I disgree. I protest. I seek a ban.
The portrayal of children in celluloid is now getting offensive. It isnt cute anymore. 20 mins of Uttaran makes me feel angry and upset. Adults who watch Uttaran are caving into the needs of a sick mind that seeks cheap tricks & politics even in children.
Rupali Guha (Hardly creative director!) shows scant regard to either the art, the medium, the abilities of her cast, the audience or even to the fact that she being a woman should understand a child's mind. Children fight, are jealous, throw tantrums et all but a trait that supercedes all such emotions is positivity. They forgive and forget. They do not scheme. A scheming Tapasya is annoying and worrying exactly for this reason. It makes me feel as if God bulit her that way.
As for now Tapasya is feeding into the vaccum left by the vamps of Balaji telefilms. I hope the serial is taken off air soon with the audiences seeing right through this trash!
Watch Kyunki Saans bhi Kabhi Bahu thi DVD if you want to see hatred, jealousy, manipulation and for those who really want to know an everyday in a child's life should watch Swami and Friends in Malgudi Days or read Enid Blyton.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
A Holy Mess!
Well today will go down as one of the best days of this year surely. Why? ..it was an extremely hectic week admist which Khushboo offered to host a party. Though unsure we were all determined to make it. All the depressing Operating Plan had taken a toll on us.
There was no electricity, barely able to see each other, no music - but what followed was memorable.
Kuch Yaaron ki dosti ki baat hi alag hai. Eight of us sat in a circle in the balcony. The wind was plesant. The stars twinkled and moon lit up our little cozy place. We played three games. Props were fun - the masks , pin up cards. We sang, danced (thats only me - compulsive habit) feasted on samosas & jalebis, colored each other, clicked the happy photos - a perfect ending like always.
Khushboo you did a grand job and i hope you organize more such parties - How about a theme party - let us dress up in retro 60's style?? Or a pyjama party only for girls?
Before we picked our partners i wished i got Arpita to be my date for the evening- and it happened, how i wish i had asked for Ranbir or John :) !
Anyways this blog is dedicated to my dostaani Arpita ;-) Cheers Gal!!
Three Cheers to Holika Devi too!!
There was no electricity, barely able to see each other, no music - but what followed was memorable.
Kuch Yaaron ki dosti ki baat hi alag hai. Eight of us sat in a circle in the balcony. The wind was plesant. The stars twinkled and moon lit up our little cozy place. We played three games. Props were fun - the masks , pin up cards. We sang, danced (thats only me - compulsive habit) feasted on samosas & jalebis, colored each other, clicked the happy photos - a perfect ending like always.
Khushboo you did a grand job and i hope you organize more such parties - How about a theme party - let us dress up in retro 60's style?? Or a pyjama party only for girls?
Before we picked our partners i wished i got Arpita to be my date for the evening- and it happened, how i wish i had asked for Ranbir or John :) !
Anyways this blog is dedicated to my dostaani Arpita ;-) Cheers Gal!!
Three Cheers to Holika Devi too!!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Movies for Food Anyone?
Way to go Akhtar Senior!
Luck By Chance is delightful cinema. It is not for those viewers who want to watch a story being drilled in. It is simply about the everyday characters you would meet in the Indian Film Industry (I guess!). Farhan Akhtar character was well sketched and he did have a detailed graph. Konkana on the other hand had to pump in some great acting to make her character sound convincing and important. Shah Rukh Khan’s cameo seemed preachy and made one wonder why the protagonist would listen to him when all he had in his head was "he is the next big thing".
That said Luck By Chance is a great watch and awaiting the Akhtar siblings’ next (Karthik Calling Karthik is Farhan’s next)
Delhi – 3 Not 6 – Half way there!!
