M3 - Movies Magic Masala!

review - The Iron Lady

2012-02-10T05:50:00.000-08:00

So let’s get this straight: “The Iron Lady” ‘aint your fun, popcorn ‘n candy movie experience!

But yet, the movie ticket price of 35dhs,well spent ….

The Iron Lady of politics, portrayed by the Iron Lady of Hollywood; quite a lethal combination! There are times, especially in the scenes featuring the aged Dame Maggie Thatcher, when you have to pinch yourself to remember, that behind that steely image, is the darling of American cinema, the happy, bubbly & hugely talented Meryl Streep!

The guts & the glory of being Meryl Streep; what courage it must take to portray a living legend, that too, a tough-cookie like Maggie!

A blast from the past, when you remember this remarkable politician, who went on to become the first female Prime Minister of England & the longest serving one at that – wow!

The image of the steely young Margaret, on being proposed to, asserting that she doesn’t want to simply live, playing wife & mother & die washing a tea cup, but to matter and make a difference – wow, goose bump moment & a personal favorite!

What pulls the rug from under your feet as a the viewer, is the fact that the movie is largely about an aged, widowed, vulnerable, sometimes helpless old lady, fighting dementia – a harsh reminder that old age is a leveler!

The movie flits between the poignant present & the glorious past - the young Maggie who meets the love of her life, who with steely determination takes on the male dominated benches of Parliament, rises to become PM, leads England to victory in the Falklands war …. Uncompromising in her duty to the country, but certainly faltering as a wife & mum! Remarkable that “Thatcherism’, as her brand of politics came to be known, is being echoed by current UK PM, David Cameron!

A compelling watch – though at times, you wonder why the director focused more on the old, hallucinating, sometimes senile & grieving parts of Margaret Thatcher’s life; especially when the flashes of her feisty comebacks in Parliament, her makeover (yeah, apparently stodgy Prime Ministers have ‘em too!), her stubborn refusal to give up her pearls, the refreshing romance with her husband … all so uplifting & enjoyable!

The life ‘n times of an extraordinary woman of substance, played with courage, understanding, sensitivity and a sense of humor, by the one and only Meryl Streep! That’s what you call a double whammy! With due apologies to Viola Davis, who was fabulous in the “The Help”, I’ll be rooting for Meryl Streep at Oscar awards this year, for her role as the living legend, Margaret Thatcher!

review - The Descendants

2012-01-31T07:15:00.000-08:00

Sistahs, if you worried about how G(e)orge-ous Clooney would weather, post fatherhood, middle age, a thickened waist … allow me to be the harbinger of good tidings! Mr. Clooney is one of life’s miracles – an eternal hottie!
Now that I’ve got that out of my system, there is some bad news too – for all the dads out there! Starting out as the clueless, well intentioned, almost absentee dad, who is constantly baffled by his daughters bindaas attitude & lack of fear of authority, meaning him; to a hands-on, sensitive parent, in Matt King, played by Clooney, director Alexander Payne creates a father, who sets the bar really high, for all papas! Every young girl is gonna walk out of the theatre, wishing GC was her dad!!!
But don’t get me wrong – sure, George Clooney simply astounds in "The Descendants", with the sensitivity & simplicity, with which he plays a broken husband, dealing with a wife in coma & discovering she was cheating on him & having to come to terms with the reality of being a single parent; but the fabulous ensemble cast enhance this Oscar nominated role!
Most impressive is the 17 year old daughter, played with remarkable maturity by Shailene Woodley, as the 17 year old, who is burdened by the secret of her mother’s affair. A personal favorite of mine was her inappropriate boyfriend, who just attaches himself to the family, is beaten up by her grandfather & somewhere along the line, gets accepted! Kudos to the little daughter, with her dark interpretation of her mom in a coma & for making your heart melt, when she breaks down, while saying goodbye to her mom!

The icing on the cake is Hawaii - so divinely beautiful, I am sure, many from the audience, would have gone straight from the theatre to their travel agent & booked themselves one way tickets to this ‘paradise on earth!’
Alexander Payne’s “Sideways” & “About Schmidt” were great films – awesome casting (remember Jack Nicholson & the oh-so-talented, but underrated Paul Giamatti?), great direction, fabulous performances, lump in the throat moments … but I must confess, for my personal taste, a tad dark, gloomy & pessimistic; With “The Descendants”, Payne takes a joyous leap & gives the audience the perfect movie experience & yes, that ‘they lived happily ever after’ ending!

review of 'Players"

2012-01-05T23:24:00.000-08:00

Ek movie – “Players” - kitne ‘Breaking News’!!!

*Item girls in India go on strike to protest against invasion of their territory by Bipasha Basu! Mallika Sherawat to join convent, realizing that she is no competition for Ms Basu!
*Mystery solved! Analysts have been trying to figure out the inexplicable disappearance of eye-shadow from the Indian markets; post ‘Players’ we understand that it was all used up by Sonam Kapoor!
*Consistent Player Award goes to Beti A’s ‘Paa’,Abhishek, for managing to survive scores of movies, with the bilkul same to same expression!
*Worst comeback!! Vinod Khanna - wish we could have remained with memories of that stud, whom we drooled over, jab hum jawan the!
If you are a fan of the classic “Italian Job”, then you need to go for this desi -version, armed with a sense of humor!
BUT, despite all that, “Director Duo”, (yep, that’s what they call themselves now!) Abbas-Mustan’s “Players” is a racy, entertaining Bollywood film! So you have a train carrying gold from Russia to Romania, a team of experts put together to steal the gold, a gaddar, or two, badle-ki-aag, a surprising villain, an embarrassing seductive number by Sonam Kapoor (babe, leave the jhatkas & matkas to Bipasha –ben!), fast cars, skimpy outfits in the biting cold of Russia, a neat cameo by Kiran Kher da puttar, Sikander, some cheesy humor (quite enjoyed the Russian mafia menacingly asking ‘sona kahaan hai’ & Omi Vaidya breezily retorting, ‘mujhe kya malum hai, kahin bhi so jaao!’,forgettable music ….
a fairly tasty salad, with loads of ingredients, some “Italian”, but seasoned deftly, with a huge dollop of desi tadka!

review - Don 2

2011-12-22T11:46:00.000-08:00

Warning: Die-hard fans of SRK, advisable to skip this review!
Don 2 suffers from the curse of the sequel:ironic, since the original ‘Don’ itself was not the asli stuff, being a remake of Big B-ka-‘Don’!

Yet, the original, un-original SRK, Farhan Akhtar venture worked & how; very cool, contemporary, with unexpected twists & a wicked ending!
Oh yes, if you are hungry, go for “Don 2” armed with some fresh bread; SRK hams so royally, plenty of meat there for a sandwich & more! In the Shahrukh Khan school of acting, to portray a devilishly bad hero, all you need, is a snarl on your face & a strange rasp of the voice, which I suspect, was inspired by the “Agneepath” voice of Big B!
The old ‘Agneepath’ reminds me of the hero of the new & reloaded version, Hrithik Roshan; He is the surprise factor, wearing a mask ostensibly, a la Mission Impossible! Now here’s where you realize that Farhan Akhtar has taken on too many acting & singing assignments, which are taking their toll on his role as a director! So the Hrithik Roshan we see, for a delightful few minutes, is supposed to be the shorter & minus those biceps SRK, but even if you allow for Bollywood madness, how do you explain, that the masked SRK also talks like Hrithik Roshan?!
Aha, the clash of the Ms World v/s Ms Universe – Priyanka & Lara!!! Priyanka is the legit heroine of the film, but looks dull, washed out & sure she is a police officer, but yeh hindi phillum hai, so some unrealistic glamour would have helped!

Mrs. Bhupathi, yaaney-ki- apni- Lara, on the other hand, plays molly & dolly to Don effortlessly – she probably has, as many scenes as Priyanka, but to escape the humiliation of playing second fiddle to Ms World, Ms Universe takes the escape route, by having her act listed as a ‘special appearance’ … hmmmm!!!
Don sets his sights on a bank in Berlin – there is a convoluted plot of blackmail, storming the bank, shades of ‘Die Hard’ & no, Don doesn’t want money, but the plates which print the money …. yeah, not getting into that – if u must know, go see the movie yourself!
Did I mention our friendly, neighborhood hacker – enter Kunal Kapoor of Rang-de-Basanti fame?! Hez cute, has a phoren, pregnant wife (why we had to know that, I dunno?) & is a jack-of-all trades, as only found in hindi films!
Jab we almost hit the climax, Farhan Akhtar succumbs to the stereotype – so out of the blues, Don joins hands with the cops, helps flush out the bad guys (so does that make him good, bad or what???!) & even manages an instant, two minute, Magi noodles like romance, with Priyanka!!! Et tu, Farhan?
Music – totally forgettable & nothing to write home about!
‘Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahin, naamumkin hai’ – yeah, wish I hadn’t caught him!

review - MI 4

2011-12-16T13:50:00.000-08:00

Confession: Tom Cruise in asli zindagi, I don’t like too much. Not that Cruise Bhai & I are bum chums or anything! It’s just what you read & see, like him leaping up & down a sofa, on Oprah, like a lunatic, or all that buzz about his obsession for scientology ...

But Tom Cruise on the big screen, superstar & smoking hot! Yeah, he looks kinda oddly whitewashed & botoxed too, but still has what it takes!
There’s been so much gup-shup about the movie – some not good, about it lacking the typical Mission Impossible edginess, that I went into the theatre with zero expectations, but came out in a Tom Cruise state of mind, dreamy and happy!
I had to watch the original ‘Mission Impossible’, a couple of times, before I could figure out what the hell was going on! MI 4 takes care of slow-witted folks like me, with a simple, crystal clear, no-brainer plot! It’s a happy jugalbandi, of Bond meets MI!
The regular Hollywood drama locales – Budapest & the Kremlin, which have become to these Hollywood, spy action flicks, what Switzerland is for Yash Chopra films! Defusing nuclear warheads & saving the world from annihilation, with his band of merry-men & women, all in a day’s work for apna Ethan Hunt!
Dubai meri jaan, looks spectacular & I almost got up to join my young bros in the theatre, when they gave the first glimpse of the lush, shiny desert, a standing ovation! And then the Burj Khalifa! So majestic & with Tom Cruise scaling its heights & performing breathtaking stunts, Subhan Allah!
Simon Peg, has always gone under the radar as a comic talent, but he is just right as one of the Tom’s Trio!
Paula Patton, khuda jaaney who she is & she is not even the romantic lead, but still looks fit & fabulous! Equally at ease, whether kicking a blonde assassin of the 126th floor of the Burj Khalifa, or attempting to seduce the Indian millionaire!
It’s India which gets a raw deal – the garish, gaudily dressed extras & outlandish sets, look like something out of Bollywood, in the 70’s! Anil Kapoor – could have portrayed a suave Indian playboy & businessman, but messes up his 'if you blink you’ll miss' appearance, by acting like a buffoon – was it the demands of the script, or Mr. Kapoor’s interpretation, don’t know, but certainly not ‘jhakaas!’
Like the taut action was not enough, the closing act will have you grabbing your handkerchiefs & bawling your mushy hearts out – an ‘aakhon hi aankhon mein ishara ho gaya’ moment between Tom Cruise & his wife, from whom he is separated, for the sake of her safety ….
Tom Cruise in MI 4,
Critics called it a bore,
But I say, gimme more!

review of 'dirty picture'

2011-12-01T12:33:00.000-08:00

This one’s a mixed bag!

First, ‘Dirty Picture’ is yakeen se, a ‘Nallu Picture’/’Achha Picture’/’Good Picture’!
Socha na tha, that from the ashes of regressive soaps of the saas-bahu kind, Ekta Kapoor would emerge as a ‘hatt-ke’ producer – a pretty impressive line-up of films like ‘Once upon a time in Mumbai’, ‘Love Sex or Dhoka’ & now a movie based on the life of the first lady of suggestive item numbers & more, the inimitable ‘Sillukku’ Smitha!
So taaliyaan for Jumping Jack Jeetu ki beti!
For fellow Palghat Iyer, nammu Vidya Balan, a standing ovation! From Parineeta, you’ve come a long way babe! What a gutsy, uninhibited bold act, proving that she is one of the most versatile actors Bollywood can boast of currently!

