Reviews galore..

Plenty of bollywood action happened at my end last month. Watched Umrao Jaan on the big screen at Offenbach, while still waiting for the release of Don. My friend Madhu tells me that the entire movie can also be watched online, but I am resisting the urge to do that. Nothing like watching it on 70 mm, or even an original DVD. For now, I have to be content with some clippings on youtube.

Talking of DVDs, I watched some interesting and inspiring flicks and one particularly forgettable one. The forgettable one, Jaan-e-mann! Firstly, a name like this doesn't inspire confidence. Secondly, after watching the promos, it looked like Mujhse Shaadi Karogi part 2 (and I hadn't particularly enjoyed part 1). Thirdly, the music, supposed to be real cool, left me cold. Now Im not very fussy about filmi music. I enjoy anything from 'Kya Housala' (Dor) to 'Aaj Ki Raat' (Don). Even 'Just Chill Chill' does it for me. Bare the 'Humko Maloom Hain' track, the rest of the music was just average. Same goes for the Soundtrack of Vivaah. Sorry Ravindra Jainji, I'm into old fashioned music, loved songs from 'Veer Zaara' and the new 'Umrao Jaan' (more on that in a bit), but Vivaah was a disappointment. I completely missed the magic of Chitchor and Heena. May be I'll enjoy the music more after I watch the film, but I'm not too hopeful.

Moving from forgettable to interesting movies, two films produced by UTV that I recently watched were 'Khosla Ka Ghosla' and 'Pyar Ke Side Effects'. They were tightly scripted, with songs only in the background, had interesting story lines and composed of talented actors like Boman Irani, Anupam Kher, Rahul Bose, Ranvir Sheroy, Vinay Pathak and others. Among the women, Mallika Sherwat was good in 'Pyar Ke..', Tara Sharma was OK in 'Khosla..'. I've seen Ranvir's performance in a play 'The Blue Mug' and always thought he was a fantastic actor. So its great that good theatre actors like him and Vinay Pathak are getting meaty roles in interesting films.

Umrao Jaan's music is really good, if you are into melodious ghazalized songs . Anu Mallik, the composer has really hit done well with this score. I like almost all the songs in the film, especially 'Pooch rahe Hain' and 'Main na mil sakoon' where I coud actually feel the pain in Alka Yagnik's voice. Just a tiny prick in the balloon, though. The tune of the song 'Jhoote Ilzaam' is a straight lift from the old Lata number 'Yun Husraton ke Daag'. The film didn't meet the same standards. J P Dutta should hopefully have realized by now that its not enough to have great music, period costumes and big stars leading to big hype. The direction leaves a lot to be desired. Till date, I only liked 'Border' and 'Yateem' among his other films. And to add to that, UJ is a very long film. I (and other people also, I think) are getting used to the 2+ hour long duration (thanks RGV).

There were a number of reasons why I wanted to watch the Mahesh Bhatt written 'Woh Lamhe'. I loved the soundtrack, love Shiney Ahuja and can tolerate Kangana. More importantly, it was rumoured to be Parveen Babi's life story. If Im not wrong, Mahesh Bhatt already made another film on the same story. - 'Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayi'. The music of that film was also quite popular then. 'Woh Lamhe' is good. Very good portrayal of a schizophrenic by Kangana. I actually felt sorry for her and the character played by Shiney. A must watch, I'd say.

Finally coming to the inspiring movie 'Dor'. Nagesh Kukunoor has the knack of choosing stories that are very realistic and still have the filmy magic to them. In Dor, a woman from Himachal is looking for a woman in Rajasthan. They have a strange connection. One's husband is dead and the other's husband will die, unless fate intervenes. And how it does! What starts as a plea for forgiveness ends up as a friendship that cuts across all barriers set by society. Beautiful! Excellant performances by the lead starcast.Shreyas Talpade is amazing, and boy can he mimic. Gul Panag looks beautiful and emotes well as the strong and silent crusader, never giving in to melodramatics. And Ayesha Takia is perfect as the young widow, yearning for a normal life and some happiness on the side. As always, I will be waiting for Kukunoor's next film with bated breath.

Next week, I might check out Ravi Chopra's Babul. Two reasons why I'll end up watching this film : Ferose is a big fan of Rani Mukherjee (and I have missed John Abraham too) and we don't really have much choice since only very few hindi films make it to the big screens here. So watch out for my review of Babul. I am expecting to see a film with lots of tears and too many songs.

Knock Knock..Who's there? DON

'Don ka peecha toh barah mulkon ki police kar rahi hain, magar ek baat samajh lo. Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahin, namumkin bhi hain'

Earlier, I did a post on the remake scene in Bollywood (this is not a politically correct term, but I don't want to type the very long term Hindi Film Industry every time I am referring to the Hindi Film Industry, Bollywood is just easier). I fleetingly touched on the Don remake. But now, being a Bollywood buff, I am all eager for the film's release, for a number of reasons. Farhan Akhtar, SRK, the awesome music, Boman Irani, the works.

Talking of the music, I only have this to say to SEL (duh!!? Shanker, Ehsaan and Loy) - You guys rock when it comes to your own compositions, and I forgive you KANK (that the koffee guy can be persistant in his demands is quite understandable). You even remix your own songs innovatively, but please leave the old classics untouched. Of all the tracks in the Album, I like 'Aaj Ki Raat', which is not a remix, the most, and I am looking forward to watching it on screen. It left me a very retro 'raat baaki baat baaki' feeling. The title song is really good too, with Shaan in good form again after Fanaa's Chand Sifarish (does anybody remember his 'Loveology' ?). The best part about the remixed 'Khaike Paan' is that they got SRK to sing/recite some of the lines, and he is a lot better than his 'Apun bola'. The track which lacks the most merit is 'Yeh Mera Dil' but I probably feel that way because I just can't get Asha Bhonsle out of my head. The rest of the tracks are the theme instrumental, remix of 'Main Hoon Don', and a medival punditz mix which is nostalgic.

