Movie Review: Kahaani

* NO SPOILERS!* :-)

Watched this movie over the weekend and seriously I have all praises for it!! It's probably one of the very few women centric movies in Bollywood, which has a compelling script, good plot, well directed and amazing performance by Vidya Balan. She has carried off the entire movie on her shoulders and has done a darn good job at it!

Since the plot is a mystery, I would dare not write much about it and spoil the readers' experience! As shown in the trailors, all I knew when I went to watch it was that the story is about a pregnant woman who goes to Kolkatta in search of her missing husband and how she struggles to find his wherabouts. There was not a single point during the movie where I felt it was boring or the climax was given away. It kept me guessing till the last scene and boy was I taken by surprise with the climax!

It's no doubt a MUST watch!! Very rarely Bollywood comes up with such substantial movies! And Vidya Balan's performance is something you would not want to miss. The fact that there are few songs included (even those that are there are pretty much in background or intro) and the duration is just about 2 hrs, makes it all the more easy to watch, without wasting time on adding in an unnecessary item number just to get a box office hit! When there is a strong story line and a great performance, a movie really would not need a hot n sexy chic doing a guest appearance with an item number just to hit the box office records, isn't it?!

After the movie got over, I could actually draw a lot of paralles between this and the movie "A Wednesday". They seem to be giving a common message but with a different story...What do you say?

Inception

Ah! What an awesome movie it was! Truly one of its kind! My brain cells did get chewed up trying to understand the intricate and mentally taxing plot but it was totally worth it. It's one of the most complex movies and very intellectually stimulating... reminded me of The Matrix and Memento... definitely a must watch!

Director Christopher Nolan's brilliant plot & precise screenplay have been expertly executed. The visual effects are outstanding and a treat for the eye. It definitely scores points for trying to convey a difficult & complex theme and actually succeding in doing it so well.

Cobb (Leonardo di Caprio) is a thief (of a different kind) who steals ideas from people's subsconscious mind by accessing the mind when someone is asleep. He is an "extractor" who stalks people in pursuit of their deepest secrets. He is under the charge of an unspecified crime which prevents him from returning home to his children. He is given an opportunity to clear his name and return to his children however that requires him to do an almost impossible task of 'planting an idea' into someone's subconscious rather than steal it. He accepts this impossible task and the movie unfolds..

Most of the movie takes place in various people's subconscious and what a spectacle it is! The plot gets into multi layered dreams woven into each other and getting so complex that sometimes you struggle to understand which one is reality. Story telling is absolutely brilliant with Nolan introducing new ideas and twists constantly throughout the movie. So paying close attention is very much necessary and a single viewing is probably not enough to process it all! So I am all set to watch it for the second time :)

Well, this is just about the movie on the surface. It is difficult to write more without giving away the spoilers. To me, this is undoubtedly the most intelligent and visually stunning movie of this year!

Verdict: 5/5

A movie and the book...

Watched 3 idiots today.....I had read Five Point Someone (FPS) by Chetan Bhagat years back and had loved it. This was one book which I had thought would make a base for an entertaining movie. When I heard that 3 idiots was based on FPS, I was quite eager to watch it but I read a lot of reviews since its release last week which say that the director claims the movie plot is just 5% of the book...So today I started the movie with an expectation to see something new and more than just FPS. I was quite suprised to see almost 70% of the movie adapted from the novel and the sad part is that there has been no credit given to Chetan Bhagat anywhere.

I quickly visited his blog and found this post and this one as well. I still remember the book quite well coz I've read it twice...the characters, settings, drama, emotions, love story, everything is the same and a lot of scenes like Raju's (Alok) suicide, Rancho (Ryan) helping Raju's father and his family, Raju moving out the group, Rancho falling in love with Pia -the professor's daughter, stealing papers from the professor's office, Pia's brother committing suicide and she hiding it from her father till the end, the ragging scene at the beginning of the movie...and I can list a lot more...which are straight from the novel..

