World of Minimuck

Take a turn!

2011-06-27T19:01:00.000-07:00

You can come up with 180 reasons as to why you dont want to watch or didnt like the movie. I can give you two words to watch and like it - "Technical Brilliance".
The movie is not great, yes, it is slow, predictable and cliched. In some scenes, you want to shout out "mokkai" ( i did :)) and the story is extremely weak. But nothing is perfect and we love imperfections.

It has been a long time since I watched a tamil movie on screen, simply because I was too tired and uninterested to watch rustic and rustic movies which told us reality is gross. Kavalan and Engeyum kadhal (Mokkai to the power infinity) came close to changing this mood of tamil cinema. 180 is a whiff of fresh air in hot summer. The romantic sequences between Priya Anand and Siddharth make you want to be a part of it. 180 is simply 'Class' re-defined. Amazing and chic cinematography by Balasubramaniem is what makes 180 tick and the courage of Jayandera of a director to try something different.

The music is just right for the movie, as you keep listening to the songs it grows on you. My favorites are nee korinal and Aj. The spanish song in the end is good, but havent been able to get my hands on that yet. The lyrics deserve special mention for the fact that it is simple and beautiful.

The movie is utopian but I would have loved the movie, if the end was utopian too.

You can go only two ways with this movie - You like or hate this movie. But whatever way you choose, watch the movie in a theater, cos otherwise, you wont be able to appreciate the way the movie is made.

My Verdict: ***1/2

Disclaimer: The above reviews are solely based on personal opinion. :)

My Paati...

2010-07-11T11:21:00.000-07:00

On Friday, I lost the person who was my strength and the support behind some of the biggest decisions of my life and my family lost the woman who kept us all going together. From a marriage at a very young age, losing out on school, being a mom at an age when you need your mom to take care of you to being a formidable woman who made sure that her daughters and their children were sure of themselves, it has been a transformational journey, from which all of us have learnt a lesson or two. She was a teacher to me, when she taught me how to read and write my mother tongue, a friend when she used to play the traditional games of "daya kattai" and "pallankuzhi", a mother when she used to get worried about my long distance drives to office, a philosopher and guide who helped me take some pathbreaking decisions, she has been lots of things to me and will continue to be. I will miss everything about her. Her distinct fragrance when i kiss her on her forehead will always linger in my breath. She always knew that I loved her, but I didnt realise, how much I was attached to her until I lost her forever.

Paati, I love you and miss you.

Paiyya - Makes you wanna "Run"!

2010-04-03T07:38:00.000-07:00

For a change, I went to the theatres without booking a ticket and I was destined to get a ticket for Paiyya! Well I was in doubt when almost every one in the theatre was ready to part with their tickets, but you can never escape from Fate :(.

If some of Lingusamy's movies have worked in the past, it was because of a refreshing love story backed by some good action sequences. But Paiyya is just mindless action and suffers from a cliched and stretched storyline.

Karthi is fat and somehow his costumes dont suit him. What a disappointment! Tamanna has nothing to do except look glamourous. I felt sorry for Milind Soman who has been wasted. The production values of the movie get a thumbs up with the sets, camera, action and music department trying to make the movie watchable. But too much of anything is good for nothing.

Songs, action sequences, songs .... the movie is stuck in an infinite loop.

Paiyya is a boy who doesnt even wanna grow up.

Paiyya - Makes you wanna "Run" - out of the theater!

My Verdict:Bad(2.0/10)

Disclaimer: The above reviews are solely based on personal opinion. :)

Felt like the 4th idiot!

2010-01-12T18:48:00.000-08:00

I was laughing throughout not at the movie, but at the people in the theater who were laughing at the totally mindless and zero laughter provoking jokes.

A friend told me, I am very serious, but to all people who enjoy movies like Ajab and 3 idiots - pbbbt!!!! Comedy is not all about taking your pants off or mindless jokes related to mostly the lower part of the body. Comedy is much more than that.

Even though I didn't like the movie (or the book), there were some moments which were funny and Aamir definitely has come with a great performance. Boman's character was cliched and the rest of the cast have done a commendable job.

The music of 3 idiots grows on you after you watch the movie, Give me some sunshine being my pick.

I don't think 3 Idiots is a great movie, but most of you will like it.

My Verdict:Average(4.5/10)

Disclaimer: The above reviews are solely based on personal opinion. :)

Kurbaan Hua Movie Pe!

2009-11-22T03:46:00.000-08:00

Kurbaan - Is a coming of age of Hindi films. What makes it different from other terrorism movies from big production houses like New York, Fanaa etc is that the other films were neither here nor there. On the other hand, Kurbaan is a movie on terrorism and is far from being preachy.

Kurbaan is slick, fast paced and keeps you glued to the seat. It talks about the reasons as to why the different factions take to terrorism, while emphasizing that the victims are always innocent people. It has moments that chill you to the spine with naked truth but also shows that every human being has a heart full of love and it is love that leads you in the path of good or bad.

Kurbaan is intelligent, but still has moments of flawed screenplay. I liked the movie for the story line, the background score and intelligent film making. But Rensil D'Silva could have avoided the unneccessary sensous scenes between Kareena and Saif and some visible potholes in the script.

Kareena has come up with a strong performance, the clear winner of the lot. Saif looks horribly aged, doesnt have much to do except have a serious look on his face but his performance is decent. Vivek does a commendable job and rest of the cast have provided great support.

Before watching the movie, I thought that the music of Kurbaan was very Sufi, but with the film, the music blends very well. The movie has brilliant editing and excellent cinematography. Rensil D'Silva makes his debut with a bang!

Kurbaan is worth a watch. I now am skeptical of walking the streets of New York alone!

Tidbits - Never knew FBI agents have a 'thoppai' like our Tamilnadu policemen and Saif needs to watch his 'thoppai' too :)

My Verdict: Excellent(9/10)

Disclaimer: The above reviews are solely based on personal opinion. :)

Listen to the Title Song here: Kurbaan Hua

A wake up call!

2009-10-11T06:08:00.000-07:00

Wake Up Sid is a coming of age movie of not only Sid, but also Dharma Productions! What a way for Ayaan to start his career!

The movie with its slick screenplay and direction, is able to keep you glued to the seats even through the end credits. Why?

Because it is simple, almost true to life and cute and more importantly just the right length.

I have never been a fan of Ranbir Kapoor, but i must admit he fits the role to the T and has done a good job.

Konkana Sen Sharma, though has to watch out. Although her performance is impeccable as usual, it looks like all her roles are the same including the wardrobe and the accessories.

Supriya Pathak and Anupam Kher as Sid's parents are superb. Especially supriya Pathak, shes always been an underdog in her younger years, but is personally one of my favourites. And Sid's gang of friends are just too sweet not to be liked.

Iktara is the only song that stands out although all the other songs blend into the movie, all of them sound the same.

All of us have a little bit of Sid in us, but what is important is that we understand the difference between being serious and being mature. And as the movie says we all need to strike the right work life balance. Wake Up Sid is not perfect, but since I liked the movie, I am not going to talk about the faults.

Watch Wake Up Sid for the self, maybe u will like it maybe not, but you are bound take away something from it.

My Verdict: Very Good(8.5/10)
Disclaimer: The above reviews are solely based on personal opinion. :)

Whats Your Patience Level?

2009-10-03T08:45:00.000-07:00

Harman Baweja definitely has to thank his stars as there are some takers for What's your Raashee? inspite of its length unlike his previous disastrous attempts like Love Story 2050 and Victory. Harman has a long way to go in terms of his acting. All he does in this movie, is giving a flabbergasted look, maybe he's wondering why Ashutosh Gowariker gave him this picture.
No prizes for guessing - No one else would have done this film as this is an out and out Priyanka Chopra movie. She proves yet again that she is undoubtedly the queen of Bollywood. Playing 12 characters is no easy task, but Priyanka walks the stage with elan.
The biggest let down of the movie is its length but for a person who has been through third degree torture like Drona, I survived with the experience. Ashutosh could have presented a neat entertainer had he cut down some scenes and songs.
Talking of songs, newcomer Sohail Sen has done a commendable job, Bikhri Bikhri being my favourite to listen to and the beautifully choreographed leo song to watch. This movie is definitely not true its name as it doesnt depict the characteristics of each of the sun sign accurately, although I liked Mallika the fiery leo, whose short temper is just as ugly as mine!
Whats your rashee is just a movie about a guy who really has no choices, but believes he made the right choice (a subtle way to say loser ! :))
Watch it if you have the patience! Atleast my review is short :)
My Verdict: Average (6/10)
Disclaimer: The above reviews are solely based on personal opinion. :)

Back to Blogging

2009-10-03T08:43:00.000-07:00

Been away from blogging for the past 5 months... Now getting back... Am excited. Hope you missed me!