Also listening to Woh Lamhe's soundtrack. Pritam is churning out hits after hits. This album has a few ghazals also. 'Bin Tere' is a hummable one, but 'Tu Jo Nahin' didn't impress me. After Gangster's 'Bheegi Bheegi' James returns with 'Chal Chale' which is a song about loving with gay abandon. KK is his usual awesome self in 'Kya yehi Pyar hain'. This will be as, if nor more, popular as 'Tu hi mera shab hain'. And then there is the slow romantic number 'So jaon main' sung by both Kunal Ganjawala and Shreya Ghosal. I have a massive crush on Shiney Ahuja and am looking forward to watching the film. The music is already a best seller.

I finally managed to watch KANK and here's my take - Both the ABs rocked. Preity, Arjun, Kiron were OK. But I couldn't tolerate Rani's weeping and SRK's scowling (even a die hard fan has limits, dude).

And the other filmi highlights of last week:

Being Cyrus - Dark, intriguing, funny.
JOQ: Why is Simone singh not in main stream cinema. Only a Karan Johar seems to want her. Nagesh Kukunoor, you listening?

Omkara - Mind blowing. No words can do justice.
JOQ: Does Vishal Bharadwaj have any openings for the position of an assistant?

Anthony Kaun Hain - Arshad Warsi rocks. The story line is interesting, but the ending was predictible.
JOQ: Isn't Sanjay Dutt tired of playing those Don/Killer/Gangster kind of roles? He can kiss these roles goodbye. He doesn't need them. He's got Munna bhai to play, like forever.

Chup chup ke - Priyadarshan has lost his touch. Neha needs to start shedding some clothes again if she wants to do any better. Shahid is good, but he can only be as good as the film, and cannot rise above the script. Everything about Sushma Reddy, her role, her costumes and her make up was sacrilege. Why on earth did she accept this film? But on the other hand, if my last film was called Chocolate where I played a reporter named 'Monsoon ', I would not mind playing third fiddle to Kareena, who, BTW, looked good and was tolerable since she was on mute. And lastly, Paresh Rawal needs to stop acting in every film that Priyadarshan offers.
JOQ: No more questions, your honor.

And there were others like Darwaja Bandh Rakho, Shaadi Kar Ke Phas Gaya that I wish I had given a miss.

Now I am looking forward to watching Bas Ek Pal and Dor.

P.S. Also 'Woh Lamhe'

Fjords and the Flam

A fjord (or fiord) is a narrow inlet of the sea between cliffs or steep slopes, which results from marine inundation of a glaciated valley.

A couple of weeks ago, I had never heard of the word ‘Fjord’. Now, I have already seen it. August is vacation time in Europe since all the schools have their holidays. Our vacation was due too, we thought about driving down to some nearby country. But that was until a friend (God Bless his soul!) warned us that everyone would be driving down to some place or the other and the autobahns would be clogged. Hence we opted to fly using the cheapest airlines available: Ryan Air. One of the advantages of having a budget (how I hate this necessary evil word) is that it automatically narrows down your choice of places. Oslo was one of the five places that is connected via Ryan Air from Frankfurt Hahn (the nearest airport that is used by Ryan Air, the other being Karlsruhe). Since I had never been to any place more north than Hamburg, Oslo was the obvious choice.

Some basic facts about Norway: It is one of the Scandinavian countries (among others like Denmark, Sweden). It is called the land of the midnight sun because in the Northern part, the sun shines day and night during summer. Since we only spent most of our time in Bergen which is in the south of Norway, we didn’t really see the midnight sun. Oslo, the capital city is one of the smallest capitals in Europe.

We didn’t do anything much in Oslo, except for visiting the Vikings Museum. They have three huge ships known to be the best preserved ships of the Viking Age, if you are interested in that sort of thing. Bergen is a 7 hour train ride away from Oslo. A 10 minute walk from the Bergen Station led us to our hotel which was bang in the middle of the city centre and only a few minutes walk from the famous Fish Market. All the tourist shops and restaurants are located in and around the Fish Market. There are shops selling freshly caught fish, souvenirs, sweaters (a Norway specialty), flowers and plants. Bergen is a city surrounded by seven mountains, the highest of which is called Mount Ulriken. We took a cable car up on Mt Ulriken and had a magnificent view of the city. Those who suffer from vertigo would have to position themselves in the front of the cable car to have only the view of the mountain nearing and not of the growing depth below. I don't have a problem with heights, but Ferose was gripping the sides a bit too hard, wonder why ;-)?