Agreed that Hirani has a great sense of humor and he has added his own flavor & twist to the plot and adapted from FPS quite well. The catchline "All is well" does make it sound like another Munnabhai movie with a social message. Everything about the movie is good, it's well made, entertaining and has the right amount of comedy and emotions...I am not undermining the authenticity. But the point is, the movie is not just 5% of the book...its much more than that and the fact that the director/producer is not giving the due credit to the author is quite un-ethical, unmerciful and shameless!! If I were the writer, I would have screamed at the top of my voice saying its my story! Bollywood churns out a lot of movies which are "inspired" from different things and the least they could do is give the due credits to the sources...

Watch the movie and then read the book..am sure anyone can see a whole lot of similarities...

On a different note, I loved Aamir's performance. Though he is 44 and playing a 22 year old college kid, he gets away with it and totally fits in! Sharman Joshi, no doubt was perfect for his role though Madhavan did seem a bit out of place...Whatever the quirks, 'All is well' in the end and the movie is definitely worth a watch!

Wake up Sid!

A must watch, preferably in the theater!

I don't have to think much on giving a 5 star rating for this movie. I've been waiting to catch this movie since the time I saw the promos in August; so am glad that I watched it today

I dont know where to start my review - acting, screenplay, music, direction, dialogues...I loved every part of it. It's a mainstream bollywood movie, nothing extraordinary nor is it off beat yet it strikes refreshingly different. The entire movie is shot in Mumbai...You can smell the freshness in it, just like those rain drops in the first showers of the Mumbai monsoons shown in the movie. You can feel the love for the city, which every Mumbaiker holds dearly in his heart. Debutant director Ayaan Mukherjee has done an awesome job with his screenplay, casting and direction! The dialogues are very simple and in a casual conversation style which you can well relate to and you will be ready to emotionally invest through out the movie. Well, am sure you got my point by now... you walk out of the theater "feeling good"..

The story is probably a one-liner and predictable yet you cant complain! When the movie goes deeper, you dont need words to describe the story. The more I watched Sid (Ranbir) and Aisha (Konkona), the more I wanted to know them better. The 'nice'ities of their relationship is well depicted; the screen time is shared well to show how their friendship develops, how they grow fond of each other etc..

One striking part of the movie was the acting. Ranbir turned out to be a total surprise package. I really disliked him as an actor till I saw this one! I was awestruck. He just spellbinds you with his acting, making a flesh and blood character out of Sid; so natural, so effortless and very impressive, I must say! He is well complemented by Konkona. There is truly no doubt about her acting skills, she is as good as ever! The casting is quite unusual with a lot of new faces playing important roles, and they totally fit in...

Last but not the least, the trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy create magic with their music again. I loved all the songs...but the title song and "Iktara" are extremely catchy and lovable...it definitely adds to the whole movie experience.


You can draw comparisons to Dil Chahta Hai at quite a few parts, but heck, so what?! Similarities always exist but this one still maintains its own identity at the end...


A very competent effort by a first time director and the movie definitely has its heart in the right place...

99

In the last few months, there have been quite a few unconventional movies being made in bollywood and I've tried to watch each one of them. I have been quite impressed with the script, story line and quality of these movies...though most of them haven't done well at the box office (Glad to see that few movie makers have realized this is not the only criteria that defines a movie's success!)

A movie, with an unusual title - 99, starring Bomman Irani and Cyrus Brocha *had* to be something different and it sure was! The movie is set in the year 1999 (hence the title) in the year when communication media such as cell phones and internet were booming. Two small time crooks Sachin (Kunal Khemu) & Zaramud (Cyrus) get caught with a bookie/gangster and become his recovery agents. They end up taking on the biggest bet of their life on a cricket match...and the question is whether they will manage to hit that century in life finally, having been stuck at '99' (one short of the elusive century)

Some people say that 99 falls in the same genre as Guy Ritchie's cult crime comedies like Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels but more toned down and 'Indian'ised. The only complaint I had was the slow pace, especially in the first half. But it was well compensated in the second hour where the plot unfolds really fast and keeps you engrossed.

Apart from the length, the movie scores in all areas - perfect casting, fine performances, smart and slapstick comedy that can make you roll on the floor with laughter at times. In short, 99 is an interesting, smart, well-made, good looking film and a complete entertainer, if you go without much expectations..

