LiFe is CooL

UDAAN – The flight of mind……………

2010-10-01T23:25:00.002+05:30

It's about the journey that one takes, the journey called life.

Bengaluru Airport Arrival Terminal (29^th March 2010)
It's 01:00 AM, with stones on my eyelids, and an inapprehensible – Republic, by Plato – by my side, rejoicing a cappuccino at CCD Lounge (One of a kind, where you can take your luggage inside), I guess, I came across as a pseudo, which in a sense might be true. With three pretty girls sitting in front of you, giving you those timely gazes, I certainly won’t mind being ostentatious. Oh, you might be wondering what the hell he is doing here? Actually I am heading towards Mysore where I am supposed to report at Infosys Mysore campus. Hit by the recession (9 months delay), ours is the last batch to undergo training this financial year.
A Karnataka State Tourism kiosk in front of me stood emblematic to the fact, that I have made it to Mysore, alone. Now the question should be asked, that where are my fellow Infoscions from college and why I made this decision to travel alone? Answer to that could be as simple as ‘I am mad’ or could be a little philosophical in nature and intricate.

Flashback
Born and brought up in Chandigarh, I come from a very modest background. First person ever in my entire maternal and paternal ménage to turn out of family run businesses, I made it to an MNC. You might say ‘was it that difficult’? To that I would say ‘wasn’t that easy either’. Being an iconoclast from my puerility, I always damned the education system and has been victim of it as well. The worst hit came when my university felicitated me with two backlogs in run up to my Infosys assimilation. But then recession came to my rescue. I relished surfing on the crest of recession at a time when the whole World was drowning at the trough.

Your Country needs you

2009-12-20T05:26:00.005+05:30

Your Country needs you

On 3rd September YSR Reddy, a man of great stature and someone who’s revered as an idol in Andhra Pradesh, was found dead in a chopper crash after a massive 24 hour search operation. May his soul rest in peace. A night before the chopper was retrieved, at 9 PM news with Dr. Prannoy Roy, an expert said that chopper must have force landed and chances of crash are miniscule since they haven’t detected any signal from ELT (Emergency Location Transmitter, which emit signals in the event of a crash). So what happened with the ELT? It’s a stupid question to be framed in India, because here everything works with the grace of god (Ram Bharose).

Not getting the point? What followed on the consecutive day took our trademark ‘who cares’ attitude to another level. Engine of an Air India aircraft that is supposed to be phased out in October caught fire at the Mumbai airport on Friday, forcing the evacuation of all 213 passengers on board. The Riyadh-bound plane was originally scheduled to leave at 2 am on Friday, but the departure was put off to 5.15 am after the chosen aircraft developed a snag. The second aircraft too had a similar fault, causing another five-hour delay — before the fire caused the third hold-up. Sixteen of the 213 passengers opted out when AI finally arranged for another flight for Riyadh at 6 pm.

Considering this kind of state of affairs and deplorable state of maintenance, I wonder how hundreds of Planes embrace the Indian skies everyday? And how thousands trains make their way to the different parts of the country? It left me flabbergasted, but the catch here is, that it’s India. You make an inch of an error in any other part of the world and you’ll be putting your life in peril. Here we make gigantic mistakes but still everything continues to work for most of the time. Despite all these odds India works mysteriously and people make it work.

It is not something to be celebrated but, this ‘Devil may care’ attitude has become a part of the Indian psyche, an attribute that defines India, an attribute that has kept our unity intact despite various religious and cultural divides. But have we gone too far with it? Few days back Manu sharma (Same man who shot Jessica Lal in cold blood) was spotted at a night club in Delhi. He was out on a parole to meet his ailing mother, who was fit as a fiddle and was spotted at a function in Chandigarh. After this news broke out in prime time, following the public angst, he went back to prison. It was a blot on Indian Judicial System and there was so much hullabaloo over the issue but, everything calmed down with time and because ‘who cares’.

Madhu Koda, Chief Minister of Jharkhand, siphoned off more than Rs 4000 crores of the tax payers money which led to flashing of Breaking News across all news channels. But the whole issue died when Justice Liberhan’s dud report on Babri Masjid’s demolition was leaked. Reports revealed nothing more than what was captured real time on the camera, which is evident enough for bringing its perpetrators to justice. But even after 16 years we are only concerned about the credibility of the report, not about its purpose. In the midst of all this Madhu Koda had time of his life. This was the time when I sent numerous mails across all the channels questioning ‘why there hasn’t been any focus on Madhu Koda? Are news channels under political pressure?’ On the following day there was coverage that Madhu Koda is finally arrested. Might just be a coincidence.

One year, hundreds of people butchered, 200 witnesses, trial of Ajmal Kasab has made mockery of our Judicial System. Here is a man, who’s captured by CCTV camera’s killing innocent people claims that he is not the person in the video, another act of his brazenness just to buy time because he knows that he’s in India and we are fools. Now I know why everything here works with the grace of God? Because the youth of this country is sleeping and we have forgot the art of questioning.

My new friend - Facebook

2009-12-15T05:28:00.006+05:30

My new friend - Facebook

Twitter topped the list of 'English word of 2009' and left Obama to sulk

at the second spot. Unfriend (Courtesy Facebook) made its way to the Oxford Dictionary. This is the power of Social Networking. Power and its misuse are like Hand in Glove.

Yesterday I met Priya, an old friend of mine, over a cup of coffee and the conversation between two of us revolved around changing relationships. She kept complaining that how her friends have distanced from her and nobody has time for anyone except for dedicated hours in front of a PC. To her every serve of emotional outburst I responded with an ace of reassurance, that is how the girls like it ;) But she really got me thinking, she was not wrong, and I guess we all are sailing on the same boat.

Priya told me how a close friend of her came to meet her and the moment she stepped in, her first question was 'is your internet working?' and within

few moments she found another friend of her online and she immersed herself in a virtual conversation oblivious to the fact that Priya was around. Few days later, Priya was visited by another outstation friend and surprisingly even here the first query that popped out was regarding internet. Even this friend of her found fertilizing Farmville every few minutes far more important than Priya.

