Well I was planning to buy a new camera and the obvious Question that popped in was... which one do you go for... CANON or NIKON...
So I went to many of the review sites... comparing the two entry level SLR camera... the Canon EOS1000D and a Nikon D 60...
The Standard Kit comes with an 18-55 mm lens... for Nikon it is a VR lens... and for Canon it is a ES lens...
The irony is that in most cases... you'd never be able to figure out which one... for both these brands are run very strongly by loyalists... if you used a Nikon before... you'd be stuck to one forever... and if you used a Canon... it's Canon for you
For me it was very important to be either Canon or Nikon, didn't matter any other manufacturer so I can't comment on the Sony or Olympus...
Now the only way out is to go into the shop and try them both...
So I went to couple a shops and tried both the 1000D and the D60... and I can say that the Nikon D60 felt the best in my hands and the built-in quality of the materials was higher than the others...
The only thing Canon is loaded is with the "Live View" feature whilst the Nikon offers you with the ability to store picture in multiple format and the "In Camera Image Editing with Retouch Menu"...
Anyways...
On the overall I preferred a Nikon D60...
Monday, June 15, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
The Unborn
I think Hollywood directors need to be re-trained on how horror movies are to be made... coz this one... is as bad as it can get... I was bored in the first 20 mins of the movie... and had to drag through the remaining...
To be honest, I was constantly telling myself... if ur not act at least act scared, that might help to add... but nah... the movie was as bad as it gets...
I'm still to find pace with the story... in fact I'm still searching for whatever the director wanted to show...
Such a waste of time...
Damn...
Rating : 1/10
To be honest, I was constantly telling myself... if ur not act at least act scared, that might help to add... but nah... the movie was as bad as it gets...
I'm still to find pace with the story... in fact I'm still searching for whatever the director wanted to show...
Such a waste of time...
Damn...
Rating : 1/10
Friday, May 22, 2009
Terminator Salvation
Before I start to write...
This is probably the only Action movie... (the only Terminator movie to be rated PG-13)...
Now that sets the tone... Call me biased if you wan to... but I don't think any of the four in the series can match what was in T2...
To be very honest... it was like watching the lost world after having watched the jurassic park for the first time... yes it bored me...
To begin with... the characters weren't strong enough to hold the story.... let alone... the story doesn't hold too strong for me... the plot too simple to create any interest... of the action scenes... probably just one or two things that I liked in the two hours of pain (the cyborg being casted out as Arnold was one amongst them)...
In simple words... disappointing for me
Overall rating: 3.5/10
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
The Legend
I've been a fan of this man ever since and this post has been long overdue... and by long I mean really long... coupla years may be...
Andre Agassi is one of the greatest tennis players of all time. A
professional player since the age of 16, Agassi has won many
tournaments. He will go down in history for winning all four Grand Slams.
I really want to write everything I know of him, everything I learnt, everything he stands for... but I'd let this picture do the talking
Click on the picture
His retirement Speech:
"The scoreboard said I lost today,” Agassi told the crowd. “But what the scoreboard doesn’t say is what it is I have found. Over the last 21 years, I have found loyalty. You have pulled for me on the court and also in life. I found inspiration. You have willed me to succeed, sometimes even in my lowest moments.
“And I’ve found generosity. You have given me your shoulders to stand on, to reach for my dreams, dreams I could never have reached without you. Over the last 21 years, I have found you, and I will take you and the memory of you with me for the rest of my life.”
AND THATS WHAT LEGENDS ARE MADE OFF...
Andre Agassi is one of the greatest tennis players of all time. A
professional player since the age of 16, Agassi has won many
tournaments. He will go down in history for winning all four Grand Slams.
I really want to write everything I know of him, everything I learnt, everything he stands for... but I'd let this picture do the talking
Click on the picture
His retirement Speech:
"The scoreboard said I lost today,” Agassi told the crowd. “But what the scoreboard doesn’t say is what it is I have found. Over the last 21 years, I have found loyalty. You have pulled for me on the court and also in life. I found inspiration. You have willed me to succeed, sometimes even in my lowest moments.
“And I’ve found generosity. You have given me your shoulders to stand on, to reach for my dreams, dreams I could never have reached without you. Over the last 21 years, I have found you, and I will take you and the memory of you with me for the rest of my life.”