There are several rights that Delhi 6 has to its credit. The first in chronology & probably the best is the music. With Rahmania at its peak and a brilliant music score the movie has set itself a perfect start. Within the first forty mins Rakesh Om Prakash Mehra has the viewer completely engaged with vivid and well carved out characters from Delhi 6. You are almost as excited and overwhelmed by the people in Delhi 6 as Abhisekh Bachan is. Each actor seems to have slipped into their role quite effortlessly and one takes a spontaneously liking to all of them. The scene in which Waheeda Rehman falls sick leaving the protagonist thinking as to whether they had indeed left their family back in New York is a touching scene. The use of Ram Leela, the music, the galis , the Jama Masjid makes it a visual treat. The fourth right are the choice of actors. Divya Dutta, Pavan Malhotra, Rama Bua, Supriya Kapoor, Vijay Raaz , Deepak Dobriyal make perfect casting.
At the interval you are left glued and guessing as to how the drama will unfold to justify a plot with the use of so many characters, layered metaphors in less than an hour. This is where Delhi 6 begins to fail:
· Why the protagonist decides to stay is very unconvincing
· What causes communal divide - fake sadhus, political leaders, over the top media, religious clerics, vulnerable / emotional common man or all of them? Not effectively dealt with.
· Characters seem hardly threatened or worried about their safety. In fact characters like Suresh, Om Puri, Sonam Kapoor are indifferent about the brewing communal riots next door
· The director decides to make the protagonist a hero by offering an over simplified solution (common fear can unite divided groups ) to problems around.
The climax is painful as the director oscillates between cinematic and realism, ordinary and genius, obvious and metaphors. The cameo was negates quite a few of the rights.
Delhi 6 is still good, just that the expectations are a near flawless film at the interval..which it doesn’t meet.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Marammat Muqadar ki kar do Maula
It is premature to comment on the movie but the music of Delhi 6 is truly outsatnding. I havent been able to get it out of my mind. While the music is addictive and grows on you (typical of AR Rehman) what really makes you listen to them again and again are the lyrics. Prasoon Joshi has hit the bulls eye yet again with Delhi 6. It is a wholesome menu on the table, you have Arziyan and Aarti ( Different faiths) , Masakalli and Kala Bandar (One frivlous and one layered), Rehna Tu and Delhi 6 (Romantic and Bindaas)...
BTW did you know Masakalli was originally for Om Shanti Om!!
My favorite pick of lyrics are:
Tujhe kya gum,Tera Rishta Gagan ki bansuri se hai,Pawan ki guftgu se hai,suraj ki roshni se hai,
Udiyo, na Dariyo kar man mani manmani manmaniBadiyo, na mudiyo kar nadaani...
Udiyo, na Dariyo kar man mani manmani manmaniBadiyo, na mudiyo kar nadaani...
Maula maula maula maula,
Murammat muqadaar ki kar do maula,
Mere maula..
Jo bhi tere darr aaya, jhukne jo sar aaya,
Mastiyaan piye sab ko,jhoomta nazar aaya
Pyaas leke aaya tha dariyaa wo bhar laaya,
Noor ki baarish mein bheegta sa tarr aaya,
Ek khushbu aati thi,
Ek khushbu aati thi,
Main bhatakta jaata tha,
Reshmi si maaya thi,Aur main taktaa jaata tha,
Jab teri gali aaya, sach tabhi nazar aaya
Mujh mein hi woh khushbu thi, Jisse tune milwaya,
BTW did you know Masakalli was originally for Om Shanti Om!!
My favorite pick of lyrics are:
Tujhe kya gum,Tera Rishta Gagan ki bansuri se hai,Pawan ki guftgu se hai,suraj ki roshni se hai,
Udiyo, na Dariyo kar man mani manmani manmaniBadiyo, na mudiyo kar nadaani...
Udiyo, na Dariyo kar man mani manmani manmaniBadiyo, na mudiyo kar nadaani...
Maula maula maula maula,
Murammat muqadaar ki kar do maula,
Mere maula..
