Wake up Sid!

After watching the disastrous What's your rashee? last week, I was very doubtful about watching this one. Especially since it was from a new director, a 24 year old one for that. Well, but I convinced S because wanted to check out Ranbir Kapoor and the presence of Konkona in the movie somehow re-assured me. Well, I am glad I decided to watch the movie.

Its very hard not to like the movie. Its a young coming-of-age movie of a young guy, Sid and the movie is all heart. Not witty or intense like Dil Chahta hai, but the movie has a young fresh innocence about it and it will definitely appeal to all urban youth. I am sure everybody will identify with some part of Sid and Aisha. The star of the movie is Ranbir Kapoor. Not only does he look great - but his portrayal of Sid makes you fall in love with this character, it is hard to remain indifferent to Sid in the movie. It is a slow, refreshing movie - no twists or turns, no intense drama, maybe that's why it seems realistic. Ranbir Kapoor more than delivers - I was really smitten by him at the end of the movie. And a pat on the back to the casting director of the movie - he chose the cast well, they were perfect for each role.

Watch it for Ranbir and Ayaan (the director). I am surprised that a 24 year old can really make a movie like this. If you notice closely, the director has paid attention to details - and that's one of the reasons why the movie works.

-Moi

Song of the day: Iktara
Mood of the day: tired.

Kaminey

Vishal Bharadwaj has done it again! Given a movie that is so different from the mindless crap that directors keep dishing out week after week. I have to say that it does not live up to all the hype created – nevertheless, in Charlie’s words it is a muft watch!

It is a dark, funny movie that addresses so many socio-political issues in India today. From AIDS awareness to Raj Thakarey’s Marathi Manoos – to corruption, he shows it all in the movie. It is an ‘A’ rated movie – and I think rightly so. Well, let’s talk about the good stuff. Vishal Bharadwaj – he is the strength of the movie. Direction, music, lyrics, dialogues and photography are flawless in the movie. Acting wise – each and every character in the movie has acted brilliantly. Shahid Kapoor is brilliant as the twins – Charlie and Guddu, both with speech disorders. Even the narration of the movie is done with a lifp J. Priyanka Chopra is a surprise treat to watch as Sweety, a feisty Maharashtrian gal – she is so endearing as this high – strung confused yet absolutely relatable character. She packs a punch in every scene that she is in and her chemistry with Guddu is just great. Mikhail, Amole Gupte as Bhope are all memorable characters. The background music of the movie in the first half is just fabulous. Every time Dhan Te Nan plays in the background – the heart beats faster and the movie races further. The pace of the movie is what is different about it. By the time the first half is over – you are exhausted in a good way ‘cos you have been at the edge of your seat in every scene. The dialogues are witty and great – humorous when they are not meant to be. And there is no spoon-feeding, the audience is compelled to pay attention and has to make out the twists and turns on their own.

After almost a perfect first half, the pace of the movie falls a bit flat in the second one. After the action packed first half, you end up expecting better from the second half – but here I think the movie falters a bit. It becomes slow and all the bits and pieces come together and culminate to a climax which is crazy, unexpected and funny in a way. The second half lets you a down a little bit. That’s what I felt. The flashback scenes between Charlie and Guddu were half-baked and hardly convincing.

But all being said, I wish this movie does well. I wish it for Vishal Bharadwaj’s sake and also to prove that Indian audiences are ready for a different film, a different genre than just a hero and heroine falling in love. It is an original movie – and a few scenes in the movie just stand out as brilliant. The scene where Sweety is trying to convince Guddu to marry her. The scene between Bhope bhau and Tope Bhau – it is just brilliant – reminding you of characters from movies like Pulp Fiction. The scene where Charlie realizes that he has stolen a police car no less to get away. These brilliant moments are what make the movie interesting and funny. Kudos to Vishal Bharadwaj to not falling prey to the Bollywood bandwagon of commercialism and being true to himself and taking the simple concept of comedy of errors and make it into a fast paced – high strung cinema.

- Moi

Mood of the day: Gloomy

Song of the day: Fatak!

Move over Omkara... Kaminey is here!

The only songs that I am listening to since the last two weeks at work – gym – car … the new album Kaminey. After Beedi and Namak Ishq ka (two of my fav songs) – I thought that Vishal Bharadwaj had reached his musical crescendo – and then he comes out with Kaminey! It was love at first hearing :). It’s a great album – and he has Gulzar saab penning down the lyrics, well expect better than the best!

The first song in the album “Dhan Te Nan” – well like I said in my last post – it is addictive – the song starts full force. There is no time for the listener to get used to the beat and force of the music – you tumble into the song headlong. Aaja aaja dil nichode, raat ki matki todein, koi good luck nikale, aaj gullak to phodein. Who else but Gulzar can come up with such lines about squeezing the heart to find some stroke of good luck? Many times I wonder how he mixes English and Hindi words in such a meaningful manner. Take this - aaja ki one way hai yeh zindagi ki gali ek hi chance hai, aage hava hi hava hai agar saans hai to yeh romance hai. If James Bond was an Indian character and it was to be made in Hindi – Dhan te Nan would be its signature music. It reminds me of the 80’s movies, especially the Bacchan movies, where this music would be played in the background when a good cop is chasing a bad guy! Totally riveting. Sukhwinder Singh and Vishal Dadlani – great job!