Ayan - Aiyyyaaannn!!!

2009-04-18T18:46:00.000-07:00

Ayan is one of a kind, simply because of the fact that this movie made me think so much about how to write the review. After a long thought process, here goes!

Why should you watch this movie?

You are so crazy about Suriya and you are blind to the surroundings and can just look at him. He is awesome no doubt.
You are so bored doing nothing at home, and are so desperate to torture yourself
You are a psycho in the making and are practising by watching unrequited gory scenes
You are amateur filmmaker and want to learn the art of how not to make a movie
You are planning suicide

Why should you not watch this movie?

It is a contrived attempt at a logical thriller. The sad part is its neither logical nor thrilling. Its just noisy
action
It is a sheer waste of Suriya's immense talent and good looks. Some costumes and hairstyles are really pathetic.
Music by Harris is below average, and the picturisations just add to the pain

There is actually no positive quality about the movie but why did I see this movie - because, I didnt have someone to tell me how this movie was :(. The only thing I want to mention is a cute fleeting reference to Jyo.

Ayan is definitely a must avoid!

My Verdict: Bad (1/10)
Disclaimer: The above reviews are solely based on personal opinion. :)

Delhi 6 - Rahman in his elements

2009-01-17T11:23:00.000-08:00

Delhi 6 is the latest offering of Rahman after his golden globe award venture Slum Dog Millionaire. If you liked Ghajini and Slum Dog, you are bound to like Delhi 6. Personally, I think Delhi 6 is a much better composition than Slum dog and that Slum dog was merely over hyped.
Delhi 6 is a good music album, just for the sheer variety the album has to offer. From Sufi to Hindustani to Bhajan to Folk to Western, this album has something for every one.
I think Rahman is getting very inspired from himself, that we can see a lot of tinges from his earlier songs. Like Arziyan and Khwaja, Rehna tu and Nazrein milana (a slow one though :)). But the rhythm of Genda phool and the title song make us understand why Rahman is the uncrowned king.
Two sore points are that the use of south indian singers, brings a south indian flavour to songs like Hey Khaala Bandar and in most of the songs the flow of rhythm is not comfortable for a layman listener like me.
All in all, Delhi 6 is pure music.

My pick for the musical self - Delhi 6, Genda Phool and Bhor Bhayi.
My pick for the romantic self - Dil Gira Dafatan and Rehna Tu.

For a person who has been losing interest in Rahman's music, Delhi 6 shows some hope.

My Verdict: Good (8/10)
Disclaimer: The above reviews are solely based on personal opinion. :)

Sorry Bhai!!!

2008-12-25T13:58:00.000-08:00

The latest addition to my blog, is the review of Sorry Bhai! This movie is not the eagerly anticipated sorts and probably by the time you get to read the review of this movie, it might be out of the theatres. This movie is not even close to being perfect, because the movie is too conversational in bits and pieces and the plot is not very strong...but its good time pass... thanks to the cast and the characters in the movie.
My favourite is Boman Irani as the dad. He is super cool. And Chitrangadha looks great. Her beauty is unconventional but the lady needs to work on her emotional scenes. Sharman fits the role to the t. Sanjay Suri doesnt have much to do. Shabana is the life of the movie as per her characterization, but I think otherwise.
When I was watching the movie, I didnt know Onir was the director but voila my guess was bang on. Maybe it was coz of his signature style or maybe it was tard too repetitive. The music is a treat to listen to.
All in all, you can watch the movie once for its simplicity.

My Verdict: Above Average (6.5/10)
Disclaimer: The above reviews are solely based on personal opinion. :)

Vaaranam Aayiram

2008-12-01T01:15:00.001-08:00

Many of my friends said Vaaranam Aayiram is a very long movie and wasn't upto expectations. So I went to this movie with very less expectations. Added to that, I reached the theatre 40 mins late.. That means that this movie was just 2 hour 20 mins long for me... which was absolutely perfect.

Inference:

If Vaaranam Aayiram had been a shorter movie, it would have been just right.

Highlights:

Undoubtedly, Suriyas performance as the son and the father. The actor has put in immense effort to potray a character that spans a generation. Suriya is a dream come true for every girl. He looks handsome and his 8 packs is a sure shot crowd puller
Glimpses of the Taj, Mumbai just brings to mind how beautiful the place is and the cruel terrorist act
The rescue operation by NSG again brings to mind, the troubled times in Mumbai
Simran and Sameera have played their parts to perfection

Letdowns:

Ramya/Divya's voice sounds like she has been dubbed for by a bull dog
Makeup of the older Suriya...Gautam could have concentrated a little more in that area. I hear the 70s style makeup of Suriya and Simran was a big letdown, but i anyways was spared from seeing it ;)
The choreography of Nenjikul peidhidum maa mazhai, where Suriya dances with a group of boys, doesnt match the song
I didnt understand what the correlation of the title and movie even after Simran explains it in the end. Could be attributed to my lack of knowledge in Tamil ;)

Overall, Vaaranam Aayiram is a good movie. If it had been shorter, it would have been a great movie. A must watch for all Suriya fans.

My Verdict: Very Good (8.5/10)
Disclaimer: The above reviews are solely based on personal opinion. :)

Dostana - Friendship with a difference

2008-11-25T04:47:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, humour is the best way to make people talk about a very sensitive topic. If you can joke about it you can accept it too. Dostana is one such movie. With the society becoming more aware of alternate sexuality, this movie creates a platform for people to talk about it, surprisingly though, with its cliched potrayal of characters. The biggest strength of the movie though is that it never crosses its limits. It is a sweet humurous movie where the characters take pride in how they are.

There are many highlights in the movie. My favourite being the scene where Priyanka, Abhishek and John discuss about who gets Bobby and of course the fantastic chemistry between the lead pair... No no.. not priyanka and one of the guys, but Abhishek and John. Its a treat to watch them unlike the more physical act of Saif and SRK in Kal ho na ho.

Miami provides ample reason for Priyanka and John to sport their bodies in the minimal amount of clothing thats possible. Thats good news for both guys and gals na :). And I am really happy that Abhishek and Bobby are always fully clothed and thankfully that too.

Dostana is not a movie that can be taken seriously but it does try to open the shut eye without much ado. Its feel good and enjoyable. So go watch it!!!

My Verdict: Very Good (8/10)

Disclaimer: The above reviews are solely based on personal opinion. :)

Re-Ha(rri)shed

2008-10-13T07:14:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting for Vaaranam Aayiram for so long... Gautam is one of my fav directors and the combo of Harris Jeyaraj and Gautam has never disappointed. So does Vaaranam Aayiram stand up to expectations?

The album starts with Adiye Kolluthe, the current most popular song of the album. My pick of the song - Shruthi KamalHasan's voice.

The second song is Nenjukkul Peidhidum. My pick of the song - Thamarai's lyrics. The opening reminds of Muthal Naal Indru from Unnale Unnale.

The fourth song mundinam is my favourite of all the songs. Why? The lyrics, the tune, the orchestration everything about the song is perfect

O Shanthi is a faster but sadder version of the second song. Another fav of mine in the album. My pick - Thamarai's lyrics. This song is reminiscent of pachai kili muthu charam's kaadhal konjam.

The last song by Sudha Ragunathan is passable. My pick of the song - The old world feel.

The remaining two songs are nothing to write about.

Overall, the album is good. A commendable effort for althought it is a reinvention of Harris, it still makes u fall in love with music all over again.

My Verdict: Very Good (8.5/10)

Disclaimer: The above reviews are solely based on personal opinion. :)

Bachna Ae Yash Raj....