Then there’s my all time favorite, Nasserudin Shah – he is a riot, playing those typical fossil like heroes of the 80’s, arrogant, absurd & delusional! Some hilarious scenes like the one where he looks 90+ and skips home with his diploma and has an actress half his age, playing his mother! Plenty of jabs at the foolish & illogical idolizing of over the hill actors!
BUT!!!!! I belong to the generation (phuleez let us not detour into ‘she must be quite old’ lane & stick to the review!) that saw the rise & fall of the one & only ‘Sillukku’ – you first encountered her on the large screen with horror & moralistic outrage, then graduated to grotesque fascination & somewhere down the line, grew quite fond of our feisty fabric queen - Don’t get me wrong – not taking away from Vidya Balan’s performance in any way – but for a diehard South Indian, there is a gap between our crude, earthy, one of a kind “Sillukku’ & ‘Dirty Picture’s’ refined ‘Silk’.
Credit to Vidya Balan that despite all the jhatkas, matkas, thrusts & cleavage, she never looks vulgar – which unfortunately does not allow ‘Silk’ to become ‘Sillukku’! Was it my imagination, or were there a lot of Jeetu-Sreedevi-Tohfa-Mawaali like costumes & picturisation, poses et all! Maybe Ekta wanted to squeeze in a small tribute to daddy dearest?!
Let’s talk about our Rascallas, the Tamizh film heroes – again, much as Nasser has attempted, has not been able to crack the complete package that is a middle aged leading men of the 1980’s! So funny moments definitely, but Mr. Shah’s performance, dare I say it, does verge on a spoof like quality most of the time! You still love him & never forget what a great actor he is – but no denying that there are comical tinges to his role!
Yeah, let me not forget that if it’s a Balaji production, we have to suffer Tusss (how many S’s is that?)ar Kapoor – couldn’t quite figure his look & the wig! Let me just say, a great actor he ‘aint, so thank Gawd for him that he’s got Ekta Kapoor as a sister!
Life & times of Silk Smitha – a story sincerely & well told, but the movie is not a patch on the phenomenon that was Silluku Smita - she left her mark on the fabric of Indian cinema , a trend setter ! After her came Nylex Nalini & ‘Polyester Padmini’!!! (LOL!)
But then, comparisons are odious, so season my comments with a huge dose of salt!
PS: Ooo la la la, Bhappi Da, not bad!Buy yourself one more gold chain!

review of aparna sen's 'iti mrinalini - an unfinished letter'

2011-11-16T07:32:00.000-08:00

‘Iti Mrinalini – an unfinished letter’; taking my cue from the title … there is a sense of an unfinished experience, after watching the film! From the director of ’36 Chowringhee Lane’ & ‘Mr. & Mrs. Iyer’& I would like to add ’15, Park Avenue’, except for the fact that I have to confess that I managed to be fascinated by the film, without fully understanding it, this new offering, starring Sen Senior (Aparna herself!) & Sen Junior (the hugely talented Konkona Sen!), disappoints!
A run of the mill, predictable story, sketchily written, of an aging actress, contemplating suicide & slipping into flashback mode, which reveals a career strewn with broken affairs, a pregnancy that has to be hidden from the media & a daughter, whom she can’t take on as a beti & has to make do with being the favorite aunt ….. hmmmmmmm …. Here we go again! Indian cinema seems obsessed with these ghissa-pita, dukh bhari kahanis, of actresses who scale great heights of success, but of course, fail, when they attempt to lead a normal, sukhi zindagi!
Yeah, when Shyam Benegal wove a gripping movie around the same theme, with the fabulous Smita Patil, it worked & how!!!
There are so many actresses around, who have had happy careers, rock solid relationships, kids & gone on to do other stuff, like politics, or cookery shows (what a fall there was, my country men, watching the dhak dhak girl,Madhuri Dixit, wearing a garish chamak chalo sari, playing second fiddle to Sanjeev Kapoor!) or even making candles! Why don’t our directors get inspired?
Konkona Sen looks ravishing as the young actress, in her stunning Bengal cottons,silks & exquisite silver jewellery! (I actually checked the credits keenly, to see if the source of this beautiful silver had been mentioned, but sadly, it’s a raaz ki baat!) & she is a fine, competent actress, simply let down by a lousy script & sketchy direction!
The same can’t be said about mama Aparna – she is a stilted & affected actress & you realize why she had to take to direction, where thankfully she found her calling!
Props for the packaging – good looking, arty-varty dudes with accented English & Hindi, lovely houses, ethnically done up, bright cottons & silks & yep, the jewellery that I lusted after!

But sets, clothes, good looking dudes & dollops of literature don’t a good movie maketh - “Iti Mrinalini” proves my point!

review of 'rockstar'

2011-11-11T14:58:00.000-08:00

The hero of “Rockstar” is the music, brought to life by “masakalli” Mohit Chauhan! Hearing the strong, soulful, powerful songs, Mr. & Mrs. Kaushik broke tradition, of never heading for the movies without getting any feedback – the only exception to the rule being any Aamir Khan film - the dude never lets us down! “Jab we meet” Imtiaz Silly, oh sorry, Ali, will tell him that we paid a heavy price for breaking our khandani parampara!
The heroine is the stunning locales that we get to savor across our otherwise traumatizing 3 hour journey! From the misty, winter soaked corridors of St Stephens in the capital, to the gandi galis with sleazy theatres, featuring “junglee jawani’, the canvas shifts to paradise that is Kashmir, the snow capped mountains, the cold lakes, aur phir, Prague!
Then there’s Nargis Fakhri (allow me a cheap giggle every time I hear her surname!): stunning but a tad wooden! Props for her wardrobe – I lusted after every Kashmiri stole & kurta, in the richest of hues, with the most fabulous embroidery, worn so comfortably & elegantly by Ms (giggle!) Fakhri! Not a patch on the gay abandon with which Kareena breathed life into her “Jab we met” role, but in parts, ‘lil Nargis is kaafi not bad!
Wish we could say the same about Kareena’s much talked about cousin brother, Ranbir! Surely, he knows the difference between a simpleton from humble beginnings, who dreams of becoming Jim Morrison and a half wit?! So we see two expressions on him across, shudder, shudder, a very long film – he either looks daft, or angry – why??? Khuda Jaane!!!
Some Imtiaz Ali moments – Ranbir & Nargis slumming it for a day, watching a seedy movie, drinking desi daru & dancing in cheap discos! The vibrant colors, the gorgeous costumes, the beauty of Prague & the awesome dancing in the “Haawo Haawo” song is a visual treat!
But these tiny jhalaks of joy are brought to a screeching halt, post interval, when nothing can redeem the phillum – the music & the locales cannot rise above the dismal story & shoddy director!

Ours was not to reason why –
• why Heer is so dukhi with her marriage?
• Why she gets bone marrow apalasia (keep it simple, for aam janta to comprehend, dude!) & how her blood count gets better every time the weirdly named Jordan (phuleez!) comes near her?
• Kaise she manages to get pregnant when she has that above ailment?
• Why “Jordan” dumbly dreams of becoming a rockstar, but when he does, snarls at his fans & spaces out, while the audience patiently waits!
• Why the audience didn’t pelt him with stones, or at least, rotten tomatoes?!
• Why I didn’t –because I needed the tomatoes bought from Carrefour, for the next day’s khaana!
Ours was but to watch & die … of boredom!

Or is this the ranting of a cynical, hardened soul, who is no longer charmed by the angry young rocker, could not shed a tear at poor Heer’s complicated beemari & heartlessly dismissed this romantic tale of unrequited love aaj-kal!

review of 'delhi belly'

2011-07-16T15:09:00.000-07:00

One man’s funny is another man’s ….

Still basking in the cool breeze generated by the breath of fresh air, which ‘Delhi Belly’ infuses, into the stale, ghissa-pitta, over the top fare, that passes of as Bollywood comedy!

Yeah, yeah, sure the whole toilet routine ‘stinks’ (literally), but give me that any day, over double meaning innuendo & the never ending saga of suspicious girlfriends/wives, straying boyfriends/husbands & their forced masti & antics!

Confession: Shiksha & I closed our eyes at the first toilet routine – we just couldn’t, especially with popcorn & coke in our hands!!

What a spectacular ensemble cast!!!

Vijay Raaz – I forgive all the drugs he carried into Dubai & getting arrested, for playing the don of a pack of goons – the scene where he lays out the smooth velvet mat, into which he plans to tip the diamonds & gets poop instead, crude but priceless!

The henchmen – omg!!! The images of the simple minded villains, who start tucking into the food delivered, instead of menacingly beating up the victim …

But the movie belongs to the 3 idiots – a coming of age & gloss free ‘dil chahta hai!’

Imran Khan is brilliant & totally at ease as the mild bum of a photographer – finally proving that is Aamir Khan’s nephew!

Kunal Roy Kapur – where has he been????!! He makes the grossest of scenes watchable & funny!

Vir Das (wow, now we have actors who have studied at Harvard!) is the quiet one who grows on you – one of my favorite moments has to be his fantasy, revenge number on his betraying girlfriend! Have to mention his outrage when he finds out that his pal has been using his orange juice for ….

Ram jaaney who is Ram Sampath, but as the music director, he kicks … Much has been said about ‘DK Bose …’, but the tune which lingers is the frantic, frenzied ‘jaa chudail’ – the choreography helps!!

The female pack are eye candy – Poorna Jagannathan has that extra something!

How do you do it, Aamir Khan???? From the epic drama that was Lagaan, the patriotic cop story of Sarfarosh, the guy version of BFF’s, Dil Chahta hai, to social commentaries like Peepli Live & TZP & now Delhi Belly, you sure believe that variety is the spice of life, but with firm quality control!

Aamir Khan’s item number – the icing on an exciting, yummy cake!!!!

Not everyone’s cuppa tea, but this strongly brewed movie went down my throat smoothly & has settled comfortably in my large belly!!!

review of 'zindagi na milegi dobara'

2011-07-15T12:47:00.001-07:00

Given that this summer has been a season of sequels, while ‘zindagi na milegi dobara’ has a nice ring to it, methinks “dil chahta hai 2 – the road trip” would have worked better. Why not Zoya?! After all, Farhan Bhai also managed to squeeze in the trailer of his own sequel of ‘don’?!

Don’t get me wrong, doston – no complaints about the striking similarity b/w DCH & ZNMD … it’s like going to a restaurant & ordering the same food again – some of my friends accuse me of being a bore, but for me, I enjoy the encore effect of a tried & tested yummy dish.

A sense of déjà-vu hits you, as ZNMD kicks off – the three langothiya yaars & their stories, which unfold in the course of a fun, road trip across Spain – nothing profound, or deep, but a pretty tale, well told – great locales, plenty of fun action, lots of hotties for all you notties, Hrithik for us gals & Katrina ki jawani for the mard log!

From the business point of view, Zoya may not even need the movie to be a hit, to break even or make some healthy profits – she must have received a hefty commission from the tourism department of Spain – I challenge anyone, after seeing the film, who doesn’t wanna head straight to Spain! Stunning Senhoritas, lovely haciendas, winding roads, guttural Spanish accents, deep sea diving, paratrooping & the exciting run from the bulls – all for the humble price of 30dhs!

Then there’s Hrithik Roshan – allow this middle aged lady to drool for a moment! What a handsome hunk & dances like a dream!

Farhan Akhtar – Ashok got it spot on when he said that his strength is his supreme confidence – I mean, kuch saal pehle, who would have thought that this most unlikely hero material would act, romance, dance (didn’t notice him too much, given that Hrithik was dancing in the same frame!) & God save us all, sing!!!! A weak plot surrounding him & his search for his dad who abandoned him, played in a surprisingly predictable manner, by Naseeruddin Shah!

I have been huge fan of Abhay Deol, ‘Socha Na Tha’ se ‘Aisha’ tak … not sure what happened, but he came across as slightly subdued & overawed by the presence of the other stars & dude, PHULEEZ, never try to sing again!!!!!

Kalki Koechlin’s ‘hat-ke’ looks worked for the wonderful & bizarre “Dev-D”, but in the typical Bollywood scenario, she just looks plain, pale & what’s with the protruding teeth & jaw-line? Or maybe she is simply overshadowed by our own Sheela, the lovely Ms Kaif, who looks totally at ease in this urban, cool set up and is drop dead gorgeous!

ZNMD is an effortless, breezy, happy watch, but that’s it! Lots of gloss 'n glamour, but not much substance here. I personally preferred Zoya’s debut film, the realistic & slightly morbid “luck by chance’.

Yeah, yeah, ZNMD is all about fighting your inner demons & conquering your fears, but for that, I would rather check out Hari Puttar & his doston, set the screen on fire tomorrow! As you can see, a busy weekend at “Casa Kaushik” …. we are like this wonly!!!

review of 'water for elephants'

2011-05-09T06:13:00.000-07:00

Water for elephants : animal lovers : this one’s a double edged sword – you will love the film, for the sheer joy of the vast, unfolding canvas of a traveling circus & then, like it did for me, your heart will also bleed at the ruthless cruelty & callousness, meted out to these helpless creatures, all because ‘the show must go on!’

This is the delightful genre of films which I categorize as “story book films”, if you know what I mean!

WFE treats you to a trip down memory lane: into those winding paths of your childhood, when you experienced the euphoria of a traveling circus visiting town – those were the uncomplicated days, before my weak heart could not handle caged animals & refused to step into a zoo, or a circus!

… & the Tridev who make up the lead cast : You forgive Robert Pattison for his vampire aberration in the horrendous “Twilight” series & want to wrap him in a tight hug, feed him & take him home … not just for his innocent, vulnerable, absolutely adorable looks (could be a legitimate reason by itself though!), but for the kindness & sensitivity reflected in his eyes, when he tears up at the plight of the abused elephant, a cute, gorgeous “Rosy”, or despite facing the wrath of a maniacal boss, shoots the lame horse to relieve her of her misery.

The charismatic Christoph Waltz from ‘Inglourious Basterds, who hasn’t set a foot wrong since then! As the maniacal boss circus owner, he brings menace to the character … even when he is bonhomous & smiling, you experience sheer fear – chilling!!!

Reese Witherspoon, as the star performer, torn between her compromise of a marriage with the boss, while parts of her loathe him for his cruelty & her growing attraction to the young, sensitive vet, does full justice to her role.

The accessories – the suspicious midget, who becomes a trusted friend, the old man who gives Robert Pattison a leg up the train & into the circus, the fat lady, the trapeze artistes …. so real, colorful & spot on!

The final tadka, which for an escapist like me, is a necessary evil, a satisfying, zabardast happy “The End!”

uma kaushik maaf!

2011-02-18T04:58:00.001-08:00

Vishaal Bharadwaj Maaf – when you walk out of ‘7 khoon maaf’, don’t judge him – remember hez made some path breaking films, which have taken your breath away!