Virtual world seem to have taken over the real world. Things were not rosy even earlier and now they are even more aggaravated with the introduction of mind-numbing platforms like Farmville. Research has shown that devoting excessive time to such platforms or chatting in general introduce serious implications with the Brain's productivity and the ideation power. Social networking has certainly brought our inaccessible friends closer to us but at the same time deprived us of the real time fun. Experiences like the fragrance of mud in the first rain, making castles on the beach are much more valuable than fertilizing that dull animated farm. Go out, explore, there is lot to see, a lot to read and a lot to learn. Indulge yourself in some recreational activity. And most important of all, cherish your friends.

All time favorite movie

2009-12-14T05:42:00.003+05:30

One movie you can see again and again

I know after reading this people will be looking forward to beat me

but, I have have no reservations stating that I've seen Delhi 6 more than 20 times. 5 times back to back in the past week. Contrary to the popular belief I think Delhi 6 is one of the finest movies made. The movie literally transports you to Chandni Chowk and you forget about the actors and what you remember is the Mamdu jalebiwala or Beig Uncle. It's one of the rare movies which let you introspect to be a better human being without preaching. Rakeysh Mehra juxtaposes social milieu with Ramayan

and uses kala bandar as metaphor for evils rooted deep within our society, exceptionally.

The moment camera glides over Jama Masjid and

Arziyan starts to unfold my heart skips a beat. To experience Delhi 6 to its fullest, It requires an eye for nuances because so much happens in the same frame and attention to detail is immaculate. Delhi 6 is for people who appreciate finer things in life. The movie also boast of exceptional cinematography and soulful music. Movie feature respectable actors from the industry who deliver as they always do but, it's the sheer vision of Rakeysh Mehra which take this movie to spiritual level, accentuated by rest of the team.

If you wish to get lost in the mystic streets of Chandni Chowk without even being there just catch Delhi 6 and experience a spiritual lift. Every piece

of wisdom uttered in that movie is what makes me revisit it again and again. So, while i try to make a record viewing of Delhi 6, you guys choose wisely because your choice will carve the future of Indian Cinema.

And yes, don't forget to share your all time favorite movie........................

LOSING ITS LUSTRE

2009-11-19T03:50:00.006+05:30

Television has lost it’s relevance lately to the ongoing TRP wars between channels

by Nikhil Arora

Television, often termed as an idiot box was anything

but idiot at the time of it’s inception. It was honest

and progressive, though there were less options but

the content was satiating. But with its commercialization,

it started losing its relevance. In the last few years

entertainment channels and news channels have

set benchmarks in how low they can stoop in their quest

for TRPs. Today we might have plenty of options but,

is it really worth watching?

The 80’s

Though Doordarshan and television made their

beginning in India quite early but the National telecasts

were introduced in 1982. In the same year, color TV was introduced in the Indian market with the live telecast of the Independence Day speech by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on 15 August 1982, followed by the 1982 Asian Games being held in Delhi. Television was not a widespread commodity at that time.People used to gather in large number to catch a glimpse of Chitrahaar or a movie that used to air once a week. Then after 1984 daily soaps like Hum Log, Nukkad, Buniyad came into the picture.

Well if Hum Log was based on the challenges faced by the modern day

bourgeois family, then Buniyad was set in the time of partition. Television at that time used to derive a lot from the social milieu and worked for the betterment of society. What kept them etched in the minds of the people even today is their ascetic approach and endearing characters. What followed was the mother of all mythological. Ramayan was funny in the way it was dramatized and Mahabharat corrected it to a large extent. Being epic stories, they both lasted close to 2 years and set benchmarks for future mythological, none of which measured up to their success. But programming of this era was even more diverse.

Doordarshan catered to every genre. There were educative series like Bharat Ek

Khoj Based on Jawaharlal Nehru’s Discovery of India and Sword of Tipu Sultan. Who can forget allegories from R.K. Narayan’s Malgudi Days and inevitable stories of Vikram Betal. From crime Thrillers like Karamchand to sitcoms like Yeh Jo Zindagi Hai by Sharad Joshi, it covered everything. Era of Doordarshan was certainly a golden period for children having funny yet educative shows like Tenali Raman, Potli Baba Ki, Dada Dadi Ki Kahaniya at their disposal. If you’ve still not went down the memory lane then Mowgli from Jungle Book or Baloo from Talespin will surely take you back to your childhood and don’t be surprised to find Uncle Scrooge from Duck Tales there.

The 90’s

By this time television became a widespread commodity and conglomeration of people to catch a glimpse of it became a thing of the past. Now came the cable television, with foreign channels like CNN, Star TV and domestic channels such as Zee TV and Sun TV started satellite broadcasts. Indian television changed overnight and Doordarshan started losing its ground to these new entrants offering a lot on their platter. If 80’s were known for their socially active programming then 90’s were certainly a mixed bag. For a long time, sensuality or scenes with sexual overtones were covertly expressed on the small screen. Zee TV broke this barrier with a slew of bold serials - Tara, Banegi Apni Baat, Kurukshetra and Hasratein - it had to offer.

Tara, probably, led the way with a bold and blatant storyline. A lip-to-lip kiss between Alok Nath and Navneet Nishan sealed the love between them in the serial. Recalling the kissing scene, Vinta Nanda, writer, Tara says, “It was part of the story line. Whatever we projected in Tara was not for the sake of doing it, that’s the reason none of our artistes had problem portraying the scenes.”The kiss was just one aspect of Tara which thrived on showing women smoking, drinking and wearing minis. It also had tracks of extramarital affair and live-in relationships. This mother

of all bold serials was a channel-driver for Zee.

The other serial that had kisses and seductive scenes galore was Banegi Apni Baat. Set in a college campus, the serial openly discussed condoms, sex and sexuality. As Deeya Singh, producer says, “The brief given to us by the channel then, was everything from pimples to pre-marital sex should be covered in the serial.” One serial that indulged in heavyduty lovemaking scenes shocking the viewers was Hasratein. Ajai Sinha, who produced Hasratein, points out that the serial was about carnal desires and there was no way he couldn’t avoid it. “In any case I feel scenes with hidden meaning are more vulgar,” he justifies. Strangely enough, despite their popularity, seductive scenes went out of fashion once these serials were over. Family dramas came to rule the tube.

