercing scream from the guest room - my aunt was huddled up on the bed in a fetal position, mumbling about her dead mother-in-law.
"Maa-ji, mujhe akele chod di jiye, please! Bed ko aise mat hilaaiye! Aiiieeeee, bachaaao!" The bed was trembling as if it's life depended on it.
"Idiot, it's not a ghost, it's a quake. Get the hell out of the house!"
We ran out, hearts thudding.
Scene inside the house on the other side of the street -
Manisha Manjari AKA Mamuni, our pretty neighbor was asleep with a smile on her face, dreaming about her upcoming wedding. She was alone in the house with her mother - her Dad and brother were in different cities at the time.
It was pitch dark; they slept with every light off, and had no idea what time of the night it was. Mamuni sat up with a start. The bed was shaking violently, carrying promises of a vicious fiend underneath. Mamuni had an active imagination and imagined the worst. One leg on the bed, and another on the wall, she managed a sprint that only Olympic standard athletes could have managed.
Out in the hall in two beats, she had just begun to wring her hands to cry when she stopped, shell-shocked. A figure was propped up against the door, a frightening silhouette, half hidden behind the wall. She let out a wailing shriek that woke half the city up. The figure moved forward slowly, hands dangling by the sides. Mamuni was by now crying in earnest - the hand-wringing was on in full swing. The figure revealed itself as her mother, who had woken up for a drink and dozed off against the wall.
By this time the news trickled in that there had been a massive quake, affecting the entire coastal belt. It was only later in the day that the news of the tsunami reached us, leaving us awe-struck and counting our lucky stars.
Though at that time the events of the day seemed fearsome, as years passed they became a favorite topic of conversation, always starting with, "Remember the day when......", and ending with, "Yeah, I was so silly LOLOL..... I was absolutely fearless and.... Yeah, so was I.... Yeah RIGHT....!"
Monday, 5 July 2010
Wake Up Sid
I cannot think of any reason why I put off seeing this movie for so long! I also cannot imagine why I steadfastly refused to watch a Ranbir Kapoor movie. Maybe the long line of flop star sons we have been forced to endure freaked me out; I didn't want to take the risk of watching yet another Uday Chopra go, "Kya Mummy!" Folks, I'm happy that I was wrong about Ranbir Kapoor - he is genuine, offbeat and a natural.
Coming to the story, Sid Mehra is the spoiled son of a rich business magnate (aren't they all!) who doesn't care what might happen tomorrow. He is happy to let Daddy foot the bills, while he is carousing with his friends till the wee hours. On his farewell party (he's an engineering student) he meets a girl about 7 years his senior, and they hit it off.
The girl is Aisha Banerjee, a creative writer. The character is played by Konkana Sen Sharma to the hilt; she outruns the other, so-called sexy actresses by a huge margin. Anyway, Sid and Aisha become platonic friends, and one fine day after having royally flunked his exams and kicked out of the house by his Dad, Sid lands up at Aisha's place.
Live-in relationship doesn't quite define it, since their friendship was strictly platonic. What I liked was the way the movie portrayed their neighbourhood accepting it, and Sid's mom accepting it. It showed that society these days has loosened up quite a bit, become more liberal in it's thinking. Also, the gradual change in Sid - from a prodigal son to a responsible person who finally learns how to cook an omelette and clean up after himself - is done so very subtly, that in every frame you see something changing in him. Just a little bit, but a little bit nevertheless.
However, the movie is not all about Sid; it is equally about Aisha, and I loved her role, more so cos I could relate to her completely. Hell, tons of girls must relate to her! A single girl, away from her hometown, seeking independence, seeking an identity - yep, I love her! The way she takes Sid under her wing, patiently tolerating his nonsense, while at the same time trying to make her mark - I cannot think of another actress who can fit the bill better than Konkona Sen Sharma.
When finally Sid makes his career as a photographer, and patches things back with Dad, Aisha realizes she is in love with him - and she has no idea if he feels the same about her. Sid is back at his place, it's raining, and he reads her article on Mumbai Beat. How she came to Mumbai with high hopes, how she fell in love with the city. It's not just about the city, she writes, she fell in love with the city due to one person, that one person who was able to show her how special it all was. It's not hard to guess how the movie ends. It is, after all, a romantic comedy.
I am sure everyone out there has already seen this movie - if you haven't, run, run like the wind! To your DVD store, your laptop, wherever. For a full list of the characters, and other trivia on the movie, go to IMDB.
Coming to the story, Sid Mehra is the spoiled son of a rich business magnate (aren't they all!) who doesn't care what might happen tomorrow. He is happy to let Daddy foot the bills, while he is carousing with his friends till the wee hours. On his farewell party (he's an engineering student) he meets a girl about 7 years his senior, and they hit it off.
The girl is Aisha Banerjee, a creative writer. The character is played by Konkana Sen Sharma to the hilt; she outruns the other, so-called sexy actresses by a huge margin. Anyway, Sid and Aisha become platonic friends, and one fine day after having royally flunked his exams and kicked out of the house by his Dad, Sid lands up at Aisha's place.Live-in relationship doesn't quite define it, since their friendship was strictly platonic. What I liked was the way the movie portrayed their neighbourhood accepting it, and Sid's mom accepting it. It showed that society these days has loosened up quite a bit, become more liberal in it's thinking. Also, the gradual change in Sid - from a prodigal son to a responsible person who finally learns how to cook an omelette and clean up after himself - is done so very subtly, that in every frame you see something changing in him. Just a little bit, but a little bit nevertheless.
However, the movie is not all about Sid; it is equally about Aisha, and I loved her role, more so cos I could relate to her completely. Hell, tons of girls must relate to her! A single girl, away from her hometown, seeking independence, seeking an identity - yep, I love her! The way she takes Sid under her wing, patiently tolerating his nonsense, while at the same time trying to make her mark - I cannot think of another actress who can fit the bill better than Konkona Sen Sharma.
When finally Sid makes his career as a photographer, and patches things back with Dad, Aisha realizes she is in love with him - and she has no idea if he feels the same about her. Sid is back at his place, it's raining, and he reads her article on Mumbai Beat. How she came to Mumbai with high hopes, how she fell in love with the city. It's not just about the city, she writes, she fell in love with the city due to one person, that one person who was able to show her how special it all was. It's not hard to guess how the movie ends. It is, after all, a romantic comedy.
I am sure everyone out there has already seen this movie - if you haven't, run, run like the wind! To your DVD store, your laptop, wherever. For a full list of the characters, and other trivia on the movie, go to IMDB.
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