Priyanka Chopra Maaf – ok, with this one, she proves that whenever she takes on many roles in the same movie, or many husbands, she needs to seek our maafi! Know ur limitations babe! At the most, the dostana number of two guys, is all you can handle!
Uma Kaushik Maaf – because despite being a VB pankha, have to admit, this one disappointed!
Unless, it was intended to be a comedy – plenty of laughs here:
• John Abraham in a girlie wig and silky sexy lingerie, playing ‘chor police’ with his girlfriends … after belting out ‘oh mama’, a la rockstar, wearing a kilt and hold your breath, blonde wig!! Susanna got there first, or I would have murdered him!
• Nasserudin Shah as the wicked Bengali daaktar playing with poisonous mushrooms – funny!
• For some international flavor, there is a Russian detour, the only relief from the monotonous marriage-murder routine being the “darrrrling’ number, spiced with some sharp Russian steps!
• Oh yes, I forgot, Usha Uthup! Why??? Cute, unexpected, but ????????
So across more than 2 hours and seven down, all you know is that Susanna reserves her kindness for the servant class, marries evil men (I mean, please, poor Irfan Khan made to portray the twisted Shaayar was torture!) & shows ‘em no maafi!
Almost walked out, but glad I didn’t, otherwise I would have missed Susanna’s Sati Savitri avatar when she becomes “Yesu ki Bride”, does a trance dance with a Jesus Christ like character and heads for the confession box!
For that hilarious ending – 30 dhs for the ticket Maaf!!!

2011-02-18T04:57:00.001-08:00

hope its not a case of 'no one' saw 'no one killed jessica!'

2011-01-07T21:26:00.000-08:00

My mantra for watching movies:
If it’s a movie which tickles my curiosity, then its ‘first day first show’ – living in the UAE, that’s Thursday, so we get there before the critics!
But most of the time, I respect the star ratings – thanx to caustic reviews, I was saved the agony of watching many duds like “break ke baad” or “khelein hum jee jaan se”!
Then there horrors like “No Problem”, “Mere baap pehle aap”, which have disaster written all over them & in my movie diet (that’s the only one this fatty will ever go on!), fall under the ‘AVOID AT ANY COST” category.
Weirdly, the lukewarm reviews & low star rating for “No one killed Jessica” jaane kyon, didn’t put me off.
This was based on a story of hope, courage & determination, with lots to rage about, but more to rejoice & I wanted to applaud the effort of a film-maker who chose to bring the story to the big screen.
Go past the slightly tacky, filmy interpretation & there was lots of good cinema there …
I remember Jessica’s sister, Sabrina, from all her TV appearances & admiring her courage & composure. Not once did Vidya Balan make you draw comparisons – in a calm, understated & quiet manner, she brings Sabrina to life, with honesty, conviction & more important, heart! From one Palghat Iyer to another, well done, Vidya!
Barkha Dutt may die a few thousand deaths at the crass, over the top, wannabe take on her, by Rani Mukherjee! She smokes, freely uses the F word, delights in describing herself as a bitch … no one may have killed Jessica, but I came close to wanting to kill Rani, or at least shaking her hard & telling her, ‘I know you need a hit real bad, but stop trying so hard!’
But having said that, she still breathes fire into the role of a TV journalist, determined to get justice for Sabrina & has her moments!
The acid test: Did the movie tug at your heart strings? Yes, Sabrina’s emotional reaction to witnessing the turnout for the candle march for Jessica, or the father, going behind his disillusioned daughter’s back & getting the nurse at the hospital to help send the sms to protest about the injustice, made you smile, while you nursed a lump in your throat!
Special mention of the fine portrayal of the good cop, who is no match for the corrupt power play, by the actor whose name I don’t know, but who is one of the key actors in Sony’s ‘CID’ – yeah, yeah, I have seen it, in my defense, while switching channels!
Amit Trivedi – I am excited by his music – some voices which I am curious enough about to do a quick Google search, the music score of this movie tells a beautiful story of its own & reminded me of the passion of “Rang de Basanti!”
Comparisons are odious, but if you remember the director’s debut effort, the brilliant & chilling “Aamir”, then NKJ pales in contrast to that – after telling the story with conviction in the first half, the director suddenly develops ants in his pants & rushes through the latter part – the movie gallops in fast forward mode & with tehelka like sting operations & hard hitting journalism, rushes to a hasty crescendo where public opinion & we the people ensure that the Insaf ka Tarazu tilts positively towards justice!
The murder cases of Nitish Katara, Priya Matoo & the Ruchika suicide cases, also reflect the power of the media who can move the justice system into action. But also sadden you to wonder about the many cases which do not attract media attention, so they remain stories, with bitter, unhappy endings.
Certainly not the best film of the year & yes, could have been handled better, phir bhi, hope this is not a case of ‘No one saw’ ‘No one killed Jessica’! For the price of a ticket, you get a peep into the horrors of corrupt power play, helplessness of the aam janta & that despite all this, the fact that happy endings are possible.

2010-11-19T05:18:00.000-08:00

I read ‘Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows’ with mixed feeling – so excited & amazed, couldn’t put the book down, or wait to turn the page, but with a sense of deep sadness, that this spelt curtains for my love affair with Harry Puthar, so wanted to prolong the experience & make it last a lifetime!
The near perfect Bollywood ending, appealed to my philmi mind (though the other Harry Potter fan in the house, my daughter disagrees violently!)! Hari Puthar, Ginny, Ron & Hermione, dropping off their kids to Hogwarts, for the first day of school is the yummy icing on the cake – sorry Shiksha!

What happens with books made into movies, is that a lotta times, you are disappointed, that a lot of scenes/chapters/events that you read, with such passion, are missing in the film & you feel cheated! Worry not, friends, because that ‘aint happening in this movie – it’s a sincere, chapter by chapter replication of the book, thanx to the luxury of splitting the book into two parts, a la Lord of the Rings!
So nothing’s missing ….. except the soul! Somewhere, in bringing every chapter to life, well, the 'jaan' is missing …
But some great visuals – the polyjuice creation of seven Harry Potters – wow! Special mention of Fleur turned Harry, in female underwear! Very cute!
The breaking into the Ministry of Magic cannot be described – either read JK Rowling, or watch the movie!
Ron getting stuck with a wife he doesn’t have & getting passionately kissed by her, all the while watched by a furious Hermione, is gr8 fun!
Daniel Radcliffe seems like a part of the family, across the many “HP” movies & has become Hari Puthar for me!
Hermione – that gal gets more gorgeous with every movie & looks stunning!
Ron provides the comic relief & his romance with Hermione is crackling with chemistry!
So many characters to mention, so little time, so won’t, but Dobby as usual stole my heart & his death made me cry!
And I said that something was missing from the movie!!! Famous last words!
Still a hugely enjoyable experience, but must say, JK Rowling’s writing (JKR - Tussi Great Ho!),somewhere got a little lost in translation!
HP7, fabulous effort, but ……
Yeh Dil Maangey More!!!

Itni si Guzaarish ...

2010-11-17T05:36:00.001-08:00

There we were, after a leisurely walk, soaking up the crisp, sunny morning, bidding alvida to the last of the Eid holidays, tucking into one of the best breakfasts in the world – puri bhaji & kadak masala chai – when my friend, bless you Satya, called to say, ‘see Guzaarish!’
So we did & Sanjay Leela Bhansali, apologies, dear sir! I was quite the cynic, post a slightly over the top ‘black’, followed by the oddly hued, blue ‘saawariya!
Applause!
• For the gutsy, slightly cheeky, immensely likeable portrayal of a quadriplegic – Hrithik Roshan breathes life into “Ethan” – who, tongue-in-cheek, labels his ‘project euthanasia’ as “Ethanasia!”
• Your heart goes out to Ethan, who helplessly needs to ask his caretaker, to pick up a vase & smash it, to vent anger, on his behalf!
• Some heart-warming moments – the farewell toast by Hrithik, cheerful, irreverent, yet full of love; kudos to him, the director & the dialogue writer!
• But the piece-de-resistance is Madam Ashwariya Rai Bachchan! She proves that she is a director’s actor & saves her best for Bhansali!
• Looks like she also got SLB to remove the steamy love scene b/w her & Hrithik – all we got was a tiny leep2leep kiss!
• She is beautiful, understated, steely, calm & what’s amazing is that her eyes convey her love, loyalty, total commitment & adoration of her patient – my vote for the best caretaker ever!
• Some strong cameos – the faithful SLB camp loyalist – Shernaz Patel, playing the best friend everyone wishes they had, Nafisa Ali as the mother, surprise, surprise, Suhel Seth as the genial doc & not a bad job, Aditya Kapoor, as the protégé …
• Hrithik Roshan as ‘Merlin the Magician’ is magnificent! Oo la la, he does magic like Sorcar & moves like a dream!
• Bhansali’s music – maashaallah … pretty neat & spot on! The guy is one ‘Akshaya Paatra’ of talent!
• Some awesome dancing : Ash to the Sunidhi Chauhan sizzler & Hrithik, looking like a Juliard student or something, all pointed toes & graceful moves in a contemporary jazz, ballet kinda piece!
• Lots of feel good dialogues, the kind used as facebook posts of ‘live life fully, laugh uncontrollably, kiss slowly …’ type! You never get to see Ash’s long legs, but Ethan always dreams about them – rather cute!
Thodey flaws bhi hain:
• Which period is this movie set in – everyone looks contemporary, except Aishwariya, who seems like shez stuck in a time warp!
• Is Ethan rich, as the sprawling mansion, the swanky car & servants suggest, or is he on the brink of bankruptcy?
But all this, the towel dropping in Saawariya, sab-kuch maaf, because this is a sensitive, sincere, straight from the heart narrative about the right of a man to live with dignity …. & to die too!
Itni si ‘guzaarish’ hai … see it!

eat weigh suffer

2010-11-12T02:55:00.000-08:00

“Eat Pray Love” should have come with a statutory warning to the viewer; “Don’t try to do what happens in the movie, unless you are Julia Roberts!”
What do ‘aam janta’ do when they feel that life gets too tough to handle?

• Yours truly, yaaney ki me, simply releases toxins, by screaming, yelling & slanging at near & dear ones, currently represented by hapless hubby & disgusted daughter! I call it ‘tough love!’ There, I already feel better! Can’t say the same about my dukhi parivaar, but people, this is about me!

• You splash out on a girl’s nite out & have so much fun, that leads to problems, which help you forget the original one!

• For me, just peeping into my daughter’s room & watching her sleep, all cherubic, soft & baby-like, melts away any ‘gilaa-shikhwaa’ against life! It’s another story that, when she gets up, when we resume positions of hostility & the traditional ‘maa-beti’ war!

• For some it’s shopping, others books, calling up a friend ….

• Bottom line, when the going gets tough, the tough get going & fight their way back to sanity & peace!

But then, I'm not Julia … when she finds herself stuck in an incompatible marriage, she calmly walks out & voila, marches into the arms of James Franco (the Spiderman friend, who we should watch out for, in the next Danny Boyle movie)! But is that enough – of course not!

Every morning, when it’s nice & cozy, & sleep is your best friend, you wish you didn’t have to go to work. But if you are not Julia Roberts, you simply get up, pack dabbas for the phamily, get ready & drag yourself to work. The awesome part is, that once you get to the office, you actually have fun!

But Julia Roberts takes a break – from what, I am still trying to figure out & embarks on a journey of self-discovery – yawn!!!!

So she goes to the land of pasta 'n pizza, binges, oh-so-easily finds a wonderful gang of friends (what takes most folks a lifetime!) & makes peace with her expanding waist line … oh well, as I said, woh toh Julia Roberts hai!

Destination next, Mera Bharat Mahaan! Not so mahaan, when it is portrayed, as a land of slums, filth, beggars & ashrams filled with goras chanting & doing seva & the Indian girl, who is being married off, against her choice, at the age of 17! All this, for our phillum ki heroine to discover, that religion lies deep within all of us!

So off she trots to exotic Bali, where she finds spirituality, a guru of sorts, a night life & ….. the final hero of the film, Mr Penelope Cruz & mother of all hotties, Mr Bardem!

But don’t let my cynicism get to you:

Kaafi plus points too:

• The marvel called Ms Roberts, who despite the advancing years, marriage,three kids later, still has the ability to win your heart & charm the pants off you – the original “pretty woman!”

• A travel show spanning three exotic locales!

• Ladies: lotsa eye candy … Franco, Bardem …

So the movie sez: Eat Pray Love!

My life story: Eat Weigh Suffer!

Social Network - Gripping!