All this was just one aspect of what the television in 90’s has to offer. Soon Star TV, which earlier was an English channel tranformed itself into a full blown Hindi channel. Sony was the channel which changed the rules of the game with their Gen X programming with Family No.1 and Just Mohabbat as iconic shows of that time, They were the first one to brought the concept of Hindi dubbed international shows which was then picked up by other channels as well. Different strokes was a front-

runner in this. Another important constituents were the music shows and the game shows some of which are on the tube even today but have lost their earlier charm.Antakshari, Sa Re Ga Ma, Family Fortunes were quite popular with the audience.

One idea which has lost in the today’s world is the top 10 or top 20 shows of the 90’s and who can forget the titu and tony from the Colgate Top 10 which used to air on Zee TV. Then there was Hum Paanch, Though silly in its premise but, was known for it’s widespread popularity among masses. 90’s were certainly a boon for kids,with Cartoon Network, they had a dedicated 24 hour channel for them. Though the cartoons lag the innocence of the 80’s but there were many favorite’s like Scooby Doo, Richie Rich, Dexter, Captain Planet, Johnny Quest.

The Present Decade

Ever since it’s inception Zee TV remained the No.1 channel in India but with the turn

of a century Star TV stole the crown from Zee. Jewel of the Star’s crown was Kaun Banega Crorepati(Indian adaptation of Who Wants to be a Millionaire) hosted by Amitabh Bachchan which turned out to be the most watched show on satellite television. It had the impact that shows like Mahabharat in the 80’s used to have. Another Jewel

was Ekta Kapoor’s stereotypical K-series which started with Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi(it is so difficult just typing it, I wonder how did they made it) and soon turned into an avalanche. The show clocked more than thousand episodes and became the longest

running show on television.

Soon the K-series became an obsession with the producers and they were throwing shows by the dozens. These shows explored every possible stereotype from an apple of the eye son to a sacrificing daughter-in-law and ailing grandmother or great grand-mother to a vamp with little extra makeup. People in these shows dress as if they are going for a marriage and they even go to the bed dressed like that. Silliness in these could have bored you to death but, despite all this they were not morally disgusting.

This decade will go down in the history as the the most atrocious decade as far as television is concerned. In the last 2-3 years we have seen a new style of programming making an upsurge. Reality shows have become the buzzword and they thrive on the voyeurism and abuse that they cater to the society. Viacom 18 with its Colors and MTV is the frontrunner in the this lust for TRPs. Mujhe Is Jungle Se Bachao, Sach ka Samna, Rakhi ka Swaymvar, Splitsvilla, Big Boss have crossed

every possible boundary of hideousness and left us with a question, where is our society heading?

If betterment of the society was priority in the 80’s then things have changed now. Regionalism to child marriage shows like uttaran, Balika Vadhu are promoting all the evils which after decades of hard work have started to recede. Plagiarism has engulfed our television industry, you can see multiple versions of similar shows on various channels. Even the kids are not isolated from this, the classics like Tom and Jerry and Bugs Bunny are replaced by mind numbing series of

Chinese and Japanese cartoons.

Star One which tried to give the industry a new lease of life was not able to sustain its credibility and as shows like Sarabhai V/S Sarabhai, Khichdi and Dil Kya Chahta Hai disappeared from the tube. Sab TV which was earlier showcasing the re-runs of the classics like Shriman Shrimati and Office Office came out with the 80’s style socials like Tarak Mehta ka Oolta Chashma based on stories by Tarak Mehta and quite recently with Lapataganj based on stories by Sharad Joshi. These shows have managed to stand against the insanity served on the other channels and carved a niche for themselves.Other name in this league is of Hats Off Productions of Jamnadas Majethia with writer Aatish Kapadia who have managed to bring satiating content through sitcom like Sarabhai and over the top comedy Khichdi.

So, we had innocent 80’s followed by the bold 90’s and finally we are in this decade where in the name of reality we have a set up of jungle where there are beds carved out of wood and along the imitation mountains runs a water which even a child can tell is coming from a pipe, where these celebrities turn out in bikini's to take a bath. I mean we are not fooling here anybody. From marriages of B-grade stars to shows with lie detector test we have left no stone unturned to satiate our voyeuristic desires. A sane human being can’t survive 5 minutes into these shows and if you can survive the whole show then it is high time you need to get your head examined.

MASTERS OF THE CRAFT

2009-11-09T14:03:00.001+05:30

With the turn of a century, Indian film industry has had a new lease of life and the term-come of age cinema-was born.

by Nikhil Arora

From uber cool Dil Chahta Hai to grim Black Friday, and from vernacular Omkara to patriotic Rang De Basanti, Today we have all the flavors on our platter, served simmering hot. But what are the ingredients that goes into these delicacies?

Year 2001, with Dil Chahta Hai, Farhan Akhtar made

his directorial debut. The movie revolves around the life of three college friends strongly bonded together, who at one point of time get separate, and reunite at the end. Since the movie was slightly on the hilarious side, It clicked well with the audience and was a huge success. Farhan won National Award for Best Feature Film that year and since then it became a yardstick against which success of other films is measured.

Farhan was born in Mumbai to screenwriters, Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani. He went to H.R. College, for a degree in commerce, though he left it in

the second year and joined Director Manmohan Singh as apprentice and later went on to assist Pankaj Parashar for his film Himalayputra. He was someone who’s born with the silver spoon, in 2001, he started Excel Entertainment with friend Ritesh Sidwani and is producing films since then. In 2004 came his directorial venture lakshya and then the remake of 1978’s Cult classic Don starring Shahrukh Khan. He explored different genres with his movies but there was nothing out of the box as far as stories were concerned and it was the story telling which came as a refreshing change. Screenplay has always been the high point of Akhtar’s movies. Moreover his movies are urban in their premise, dealing with issues of youth, borrowing a lot from his own life.

It took almost half a decade for film industry to churn out something to replicateThe roaring success of Dil Chahta Hai. Come 2006, it was raining movies and 26 January, on the eve of republic day released Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Rang De Basanti. The movie explores how an ordinary group of friends assasinate a Minister under extraordinary conditions, in order to defend honour of their pilot friend who dies in a MIG crash, which ultimately led to their own demise. Mehra won a National Award for that. Born in Delhi, he pursued his graduation in commerce from Sri Ram College of Commerce. Mehra started his career an ad film maker before which he used to work as door to door salesman, but he seemed to have known the craft, since soon he was having all the big international brands like Coke, Pepsi, Toyota in his

kitty.

