Berlin - my first impressions

It is, perhaps, is too soon to say much. However, I have been here for a month now, and it's as a good a time as any for first impressions!

The first word that the place brings up for me is 'urban'. Well, it is a no brainer since it is a capital city! It's somehow much more urban than any other European city I have visited. Probably because  my experience is limited to tourist destinations (Paris, Rome, London, Venice, Prague, Brussels). Anyway, so Berlin feels like an  urban city. With organised roads and buildings, and under construction sites everywhere. There are people everywhere, though it rarely feels crowded.

Getting around is a breeze, thanks to the very efficient public transportation (and Google maps). The train and underground stations have ticket vending machines which are fairly straightforward to use. (Quick tip: There is an option to change language to English - click on the icon with flags).

Even though people speak English, the preferred language is German. I do feel quite out of place not knowing the language. So, even though you can get around even if you don't speak Deutsch, it would make life much simpler if you did. Or so I would like to believe!

Grocery shopping is way more challenging than I had anticipated. Again, my expectations are biased by my experience of Tesco and Sainsbury and Morrisons! (Major disappointment: Every European city does not sell Angel cake!!! Not even a close equivalent?!) So far, it has been a lot of trial and error - specially when it comes to buying condiments and cosmetics and cleaning stuff. The google translate app - with the option to translate using the camera - is a handy tool, though not always accurate. It chooses to leave untranslated that one word you do not know the meaning for!

Everything is closed on Sundays. So if you forgot to buy milk or eggs - too bad :P I am guessing there are a very limited number of stores in the city that open for a few hours on Sundays - but they are hard to come by. So if in Berlin, make sure you stock up for Sundays in advance.

The most easily available food on the go is sandwiches and croissants. There's a variety of these available all over. Another thing that seems to be common is Turkish food joints - especially the one with doner kababs.

People - mostly women - seem to be walking dogs or children at all times of the day! Beautiful, well mannered dogs - such a delight to watch!

There's lots and lots of "Apotheke" or chemist stores here. They seem to outnumber the grocery stores in Berlin.

Non-white people are a rarity here. In my four weeks here, I have only 'overheard' Hindi once. I haven't seen many African or Asian people, though there seem to be Vietnamese and Chinese restaurants everywhere! It feels much less cosmopolitan than London or even Manchester.

When I visited as a tourist last year, the city seemed to be steeped in World War 2 history. Not so much this time around. So, if you are away from the central, touristy places, it is easy to forget all that the city has been through and come up from. The museum island is, so far, my favourite place here.

Why "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" was a disappointment

More than anything else, this movie was a disappointment for the sheer lack of depth! Whether it was the lead actors or their love interests...for me, not a single character was gripping. And that's a shame because the story had potential. It was not a new story, though it looked at the 'same old' from a slightly different angle. Instead of looking at boy meets girl and they lived happily ever after, I believe the attempt here was to hero unrequited love...or 'iktarfa pyaar'!
However, there's a difference between heroing Raja from Saagar versus Rahul of Darr. For no matter how cute the guy is, no is a no. Perhaps the disappointment is so much more since Pink had helped us refocus on the all important discourse on consent. And here we are, back to square one! Whether it is a crude moneyed guy from Haryana or a jet-setting Londoner, no matter where you are, who you are, forcing another person to reciprocate, either physically or emotionally, IS abuse.
So technically, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil champions the cause of Ayaan - an emotionally 'vulnerable' 30 year old - who just won't take no for an answer. Not when the girl says she wants to be friends 'only'; not when she marries the man she loves; not when she tells him she will never feel 'that way' for him; not when she slaps him. So this man is either has a huge sense of entitlement and just doesn't comprehend the concept of rejection. OR, he is just really dense. Owing to my love for Dharma Productions and all things Karan Johar, I tried reallllyyyyyyy hard to give this movie the benefit of doubt. But bro, this isn't 1985! We don't live in that era anymore! (It was amusing to see the likes of Ritesh Deshmukh and Hrithik Roshan tweeting in praise of the movie and the "performances". Seriously guys?)
Despite all of this, the movie does pull off some lovely songs with great lyrics. And beautiful people in beautiful places wearing beautiful clothes. The Urdu dialogues took it a bit too far though. Sounded like they were trying too hard. A few here and there would have been charming, but the way Aishwarya Rai's character Saba spoke was pretty hard to follow!! Perhaps the only somewhat sensible thing that happens in the movie is her breaking up with Ayaan!
Despite my rant, I don't think the movie is BAD like some posts on Fb make it out to be. It doesn't manage to get you hooked like a KHNH or K3G, but well...you need Shahrukh Khan to be around for  more than a couple of minutes for that to happen I guess :D

Waiting - the movie

Saw this movie a few weeks ago and knew that this one I got to write about! :) To be very honest, it did not live up to my expectations. That is not to say that it isn't a great movie. It is. I was expecting something much more gripping though!