2010-11-05T22:47:00.000-07:00

A sense of surreal & eerie engulfs me as I try to review my take on ‘social network’ – a movie chronicling the life and times of the genius who created a platform called facebook – like it, hate it, think its voyeuristic, whatever … but u can’t be indifferent to this awesome phenomenon!
Yours truly is an unabashed facebook fan – c’mon people – it connects you to your world of friends & you get wished on your birthday, by people who probably didn’t even realize you were alive, till they noticed the left side of their facebook screen & were alerted to the fact that u were born this day, a zillion years (no specifics pls!) ago!
“Social Network” narrates the story of how Mark Zuckerberg, played brilliantly by Jesse Eisenberg, created facebook. Not such a simple tale, given the layers of complex emotions; betrayal of a best friend ( Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin), that too, the kind of dosti everyone craves to have at least once in a lifetime; whether he did or did not technically cheat the trio, (cheap thrills that one of ‘em was an Indian!) who claimed to be the original inventors of facebook; and the million dollar question which is what the movie is all about – WHY he did what he did & what made him tick?
Like facebook, Mark is someone you’ll either love, hate, misunderstand … but you can’t be indifferent to the guy. Even at his obnoxious worst, you still feel a sense of loyalty to the guy who is almost family to you today, given that facebook is part of my extended parivaar.
Justin Timberlake, as the sly, sleazy, ruthless & ambitious creator of napster is surprisingly good! More ct’s from the fact that he was the one who suggested dropping of the ‘the’ & that’s how ‘the facebook’ came to be simply known as ‘facebook!’
Given my dismal academic track record, the movie offered my only possible peep into the hallowed portals of Harvard!
Some gyaan too – despite all his wealth, fame, success … the closing image is of Mark, lonely & insecure, desperately waiting for a girl, to accept his ‘friend request!’
Haunting, gripping, ‘social network’ is a story well told, about a life quite extraordinary!

action replay

2010-11-05T04:49:00.000-07:00

Public warning:
*Would advise a healthy state of intoxication before you head for Action Replay
*Wearing your designer glares maybe a good idea too, because the colors of the movie & the sets blind you – some scenes looked like kids in playschool went crayon crazy!
*You may need some soothing eye lotion 2, to deal with constantly having to look at a very ugly Akshay Kumar, in his nerd avatar! I apologized to my ‘do aankhein’ & spectacles at the end of the movie!
Breaking News!
Everyone ages, even Abhishek & more important, Amit ji’s dahling Ash!
Don’t get me wrong! Humaari Ms World of fake accent fame, is still drop dead gorgeous! But now, the 37years show & she looks like a beautiful 30+++++++ babe!
Dances like a dream, as usual & looks hawtt in the ‘zor ka jhatka’ number – kya gaana hai! I wanted to get up in the near empty theatre & dance to the foot-tapping Daler Paa-ji (wot amazing pipes!) & Richa Sharma number!
The oldies of the Kapoor Khandaan are suddenly cropping up like mushrooms everywhere – this time Randhir Kapoor – he looks old anyway, so why the grotesque budhha scientist wig & ponytail? Just in case we are too dumb to understand who he is, his grand-daughter (I think she is the babe from the original Diwali Damas ads) insists on calling her grandpa, well, ‘grandpa!’
For all you ‘Back to the Future’ fans, here’s the desi version – not bad, but could have been better!
This rewind to the 70’s doesn’t have the passion & insanity of Farah Khan’s ‘Om Shanti Om!’ A brave effort at the most, ok time pass, but total paisa vasool – won’t go that far!
Akshay Kumar – 100 out of 100 for effort, but there was kuch missing tha – was it that he was trying too hard?
Ash Rai Bachhan – goes through the motions, dresses the part, but looks distracted & distant – probably wondering whether she should hold Abhishek or Pa’s hand, or both, to walk the red carpet at the next Bollywood event!
Will take my cue from the reloaded, recharged & renewed Akshay Kumar’s signature line – will keep my ‘awaaz neechey’ about liking “Action Replay”
Sorry Daler Paa-ji, but no ‘zor ka jhatka’ here!

peepli (live)!

2010-08-12T12:35:00.001-07:00

'Peepli (live)!’
• much after you have stopped chuckling at the bewildered innocence of the unwilling-to-commit-suicide-farmer, Natha (where did they find such a cute, loveable & perfect Natha?!) ...
• when the laughs have died down, at the wily manipulation, of the cunning & hugely talented Raghuvir Yadav, in nudging his brother to end his life, to make some money....
• jab the gasps, at the ruthless ‘story ke liye saalaa kuchh bhi karega’, attitude of the media are done with ...
• the comic political by play, the treacherous election plots, where each player wants his pound of flesh – (Naseeruddin Shah as usual, outstanding!) – you go past that ...
• that indecisive state of mind, when you don’t know whether to laugh or cry at the media madness, when they are willing to even examine the shit of a human being & do a full piece on it, for TRP’s – after that is over ...
• when enough time has been spent marvelling at the brilliant, spot on casting – the cantankerous, foul mouthed amma, the strong, bitter, tough as nails wife, the hateful, hard female reporter (was I imagining it, or did she have shades of Barkha Dutt!), the Jan Morcha reporter with a conscience ... I could go on & on ....

when this masterpiece of a movie heads towards its morbid climax .... you experience stillness, a sense of restlessness, a deep burden of guilt, at the honest portrayal of the way things are ...

The escapist in me almost craved a happy ending – to subdue that uneasy, queasy weight in my heart, that starkly told that it’s all real, despite the movie beginning with the disclaimer, that this is a piece of fiction!
Kudos to the director, Anusha Rizvi (an ex NDTV product)!

As for the awesome music of Indian Ocean, you barely hear the earthy, rustic, lilting tunes, because they blend so naturally with the surroundings!

Thank-you Aamir Khan – may your tribe increase!!

aisha, apni desi emma!

2010-08-06T01:51:00.000-07:00

Jab Shiksha was a baby & I took her out for strolls in her pram, in the pretty little town of Jaipur, I would be stopped by aunty-ji’s, who would coo about how ‘sundar’ the baby was & then look accusingly at me & comment – ‘bilkul tumhaarey jaise nahin lagti!’
Hate to admit, that the aunty-ji’s were right – my suputri looks, talks & behaves like her dad – in rare, saner moments, deep in my heart, I think, ‘Thank-Gawd!’ The world couldn’t have handled two of me!
But there is ‘kuch kuch’ something of me in her – in virasat, I handed down to her, my love & passion for English literature – the world of Jane Austen, Louisa M Alcott, the Bronte sisters ....
That’s the background for the possessive air this maa-beti jodi had, when we went for “Aisha” – fiercely loyal to Jane Austen & uncompromising in our stance, that no one could mess with Emma ...
But a la Vishal Bharadwaj, the master of adaptations from Shakespeare (‘Maqbool’ inspired by “Macbeth” still gives me goose bumps!), the director of the Bollywood ‘Emma’, ‘Aisha’, has achieved the tricky task of capturing the essence of Jane Austen’s masterpiece, but making it her own, with a large seasoning of desi tadka!
Allow this old hag a moment to drool over Abhay Deol – ‘Socha Na Tha’ se “Dev-D’ tak, haven’t missed a movie of this talented actor & must admit, he makes my antique heart skip a beat or two!
Now I know why I agreed to hate ‘I hate luv stories’ – wots a rom-com (romantic comedy!) without sizzling chemistry b/w the lead pair – what was totally lacking in this dismal movie, Sonam Kapur makes up for, with the Deol dude & how!
Our young Jat is charming, understated, doesn’t try to hard & it effortlessly believable as Aisha’s bachpan ka saathi, waiting patiently in the background, for her to grow up & acknowledge her love for him.
Finally Sonam Kapoor delivers – playing the helpless matchmaker, who does more wrong , in trying to be right, shez lovely, funny, natural & likeable!
The to die for, first time in India, ekdum genuine Haute Couture, where Dior, Chanel, Hermes, Louis Vuittonn ... casually stroll through Delhi neighbourhoods, transport you to heaven & back!
Some delightful cameos – Lillette Dubey’s daughter as the brutally honest, hip best friend, the young Punjabi kudi, on whom Sonam tries her Professor Higgins transformation, the sweet helpless dad, who tears his hair out at his beti’s extravagant credit card bills, pretty Anooradha Patel, who is back, as the doting Maasi, Cyrus as the devdas who finds his Paro finally ...
Bahut dino baad, music which inspires my criminal mind to actually buy, instead of downloading ,,, Amit Trivedi, will watch out for more of your work!
Warning – “Aisha’ is a metroplex movie – good time pass, very hip & visually, a stunner! An “Omkara” or “Maqbool”, it ‘aint, but it will liven up ur weekend pleasantly!
What can I say – this is a rom-com, chick-flick, book-inspired bhelpuri, which worked for me!

I loved hating this love story!

2010-07-01T12:47:00.000-07:00

Ok folks, it’s like this – picture a yummy, gourmet dish – the finest ingredients are thrown in, reputed cooks steer the process, artistic hands present it aesthetically ..... with anticipation, you have the first mouthful & lo, behold, it tastes bland, boring & disappointing!
Bad news is that “I hate Luv Stories” suffers the same fate – the promise of the promos, the hope that this time Imran Khan will live up to the expectations created by “Jaane Tu ...”, that someone who looks as sizzling hot as Sonam Kapoor (not bad, Anil Kapoor!) will finally deliver, after duds like “Saawariya” & “Delhi 6”, that the KJo banner can’t get worse than “My name is Khan”.... don’t translate into good cinema.
What a crappy, run-of-the-mill story – the hero, scarred by his parents broken marriage (yawn!) refuses to take luv seriously, the mushy romantic heroine & her purrfect ‘Raj & Simran’ prem katha .... the plot which is good for a few scenes is stretched mercilessly into a full blown feature film – pure agony, like Chinese rack torture!
Thodi Khushi, Lotsa Gham! Good news is that Sonam looks like a dream – fresh, trendy & yes, the outfits, the look ... sure, this movie has the Manish Malhotra stamp – after all, it’s been directed by his nephew! Imran is a hottie, but how long can u sustain on just good looks & no substance – I know comparisons are odious, but look at Ranbir Kapoor – what diversity & such amazing performances!
Strangely, I was most struck by the plump friend, the “Sprite” ad guy, who had his funny moments!
But I did find something in common with the makers of the film – they hate luv stories – I did too – especially this one!
But every dark cloud has a silver lining – we got to see the trailer of Amir Khan’s “Peepli Live” – looks awesome!

kites - 'certainly not a 'kati patang!'

2010-05-21T21:31:00.000-07:00

Life’s come full circle, since this devoted mom, played cupid & accompanied her helplessly-in-love ‘lil daughter, for a movie, SEVEN times, so that beti could get Hrithik Roshan to ‘Kaho Na Pyaar Hai!’
We were warned, by scathing reviews that “Kites” was a trainwreck in slow motion! But still went (more because we had invested 70dhs for the tickets already!), armed with no expectations & comfort food - nachos ‘n cheese & chocolate, to dullen our senses!
But surprisingly, the ‘no expectation’ attitude helped, because “Kites” was just what the doc had ordered, after a tough week, exams, when we were missing Ashok, who is travelling ...
Albeit, most of the laughs were unexpected:
*the wannabe mafia family headed by Kabir Bedi & a son named Tony, who for fun, slice off people’s ears, or hang ‘em upside down, as punishment for cheating at the casino.
*the batty daughter, Kangana, who goes to dance class in a limo!
*Hrithik Roshan as the Mexican bridegroom, in full ethnic gear, omg!
“Why ‘Kites’? The movie should have been called “Koodho”, meaning “jump”, because that’s what they do in the second half of the movie, jump - from/into cars, balloons, trains, trucks ...
* When Shiksha & I cracked up the most over, was Hrithik crooning a love ballad in his own voice – something about ‘kites’ (to justify the title of course!) & ‘soaring in the sky’ ... it was too funny! (must download for some laughs on a rainy day!)
*the finale, where the mermaid like ghosts of apna Hrithik, aur uski premi, Barbara, re-unite, underwater! That helped us sail outta the theatre, with huge grins plastered on our faces!
But apart from these surprise bonuses, not intended by poor Anurag Basu, the movie is a Hrithik festival! The thing about this handsome dude is that hez so damn likeable, you amiably go along with the movie, as long as Roshan Jr is there - & he is – in every frame! He dances, he charms, exposes his to die for torso ... all the right moves!
Barbara Maori – kyaa lagti hai! Contrary to what the critics had to say, we loved her tanned, Mexican looks, crinkly smile & she oozes oomph & confidence!
Imagine, she makes Kangana Ranawat look, tacky, dull & shabby!
Are we losing it? Were we that bored? Pataa nahin, but we had a fun time, flying ‘kites’! Hugely flawed, slightly wannabe, & loses direction mid-flight, but still, for some strange reason, good time pass!
Verdict: Certainly not a ‘Kati Patang!’

naa maangoon sona-chaandi ... gimme 'iron' ,,, man!

2010-05-01T11:25:00.000-07:00

Naa maangoon sona chaandi, na maangoon heera moti, yeh mere kis kaam ke ....
..... but won’t say no to ‘iron’ ... maaaan .... is he dreamy!!!!
Robert Downey Jr – all of womankind & maybe some mankind  too, must be thanking the Lord for bringing you back from the dark world of drugs, rehab & prison!
My kinda math: Iron Man – RDJ= No Iron Man
Sure his former prison pals must be missing him, but their loss is apna gain!
Iron Man’s back, fully charged & reloaded ... edgy, witty, sexy, funny, human, whacky, groovy ... the jig he does at his own debauched party, dressed in the iron man suit, cracked me up!
He almost overshadows the inimitable Scarlett Johansson ... just when you wonder whether all we are gonna get, are a few glimpses of her in that leather suit, into which she miraculously pours herself, comes that kick-ass fight sequence, where she rips into the bad boys & demolishes ‘em single handedly – WOW!!!
Apologies in advance, for sounding like a gushing, giddy headed teenager, but ‘picture abhi baaki hai mere dost!’
Ah Mickey Rourke – the hugest, meanest, ugliest villain .... so good at playing bad!
Can’t quite make up my mind about his stern lady love – the lanky Ms Paltrow! Sometimes she seemed a little whiny & shrill ... but otherwise, Mrs Cold Play is quite cool!
Confession of a middle aged woman: looking forward to old age & my second childhood, if it includes comic books with “Iron Man!’

caught up with cott - clash of the titans!