Mehra’s first film was Aks starring Amitabh Bachan, which didn’t appeal to the audience but got rave reviews from the critics. His last film was Delhi 6. Mehra is a visionary and his cinema is par excellence. He juxtaposes social

milieu with something like Ramayana and uses kaala bandar as a metaphor for evil in such a way that is beyond imagination of an average human being. Captivating cinematography by Binod Pradhan and music by A.R.Rehman have always been key strength of his movies. Mehra’s longing for his native place Delhi can be felt with every movie of his.

Before 2006, Saif Ali Khan was never cosidered as a serious actor, but there was a paradigm shift in this perception with the advent of Omkara (adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello) directed by Vishal Bhardwaj. Movie was vernacular adaptation of Othello set amidst Uttar Pradesh. The movie got critical acclaim as well as box office success, Saif was equally credited for that. Vishal was born and raised in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh to Ram Bhardwaj, a famous poet and lyricist. He pursued his Graduation from Hindu college and used to play Harmonium for a little known Ghazal singer at Delhi’s Pragati Maidan. He was then introduced to Gulzar with whom he collaborated on many TV serials like Jungle Book, Alice in

Wonderland. Vishal turned music composer with Maachis, a film directed by Gulzar. Today he is a successful director with a slew of path breaking movies like Makdee, Maqbool and quite recently, Kaminey.

Bhardwaj’s cinema explores psychology of the characters, similar to the plays of

Shakespeare, from which he borrows a lot. What makes that even more enticing is the setting and the dialect. You can also experience the undercurrents of poetry and philosophy in his creations coming inevitably to him from his upbringing. Top notch performances from some of the industry’s elite actors and strong scripting are some of the highlights of his creations, which have set benchmarks that are

hard to emulate.

Another ad film Director from Delhi, Dibakar Banerjee turned out with an eccentrically named movie Khosla ka Ghosla in 2006. Set in Delhi, Khosla ka Ghosla is a story of a bourgeois family whose recently acquired plot was engulfed by a land shark, what follows is the series of attempts made by the family to get their plot back. Movie was well received by the audience and critics but, more than that it opened a new genre in the

Indian Film Industry. Movie is still perceived as a comedy, but if you ask Dibakar about experience of making a comedy, he will quickly shrug his shoulder and say “I don’t know, never made one”, which is true to a certain extent. He made his foray into the industry with colleague and friend Jaideep Sahni, who later made his mark as a writer.

Dibakar is very eclectic, it is something that shines through characterization in his movies.You can instantly build a connection with his movies. Some characters are similar to the people you find across the street, in your families. The characters in his movie are not very strong but it’s their idiosyncrasies which make them an absolute delight to watch. Dibakar’s films are ascetic and are completely driven by the nuances of the characters which brings out this nice flavor in his movies.

If you were born in a family where your relatives own three cinema halls, and you end up watching every possible movie there, then there’s a fair chance of your becoming a filmmaker. So comes Imtiaz Ali, brought up in Jamshedpur where his relatives own three cinema halls, a place where he spent most of his childhood. He made his debut in 2005 with Socha Na Tha, which became a favorite among the critics but didn’t get public’s appreciation. Then in 2007 came Jab We Met, which turned out to be a huge success. Imtiaz did a course in Marketing and Advertising from St. Xavier’s, Mumbai. He started his career directing slew of TV serials for Zee TV.

Imtiaz brought the concept of romantic comedies in our Film Industry. He also writes dialogues for his movie even though he’s not a seasoned writer, this makes the tone of his movies strikingly different but, in good taste. From Viren’s character in Socha Na Tha to Geet’s character in Jab We Met, Imtiaz is known for creating strong central characters. His metropolitan take on Man-Woman relationship is something that made an instant connection with the urban audience.

If names like Black Friday, Gulaal haunts you, then story of the man behind

these movies will be even more intimidating. Anurag Kashyap was Born in

Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, where his father worked for State Electricity Board. He did his earlier schooling in Dehradun and was fascinated by films right from childhood. He later enrolled himself for Zoology course in Hansraj college, Delhi, from where he graduated in 1993. During his college days he caught de Sica’s retrospective at International Film Festival of India, where he ended up watching 55 films in 10 days, and de Sica’s Bicycle Thieves was the movie that influenced him the most. Within a few days with Rs. 5000 in his pocket he landed in the city of dreams, Mumbai. The money ran after he stayed for a few days in a Hotel, what followed is the turbulent journey comprising of sleeping under a water tank, long

periods of hibernation, drugs and alcohol.

Kashyap won accolades for his writing in Ram Gopal Varma’s Satya and Shool. He made his mark with a controversial Black Friday, Based on 1993 Bombay

bombings. He is also credited as a writer of Academy Award nominated Water, made by Mira Nair. Kashyap’s cinema is reminiscent of his own tumultuous journey. His movies are grim and they strip the society to it’s bare minimum. Anguish, violence, blood, frustration take a high point in his movies and there are certain moments when you feel that you can’t take it any more. His later releases Dev D and Gulaal were well received by audience and the director is busy working on his new projects.

But there was someone who changed the rules of the game even before

these gentlemen came into the picture. He gave his well paid job as soft-

ware engineer and turned Director with Hyderabad Blues. He is Nagesh
Kukunoor, who made his mark with highly

acclaimed Iqbal. The movies like Rockford, Dor and 3 Deewarein speak

volumes for his talent and he’s a seasoned actor as well. Things are not

going well for Nagesh, his last two films bombed at the box office and

his credibility is at stake. Let’s see what the future has in store for us.

In the last 2-3 years we have seen

proliferation of first time film directors,

who have delivered competent movies

in various genres and are all set

to be the next big thing in the B-Town.

Neeraj pandey of A Wednesday is

known for his contrived direction. Rahul

Dholakia’s Parzania is a heart wrenching

Depiction of 2002 Gujrat violence and it’s

aftershocks were well accounted in an

Insightful Firaaq by Nandita Das. Mumbai

Meri Jaan by Nishikant Kamat explores

the impact of train bombings on the city.

If this is not the kind of cinema that

excites you then you shouldn’t have missed

the Rock On which is Abhishek Kapoor’s

take on friendship and unfulfilled aspirations and

then there is our good old romantic comedy

Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na by Abbas Tyrewala.