Bergen is also the base for anybody wanting to visit the Fjords. We took a tour called ‘Norway in a Nutshell’. The USP of this tour was the fjords and travel in all modes of transport: Train, Bus, Boat and the famous Flam Railway. The first leg of the journey was by train from Bergen to Voss. Then we took a bus to Gudvangen which went over the hills and we had some beautiful views of the waterfalls. From Gudvangen we took a Boat to Flam. This was the main part where we cruised on the Fjords. The beauty of the Fjords is breathtaking. Luckily it was not that cold, so we could spend the majority of the 2 hour ride on the deck facing the beautiful mountains.
We reached Flam by lunch time. After a heavy meal of pizza and coke, we boarded the very famous Flam Railway. Flamsbana is one of the most beautiful railway lines in the world. It also is one of the steepest. On this train, we saw the magnificent scenery of the wild and mountains. Initially, there was a mad rush by all passengers (including me) to click pictures. But after a while I was content to just sit and enjoy the beauty of the hills. No picture would have done justice to what I captured in my mind. Wish I could take printouts of those snapshots!

The last part of the ‘Norway In a Nutshell’ tour was a train back to Bergen. I was glad that I had taken this very interesting tour. And further glad that I had decided to visit Norway, because it is certainly very different from the other European countries I have visited. One of the best things about Norway is that everyone speaks English and you don’t have to struggle with a foreign language. The people are very friendly and helpful. Bergen's tourist information centre is one of the largest I have seen, with very comprehensive information available. The only downside is that it’s an expensive country and one has to watch the expenses, if one is on a budget.

Omkara, kabhi alvida na kehna....!!

Using the much abused expression 'I am experiencing a writer's block' seems to be the perfect way to start. I might not write huge sagas, witty columns, or even short stories but since I do write occasionally on blogspot, the categorization is not that far off the mark. The last two months have been a flurry of activity. I travelled a lot, watched a few films, actually shot for a short film (courtesy SAPTV) and met up with some friends in London. All this and more should have given me enough to write about. But there it is: zilch, nada, nothing! May be I'll just jot down my current favourites in books, movies and music.

I picked up audio CDs of Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (KANK) and Omkara. KANK's music is very predictble, has a serious KHNH (Kal Ho Na Ho) hangover. 'Where's the party tonight' takes off from where 'Its the time to disco' ended. 'Rock and Roll Soniye' reminds me of 'Pretty Woman'. The title song is melodious and quite hummable. But the gem is 'Mitwa'. And for this song alone I would recommend buying KANK soundtrack. Shankar Ehsaan and Loy have composed this breezy folk fusion number and given the supremely talented Shafqat Amanat Ali a fantastic break in the Hindi Film Music Industry. The album also has a remixed version of 'Mitwa', but I am partial to the original.

'Omkara's music is different. There's the 'Beedi' item number which is for the masses. The haunting and romantic 'O Saathi Re' is mindblowing. The rustic 'Lakad Jalke' introduces new talent Rekha Bharadwaj (any connection to Vishal Bharadwaj, I wonder?). But the most important song that conveys the theme of jealousy and passion is Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's 'Naina thag lenge'. Pay close attention to the lyrics. Suresh Wadkar makes a comeback with the lori type 'Jag Ja gudiya' (not that he had really retired, but I haven't heard him sing for a mainstream Hindi film since Maachis. Wonder why the industry ignores him. His unforgettable 'Sanjh dhale' from Utsav is my all time favourite). Over all, a good album, but might not be liked by everyone. The reviews of the film are very good and I read glowing words of tareef for Saif's perfomance, but that will have to wait till the pirated version of the DVD is available in Frankfurt.

While on movies, I watched Golmaal recently and it was really really funny. My conclusion - any movie that Arshad Warsi is a part off will definitely be a notch above the others. His comic timing is fabulous. Ajay Devgan has the main role, but the others have enough screen time to showcase their talents. Sharman Joshi makes a good follow up act to 'Rang De Basanti'. His character is believably sincere. Paresh Rawal is efficient and Sushmita Mukherji is the perfect match to his charater. She is almost like Nirupa Roy (remember her eyes blinking furiously in the Big B's hit 'Mard' where she plays a blind woman?), only, a lot funnier! The surprise package is Tushar Kapoor. Without revealing too much, I'll just say that Tushar didn't leave anything unsaid! The film is definitely paisa wasool!

I am desperately trying to find out which movie halls here would be screening KANK. I know it will be candy floss, Karan Johar Style, peppered with the who's who of fiimdom. And I know it will be one big senti drama. But I still want to watch it first day second show, and its not possible here :-(.

Nowadays, I am reading 'Eldest', the sequel to 'Eragon' which is the story of a boy and a dragon. I liked 'Eragon' very much. Hard to believe that the author was only 16 when he wrote it. I am looking forward to the big screen adaptation. I read Mary Higgins Clark's latest 'Two Little Girls in Blue' and was quite disappointed. It was preditable and the theme of twins being telepathic was not sufficient to make the full novel engrossing. I found a second hand version of 'Death on Cape Cod', which is a short stories collection by the same lady. I am optimistic that this one will return my faith in Ms Clark.

August is the month of vacations in Europe and I am going on one too. Next week this time I will be in Bergen in Norway. More on this later!

Where dreams meet reality...

Picture vivid blue skies, snow capped peaks, cows with koo-bells, Kajol running into the arms of her beloved admidst yellow fields...wait wait wait, wasn't that scene supposed to be in the sarson ke khet in Punjab or were we only led to believe it was so? Whatever! But one of the reasons for the success of Yash Chopra's films (DDLJ, Darr, Chandni, etc) is the dreamlike beauty of the locations. Its what has made Switzerland a must-see destination for most Indian tourists who can afford to take a holiday abroad. And by the sheer number of desis that I saw there, it looks like a holiday abroad is quite common these days.