2010-04-25T08:09:00.000-07:00

Yep folks, happy to confirm our membership into the ‘worst parents club!’
Instead of encouraging our suputri to study for her upcoming AS-A level exams, we enticed her to ditch her prep, to indulge in this old couple’s trip to fantasy land – that’s the story behind us 3 idiots watching ‘clash of the titans!’
Goo d news for the ladies – the blue paint’s off & Sam Worthington, in his Perseus avatar, is still smoking hot!

Some moments of tension/excitement, caused by him wearing the shortest mini skirts known to mankind! Every time he bent, I worried that we may get to see more than allowed – on second thoughts, what’s wrong with me? I should say, enjoyed every bit of it!
Ralph Fiennes rocks again – after playing the chilling Voldermot in the Hari Putter series, his evil, floating, dark portrayal of “Hades” is a worthy follow up act!
Can’t say the same for Liam Nieeson as Zeus – don’t get me wrong – I signed & sealed my approval of this gr8 actor, post “Schindler’s List”, to my all time comfort movie, “Love Actually”. But somehow, not so impressive as a God – maybe hez too mortal!
Lotsa action with demonic, dark creatures, Perseus’s band of not so merry men & of course, Medusa (who disappointed for not being scary enuff) & the final frontier, saving Andromeda from the fierce dragon!
For the guys, there’s Gemma Arterton, as Perseus' spiritual guide, throughout his journey. Methinks, because she was drop dead gorgeous, the director conveniently converted the guru into girlfriend, with Perseus & her, walking towards the sunset & hopefully, living happily ever after!
Doubt: who will wear the pants in this relationship – will Perseus finally shed his mini skirt, or Gemma, her Grecian gown?!

uma calling uma

2010-02-26T07:53:00.000-08:00

Buy one; get one free – for the price of a ticket, for 'Karthik calling Karthik', u get 2 movies:
Pehla ishtory, is the classic tale of the underdog – anonymous existence, a boss obviously inspired by the “Sadu” boss in the ‘naukri.com’ ad (quite a departure for Ram Kapoor, from ‘Mr Walia’ of that Balaji sic com!) & of course, the girl of his dreams, Deepika, who is oblivious of apna poor Farhan’s miserable presence!
A phone call to Karthik, from Karthik, is the unlikely fairy Godmother – phone waala Karthik waves his magic wand & eureka, dukhi Karthik, suddenly has reason to smile – he learns to say no, bully his boss, pataao the girl ... & they walk happily towards the sunset …
The end? Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost! Suddenly the mysterious Karthik turns from the good Dr Jekyll, to evil Mr Hyde!
Since there was no warning saying, ‘darna mana hai’ & without the strong shoulders of Ashok to cling to, Shik & I did jump out of our skins a couple of times, when KK (Kharaab Karthik!) called!
The Palghat Iyer in me thrilled at the surprise shift to Cochin! Yeh Mallu khush hui!
Farhan Akhtar is growing on me – I am yet to see a movie in which he has acted, which I haven’t found interesting.
Not sure whether this is everyone’s cuppa tea, but still, a departure from the run-of-the-mill stuff we jhelo regularly & certainly, as my dear friend Aruna put it, a breath of much needed, fresh air after the unbearable MNIK!
Confession: wouldn’t mind a call from Uma – as long as I don’t piss off phone waali Uma, life may get excting!

Slightly predictable, thoda cheesy, konjum unbelievable, but still ….
My Name Is Uma & I liked this movie!

no chance!

2010-01-14T11:57:00.000-08:00

Given my penchant for 'they lived happily ever after ...’, I've always felt outraged about the callous way Bebo ditched Shahid .... sure, none of my business, but when that has ever stopped me?!
Since then, have celebrated every hit of Shahid's (kaminey being brilliant!) & kinda gloated over every flop of Kareena's .... yeah, yeah, why should I, but hum to aisey hain bhaiyya!!
Needless to say, expectations from ‘Chance pe Dance’ were not misplaced – there was my weird maternal/protective attitude towards Shahid, the fact that I quite enjoyed the simplicity & youth of the previous work of this Ken Ghosh-Shahid combo – “ishq vishq pyar vaar’, was favorably disposed towards Genelia after “jaaney tu ya jaane naa”, love any dance based movies or shows – from ‘step up’ to ‘so you think you can dance’ …..
Like you can take a horse to the water … blah blah …. likewise, u can head for a movie, with all the odds stacked heavily in its favor & still not go ga ga over it!
A run of the mill, totally unoriginal story line of the struggle of a dancer/actor in bollywood – we’ve seen dozens of such films & even enjoyed a few, like ‘Luck by Chance’ ….
Shahid is sincere, but dull, the choreography, a little wannabe (the dancing in “Dhoom 2” for instance, was so much more exciting & hip!), Genelia, crooked mouthed but pretty & just a tad irritating, the music, forgettable ….. as u can c, wished I hadn’t taken a chance on this one & danced optimistically into the theatre!
Chance pe Dance, oh soniye/baliye .... nahinnnnnn - no chance!!

in 2010 ...

2010-01-02T07:03:00.000-08:00

When I was a ‘lil girl, which, as my good friend Satya puts it, was in ‘baba aadam key zamaaney mein’, amma told me that whatever you did in the new year, would happen all yr long!
My mom offered gyaan on lotsa other stuff, towards becoming a good human being, which obviously I ignored & lived to tell the tale, but somehow, this funda stuck!
31st was spent working – survived a couple of clients, whom I wanted to clobber or muzzle or preferably do both, but instead bravely smiled ‘em off!
Come evening, we donned our party gear & as Shiksha’s self-appointed social secretaries, dropped her off for the Rihanna concert …. an opportunity to feast our eyes on the fabulous looking & hiply dressed gen next, thronging towards the show – abu dhabi zindabad! Sent up a small prayer of gratitude – to enjoy such liberal, fun living, that too in the Middle-East!
With suputri well taken care of, it was time for us senior citizens to break a leg!
The essential ingredient was well in place – being with a bunch of good friends!
Then there were fringe benefits – an emcee who insisted on loudly announcing that the ‘buffet’ was ready, pronouncing it as in ‘Muffet’ of Little Ms Muffet!! An auspicious beginning!
The co-emcee added to the unintentional fun – a guessing game was played trying to figure out what the hell she was wearing! A shimmering night gown, so that she could go straight to bed after the party?!
Our ecstacy peaked when we learnt that we were to be serenaded by the jhinjak desi beats of guess who ……………….. DJ Happy!!! What’s a “Happy New Year’ party without DJ Happy!
What more could we ask – we uninhibitedly hit the dance floor!
2010 was here!
Apart from family, friendz, fun ‘n food, we reflected on what else we needed to do on the first day of the year to ensure that it happened for the next 365 days & came up with the obvious solution – MOVIES!
So after spending some quality time gazing at daughter dearest’s sleeping form – (kids always look so purrfect when they are lost in slumber’s arms – serene, angelic, peaceful …. & then they wake up!!!!)
& headed to the theatre.
That’s the uncomplicated story behind how we saw ‘Its complicated’ – some movies u don’t wait for the reviews – like we watched ‘3 idiots’ first day first show for Aamir Khan, ditto this one, for “Meryl Streep.
Having said that, must confess, won’t describe this as a must watch – just very pleasant viewing - a bunch of awesomely talented actors – Alec Baldwin is surprisingly cute & charming as the wicked ex-husband, while Steve Martin & his comic talent are wasted on playing a very regular role.
‘Its complicated’ is about how after learning to cope with life as a divorced single parent & woman, Meryl Streep has an affair ….. with her ex-husband & finds herself in the role of the ‘other woman’, cheating on the original ‘other woman’ & in the process discovers, that she is no longer in love with her ex, when he falls back in love with her!
While the plot seems convoluted, the movie flows easily & if you have nothing better to do, only then take on “Its complicated!”
That was the story so far … what more did we wanna happen for the rest of the year – so we indulged in our favorite pastime – SLEEP!!!!
But wait, we hadn’t done family movie time – so set out again for the cinema hall, this time with Shiksha!
“Everybody’s fine” … not so fine –
despite Robert De Niro & two hot babes – Kate Beckinsale & Drew Barrymore. A deep, but morbid movie about a father, who after the loss of his wife, sets out to visit his kids, only to discover that thanx to the pressure hez put on them for perfect lives and careers, are struggling & simply surviving, but have just lied to him to spare him the agony of the truth!
At some levels, a movie which makes you think about parenting, your expectations from your kids, loneliness …. not bad, but a trifle sad!
“The End” you hopefully thought – picture abhi baaki hai mere dost!
The finale was the heart-warming ‘The Blind Side’ – have always associated Sandra Bullock with cute, candy-floss romances & comedies & loved her!
But with this role, she proves that shez an actor of substance & well deserves her Golden Globe nomination.
That this one’s based on a true story & ends with snapshots of the real people, on whom the movie is made, is truly remarkable!

A simple plot about a homeless African-American teenager who is taken in by a white family who accept him as one of the family & how he goes on to become a famous football player!
Sandra Bullock as the spunky blonde Leigh Ann with a pronounced Southern drawl & a heart of gold is FABULOUS!
My favorite were the two kids who unquestioningly embrace the addition to their perfect lives & go out of their way to make his life more comfortable.
With so much goodness flowing around, my cynical mind sometime questioned whether it was possible that such genuine compassion & humanity could actually exist & the true story bit re-affirms your faith in life & fellow-human beings!
Blindly watch ‘The blind side!’

2012!!!

2009-11-24T13:13:00.000-08:00

There I was in a cinema hall, packed to capacity with believers – that come 2012 & …. end of the world! KHALLAAS!!

This was an optimistic lot which believed that if they were gonna go up there & keep their dates with the Maker, may as well eat, drink & be merry during the ‘safar’!

So while giant cracks appeared on the surface of the earth, the sound effects were provided by the disgruntled man next to me ( who probably was thinking that if I have to die today, why next to this fat, middle-aged-aunty-ji?!) made crackling noises with his popcorn & nachos, loud rumbles while sipping his coke ….

I suspect a Bollywood haath in the making of this movie – a la Mahesh Bhatt, who steals from real life, voila, a black US President!! It gets progressively more bizarre, when u encounter a fake Arnold Schwarznegger …. by the time we glimpse the Dalai Lama calmly sitting in his ‘lil kutir, waiting to embrace the end of the world, you shrug helplessly – kuch bhi ho sakta hai!

Some cheap thrills for us desi-viewers - this epic kahani, has its beginnings in India - with Jimmy Mistry of “Guru” fame, speaking hindi with a phoren accent!

The crux of the film is based on the first law of Indian films – no matter what, only the villains die … the hero & his family are always enveloped by a protective bubble – they dodge craters, floods, storms, avalanches, watch the earth collapse around them, but thanx to being ‘Bollywood Bhakths’, fear not – years of rigorous training with desi flicks have left their mark …. NOTHING can ever happen to the hero & his parivaar!

Sure, you witness some awesome special effects – but we’ve seen it all in movies like ‘Independence Day’ & ‘Day After Tomorrow’, so yawn!

The movie reminded me of this exotic dish, which has all the right ingredients, but when u bite into it, something’s missing! Is it a more credible star cast? Sharper script? Believable story?!

Frankly, don’t bother trying to figure it out! Not worth it! Dunno about the earth, but sure couldn’t wait for the movie to come to an end!

But I am the ‘glass half-full’ kinda gal – so the movie wasn’t great shakes – no worries! We got our money’s worth with the trailer of James Cameron’s much awaited “Avatar” –superb, fantastic, mindblowing … pure paisa vasool!

PS: of course, even the news of the upcoming “Avatar” pales into insignificance, when you realize that Himesh Reshammiyya’s next movie, enigmatically titled “Radio” is due for release!

jaago sid!

2009-10-01T22:28:00.000-07:00

“Wake up Sid” offered two possibilities: we could stay awake with sid the kid, or sleep & snore!
*90dhs + incidentals were well invested & we were wide awake & raring to go ….
* Don’t ask me why – not too sure myself – it’s the same ghissa-pitta plot we’ve seen a million times … the bigada brat of a rich dad, who takes everything for granted & wastes his life away …. subha ka bhoola agar shyam ko lautey, toh ussey bhula nahin kehtey – the return of the prodigal & all that!
*Nothing new here! Shades of the Aamir Khan track in “Dil Chahta Hai”.
*But where WUS scores is in its casting :
*Supriya Pathak leaves a lump in your throat as the mom who tries so hard to fit into her son’s life, especially her attempts at English, which Sid dismisses contemptuously
*Anupam Kher, as usual excels, as the worried father who finally has to act tough to din some sense into his spoilt son
*That likability factor which were Rishi & Neetu’s USP’s, they’ve handed it down to their jigar ka tukda, Ranbir – despite the fact that he plays an obnoxious character, you are well disposed towards this dopey, slightly daft, but good looking guy. Advice to Kapoor jr would be to lose the dazed retarded look which he seems rather attached to!
*AND Konkona Sen who never lets u down – shez played this kind of a role so many times, but yet lends it freshness & makes it real & believable – having lost oodles of weight, there’s less of her, but more to love!
*the ambience – this cozy flat which reminds everyone of their pehla pehla ghar
*the Mumbai Beat office which looks like something out of an archies comic!
*some new chehras – the cute, fat sensible gal pal, the bachpan ka yaar, ‘munney ki maa’ next door …
*FINALLY, the acid test which the director passes with flying colors – he got us to like ……………………. Believe it or not ………………………………………
KASHMIRA SHAH!!!!!

what your rashee - the ugly truth!