The next song is a sweet romantic number by Mohit Chauhan (of Masakalli fame): Pehli Baar Mohabbat – the lyrics somehow remind me of Gulzar’s Mera Kuch Saaman. It is a lovely song – with beautiful lyrics khwab ke bojh se, kap kapati hui, halki palkain teri, yaad aata hai sab tujhe gudgudana, satana, yun hi sote hue, gaal pe teepna, meechna bewajah besabab. yaad hai peepal ke jiske ghane saaye the, hunme gilhari ke jhoote matar khaaye the and makes you fall in love with Pehli baar mohabbat ki hai, aakhri baar mohabbat ki hai.

The first time I listened to the next song “Fatak”, I did not pay too much attention to the lyrics as I was still recovering from “Dhan te Nan” – but then slowly realized the brilliance of the song. Ke Bhavra bhavra aaaya re… fatak ...ke gun gun karta aaye re…fatak! But as you approach to the end of the song – you realize that the ‘bhavra’ in the song is a metaphor for AIDS – and it is a song dedicated to AIDS awareness. Gulzar has used Khusro in Ye ishq nahi aasan, aji aids ka khatra hai, patwaar pehan jaana, yeh aag ka dariya hai. It all made sense after listening to this. And the message is unmistakable and clear. Very aptly put - ye chipku hamesha satayega, yeh jaayega, phir laut aayega, khoon ke maile katre mein jaan ke saare khatar ke aaaya, ke aaaya. And darwazon mein kunde ko dafaa karo ye gunde, ye shaitaan ka saaya re.

Then comes the title song in the form of Kaminey. Vishal Bharadwaj himself does the honors of singing and boy, he does good! The song starts with kya kare zindagi isko hum jo miley iski jaan kha gaye raat din ke giley with a little music. It’s a song of introspection and deep meaning – it has great lyrics and you really have to hunt for the meaning. It talks of desires and deceptions, friendships and betrayals. And the beauty of the song is that it still gives hope in spite of sounding a dark song. Kabhi zindagi se maanga pinjare mein chand la do, kabhi lalten de ke kaha aasma pe taango does just that. It is not a cynical song – but it just reflects, vintage Gulzar.

Raat Ke Dhai Baje, I think is an apt ending to the album. It has a host of singers - Rekha Bhardwaj, Sunidhi Chauhan, Suresh Wadkar and Kunal Ganjawala. This song at the end of it leaves you with wanting for more of it. This album is a male singer dominated one unlike Omkara which gave Sunidhi and Rekha Bharadwaj their best songs. This is also a faster and less serious version of Pehli Baar Mohabbat Ki Hai. Surprisingly there is Suresh Wadkar singing here. When I first heard it – I had no clue what that guy was doing in the song. But then it grew on me as did the lyrics. Now, I think his piece kind of binds the whole song together. Raat kuch aisa hua jaisa hota toh nahi, thaam ke rakha mujhe main bhi khota toh nahi and then my fav part of the song - ek hi lat suljhane mein saari raat guzaari hai jaan ki gathri sar pe le li aapne kaisi zehmat dee hai.

- Moi

Mood of the day: Happy - (yay! its Friday)

Song of the day: Raat ke dhai baje (actually any of the above)

Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince!

Last weekend we watched the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Well, I was waiting for this movie – it was supposed to release last year but they pushed it off. Also, I was looking forward to the movie because this was I think the most important book ‘cos it sets the background for the last book (next two movies) – as it has so much information in the book. So was curious to see how they depict all that in the movie.

The movie is good – not great, but ok. After the fifth movie, I had high expectations from David Yates (I thought he did a great job with the fifth movie) – maybe that’s why it fell a bit flat. Well, I can’t expect to have all the details from a 652 page book fit into a 2 and a half hour movie – but I expected the most imp details to be in there. I was looking forward to seeing how they show the life of Voldemort. So much for my expectations – Voldemort did not as much make an appearance. Not enough ground was laid to carry the story forward in the next two movies. Well, some may argue that you cannot have all the details fit into the movie – well there were scenes that were introduced which are not a part of the book at all. Burning of the Weasley house? What happened? What was the significance of that? That house was supposed to be enchanted and secure enough for Harry to take refuge in. Dumbledore’s death was anything but spectacular – it did not tug at the heart strings at all. And the funeral part was missing – the imp part where the three characters decide the course of their mission – well it was not clear. And the most imp part of the book – Voldemort’s life – most of it was missing.

Well, now to move onto the good stuff. All the kids are grown and quite handsomely so. The acting also has improved a lot from the kids. The romance part was quite nicely dealt with – and it was a nice change from the dark heavy tone the movie sometimes tends to take. Hormones were raging at Hogwarts this year and it was entertaining to watch. The star was Ron – the dude acted well and was pretty funny. But even here there were discrepancies from the book, especially the romance between Ginny and Harry – maybe the thing that everybody was waiting for the most. Again it was very unclear as to what happened – more screen time dedicated to them would have been welcome!