AND THATS WHAT LEGENDS ARE MADE OFF...
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Cpla lines that are stuck in my head today
Do you bury me when I'm gone?
Do you teach me while I'm here?
Just as soon as I belong,
Then it's time I disappear.
This above is a song by Metallica...
and this if rephrased is so in tune with my life...
Rephrased version:
Do u bin me when I'm gone
Do you pretend me, while I'm here?
Just as soon as I feel I belong,
Then it's time I disappear...
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Another one of my million and more...
It is often said,
"Everything will be fine at the end of the story. And if it's not fine, it's not the end."
Just one question...
What about all those which are meant to be, "incomplete story"?
"Everything will be fine at the end of the story. And if it's not fine, it's not the end."
Just one question...
What about all those which are meant to be, "incomplete story"?
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
one for the day
"It isn't what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about."
Friday, May 1, 2009
Uninvited - Five minutes to heaven
It's been some time since I wrote a movie review, courtesy extended hours at workplace, but then again, the passion never dies off...
Coupla movies I saw in this busy days.. (keeping it short)
1.Five minutes to heaven
Not gonna say too much for this movie... I liked it... simple but yet so compelling...
one should watch...
Just one more line... the psyche of the protagonist and the victim has been shown so brilliantly... j
Raint:7.5/10
2. Uninvited:
In one line.... superb performances by everyone... but wasted in this movie...
I jsut learnt this that this one was supposed to be scary... I can buy in spooky... but scared... NAH...
I like the way it all began and also liked the ending... however, contextually, I missed out on everything in between... or may be the surprise ending is that did that missing out in the middle part... the middle looks so ordinary ... esp with that ending, may be everything in the middle looks so substandard... you just realise there is so much more that could have been done...
anyways...
my verdict: Watch it if you've got nothing else to do
Rating : 5/10
Coupla movies I saw in this busy days.. (keeping it short)
1.Five minutes to heaven
Not gonna say too much for this movie... I liked it... simple but yet so compelling...
one should watch...
Just one more line... the psyche of the protagonist and the victim has been shown so brilliantly... j
Raint:7.5/10
2. Uninvited:
In one line.... superb performances by everyone... but wasted in this movie...
I jsut learnt this that this one was supposed to be scary... I can buy in spooky... but scared... NAH...
I like the way it all began and also liked the ending... however, contextually, I missed out on everything in between... or may be the surprise ending is that did that missing out in the middle part... the middle looks so ordinary ... esp with that ending, may be everything in the middle looks so substandard... you just realise there is so much more that could have been done...
anyways...
my verdict: Watch it if you've got nothing else to do
Rating : 5/10
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
SARATH BABU
The following is a mail that was forwarded to me by my classmate... this is in refernce to one of his classmates contesting in LOK SABHA POLLS...
*************
Dear Friend,
A dorm-mate of mine from IIM Ahmedabad (2006 Batch), Mr. Sarathbabu is contesting the LOK SABHA polls from South Chennai. He announced this in a press meet held on 10th April. It was covered extensively by the print media and TV channels like NDTV, Vijay TV.
You can know all about him by visiting his site : www.sarathbabu.co.in
or directly get his brief profile here : Sarathbabu Profile (Best viewed in Internet Explorer 6.0 and above)
His election symbol is the SLATE. His symbol and picture are attached with this email.
He was born in a slum of Chennai. So on passing out of IIMA, he had set up a food business to create employment, and today his success stories can be found over the net. His business currently supports over 250 families.
All of us do our bit to support the country in some way or the other, he has decided to work towards changing the society at large by hoping to join politics as an independent candidate. I certainly believe here is an opportunity to change somethings in India.
His 10 missions are:
A dorm-mate of mine from IIM Ahmedabad (2006 Batch), Mr. Sarathbabu is contesting the LOK SABHA polls from South Chennai. He announced this in a press meet held on 10th April. It was covered extensively by the print media and TV channels like NDTV, Vijay TV.
You can know all about him by visiting his site : www.sarathbabu.co.in
or directly get his brief profile here : Sarathbabu Profile (Best viewed in Internet Explorer 6.0 and above)
His election symbol is the SLATE. His symbol and picture are attached with this email.
He was born in a slum of Chennai. So on passing out of IIMA, he had set up a food business to create employment, and today his success stories can be found over the net. His business currently supports over 250 families.