Movie Review: Angels and Demons

After I read this book by Dan Brown, I've been eagerly waiting to watch this movie and it finally released in India yesterday. The book was definitely a good read, it had everything that a mystery/thriller novel should have. (Click here to read my review of the book). My first impression was that the book was more apt for a movie becoz of all the masala and high intensity drama...so I was all the more keen to watch this translate into the big screen...

Whoever said 'dont judge a book by its movie' said it right! I didn't enjoy the movie as much as I liked reading the book. It is obvious that a 600page book cannot be made into a 2.5hr movie with that level of detail. But there was a serious lack of adrenalin in the movie. I was also a bit disappointed with the change of plot and the drastic reduction in Vittoria Vetra's (the female lead) role. It was almost as if she was insignificant. She played a very important role in the book and her revenge against her father's murder was the main focus. But that was completely removed here and she was made to look like a redudant actor. I had even expected a different climax but was glad that it wasn't completely different from that of the book. Even though the story was altered, it was at least weaved in well to reach a logical ending...

Tom Hanks as harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is quite impressive though the script doesnt do enough justice to showcase his ability of solving those cryptic puzzles to find the path of illumination. Last but not the least, I loved the visuals and effects. It was a treat to see those monuments, churches, symbols, statues etc described in the book! That's probably the only part of the movie that I liked. I'd anyday prefer the book over the movie :)

Short notes..

Watched some good unconventional hindi movies over the last few weeks..

Gulaal - One more compelling movie by Anurag Kashyap after Dev-D, full of political drama which takes democracy to a different level, has perfectly etched characters combined with a powerful plot and superlative performances by every actor. With a lot of violence and a Shakespearean ending, the movie is definitely not for a mass appeal. I admire Anurag Kashyap for making such bold and different movies like Black Friday, Dev-D and now Gulaal. Glad to see that there are a few directors who dont care for commercial success alone!

Barah Aanah - is again not a 'typical hindi film', more of an experiment, with a short and simple story of 3 unlikely friends who are not happy with their lives. It's definitely not a comedy as the makers make it out to be. Naseeruddin Shah is the main attraction, delivers a good performance mainly through his facial expressions, though he has a very few dialogues but the maximum screen time. The pacing of the movie in the first 1 hr is very slow and can test your patience. However, with no songs, the movie is kept short and crisp and definitely worth a one-time-watch.

Straight - another light-hearted yet low key hindi movie based on homosexuality after Dostana & Fashion, which cruises through some untrodden paths. Vinay Pathak delivers an awesome performance with a great timing for comedy. There are several Laugh-Out-Loud moments as well as some sweet sentiments. The script has an interesting idea but fails to explore it deep enough and settles with a safe ending. Again I wouldnt classify it as a great movie but it's not unwatchable either.

Review: Rock On

Had written this review for PFC but it didn't get published...so posting it on my blog..

I went to watch this movie not knowing what really to expect, because of the mixed reviews I had received. I was completely taken aback with what I saw and the movie surpassed my expectations to a great extent in multiple aspects! I just LOVED every bit of it. Farhan Akhtar was a total surprise package. With this movie, he has proved that he is not only a good established director but also a good actor and a singer as well. So were Prachi Desai (best known as 'Bani' in Kasam Se on Zee TV), Purab Kohli and Luke Kenny. Prachi brings in a lot of freshness to the role and Purab seems to have a natural flair for comedy.He's got a perfect timing for his dialouge deliveries and the right expressions! Arjun Rampal has managed to give his best performance so far, though he doesnt stand out amongst all others. The movie has its own set of flaws (like slow pace), but it got me so engrossed that I could completely ignore all of those. Finally bollywood has got something good in the music genre to proudly showcase to the West.

Lot of reviews compared this movie to Dil Chahta Hai.I felt it's nothing similar to DCH, other than the fact that the movie is youthful and about a group of friends. Rock On has a totally different message to convey. The focus is not just on friendships; It's more about the 'spirit of winning' or 'following your dreams' and taking that path which is not chosen too often.The movie scores because of its 'Emotional Quotient (EQ)'. The characters were so real; I found myself getting engrossed in those characters and their relatively ordinary lives; I could relate to their dreams, goals, ego clashes, friendships, relationships etc and I feel this is what sets Rock On apart even though the story and flow seems cliched and predictable. The type of narration, with the intersperses of flash backs between the present is handled very well by director Abhishek Kapoor. At no point did I feel confused or left out; rather it made the story more interesting and kept me alert!