All in all it was entertaining – though was not consistent with the book always. It will be interesting how the director will tie the loose threads in the coming movies. Also, from the fourth movie onwards a HP novice (somebody who has not read the books) will not be able to make much sense of the movie – just ‘cos it is not possible to record all the details. Well am waiting for the next movie to come out and want to check out how they split the book into two.

- Moi

Song of the day: Dhan Te Nan (what else - it is addictive stuff!)
Mood of the day: Sunny

Jagjit in concert!

This post was long due. But was putting it off for a long time now. We went to watch Jagjit Singh live in concert – just a week after we saw Bryan Adams.

I have never liked Jagjit Singh. I have nothing against poetry, or ghazals, but I just never liked him. I was never into ghazals and never in my life until a few years ago, was I exposed to ghazals or Urdu poetry. Yes, I never even read Ghalib back then. Well, as luck could have it, the Mister – big fan of Urdu poetry and Jagjit Singh. There was a time when all he listened to was ghazals and he read a lot of Urdu poetry too. He was the one who introduced me to Ghalib. Well, now I can say that I really like reading Ghalib. I absolutely love and devour his ghazals. But Jagjit Singh – I cannot come to appreciate.

Newho, the Mister had been trying to get me to like Jagjit for a long time. Well, I listen to him when I am forced to – and after all these years, I can even say that I like a few of his ghazals. The Mister since the past couple of years was trying to get me to agree to watch a Jagjit concert. I told him that he could always go alone and enjoy it – ‘cos I knew I wouldn’t appreciate or enjoy the concert. But he wanted me to come with him and share the experience (!) So, this time he somehow convinced me and bought the tickets, and one Friday evening we were at the Jagjit Singh concert. Well, I was surprised to see the turnout – quite a few Jagjit admirers in Chicago I must say. All the women dressed in their finest clothes – seeing all the bling around, for a minute I thought we were in the wrong place and there was a wedding going on instead – no, am not exaggerating. The Mister and I felt quite dowdy next to most of the people. Newho, it was still the beginning of spring – and was quite cold that night. Well, we entered the place where he was going to sing – and of course we had good seats – quite close to the stage. But what shocked me were the chairs. In India, the metal foldable chairs, that are usually found during marriages and functions, hard – metallic and cold – those were the kind of chairs that were there. The concert lasted for more than 4 hours. Well, for a 68 year old guy, it was great that he sang alone for about 4 hours. And also, he sounds better live than on a audio cassette :)

4 hours was a little too much for me. I was squirming in my seat – partly because they were sooo uncomfortable. But the Mister had a time of his life and he really enjoyed it. As for me, he was just happy that I did not fall asleep in my seat like the lady sitting in front of us. It was very funny, the lady dressed to the nines – bedecked with jewelry fell asleep half an hour into the concert :)

Song of the day: Sarakti jaaye (one of the few ghazals of Jagjit singh that I like)
Mood of the day: Happy!

P.S: check out http://ghazalrasik.blogspot.com – the Mister’s attempt at collecting ghazals that he likes and trying to interpret them.

Summer of 69!

I thought I would not blog about the Adam's concert - 'cos I thought I would not be able to put into words that experience (that happens with me - like the sky-diving experience, I never blogged about it - 'cos I cant put it into words), but decided to give it a try nevertheless.

Well, it was going to be a solo acoustic performance by Bryan Adams, no band - just him for 3 hours. I did not know what to expect as there was no band. I thought it would be more of him playing the guitar and a few songs here and there. I was definitely not prepared for what was to come. The show started at around 8:15pm - he came on to the stage. We had great seats - we were in the fifth row from the stage. I could even see the freckles and the stubble on his face - that's how close we were. He has a typical dry Canadian humor and he is a great performer.

All week I was wondering and asking the Mister what song would he open the concert with. Well, he started with 'Run to you' - it gave me goose bumps as he sang it. Even at 50, he looks great - he sings better! He was alone with the guitar and he sang continuously for 2 and a half hours. He plays brilliantly and he sings so well. He sang ALL the songs that I wanted him to sing. The only song that he missed was '18 till I die' but it was much much more and better than I expected.

Suddenly maybe after around 7-8 songs, he started 'Lets make a night to remember' - there was pin drop silence in the theater. He sang it so beautifully, I almost had tears in my eyes - no I am not exaggerating. That is like my fav Bryan Adams song and the way he sings it - so sincerely and with so much passion, just wants to make me cry. I was again a teenager, when I was totally in love with Bryan Adams.

In the middle of the concert - he sang his favorite and his most popular 'Summer of 69' - the whole theater was on their feet clapping and singing along with him. It was electrifying - he really is as good. I couldn't believe I was listening to this song live. He sang all the good ones -
'Run to you', Please forgive me, Everything I Do, Cuts like a Knife, All for love, Cloud number 9, Have you ever really loved a woman, Heaven, Can't stop this thing we started and many more. He even sang 'The only thing that looks good on me is you'. I really felt like I died and went to heaven.