2008-09-01T01:45:00.000-07:00

Am getting back to blogging after a long time.. Not that i didnt see a lot of movies, but because I was too engrossed in work ;)... Believe me ya!!
I did see Jaane and Kismat Konnection before i saw the movie I am gonna review this time.. All three fall in the same genre.. complete timepass..
So I really have nothing to talk specifically about Bachna... except it also is a predictable, watch when u have no other work kind of movie... But it doesnt bore you that much because of the interesting locales and the breath taking visuals. If you like Ranbir, then it is a treat for all of you.
The movie has everything but is missing something... Its not down-to-earth. It doesnt make you hate or love Raj.. It doesnt make you feel for Mahi... Its just lacking... Cos it doesnt have a heart.
I liked the spoof on DDLJ better though.. and my favourite of the whole movie.. Kunal Kapoor.. because he has the shortest role in the movie.. hee hee. And i didnt know what was on the director's mind when he actually cast Minisha and Ranbir as standard XII passouts... They looked like they were 12 years in the same class.
The movie is long and dragging.. but you can actually manage to sit through.... thanks to Siddharth Anands' some glimpses of directorial touches.
In short.. It does saves some prestige for the Yash Raj camp...
This review is like the movie, not so well connected... and yet not so boring :).. Right?
My Verdict: Good (7/10)
Disclaimer: The above reviews are solely based on personal opinion. :)

U, Me Aur Hum

2008-04-21T01:07:00.001-07:00

You know something - nothing gives me enough happiness as writing the review of a Kajol movie, but the sad thing is that I have to wait for 2 -3 years for writing the next review.

You know something - this movie that I am going to write about has it's heart in the right place. It's intention noble and it's treatment laudable. True, it fails in some places, especially the first half since it is very weak, but the second half is a must watch.

You know something - it takes great guts and a heart to take up a script like this and spend loads of money on it. Ajay Devgan as the producer has left no stones unturned and has provided the director i.e. himself ample freedom. And Ajay the director does not disappoint. You can see some signature touches in the form of the beautiful climax, scenes in the second half where Pia's (Kajol) disease starts to grow to epic dimensions, the scene where Pia's desires are showcased to the audience and Ajay himself in the first half, etc. Ajay the director likes his cast so much so that you find yourself staring at the acnes and blackheads on the faces of Ajay and Kajol; every member of the cast gets atleast one close up shot... even the lizard for that matter :).

You know something - Aseem Bajaj's cinematography is breathtaking. He takes you to a different world altogether. The visuals are so stunning that you don't really feel about the dragging first half. Most of Ashwani Dheer's humourous dialogues make you flinch and most of the serious dialogues make you want to go to sleep. One of the biggest drawback of this film is that there are long sermons which takes the pace away from the movie. I had the same complaint about KANK too. You already know my views about the music.

You know something - Although it's a wonderful performance from Ajay the actor who showcases every emotion as the suffering husband who is losing his beloved wife to fate, it is undoubtedly Kajol who steals the thunder with her poignant performance of a woman succumbing to Alzheimer's disease. What a mindblowing performance! She just seems to get better with every film. The support cast in the form of Sumeet Raghavan, Divya Dutta, Isha Sharvani also play their part really well. The only exception being Karan Khanna who doesnt even look good and is so horrible, that you just can't stand him from the very first scene.

You know something - I haven't seen 'The Notebook' but I thought this movie bore slight resemblances to '50 First Dates'.

Did you think my using of 'You know something' got on your nerves, well that is the after effect of the movie :).

Tip for the movie goer: Have some patience to sit through the first half (Its not all that bad...), you won't be disappointed with the second half.

I would like to dedicate this review to my cousin, who inspite of not knowing Hindi, saw the movie along with us :).

My Verdict: Good (6.5/10)
Disclaimer: The above reviews are solely based on personal opinion. :)

Yaaradi...

2008-04-14T00:23:00.001-07:00

Well, if you are an ace director and you have the industry to back you up, you can surely create a film with 4 or 5 scenes that are good and weave a story around that. That is what Selvaraghavan has done in the story and screenplay of Yaaradi Nee Mohini. I haven't seen the Telugu original and so I am going to spare you of the comparisons, but in reality, this movie does not need a careful eye to spot the bad areas.

Its easy to write about the positive (in relative terms) aspects of this film as they are by far and few.

Raghuvaran's last appearance on screen is one of the saving graces of the film. The actor breezes through the character

Sharanya who plays the younger sister of Nayanthara courting Dhanush is very beautiful and her acting is pretty neat. Indeed, shes more beautiful than Ms Mohini...

Costumes of Nayanthara are very well designed. Kudos to the costume designer. Nayan's reduced flabbiness helps ;)

Some comic scenes are good especially the one where Karunas calls up Nayan and romantic sequences of Sharanya with Dhanush

Now to the easier part...the negatives

I have never liked Dhanush and this movie doesnt help in changing my opinion even a teeny weeny bit. He's loud, his expressions are contrived and he could save us all by not imitating his father-in-law. You have him as the lead, because this is his home production.

Nayan could try to act atleast in her next film. When she stands before the mirror and tries to smile, you wish Dhanush had just kept his big mouth shut. The Simbu-Nayan pair is far better compared to this lead pair. This lead pair lacks both the looks and the chemistry.

Some of the village sequences are disgusting. The scenes are not coherent. And the scenes about the IT industry are mere mockery. Humour also has its limits and that seems to be forgotten. It is bound to hurt the sentiments of a sect of people who have always been the object of ridicule in most Tamil films.

The climax is well, ummmm, errrr... just not there....

Yuvan Shankar's music has nothing to write about and writing about the director and his skill would be just a waste of time.

Well, writing about this movie itself is a waste of time. I just wanted to save others from the pain that I underwent.

Tip of the day: Still planning to watch the movie? See it with a group of friends. Don't watch it alone.

My Verdict: Very Bad(2/10)

Disclaimer: The above reviews are solely based on personal opinion. :)

U Me Aur Hum - The Music

2008-03-12T04:19:00.000-07:00

In 2006, if I had been eagerly waiting for Fanaa, this year, the wait is on for U, Me aur Hum. I was very apprehensive to spend 150 bucks on the audio CD of Ajay Devgan's directorial debut as I have had bad experiences in the past with his home productions like Raju Chacha. In the end, I mustered some courage and did buy the CD.
The music director of this album is Vishal Bharadwaj and I must say, that he has confused me completely on how should I write this review. The music is not bad at all, in fact, it is good at most places and I as a not-so-musically-bent listener am not able to judge if these songs would be liked by everyone. Vishal Bharadwaj is a extremely talented person and that shows in all the songs of the album.

The album starts with Jeele Jeele, obviously the pick of the lot, a mesmerising rendition by Adnan Sami and Shreya Ghoshal with a salsa touch to it.

The second song is the title track by Shrey Ghoshal. It is romantic, it is feel good and it is a good song as well. It reminds you of 'Jaadu Hai Nasha Hai' from Jism. The light guitar piece in the song is my favourite.

Sunidhi Chauhan's Saiyyan is another noteworthy number and is the third song on the album.

My not-so-favourite song of the whole album is Phatte by Adnan Sami and Sunidhi Chauhan. This punjabi flavored song has nothing to write home about.

The next song of the album is Dil Dhakda Hai by Adnan Sami and is a different number although not on my favourite list.

The album ends with Vishal's rendition of the title track which is soulful but tends to bore you.

The highlights of the album are that all in all its a feel good album, with simple yet some beautiful lyrics by Munna Dhiman setting the mood for a love story that 'U Me aur Hum' is supposed to be. And I can't stop imagining how the songs will be picturised as each song is in a genre of its own. The choreographer must have lots of creativity.

The rating:**1/2
Movies rated on a scale of * to *****.
Disclaimer: The above reviews are solely based on personal opinion. :)

Life's like that

2008-01-18T18:46:00.000-08:00

It was the most challenging surgery for Dr.Sharma. She was only assisting Dr.Varghese who has been her mentor for the past 5 years but was the most strenuous surgery in her whole career that lasted for almost 6 hours. Dr.Sharma was watching the monitors intently looking for some peculiar patterns. When she didn't see any, she was happy. He was going to live.

He was going to live. Mitra's eyes had no tears left because that was all she was doing for the past 3 days. Today she knew Shashank was going to live.