Anyway, so as the trailer suggests the movie reflects on two very different individuals' experience of "waiting" for their respective partners to wake up from a state of coma. The contrast is brought out by Shiv - effortlessly portrayed by Naseeruddin Shah - as the older, more seasoned 'waiter' and Tara - an effervescent, recently married,  expletive spouting young woman played by Kalki Koechlin. It's about how we are alone in our grief and how two very different people bond over a common misfortune.

There is a point in the narrative when Tara is struggling to come to terms with the reality of her husband's accident, and Shiv explains the "stages of grief" in a manner that would have done Elizabeth Kubler-Ross proud! It's too textbook to tug at your heart-strings though. Maybe that's what the movie is missing. I would have loved to see more depth in the narrative. Perhaps covering a longer period of time. And the open-to-interpretation conclusion may not go well with a lot of people. That's just my perspective though. The movie is definitely worth a watch!

Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar is a much  loved public figure. He must have something going for him if even people like me (with zero understanding of cricket) are die hard fans ;) No seriously, I love Sachin. He’s almost like Marmite, you can love him or hate him…but not ignore him! Even as a child, I thought of him as a powerful figure. Every time he got out, my brother would switch off the TV. In my house (and I’m guessing mine’s not the only one), the match ended when Sachin left the crease.

He’s an admirable sportsperson. But more than that, I love him for the way he has handled himself in public. With all the adulation and attention he has gotten over the years, AND all the criticism, any person could have lost their head. The current breed of ‘young celebrities’ (in sports and otherwise), more than prove my point! In a time when we see stars being created overnight, only to be forgotten in a fortnight, this man has maintained his position and dignity for almost two and a half decades. If that’s not admirable, what is?

Thank you Sachin, for raising the bar. Thank you for teaching a whole generation of Indians to dream and to strive to achieve that dream. And most of all, thank you for giving us a role model who showed us how to remain grounded in the face of the massive ups and downs!

I want to write today

I want to write today. Even though I don't know about what. Maybe because the weather is good...at least under the fan next to an open window :) Maybe because after a long time, I've had some alone time. For all my love of people, I need to switch off sometimes. But mostly, I think it's the weather and the non-agenda-ness of the day.

So well...I was reading a blog post/review about Ye Jawani Hai Diwani just now. Usually, I'd find this sort of writing amusing. Today, it just irked me. It is witty no doubt. And going by the over-enthusiasm of the "comments" that follow, it seems to have hit a chord with a lot of people. Why did it irritate me then? Is it because I loved the movie? Or because it belongs to a genre that is - almost as a rule - ridiculed by people my age (at least the ones I know)? I'm not sure. But here's a piece of my mind...

I think it's fantastic that movies like YJHD are made. They make me happy. I love to see good looking, well dressed people mouthing witty lines. I like to see opulence. I like happy endings (no I don't want to dwell on what happened after the first kiss). I like movies which don't have deprivation or depravation as a central theme. Coz quite simply, I see enough of that in real life. People watch movies for a lot of different reasons. And I respect each reason, no matter how ridiculous it seems to me. So if I don't laugh at your lust for a Marvel superhero, you don't have any right to mock my Dharma/YRF heroes either!

I watch movies to be mesmerised ..to soak in a larger than life melodrama...to relish a tale highlighting (and exaggerating) human emotions. I just  LOVE love stories! Specially those with happy endings :D Add a peppy "balam pichkari" and a soulful "kabira" to it...and I am in entertainment heaven :) So...let the cynics mock away while I dip my toes in the familiarity of Bollywood masala...