Wow - writing about that evening makes me feel excited all over again. My hands were sore from clapping and the throat was hurting from all the yelling. For 3 whole days, I had the Bryan Adams hangover and dreamt about him. He still looks hot and he is a hell of a guy!! I am again totally enamoured by him. It was definitely a night I will remember forever!

- Moi

Mood of the day: Undecisive
Song of the day: Have you ever really loved a woman (go listen to it - NOW!)

Of Bulls and Bryan Adams!

What a great time it is for the Bulls fans and the cricket fans.

Go Bulls! – Each one of the play-off games was a treat to watch. It was great to see the underdogs triumph over the defending champions. It was a great game last night and I think Bulls really deserved to win though Ray Allen almost single handedly did it for the Celtics. Wow… what a game it was!! 3 OTs!!

I pray to the Basketball gods, Bulls should win in Boston on Saturday… that would be the icing on the cake. However imperfect and young the team is – they know how to fight!!

And on the other side of the world, IPL is providing equal amount of excitement and fervor. Since the past couple of weeks, my days are just filled with watching sports. Am having a great time watching the IPL – being a part of all the controversies, the excitement – it’s pure masala entertainment all the way!

On a totally different note – we are going to a Bryan Adams concert next weekend! Yay!! – It was a dream of mine during my engineering/college days to watch him live – ONCE!! I am uber-excited!!

Lots to look forward to… GO BULLS!!

- Moi

Song of the day: Cloud number Nine (what else!!)

Mood of the day: Did I already say it ? - Excited.

Slumdog Millionaire!

Yes - Rahman has done it - he has won the Golden Globe for his music for Slumdog Millionaire and the movie took the major awards - best director, best movie and the music. Awesome!! Anil Kapoor and Shahrukh Khan made their presence felt at the awards show.

Yeah - am sooo happy - 'cos I really loved the movie!

- Moi

Random!

This is just a random post - Post Christmas - the office is haunted and yes I am working. Well, I don't feel too bad - easy commute, not too much work, slow day, don't have to wait for the microwave at lunch time - some perks!

On another note, high for today: A R Rehman is nominated for the Golden Globes for his music score for the movie "Slumdog Millionaire" - as I said in my prev. post here, the music was really groovy, I did not know when I was watching the movie that it was a Rehman score, and I was like the background score is really good, wonder who the music director is - and reading the title credits at the end of the movie - I was not surprised! I hope he does win!!

- Moi

Mood for the day: Relaxed
Song for the day: Maula maula mere maula - Dostana

Rab ne bana di jodi!

Yesterday we went to watch the movie "Rab ne bana di jodi" - this is not a review of the movie, 'cos I think the movie does not even deserve a review.

The movie was bad- we did not like it one bit and I was really bored - cliched scenes and over the top dialogues. One dialog in the movie - "Mujhe tum mein rab dikhta hai" - this is the central dialog of the movie. All the characters keep telling this to each other "Mujhe tum mein rab dikhta hai".

Well, I was maha-bored, and we were basically making fun of the movie, laughing and generally having a good time. I turn to the Mister and ask him "Kya tumko mujh mein rab dikhta hai?"
Promptly he turned to me and said "Haan dikhta hai na - mujhe tum mein Durga dikhti hai!"
Priceless!!

-Moi

Songs - of the other kind!

There are some songs that you like – some that you love. And then there are other songs – which always bring back memories of moments or of people.

Songs that you always associate with certain people, certain incidents, certain times, certain memories. Songs that create moments - create memories. Here is a list of a few of such songs and what they mean to me. Every time I listen to any of these songs, everything comes back to me in a rush, bringing back all my thoughts and experiences associated with them.

1. O humdum suniyo re…

I love this movie, I love the songs of this movie – he left it on the voice message of my phone once – it was one of my ‘awww…’ moments

2. Gumshuda… koi hua

Voice chat over yahoo… he used to play this song on his end, when I went to India without him

3. Chandan sa badan…

He sang the whole song for me in a train ride going home – I don’t think he remembers it but I do

4. Janu meri jaan (replaces janu with my nick name)

Sings it every time I am angry with him

5. Chalte Chalte (from the movie Chalte Chalte)

I remember one of my friends when I listen to this song – ‘cos he got very sentimental one day listening to this

6. Pyar ke liye char pal kam nahi the

I remember one of my gal friends during my master’s who was going through a bad phase with her then-boy friend. This song was playing and she just started crying

7. Who the f*** is Alice?

Reminds me of my dear friend from engineering – ah those were the days!

8. Pal Pal dil ke paas

Always reminds me of my sister – when we were kids we always listened to the radio in the night before we fell asleep – and this song used to play a lot on the radio and she used to just love this song

9. Everything I do – I do it for you!

Somebody anonymously dedicated this song to me in the college fest – always makes me wonder who it was when I listen to this song

10. That’s the way it is – Celine Dion

Reminds me of a time in my own life when I really believed in this song and loved it … played it over and over just to reinforce the faith

11. Aye ganpat…

Reminds me of the road trip to the Smokies – the drive is a whole 10 hours and I think this song was playing on loop for at least 5 out of the 10 hours J

12. Ek akela is shehar mein

Reminds me of my first year in the US and a dear friend who was engaged. Her fiancé had gifted her with a cd of his favorite hindi movie songs. She was never a fan of Hindi movie music. Eventually, I ended up listening to that cd more than she ever did. This song was the first song in that cd – and I will always remember her when I listen to this song.