Anyway, back to where I started...blue skies, bluish green lakes and landscapes to kill, that's Switzerland, folks. It is THE beautiful place in the world and I was lucky to visit it twice in the same month. On my two short trips, I covered Zurich, Lucerne and Interlaken. Zurich and Lucern are similar to other European countries - pretty cobbled pathways, beautifully erected buildings, a river side with restaurants where unsuspecting tourists could be led to make a serious hole in their pockets and a main street with all the branded shops.

Interlaken, the city of Lakes is slightly different. It does have its share of shops and restaurants, but the real beauty lies in the surroundings. Interlaken and the nearby places could be explored by foot, bike or car and I was able to use two of those options. My first trip was by car with dear hubby driving and we discovered how enjoyable it was too just go wherever we liked (..the navigation system in the car was a big help!). On my second trip, I was with my older sis. It was her idea to rent bikes and explore. We traced the path alongside the river to the two main lakes that are on either sides of Interlaken - Lake Thun to the left and Lake Brienz to the right. Wherever we went, all we had to do is stop and take in the beauty around us, the hills, the cows, the greenery and the lakes. And I say it one more time at the risk of repeating myself (again!).
I can't wait to go back there again, but this time, I would like to stay for a longer time in one of the small pretty villages. A cottage by the river, and just the quiet hills around.

Some observations...
1) Swiss fondue, supposed to be a speciality, didn't impresss me at all. (May be I still need to develop a taste for Swiss cheese.)
2) There are more Watch and Jewellery shops than people in Switzerland.
3) Aishwarya Rai can be seen endorsing Longines in most shop windows.
4) SRK was conspicusous with his absence from the same windows (expected him to be flaunting his Tag Heuer) but Brad Pitt more than made up for his absence!!

Currently...

reading - 'The Kite Runner' by Khaled Hosseini. A very beautiful, moving story of two friends set against the backdrop of Afganisthan, mid 70s upto 9/11. More info at http://www.khaledhosseini.com/

watching - Season 10 of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. My favourite episodes? The One with Ross's Tan, The one where Amy babysits Ella...oops I mean Emma and the one with Phoebe's wedding.

Law & Order - The Premier year. Pleasure to watch BIG (Chris Noth) from Sex and the City in this mindblowing cop and lawyer drama series. Can't wait to lay my hands on the spin off - Law & Order SVU (Special Victims Unit).

Also watched for the second time - Salaam Namaste and Kal Ho Na Ho. Goes to show how badly I need to go to Frankfurt for the next set of hindi DVDs. Would like to watch 'Water', 'Taxi Driver 9 2 11' and 'Maalamal'

listening to - The soundtrack of the new film 'Ankahee'. It has some soulful tunes that sort of grow on you. Reminded me of the soundtrack of 'Saaya'. 'Ankahee' is supposed to be based on the Sushmita Sen - Vikram Bhatt love story. That Sen has disapproved of this film made on her private life only makes it more interesting.

still listening to - Zinda..what a mindblowing, amazing album. The double CD pack comes with lounge and club versions. Have to say I prefer the Lounge one, especially for the title song by Strings (I lovva lovva them)

visited - Had been on a weekend trip to Amsterdam with hubby and buddys. Didn't see no Tulips. Didn't see no lap dances and didn't do no dope (I am a good girl ;-)). But I did see the Anne Frank Museum. And I enjoyed it (not the right word, given the theme of the museum, but can't think of a relpacement right now) despite not having read the book.

eating - Thai, Thai and more Thai food. I say, bring on the Khai Phods and Phad Thais!

drinking - champagne a few hours back, was a farewell party thrown for a colleague who is leaving

Trivia: This year is Rembrant's 400th B'Day.

Old wine in a new bottle

What is it with remixes and remakes these days? So long as people don't completely ruin the original song, I have no issues with remixes. Although there are times when I have the urge to puke when I watch remixes like 'Pardesiya'. (Seriously, what IS the problem with that female? With a name like Rakhi too!) It's sad that a whole generation knows about the old classics only because they watch the (questionable) hotties gyrate to the remixes. Not content with tampering the music, some 'creative' souls have now gone one step ahead. Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen to the age of remakes!

One must start at the beginning. Sanjay Leela Bhansali is, arguably, the guy who started it all by blowing up 50 crores in the making of a film about a guy who's tragic story was unknown to few people, thanks to Saratda, K L Saigal and the living legend, Dilip Kumar. Also to burn his hands in an equally expensive venture was Akbar Khan who made the magnum opus Tajmahal, even as the retouched version of 'Mughal-e-Azam' put an end to any curiousity about the film. Unfortunately Naushad's remarkable compositions for the film went unnoticed.

Today, every director worth his salt is making a remake. Be it RGV, J P Dutta or Pritish Nandy. Even a young talented director like Farhan Akhtar is making 'Don', THE Amitabh Classic. What convinced Farhan that he could recreate Bachchan's charismatic portrayal of Don? SRK, who's playing Don might be able to do a 'khaike paan banaras waala', but can he actually become a very stylish Don AND not look funny while singing 'Main hoon Don'? I almost had a heart attack when I read that Kareena Kapoor was to do the Helen number. Puhleeze...!! I am OK with Urmilas or Ishas trying their luck with 'Yeh mera Dil'..but Kareena is a big NO.

Let me move on to some other remakes that are quickly gathering a lot of publicity. Not only is Ram Gopal Verma remaking Sholay (that, to me, is the ultimate blasphemy), he is even remaking James. Whether audience will want to go watch Mohit Ahlwat doing the dishum-dishum and generally sulking at the world, is left to me seen. RGV's Sholay has Amitabh playing Gabbar's role. The lesser said about this remake, the better.