We have seen that it doesn’t matter where you’re from, there were

some who were privileged while there were some who just stumbled over.

Some slept on the roads, some left their job and there was one for whom

It took just that one movie. They had their different journeys which became

an important attribute of their cinema and what brings them together is a

vision and passion for the revival of the Indian Cinema. Today Indian

Cinema offer a plethora of choices across every genre to satiate every

individual’s appetite.

WHAT SHOULD HE DO ??? -Story of a boy

2009-10-31T03:11:00.002+05:30

Right from the day one he was different, someone who's born with half

of the Calvin's brain and quarter of his lunacy. Sadly there was no Hobbes but, there were plenty of sexy cars to fill in. Some of the scars on his face, though placed aesthetically - not to compromise the face value - stand testimony of a tumultuous childhood. Life wasn't any different for him even in the academics. Somehow at an early age he developed a notion that homework is a waste of time, which in fact is true and spent afternoons in the backyard imagining it to be his kingdom while people in the adjoining buildings as infiltrators. In our education system homework is perceived as something playing pivotal role in child's development.

The boy struggled his way out of the series of punishments ranging from abuse to being made to sit in a class level lower than his actual level. He sometimes had also been through the horrors of acquainting with the Principal for the same, but the boy stood firm and always took homework with a pinch of a salt. Though he was an average Joe, but managed steer clear through the examinations by all fair means. He used to do well in arts and had a creative bent of mind. He was a regular at various poster making, slogan writing and article writing competitions.He was always very excited about the writing section in English examination but never took it seriously, no one at that age does.

Before the turning of tables in academics, he encountered the last erratic year in which he eventually failed in the terminal examination but, later passed the finals with flying colors due to lot of effort and support from his mother. By the time he turned 14, he started taking interest in academics. He was doing great in Science and Mathematics. There was a coaching center right next to his school and another on his way to tutions preparing students for IIT-JEE. Students used to line up there as early as 5 in the morning to mend their future. Now he was in 10th standard and it was time to make that big decesion. He scored 75% which was apt at that time grab a seat in science, so he grabbed one and joined coaching for IIT-JEE. He was intelligent but, certainly this wasn't his cup of tea. After 2 years his hopes shattered and ended up in a rather clunky Engineering

college in suburbs.

It's in the due course of his Engineering, he realized his love and

passion for writing and creative arts, but now there was no way out since he opted for science and now had to live with it. It's the same time he realized that it wasn't an acquired taste, instead it's something that's been with him since childhood. But the silver lining of this cloud came in the form of INFOSYS, just days before the global meltdown he was selected in the country's most reputed organisation along with 10 others during campus placements. Today he is waiting for his joining which is scheduled on 29 march 2010 and is seeking few answers. Somehow he's torn between his passion, where future seems grim and a mundane 9-5 job, promising sustainable future.

1) What should he do?

2) Why there hasn't been any reforms in our education system?

3) Why we have to make a career decision so early and why there are no bodies which can guide us through the process?

Status Quo

With the wave of blossoming IT industry in our country, we have seen proliferation
of rather incompetent private run institutions growing as a weed. What’s working as
a fertilizer for these weeds is our own perception of education, which is misleading

if not anything. The term education means to acquire knowledge, irrelevant of how it’s going to pay off in the future. But we as a society have become so lascivious that the term education has lost it’s relevance. Today education is considered as a fixed deposit or an insurance in which you invest a certain some of money, so that you get a guaranteed return every month. This has led to the corporatization of education and private players are cashing big time on that. What’s even more disappointing is that, despite being so much money thrown, children are still not getting what can be called as quality education. This blind rat race for Engineering and MBA has led to an unbalance in our poised society. When is the last time that you heard someone

saying that “I want to be a historian” or “I want to study astrophysics”. In a recent

interview, Union HRD Minister, Kapil Sibal himself accepted the fact that we are facing a

serious human resource crunch across diverse fields. We still account only for 3% of

the journals published across the World but, we are known for our mass production

of Engineers and MBAs, which even China can’t match.

Peers

Have you seen a herd of sheep? They always follow each other, and if one of them

end up diving into a gorge, there is a fair chance that all of them will follow.

Our condition is not much different from the sheep, if one is going for say A course, everyone will follow. There are so many MBA aspirants around these days, if you ask them about which specialization they would like to opt, they will react as if you have asked something that they never heard of. The only thing that matters to them is that they are preparing for MBA because, 90% of their peers are doing the same.

With preparation comes the nexus of coaching institutes into the picture, preparing students for CAT, MAT,GMAT or whatever, all of which in a way evaluate your aptitude. Now can someone please tell me, how a coaching of 6 months can help you build a desired aptitude? They are into this business of fooling, and fools, is what we all are.

School

The lack of decision making power is seminal for all the colossal damage that follows.

But from where it all begins? Schools, where there is a rat race of another kind, it’s a race for that .1 percentage point. Mugging and homework are the two foundation stones of our schooling. There are not much activities happening around that empower students to express themselves and bring something different to the table, like it happens in ‘Show and Tell’ in the Western Worlds. Firstly you were not

conditioned to make that crucial decision, on top of that you have to make that career decision so early, which shouldn’t be your precedence at that time. The outcome of all this is a decision that goes terribly wrong, taken under family and peer pressure. So, if

thing have to change , they have to start from here.

Is there a way out?

Recently with UPA coming into the power with full mandate and with Kapil Sibal

taking charge of the Ministry of HRD, we have seen lot of development on the

issue of education. From the Right to Education bill to scraping off the board exams for class 10th, these are all inviting changes from the government but, there’s moreto be done. Scraping off the 10th boards is not an all inclusive solution, it will only dampen the madness of the percentage wars between students. Firstly, the structure should be made modern with research and presentation taking place of the homework. Secondly, grades for the examinations is a good alternative because you can’t completely do away with examinations. And last but not the least, a special objective type paper should be designed, which evaluates your capability in various fields, and based on your performance, suggests a career path that you should opt. This should be conducted along with the usual examinations and at the time of results a panel of career counselors should be facilitated, who on the basis of your performance in the examination and interaction, guide you to make that big decision.

It's time to Wake Up !!!