13. Bavra man dekhne chala ek sapna (Swanand Kirkire’s version)

This is a beautiful song- one of my favs. I listened to the songs from this movie quite late as I watched this movie quite late. I remember I watched this movie alone, and was very depressed after watching it, and when this song played I almost cried.

14. I just called to say I love you…

I remember this song – my first year in the US - my roomies (equally crazy as me) and me were trying to learn this song one night– playing it line after line, pausing it, repeating after it – and we finally learn the whole song by heart by 3.00 am in the morning. The three of us were singing so loudly and excitedly, the neighbor had to knock at our door at 3:00am and had to ask us stop :D.

15. That don’t impress me much

Again reminds me of my sis and me when we were in India – we really liked this song – and Shania Twain was hot.

16. Actually any Bryan Adams or Pink Floyd songs reminds me of my college days. I really really miss the happy-go-lucky, don't have a care in the world days.


- Moi

P.S: In the first 4 songs – the “he” refers to the Mister

Raindrops on roses...!

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things

When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad

How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man?
Yes, 'n' how many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes, 'n' how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they're forever banned?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

How many years can a mountain exist
Before it's washed to the sea?
Yes, 'n' how many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free?
Yes, 'n' how many times can a man turn his head,
Pretending he just doesn't see?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

- Bob Dylan

1 Minute Movie!!

I love Hindi movies – but I think that the 80’s was the worst phase of Indian Cinema aka Bollywood, when movies were made which were mostly family dramas and had really crappy people in the name of actors like Mithun Chakaraborthy, Raj Kiran, Raj Babbar etc

After watching an endless amount of such movies mostly on Doordarshan I think this is a list of the salient points that most of the movies consisted. Most of the movies would contain at least 1 to all of these stereotypes. Read this for those who don’t have the time to see them all.

1. The elderly woman with the saree pallu draped around her head and a big red bindi denotes a chaste pati vrata naari , indulgent mother and wonderful cook who whips up 75 course meals with her smile and pallu intact and without a drop of perspiration. She has witnessed first hand the battle of Mahabharatha and the unfolding of the Ramayan. Preferred background score when she is around: The sweet sound of Bansuri or Flute! Visualise Nirupa Roy – she was the quintessential mom of Bollywood.

2. A frail old man in a kurta pyjama is almost always the father who works hard at the villain’s factory for a pittance. He is a sincere and dedicated worker who sticks to his job even though he has not been paid for the past 72 years! He suffers from a chronic cough that may be used to kill him off if the script demands. Preferred background scores for Pitaji: A mournful violin recital. Visualise A.K Hangal or Shriram Lagoo – they fit the role perfectly.

3. If their daughter is shown plain and with a cherubic character, then she is sure to get raped by the villain so that her brother, the hero has enough ammo to go after the villain. She will commit suicide after she vomits.

4. If the sister is shown wearing short mini skirts and revealing clothes then she is a bad bad girl and will surely fall under the charm of the villain’s sidey and get pregnant. Hearing this father will suffer a heart attack and die leaving the family destitute. The sister will turn a new leaf overnight and wear simple cotton sarees and begins going to the temple morning, evening and night. She will eventually marry the father of her child after the last scene when the Hero beats him up black and blue and is about to crush his head with a rock the size of Mt Abu. She will intervene just before the Hero crushes his head by imploring the Hero to spare the father of her unborn son or crush her too with the ten tonner of a rock. The father of the unborn child is immediately due to a chemical reaction, transformed into a good man who will promptly agree to marry her without a DNA test of the baby.

5. Then there is the hero of the movie, with perfectly black, oiled hair and big sideburns. Wears extremely tight pants and a shirt with the top two buttons open. He is a model son, a model student, a model brother, a model boyfriend – you get the drift. There will definitely be a rakhi scene with a bhai-behen ka pyar song. Visualise Raj Babbar, Mithun Chakraborthy etc

6. A woman in a saree with her eyebrows shaped in a sharp arc is the vixen of the piece. Her make up is harsh so that you don’t mistake her to be the loving mother. And to drive home the point that she is the villainess of the piece, the preferred background scores for her will wear out the cymbals and drums of the background orchestra. Visualise Bindu or Aruna Irani

7. The gal who arrives into the camera frame in slow motion, tossing her hair to some electric music is the Heroine. The Hero instantly falls in love with her. She instantly dislikes him. Then they sing a song picturized around ten International Gardens spanning seven countries. She falls in love with him after the song is over. Then they introduce themselves. Visualise Leena Chandravarkar or Anita Raj (if you know who she is J)

8. The man with the really bad sun glasses and cheap Cigar is the villain! He will sit on a papier-mâché throne in front of a bar with foreign scotch whiskey bottles filled with what looks like weak tea surrounded by a bevy of beauties called Mona, Monica, Ruby and Julie, not necessarily in that order. Visualise Ajit, Pran, Prem Chopra etc

9. The Villain will almost always kidnap the Heroine and keep her captive in a dilapidated fort or some ruined building with time bombs ticking. The fort has huge walls with "Raja loves Rani" and "Jesus saves!" kinda scribbling all over.