Jo bhi tere darr aaya, jhukne jo sar aaya,
Mastiyaan piye sab ko,jhoomta nazar aaya
Pyaas leke aaya tha dariyaa wo bhar laaya,
Noor ki baarish mein bheegta sa tarr aaya,
Ek khushbu aati thi,
Ek khushbu aati thi,
Main bhatakta jaata tha,
Reshmi si maaya thi,Aur main taktaa jaata tha,
Jab teri gali aaya, sach tabhi nazar aaya
Mujh mein hi woh khushbu thi, Jisse tune milwaya,
Sunday, February 1, 2009
God's own country
Breaking News: This gang of girls complete their third trek together (the first in 2009!) and the group only gets bigger & better!!
For all those who thought that the imagination and conversation amongst a bunch of girls couldnt go beyond lipstick and kitty parties, cannot adjust and stay united in thought, cannot rough it out, cannot dare to reach the top...the truth is out and myth is broken!
Wayanad in God's Own Country was the chosen spot. The idea germinated in Archana's email in the beinnin of January and by 15th i guess we were all set. As the group got bigger (9 of us) we chose a tempo traveller with a video coach and comfortable seats.
On 24th early morning we set off as a bunch of 9 (7 girls and 2 guys) at 4 Am. The route we picked was via Mysore - Bandipur - Sultan Bhatery. We reached Wayanad at 11 Am. After checking into a cozy home stay with Mr Mathew in his Herbal Nest we began our quest for adventure with a Edakkel Caves.
Our driver was a "khadoos khandaani" and refused to open his paan stained mouth. As an after thought I guess it was much better that way. In Aditya we found our able navigator. He would tirelessly get down, seek directions and be our guiding light. Thank you Bhai!
Oh we were at Edakkel Caves, werent we...We were told that it is a heritage place and archeologists are still studying the paintings on the caves. We Indians have scant respect for our history and that shows in the poor infrstructure that these Caves have. A popular site for College and school excursions it is extremely crowded. A few locals get up the caves to get drunk and play spoilsport by harrasing the tourists. Even if you do manage to bite your teeth and bear the heat, crowd and the hooliganism you shall certainly sucumb to the precarious and dangerous climb.
Once on the top the view of the parallel rocks and beauty of the caves will restore some peace and give you a sense of relief.
Post the dust and heat we decided to beat the exhaustion by relaxing at Pookad Lake. We reached there only by . The drive through the tea estates and greenery all around revived our spirits.
The next day morning was a jungle safari at Muthanga Wildlife sanctuary. The woods are lovely, dark and green..!! We saw tiger marks and a herd of deer completely disturbed by our presence. They ran away at our sight. Elephants too were hard to find. The sun beaming through the trees and the sound of chirping birds made it a memorable ride.
After a quick brunch we made our way to Kanthanpura Falls. It wasnt as grand as the Meenamutty but was a good place to just sit and relax. There was hardly any crowd and that to me was a huge relief. From there we travelled west towards Banaswara Dam....and dam we missed the boating again! Shameless begging by me and Shaonli did not save the day for us. We gave in and settled for a walk by the dam. It was sun set and there was hardly anyone around. Anju, Naveen and me meditated for about 15 mins and it was totally worth it to have come all the way.
It was time for Camp fire when we were back. Mr Mathew the kind man he is, lent us his speakers. After a lot of failed attempts to get the music started Naveen and his sheer genius had us rolling at 1145 pm. Food by the fire, dance by the fire and then it was grand R Day celebration by the fire. Aditya did carry a flag (very thoughtful indeed!) which we all swayed and sang patriotic songs. We even wet ourselves with Appy Fizz (a cheap proxy for champagne!)!