Then there is the J P Dutta's Umrao Jaan that's in process, with Aishwarya Rai playing the title role and I am left wondering if they will come anywhere close to Muzaffar Ali's original. The only reason I will ever watch this film is because Abhishek Bachchan plays a key character.

Not far behind is Pritish Nandy who is making Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam. No prizes for guessing who'll portray the sadistic husband. The one and only Salmaan Khan. They got atleast that one right! Priyanka Chopra, who plays the alcoholic wife better start liking the poison. I don't know how else she is going to match upto Meena Kumari's histrionics. The joke is on John Abraham who is playing Bhola, the ghulam in love with his malkin. Don't get me wrong, I quite like John (more on this later). But why pick a stud with six packs and biceps to play the innocent servant, a role made so memorable by none other than Guru Dutt?

A point in favour of Ashutosh Gowarikar who is making Akbar Jodha. Now this is one story I have not heard or seen before. I look forward to a very well researched product, with fine technicians and good music.

Until then, may the Almighty save me and the rest of the movie buffs from the remakes.

What to write...?

I have been meaning to write something for a while now. I just can't seem to decide what to write about. At first I thought I'll write about my sister's wedding that happened early this month. I could write about all the fun I had, shopping for clothes and jewellery, eating yummy food, and gossiping with my folks (and giving others a chance to gossip about me...after all, weddings are primarily for showing off your sarees and gold, AND gossiping!).
I soon got weary of remembering all the details. Then I thought about Rang de Basanti, the latest Aamir Khan film that I had enjoyed only last week. Aamir's character in the film reminded me of an old college friend who never wanted to stop being a student. Everytime I met him after I passed out of college, I felt that time had stopped moving on. Although Aamir is 40, he looked quite ok as the 30 something guy whoz still in college. And the music....it was haunting and sweet and tugged at my heart. Especially 'Tu bin bataye..' and 'Lukka Chippi'. But I think the title song is the best, full of energy and very young. I found the ending of the story exaggerated, but the message came across. Not sure how much of an awakening it will lead to, but Rakesh Mehra proved that he can do much better than 'Aks'.
Here's something interesting. I landed in Mumbai airport at midnight and I had to while away the time before my connecting flight which was only next morning. At first I was irritated because there was hardly any space to sit down. Every available chair was occupied. Finally we (I was accompanied by my sis) found space on the marble edge of a really desperate landscaping attempt. Seriously, who wants plants inside an airport? After a while, I was almost dozing off, when I felt someone shaking me hard. I opened one eye, and saw JOHN ABRAHAM walking a few feet away. My sister, who had cottoned on to it much before me, skipped across to get his autograph. I was dead-still for a few moments, making sure it was not a dream. And then I walked over, shook his hand, and told him 'Hi John, its great to meet you. I am huge fan!' And he gave me the sweetest smile in the whole world, before walking away. He looked exactly as he did on screen, handsome, sexy with a raw magnetic appeal. From the corner of my eye, I saw his girlfriend Bipasha walking past him. But I was too excited to really notice her. Sigh....it was wonderful! There was no question of dozing off after that. My eyes and ears were perked up, just in case I met anybody else interesting!

SRK: The inner and outer worlds

I know many of my friends (men) are going to cringe when they read this piece. Rarely have I come across a Shahrukh Khan fan who's a guy. When he first landed in Hindi films, I wondered what the hue and cry was all about. Here was a guy, with a bad hair cut, some pronunciation issues (remember "kkkkkkiran"?) and for all practical reasons (no godfather, not a star-son, television background) no chances of making it big as an actor. Even then, when people told me that the only reason to watch the film 'Deewana' was a song that featured Shahrukh and the now forgotten actress Divya Bharati, I thought it was just hype.
But he did make it big, and how! Its almost twenty years now since his acting debut in the television series 'Fauji', and he can be rightfully described as one of the biggest stars in the world. A recently released Autobiographical DVD attempts to capture the persona of SRK, the phenomenon that he has become and the very humane individual that he is. There are two parts to the DVD, very aptly titled "Inner" and "Outer" worlds.
The outer world is mostly about his shows in the US, where he is accompanied by other actors. The mass hysteria, the popularity of Hindi films and stars, and the spontaneity with which Shahrukh handles the live audience are all very well captured. Not to mention the unlimited energy he puts into each act. On a side note, I couldn't help noticing that how some women who look so glamorous on screen look so normal, almost plain, without makeup. I wouldn't give them a second look if I see them on the road sans the grease paint. And this is Rani Mukherji and Priyanka Chopra I am talking about, who figure occasionally in this part of the show.
The inner world section talks about some very interesting bits. For instance, did you know that Shahrukh had an older sister living with him? Did you know that his son thought his father was Aamir Khan for a really long time? Many more such facts come to the surface. SRK goes back to his school in Delhi and its touching to see how much he loves being there. And then there is the forever long queue of fans waiting for one look from him. Its amazing to see how well he handles all the attention. He never refuses a fan. Such is his popularity that he actually has to sign autographs even while he was visiting his parents' grave.
This DVD, a must-see for all Shahrukh fans, contains immeasurable amount of information about their beloved actor. Also for those who are just plain curious about him, he'll be a revelation, much beyond the Rahuls and Rajs that he has portrayed on the silver screen.

Is Bangalore safe?