The movie's theme is music and the trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy show their 'Magik' again! The music is fresh and has that college-band touch to it. Javed Akhtar writing lyrics for a set of Rock songs was another surprise package in the movie! But I must say he has done complete justice to it. The lyrics are very simplistic, meaningful yet hummable and Farhan's nonchalant voice seems to suit them so perfectly well. Farhan's choice of using his vocals was very apt;it really helps him get into the character and blend with it, without looking artificial. The songs fit into the movie well, they enhance the experience and for once they are not there just for the heck of it, to bring in commercial success. Last but not the least, Rock On's music definitely brings in a breath of fresh air to hindi music and Indian rock music as well.

Review: A Wednesday

There are very few movies that leave a lasting impression on our minds and keep us thinking for days after watching it. This was one such movie. It's been a week since I watched it and I noticed myself thinking and discussing about it even today...

When I saw the promos, I knew I wouldn't want to miss this one, mainly becoz there were 2 of the most versatile actors in hindi cinema - Naseeruddin Shah and Anupam Kher, and it was not the usual run-of-the-mill bollywood movie. Both their performances in the movie are commendable. Naseeruddin Shah steals the show with his effortless and superlative performance in every scene and Anupam Kher matches him stride by stride, in the role of a police officer.

For those of you who haven't watched, there are no spoilers ahead, so dont worry :)
The plot deals with the current state of terrorism in India and how it has affected the normal day-to-day lives of people, the fear it has created, the attitude of the government and police force, and above all - the whole meaning of democracy. The movie makes a point through its story, and it makes it strongly. It stays focused through out, keeping it short and to the point and thats what makes it effective and most appealing. No nonsense of unnecessary songs, dance and other crap needed for commercial success (One of the reasons why this may not be successful at the box office!). The climax leaves you with a lot of open questions and throws open multiple debates - legal, moral and social...all of which will leave u pondering for a long time!
There have been a lot of movies in the recent times which have dealt with the spread of terrorism in India.. So what's different about this one? It gives a fresh perspective to the issue..something which no other director had probably thought of; as a common (wo)man this perspective had NEVER crossed my mind for sure!!

It's undoubtedly an impressive debut by the director Neeraj Pandey, who gives us a parallel perspective which is much needed in the current cirumstances of growing terrorism...

Fight Club

I would see raised eyebrows when friends asked me 'have u watched fight club?' and my answer was - No! I had heard some people talk so passionately about this movie that I used to wonder what's this all about?! After watching it, I do agree with all these reviews that I have heard... I felt the movie is too complicated to follow in one shot, but I was glad I had someone along to resolve my confusions! I would love to watch it a couple of more times; am sure I'll appreciate it more and get a better understanding of the plot, every time I see it!

"How much do u know about yourself until u have been in a fight?" is the punch line of fight club. The raw-animalistic-instincts for survival, the rush of emotions and rollercoaster experience that surface in a fight forms the core of this movie...

I wont get to the details of the plot..it can be found doing google search :) What I liked about the movie is that it's a fast paced non stop journey, bringing a rush of adrenalin, with stunning performances by Edward Norton and Brad Pitt. Never once did I notice a slack where I could just take off my attention from what's happening... a thorough entertainer


I really wonder how hollywood comes up with such wonderful, thought provoking movies!!

One movie...

Ah! So that post yesterday did really do the trick ;-) I do feel like writing about something finally!

I actually came across this post through my google reader in the morning and I found it pretty interesting! So as per that blog...
If somebody told you that he/she is allowed to watch just one more movie in his/her life. Just one. Which movie would you recommend to that person?

I have been trying to pick one, but it's harder than I thought it would be! First of all, there are so many good movies on my 'to be watched' list that are highly recommended. So my list wouldn't be that vast, nevertheless...from the top of my head, I picked out 3 and I am trying to decide among The Godfather, As good as it gets and Little Miss Sunshine.