July 2003
Mitra was getting back from work. Unusual as it was, it started to rain pretty heavily. Mitra couldnt get an auto back home and she was waiting for the bus that never comes. Right then a car stopped by and when the windows come down, her heart skipped a beat. She was staring at her high school crush Shashank. Shashank was looking more handsome than he used to before.Tall,smart and having well cut features Shashank would have been the dream of very girl. Mitra was quite good looking too but she didnt have the confidence that Shashank had in abundance. Mitra was about to greet Shashank with a smile when he stretched out his hand and asked for directions to the place that was written on the paper that he held in his hand. Mitra hid her disappointment behind a half smile and gave him the directions. When she was about to turn, he called out to her 'Mitr, Can i take you out on a date?'. Mitra's heart raced back to her final year in school, when she had recieved a note from a unknown guy which just said 'Mitr, when the time comes you will be mine'. She now was very happy to know that the note was written by Shashank, because nobody had ever called her Mitr.

September 2004

An year had passed since Mitra had met Shashank. But the love that Shashank had for her was only growing day by day. In a casual conversation, Mitra asked Shashank to describe what he thought life was. He replied back promptly, "To cherish every moment as though theres no tomorrow!". He loved life too much and had already registered himself as an organ donor at the time of his death. He didnt smoke or drink and that gave him some extra years there.

May 2005
It was time that they both told their families about their feelings for each other. Both the families were happy for the couple and they could have gotten married the next day itself. But Mitra and Shashank wanted Mitra to complete her Masters and enjoy few more years of courtship and then get into a legal bond. The emotional bond was already in place.

July 2007
It was exactly 4 years after they had met. Mitra didnt know what plans Shashank had for that day, he had just told her he would pick her up at 4.00. Shashank was never late and as promised, he was there at Mitra's work place to pick her up on the dot. He drove to the bus stop where they had met 4 years ago. He asked Mitra to get out of the car. Then was that moment, that Mitra will never forget all her life. The bus stop was very crowded but that did not stop Shashank. He bent down on his knees and pulled out a single rose and said "Mitr, will you marry me?". Mitra took the rose and said "I have been waiting for this all my life".

December 2007
It was new year's eve. Mitra was anxiously waiting for Shashank. He was supposed to be coming down to pick her up for the party at the most happening place in town, Blizzards. They were also going to officially announce the date for their wedding after 4 years of courtship. Shashank had never been late and that made Mitra worry today. Just then her mobile started ringing startling her. It was a call from the hospital. An emergency case had been brought in and since it was a head injury case and she specialized in them, she was immediately contacted. Mitra tried calling Shashank to tell him about the emergency and that she might be a little late. But his mobile was switched off. Mitra got to the hospital as quickly as she could. "Dr.Sharma, the patient's name is Shashank Varma and he's in intensive care unit 3" called out the nurse. Mitra's eyes welled up with tears. No this cannot be happening, she didn't hear the name properly. She rushed to the ICU 3 with the hope that her ears would have surely failed her. Maybe because she was thinking about Shashank all the time, her ears had made a mistake. All her hopes were shattered when she saw her Shashank lying battered, his face hardly recognisable with wires and pipes and bandages. The once full of life, Shashank on a life supporting system. Mitra could not understand the irony of life. But this was the time for Dr.sharma and Mitra's emotions had to wait. Dr.Sharma examined the patient and found that only a neurosurgery could save him. The probability of his existence was a 90% but of his living was just 10%. She debated a lot and then called Dr.Varghese. She cannot do the surgery on her own and she didnt want to do it on her own. Dr.Varghese ordered a two day observation period.

January 2008
It was the most challenging surgery for Dr.Sharma. She was only assisting Dr.Varghese who has been her mentor for the past 5 years but was the most strenuous surgery in her whole career that lasted for almost 6 hours. Dr.Sharma was watching the monitors intently looking for some peculiar patterns. When she didn't see any, she was happy. He was going to live.
He was going to live. Mitra's eyes had no tears left because that was all she was doing for the past 3 days. Today she knew Shashanks going to live.
It was all over. Shashank would be breathing. He didnt need a life support system, but he was in a coma and the chances of his revival was almost close to impossible. Mitra could not bear to see her Shashank like this. She had to make a decision. What would Shashank want her to do? She immediately knew the answer.

February 2008
The last rites had been performed. Mitra was looking at the embers and thought to herself.... He was going to live.

Jab We Met - Tumse Hi

2008-01-06T18:44:00.000-08:00

Na hai yeh paana, na khona bhi hai

Tera na hona jane, kyun hona hi hai

Tum se hi din hota hai, surmaiye shaam aati, tumse hi, tumse hi

Har ghadi saans aati hai, zindagi kehlati hai, tumse hi, tumse hi

Na hai yeh pana, na khona bhi hai

Tera na hona jane, kyun hona hi hai

Aankhon mein ankhein teri, bahon mein baahein teri

Mera na mujhmein kuch raha, hua kya

Baaton mein baatein teri, raatein saugatein teri

Kyun tera sab yeh ho gaya, hua kya

Main kahin bhi jata hoon, tumse hi mil jata hoon, tumse hi, tumse hi

Shor mein khamoshi hai, thodi si behoshi hai, tum se hi, tum se hi

Aadha sa wada kabhi, aadhe se jayada kabhi

Jee chaahe kar lu is tarah wafa ka

Chhode na chhoote kabhi, tode na tute kabhi

Jo dhaga tumse jud gaya wafa ka

Main tera sarmaya hoon, jo bhi main ban paya hoon, tumse hi, tumse hi

Raaste mil jaate hai, manzile mil jaati hai, tumse hi, tumse hi

Na hai yeh paana, na khona bhi hai

Tera na hona jaane kyun hona hi hai

Jab We Met

2007-11-04T17:49:00.000-08:00

Getting back to blogging with writing about a cute movie is a real nice thing to do. So how do i start?

Jab We Met is a feel good breezy romance that is going to bowl you over with its freshness and simplicity. The story is not something not seen before, in fact, it closely resembles Pyar To Hona Hi Tha but the nicest part is how its been handled. Imtiaz ali makes you fall in love with Geet and Aditya.

Kareena has never been on my favorites list, but as Geet she is bound to make everyone adore her from the very first shot of the movie. Shes the scene stealer in every scene.
Shahid looks like a dream. He looks awesome in every shot. His role requires him to underplay and that controlled performance is what makes it a treat to watch.
The chemistry between the lead pair is awesome. The stark contrast between the characters really strenghthens the lead pair.

Music is just average. This department should have been given more concentration. The pick of the lot Mauja hi Mauja comes at the end of the movie. Dont know what the director was thinking or expecting his audience to do.

As is hindi movie tradition, the movie excels in all support departments from costumes to art direction, cinematography to editing.

The movie sags a bit towards the end but all in all, the movie makes you feel really good about yourself at the end of the movie. The movie deserves to be watched.... So what are you waiting for?????
Go ahead and love yourself......and feel nostalgic about all the times "jab we met"

The rating:
***1/2
Movies rated on a scale of * to *****.
Disclaimer: The above reviews are solely based on personal opinion. :)

Chak De

2007-08-31T21:38:00.000-07:00

Been a long time since I blogged right... But what makes me happy is that I return from my hiatus with a movie that is worthy of mention...The movie is Chak De India.
Chak De is a down-to-earth, realistic yet entertaining movie.The concept of Chak De is a straight lift of the Tom Hanks Geena Davis starrer, a league of their own. The characterisations seem to be inspired from the same... but barring these little snags, Chak de is a lovable and pleasant movie.

One of the strong points of the movie is the cast & crew of the movie.The 16 girls are absolutely wonderful. You dont see them apart from their characters.With each of their characters well etched out, you remember every one of the girls even after you step out of the movie hall.

Chak De is a true blessing for all SRK fans. You don't see him hamming and his performance is restrained. His looks are discouraging though in the first few minutes where he is a younger guy. Age is playing havoc on his face. With every movie you see him growing older. Kudos to the director Shimit Amin for keeping Kabir Khan "Kabir Khan" himself. No SRK influence is seen in the movie. Its a movie for SRK the actor and not SRK the superstar.

Ample support is provided by Krishna and Sukhlal and the hockey federation is a replica of how sport federations are in the country today.

The other impressive attribute is the care that has gone into making the sport in the movie realistic. Towards the end of the movie you start feeling that you are part of a hockey world series in australia. The girls are never out of tune with the sport and it makes you wonder when news reports say that most of the girls have never played hockey their whole life. Its an effort that shows and that too with fantastic results.

Technically the movie is great which is a default for any Yash Raj production.