2009-10-08T00:21:00.000+05:30

Wake upto life, go out, explore and you might bump into someone who'll change the course of your life forever.This is the story of Ayaan Mukherjee's directorial Debut Wake Up Sid. Ayaan's storytelling is austere without much frills and strangely resembles to Zoya Akhtar's Luck By Chance, though the latter is highly layered. At moments the scenes were way to long, a tighter screenplay and editing would have turned this one from good to spectacular. But beautiful yet realistic cinematography and in sync music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy makes up for that.

But Wake Up Sid has something that Luck By Chance din't. He's three films old now, none of which have tasted success, but he's the blue eyed boy of bollywood.Ranbir kapoor completes the frame like no other actor does. It's his sheer presence and charm that lightens every frame which captures him. Aiysha played by Konkana Sen Sharma pairs well with Ranbir and looks fresh. Some critics argued that Aiysha's getting job so early and a sea facing apartment were unrealistic and difficult to gulp, But they forgot that it was story of Sid's waking up to life, which Ayaan unfolds in a very convincing manner.

Another eye candy is a cameo by Rahul Khanna who is the editor of magazine(Mumbai Beat) for which Konkana Sen and eventually Ranbir kapoor work. Every time he's on the screen you can hear section of girls screaming like anything in the cinema. Well cameo's don't end there you will also get to see Kashmira Shah sharing screen space with these A-list actors, surprised, trust me she wouldn't have been used this ethically before. So, all in all a wholesome watch, catch it in a theatre near you and do share your views...................

My Verdict: ***1/2

Eager to hear from you.........................

KAMINEY SIMPLIFIED

2009-08-23T02:09:00.001+05:30

So what is KAMINEY all about ??

One thing is for sure that with this movie a star has turned into an actor. Yes, it's Shahid Kapoor i'm talking about. Movies like this have been made in other parts of the world but, it's the bollywood's first. A brave director that Vishal has always been churns out this magnificent drama with a very edgy screenplay. There are horses,betting, yachts,diamonds and you should catch this one in theatres for it's shear technical brilliance. Being Bharadwaj's movie flesh in blood characters and top notch performances were expected and, we were not disappointed. Shahid Kapoor has done an incredible job playing Guddu who stammers and Charlie who says F an f. You know if I pick any other name from the cast then i'll end up appreciating everybody coz they have all performed incredibly but it's the Chandan Roy Sanyal who played Mikhail steals the show with his insanity.

But it's in the climax that the things go terribly wrong when the brave experiment take the bollywood twist.I mean the music played in the background just dampened the effect of the bloodshed which i expected to be more hardcore as the movie has been throughout. I think i'm being too harsh but do share your views on the movie........................

My Verdict: ***1/2

OH !!! i do need to share this one.'HONESTY PAYS' How many of you believe that ?

It payed when we witnessed the finals of the INDIA's GOT TALENT. You know fake data's and publicity or hype generated by evils like Sach ka samna,Rakhi S**t were eclipsed by the grandeur of the the show. I kept my fingers crossed and it's the first time that i've voted in a reality show. I felt a sigh of relief when PRINCE DANCE GROUP won the title. I don't know but there was some purity and some honest intentions behind that show. It just made me feel that i'm an Indian and it is something to be cherished. This is how reality shows should be made..........

Clash of the Titans

2009-08-07T00:01:00.002+05:30

India has seen sudden proliferation of UHNWs (stands for ultra-high net worth, and describes individuals with disposable income of more than $20m) in last few years. This new aspirational India is craving for pure indulgence and bespoke experiences. International luxury car brands are leaving no stone unturned to cash in on that. From Rolls-Royce to the Daimler and from Bentley’s to Porche’s, you name it and we have it. So, if you are out there to buy the most luxurious car, trust me, you will be spoilt for choice.

Rolls-Royce Phantom

Rolls-Royce made it’s comeback in

India after half a century, which was once used to be it’s biggest market Rolls Royce Phantom is what often called the Greatest car in the World. This British luxury saloon is majestic and commands respect, you are bound to feel a sense of awe the moment it’s in your sight. It’s more than just a car, It’s a slab of Englishheritage. Owning a Rolls-Royce requires much more than a hefty bank account, you have to live up to it’s reputation. It’s plant in Goodwoodhouses the paint shop, body shop, leather shop, woodworking shop, assembly line, and executive offices under one roof. There are only two

robots in the factory. The two robots paint the body; the paint is polished by hand after the robots spray each coat. All other work is done by hand, in keeping with the true Rolls-Royce tradition. The company refused to build a custom, all-chrome Phantom for a famous rap artist because the chrome couldn’t be finished to the company’s exacting specifications. Now this is called setting the bar high. It’s the only car in the World which appreciates 6 pounds for every mile it covers and 6 out of the 10 Rolls-Royce ever made are still roadworthy, which is testament to it’s refined engineering and exquisite built quality. Phantom offers the kind of opulence and indulgence that is reminiscent of it’s Royal heritage. Owning a Rolls-Royce not only uplifts your social status, it offers you a bespoke experience that only Royal families of the bygone era used to have.

So, is it all about this nostalgic feel? Don’t be fooled for a second, this car blends tradition and modernity like no other car does. The picturesque Spirit of Ecstasy logo sitting pretty on the chrome grille retracts into the hood in case of an accident or the same can be done with the press of a button. Even when the wheels are rotating, the trademark ‘RR’ logo remains in upright position. The saloon is available in 13 standard colors but, you have the option of 44,000 hues through Bespoke Program. One

another Rolls-Royce trademark is ‘power reserve gauge’, which lets the driver know he still has 90 percent

of power to call uponwhile travelling at 100km/h. In true Rolls-Royce tradition the rear doors are rear hinged commonly referred to as ‘suicide doors’ but are called ‘coach doors’ by Rolls-Royce and buttons are mounted on both C-pillars which operate hydraulic motors in order to close the rear doors. The car will automatically brake to a walking speed if a coach door remains open when driving off. The rear doors also house umbrellas that are stored within the doors. Even if you are not a star, there are many to accompany you in a Rolls as you gaze the headlining as it mimics the night sky using hundreds of tiny fiber optic lights.