10. The hero comes to the rescue of the heroine and beats up the bad guys like no tomorrow. All the desi ghee and makhan ka khana that the mom fed him all these years helps him flex his muscles and fight away everybody.

11. The mother of all battles happen in the last scene when the dilapidated fort is made further bereft of huge rocks that the Hero takes to throw at the Villain and his hired men.

12. The Police arrive at the fag end of the movie without an FIR being filed. This is a miracle of sorts in India and happens only in Hindi movies. They will immediately spot and arrest the baddies from the milling crowd of people beating each other to pulp. Visualise Iftikhar in a jeep with 10 other police people in their Khakhi uniforms.

13. Hero and heroine are immediately beamed up to a marriage pandal where they smile coyly, bedecked, at the camera and the legend “THE END” with flowers in the background.

And the audiences feel genuinely happy it is over!

- Moi

Jodha-Akbar

I watched the movie like 2 weeks ago and I know I am late in writing a review-but life was just too busy these last couple of weeks. So here goes-

I was waiting to watch this Gowariker movie since I heard about it first. I really liked the last two movies of Gowariker and wanted to check out whether he was really a good film-maker or just a flash in the pan. Hrithik Roshan being in the movie was a huge plus – needless to say am a big Hrithik fan. The movie released, the reviews were encouraging. But the duration of the movie was a daunting 3hrs 40mins, I was very dubious and I thought that Hrithik does not have the flair in him to carry off a strong historical figure like Akbar. I went to watch the movie with zero expectations, I was sure I would fall asleep half through the movie.

Well, I am glad to say that I enjoyed the movie every bit. The 3hrs 40mins did not seem too long at all and all the praise should go to Ashutosh Gowariker as a film maker. Also, I loved Hrithik Roshan in the movie. He delivered. He was brilliant as Akbar and gave a stellar performance. He looked like a Greek God. The cinematography was laudable; the sets were rich, extravagant and extremely beautiful. The battle scenes as well as the most tender of the scenes are shot with equal aplomb and detail. The battle scenes though lifted from “Troy” were magnificent. Aishwarya Rai was surprisingly good as Jodha. She looked beautiful as a Rajput princess – and managed to give a decent enough performance.

Rehman’s music and background score as usual are impeccable. Though music is not the main focus of the movie, the background score was an integral part. Only 5 songs – but all the songs were important. Azeem-o-shah was picturised very well. In lamhon ke daaman – has become my favorite now.

The real star of the movie was undoubtedly Gowariker. His sincerity and hard work shows in the movie. It is by no measure a flawless movie, but definitely a laudable effort to capture the magnificence of the Mughal empire. The sets were huge, the jewelry opulent – but never does the focus shift from the intent of the movie. It is not a historical movie – it’s a love story set in the Mughal era. I think it’s all the more hard to depict – because it’s a story between historical characters that was never documented, maybe never even existed. The love story between them is built very delicately. The scenes between them, how their love blossoms, and how they start respecting each other – I found it really cute without being over the top and cheesy! The way it was shown was very fresh, delicate and nuanced and definitely makes you smile. It’s a totally feel-good movie.

All in all, I enjoyed the movie and Gowariker seems to be a very down-to-earth, sincere film maker. I have new found respect for Hrithik Roshan who has the range to play a super hero, a retarted adult, and also Akbar with the same conviction. Kudos!!

-Moi

Saawariya/OSO

Saturday was a movie marathon for me. Watched the matinee show of Saawariya and the evening show of OSO.

Saawariya: Sanjay Leela Bhansali has given a major disaster of a movie. The movie is set in an imaginary town which can be found nowhere on the map, where the whole town is painted blue, the houses and buildings stand by wide canals where gondolas go rowing by, there are fresh water potholes in the shape of jigsaw puzzle. The story of the movie was based on the short story “White Nights”. The story was decent – the execution was terrible. The sets, the grandeur, the opulence overpowered everything and everybody in the movie. If SLB had given half the attention to the characters that he gave to the sets, he could have salvaged the movie. Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor give terrible performances – it is all the directors fault. Sonam Kapoor is tall, dark and handsome; Ranbir Kapoor is fair, dimpled and has a good body – no I did not mix up the hero and the heroine – that’s how they actually are. Everybody has given over the top performances – Sonam Kapoor comes across as delusional – it almost seems as if she making up the character of Imaan and he does not really exist– now that would have actually made an interesting plotline. Ranbir Kapoor imitates Raj Kapoor, and he has been given the tramp look – and he hams terribly. Salman Khan looks scary in the movie – he might have mistaken it to be a horror movie – what with all the blue sets set in the dark – and the heroine wearing long dark robes. The sutradhaar of the movie – Gulabji (Rani Mukherji) – was the only character that the audience could relate with – she did a good job – but her costumes and make up were extremely irritating. If the director is such an aesthetic genius, somebody please explain how can Rani Mukherji and the rest of her clan dancing in colorful chiffon sarees (that are seen on display windows of stores in balanagar), baring their navels look aesthetic. All in all the movie is terrible, the characters never make sense and fail to connect with the audience – SLB attempted to make a fantasy movie – and failed miserably. If SLB called his last movie “Black” he could have definitely called this one “Blue”. In Gulabji’s words – I don’t likes!!