I loved these small things about the movie

Every character has his/her own moment where she triumphs
Fleeting remarks about the most popular game in our country
Even a super star gets to lose :)
No sing / dance sequences in foreign locales
Media frenzy on an issue not properly investigated. (Specially the take-offs on Aaj Tak)

Things that could have been better

Stereotypes in characters
The final was very predictable

Chak De as a movie might not do much for hockey, but it definitely tries to turn our eyes to sports that are given a backseat when compared to cricket. If you feel cricket is not interesting as much as hockey or football, you are not alone :)

My Verdict: Must Watch

Mozhi - The Language of Good Cinema

2007-02-23T18:41:00.000-08:00

Watching Mozhi on the day of its release at Sathyam was a memorable experience. Not because, its a cult film and the theatre was full of enthusiastic fans throwing celebrations all over but because its a lovely film with some heart warming moments and loads of funny scenes.

The love story between Karthik, a musician and Archana, a deaf and dumb gal is the one line story of Mozhi. Along with this story are small touching (some comic) interwoven episodes that carry the movie to its predictable yet befitting finale. Viji, Sheila, Prof.Gnanaprakasam, Anathakrishnan and others provide commendable support to the lead pair. Well am using the screen names and not their real names because all the actors have lived their characters on screen and theres not a single moment where u feel they are actually acting.

Kudos to Radha Mohan and Prakash Raj for pulling up this entire crew together and giving us a movie that will stay in your heart for a long time to come. Music is excellent. K.V Guhan's cinematography is original and beautiful. The picturisations of Sevvanam Selai Katti and Pesa Madanthiye are breathtaking. The choreography of Pesa Madanthiye is ultimate.

What I liked most about the movie:
Characterisation of Archana - She is the most confident and self assured character in Indian cinema ever. Her Handicap is given dignity and her silence is etched with beauty. Her character should inspire everyone.
Jo's performance - Well how could you describe her performance. If you thought that shes just too overacting and all she does is roll her marble eyes, you must watch this movie and I am sure you are gonna love her. Her hardwork shows in this restrained yet powerhouse performance. If you thought she was bewitching in Pachaikili Muthucharam, shes
adorable in Mozhi. Sad that shes leaving the industry when shes been offered so much variety in her roles.
PR and PR - Prithviraj is handsome and does a commendable job, but Prakash Raj is the icing on the cake with his spontaneous and excellently timed humour.
Costumes - The costumes are impressive and can make great street fashion. Some of Jo's salwars might become a rage.

What I disliked about the movie:
The movie sags towards the end and the end is too predictable.
Some of the comedy scenes really affect the otherwise a complete family entertainer.

The verdict:
Mozhi is another lovable product from the Prakash Raj camp. Its the befitting finale for Jo's illustrious career. I liked pachaikili muthucharam. But I liked Mozhi even better.

The rating:
****1/2
Movies rated on a scale of * to *****.
Disclaimer: The above reviews are solely based on personal opinion. :)

Mozhi - The Language of Music

2007-02-15T19:47:00.000-08:00

Its Jo's last movie (atleast in the near future) and I have huge expectations of it... and the music by Vidyasagar sure adds to the hype.
Mozhi is one of the most soothing and feel good albums in a long time. The songs grow on you as u listen to them and are far from the kuthu songs that are so hugely popular these days. The lyrics by Vairamuthu are awesome. I personally am not a fan of Vairamuthu, but songs of Mozhi are poetry. All the songs revolve around the heroine's handicap but gives it so much dignity.
The opening track of the album Sevvannam Sellaikatti by Jassie Gift exploits his unique voice to the max. Its a lovable song and its love at first sound :).
Katrin Mozhi by Sujatha is the only song with a female voice. The same song is sung by Balram in the male version. Thoughtful lyrics, excellent use of the tabla,guitar and the keyboard and lilting voices make the song a treat to the ears.
Pesa Madanthiye by Madhu Balakrishnan showcases the pain of a lover after a fight with his beloved. The lyrics are written with so much care that you will like the song if you feel the lyrics. The only downside of the song is Madhu's tamil has some malayalam accent.
Kannal Pesum Penne by SPB is the Vidyasagar's song from the malayalam movie Sathyam Shivam Sundaram (This song is already part of a old movie of Arjun. Cant remember the name of the movie :D). I am thinking of you is changed to I am sorry :). That song was always one of my favs... So i like this too although, the original wins the race by a long distance.
The other songs are short and extremely sweet. Wish they were given more footage.
Karthik's En Jannalil therivathu is fast paced and has appreciable use of my fav musical instrument "The Guitar".
Aazha Kannal has some new renditions by Tippu and is quite nice to listen to.
Mouname unnidam rendered by Srinivas is another noteworthy piece.

All the songs are unique and its difficult to pick one single track. Mozhi is truly a musical... I cant wait for the movie to hit the theatres.

Mani Ratnam's latest offering

2007-01-23T04:19:00.000-08:00

One movie that has made my review difficult is Guru...Just like the dialogue in Mani's Nayagan, if you ask me if Guru is a nice movie... The answer would be Therilaye pa (I dont know) :D.
Good things first...A good performance by the Junior B. Wouldn't give more emphasis on his performance because he is supposed to be carrying off the movie on his shoulders and any talented hero would have done that with elan as much as the Junior B.
A great looking supporting cast - An absolutely handsome Madhavan (if u thought otherwise in RDB), a strong (but slightly loud) Mithun da, a vivacious (yet pathetic) Vidya Balan and many others showcase their talents in whatever small part given to them.
An understated Aish - It was refreshing to see Aish in a role that is not expected much of her which she does best. :D. Guess she did this movie for her Abhishek ;).
A pacy screenplay - Its so difficult to hold audience interest in a bio-pic movie like Guru. But Mani's effective screenplay keeps you glued to the seat.

Now to the downsides
The supporting cast does not get its due... Maddy, Vidya all have such teeny weeny roles.
The usual Mani's revenge - My favourite song Ey haiyarathe...is reduced to a background score :(
No creativity in the song picturisation - The locales are the same... Barso re reminds u of chinna chinna aasai, Tere bina of kannanalane
But the biggest flaw in the movie is that the locales are so south indian that the authenticity of the villages of the north are completely lost. For example, the interiors of aish's house in tere bina are chettinad style. How could Mani be unaware of such a jarring flaw?

All said and done, Guru is worth a watch but is missing Mani's trademark.

Spirit of Pongal

2007-01-15T21:36:00.000-08:00

Being a complete city bred, I have never had the chance of witnessing the true spirit of the harvest festival Pongal, for the festival is truly for the villages. But that changed on 12-jan-2007. It was the day for pongal celebrations in our office. And one of the competitions for the day was a 'team and theme' event. The theme - of curz pongal. The teams - Our cost basis project team and the webmethods project team.
From ethnic wear to rangolis, from sarkarrai pongal to sugarcanes, from festoons to mavallai thorans we did it all. Heres a glimpse of the two participating teams. Since CBS is my team, the coverage would obviously be more but with due credits to the other team as well.
The guys clad in traditional dhothies and the "vibuthi pattais" could have given the real villagers a run for their money. The gals were more modern though in their sarees not coming close to their village counterparts. The hand painted (by some of our talented team mates) pot for the pongal and of course the colourful rangoli apt for the theme were the eye catchers. We also had our own naatamai (the village head), poosari (the priest) and yeru (plough). But the highlight undoubtedly was the sarkarai pongals made by the moms of some of our teamies... Kudos aunties :).
Here are the world of minimuck awards for the best in the CBS team

Special effects - using the cell as a torch for the fire simulation
Marketing - wishing happy pongal in different languages
Art direction - decoration of all the cubicles with sugar canes
Dialogues - the nattamai's speech

The other village was a more calm and composed one :). Using just one cubicle space compared to our 8 cubicle spaces, they recreated a village atmosphere with their gorgeous looking pot and rangoli.

Theirs was a cheran movie - calm, composed, small scale, beautiful. Ours was a shankar movie - grand, lavish, eyecatching, brilliant

In the end though, it was the CBS team that emerged the winner, the real reason being the excellent spirit of our team. The prize that we won had a price, but the happiness and enjoyment that we had as a team was priceless....

As our managers favourite saying goes --- Team Work Works...