Don 2

I don't like watching movies with violence and destruction. It is so not cool! Even if it has Shahrukh Khan in it! Saw Don 2 today. It didn't have much of a plot/story/whatever. Coming from Farhan Akhtar, extremely disappointing. There is no dearth of entertainment here. But then, it is no better than a Govinda or Salman Khan movie. Zero sense.

But all said and done, Shahrukh Khan is mighty endearing! Even as the villain :D Despite being the bad guy, you want him to get away with it. I was glad that the other baddies got 'punished'. At the same time, I was sooo relieved that Don survived ;)
Found that Roma chick highlyyyyyyy irritating. What's her problem anyway? Between her Becket-esque super cop act n SRK morphing into Hrithik Roshan, the movie kinda lost me!

It is still awesome to watch a movie on the big screen. Happy times continue :)

Could it be true that what you do on the first day of the new year is indicative of how you will spend the remaining year?! In my case, it seems to be! I slept most of 1st Jan. Actually...it would be fair to say that I slept through most of Jan!! Not the gosh-its-cold-and-I'm-sick-sleep...but the awww-don't-I-just-looooooooove-sleeping-sleep!! Not good I tell you...not good at all! Specially when you have at least five deadlines zooming towards you at the speed of light!

Things got a little better after a full blown panic attack a few days ago. I feel more 'sorted'. (Actually, what does that mean? I've been saying that a lot! Maybe it's something I picked up in the counselling classes! haha). Motivation to complete the work still alludes me. But I'm getting there. Which is to say that instead of sleeping, I now watch movies and castle. So I'm definitely out of bed! And thanks to watching Social Network, I'm even more in love with Fb :D

Oh n did I tell you about my addiction to Gossip Girl?! One would have thought I had outgrown SweetValley-type stuff. Apparently not. I have just graduated to sleeker things! haha. Maybe you've already seen GG...maybe you loathe it (I did too, initially....but was hooked nevertheless!)...maybe you love it...despite the fact that everyone has slept with everyone (no exaggeration here), the people are good at heart! ;) Honestly! You have to see it to believe it!

I Hate Luv Storys

NOTE: The following review is a result of the author's unfailing love for everything Karan Johar makes and everything Imran Khan features in.

After ages, a movie that calls for a review! Okay not a review review...but there's so much to say about the movie. Definitely more than the 140 characters that twitter provides for :P

From the minute I saw its first promo, I was suuuuuper excited about seeing the movie! It was such a slick n well-made teaser! But then, these days we have promos looking better than the actual movie! Luckily, it did not disappoint :)

IHLS is as typical as a Hindi movie can get without boring you to death. It's your regular chick-flick: 1.cynical boy meets dreamy girl 2.they fight incessantly till one day they end up friends 3.girl falls for boy only to realize he's not quite at the same place 4. boy falls for girl only to realize SHE is now back with the ex 5.a lot of drama n song-n-dance later...both of them are finally at the same place at the same time! And then it's happily ever after :)

Just the way I like it :) :D With all the prettiness that comes with a Karan Johar production. Good looking people..funny punchlines...relate-able humor. The entire package. The lead pair looks terrific together. It's asking for too much to expect them to act as well! ;) Imran Khan looks super uncomfortable dancing...n mosta the time you have to take a guess as to what exactly his expression meant. But hey! He is awfully cute :) 10 on 10 for cuteness. And he's gotten better in comparison to Jaane Tu and Luck...so there's definitely scope for improvement! My opinion that he would make a better Edward than Pattinson has been reinforced! Maybe they deliberately gave him that look. Dunno. But if anyone can pull it off, it's him!

As for the other half of the 'lead pair'...well, I wish I could say she has improved too :( Pretty face. Can't act for nuts. Yet. We will pray for her to get better.

The good part is, the supporting actors are all very good. Right from Ketaki Dave to Samir Soni. And Huzefa from Rishtadotcom (dunno his name). Umm...not Samir Dattani though ;) And the best part is the dialogues! Super funny. Mostly cheezy. But had me crackin' up all the time!

All in all, a good film. PERFECT if you ask me. If melodrama and predictability gets on your nerves though, you'd best avoid it.

An Evening in Paharganj

Paharganj is one of those areas in your city that you always 'hear about' from people who are not from here. Yesterday was the first time that I went there. And honestly, before this, hadn't ever thought of visiting the place. So it was with a mix of apprehension and curiosity that I went there.