All of us do our bit to support the country in some way or the other, he has decided to work towards changing the society at large by hoping to join politics as an independent candidate. I certainly believe here is an opportunity to change somethings in India.
His 10 missions are:
- Hunger free India
- Improved education for all by improving both curriculum / infrastructure and access to schools
- Strong youth forums to increase citizen awareness
- Effective government plans to develop slums and small scale enterprise
- Increase employment by conducting job fairs and encouraging entrepreneurship
- Women empowerment by opening bank accounts for all women
- Security and support programs including high quality healthcare facilities for senior citizens
- Enhanced town planning as per international standards
- Focus on improved water, sanitation and emergency facilities in all residential areas.
- Increase environment awareness by promoting campaign to plant 60 trees a day in Chennai South
You can have a look at his detailed and structured one-page manifesto here : http://sarathbabu.co.in/in/manifesto/
Request you to kindly provide Sarath (sarathbabu.southchennai@gmail.com) information about your contacts in South Chennai. This shall help him reach out and seek votes. I would request you to forward this mail address to all people who can help Sarath.
I support him in this drive and shall appreciate, if you could too.
Here is a snapshot about him:
"Developed Indians are what we need for a developed India" - E. Sarathbabu
SARATHBABU - NOMINEE FOR SOUTH CHENNAI LET'S CHANGE NOW!
- from my friend SOM
Friday, April 24, 2009
One for the day-
"if everything arnd you is f*cked up, imagine for the worst that could have happened and if you still unhappy... jackass(/female jackass)!!! you ain't thinkin hard..."
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
One for the day
"For most times, he does leave us with a silver lining, but we always have the option to paint it on the rest of them..."
(something i scribbled in a sms to a friend this morning)
Keep smiling...
Monday, April 20, 2009
B.O.D
benefit of Doubt...
helps u to let go of the unwanted... and hold on to... what is important...
Sunday, April 19, 2009
IPL T20 - 2009
Y'day was the first day of IPL, and believe me I got bored... last yr it began with McCullum hitting as many sixes and the records began to topple... but y'day both the matches lacked fire power...
Sachin was being appluaded by everyone... for the balanced game he played and so was Rahul... but my friend... if I need a balanced game I'd see a 50 over match... If I want to see class, technique and patience... TEST Match... but when I see 20-20, I want to see BIG SHOTS... I don't want to see how well you can defend or judge a ball by letting it go past the off stump.... either the ball should be hit outside the rope or on to the stumps... else it's B-o-r-i-n-g.
Just hope it gets better as the season progresses...
Anyways I've decided to not waste too much time of mine on IPL's this season...
Sachin was being appluaded by everyone... for the balanced game he played and so was Rahul... but my friend... if I need a balanced game I'd see a 50 over match... If I want to see class, technique and patience... TEST Match... but when I see 20-20, I want to see BIG SHOTS... I don't want to see how well you can defend or judge a ball by letting it go past the off stump.... either the ball should be hit outside the rope or on to the stumps... else it's B-o-r-i-n-g.
Just hope it gets better as the season progresses...
Anyways I've decided to not waste too much time of mine on IPL's this season...
Saturday, April 18, 2009
the accused are innocent...
I've worked in four companie and had the chance to travel through out India and a few countries outside as well... and of these four companies, different cities and the few countries... there has been one thing common...
"ppl accuse bongs for being too regionalisitic and the ones who leave a closed life amongst themselves"(bong-banagali ppl)
They'd break in to bengali at the first instance, irrespective of where they are, and who they are... all they need is the other person to be able slightly comprehend the language...
Why is it an issue... coz everyone who is not a bong has made it an issue... well ask anyone of this and there are atleast a few in every place who'd have this accusition on the tip of his/her tongue... I bet you'd agree with me of this... you cannot, cannot deny me of this... unless of course you are a bong and you've lived your entire life on the other side...
:)
By the way I agree of the fact too... they do break up in to bengali in split seconds...
But the why am I against the accusition... coz if it's true for a bong... it's true for everyone else too...
I'm surrounded by multi ethnic ppl... ppl from differnet countries... ppl from the same country but different regions... and we all do speak in our language of comfort the minute, they find a scope...
for eg. the amrathis only prefer to speak in marathi amongst themselves... the punjus do the same... forget everyone I prefer speakin in my mother tongue... but... undil a few days back... I'd also be amongst the many who'd call on on all the bongs for doing so... but not anymore...