It would probably be 'As good as it gets'...the movie really touched me and I have seen it multiple times and wouldnt mind watching it again... amazing direction, story, acting, with a good sense of humor...

What would it be for you? Note that, it can be from any language... no restrictions!

Pallavi Anupallavi..

Every time I watch a Mani Ratnam movie, my admiration for him as a director increases. Then how could I miss his directorial debut?! I’ve tried real hard to get hold of this Kannada movie for a very long time (almost 1 or 2 yrs!). Finally managed to find the VCD and watched it yesterday. Released in 1983, the movie stars Anil Kapoor (supposed to be the bollywood actor’s debut too) and Lakshmi (better know by the movie Julie) in the leading roles and music composed by Illaiyaraja. Couldn’t have asked for anything better :)

The movie is about this guy Vijay (Anil Kapoor) and his relationship with 2 women. He falls in love with one and later due to circumstances meets the other lady who is married, with a kid but separated from her husband and develops a great bond of trust and friendship with her. But he is confused and treads the fine line between trust and attraction amidst societal pressures. The ending of the movie is the best. Mani Ratnam has his own style... just like every other movie of his, the ending is very realistic and not just the 'all's-well-and-happy' ending.

Mani Ratnam weaves so many sub-plots in the movie which are very subtle yet so powerful. The movie is shot in Bangalore and Madikeri (Coorg). It's really a treat to see old Bangalore in the 80's (with so much greenery of course!); the photography and cinematography are awesome and add to the texture of the movie. Illaiyaraja's music is a magical melody, it just mesmerizes you and leaves you craving for more- listen to the song ' Naguva Nayana.....' and you'll know what I'm trying to say! Last but not the least I have to mention that Lakshmi has given a powerful performance which is commendable. Though Anil Kapoor was very good, he didnt create an impact 'coz I have seen much better performances from him in bollywood movies later.

All in all, a wonderful movie and truly a Mani Ratnam classic!

Jodha-Akbar

This overly-hyped-heavy-budget movie finally released yesterday and I got a chance to watch it today itself. Well, I definitely did not love it but didnt hate it either... it is somewhere in between that i cant decide!. The movie is about 3hrs 45mins including interval and that was quite a lot to take!! I wonder what makes Ashutosh Gowarikar to direct such lengthy movies, even though this script didnt need so much detail. The movie is a 16th century love story, about the marriage of Mughal emperor Akbar (Hrithik) with the Rajput princess Jodha (Aishwarya). There's obviously a lot of history to tell but if the director was focussing on the untold lovestory of Akbar-Jodha then I think he should have concentrated more on that rather than mix it with lengthy historic details (which were also not very complete and hard to follow) and not do justice to both parts...

That apart, there are some really good parts in the movie which you will remember even after walking out. The cinematography is brilliant and the costumes by Neetal Lulla and jewellery by Tanishq are awesome and add to the 16th century look and feel of the movie. Hrithik's acting is commendable. After Lakshya, I think he has done some really classy acting in this movie. I felt he didnt suit the role of Akbar and that weird moustache on his face made it look worse.. Nevertheless, he portrayed the character with its nuances really well. Ash - as usual looks gorgeous but lacks acting... Ila Arun is also worth a mention - she is very powerful in her dialogue delivery.....

Most of the dialogues in the movie had urdu diction.. so i found it pretty hard to understand and follow the chronology of events and characters involved.. There are too many details shown in the movie.. so i think only if u watch it the second time u can grasp it completely :)

Coming to the best part of the movie - its music! Rehman has proved again that he is one of the best... u just have to listen to the songs to fall in love with them.. Especially the sufi song - "Khwaja mere khwaja...." is one of the best I've heard so far... Rehman himself is the singer and am sure no one could have done it better.. The picturisation of the song is out of this world...by the end of the song even I felt like getting up and swaying to that music along with the singers, just like Akbar does :) If you haven't heard this yet, then u are missing something!

Here's the link for this song on youtube... it doesnt show the exact picturization though, but still the entire song is here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezQ3katpLwE

Mungaaru Male...