Apparently, the easiest way to get there is to park you car at the Ramakrishna Ashram Metro Station and walk down. But that's based on the assumption that you manage to get a spot in the overcrowded parking lot (No prizes for guessing that I didn't)! So, the best-er way is to take a metro from CP (or wherever). Enough about getting there though...

What I saw of Paharganj was a never-ending (or so Shilpa claims) road lined with Janpath-esque shops - colorful jholas and skirts, dingy artefacts and junk jewellery. But there was more to it. More than the cafes that lined the street. More than the hippie-looking phoren people. More than the pot-holed street that could barely be walked on. There is something about Paharganj that's eerie and welcoming at the same time. It's like a generous host who has a big smile and open arms but whose eyes warn you to not try and get too close.

After haggling for dirt cheap clothes (that looked second hand to say the least) we went to the (apparently) much talked about Sam's Cafe. The entrance makes it look like any other local cafe. Quite deceptive! 'Coz if you take it for what it first appears to be, you miss out on the best part - the rooftop seating area. It's on the third floor. And you HAVE TO see Dilli lit up from up there! Makes you fall in love with the city all over again :)

The staff lets you be. The crowd's mostly the backpacking kids. The menu looks extremely tempting. The food...uh...well, let's just say there's more to Sam's cafe than the food! ;)

Draupadi

Mahabharat has been my favourite epic since forever. There is so much drama in it. And such solid grounding in reality nevertheless. The present-day-relevance is pretty hard to miss. And I guess the nature of the epic is such, that it can be interpreted for all times. Ageless. B.R.Chopra’s television series made it more accessible to an entire generation. Arjun, Bheeshma, Kunti, Duryodhan and Shakuni became household names thanks to the immensely popular series. I was mesmerised by it as a child. Smitten by the fancy bows-n-arrows and the now-gaudy costumes. Back then Draupadi was without doubt, a major character. But surprisingly, I had never given her much thought. I considered Arjun to be a loving husband. I saw Bheem as a noble person for bringing her blood from Dushasan’s thigh to quench her thirst of revenge. I knew she had been ‘apamaanit’. But never really felt for her.

Then I read this book by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni – Palace of Illusions, which brought the queen of Indraprastha to the forefront of my consciousness. The book is a piece of fiction based on another – the Mahabharat. Reading it is like seeing the Mahabharat upside-down! It presents Drauapadi’s point of view (a vantage point for looking at the way the Great War unfolded). Gives voice to her angst, her pain. And the best part is it does not reduce her to a mere victim of circumstances. It portrays her as someone who though bound by fate, makes her choices and stands by them. Who, despite losing more than she ever imagined, retains her pride and dignity. Even though she continues to commit mistakes, she is far truer about these than any of the nobler characters of the story. (Yudhishthir comes across just the way I’d always though him to be – a rule bound fool. Too ‘dharmanishtha’ for his own good.)

So, Draupadi, or Panchali, holds a special place in my heart. I think she epitomizes women, all women. Who fought odds, was humiliated, paid for others’ mistakes…but was resilient nevertheless. She is a symbol of all our stereotypes, yet manages to break the mould. Very feminine...at the same time, very in-your-face. She’s charming and brave...loving and shrewd...apprehensive and self-confident...

The author tries to convey time and again that her vengefulness marked her downfall. Perhaps it did. But what else is one supposed to do? Forgive and forget??? I think not! And that’s where the other interpretation for the great lady comes in. This play titled Draupadi – We Are So Different Now (stellar performances by Shivani Pasrich and others). It is a tale of a modern day Draupadi. Or what women today could learn from her. Visually it was very appealing. The background music was great too! The first half was quite convincing. The fierce protectiveness that she feels for Maya is quite believable. But then, Draupadi decides to forgive, to let go. I, for one, do not buy the logic. Well, for someone who has burnt for vengeance for centuries, and whose wrongdoers are long dead, it’s alright. But a woman who was raped by her own brother-in-law? To forgive him within a lifetime is quite unfathomable for me. And why should she? The play shows Maya (the other girl) as a calmer, more fulfilled person after forgiving. Before that, she was shown to be one frustrated and ever-angry woman who could think of nothing but the bad guy’s destruction. Perhaps that isn’t the best way to deal with the stuff. And perhaps, at some level, I agree with Draupadi about not letting the desire for revenge rule your existence. However, ‘forgiving’ someone who has caused you so much pain is something I can’t really digest. Why is it expected out of women to be forgiving? Is the feeling of revenge not encouraged in women for it is seen as a masculine quality? Is it only men who have the right to indulge in settling of scores?? If you have been wronged, violated...don’t sit back and forgive. It’s high time we stopped exalting practices that confirm men’s self-serving biases and make women feel inferior!