2009-09-26T12:59:00.000-07:00

What’s your Rashee – The Ugly Truth!
The plan was to see “What’s Your Raashee”
We are professional movie maniacs, so had a checklist of pros & cons:
Pro: Ashutosh Gowarikar was responsible for two of my favorite hindi films – Lagaan & Swades.
Pro: Priyanka Chopra has come a long way since dubiously winning the “Ms World” crown, after giving the wrong answer – did I hear someone cry foul & ‘rigged?!’ With ‘Fashion’ followed by ‘Kaminey’, shez here for a long innings! Hogging twelve identities in one movie – like the wolf told Red Riding Hood, ‘the more of you to see, my dear!’
Con: HARMAN BAWEJA! HARMAN BAWEJA! HARMAN BAWEJA! HARMAN BAWEJA! HARMAN BAWEJA! HARMAN BAWEJA …..
nothing personal against him, except that the thought of nearly four agonizing hours with HB, seemed worse than Chinese rack torture! That clinched the deal & “WYR” has been relegated to ‘never/maybe/only on dvd’ categorgy!
So for those of you who thought this was a review of the 192 minute “WYR”, this is where we part ways.
This was a long winded, convoluted explanation for why not watching ‘WYR’ led to “The Ugly Truth”.
Some speed breakers in the form of a daughter, who was hanging with pals at the mall & then gonna watch the movie – she gagged & died a thousand deaths, at the thought of her disgraceful parents watching the film in the same2same theatre – social suicide!! So we dropped her off at a mall at one end of town & swore solemnly to go far, far away, if we had to be pathetic enough to watch romantic chick flicks at our age!
Yeah, we are that – hum to aisey hain bitiya! Later in life, I envisage her lying flat on some fancy shrink’s couch, blaming her screwed up parents for messing her up totally!

Ah yes, finally, ‘The Ugly Truth’ –
strangely nothing ‘ugly’ here – Katherine Heigl is drop dead gorgeous & Gerard Butler, one handsome hunk!
Sure its old wine in a new bottle, about the eternal quest for Mr. Right – if beauties like KH have problems getting good guys, what hope is there for really ugly gals like me?!
Hate being akin to love & all that, a little cheesy, syrupy & horribly predictable, but the movie is so visually enchanting that it worked for me. Gr8 looking couple, beautiful locales, glamorous TV jobs ….
Warning – a lot of four letter words floating around, so maybe not the best movie to see with your kids!
So apologies Ashutosh, Priyanka, you’ll survive this flop & Harman, my deepest sympathies & counsel to join papa’s office or something, but we could not bear to see “WYR” & that’s “The Ugly Truth!”

confessions of a shopaholic - & me!

2009-03-04T05:03:00.000-08:00

Hum kissi se kum nahin …. if Isla Fisher can confess, it’s time for me to come clean too!
We Kaushiks are a complicated bunch:
Papa Kaushik is a fan of multi-tasking: when he visits the loo, he goes in armed with juicy gossip rags & philm magazines … but the official line to the public is “Oh I don’t read these. Just buy ‘em for the wife!’ Yeah, right!
Mama Kaushik has her own issues – till my princess was young, innocent & needed to be taken to the theatres by mommy dearest, I indulged in my love for girly films, all under the guise of being a good parent, who had to undergo such torture, all for the sake of her pyaari putri!
Those were the golden days of chick-flick watching – ‘bring it on’, ‘mean girls’, ‘freaky Friday’, ‘what a girl wants’ ….
Nestled in this fat lady was a teenage soul, who thrived on candy floss films!
Bonus was the admiration society showered on me … what a fabulous ‘maatashri’ I was, so clued in to what my offspring wanted! Ha! Little did they know.
Life’s cruel – my ‘lil rajkumari grew up, hung out with friends more exciting than dull ‘ole mama, watched movies with them & the cruelest cut of all, learnt to hail cabs on her own!
I had the gift of independence – did I want it??? Hell, NO!!!!
I was in rehab – had to learn to live a life without the joy of chick-flicks!
“Confessions of a shopaholic” hit the cinema halls & something in me snapped!
I didn’t want to be rehabilitated; no closure for me … the escapist in me craved happy, mad, illogical entertainment.
I’m glad I had not read the book, so no expectations there.
But Isla Fisher is a cutie pie in the Reese Witherspoon kind of way : quirky, funny, blonde & most important, very likeable!
The storyline is this young, pretty thing who well, as the title suggests, is a helpless shopaholic!
Her cravings are so real that even the store mannequins seem to beckon her and talk her into buying one more unnecessary purchase – quite cool, those scenes!
Standard stuff, girl meets guy who is her boss, they fall in love, some speed-breakers, like her addiction & white lies, which make her almost lose her loved ones, especially her loyal best friend & how she overcomes, survives & emerges a winner.
These movies have to have happy endings! I was in a theatre with kindred souls, because at the end of this light, frothy entertainer, there was loud applause and lots of glistening eyes!
My favorite scene – the impromptu, spontaneous, insane ‘fan dance’ which Isla Fisher breaks into. Truly ‘fan’tastic! That’s when my husband, who was blackmailed into coming along with me, nodded & said, ‘yeah, that madness makes u understand why she is “Borat’s” girlfriend & the mother of his child!
Thank-you ‘confessions ..’ I have now stepped out of the closet & the whole world of girly corny movies beckons invitingly!
Kyonki woman bhi kabhi girl thi!!!!

Then there were those ...

2009-02-21T07:05:00.001-08:00

I have been asked about some Oscar buzz movies, which have not featured in my blog – plain & simple truth is that despite all the hype & critical acclaim that some of ‘em got, they left me uninspired:

Changeling – made a changeling outta me. Went armed with handkerchiefs for a sob festival, hoping for a Clint Eastwood-Angelina Jolie double whammy tear-jerker.

Came out dry-eyed & unimpressed, thanx to Clint Eastwood’s direction (mistake mat karo – am a big fan – remember ‘bridges of Madison County’ & ‘Letters to Ivo Jima’?) which is suffering - a case of biting more than he can chew, in terms of quantity over quality.

But according to me, the weak link was Angelina Jolie – I mean her character in the movie should have made the hardest of hearts melt – her son goes missing, she is forced to accept an impostor as her own, deal with a ruthless police force, is incarcerated …

... but surprisingly this mother of so many was not able to emote like one – she came across as cold & if you were looking for heart & soul behind those magnificent pouting lips, ‘dhoondtey reh jaaogey!

Then there was Mr. Jolie, Brad Pitt, in ‘the curious case of Benjamin Button’ – once you got over the novelty factor about the reverse cycle of life, it just became the life and times of an ordinary guy who is every woman’s nightmare – her worst fears come true – a man who gets younger everyday, while she ages!

Milk: What an odd name for a movie! Yeah, it is the name of a person on whom the movie is based, but why would anyone be christened “Milk”???

Of course, that’s my personal issue, which has nothing to do with the movie. It must be such a responsibility to play a character that actually existed.

Sean Penn is flawless, no doubt & I appreciate the story of this extraordinary man’s fight for gay rights.

Just that I found the movie slightly tedious & documentary like!

I felt the Oscar fever in girl power movies like the magnificent Kate Winglet in “The Reader” & the simply awesome Merlyn Strep in “Doubt”! These gals rocked!

Delhi Six is ur Delhi fix!

2009-02-19T02:22:00.000-08:00

Delhi Six is ur Delhi fix!

Delhi 6 is a celluloid love story - of the director's with the city!

The first half is a series of snapshots -
" Of a quaint old city where the milk of human kindness flows through everyone's veins
" The typical Chandni Chowk like gallis, narrow & winding, dotted with jalebi-waalas, who accost you with their garam garam offerings
" Where cycle rickshaws rule as the only mode of transport
" That happy 'mohulla' where Hindus & Muslims co-exist & peacefully watch the Ramleela unfold!
" Abhishek is that amiable American dude who thankfully has no accent or attitude - he serenely adapts : to power cuts, water-shortage, raps & jogs around the place, hangs around watching his grand mom & her coterie of sahelis making aachaar on the 'chhatth' …
" Coming to think of it, the movie at times does feel like you are watching a home video of the return of the prodigal NRI son!
" Some affectionate potshots: how while there is no 'paani' in the taps, there is no shortage of it in the tear ducts of Indians!
" When the Saadhvi minister interrupts the Ramleela, the hero points out the irony of how only in India, even the Gods dance to Minister's tunes!
" There is also a very cute scene where the daadi, Waheeda Rehman is enthusiastically buying 'saamaan' for her own funeral!
" The hero of course has a Muslim mom, Hindu dad & loves all - his grand mom, his new Indian community, and the chatpatti girl next door, Billoo, who dreams of becoming the next Indian Idol!
" Delhi 6 is also an AR Rehman festival - the director simply allows the awesome music to rule and weaves his movie around the magical songs - pleasant videos with Delhi in the background, looking inviting - simply flow from gaanaa to gaanaa.
" Shades of Swades, but more upbeat!

Don't get me wrong. I was a willing participant while the love story unfolds - what's there not to like? Lilting music, Delhi never so lovingly represented, the ravishing Sonam Kapur, Abhishek who always surprises me with his understated acting, those character sketches which yes, are a tad too typical, but still, you would like to believe that folks like these exist - the jolly, suave, paan serving uncle (Rishi Kapoor), Waheeda as a dadi all of us would love to have, the loving clucking neighborhood women …..

Post interval, the director finally realizes he needs a story line too. So we get the human kaala Bandar, the beginning of communal violence, how a small incident can spark of animosity & divide …. Suddenly all those shimmering white souls turn to violent shades of grey!

So does the grey darken & become totally black, or … yeh Delhi (6) hai mere yaar … dekho aur jaano.

While it may not be Rakesh Mehra's best effort & not a patch on RDB, Delhi 6 gives you a Delhi fix!

chance pe dance maar ley!

2009-02-01T00:34:00.000-08:00

Chance pe dance maar ley! My heart did a ‘lil jig of delight, when we luckily chanced upon the new arrival from the house of Akhtar!

Hmmmm … is there anything that this family can’t do?? Better still, they seem to score bull’s-eye most of the time!

Zoya emerges from the shadow of being Javed’s daughter & Farhan’s baby sis & assumes her well deserved chaarpaai in the hall of new talented directors.

To steal a line from the BJP, ‘India shines’, where film making talent goes …. mera dil garden garden ho gaya, at the thought of so many refreshing, sensible, most important, watchable movies budding & blooming …. “A Wednesday”, “Dill kabbadi”, “Rock On” …. & now, “Luck By Chance”.

For me, Zoya’s success as a director is reflected in her characters, whether major, or minor. They are well-etched, clearly defined & people you can empathize with –

Rishi “Rolly”, the larger than life director who is disillusioned with the selfishness & ingratitude of the new generation;
Juhi, who brilliantly plays his understanding, superstitious wife;
magnificent Dimple, as the hard-as-nails, ambitious star mom;
Isha is nauseatingly perfect as the nubile debutant starlet;
Hrithik, who with such cool ease & a lot of comic absurdity, brings to life the ruthless new gen superstar;
the coterie of friends who roller-coast with their attitudes, as the fortunes of the hero change ….
& of course, the dil & jaan of the film, Farhan, the opportunistic, wannabe actor, with brilliant shades of grey & his journey to stardom;
my all time favorite, Konkona Sen Sharma, who admittedly is getting typecast as the sensible, no-nonsense, real girl next door, but still rocks. The fact that she has become thicker, flabby & broader, does hurt the eye a little, but u forgive such minor details, for such a competent performance.

Arvind Adiga’s brand of self deprecatory humor is woven cleverly through the movie, which is why you can’t bring yourself to dislike anyone in the film – the darkness in every character is redeemed by that ability to laugh at oneself. My mantra for life – anything, however unpalatable, can be stomached, if it’s seasoned with humor!

Don’t take a chance on this one, mere dost … make it happen & watch “Luck by Chance”!

vicky christina barcelona - dekho & simply enjoy!

2009-01-13T23:24:00.000-08:00

‘Vicky Christina Barcelona’ – a dekho recommended becos ….

1.
The sheer visual appeal – Scarlett Johansson & Penelope Cruz together … need I say more??? I think I’ve lost all my male audience who have probably rushed out to grab the DVD of VCB!!!

2. Vintage Woody Allen … spontaneous, insane, perceptive … this tiny gnome like director displays big time understanding of women & what makes 'em tick! Grouse from a WA fan is that he stayed behind the lens this time … not even a peek-a-boo glimpse, a la-Subhash Ghai!

3. Spain is on my list of destinations which have to be experienced. But abhi-ke-liye, Vicky & Christina’s Barcelona is not a bad option! The cinematography creates sheer magic – add to that the sexy, lilting music & never forget the muses on that canvas, Penelope & Sacarlett … a mini-dream holiday!

4. PENELOPE CRUZ – I am normally very moralistic & hatefully judgmental on infidelity & men cheating on their wives. But Ms Cruz is so mind-blowingly sensational; quite understand why Tom Cruise abandoned “Snow Queen Nicole Kidman” for this molten hot Penny!

5. Allen’s women are a breed apart – bold, free-spirited, follow-ur-heart kind of gals – I approve!

That pleasant state you get to when you chill, with friends, open a bottle of wine, put on some great music & relax is what yours truly experienced with VCB! Simply Enjoy!