Maybach 62s

When Daimler Chrysler failed to Buy Rolls-Royce when Vickers Offered the company for sale. In 2002 they launched Maybach as a direct challenger to Rolls-Royce Phantom and Bentley Arnage. 2004, Daimler Chrysler launched it’s first Maybach showroom In India. The Maybach is a testament to what a group of enormously talented individuals can accomplish given enough time, tools and creative freedom. 20 feet long and weight over 6000 pound, it’s big. Very big. However, the daunting size of this car doesn’t diminish its elegance. If you are born in the decade of Ipod’s and Mac’s then you might appreciate what Maybach has to offer. It looks 21st century, It feels 21st century, in Maybach you know that you are in a right decade. Maybach claims to be the be-all and end-all of luxury cars. With the goodies it has to offer, we can’t doubt it’s credentials. When you choose to buy a Maybach, you are flown straight to Maybach Studios at Mayfair, UK. You sit in High Tech. room called ‘Configurator’ with their sales person who run you through the plethora of options you can choose from, and you can see the results on a big screen. Once all your specifications are done, it takes 6 months for the car to be made and delivered to you.

The most interesting feature that it has to offer is a glass partition between the chauffer and the rear passenger, which on a touch of a button can be made opaque. In addition there is an external communication system, which includes a loudspeaker and microphone system which allows the occupant in the rear of the Maybach to talk and listen to the chauffer and people outside the car. When it comes to indulgence, there is a refrigerator, silver champagne glasses, fully reclining massaging seats, things that you get in a Business Class or a private jet. The Maybach features some of the thickets, deepest paints the world can buy. Rubbed to a mirror finish. A number of sound-deadening equipment and procedures has been built into the 62 S (and all Maybachs, for that matter) lending to a silence typically reserved for libraries. In Maybach at a touch of a button you can turn day into night,for the rear passenger ofcourse. Despite being new entrant in the luxury space Maybach sets segment benchmarks that are hard to emulate.

Bentley Arnage

Bentley made it’s foray into the

Indian markets in 2003. Bentley

Arnage is a relic from a different

British time. Its basic profile is

none too different from 1980s

Bentleys, while the twin-turbo-

charged V8 is derived from an

engine originally designed in the

1950s. These are the fading

visages of Bentley's past: one

that is irrevocably tied to Rolls-

Royce, but one that has been

replaced by a high-tech future

courtesy of Volkswagen's new

ownership. But despite the

introduction of the Continental

Flying Spur, the Arnage is still

Bentley's grand flagship and a

super luxury sedan for those who lust after old-world lavishness and prodigious power without much concern for the latest engineering innovation. In the Arnage you feel that you’ve arrived even before you’ve set-off. While there's no denying the Bentley Arnage is a beautiful automobile, it lacks the newer engineering, driving dynamics and higher levels of posh and prestige of its Rolls-Royce and Maybach competitors. True, those sedans are even more expensive, but if you can afford an Arnage, we have a sneaking suspicion you can also pony up a few more crores for a Phantom or Maybach 57. It's also worth checking out Bentley's own Continental Flying Spur, which rings in about a crore cheaper, and features newer technology and design. Of course, these are all logical arguments against buying a Bentley Arnage, and when it comes to buying one of these super luxury automobiles, logic seldom has anything to do with it.

Due to its hand-built exclusivity and superb quality, Arnage has become a world-wide benchmark for automotive craftsmanship.Bentley is the only automobile manufacturer in the world to offer as standard a cabin trimmed entirely with leather hides including

the headlining. The hand-crafted steering wheel requires up to 16 hours of double-stitching that too to a millimeter perfection. A set of mirror-matched veneers for each car

takes 13 days to craft, while 17 hides and almost 400 separate pieces of leather are used for the upholstery, trim and headlining.It takes 2 days to polish all the stainless steeltrim pieces and 16 cows had to lay their wool

for the carpets. Arnage Final Series is available

in the full Bentley range of 42 exterior colours, 25 interior hides, and

three veneers, plus the comprehensive line-up of Mulliner options and

its bespoke colour-matching service that enable Bentley owners to

create a uniquely personal car. Bentley becomes a sensible buy

when it’s more about the heart than the brain.

So who is the winner? Which one of these is the greatest car in the world? If one is the mark of the contemporary styling then other is the example of exquisite craftsmanship. If one uplifts your social status then the other has the old world charm. Truth is, these priceless marvels are beyond comparison, they are epitome of man’s quest for luxury and attention to detail. If you own one then you are a winner.

Rakesh Mehra-another stroke of genius

2009-02-22T00:55:00.000+05:30

A Director
A Visionary
A Philosopher
A Maestro
It's about saying big things simplistically using metaphors, Mehra's cinema is par exellence and does so seemlessly.I've been listening to all the so called critics saying that DELHI 6 belongs to the actors and Rehman's music, which undoubtedly enriches the essence of the movie.The movie feature some of the industry's most respectable actors who deliver as they always do but it was not a performance driven movie instead it was driven by a vision.

Mehra's point of view is of a genius,i'm 23 years old and matured say 4 or 5 years back ,seen quite a lot of movies since then but, none have struck me the way Rang De Basanti and DELHI 6 have done.Mehra juxtaposes the status quo with something like Ramayan and uses Kaala Bandar as metaphor in such a way that is beyond the imagination of an above average human being,his work is work of genius.

Exceptional camera work by Binod Pradhan,simple yet complex lyrics byPrasoon Joshi and spiritual music by A R Rehman are also to the movie's credits.Sonam Kapoor dazzles as Bittu.I'm not going to reveal the story.I hope you'll watch this one in theaters and do share how did you like the movie.Trust me you'll be proud of yourself and do keep those comments pouring.....

CHAO...............

2008-THE YEAR OF THE UNDERDOG

2009-01-27T00:16:00.000+05:30

Hop on as we are heading back to 2008's bollywood carvan.If 2007 was ruled by SRK's CHAK DE INDIA and Mr. perfectionist's TAARE ZAMEEN PAR then 2008 was the year of the underdog.Now you might be thinking that 2008's big money spinners were also from the same actors but, you know for me box office success has never been a criteria for judging movies.2008 has been an exceptional year in the sense that we had competent movies in every genre.Though we had a dismal start with only fairly competent movies like RACE,JANNAT,JODHA AKBAR in the first half of the year,then first surprise came in the form of JAANE TU....and things really picked up from there.