Twilight

Braving friends’ /family’s don’t-tell-me-you-hadn’t-read it-till-now-comments…I recently read Twilight and the books that followed. And it’s safe to say, I haven’t been hooked-on to any series like this since Harry Potter! Of course, it is foolish to compare the two. I’m just talking about the addictiveness factor here. Having blackmailed everyone who’d read the books/seen the movies into not uttering a Word about it, when I was around…it was fun reading without having the slightest clue about what was next! Okay, I did know that Bella and Edward wouldn’t ‘die’ in the first three books...lol... But that was it.

So anyway, I loved the books. When I started out with Twilight, it seemed like your regular high-school drama. And essentially, that’s what it is – girl falls for the most unattainable boy and by some sheer luck, boy falls for her too. Quite simple. So I was a li'l wary…coz hey! I have been outta high school for over half a decade now…But it wasn’t quite as run-of-the-mill as I expected it to be. By the time Edward realized that he was irrevocably in love with Bella, I had let my guard down and was totally enamored by the story. I just had to read the whole thing. The entire series was just so…'gripping’! (yes, the flavor is essentially teenage-romance, but what the heck ;) ) And after reading the draft of Midnight Sun (here), it felt kinda incomplete and frustrating to not have Edward’s take on everything!!! Let’s all request the author to do the entire series from his point of view! ;)

Out of the lot, Breaking Dawn is my favorite! I love the filmy flavor! :D n I louuuve Renesmee! Perfectly concluded! New Moon is great too (considering the sucker I am for happy-endings, this is no surprise). Bella’s insanity seemed so justified! Eclipse though was a super bummer. What with Jacob being a royal pain and Edward being frustratingly nice. Ughh. All the more reason why I wanted to know what he was thinking! You know, after a bit, I started feeling inadequate for not being able to read people’s thoughts! Haha…

As for the movie…the dumbest thing one can do with a movie adapted from a book is to expect it to live up to the book. It can’t. It mostly doesn’t. (Unless it is Namesake) So all I wanted to see was whether the characters looked like what I had imagined them to be...I wanted to see the Cullens... And I wanted to see what Forks was like. And the school they went to. And La Push…

I think it’s Stephanie Meyers fault :) She makes Edward seem so flawlessly perfect in the books that no one can possibly match up to the description. And Robert Pattinson…well, he is just too human! He’s a cute boy, no doubt…and I loved him as Cedric Diggory and love the connection with HP. But as Edward…nah-ah. But then, I don’t think anyone else would measure up either, so we’ll let that be. Bella was…pretty close. Though I had imagined someone more petite. The others pretty much fit the bill. Just that, weren’t vampires supposed to be white white? Bella and Esme were the same colour!

All this ranting apart, the books were a good distraction. When I really needed one. Do you notice how the time just before you fall asleep is the time you are only with yourself. I wouldn’t call that loneliness. But it’s a sorta not-so-great situation when you have a painful lot on your mind that you’re trying to push out of your consciousness.

Now that this is done, any more suggestions? I’m up for more distraction! :)

Sid from Wake Up Sid is by far the Most lovable movie character till date (and the fact that RK is lookin so hot throughout just adds to his charm!). He is just so supremely adorable! He's even nicer than Aditya Kashyap of Jab We Met...or all the Prems and Rajs... In comparison, even Oliver from A Lot Like Love and Noah from The Notebook seem pale! Just imagine!!
He's eyecandy... but isn't perfect. He has his own flaws. Each more endearing than the other in my opinion ;) And he seems so real. And unreal at the same time! Like, he is too good to be true. But he isn't this always-right-goodboy-person either. Neither is he the stereotypical 'bad-guy' that girls are 'supoosed to' fall for. What I liked best about him, I think, is the fact that he is a Nice person. Awwwww :)