9 N 1

2006-12-16T04:25:00.000-08:00

Its been quite a while since i blogged... Work, work and more work :D. Over a span of the last 3 months i saw numerous movies the slight difference being i saw them in a different country. Also, contrary to my usual long review of movies, this is an attempt to tersely convey my opinion of the movie (which btw is very difficult for me ;))
1. The first movie on this list is Sillunu Oru Kathal. One of the most underrated movies of the year, this potrayed a feel good romance. Good performances, some real cool songs and awesome picturisation, it had all the makings of a commercial success. The comedy track was horrible though. But why it didn't do that well, remains a mystery. This movie is undoubtedly on my favorites list. ***1/2
2. Pyaar Ke Side Effects starring Mallika Sherawat and Rahul Bose was real paisa vasool. With rib tickling comedy and nice performances this movie was complete timepass. ***1/2
3. Nagesh Kukunoor's Dor is a gripping tale of two women and their friendship. A remake of the malayalam hit "perumazhakalam", dor stands for meaningful cinema. Ayesha Takia, Gul Panag and Shreyas Talpade almost lived their characters. The music by salim-sulaiman is noteworthy. A fantastic movie. ****1/2
4. Accepted is a story of a bunch of university rejects starting up their own university. The movie was worth a watch.***
5. Don, one of the most hyped movies of the year, didnt live upto expectations. Not worthy of a review. *1/2
6. Ajith was the saving grace of the otherwise insipid and boring Varalaaru (The GodFather). *
7. Nothing to write home about Casino Royale. The new Bond didnt impress me. **
8. Stranger than fiction was a unique concept.The movie is slow in parts but laudable for the theme. **1/2
9. Dhoom 2 would have doomed at the box office if not for Hrithik. Hrithik excels in every department and has the makings of a superstar. The other spectacular feature of the movie is cinematography. Its time Aish got over her almost a decade old miss world title and started to act. Choreography and songs were not particularly impressive. *1/2

Movies rated on a scale of * to *****.

Disclaimer (as usual ;)): The above reviews are solely based on personal opinion. :)

Vettaiyaadu Villayadu

2006-08-26T20:20:00.000-07:00

Being a fan of Gautam Menon, especially after Kaaka Kaaka, VV was a movie that created a lot of expectations in me and it did not disappoint me at all.

Gautam has cleverly crafted the movie. As you start watching the film, you try to see a Anbuchelvan in Raghavan and a Maya in Aradhana. Actually I would say Gautam has deliberately used a lot of KK effect to keep the audience tied to their seats.

Paartha muthal naale is so much like ondra renda
Then you have a item number in chikki mukki nerupe just like thoothu varuma. (Here its a guy substituting Ramya Krishnan :))
The climax scene
Scars on the faces of Kamal / Jo etc.

Although similarities never end, the movie makes it evident that the characters of VV are very much different from the ones in KK.

The movie banks on lot of strengths like racy screenplay, taut editing, mindblowing cinematography, foot-tapping songs and star presence.

The performance of Kamal is yet another feather in his cap. As a composed, restrained Raghavan, he carries the film on his shoulders with elan. Although age plays havoc on his face, the director subtly states that he's is a guy in his forties. Jyothika is restrained too. You dont get to see her trademark expressions in this movie. Kamalini Mukerjee does a one song appearance. Prakash Raj has been wasted. 'Daniel' Balaji gets a lot of scope but I am not sure if he has used it well.

The songs are great. My favourite is vennilave velli nilave shot in New York. The song has come real cute moments like a bunch of foreigners singing the chorus. Now why is that different ? See it for yourself. Picturisation of Chikki Mukki Nerupe is good. I used to hate the song when listening to it, but when I saw the movie, I started thinking its not all that bad. Uyirile is another one of my fav.
Cinematography is great. Technically the movie scores in all areas. (But a sequence in the song Paartha Naal Muthal reminded me of the 50s and hero/heroines on wooden horses :)).

The one major reason why the movie is different is that this movie has no 'Kamal' romance. The lead love story seems to have no passion commented a friend of mine. I think that's the way Gautam wanted it to be. The love story is mature and rational.

I personally feel, Gautam should have stuck to a thriller concept rather than turning to action in the middle. But then am not the director ;). The movie is slow in parts but you dont tend to lose your concentration.

All said and done, the movie will only impress the multiplex audience. So the success will be understated but no one can deny that VV is a path breaking attempt and all kudos to Gautam.

My verdict: Very Good (8/10).

Disclaimer: The above review is solely based on personal opinion. :)

KANK - Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna

2006-08-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting for the movie for quite some time. An awesome star cast, Karan Johar's movie after almost 5 years, great music all added to the expectations.
Before I entered the theatres, I had heard the negative reports but I was undeterred and went in with a lot of enthusiasm.

KANK is no typical Karan Johar film... Well, it depends on how you classify a typical Karan Johar film :). Great locales, awesome clothes, lavish sets, star special appearances and good music can be seen in KANK as in any other K film. But what make it different are the concept and the lead characterizations.

Performances are top class especially Abhishek's. Now I am a fan of SRK, but I have to admit he is getting old and age shows on his face. Performance wise I couldn't figure out if that’s the way Karan wanted SRK's character to turn out. I started hating SRK from the first scene where SRK meets Rani even though he's supposed to be cool in that scene :). Rani's done a good job although she just has to use gallons of glycerine in the movie. Preity's a commendable job but again, she looks old and needs to watch her weight. Amitabh is good and Kirron Kher needs to cut down that overacting. But the show stealer is undoubtedly the Junior B who makes Rishi so adorable.

The movie also has some interesting special appearances. Arjun Rampal as Preity's boss doesn’t have much to do, except look good, which he does best. John Abraham in 'Where’s the party tonight?' is an apt DJ. My favourite (no prizes for guessing) is Kajol in "Rock n Roll Soniye". She just rocks.

The music is great and choreography is good too but nothing novel. You start liking the songs even more after watching the movie. I personally didn't like the colour-coordinated song "Tumhi Dekho Na".

So you think I liked the movie? Hey I am not done with the review yet :). A 3 hr 40 mins movie requires a long review na ;).

There may be a few people who think that the concept is flawed. Maybe it is from the view of the conservative Indians, but it’s not something that does not exist.

Karan has come a long way in KANK. If you thought the scenes of Saif and SRK in Kal Ho Na Ho were outrageous, you surely can't stand Amitabh's character. Very Crass. I was shocked, when a 7 year old kid in a row behind us, repeated the line where SRK shows a book to a passerby and the passerby retorts.

The major flaw according to me is the lead characterization. Not one moment do you empathize with SRK or Rani neither are you able to feel the passion between them. You feel sorry for Preity and Abhishek. You start liking them so much that you don't feel for the emotions of SRK and Rani. I didn’t like the end too because, the people responsible for breaking so many hearts walk away happily. I hated the scene where SRK and Rani try to make each other jealous by playing with the emotions of Abhishek and Preity. Although there's a subsequent scene where Rani feels guilty of it, its too emotionless.
For a person who thought Rahul of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai is selfish, KANK is a selfish story about two selfish people.

The other problem is the length of the movie. It just goes on and on. Every scene is so long that you tend to lose your concentration at the end of the scene. But Karan can't do anything about it. Its like this review... Long but if you try to cut something off, it looks like it won't make any sense :).

Its a passable film, but not a movie the thoughts of which you can bring back home, not a movie you would want to watch with your family.

Karan has grown, no doubt... but I wish he could have with some maturity.

My verdict: Average (5/10).

Disclaimer: The above review is solely based on personal opinion. :)

Mid Year Music

2006-06-06T20:31:00.000-07:00

Since its the middle of the year, just wanted to blog the hindi film songs/albums that really moved me in this year. Let me give you a peek into the songs in no particular order (No prizes for guessing which one would be the top on my list :))

Jaaneman from Aryan remains one of my fav songs of year, rendered beautifully by Shreya Ghoshal and Sonu Nigam.

36 China Town has some peppy music by Himesh Reshammiya... similar to all his jhalak diklaja's and item numbers. One song that I like is Aashiqui mein teri cos Shahid looks so good in the song...

The surprise package on my list is Ankahee. The songs are so mellifluous and they reach out to you with such emotion that you just cant stop listening to them. The songs worth mention are Kunal Ganjanwala's Tumse Yoon Milke and Shreya Ghoshal's Aa paas Aa. Pritam (of dhoom machale dhoom fame) scores in a big way. I also love Ankahee and Ek Pal Ke Liye Hi Sahi.

The next in list is Gangster again by Pritam, Tu hi meri shab hai is my fav of the lot. Lamha lamha, Ya Ali are also good.