:)
"ppl accuse bongs for being too regionalisitic and the ones who leave a closed life amongst themselves"(bong-banagali ppl)
They'd break in to bengali at the first instance, irrespective of where they are, and who they are... all they need is the other person to be able slightly comprehend the language...
Why is it an issue... coz everyone who is not a bong has made it an issue... well ask anyone of this and there are atleast a few in every place who'd have this accusition on the tip of his/her tongue... I bet you'd agree with me of this... you cannot, cannot deny me of this... unless of course you are a bong and you've lived your entire life on the other side...
:)
By the way I agree of the fact too... they do break up in to bengali in split seconds...
But the why am I against the accusition... coz if it's true for a bong... it's true for everyone else too...
I'm surrounded by multi ethnic ppl... ppl from differnet countries... ppl from the same country but different regions... and we all do speak in our language of comfort the minute, they find a scope...
for eg. the amrathis only prefer to speak in marathi amongst themselves... the punjus do the same... forget everyone I prefer speakin in my mother tongue... but... undil a few days back... I'd also be amongst the many who'd call on on all the bongs for doing so... but not anymore...
:)
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
And they ask for ...
1 . "WHATEVER"
Men: What should we have for dinner?
Women: Whatever..
Men: Why dont we have Mexican?
Women: No not Mexican, the last time i got pimples on my face
Men: Alright, why dont we have Si Chuan cuisine
Women: Yesterday we ate Si Chuan, today too?
Men: Hmm..... I suggest we have seafood
Women: Seafood is not good
Men: Then what do you suggest?
Women : Whatever.. :-))
2. "ANYTHING"
Men: So what should we do now?
Women: Anything
Men: How about watching a movie? It's been a long time
Women: Watching movie is no good, it's a waste of time
Men: How about we go for bowling, or some exercises?
Women: Exercise on such a hot day?
Men: Then find a cafe' and have a drink
Women: I am off caffeine
Men: Then what do you suggest?
Women: Anything :-))
3. "YOU DECIDE"
Men: Then do we just go home
Women: You decide
Men: Lets take the bus, I will accompany you
Women: The Bus is dirty and crowded.
Men: Ok we will take a cab
Women: Not worth it... for such a short distance
Men: Alright, then we can walk. We can enjoy the weather
Women: I am hungry, can't walk?
Men: Then what do you suggest?
Women: You decideMen: Let's have dinner first
Women: Whatever...
Men: Eat what?
Women: Anything
:)
Sunday, April 12, 2009
The Fast and the Furious (2009)
To begin with I liked what I saw...
It's may be due to multiple reasons... a) the movie was actually that good...b) dearth of good movies... still to decide...
But I liked it
A lot of action, a dash of drama, common-sense in dialogues... not so common these days...
Fast cars... is what I went to see and I saw them... the revving up of shelby was the best shot in the entire movie
The good part is, it does manage to marry off the trilogy together... only to a certain extent though but yes it does...
AS per the plot and all... don't bother questionnin me on all that... I dinn go to the movie for that... the movie makes sense only when viewd on a big screen with a dolby surround...
Rating: 7/10 in theatres and 5/10 if at home...
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
A song that was forwarded to me by my colleague...
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-3059808438996990499&hl=en
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
"Homer says and I speak"
A quote from Simpsons,
"The problem in the world today is communication. Too much communication."-Homer...
Precisely....
If you are a follower of Simpson's, you'd definitely know how SMART he really is... but for this one statement he made... though the context was completely different... I somehow do have to give the credit to him... ( by him, I mean MAT GROENING)...
Have you ever given a serious thought about this? What is really wrong with the world... is actually not you and me... it is the media... it is the communication... don't get me wrong... even write now, through this blog... M trying to communicate... M a big fan of communication...
but, what upsets me... are a few of the channels... few media sources... few magazines... the newspapers... everything which is limiting its own self and hence limiting our knowledge on the subject to mere interpretation of what they want to see... how they want us to see...
And yes the overkill they do on each every thing... just to make sure they hang on to the hype of "SENSATIONALISM"...
HAVEN'T YOU EVER HEARD 'TOO MUCH OF ANYTHING IS BAD'...