As for the movie, pretty well made yaa! Looks lovely (Thank you Karan Johar). And the direction n all that is in place too. So the story flows pretty smoothly without any major glitches. And the music if FAB!!!!! What's even better is that it totally fits in the movie. Goes with the mood of the story completely! Couldn't help comparing this with Love Aaj Kal (another movie with fab music) though! In that one, the songs seem like such a waste!! I mean, ajj din chadheya was like MAJOR bummer in the movie man!! Anyhoo...! Wake Up Sid does full justice to everything. Very 'paisa vasool' as they call it ;) Kept me in a euphoric mood for quite a while. Been in a happy-bubble since last night. hehe... Feel good movie of the year. Though minus the usual mush. Near perfect blend of fantasy n fact. Louved it. You must've guessed as much by now ;)

Goonja sa hai koi iktara iktara
Goonja sa hai koi iktara.... :)

Rehna tu, hai jaise tu/thoda sa dard tu…thodaa…sukoon!

Dilli 6. Great movie. An out-n-out entertainer. The kind you can call typical-Bollywood-masala. But it’s meaningful masala. And it deals with something that’s close to my heart – communal harmony and communal discord.
Amidst all the Indian madness (what else do you call breaking-news-crazy-baba/gau mata-following-kaala-bandar-smitten people!?), the movie succinctly shows how fickle we are. How we are moist-eyed at the Ram-Lila, but blatantly flout what we praise. Despite all our breast-beating ‘bout Dilli-walon ka ‘bada dil’ and ‘mehmaano ki khatirdari’, we are in fact, very shallow people. I soooooo agree! We are wonderful, we are full of eccentricities…and we love ourselves for that. We should. But we should also take responsibility for our flaws…for being hypocrites, for being champions of mediocrity and bhed-chaal. Why are people so enraged at seeing the ‘poor depiction’ of India in Slumdog (which btw, is a fab movie)? Is it that we can’t really take the truth? Are we so infatuated with our self-professed image of people-loving -people, that we will disregard any evidence to the contrary? Yes, there are a million good things about India. Many which each Indian should be proud of. But parents don’t disown their dud-offspring while celebrating the genius, do they? At least the sensible ones don’t ;) The apnapan of Delhi, or even India, to me, is an over-hyped concept. It’s a façade. Or maybe it isn’t…it really is up to us, isn’t it??
Anyway, more about the movie. Abhishek Bachchan has re-clinched his position as my personal favorite. Yes AB, you can heave that sigh-of-relief now…lol. He’s back…and how! He is good. Realy really good. And pretty convincing at what he does. Sonam Kapoor doesn’t have much to do. Neither does the much hyped ‘masakalli’! The songs are mostly out-of-nowhere। But the direction/editing or whatever the on-screen presentation is called is neat. In a different sorta way. This movie is no RDB. It’s not the kind that would inspire a cult movement. But how I wish it makes all of us see how meaningless the Hindu-Muslim debate is. And how tiny things are blown scarily outta proportion… I wish its viewers take home “the moral of the story”. I soooooo wish they do.

ज़र्रे ज़र्रे में उसका नूर है
झाँक ख़ुद में वो ना तुझ से दूर है।
इश्क है उस से तो सब से इश्क कर
इस इबादत का येही दस्तूर है।

two books and a movie

Okay, it’s actually not about two books and a movie, but this sounded cool: )
These hols have been near-perfect. I have been reading books and watching movies. And have even managed to get some work done, mostly thanks to Shilpa!

Message from Nam. My first by Danielle Steel. It was a good read. And any book that can make me cry can’t be bad. Hehe. No seriously, a boring book can’t touch you enough, right? And I was sooooo relieved that it was a happy ending. It was kinda funny how all the men Paxton loved died eventually! Very melodramatic. But well written. And held my attention till the end. Not proper chick-lit, more filmy than girly I guess.

Madagascar 2. …we like to…move it! What do I say about the sequel to my all-time-fav-animated-movie! It was great! Hilarious from start to end…with a generous dose of heart-tugging moments. King Julian is the best. The penguins were brilliant too. Such meanies!!! Hehe… baki sab were okay…not great as individuals…but they make a lovely gang! And I kept hearing Ross when Melman spoke. Overall, good movie. As a sequel, 4 on 5. But the first one is undoubtedly incomparable!