I was deeply affected by the recent news about the rape and murder of a call centre employee of HP. It was disgusting when the CEO of HP gave statements on the lines of "there is no lapse on our side" or "This is a one-off incident". How can he get away by saying that? It infuriated me further to hear that nothing is being done to make the situation safe in our own SLI, which also uses the now infamous SRS transport to ply employees home at night. Although I didn't use the cabs provided by SRS very often, but there were times when I did, and very often I was the only passenger. It creeps me out now to think of it. Common complaints that I have heard from other employees are rash driving and rude behavior. No concessions are given if you are a female employee in terms of order of the drop offs. Corporates need to take a strong stand in this issue. An employee's safety is the responsibility of the employer. Either provide a safe environment to work in, or do not expect employees to stay back late. After all, who wants to reach home late? Very often I have seen that employees who are not married tend to stay long hours in the office, sometimes without sufficient reason. This is more an individualistic trait, but it just goes to show the kind of culture that is prevalent. A change in this can happen only when it comes from the top management.

Goblet Of Fire: A Review

"But I am only Harry, just Harry" said Harry Potter in The Philosopher's Stone. He has come a long way, Harry has. From being a bewildered eleven year old wizard to a fourteen year old one who has to confront his nemesis (the darkest wizard of all times, Lord Voldermort), watch a fellow student die and actually fight a Dragon (a Norwegian Ridgeback, no less). Like Hagrid says, dragons are fairly misunderstood creatures! Fact is, you can't get close enough to one in order to understand it. This is what Harry has to deal with in the first task of the Tri Wizard Tournament held at Hogwarts during his fourth year. Of course, Harry never intended to participate although he has been dreaming about winning the cup and impressing Cho Chang (a girl he has a crush on and who occasionally produces a orange-juice-dribbling effect on Harry). How his name comes to be in the Goblet is one of the many mysteries of the story. One line describes it aptly: Be careful what you wish for, you might get it….
After a surprising (even to himself) success in the first task, Harry uncovers a clue about the second task, although he first has to confront a female ghost a.k.a Moaning Myrtle in his bath. I'm not sure this scene was so suitable for toddlers, but what the heck, there is a PG 13 rating stamped on the film. The underwater sequence has been superbly shot, and if ever anybody remarks that mermaids are sexy, I can tell them a thing or two about them. Harry not only rescues his friend Ron Weasley, but also rescues another opponent's target, and is credited by the headmaster for displaying 'moral fiber'. The last task in the tournament is held in a maze, and it looks awesome. Those who have read the book will watch this sequence especially carefully since it has a rather ghastly result. I will not be a spoiler for those who haven't read the books or seen this film. All I'll say is that the viewer is not spared the tragedy. There is no molly cuddling of the facts here.
The Yule ball sequence deserves one mention. It is funny, and very well handled, very much in line with what was described in the book. Ron's dress robes, Hermione's make over and Harry's first dance have been portrayed excellently.
Towards the end of the movie, Hermione Granger, Harry's other best friend, says, "Everything is going to change now". Its not very clear if she's alluding to her having found an admirer in Viktor Krum or to Voldermort's return. It doesn't help that she is actually smiling (or smirking?) while saying this. One can only guess.

Fly the good times..

Finally, I am in Germany. After all the packing and storing, shipping and dumping, I finally managed to say goodbye to dear old Bangalore on 18th of October, in the process making my Bai the proud owner of a trillion things that I couldn't a) Carry to Germany b) Store c)Dump. Luckily, I even managed to attend a team outing before that, and can you believe it, the team gave me a goodbye card and I got to do a speech too (ugh..!!).

I flew Kingfisher Airlines to Hyderabad, and I know why their tagline is 'Fly the good times'. Not only are all their passenger seats royal looking, they all have personal TV screens with Yana Gupta doing a Babuji Zara Dheere chalo on it. Ok, the last part was only partly true. Yana Gupta does set the TV screen ablaze, even if its while describing how to buckle the seat belt and put on the Oxygen mask. And she is wearing the trademark red mini skirt that all the Kingfisher Airlines female crew members wear. Oh yes, the boys will have nothing to complain about. To top it all, they give cute red earphones for free (of course, this might disappear once the airline gets popular). Fly the Good Times!

After spending four days in the city of Nawabs, and getting pampered by my folks, I took the Emirates flight to Germany via Dubai on 23rd October.

At the Hyderabad international airport, on the advice of a very nice old guy (who was helping passengers to lift the furniture onto the counter), I moved to a counter where I could check in my excess baggage without a problem. A charming greeting accompanied by a smile, recently combed hair and an affable guy at the counter seemed to have done the trick!

12 hours, 2 movies and 2 meals later I was in Frankfurt, comfortably seated in the shuttle, on my way to Heidelberg. Voila, I was in Germany.

How different life in Germany can get is something I am experiencing on a day to day basis. Some experiences are funny, while others are downright wierd. The thing to bear in mind is to not compare life here to the 2 to 3 month business trip to Germany that SAP employees often make. Living here is a totally different ball game. And here are some of my observations:

1)An almost pollution free place. Walking in the crowded city can be a pleasure in itself, without worrying about the traffic, dust and noise. And when I say crowded, I mean crowded by German standards.
2)Learning German language is essential. And at the moment, I am facing quite a few problems because of not knowing the language. For instance, all the post is in German. So every single letter that comes, be it a bill, or confirmation of some order, needs to be taken to the office so that a kindly German colleague can translate it!
3)What fresh fruits and vegetables you can buy! When you buy grapes, you can be 100% sure that they will be sweet. Of course, its possible to also buy Indian vegetables and spices from the many asian shops around.
4)Most of the shops here do not have assistants. So if you have a question about a product, and even if you ask a fellow German, he will point you to the elaborate instructions on the product, which are of course in German. Customer service is not a very common feature here simply because the products are usually the best and they do not expect to provide any additional information/help.