A few recent examples of what we hear in the name of 'Sensation'...
-a full day coverage on Pigeons who suffered coz of the 26-11 on India TV...
-a boy falling in a pit "the prince story"... oh cummon... haven't you fallen in a pit as a kid... and considering INDIA... this might as well be the story of every ten blocks... three days of national coverage... the boy's entire life (education etc.) is sponsored cause of the media hype... coz all everyone wanted to latch on to it in someway or another... ONE LUCKY FALL, I must say...
-Amitabh Bachchan falling sick and being admitted... god he's a 63+... Guys... no one guarantees a 100% health for a 25 yr old these days.... to bother so much about him...
beat this, a news flash reading, "Amitabh suffering from COLD"... who cares... man... really who cares... for all this crap...
-Aishwarya Rai spotted in a Temple... what the heck wass that... and Why should I know of it, when she visits the temple... when she goes for her honeymoon... how many times did she say I Love You on a V-day to Abhishek... or if she does a strip dance in public... (OK... about last one I need to know... but other than that... don't give a sh*t abt it/her)...
-Oh just remembered... there was a news coverage on a 'CAT' being stuck on a window roof... GOD...
-We have interviews of chai-wallas, rickshawwallas... anything and everything goes...
And these are just a few Top of Mind recalls... there are more of these... infact if u visit the recent archives of any news channel... or newspaper house... it is loaded with only these... and everyone who follows news would know... I hate the way they keep dumping us with more and more of this crap... on a daily basis... and we never get chance to react to the old ones...
For instance... we are still to take action against the 26-11... we are still to take action on the margao blasts... where is the corrective action for the train collisions...Where is the news on... NORTH EAST INDIA... have we totally forgotten these places... specially when survival is next to impossible in these regions... CHINA is eating up on the entire north east... and we bloody don't care... army men dying on hourly basis... that doesn't get reported... Sikkim is a lost state... for most parts we need permission to move from the neighbouring country to visit... and we don't report of all this... I mean... wtf...
We are fed with absolute crap on a daily basis... an overdose... of every other thing, but of what is important in real...
We even have an entire day dedicated to who is dating Katrina Kaif... or why did Kareena leave whoever it was... and if Saif tatooed her name or not... I mean... giving us absolute bull shit to read... to view... I mean...
I remeber, about 15-20 years back... we had doordarshan... and the news then was so bland... with pure reporting of whatever is happening in plain terms.... with a follow up on what happened on what was reported the day before... I agree it was dead boring... but News is supposed to be boring... we had more streamlined process... u wanted to read about film world... pick up filmfare or glamour... and now... with all the technological upgrade... weren't we supposed to grow better...
With an overdose... on each topic... I think we are forcefully subjected to think in a manner... that they want us to... instead of letting us have/form an opinion on our own... we are being tamed to their beliefs... their ideas... and to react in a way they want us too...
Anyways... to THINK of it...
"we have 'TOO MUCH' of the 'TOO LITTLE' of what we ought to know"
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Where is all this leading to?
just a thought... with every other media channel becoming more and more active in terms of... the Jaagore campaign... getting viewers to vote and all... making sure that everyone does use his vote in a righful manner...
Just one question... Y... when end of the day... the options to choose from is a bunch, loaded of suckers... show me a single righteous man... and even if there are a few left... they are never heard of... Non-Existant... unless we change the entire system... we hold each of these F****** accountable... and not just bother of it during elections... nothings going to change...
"the change we need is not in the number of people who turned in to vote... but in the people from whom we can choose to vote for..."
Just one question... Y... when end of the day... the options to choose from is a bunch, loaded of suckers... show me a single righteous man... and even if there are a few left... they are never heard of... Non-Existant... unless we change the entire system... we hold each of these F****** accountable... and not just bother of it during elections... nothings going to change...
"the change we need is not in the number of people who turned in to vote... but in the people from whom we can choose to vote for..."
"I love working on a weekend"
Call me a maniac for saying it aloud... but...
Seems like "March" for the year has just begun... historically speaking... I tend to be always overloaded with work in the month of March... and until now it was all going good... for the last two weeks, it all started again... I've started to end up working late hours every day and the weekend attendance at office is back too... but I've started liking it for once...