I don't remember the last time I went to a theater to watch a kannada movie or even saw it on a DVD. The last good ones that I really admired were 'Amruthavarshini' and 'America America'. I know this is almost a decade back but I really haven't seen anything as nice as these till date. I hardly watch kannda movies...unless something is recommended by loads of people.. and am glad I saw this one. Mungaru Male (means pre-monsoon rains) is one of the nicest kannada movies and one of those really rare movies which has used rain as a metaphor thru'out the movie.. This movie generated so much curiosity and now I know that it has lived up to it's expectations. No wonder it's regarded as the biggest hits in South Indian cinema and has a whole wikipedia page for itself! It says..

"The movie set a national record as the first Indian language movie to run for 1 year at PVR Cinemas nationwide"

Everyone will agree that the script is the most important part of any film. The technicalities, glitz, glamor, choreography, item numbers are all just additions which are not required if you have a good script to present and this movie does exactly the same. It's a very simple but a very different kind of a love story which really touches your heart. Screenplay and cinematography are just mind blowing. The shots in the beautiful landscapes of the Malnad (Coorg) region during the monsoon rains make it even more beautiful. I would have loved to watch it on the big screen!! Am sure it will be even better an experience than watching it on TV... I was just looking at some of the subtitles here and there and noticed that the essence of the dialogue is lost in translation... So if you can't understand kannada and u are going to watch the movie with subtitles then you may not appreciate it as much....

The music by Mano Murthy is definitely commendable - almost all the songs are very melodious and hummable...with very meaningful lyrics too! The playback singers sonu nigam, sunidhi, shreya ghoshal and kunal ganjawala add their special touch to the songs of course...The most unexpected moment and the best part of the film is its climax which is one of the realistically best endings that I have seen in a long time... No wonder the movie is still running packed houses... I hope we get to see more of such high quality kannada movies in future!

Taare zameen par

One of the nicest movies that I have seen this year. Apart from the fact that it is pretty lengthy, everything else about the movie is amazing. After a long time we have a hindi movie which doesn't deal with the same old crap of rebirth, love and romance and is entertaining at the same time... The story is different, which everyone can relate to and very heart warming...and just like 'Chak de' even this had a strong message with it... I guess bollywood movies which try to convey a message to the society seem to click with the audience :)

I went to watch it with high expectations after reading all the reviews (and the fact that it wasnt hyped like OSO or saawariya!) and it really didnt disappoint me. I have loved Aamir khan as an actor since the days of QSQT and now he has done a good job as a debutant director too. The kid, Darsheel Safary (Ishaan awasthi) is truly brilliant. He has very well portrayed the emotions of a 9yr old kid who suffers from dyslexia... at least as a first time actor, I felt he was great! Aamir (as Ram shankar nikumbh) walks in after the intermission and takes the movie to a different level. He could have cut down a few details in the movie to reduce it to 2hrs and still managed to keep it as good... the length just made me a bit restless towards the end...

Coming to Shankar-ehsaan-loy's music, at first when I heard the songs during the movie, they didnt appeal to me much... but later when I downloaded the songs.. i realized quite a few are awesome... The songs raise the emotional content of the movie to a great extent... very soft and melodious. I have got so addicted to 'Kholo kholo darwaze...' and 'Jame raho...' that they are the only 2 songs on my playlist currently and I keep listening to them all thru the day :)

Anyways, this movie hardly needs any recommendation.... am sure it has generated enough curiosity for people to go and watch it...

Read more about him and his movie on his blog - http://www.aamirkhan.com/blog.htm

A fish called wanda

It's a very old movie released in the year 1988 *ing Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline and John Cleese. Brilliant cast, Brilliant script and Brilliant direction!

One of the greatest comedies that I have seen in a long time. It is so perfectly made that at no point during the movie did I feel that 'oh it could have been better'! The performances are just awesome, above criticism and comedy timings are way too perfect. Kevin Kline really stands out all thru the movie.. no wonder that he won an academy award for the best supporting actor role. The movie has a very common plot- a boy meets girl kind of romance with a gang of 4 people trying to pull off a robbery; of course all of it with a lot of comedy. But what's different is the way it is scripted and enhanced with brilliant acting by all 3 of them.