OSO: After watching Saawariya – believe me you will like any movie. I think Saawariya is going to boost OSO’s collections and Farah Khan must be thanking her stars that the movies released on the same date. The movie, as much advertised, is a reincarnation drama along with being a spoof on the 70’s bollywood cinema. The movie is an out and out entertainer. Farah Khan has come a long way since Main Hoon Na – this was a far better movie than Main Hoon Na! The movie does not follow any logic, the director does not display any intellectualism and the story does not hold too many surprises – it is a typical bollywood masala movie, which does not pretend to be otherwise. SRK is lovable in the first half, in the second half he overacts a tad, but is bearable. The first half is set in the 70’s and the scenes related to the-then movies are hilarious. Deepika Padukone looks stunningly beautiful and has good screen presence. Its been a long time since I liked a heroine so much in a movie – she is treat to the eyes. The songs are great and picturized very well. The second half of the movie is ultra-glamorous what with half of the Bollywood stars making an appearance – it is a treat to watch. The movie is not long and boring – it has a few good laughs, good songs, and beautiful faces – a definite entertainer time pass!!

-Moi

Songs of the day: Raah dekhe - Shubha Mudgal
Mathura nagarpati tum kaahe gokul jaao - Shubha Mudgal

Beautiful songs !!

Chhan se jo toote koi sapna ... !

Chan Se jo toote koi sapna
Jag soona soona lage
Jag soona soona lage

Koi rahe na jab apna
Jag soona soona lage
Jag soona soona lage
Jag soona soona

Hai to yeh kyun hota hai
Jab yeh dil rota hai
Roye sisak sisak ki hawayein
Jag soona lage

Chan Se jo tute koi sapna
Jag soona soona lage
Jag soona soona lage

Koi rahe na jab apna
Jag soona soona lage
Jag soona soona lage reeeeeeeee

Soona Lage Reee

Roothi roothi sari raatein
Fikhe fikhe sare din
Virani si Virani hai
Tanhai si tanhai hai
Aur ek hum hai pyaar ke bin
Har Palchin

Chan Se jo tute koi sapna
Jag soona soona lage
Jag soona soona lage

Koi rahe na jab apna
Jag soona suna lage
Jag soona suna lage

Patharo ki is nagari mein
Pathar chehre Pathar dil
Phirta hai mara mara
Kyun rahon mein tu awara
Yahan na hoga Kuch hasil mere dil

Chan Se jo tute koi sapna
Jag soona soona lage
Jag soona soona lage

Koi rahe na jab apna
JAg soona soona lage
Jag soona soona lage

Hai to yeh kyun hota hai
Jab yeh dil rota hai
Roye sisak sisak ki hawayein
Jag soona lage

Chan Se jo tute koi sapna
Jag soona soona lage
Jag soona soona lage

Koi rahe na jab apna
Jag soona soona lage
Jag soona soona lage reeeeeeeee

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan rocks!

Laaga Chunari Mein Daag...!

SPOILER ALERT!! – Plot of the movie might be given away so if you have not watched the movie stop reading the blog right now!

I watched this movie yesterday evening… in the morning I read the reviews on rediff and ibnlive (I never do read reviews but I was just very curious and wanted to read how the critics had applauded the movie) and to my extreme surprise read the movie being trashed by every major newspaper. So we went to the movie with zero expectations, and just becos we had already booked the tickets online and could not cancel them…. And boy was I glad I went!!

The movie starts with Benares in the backdrop and it is the story of a family with moderate means. Rani Mukherji and Konkana Sen Sharma are the two sisters who sing away their blues, their relationship in the movie has been shown very realistically and sensitively. Being a big loather of stereotypes, I found this movie to be free of clichés and stereotypes. I expected the movie would be an emotional, melodramatic, tear jerking saga of Vibhavari Sahay from Benares who goes on to become a call girl, (an ‘escort’ as they have called her in the movie) Natasha in the big bad city of Mumbai. Emotional – yes it was, but what it was not was melodramatic and crude… it was a very sensitive and sensible depiction of the journey of the woman and her transformation was shown very sensibly and it was very subtle. Rani Mukherji has given a stellar performance again, and she looks gorgeous throughout the movie. Konkona Sen Sharma looks refreshing and has complemented Rani’s performance. She needs a special mention, ‘cos she has proved that she can be the quintessential Yashraj heroine and carry off the glamour effortlessly. Kunal Kapoor – I have said in my earlier blog that he is one hunk of a guy – he looks amazing … he rocks. Abhishek Bacchan double rocks. He does not have too much of a role, you can almost call it a cameo (just 2 songs and 2-3 scenes) but this man has got amazing screen presence and great style and panache. He has the grace of his father and can sweep anyone away with just his eyes. He shares great chemistry with Rani (I still think he shouldn’t have married Ash, he makes a better pair with Rani) and he is simply lovable in the movie.