I can think of many more things to write, but it will make this post too long. I am sure there's loads to learn and tell. So until then.....Guten Tag!

Few of my favorite things!

Raindrops on roses, whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
.....
Julie Andrews delightfully sang about her favorite things...So I thought, why shouldn't I?
Actually, I shouldn't sing it, because I don't have a song which lists my favorite things. Instead, I have the next best thing: a compiled list of things that are absolute favorites...

1) Being able to sleep till 9:00 AM everyday, and on some lucky days, also getting breakfast in bed. Sigh..The marvels of holy matrimony!
2) Being able to laugh at Joey's or Chandler's pranks, no matter how many repeats you have seen of F.R.I.E.N.D.S
3) Walking down M G Road on a Sunday afternoon, with Bangalore's trademark: awesome weather... Stopping at Lakeview for a French Toast, or at Coffee House for scrambled eggs.
4) Internet access at home, to check official mails (even if there is no need, just the fact that I CAN, gives me pleasure), and wish loved ones who are miles away, just by a few button clicks.
5) Being able to just stay at home on a holiday, read a book (Mary Higgins Clark thriller/Agatha Christie Mystery/Latest Potter), with no interruptions whatsoever.
6) Unlimited access to millions of memories made easy by just looking at old photo albums, whenever a trip down memory lane is indicated.
7) Being able to just call up special friends and gossip away about the latest soaps, the newest hairstyles, somebody else's hottest fling, not necessarily in that order!
8) Being able to send flowers, gifts, even a Rakhi via online shopping, although it can never replace the charm of a hand written letter.
9) Being able to watch the scariest horror film ever, with the safety net that I won't be home alone at night (didn't I say being married was awesome!)
10) And last, but not the least, having the free time to actually sit and pen down these thoughts!

...when the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I am feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel so bad...!!

Mischief managed!

It took me a while, but I finally did surface from the post-Half Blood Prince hangover! This is not strictly a review. There are numerous reviews available on the net, by now. Countless theories being discussed, J K Rowling's interviews, the works. These are just some thoughts and questions.

The name of the book is kind of a misnomer, considering the previous titles. Take Prisoner of Azkaban, for instance. The story revolves around the convict from Azkaban. Chamber of Secrets climaxes within the Chamber. Goblet of Fire, though the phrase doesn't figure many times in the book, it is still a representation of the Triwizard tournament which forms the crux if the book. Why, even the Philosopher's stone gets its due towards the end of the very first book of the series.

Then why do I think The Half Blood Prince is not that important to the whole plot? If you take the identity of the Half Blood Price, then of course, yes, it is an important character, a character we can recognize as someone very crucial to the whole big picture. But beyond that, the book does not entirely revolve around it. After completing 3/4ths of the book, you don't get a feeling that your life (or for that matter Harry's life) depends on knowing the identity of the HBP.

Instead, what comes across first and foremost is how much Harry has grown by the time he is in his 6th year at Hogwarts. And I don't only mean physically and emotionally. Take, for example, his level headed discussion with the Minister of Magic (no less!), his insistence on always doing right thing, no matter how tempted he is to do otherwise (remember the Quiddich try outs?)

Not that Harry isn't a normal kid. He doesn't mind using somebody else's notes to get higher marks in Potions, much to the chagrin of his best buddy Hermione. (How I wish I had someone to help me out with Chemistry in school!).

Some of things in the book were oddly reminiscent of the previous stories. Prof Slughorn somehow reminded me of Prof Lockheart. A whole lot of new stuff - Disastrous Love potions, Luna Lovegood's Quiddich commentary, Harry's moral conscience (to snog or not to snog I_am_not_going_to_say_who), Ron's emotional outbursts, the hell_hath_no_fury_than_Hermione_scorned bit made for a particularly delightful read.

But the most Rowling-like part of the book was the way it ended. On the face of it, lots of things have happened. An important character is dead, Harry discovers who HBP is, and is one step closer towards his final battle with You_Know_Who. But is everything exactly as it seems? Rowling also leaves Harry with a very cryptic note written by a hitherto unheard of character, which should keep us waiting for the next book. Two years more to go?

A Paheli on Paheli

On Monday night, I embarked on a discussion with Ferose about watching the latest SRK flick.
His question:Do we really have to see this film?
My reply(delivered with appropriate horror): Of course, we SIMPLY have to see this Amol Palekar directed folksy art film starring commercial big wigs with MM Kreem's music.
In my defense, it also happens to be the only film that both of us haven't watched. After lots of arguments, I convinced him that the 10:15 show at PVRs was the only way to catch the film. Another arguable point was, why not watch it at Innovative Multiplex? The terrible traffic situation around PVRs doesn't endear us to that magnificent complex. But the Innovative guys these days prefer 1960s Bengali literature to 1800s Rajasthani fables. Result: No night show for "Paheli" at Innovative. Working in a global company ensures that I work in multiple time zones on a single day, hence watching a late night show is the only possible option.