There are so many funny quotes from this movie, but something that I can't forget and makes me laugh everytime I think about it is this line told by Wanda (Jamie Lee Curtis) to Otto (Kevin Kline) when he keeps telling her 'Dont call me stupid'... :-))

"Oh, right, to call you stupid would be an insult to stupid people! I've known sheep that could outwit you! I've worn dresses with higher I.Q.s!"

I don't want to give out too much about the movie for people who havent seen it but if you havent watched it then you are missing something!

Om Shanti Om...

The movie is everything but shanti! Over-hyped would be clearly an understatement. I am glad I didnt spend a single penny to watch it... Saw it on a dvd and had the privilige to fast fwd those painfully-boring-un-hummable songs which were just packed into the movie for the heck of it and had no connection with the story whatsoever.

When I had watched Farah Khan's directorial debut 'Main Hoon Na' I thought it was pretty bad and overly dramatic... But after seeing OSO I feel MHN was way better.. at least it was entertaining. There is absolutely nothing new in this movie. The story is the same old one about rebirth/reincarnation which has already been used in hundreds of bollywood movies.. The transformation from Om Prakash to Om Kapoor in the second half isn't handled well and is far from convincing. Coming to music, the only song worth listening to is 'Aankhon mein teri...' And I still fail to understand what Farah was trying to do with the 30+ bollywood stars in the song Deewangi... Akshay Kumar's 'Return of Khiladi' shown in the movie is priceless! Watch the movie and you will know what i'm talking about :) Shreyas talpade is quite funny in the first half but he is wasted completely in the second half.. Deepika Padukone hyped to be the next super star in bollywood does nothing to shine as an actress.. She defnitely looks awesome with those excellent 70's costumes in first half and the modern look in the second .. but is that all?? we want to see some acting too!!

Lessons learnt :)
- If a movie is heavily marketed, there's not going to be much substance in it!
- You can market/sell any crap in bollywood!

100th post...

This marks my 100th post since I created my blog! When I started writing, I had never thought I would continue to write for so long.. but am glad I did and hope to keep it more frequent in the future :)

I had a lot of things in mind to blog about, over the past 2 weeks but the lack of internet access at home kept me out of the blogging world. (Yeah, my office blocks even blogger sites!) Yet another instance which made me realize how dependent I have become, on technology..... Cell phone and internet - two things which I feel I cannot live without :)

I watched this movie 'Ratatouille' over the weekend. Felt good watching an animation movie after a long time. A fun movie, which keeps you entertained thru out. The movie is all about a rat named Remy which dreams of becoming a great chef despite being a "Rat" and also his family's disapproval. But fate does give him a chance... at one of the finest restaurants in Paris... and thats where the story is all about... Overall a very hilarious movie.. but I felt it could have been cut short by at least 20-30 mins.. the last bit seemed to be very dragging and I lost interest in the story at some point... It was the animation part that kept me hooked on till the end...

Another good part about the weekend was this english play that i watched at Rangashankara, called 'Flame of the Forest', directed by Gowri Ramanarayan. It was something totally different from all the plays that I had seen so far.... it was a combination of dance, music and drama. The carnatic music and bharatnatyam were the best part of the play.. it suited the context really well. The story is adapted from Kalki's immortal classic 'Sivakamiyin Shapatam' and set in the medieval period.. during the time of Pallavas and Chalukyas. One of the drawbacks according to me was the length of the play. I felt it could have been cut short by half an hour and it would still remain equally impactful. The story started off by focusing on 'Paranjyoti', the general in the Pallava army.. but only at the end I realized that it was all about the court dancer Sivakami, in Mahendra Pallava's kingdom, Kanchi. This was another confusing aspect. That apart, the acting was brilliant, well carried out by the dancer and the vocalist..

Overall a really good play and I would highly recommend it...

Mani Ratnam...Movies...

After some music and books, now it's time for movies.

Mani Ratnam needs no introduction... most of us will agree that he is one of the finest directors of indian cinema. I have been a great fan of Mani Ratnam and always had this desire to own the entire collection of his movies with me, especially the tamil movies. Now am glad that I have about 10 of them :) About 3 weeks back I watched these 2 tamil movies - "Mouna Ragam" and "Kannathil Muthamittal".... now I am an even bigger fan of his!