But the star of the movie is definitely Pradeep Sarkar, the direction being simply immaculate. The movie has been directed very elegantly and has crisp editing. The director knew what he wanted to show in the movie, did not unnecessarily prolong scenes, did not extend anybody’s characters in the movie. Even big names like Abhishek Bacchan and Anupam Kher were given short but apt screen times and did not kill the movie with stereotypes, confrontations and melodrama. The movie has a great look, colorful yet not pompous; it is a technical treat. Pradeep Sarkar has proved yet again that he is a proficient story teller. A story that has been told a number of times before – inspite of that the director manages to offer something different. And this movie is a definite must watch.

-Moi

Song of the day: Kacchi kaliyan mat todo

If music be the food of love, play on.....

The songs in my playlist right now:

1. Aankhon mein teri ajab si ajab si – Om Shanti Om

A very soft romantic number from the much awaited Om Shanti Om – KK is excellent and it is easily the best number from the whole album

2. Dastaane om shanti om – Om Shanti Om

A haunting number which tells the story of the movie, reminiscent of “Ek hasina thi” from Karz

3. Jab se tere naina – Saawariya

A very soft romantic from another much awaited movie Saawariya, its got a young feel to it

4. Man kyo behka ri behka – Utsav

This is one of my absolute favs. One of the rare songs where both Lata and Asha share the playback- its an absolute gem of a song

5. Saathiya – Saathiya

I love all songs from this movie, I love Rani, I love Vivek Oberoi, I love Rehman, I love Gulzar…it’s a pet album of mine

6. Pardesiya – Mr.Natwarlal

Just for the love of Big B and Rekha…. A very youthful and peppy song featuring the great pair

7. Mohabbat bade naam ki cheez hai – Trishul

Like this song from trishul – don’t know why

8. Justuju jiski thi – Umrao Jaan

This is another oldie gem, the movie had all great songs, its very difficult to choose favorites, but Asha just hits the spot with this ghazal – absolute magic

9. Zindagi jab bhi – Umrao Jaan

Another song from the same movie, Talat Aziz has done only one good thing in his musical career, that being singing this song … its just beautiful

10. Saiyan dil mein aana re (remix)

It’s a great remix, one of the very few remixes that I absolutely love

11. Tere bina – Guru

It’s a Rehman masterpiece… this man is just God, and with Gulzar as the lyricist the song is just great, they are pure magic together

12. Radha kaise na jale – Lagaan

Another Rehman composition, very rural.. and Asha Bhonsle done a great job – as usual

13. Mera kuch saaman – Ijaazat

What can I say about this song? Ijaazat is inarguably one of the finest of Pancham’s compositions and probably the best of Gulzar's poetry. Four gorgeous solos, exquisitely crafted by RDB and lovingly sung by Asha with layered poetry by Gulzar. One realizes at such moments, that the whole sometimes is truly greater than the sum of its parts.

"Ek sau solaa chaand ki raaten ek tumhaare kaandhe ka til
gili mehendi ki khushboo, jhoot mooth ke shikve kuch
jhoot mooth ke vaade sab yaad karaa do
sab bhijvaa do, meraa woh saamaan lautaa do"

One hundred and sixteen moonlit nights, spent with you... the mole on your shoulder... the intoxicating smell of mehendi...the silly arguments and fights...the false promises made in mischief... I have left all this behind with you... send it back to me, send me all of that baggage!

I know the translation sounds a little silly, but you have to feel the song to love it!

14. Tujhse naaraz nahi zindagi – Masoom

This is an absolute personal favorite. This song is the reason that inspired me to write this blog. Gulzar’s evocative lyrics set to a simple and beautiful melody by R D Burman. The questions that life throws at us, ever so innocently.. and the storm of emotions and thoughts that we pass through as a result of it… its just beautiful!

"Tujhse naraaz nahin zindagi hairaan hoon main
Tere masoom sawaalon se pareshaan hoon main

jeene ke liye socha hi nahin, dard sambhaalne honge
muskuraayen to, muskuraane ke karz utaarne honge
muskuraaoon kabhi to lagtaa hai
jaise honton pe karz rakhhaa hai

aaj agar bhar aai hain, boondein baras jaayengii
kal kyaa pataa inke liye aankhen taras jaayengii
jaane kab ghum hua kahaan khoya
ek aansoo chhupaake rakhaa thaa

zindagi tere gham ne hamein rishte naye samjhaaye
mile jo hamein dhoop mein mile chhaon ke thande saaye.."

Film: Masoom (1982); Singer(s): Lata Mangeshkar, Anup Ghoshal; Lyrics: Gulzar; Music: R D Burman

"When I smile, I feel the smile weigh on my lips like a debt. When the tears flow, I don’t stop them, for my eyes might crave for those very tears tomorrow." Eloquent words that tug at our heartstrings… This song will always have a special place in my heart… for a number of reasons!!

- Moi

Mood of the day: Soulful