It was a romantic comedy with lots of gimmicks and it was followed by ROCK ON!!!! that insisted that we should follow our dreams.Actors did appreciable work in both the movies but what set them apart from other movies was the manner in which they were executed.Then came A WEDNESDAY which was a blend of power packed performance by Naseerudin Shah and contrived direction from Neeraj Pandey.OYE LUCKY ....starring Abhay Deol was not a big money spinner but was one good movie and the credit for that goes to the lucky himself for his commendable performance.And who can forget Amar Kaul(Vinay Pathak) from DASVIDANIYA.

I thought of giving list of 5 HITS and PITS of 2008 but i'm glad as usual i managed to stay far away from the rotten stuff of 2008 and there are so many movies worth recommendation.So here's a list of 10 movies you shouldn't have missed in 2008-

1)JAANE TU YA JAANE NA 6)ROCK ON!!!!!

2)A WEDNESDAY 7)AAMIR

3)MUMBAI MERI JAAN 8)SHAURYA

4)DASVIDANIYA 9)WELCOME TO SAJJANPUR

5)MITHYA 10)OYE LUCKY LUCKY OYE

Rotten Stuff-LOVE STORY ,HELLO,TASHAN,KARZZZ.....(I won't waste my precious time describing them)

Now there were few underdogs who were shadowed by glitz of the stars,I take this opportunity to mention year's most indulging performances,one is given by KK Menon in SHAURYA and the other by Ranvir Shourie in MITHYA.Being so much dissapointed by these biased award shows i'm announcing my own set of awards and i take this oath that here only hard work and creativity will be acknowledged and honoured.

So please cast your precious vote and keep those comments pouring...............................

Changing face of BOLLYWOOD

2008-12-02T02:34:00.000+05:30

SMALL V/S BIG

Well small first time filmakers have organised a farewell for the big daddy's of the industry.Movies like DASVIDANIYA , OYE LUCKY ,SORRY BHAI and A WEDNESDAY proved that it's the content and treatment , not the scale of the movie that matters at the end of the day.In the movies lined up for the release , our big stars are still following conventional path and are not surprising us with anything new whereas a group of people comprising Rajat Kapoor , Vinay Pathak , Ranvir Shourie , Saurabh shukla have emerged as quite a popular brand because of their simple scripts and incredible performances.Movies to be released like RAB NE BANA DI JODI and GHAJINI have failed to create a pre release stir ,THE PRESIDENT IS COMING and OH MY GOD are the two movies i'm keeping my eyes on.So far my predictions have never gone wrong.
So who is actually changing the face of BOLLYWOOD?We are bringing this change by the choices we make so,choose wisely....

BOX OFFICE CHECK

2008-10-10T04:17:00.000+05:30

WELCOME TO SAJJANPUR

It's a good movie,go watch it

***1/2 (It's different)

KIDNAP

Are u mad,can u see a movie just to see an actress in skimpy clothes,i won't.

*(pointless)

DRONA

Sincere effort but with that out of shape

superhero,you're not going anywhere

*(Unconvincing)

KARZZZZZZ

Tune in next week to read the best review

ever b'coz the worst is still to come

DOPE OF ROCK !!!!

2008-09-01T17:13:00.000+05:30

I've to admit here that i've never had dope or for that matter any sort of drug.So the whole concept of experiencing a high was not familiar to me,but i guess i've experienced a similar thing throughout the screening of ROCK ON.Well the movie is not spectacular in any peculiar department,be it performances,cinematography, ya music was exceptional but, having said that as a package it's quite good, especially the way it elevates your senses.I don't know but i guess i've experienced a high.Talking of the performances no one actually stood out, all of them have delivered convincing performances.But to experience that high do watch this one in theatres.

My verdict

***1/2 (it will lift your spirits)

apologies....apologies!!!!!!

2008-08-24T12:11:00.000+05:30

People say never judge a book by it's cover , i would say never comment on a movie unless you've seen one.I apologize for whatever i've written about SINGH IS KINNG in my last post , though i was not completely wrong , it's true for OM SHANTI OM , MAIN HOON NA to name a few , but SINGH IS KINNG took me by surprise, it was neither fresh in it's plot nor in it's execution , but it still comes out quite entertaining purely on the basis of performances.Talking of the performances one man stood out in the crowd(literally) , your guesses r wrong , it's not AKSHAY instead it's JAVED JAFFERY with his modulated voice just fitting d bill was a delight to watch.

Well likings are purely subjective but i guess most people will agree with me .............

Nikhil

Get ready to ROCK ON !!!!!!!!!!

2008-08-22T14:46:00.000+05:30

You know it came as a big dissapointment to me when a refreshing movie like JAANE TU YA JAANE NA was beaten at box office by a usual masala potboiler SINGH IS KINNG.
These come of the age movies manage to pull crowds only at multiplexes in metros , but never been able to emerge as box office winners.But it's not the time for sorrow instead it's time to rock on as ROCK ON !! will hit theatres next friday.Well i anticipate it to be fresh and one with a purpose,MUMBAI MERI JAAN and A WEDNESDAY are also to follow.What i hope is that if any of these movies turns out to be good then we'll make all possible efforts to make it a winner at box office.And you guys can catch d full review of ROCK ON right here on friday.

Till then keep those comments pouring

Nikhil

100 things

2008-08-22T03:10:00.000+05:30

Hey all you adventure freaks get ready to experience India at it's best.About a month ago a friend of mine asked me to type an article published in HT mint for him as a soft copy.I agreed but, later thought, how am i gonna do such a boring job.I must admit that article worked as a foundation for my next venture on travel.So friends another movie(100 things to do before you die)is in the pipeline n will arrive on the blog soon.
I hope to complete it by end of this month.Till then keep those comments coming............

Always at your service
Nikhil

spellbound by luxury

2008-08-21T23:27:00.000+05:30

I was really not aware of what actually goes into building a brand.In my recent quest for luxury car brands i have came across some spectacular videos and pictures from some of the iconic brands in auto industry.I've put in my heart n soul to transform it into a movie .The size of movie is now 280mb,so i'm not been able to put it on youtube or mail it either but you can enjoy sneak peak of it on my blog
and suggest me how to publish it? I would like to share it with the world.

At your service
Nikhil