So there we were, on Tuesday night, armed with our online ticket booking confirmation. After getting hold of the tickets, made a dash to the Transit food court. This place is a potentially time-staking option, mainly because of the numerous choices one has make. Should one eat Indian, or non-Indian (Thai, Chinese, Mexican). If Indian, then should it be the idli-Dosa fare or the paranthas. If paranthas, then gobi, alu or .... the point is, its a lot of thinking on a weekday, especially after having driven 20 KMs. Fortunately for me, I was single-mindedly focused on completing dinner in 15 minutes flat. So I made a quick decision to have gobi paranthas and hubby decided on the usual masala Dosa (why he prefers the Dosa in Salem's kitchen to the one at the Shiv Sagar counter is beyond me, and is a point that I would like to discuss at some point in the future).

Right at the point where we were entering the Hall, the ticket checker (not sure if it's the right term to define his exact occupation in PVR, but think it'll do for the moment) decided he didn't like our tickets (and probably our faces too!). Turns out, the git at the ticket counter had given us tickets for a previous show. We had to wait for an Outrageous 20 minutes before the matter was cleared up and we were ushered to our seats.
I quickly asked the guy sitting beside me (not my husband) the usual question: When did the movie start?
His reply: Just now.
Satisfied, I relaxed and started unwinding into the story.

Cut to our discussion on the journey back home. Nice film, nice colors, nice music, nice acting, passable humor (except for that one brilliant scene with Rajpal Yadav). Some shocks like Sunil shetty. Some pleasant surprises like Amitabh Bachchan. A pity that Juhi Chawla was relegated to a small role, but she still shone through while emoting with her eyes and that gorgeous smile. SRK was good, but hammed in a couple of places. Rani Mukerji delivered, as always. But I have a question about the story: Why didn't the ghost do his last trick in the first reel of the film? Would have saved everyone a lot of trouble. Had it been just a film, I would have not been too bothered. But the original story is a novel and I am keen to know how it ended and what was sacrificed at the altar of cinematic glory.

1000 Desires...

What does one desire from life? Happiness, relationships, money, fame....? How many of us actually desire something for others? I had a revelation few days back when I watched a film called "Hazaron Khwaishein Aisi". Just to clear things up, this is not a complete hindi film. In fact the main characters speak in English. Although not entertaining in the commercial sense, its a gripping and thought-provoking story. The story is about three friends, and their lifetime from college till....that's the thing, the story doesn't actually end. One can see what is in store for the three main characters long after the credits start pouring. The backdrop is a politically turbulent India of the 60s and 70s. Siddharth, righteous and fighting for a cause he believes in, Geeta who loves him and his ideals and then there's Vikram, who yearns for Geeta, yet knows its useless. So different are the three from one another that you wonder at their friendship.Siddharth, though from an affluent family, goes to the grass roots of Bihar to help the poor, oppressed lower classes and in turn becomes as outlaw. After a failed marriage with an IAS officer, Geeta follows Siddharth, works with the villagers alongside Siddharth, and even mothers his child. Vikram meanwhile has quickly gained money and power (not always by the honest means) and is titled "Business Tycoon" by the politicians who seek his help. In the midst of all the chaos, the three still meet once over a bottle of beer beside the river. They argue about morality, about success and about life. Yet they each do what they think they ought to do. Do Geeta and Siddharth succeed in their ambitions? Does Vikram actually know what he wants out of life? Answering these questions would be telling too much. I would end here by just stating that what seems like the best thing to do in one's youth doesn't always define the rest of the life. I think I have passed the age when I could have made any dangerous decisions, but I haven't really done anything to be proud of in Siddharth's book of right and wrong!

Back in Bangalore

Finally, I am back! After two months in US, I was more than ready to return to home. Although home didn't have the welcoming presence of my Husband (who is in Germany and just happened to be with the windmills in Netherlands around the time I landed), I caught up on my quota of sleep (actually much more than my quota!!). Dash and Madhu very nicely took me out to a south indian dinner where I had Brinjal curry cooked the Andhra way. Needless to say, it was HOT.
More on the US trip: Had an interesting time working for Forest Pharmaceuticals, the last week there was especially pleasant considering there was barbeque and a cruise!! I lived in Long Island and New York city which was one hour away was like my mecca. I landed up at Times Square every other weekend. The shops on Broadway, particularly Toys R Us, Virgin Records and Sephora will surely recognize me. For once, I was not a tourist with a camera, but someone just enjoying the city's sights and sounds. One of the weekends, watched a musical "All Shook Up", based on Elvis Presely's music, and the leading man, though nowhere close to the original king of pop, was certainly worth the $50 I paid for (both in sight and sound!!).
One other time in the city, I also made it to LOEWS Cinemas and watched KAAL, the experience of which is something I prefer to forget. After buying the ticket, I walked into an empty hall, and checked twice if indeed the movie was running there. After I sat down, one really shady looking guy walked in and sat 10 rows ahead. Of course I shifted to a seat nearest to the exit. The movie started and the whole time SRK was gyrating with Malaika, I was planning on what to do if the Shady Guy decides to mug me (this was before a family of three walked in, and I gave a sigh of relief). I vowed never to return back to LOEWS for a hindi movie.
The last weekend before I was to return, I paid NYC a visit (how could I not?). This time I decided to avoid the crowd and go to Central Park. It was glorious day and sitting in a lake in the middle of the park, with downtown Manhattan in the backdrop, I couldn't find fault with anything.
When not in New York city in the weekend, I paid a visit to a dear old friend in Chicago, attended my sister's graduation in Oregon (man, people here really do fuss about the kids in black graduation gowns) and got pampered staying with friends in New Jersey. All in all, not a bad trip at all!
Still, I am glad to be back.
Trivia: Long Island Ice Tea, did indeed originate from Long Island ;-)