Who can forget the movie of the Year Rang De Basanti's musical score. My favourites are Luka Chuppi and Tu bin bataye. (If you have read my review of RDB you might find it contradicting, but these are the songs that grew on me as time passed!)

Fanaa remains my favourite with Dekho Na on top. For more details, read Songs Rangeela.

But the album of the year according to me is Ankahee. Listen to it and you know I am right!!!

R&A - IV

2006-06-02T06:19:00.000-07:00

The D-Evening (something like D-Day) arrived. Rahul was waiting for Anjali in the lobby. Anjali stepped out of the lift and Rahul thought - "Has she ever looked so beautiful before? Maybe its the magic of marriage!!!. The lavender color chikan kurthi on top of a dark blue jean (how novel ;)) wouldn't have suited anyone better than Anjali."

It took some time for Rahul to realise that Anjali was standing just opposite him and was waving her hand in front of his face to get him out of his reverie.
"Where were you?" - asked Anjali.
"Thinking about you!!" - said Rahul.
"You flirt!" mocked Anjali.
"So where to next?" asked Anjali.
Rahul - "There's this new Restaurant called 'Wuthering Heights' , which is supposed to offer authentic Thai cuisine. Would you like to go there?"
Anjali - "Yep, as long as they have got some veggie stuff. :)"
Rahul - " K then, lets get going. You wait here, I'll go get my car".
Anjali's eyes follow Rahul as he runs to get his car out for her.

The drive in Rahul's Swift was enjoyable for Anjali because Rahul was playing Anjali's favourite "Tu hi meri shab hai" from Gangster. Rahul tells Anjali all about his trip to the US and when he finishes, Anjali surprises him with a question - "Did you think of me when u were in US?". "Honestly, no" came the answer culminating in an awkward silence. The silence thankfully was broken, when Anjali noticed the sign board of the restaurant and exclaimed, "Hey! Here's the restaurant!"

The dinner went really well, Anjali relished every morsel of her food while narrating to Rahul, how wonderful Shashank was and what she thought of him etc... etc... Shashank is Anjali's Fiance.

It was time to get back home and as Anjali stepped out of the car, she gave Rahul a bear hug and thanked him for a wonderful evening.

The return journey back home was the most tumultuous trip for Rahul, not only on the weather side but also in his inner spirit. As the rains lashed the windscreen, thoughts of Anjali lashed at Rahul's mind.

--> What do u think is going on between Rahul and Anjali?
--> Let me know what you think and how should I be terming this relationship of Rahul and Anjali.

Fanaa - The Review

2006-05-27T20:45:00.001-07:00

My long awaited review of my movie of the year is here.... (Didn't know if you were waiting for my review, I sure was anxious to be writing this review soon :))

What do u expect in a movie?
Wonderful performances, a different story line, beautiful locales, great cinematography, good packaging, a rocking onscreen chemistry....
Well, Fanaa scores in all the above categories.

The lead performers and the supporting cast are praise worthy.
Aamir's performance is mindblowing as Rehan Qadri, whether it is the shayar in the first half or the sipahi in the second. Aamir just gets better with every film. But age plays mischief and shows on aamir's face at times...But he looks great in one of the scenes (which I can't reveal because tat would kill the suspense of the film).

The supporting cast of Rishi Kapoor, Kirron Kher, Shruthi Seth, Gautami Kapoor, Jaspal Bhatti, the little kid and a few others stay in your mind. My personal favorites are Rishi Kapoor as Zulfi and Shruthi Seth as Fatty a.k.a Fathima. Rishi reveals the love of a dad so wonderfully and Shruthi shows u a new dimension of college friendship.

Now to the scene-stealer - Kajol. (Now don't give me the looks.. you will agree with me if you see the movie :))
Kajol's performance is very different from her previous movies because it is subdued and mature. She scores in every area of performance, but what makes the performance so unique is that it looks so effort less as she breezes through the character of Zooni Ali Beg with such aplomb. Added to that she looks so gorgeous. There are times u can see a paunch which can be safely ignored ;). She is here to stay.

The movie has a very different storyline. The first half is breezy romance and the second half is a emotional war of feelings. Its got all the elements of patriotism, love and emotions woven together. Personally, the second half reminded me of Ken Follet's "Eye of the Needle".

The other hero of the film is our very own Ravi K Chandran. His cinematography takes us to a dream world in songs like Chand Sifarish, Dekho Na and Mere Haath mein. The lighting in Des Rangeela reminds u of Chandralekha from Thiruda Thiruda. My favorite songs of the movie to watch are Dekho Na and Mere Haath Mein.

As any other Yash Raj movie, the sets, the locations, the costumes all are so beautiful, that u want to be part of them. The costume that I liked the most was the red colored skirt blouse sported by Kajol in Mere Haath Mein.

The movie showcases a very beautiful chemistry between Kajol and Aamir. I guess that was the million dollar question associated with the movie and it doesn't disappoint you. You cant expect a chemistry like SRK and Kajol because the movie is different from the typical SRK and Kajol movies but this chemistry works.

Again the movie is not without flaws....

The movie fails at a important place. Just like Kal Ho Na Ho, it fails to tug at your heart in the climax.
The first half of the movie has so much shayari that you need to go with a Urdu/Hindi dictionary if you really want to enjoy the romance. Some shayaris are so beautiful.

All said and done, this movie is a treat for Kajol fans and personally feel it did stand up to the hype.

Watch this movie if you are

a Kajol fan,
a Aamir fan,
a Yash Raj films fan,
a Kunal Kohli fan,
a Hindi movie goer looking for a different story line.

My verdict: Very Good (8/10).

Fanaa is surely for me.

Disclaimer: The above review is solely based on personal opinion. :)

Fanaa - A day before

2006-05-25T01:33:00.000-07:00

The deadline is almost over... or rather am crossing my fingers for that. Fanaa is releasing this Friday (hopefully) and i want to capture my pre-release thoughts on the movie.

Fanaa is a movie that has created so much pre-release hype. Added to that, U can get Fanaa Merchandise at leading stores, which is kinda first for a bollywood movie. If that's not enough u can catch Aamir and Kajol talking their way to the box office tonite at 8.30 pm in almost all major channels including NDTV, Sony TV and MTV.

Fanaa's music has got mixed reviews, the movie is facing a lot of controversy for release in multiplexes and Gujarat... but what ever... the movie looks a must watch....What remains to be seen is whether Fanaa will make us Fanaa for the movie or for itself.

Till i catch u next time on my blog, visit http://www.yashrajfilms.com/ for more on Fanaa.

Songs Rangeela

2006-04-18T01:02:00.000-07:00

I just could not wait to get my hands rather ears on the audio CD, i bought the other day.
Looking at the CD cover, I could not envision the type of music I was going to listen.
The outer cover showed a very romantic snap of the lead pair and the inner cover showed a more tense and serious picture.

The album starts with "Chand Sifarish" rendered by Shaan (one of my fav singers) with backing vocals by Kailash Kher (of "Allah ke Bhande" fame). This song is the one that is heard in the trailers. Its a song that is very melodious and is rather lilting.

The second song is "Mere Haath Mein" sung by Sonu Nigam and Sunidhi Chauhan has a "kashmiri" effect similar to the previous songs. It also has Aamir and Kajol pitching in some shayari as well.

The third song is "Des Rangeela" appreciably rendered by Mahalakshmi Iyer ( one of my current favs). I personally was not impressed by this song and feel that the music directors should not have used our National Anthem to end the song.

The fourth song is my no:1 of the album "Dekho Na", a duet by Sonu Nigam and Sunidhi Chauhan. The song is so melodious that I fell in love with it the first time I heard it.

The next song is "Chanda Chamke" which has quite a number of tongue twisters musically presented. The highlight of the song is that the singers (Babul Supriyo, Mahalakshmi Iyer and Master Akshay Bhagwat) have done it so effortlessly.

The instrumental theme follows next and is aptly termed "Destroyed in Love" (meaning Fanaa).

The last but not in anyways the least is the DJ Aqueel's remix of "Chand Sifarish" termed "Fanaa For You". I loved the remix version as well.

My rating of the songs

Dekho Na
Chand Sifarish and Fanaa for you
Mere Haath Mein
Chanda Chamke
Theme
Des Rangeela

In short, music of "Fanaa for me" .