While Anju and me clung dearly to our pillows the rest enjoyed the "Shanghai Time". This is a ritual that bonds us together and is a true barometer of fun quotient. Archie won as usual while Arpita still wishes she had the 5 of Diamonds!! Agle baar phir sahi..:)
They say save the best for the last as all is well that ends well. So we did unintentionally. Kuruva islands beckoned us on 26th morning. It was trekker's delight. For the first time I was on a water trek. We had a wonderful guide Sukumar (quite handosme actually...i can see all girls giving a nod of approval). It was the guys who did all the falling. Their mothers were called out for quite frequently :). We began a ride on the raft. Trekked through the jungle. Then began walking on knee deep gushing water. The slippery rocks beneath, monkeys for company on the engulfing trees, colorful butterflies, noisy birds, the shade of the trees made us feel so close to nature. We had 2 hours of this bliss at the end of which we were allowed to swim. Khusboo swam like a mermaid to her hearts content and the joy on her face summed it all up.
Back to Herbal nest by 4 it was time to leave. We played fish bowl as we returned. We also dedicated a full 2 hours to singing all Shah Rukh Songs!! He would be quite touched i am sure.
This trip for Rs3K per head was completely paisa wassol!! Next one will be at Chikmagalur...so until then hang in everybody!
Signing of with the verse from a song in Dilli 6:
Kudiyon O Kudiyon
Kar Man Maani Man Maani
Na Dariyo Na mudiyo
Kar Naadaani!!
For all those who thought that the imagination and conversation amongst a bunch of girls couldnt go beyond lipstick and kitty parties, cannot adjust and stay united in thought, cannot rough it out, cannot dare to reach the top...the truth is out and myth is broken!
Wayanad in God's Own Country was the chosen spot. The idea germinated in Archana's email in the beinnin of January and by 15th i guess we were all set. As the group got bigger (9 of us) we chose a tempo traveller with a video coach and comfortable seats.
On 24th early morning we set off as a bunch of 9 (7 girls and 2 guys) at 4 Am. The route we picked was via Mysore - Bandipur - Sultan Bhatery. We reached Wayanad at 11 Am. After checking into a cozy home stay with Mr Mathew in his Herbal Nest we began our quest for adventure with a Edakkel Caves.
Our driver was a "khadoos khandaani" and refused to open his paan stained mouth. As an after thought I guess it was much better that way. In Aditya we found our able navigator. He would tirelessly get down, seek directions and be our guiding light. Thank you Bhai!
Oh we were at Edakkel Caves, werent we...We were told that it is a heritage place and archeologists are still studying the paintings on the caves. We Indians have scant respect for our history and that shows in the poor infrstructure that these Caves have. A popular site for College and school excursions it is extremely crowded. A few locals get up the caves to get drunk and play spoilsport by harrasing the tourists. Even if you do manage to bite your teeth and bear the heat, crowd and the hooliganism you shall certainly sucumb to the precarious and dangerous climb.
Once on the top the view of the parallel rocks and beauty of the caves will restore some peace and give you a sense of relief.
Post the dust and heat we decided to beat the exhaustion by relaxing at Pookad Lake. We reached there only by . The drive through the tea estates and greenery all around revived our spirits.
The next day morning was a jungle safari at Muthanga Wildlife sanctuary. The woods are lovely, dark and green..!! We saw tiger marks and a herd of deer completely disturbed by our presence. They ran away at our sight. Elephants too were hard to find. The sun beaming through the trees and the sound of chirping birds made it a memorable ride.
After a quick brunch we made our way to Kanthanpura Falls. It wasnt as grand as the Meenamutty but was a good place to just sit and relax. There was hardly any crowd and that to me was a huge relief. From there we travelled west towards Banaswara Dam....and dam we missed the boating again! Shameless begging by me and Shaonli did not save the day for us. We gave in and settled for a walk by the dam. It was sun set and there was hardly anyone around. Anju, Naveen and me meditated for about 15 mins and it was totally worth it to have come all the way.