Oye Lucky Lucky Oye. Much anticipated and honestly, pretty disappointing. I mean, I don’t know what to make of it! In the beginning I kept hoping that the story would pick up pace soon…but that never happened. Maybe I shouldn’t have expected a funny movie. But the promos suggested that it was…and the only funny moments were those I’d already seen in the promos! Abhay Deol is cute. Apart from that, I wonder what got the movie such raving reviews!

Remember Me. Sophie Kinsella’s latest. Hilarious. Kinsella is at her witty best in this one. But somehow, the story is kinda bland. Again, this could be a case of wrong expectations. I expected the love story to be central to the plot. It was, in a way…but not quite. And the guy she falls for … his character isn’t that well sketched out. I had a great time reading it. But don’t expect the magic of Can You Keep a Secret or Undomestic Goddess. The plot somehow reminded me of 13 Going on 30 (the movie is better!). But it’s chick-lit. And good too. Not great, but good. 3 stars on 5.

And finally…*drum roll* Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. This movie was all that I had hoped it would be. It was pathetic, just as Saloni had warned me. It was veryyyyy cute, just as Praggy had said. And it was VERY SRK…Ranjoo is seldom wrong! Hehe I looooooove Shahrukh Khan. It was a cheesy movie. My first reaction to it (about half an hour into the movie) was ‘mindless-cinema-at-it’s-best’. That kinda changed as the movie progressed. It was mindless alright. But not as-good-as-it-gets. SRK cannot go wrong, and he was brilliant as always. Yea yea, half the world (n a few more) think that he overacts, repeats the same mushy stuff over n over again n endorses a genre of cinema that’s mindless and demeaning at the same time. WHATEVER!


The movie dragged on a bit. It could’ve been made slicker. And the woman is shown to be a very stupid character. And there are too many stereotypes in-your-face. The girl has to marry coz her father is about to die and she has no other relatives; a good wife cooks, cleans, looks pretty and cleans some more; a caring husband shifts to the barsati, vacating the room for his new bride. Ughhhh…all this is not nice!! And the Suri character, who is charmingly cute throughout the movie, turns into an MCP-ish creature when the girl falls for his alt-ego (who by the way is a sad clone of all of SRK’s movie characters put together! But only he could pull off a spoof on himself!).
Okay, the movie has its flaws, and only die-hard melodrama buffs like me might like it. Might.
Now for the good things about it. 1. SRK 2. Tujhme rab dikhta hai n Haule haule. Lovely songs. 4. the haveli/ghar And 3. the video for Phir milenge chalte chalte. Me likes. Not to forget the brilliant explanation of “macho” given by Vinay Pathak!
And the award for the longest post on this blog goes to… he he

i've been trying to avoid posting about movies...but this one was really good. i'm talking about summer 2007. remember? the one with sikandar kher, gul panang etc? very good promos (at least i thought so) and veryyyyy forgettable reviews...! from what i remember, sikandar kher was the only one who got 'applauded' for the effort...which is kinda surprising! Coz no offence to anyone, but he wasn't that great. n honestly, he looks kinda repulsive (i hope he gets better a few years later like most star kids manage to).
so anyway, coming back to the main thing...it was a very good movie. but no wonder it was a super flop. the first half goes about establishing how the protagonist (kher) and his gang (a smooth-talker, a hung-over ex, a despo and a preacher) are the representatives of the care-a-damn generation...sadly, the effort is a lil short of pathetic. or no, it Is pathetic. and these people have hideous nicknames like 'butter' and 'pepsi' and 'mother T' (which Could be short for mother teresa...who knows!) so, after a casual attempt at college politics backfires, this gang of five decides to escape...their idea of escape? going for the mandatory 'rural service' visit. What's funny is, they just 'decide' to go, and the college provides a nice bus n all to get them to their destined centre. just the five of them! very la-la-land types!
once they get there, the plan is to get the required certs n go on a month-long holiday. but circumstances are such that they get sucked into the village issues...what follows is a grim portrayal of what is now typical of a lot of villages in maharashtra and many other states. farmers being tortured by money lenders...being forced to give up their land, the dignity of their women...their lives...everything!
it's an issue hardly talked about...i know mere talking doesn't get problem solved, but it's an essential first step no?
i'd rate this as a "must watch"...if for nothing else, then just to bring to our consciousness the enormity of the problem which we are more or less blind to.