Revolutionary Road - drive carefully!

2009-01-12T12:54:00.000-08:00

In the confines of a dark cinema hall, as we watched the “Titanic” sink, never imagined, that this relatively unknown pair, Kate & Leonardo, who stole our hearts & made us believe in love all over again, would come this far!

Thirteen years later, these survivors are paired together again & incredible as it seems, like old wine, they’ve just matured & ripened into such splendid actors.

Take a drive down “Revolutionary Road”: be warned, it will be a rocky, unnerving journey!

The discomfort stems from the fact that on the surface, this is the story of us, of any humdrum, routine couple. But peel away the layers & their simmering frustration & disenchantment, makes for uneasy, but compelling watching.

The duo, played brilliantly by Kate & Leonardo, represent the perfect, ‘chota-sukhi, hum-do-hamare-do’ family – great house, lovely children, respectable job, nice neighborhood …. & yet they feel trapped & compromised!

Here you empathize with them: all of waltz into marriage with stars in our eyes, with that irrational & joyous belief that we are special folks who will be different & make a difference.

The movie explores how April (Kate W) feels trapped by the dullness of domesticity, makes a desperate bid to break free & loses her sanity in the process. Her husband, played by Leonardo, loves her, does resent the life he is leading a bit, but is reconciled to compromising & making a go of it.

Revolutionary Road makes you reflect: on the choices we make in life. It is up to us to find the spark,to keep the dream alive,to enjoy the journey,to make the most of the opportunities that happen our way & to never settle for mediocrity. That interesting life, which is ‘zara hat ke’, is totally possible! Just do it!

I believe ….

The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
They just make the best of everything they have!

Amir-Kan, I-Can!

2008-12-26T01:12:00.001-08:00

*By the “Ghajini” logic, “Mr India” would have been “Mocambo”, “Karma”, “Dr Dang”, “Sholay”, “Gabbar” ….. these bad boyz made being evil stylish! When “Mocambo khush huaa”, so did I!
*Sadly, despite having the movie named after him, the “Ghajini” of “Ghajini” is a sad, wannabe villain! In the climax scene, when he is being pulped to death, dressed in his white shirt, white trousers, black shoes outfit, he reminded me of a driver we had when we lived in Faridabad!
*First it was six-pack, then it became eight …. Finally we’ll have all pack & no man! I turned & looked at the sweet, uncomplicated, un-packed guy, the hero of my life, sitting next to me & thought, “Uma Khush hui!”
*Aamir, am a little confused, so please explain, ji! Now while Rajni-CAN(t) do everything, you wanted to prove that Aamir “Can” too??? Too much, the ‘one man army’ technique with which you demolish everything in sight –my phavourite was the man whose head you twist, where his back and face are on one side! Could you send me a picture of that for my album???
*Why Asin??? The woman needs braces & a muzzle!
*I humbly request a half-ticket refund – my daughter & I closed our eyes & ears through the second, violent, gory half!
*Tu mera hero hai, Aamir Can …. I have a list of people whom I dislike & would like removed from this earth. But being a mortal coward, am petrified of “phaansi se latakna” (ok I know there are less dramatic ‘sazaas’ but allow me my fantasies!) or wearing a white sari with blue border (actually I find salwaar suits more comfortable but that’s a minor detail!) & doing mazdoori or ‘thodo-ing patthars’ in jail
*While Sharukh Bhaiyya showed us how to find Rabb in ‘aam aadmi’ ,Will you please teach me how I can kill certain people & send them to Rabb …… & walk away unscathed & un-punished, to live happily ever after. I’ll probably join u on that seat in the last scene & gaze meaningfully at the distant horizon! If Aamir-Can, so can I!!!

Rabb, meri bhi jodi bana de!

2008-12-15T09:35:00.000-08:00

Dear Chopra Sahab,

Thank-you, ji! After seeing your fine film, ‘Rabb Ne Bana Di Jodi’, my dil is filled with hope! Sir Ji, you are like a magician & my honest opinion is that you should not restrict your miracles for superstars like Shahrukh Khan!

My God, ji, from where you got that amazing gel, sensational tight jean pants & wonder t-shirt???? The moment the simple & sweet Surinder Ji used them, his own “Taani-Ji” could not recognize him!

After seeing her happily dance with magic man & then eat dinner with ‘Simple Simon Sahni, without realizing that both are one & only person, my heart garden-garden ho gaya, ji, with bushes of optimism & expectations!

I am humbly requesting you to share your genius & work wonders with me & my jodi, ji! I implore you to try ‘reverse/ulta’ magic in my case, Adiyta Ji!

You see, I am very “healthy” ji – yaaney, khaatey-peetey type of ladies! My “Mister”, touch wood, is very slim & un-healthy! So I am thinking, Adi Ji, do you have some ‘jadu’ powder or lotion or something ji, which will make me also sexy, svelte, unhealthy & most, most important, unrecognizable????

But aisa hai, ji, as the fat wife, I have to cook, clean & do house-work & will be very tired & in no position to dance. So instead of jiving in Shiamak Davar’s invigorating dance classes, can we maybe just hold hands or something? If that is not acceptable to you, I don’t mind singing some romantic songs – it is only my body which will be weary, not my ‘galaa’/throat!!!!

Also ji, while I want same-to-same treatment like Surinder Bhaiyya, thoda difference is there … you see, I think Bhagwaan Ji was so busy making Taani Ji very much beautiful, with slim & sexy figure & extraordinary Phulkari suits (later, please also tell me where I can purchase exactly same dresses in XXXXL sizes!), that he had no time to give her brains. So it was very easy to fool her.

Yun to ji, main kam bolti hun, but I have to say that my “Mister” is quite clever, so we will need stronger magic to make him believe that ‘jiski biwi moti’ & ‘jiski biwi slim & sexy’ are same-to-same people! But I have full faith in you & The ‘Oopar Waala”!

Surinder Sir is my inspiration – so though I want you to give me a new avatar to trick my pati-dev, I want him to only love the original ‘moti’ wife … you see, ji, advantage is that in a larger frame, Rabb can be seen more clearly!

Humble request ji … Amritsar is very far, so can we change location slightly? The temple in the Bur Dubai souq is very convenient – after we see “Rabb”, we can do our weekly shopping too! Killing two birds & all that, you know!

So from the bottom of my heart, thank-you, Adi ji!

I remain, your humble servant,

Uma

'dil kabbadi' - let the games begin!

2008-12-07T16:59:00.000-08:00

Woody Allen is my absolute Guru where quirky, whacky human humor is concerned - never thought I would watch an adaptation of a movie of his & find the same insane, WA brand of funny, that too in a Bollywood film! Well, well, wonders never cease to happen!
But since Irfan Khan happened to hindi films, we get to see this wonderful actor play the complex, twisted & guilt-torn Macbeth of Maqbool & then.... this indescribable genre of comic acting which is unapologetic, perfectly timed, honest & so damn funny - even though he plays this two-timing rogue of a husband, with no morals or scruples, you can't help loving him!
Ashok got it right when he described the movie as 'refreshing & un-clichéd' (is there a word like that???) - where couples play this mad musical chairs, with no malice, with a lot of humor, which is so pleasant to watch.
If u notice anyone apart from Irfan Khan, it's Konkona Sen Sharma - not bad, Mrs Iyer! Love the 'passive aggressive’ woman of today’ role she essays with such ease!
I am very fond of Rahul Bose - he represents this metro, cool, urbane Bollywood which is such a welcome change!
Surprise is Soha who manages to hold her own in the company of such fine artistes – some weird hairstyles, no doubt, but still, her progress card would report – ‘Improving!’
Rahul Khanna is such a charming, handsome dude, just like his dad – in a disappointingly short role, he delivers a competent performance.
But my milk of human kindness in doling out all this praise runs dry for Payal Rohtagi or whatever, who is supposed to be sizzling ‘n sexy – c’mon Bollywood, u can do better than that!
A Sunday night well spent at the game – of the ‘dil kabbadi’ kind!

dostana spells escapist entertainment

2008-11-13T12:14:00.000-08:00

The odds were heavily stacked against “Dostana”.
*The martyr like husband who dislikes Karan Johar movies, came along like the sacrificial lamb!
*The horror of Kabhi Alvida Na Kehn’ was still fresh in my mind!
*This was the lead pair of “Drona” … need I say more???!
We sank back into our seats nervously & patted the big tub of popcorn, which we hoped would provide a ‘quantum of solace’ in the torturous hours ahead!
Then Shilpa Shetty ‘bounced’ in her Manish Malhotra, ‘hardly there’ creations & the man next to me discarded the popcorn for the eye candy on screen!
Not that I was complaining – John Abraham was giving Shilpa a run for her money in the ‘hardly there’ department & won hands down!
For the first time since he got hitched & lost his smile, u spotted the “Aby-Baby’ of “Bluffmaster” & “Bunty aur Babli”!
Priyanka was the surprise package for me – with a drop dead gorgeous figure, sporting cutting edge fashion, she was relaxed & real!
Escapist entertainment no doubt, but who cares?
Love this world which looks straight out of Archie comics, where work looks like a picnic, the apartment has a view for which you would willingly sell your soul & in general, life is a non-stop party, 24x7!
But the coolest part about the film for me was that despite the ‘gay’ theme, the movie had its funny moments, without going over the top.
Like when Kiron Kher does aarti for John Abraham & accepts him as her son’s partner, even though she doesn’t know whether she is blessing her ‘bahu’ or ‘daamaad’!
Or Priyanka worrying about the fact that she & her two male friends are all lusting after the same guy – Bobby Deol – who looked good, until he suddenly sported this terrible fringe on his forehead!
The “Venice story” created by Abhishek to describe his meeting with John was hilarious!
Looks like the departure from the “K” factor has worked for Karan Johar! While I wont label this a great movie, if u r looking for a break to brighten up your weekend, “Dostana” hai na!

time to settle that "Karrrrrrrrrzzzzzzz"

2008-10-18T00:55:00.000-07:00

Dil hai chota saa, choti si aashaa ....
Current small desire:
To catch the current heart-throb of the rickshaw pullers & auto drivers, the true dil-ki-dhadkan, the one, the only & the fascinating Himesh Reshammmmmmaiyyyyya in 'Karrrrrrzzzzz'!
But all good things in life don’t happen easy, mere dost!
*My partner-in-crime, my piya has gone pardes - now while we disagree on most thing things in life, one of the few areas we cordially bond over, is our gross fascination for the cocky, over the top, cleavage revealing Mr. Reshammmmmmaiyyyyyyya!
*The plan was to get horribly sloshed (I am not too fond of alcohol - I get my highs outta life which throws up fine wines like Himesh & ruddy rums like Anu Mallik!) & then treat ourselves to "Karrrrrrrzzzzzz"! But Ashok's trotted off to Paris and left me high & dry ....
*Hmmmm high maybe, but not 'dry' - his gleaming bar beckons! So while he chills at some street cafe, with a carafe of wine, I need to fortify myself too, for paying my "Karrrrrrrrzzzzzzz"!
*Am re-thinking this 'chota parivaar, sukhi parivaar' theory! Turned to the light of my life, my 'jigar ka tukda', to make good her 'karrrrrzzzzzz' to me for bringing her into this world, by accompanying me for the movie experience of the century, since her dad unceremoniously ditched me!
*Sad to report that all she did was to break my 'dil into a million 'tukdaas', by firmly refusing! For the crime I have committed, the desire to voluntary pay & see "Karrrrrrzzzzzzz", she wants to check out legal options, about whether it is possible to divorce a parent!
*Also, I need to find a large empty shelf in my house - where I can comfortably place my brain to rest, while I take off, literally light-headed (LOL!) for "K ... r.... z.....!"
*So addressing my 'e-parivaar'- now that I have lightened my spirits with spirits & found a temporary home for my brain, any takers????!!!!

PS: Remember, it is sacrilege to say "Karrrrrrrzzzzzz" without the nasal twang or rolling of the R's, a la Reshahmmmmmmaiyyyyyyya!!

reporting a "Kidnap"

2008-10-02T23:33:00.000-07:00

Reporting a "Kidnap"
*of hottie Imran Khan of JTYJN & replacing him with a silly kidnapper, who just haplessly leers at his victim!
Point to note would be the clothes he picks up for his hostage - tiny tank tops, nightwear with plunging necklines ... less danger guy & more pervert!
*of the director of the slick ‘Dhoom’ series – I must say that my wicked mind prefers bad guys like Hrithik & John, who steal for pure mercenary reasons, rather than this wishy-washy guy who kidnaps for honor & badla, for revenge’s sake!
*of the cute, fit Munna Bhai & instead giving us this unfit, paunchy husband of Manyata! I feared less for the kidnapped gal & more for Sunju Baba – as he huffed & puffed through the chase scenes, I almost called an ambulance in case he had a stroke!
*of the sizzling heroines of Dhoom & what do we get – a Minnisha Lamba with abs no vaa-vaa-voom! Not that she didn’t try – I remember less of her face & more of her bare waist!
*of the seedhi-saadhi Bollywood moms – I mean, why Vidya whatever????! Ashok now is demanding a doctor like her – who struts around in cleavage revealing, tight, slit skirts!
This mom, who through the kidnap crisis, remembers to doll herself in a variety of sexy outfits, matching accessories (including a thin gold belt if u please & once, bright red pumps!) & to miss no opportunity to get cosy with her ex-husband – the last mentioned crime enraged my daughter, who has the role of parents clearly defined in her head & she spluttered – ‘prioritize woman – no time for necking!’
*last, reporting the kidnap of the Navratri celebrating, woman-of-house, lady-with-the –puja-lamp, Uma Kaushik, who should be slaving over the kitchen stove & providing for all the folks she has invited this evening & what does she do instead??????!!!
Write a review of ‘Kidnap’!!!!!!!!!