Disclaimer: The above review is solely based on personal opinion. :)

R&A - III

2006-04-06T06:59:00.000-07:00

Rahul had come back from a 6 month stint at the United States. He saw Anjali, come hurriedly towards him. Rahul's heart skipped a beat, she was looking so gorgeous. But the funny thing was, in the 6 months that flew by, he didn't think of Anjali even once.

Anjali, catching her breath, shouted: "Where the hell were you? I have been looking for you for so long!!"
Rahul, was taken aback. Mustering courage he asked: "Why?". Behind the scenes, Rahul's imagination was running wild. "What was Anjali going to ask?" he thought.
But before he could utter something else, Anjali said: "Hey I am getting married this May!" Rahul did not say a thing, he stared at her.
Anjali went on: "You must be wondering, we don't know each other well, for that matter, at all but why should I be so anxious about inviting you to my marriage. Hey I don't know many people here. I don't know why, but I felt we could have been good friends. Its not late now though". Saying this she winked.
Rahul uttered almost silently : "Congratulations. Ya we could be friends."
Anjali looked at Rahul: "Care for a coffee?"
Rahul said: "Not now. May be today evening, shall we go for a dinner?"

Anjali gives a nod and the most radiant smile conveying her approval.

My Hindi movie of the year

2006-04-05T23:25:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting for this movie, from the day it went on floors...

This movie has the most unlikely combination of a perfectionist and an actor known for her spontaineity.

This movie marks the comeback of my favourite actress Kajol after a hiatus of 5 years. Her last movie was K3G released in 2001. Does she look beautiful?

This movie has Kajol playing a blind gal and Aamir a terrorist.

This movie will be the last score of the duo Jatin - Lalit before they separate. Jatin - Lalit have scored in musical biggies like DDLJ, KKHH, K3G.

This movie is produced by the biggest banner of Bollywood - Yashraj films.

This movie is directed by Kunal Kohli who gave us Hum Tum.

The movie is Fanaa. It is slated to hit the theatres on May 26. The trailers debuted on news channels like NDTV, Headlines Today etc... Call that different!!!

Will the chemistry between Aamir and Kajol, recreate the magic of SRK and Kajol? Well lets wait and watch!

Watch this space for more on the movie.

Lesson Learnt

2006-03-09T00:22:00.000-08:00

Today morning my mom told me that a crow had been trapped by a "maanja".
(Maanja is a thread used to fly kites rubbed with glass pieces. Now dont ask me the procedure of making maanja. This blog is not about that ;)).
I didn't have the heart to look at the poor bird. I prayed for the bird.

Our house-owner is a pretty old man, he saved the bird and it flew away happily.

That moment i realised, it should have been me who should have saved the bird. I now have a renewed respect for that compassionate human being and for the Lord who did answer my prayers.

I know this blog really doesn't make much sense....but I understood that..."All of us can make a difference to somebody's life... if only we could try".

Paint It Yellow

2006-01-30T20:44:00.000-08:00

What a way to spend the last weekend of my current trip to the States and to watch my first movie in the theatre in the States. Going to a theatre in the wilderness, hunting for some good snacks, surprised by the lack of technology in the theatre all did not matter, just for the reason that the movie overpowered the ambience. The movie was "Rang De Basanti".

Strengths
1) Performances
I am not a fan of aamir khan, but i enjoyed his performance as DJ thoroughly. The highpoint of his performance is when he breaks down in front of Sue.
Siddharth as Karan, has downplayed his character and he just fits the bill. A good controlled performance.
Kunal Kapoor as Aslam, Atul Kulkarni as Laxman Pandey , Sharman Joshi as Sukhi, Soha as Sonia all fit to a tee. Madhavan puts in a breezy guest appearance which will stay in the minds of the people for long. Alice Patten as Sue has put in a very creditable performance.
Personally though my vote goes for Aamir Khan... but opinions vary.

2) Music
A.R. Rehman's music just gels with the screenplay. The music adds another dimension to the picture. My fav is "Paatshala". One song that slightly slows the pace of the movie is the slight slow and romantic melody "Tu Bin Bataye".

3) Direction/Screenplay/Editing/Cinematography and all other departments
Rakesh (is it Rakeysh) Mehra has handled the picture extremely well. The screenplay is fast paced. Thankfully, it does not have much masala. All technical aspects of the movie are worth a mention.

Drawbacks
I cant personally think of any drawback for this movie, the only thing that kinda troubled me was the solution to the problem they projected in the movie. From the movies point of view, its perfect, but is it the only solution?
The movie has no elements of masala, that means, it would cater only to the multiplex audience tastes.

My verdict: Very Good (8.5/10)

I have never been affected so much by a movie. Swades was one such movie. RDB is the next. In the times where we see murder, jism kind of movies in the bollywood industry, it was quite refreshing to see a movie with a message.
Am not sure if the message will be conveyed,
Am not sure if the message will be remembered,
Am not sure if the movie will become a blockbuster,
But am sure I had the satisfaction of watching a really good movie and I would remember it for a long time to come.

Disclaimer: The above review is solely based on personal opinion. :)

Rahul and Anjali -II

2005-12-07T15:40:00.000-08:00

It’s a bright sunshine day and the second day of the week. Just another clichéd beginning thinks Rahul. He reaches office and gets on to the elevator. As the doors are about to close, he sees the gal, yes, “the gal”, waving to him to stop the lift. With a devilish grin, Rahul lets the elevator doors to close. Now she would have to walk up to the 12th floor, isn’t that sweet revenge.
He realizes it is not, when the elevator stops right in the middle of its rise. The doors don’t open and the alarm doesn’t sound either. Suffocation not because of the lack of air but more because of panic and those 10 minutes were like 10 decades for Rahul. All of a sudden, a soothing voice is heard – “Hello, Please don’t worry, Help is here”. He will never forget the voice ever.
With some effort, the elevator doors open and Rahul is pulled out at the 3rd floor. There she is “the woman of his nightmares”, smiling innocently. As he is about to walk away, she cuts across and below is the excerpt of their conversation
Anjali – “Hi, I am Anjali. Sorry about yesterday. I didn’t have a chance to apologise. I was in a hurry”.
Rahul- “That’s ok. Anyways am Rahul. So did u walk up the stairs? I tried to stop but the doors just closed”
Anjali – “I wasn’t asking you to stop the lift, I was trying to warn you about the power outage and not use the elevator”
Rahul – “Oh!! But still you need to go up the stairs to the 12th floor. Right?”
Anjali – “Naaaah! My office is in the 3rd floor, I just came to meet somebody yesterday”
Rahul – “(Sighs), I gotta go… 9 more floors to scale, Bye”
Rahul – “(Thinks), Why me?!!”

End of Episode – 2

About R&A

2005-12-07T15:38:00.000-08:00

Rahul and Anjali, is a mini series (might become a mega series ;) ), that probably exaggerates our every day happenings. The lead characters are named after my favorite onscreen couple’s highly successful screen names cos, life is kabhie khushi kabhie gham. Look out for more of R&A in the coming weeks.

Rahul and Anjali - I

2005-12-06T15:02:00.000-08:00

It’s a bright sunshine day and the start of the week. It’s the start of Rahul Saxena’s career too. He has notched a great job in the company of the biggest name.

It’s an al-together new experience for Rahul as he steps into his office for the very first time. His office is a small cubicle with a view the city of Bangalore has to offer from the 12th floor. Although, his cubicle is nothing impressive, for a fresh management grad, it’s more than what he could ask for.

Rahul, sweeps the office with his eye looking for a familiar face, and is disappointed that he can’t find anybody he knows. Not that, he is reserved or shy it’s just that the presence of a known face could provide an assurance of sorts.

Rahul gets up to get his coffee. He is so crazy about coffee that he can even live without air but not without coffee. He gets to the coffee maker, makes himself a cappuccino with the little bit of sugar and cream that is there and turns to come back to his seat. All of a sudden, from nowhere comes bad luck in the form of a gal, dashes against him, spills the whole cup of hot coffee on Rahul.

The piping hot coffee singes Rahul’s chest, if that’s not enough, his new 1200/- Allen Solly White Shirt is stained beyond recognition. The worse is yet to come, as he cannot not make another cup of coffee since, the refill will not be made till noon.
The gal did not even bother to stop and apologize and this worsens his temper. Added to that, his boss Mr. Malhotra walks by and wears a snicker on his face.

So much for the start of his new career, Rahul takes the day off and reaches home without any significant events, except the peering stares of passers-by.

End of Episode - 1