Mouna Ragam - means 'silent music' or 'silent symphony'. It can be regarded as one of his best movies ever - featuring Revathi, Mohan and Karthik.. all classy actors. Music by Illayaraja is brilliant. (for those who haven't heard...the title song of Cheeni Kum has the same music as that of the title song of Mouna Ragam.. ) The story is a simple one... which is probably told many times in lots of movies... about a woman is forced into an arranged marriage and lives with her husband in delhi... but is still in love with her boyfriend, a gangster who was shot dead in front of her at the registrar office on the day they were supposed to get married. The screenplay, direction and cinematography are AWESOME ... no wonder that it won a lot of awards. Supposedly this movie is also his first commercially success one. If you are a fan of south indian movies and mani ratnam especially, then this is a must watch..

Kannathil Muthamittal - means 'A peck on the cheek'. A recent movie featuring Madhavan, Nandita Das and Simran... again all classy actors.. I felt it's a very different story... deals with the emotions of an adopted child (i guess she is around 10 yrs) , who feels betrayed and goes in search of her biological mother. The story is set in the backdrop of the riots and militancy in SriLanka. The theme of the movie is very thought provoking.... There is no need for me to say anythign about the direction, cinematography etc... he won the "Swarna Kamal" award for this film, from the President APJ Abdul Kalam...

The best part is that each of his movies has a unique theme... and each one is different in its own way..... He is also known to extract best and natural performances from child actors... Shamili in Anjali and Keerthana in Kannathil Muthamittal both won National awards. It's also intersting to note that he has a kid in almost all of his movies... not necessarily as the main character...

His movies that I've seen so far and admired...

• Anjali (nominated to the Oscars..... always tops my list)
• Roja
• Alai Payuthe
• Bombay
• Uyirae (Dil Se in hindi)
• Kannathil Muthamittal
• Mouna Ragam
• Yuva (Aayitha Ezuthu)
• Guru

The ones in the pipeline.. that I am soon going to watch...

• Iruvar
• Agni Nakshatram
• Nayagan
• Pallavi Anupallavi (Kannada movie starring Anil kapoor)
• Thiruda Thiruda
• Dumm Dumm Dumm
• Geethanjali

I guess there is no movie of his that I may 'not like'... probably like it a little less than few of his others... truly a versatile and a brilliant director!!

Random thoughts....

It's so true that too much of anything is always too bad! It's been 5 and a half weeks of break now, after my graduation. The busy life at ISB had always kept me longing for a fully-relaxed-long-break... but now I feel I have had too much of it already!! I am waiting to get busy all over again.. I want to be loaded with work... I want some stress back in life... I want things to keep me on my toes always!! 12 more days to join work and I'm eagerly looking forward to starting a new phase! Grass is always greener on the other side... I am sure a few months down the line, I'll be the one to write here again that I need a break! :) My friends who are working, say that they envy my current state... but less they understand how tough it's for me to figure out how to spend my time every single day!

One thing that ISB has taught me in the last 1 year is that 24 hours in a day is a LOT!! If I look back at those days, I get amazed at the number of things I used to do in a single day.. and whole lot of stuff that I have done in that 1 year. I wish, one more year down the line, I can say the same thing!! I guess it's time to make a checklist......

My blog off late has been looking like a page of movie reviews. Well... that shouldn't be too surprising 'coz watching movies is what I've been doing mostly! I happen to watch this newly released movie yesterday - Life in a METRO. I was eagerly waiting to watch this 'coz there was Konkona Sen in it.. I was a little disappointed as it wasn't all that great or anything different. The theme was very similar to the movie "Crash"... 4 stories run in parallel, their lives interspersed and come together at one place at the end. The movie tried to show some unconventional relationships that can probably be seen these days... I guess the effort was to keep the story practical but it failed to create much impact at the end. However, the performances of Konkona Sen, Irfan khan and Kay kay menon have been awesome, as usual! The music is by a new band (i'm not aware of the name) which is pretty good but there are just too many songs included and it gets very streotyped towards the end...