I carry couple of movies in my pen drive... and watch them courtesy a stand alone VLC player... (which allows me to watch any format and the best it needn't be installed onto the comp... so no admin rights required).... so while I'm working the movie continues to play in the background... so though I end up spending an hour or a little more at work... but atleast I don't get bored sitting alone at work... and staring at all those weird documents...
:)
So y'day I carried with me Gulal & Twilight... I had already seen thoda thoda sa of both ...
-----------------
GULAL
*******
*ing: Kay Kay Menon, Jesse Randhawa, Mahie Gill, Abhimanyu Singh... and quite a few other people don't remember the names...
Directed by: Anurag Kashyap...
Gulaal is a story of a Rajput boy losing his innocence in the murky world of politics and betrayal, much like any other film by Mr. Kashyap, Gulaal makes you want to think... although, there is no definite ending for this movie.
Gulaal is exactly opposite of the way any other bollywood bubblegum movie is... a hardcore of a movie... a brilliant story... revolving around absolute politics... one word 'REALISM'
Each and every character is carved brilliantly and the situations were so true and brilliantly portrayed, that it actually felt as if I'm witnessing the entire thing live.
The ragging episodes... the college politics... I especially liked a few characters...
"Ransa"- a Righteous Rajput boy... who does everything... drink, smokes, dopes, womaniser... when it comes to pride... he stands firm to his beliefs... played by Abhimanyu Singh... his dialogues... absolutely mind blowing .... performance to perfection...
"bana the singer"- I just loved the character... though portrayed as a crazy fella... but if you listen to him carefully... every word he utters is so true... his songs were so powerful... and yet no one ever bothers to listen to him... he wears this round shaped glasses... and somewhere in the middle of the movie he quotes," the round glassed men are all those the world thinks of as fanatics... we all should live together for we are the true ones"... the comparison here was with the likes of Gandhi, Lenon and all...
"dukey bana"... Kay Kay Menon... I don't have words for this guy... he's absolute perfectionist... a directors delight... absolutely amazing performance...
Though, my favourite for this movie would still be, Abhimanyu Singh.
My view: must must watch...
Rating: 9/10
-----------------
Twilight
*******
Seems like "March" for the year has just begun... historically speaking... I tend to be always overloaded with work in the month of March... and until now it was all going good... for the last two weeks, it all started again... I've started to end up working late hours every day and the weekend attendance at office is back too... but I've started liking it for once...
I carry couple of movies in my pen drive... and watch them courtesy a stand alone VLC player... (which allows me to watch any format and the best it needn't be installed onto the comp... so no admin rights required).... so while I'm working the movie continues to play in the background... so though I end up spending an hour or a little more at work... but atleast I don't get bored sitting alone at work... and staring at all those weird documents...
:)
So y'day I carried with me Gulal & Twilight... I had already seen thoda thoda sa of both ...
-----------------
GULAL
*******
*ing: Kay Kay Menon, Jesse Randhawa, Mahie Gill, Abhimanyu Singh... and quite a few other people don't remember the names...
Directed by: Anurag Kashyap...
Gulaal is a story of a Rajput boy losing his innocence in the murky world of politics and betrayal, much like any other film by Mr. Kashyap, Gulaal makes you want to think... although, there is no definite ending for this movie.
Gulaal is exactly opposite of the way any other bollywood bubblegum movie is... a hardcore of a movie... a brilliant story... revolving around absolute politics... one word 'REALISM'
Each and every character is carved brilliantly and the situations were so true and brilliantly portrayed, that it actually felt as if I'm witnessing the entire thing live.
The ragging episodes... the college politics... I especially liked a few characters...
"Ransa"- a Righteous Rajput boy... who does everything... drink, smokes, dopes, womaniser... when it comes to pride... he stands firm to his beliefs... played by Abhimanyu Singh... his dialogues... absolutely mind blowing .... performance to perfection...
"bana the singer"- I just loved the character... though portrayed as a crazy fella... but if you listen to him carefully... every word he utters is so true... his songs were so powerful... and yet no one ever bothers to listen to him... he wears this round shaped glasses... and somewhere in the middle of the movie he quotes," the round glassed men are all those the world thinks of as fanatics... we all should live together for we are the true ones"... the comparison here was with the likes of Gandhi, Lenon and all...