It was time for Camp fire when we were back. Mr Mathew the kind man he is, lent us his speakers. After a lot of failed attempts to get the music started Naveen and his sheer genius had us rolling at 1145 pm. Food by the fire, dance by the fire and then it was grand R Day celebration by the fire. Aditya did carry a flag (very thoughtful indeed!) which we all swayed and sang patriotic songs. We even wet ourselves with Appy Fizz (a cheap proxy for champagne!)!
While Anju and me clung dearly to our pillows the rest enjoyed the "Shanghai Time". This is a ritual that bonds us together and is a true barometer of fun quotient. Archie won as usual while Arpita still wishes she had the 5 of Diamonds!! Agle baar phir sahi..:)
They say save the best for the last as all is well that ends well. So we did unintentionally. Kuruva islands beckoned us on 26th morning. It was trekker's delight. For the first time I was on a water trek. We had a wonderful guide Sukumar (quite handosme actually...i can see all girls giving a nod of approval). It was the guys who did all the falling. Their mothers were called out for quite frequently :). We began a ride on the raft. Trekked through the jungle. Then began walking on knee deep gushing water. The slippery rocks beneath, monkeys for company on the engulfing trees, colorful butterflies, noisy birds, the shade of the trees made us feel so close to nature. We had 2 hours of this bliss at the end of which we were allowed to swim. Khusboo swam like a mermaid to her hearts content and the joy on her face summed it all up.
Back to Herbal nest by 4 it was time to leave. We played fish bowl as we returned. We also dedicated a full 2 hours to singing all Shah Rukh Songs!! He would be quite touched i am sure.
This trip for Rs3K per head was completely paisa wassol!! Next one will be at Chikmagalur...so until then hang in everybody!
Signing of with the verse from a song in Dilli 6:
Kudiyon O Kudiyon
Kar Man Maani Man Maani
Na Dariyo Na mudiyo
Kar Naadaani!!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
This fortnight on entertainment
Here is an update on the latest at "collective expression of hope and unity of India" - the "Bollywood" & related entertainment:
- Slumdog Millionaire is not a rags to riches story. In fact it is about suffering and redumption. The protaganist is not interested in the money, his purpose is different!
- Dilli 6 has great music. Arziyan is a personal favorite
- Zoya Akthar gets a thumbs up on Luck by Chance. Will watch that and post a review next week
- When was the last time you attended a concert? Dont remember...next time KK is in town do make a dash for it. It is totally worth it. He performed at the IIM Bangalore - Unmaad yesterday and rocked for two hours. His energy and voice was liberating. There was enough scope to head bang, shoulder shake, make waves, sway hands and hum along.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Masakalli Matakalli
For those who haven’t watched it yet let this be a revelation. Breaking News on my blog the most intriguing song of the year “Masakalli Matakalli”. Puzzled …yes indeed Rakesh Omprakash Mehra, AR Rahman, a new voice and bewitching trailer of the movie leaves the viewer wanting for more. Amongst movies to look forward to this year top on my list are Luck By Chance and Dilli 6. If Farhan Akhtar’s sensibilities and aesthetics are anything to go by the movie will please the urban youth and immediately catch on. Farhan has proved himself on this count at all occasions (DCH, Lakshya, Rock On) and in all forms as a director, producer, an actor et all. To push the envelope he must attempt a different genre. We will have to wait for that as Luck By Chance is centered around a struggler in ultra urban city of Mumbai.
While Zoya gives us a slice of Mumbai, Dilli 6 is definitely a canvas which has all the colors of the capital. The trailer has everything from galis, nukkads, jalebis, kabootar, charpai, barsaati, and also the sardi.
Now time for trivia- Words that are a big "No No" as they have often been used on Page 3: Splitsville
While Zoya gives us a slice of Mumbai, Dilli 6 is definitely a canvas which has all the colors of the capital. The trailer has everything from galis, nukkads, jalebis, kabootar, charpai, barsaati, and also the sardi.
Now time for trivia- Words that are a big "No No" as they have often been used on Page 3: Splitsville
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