Wanted - almost bollywood!

2008-09-21T21:44:00.000-07:00

Top ten reasons for watching the movie
Duh?!!!! Angelina Joliet!!!
I mean, it’s not fair – this woman & her brood of bacchaass qualify to sing “we are the world’” all by themselves!
She should look harassed, run down & dowdy – I managed to look like that after one kid & sixteen years later, am waiting for rebirth to get a new look & image!
But this is the Ms. of ‘Brangelina’ who managed to make Jennifer Anniston look plain & ordinary! Shez smoking HOT!!!!
But Angie apart, this movie has to be seen to be believed, to check out the fact that Hollywood also has its share of absurd, ‘suspend your sense of reality & reason to watch’ brand of flicks!
Not that the little boy at heart, the forty plus guy next to me (my husband, people!) was complaining!
Yeah, yeah, there was Angelina of course which made him shudder with delight!
But competing with that were the awesome, impossible & filmy action sequences which would give Rajnikant & Quick-Gun-Murugan a complex!
Shooting where bullets collide with bullets – remember those tacky battle scenes from Doordarshan’s “Ramayan” & “Mahabharath” where arrows smashed together mid-air and fought by themselves – something like that!
But my favorite was the ‘bend it like Beckham’ kinda shooting where the bullet goes on a nice long curved trip before lodging itself into its target! Bullseye!
The hero, James McEvoy (interesting actor!) & Angie also spend quality time jumping on to the tops of running trains – almost expected them to break into “Chaiyya Chaiyya!”
Oh yes, there’s also this cool tub of wax or something into which anyone who is battered, beaten up & bruised is dunked & after a rejuvenating soak, they saunter out, perfectly ok!
From this soaking also emerges the bare, tattooed back of Angie again – a miss if u blink shot – damn that woman – she looks good from any angle!
Wanted – ability to leave your brains behind & simply watch & enjoy, without reason or logic!
Then I can assure u a racy, edgy & visually appealing watch!

Mama Mia - ne dil le liya!

2008-09-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

Mama Mia – some pertinent facts:

*Was it a great film?
*No!

*Any amazing performances?
*Negative!

*Taut & gripping plot?
*Nope!

*Awesome script?
*Naaah!

Yet, I came out of the this musical, based on Abba’s music & the Broadway show, with a huge, idiotic grin plastered on my face, humming “Thank-you for the music”, while the credits rolled!

To watch this credible, brilliant line-up of actors like Meryl Streep, Julie Walters, Colin Firth & Pierce Brosnan, take a holiday from serious acting & ham away royally, was a treat & a totally therapeutic experience – so these great artists too have their bad days, when they are caught slumming!

Those foot tapping Abba numbers!!! Forgetting that I was a respectable (?!) middle-aged woman, I took inspiration from the cast & sang along gustily – from “Honey Honey”, “Dancing Queen” to “Money Money” & of course, “Mama Mia” …. these numbers took you on a trip down memory lane.

If there is heaven on earth, apart from Kashmir, it must be on those idyllic, stunningly beautiful Greek Island – sheer paradise – shimmering blue waters, craggy, rocky pathways, pretty stone houses atop winding hillocks – visual treat! Ashok, please take me there for our next vacation, pretty please!

Cheesy & insane definitely, but for old timers like me, good fun!

These are a few of my favorite films ...

2008-09-17T03:28:00.001-07:00

Movie maniacs – that’s what we are!!

My bindaas mom & I were regulars at the matinee shows. I have such fond memories of going straight from school, in my uniform, to meet my mom at the theatre. She would come laden with this little ‘koodai’(basket) with mouth watering tiffin – warm idlis or dosais or pongal & movie classics like ‘the Great Escape’ or ‘Kramer vs. Kramer’ or ‘Tootsie’ - a winning combination! Today, my mother’s a cable TV addict & has stopped going to the theatre. She claims it‘s not the same without me!

Part of the experience – the catcalls, the whistles & the lewd comments, which u enjoyed as much as the film. Don’t remember which movie it was, but it had Pooja Bhatt, all cute and sexy, & her father calls out to her, “yahaan aao, Pooja beti”. In response to this, the Romeo sitting next to me yelped “Nahin, mere paas aao, Pooja beti”!!

Shiksha, Ashok & I need our fix of movies – they are like oxygen to us, & we break out into a cold sweat if denied!! Like eager-beavers, we hit the theatre, are the ‘first day first show’ varieties, & are greeted like family by the ushers there. We actually have our favorite seats in the theatre, & most of our friends know that if we are not at home on a weekend, u can catch us at the cinema hall!!

But that’s the week-ends – what about school nights when we need a movie fix?? So the ‘Chin Chin’, ‘Lynchee’ & ‘Nana’s on speed dial who are regular visitors at home, sip coke & deliver unreleased movies on DVD’s – yes, we are unrepentant criminals!! The ends justify the means and all that!!

Ok, there’s more – we patronize the video/DVD stores as well. The guy in charge panics every time I call to check out if anything new has arrived. He indignantly complained to me that given that we catch movies before they are released & watch them when they officially come out in the theatre, it is very unlikely that there are any left to excite us!! The poor man is challenged by me, and celebrates the rare times he has something that we’ve not seen to offer!

It’s unnerving how a film can affect you – while a great one can uplift you, a terrible one can dampen your spirits. Also, for me, the way I perceive a movie is linked to the company with which I’m watching it, my personal mood, the state of mind I am in ….

So my favorite films, may not be the best that there are, but which made me feel good in whatever way, made an impact in one way or the other, whether thought provoking, providing a good laugh, or which was fun just because I was watching it with someone special or …

*Guess who’s coming for dinner: An all time favorite – with incredible performers like Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn, Sidney Poiter cast in this movie about the touching love story b/w a black guy (is that politically correct?) and a white girl, and how sometimes, however broad-minded we think we are, our beliefs are put to the test.

*The Cider House Rules: This film never fails to bring a lump to my throat. The narrative is simple, and has the feel of a great story book that u don’t want to put down. A heart-warming story woven around an orphanage run by an old doc played superbly by Michael Caine, who performs abortions for the upkeep of the place. Toby McGuire plays his protégé, an orphan himself whom the doc wants to take over the running of the orphanage. The movie is about how Toby breaks free, flees the orphanage to see the real world, finally recognizes his calling, & returns to the orphanage.

*Dirty rotten scoundrels: Steve Martin is the God of funny! Paired with the brilliant Michael Caine who surprises with his flair for comedy, this is a sensational laugh riot about these two con-men who set out to outdo each other. Dilemma posed to the audience is figuring out who is the better comedian – after watching this one a million times, that we now know the scenes by heart, still haven’t cracked that one!

*Pride & Prejudice – the Lana Turner classic: I was so lucky to catch this on TV, and was floored. The book holds a special place in my heart, it was the first classic I read out to Shiksha, and Lana Turner was the perfect, feisty, proud, intelligent Elizabeth. None of the other more recent versions are a patch on this one.

*Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron: What a movie!! For me, the ‘Mahabharath’ will never be the same again – remember Naseerudin Shah as Duryodhan helplessly stuck with the corpse dressed as Draupadi?? Hez being goaded in the famous rape scene, and breezily responds with, “Draupadi jaise sati aurat ko dekh kar maine cheer-haaran kaa idea drop kar diya!!” A dream ensemble : Om Puri as the Punjabi contractor, Satish Shah who immortalized the living corpse, Naseer of course … wow!! No hesitation in rating this one as the funniest hindi film ever!!

*Cactus Flower: Goldie Hawn’s debut film with Walter Mathau & the inimitable Ingrid Bergman – a delicious, sweet, romantic comedy! Sheer movie magic!

*Gone With the Wind: This was an awesome experience, & for once, the movie matched the book in its brilliance. Vivien Leigh – how could she portray Scarlet, one of the most fascinating & self-centered characters ever, so perfectly?! I’ll take a moment to drool before mentioning Clark Gable, the oh so suave & smooth Rhett Butler. The closing lines – “Tomorrow’s another day” – perfect!!

*Swades: I know most people prefer ‘Lagaan’ which was undeniably one of the finest Indian films. But to me ‘Swades’ represented hope, aroused in me a deep sense of patriotism, and as someone put it, while I may not like Ashutosh Gowarikar’s hero, give it all up to answer my country’s calling, it at least makes me want to be a little like him, which itself is a lot! AR Rehman’s music – beautiful & inspiring!

*Naayakan: This was Mani Ratnam at his best, and Kamlahasan’s performance I would rate as one of the finest in Indian films. Nayakan was our desi “Godfather” and by God, a great movie experience!

*Kandukondein Kandukondein: I have a weakness for movies adapted from books, and this one was a movie saga by Rajiv Menon, based on “Sense and Sensibility”. An absolute visual treat, the only movie where for me, Aishwariya Rai delivered, both performance & looks wise! Personally, this was the first time my hip daughter watched a Tamizh movie, fell in love with the magic of AR Rehman & started singing Tamizh songs.

*Bridges of Madison County: Clint Eastwood as director and leading man of this beautiful adaptation, was a revelation. The movie featured an intense, clandestine, dignified & brief romance with the stunning Meryl Streep – my mushy heart overflowed with joy!

*To kill a mockingbird: Gregory Peck at his best as ‘Atticus Finch’. As for ‘Scout’, u just loved this feisty lil gal. Almost named my daughter after her. Engrossing, heart-wrenching, memorable, unforgettable …

*Monsoon Wedding: celebrated the genius of Naseerudin Shah – Mira Nair and her tale of the big fat Indian shaadi brought out the best in him. The angle of the uncle molesting the child was handled with such sensitivity that I actually made my daughter watch the movie to be aware of the existence of such monsters. Thank-u Mira!

*You’ve got mail: I’m an absolute sucker for syrupy romances – loved the ambience, the couple who hate each other in real life, but bond on the net, the little book store which Meg Ryan owns, Tom Hanks and his dysfunctional family, the movie ending with ‘somewhere over the rainbow’ …

*Jo jeeta wohi sikandar/Sarfarosh/Rang-de-Basanti/Rangeela:As u can see, a big Aamir Khan fan, because most of his movies are so credible, so enjoyable, & sincere – as the honest ACP Rathore in Sarfarosh, the tapori in Rangeela, the wastrel turned hero in jo jeeta, DJ the stud, in Rang-de, all must watches in my list!

*Dor: I know this one’s a remake of a Malyalam movie which was awesome, but not having seen it, I was very happy with this offering of Nagesh Kukunoor. The story, the two strong women played brilliantly by Gul Panag & Ayesha Takia, stunning locales, beautiful music, optimistic ending … all added up to a great movie for me.

*Maqbool: I am so excited about the existence of such a mine of talent called Vishal Bharadwaj! His ability to adapt Shakespeare & customize it for an Indian audience & yet make it so believable, amazing! Irfan Khan (one of the finest actors going), Tabu as the manipulative Lady Macbeth, Pankaj Kapur, all are fantastic. “Omkara”, again inspired by the bard, & a worthy successor to Maqbool.

*Roman Holiday: Audrey Hepburn as the princess turned commoner, Gregory Peck, the reporter out for a scoop who falls in love with his “scoop”, the romance, the comic moments … this was celluloid poetry!

*As Good as it gets: Last, but certainly not the least, Jack Nicholson’s mind-blowing, spot-on portrayal of the uncompromising, anti-social recluse, whose life is turned upside down by the advent of a waitress, a dog and a gay neighbor into his life. The Oscar that he got for this one, really well deserved!

For crying out aloud, this has turned out to be one helluva long list!! Movies do that to you – they excite you, arouse your passions, & a good one just puts you on top of the world!

I could go on, but decided to restrict myself to movies that were top of my mind - sure there were many more great films, but these were special. Look forward to hearing from you too about flicks which clicked with you, & which made your dil go hmmm .....

On a Friday, "A Wednesday"

2008-09-17T03:24:00.000-07:00

The feel-good, uplifting experience, which u expect from a Karan Johar or Yashraj films & normally come away disappointed, “A Wednesday” offered! Surprised? Well, so was I!
This was a movie I intended to watch, but it fell under the category of ‘later on dvd!’ But then there was Naseeruddin Shah – from those early Shyam Benegal classics, to the best comedy ever, “Jaane bhi do yaaron” till the recent cameo in “Khuda Ke Liye” where this fine actor gave me goose bumps, he never disappoints!
‘The common man, who is the worst victim of terrorism and communal violence, remains an anonymous face in the crowd & always ‘adjusts’! That’s the tag line of the movie!
What starts of as a routine, well made, crisply edited cop drama, which is impressive by itself … suddenly 'kahani mein twist aata hai', which I won’t reveal because I want u guys to watch this!
Impressive performances by Anupam Kher (what a competent actor!) & the rest of the cast! But the ‘piece-de-resistance’ is of course Naseer.
Light moments are provided by the cool young dude of a hacker, who nonchalantly talks to his girlfriend & informs the commissioner of Police that his equipment is outdated! Aso when the master mind of the bombs planted all over town, gets a call from his wife asking him to pick up 'badaam & kishmish for kheer'!
Have to admit that the plot is implausible, but like the protagonist of “Swades”, what he does, may not be possible to achieve by you or me, but at least, it makes you wish you could!
For “A Wednesday” – Applause!!