"dukey bana"... Kay Kay Menon... I don't have words for this guy... he's absolute perfectionist... a directors delight... absolutely amazing performance...
Though, my favourite for this movie would still be, Abhimanyu Singh.
My view: must must watch...
Rating: 9/10
-----------------
Twilight
*******
EXTREMELY OVERRATED
I did enjoy the movie, just like any other movie... but completely disapprove of how media has placed this... to begin with there is nothing scary about the movie... extremely ordinary cinematography... absolutely crappy (read as kiddish) dialogues... more like a school going kid had written the screenplay... the actors looked as if each of them were dipped in a make up pool before bringing them on screen ...
I really don't understand what the hype is all about...
May be I didn't like it as this was a follow up post... "Gulal"... but then again... this is my opinion... ain't it...
My take: can do without it
Rating :3/10
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
"DEV.D"
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Also famed as the "Modern Day Devdas"
A true masala movie for the serious cine-lovers... though is completely off beat in the topics it showcases... it is a tale of lust, love, lust, obsession, lust, psychedelia and lust.
Finally Indian Cinema grows up, a country full of hypocrites.... the land where Kamasutra was scipted... and using the three letter word S*X is a taboo... can someone... please explain the 1 billion + population....
Anywaz... why 'Modern Day Devdas', Devdas Mukherjee had always been an epitome of self pity, drunkenness and failed love in Indian cinema similarly, Dev Dhillon though an absolute b**tard, who fondles every other women, but cracks up at rumors of Paro kissing someone else... DEV D is though similar to that of Devdas, but, yet so very different. He drinks... nopes he drowns... himself in vodka, breathes on air filtered by coke, calls up Paro's house at 4 in the morning, yet he sees Chanda's face when he closes his eyes...
The commonalities of Devdas and Dev D, is drawn by the self centeredness of both these characters...
What I really liked about the movie was the way in which Mr.Kashyap had portrayed all the three characters... especially that of Paro and Chanda (Lenny)... the way Mr.Kashyap builds both these characters from various shades of gray and turns them into such strong characters... is absolutely brilliant...
Abhay Deol is fantastic as Dev.
I read this somewhere that there were a total of 18 songs in this movie... and funnily I only remember one... the 'emosional atyachar' one...
My take on the movie... a definite delicay for not so regular appetite...
Rating: 7/10
Saturday, March 21, 2009
"Deep Purple"
a LOUDER performance - by critically acclaimed rock band Deep Purple...
an eventful friday evening...
First half of the evening was loaded with those magnificent pairs of wheels... the harley's, the triumph, the victory, the boss hoss, orange county choppers, the Yamaha's, the suzuki's, the Kawasaki's, the Ducati's the Aprilias and many more... these were just the highlight of what was to begin...
the bike show was absolutely amazing... exhausted... already... I just placed myself on one of those bean bags... lying around the park area... and started to mentally prepare myself for what was to follow...
Once listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the "world's loudest band"
the quintet comprises of- Ian Gillan(Frontman), Roger Glover(bassist), Ian Paice (drummer), Don Airey(on the keyboard) and of course... of course Steve Morse (the man on the sexy strings)...
To begin with... we were lucky enough to manage to squeeze ourselves to be at around four to five rows away from the stage... standing there, it felt like, as if they were playing for us...
The first one to take on the stage was Ian... I admit at this moment... I was at my foolish best... though I'd been speaking of this to everyone around... that these guys would now be old... and I'm not sure of what to expect... as in... they were the loudest band in the world... they been around for more than 40 years... they belong to the era of Led Zep, Black Sabbath and the likes... and imagine still being the loudest band... what to expect.... but when I entered the arena... I still imagined them to be younger... still be in the same madness... like the ones I'd seen in the countless videos... but Ian's entry was a reality check... following him onto the stage was Roger... he still looked in his crazy best... following him was Airey... he quitely snuggled to his keyboards... arranged in the back of the stage... then the strumming began... Steve Morris...
and the magic began...
couple songs later... I closed my eyes to listen... to feel it... it felt as I was standing in a arena of a 100,000 people or more...... with DP performing... only difference... it was 1979... yes... they still had the power.... they still had what it needed in the performance... in plain words... THEY ROCKED
I mean they lasted more than two hours on the stage... though there were solo's being performed... for cpla minutes... every now and then... by each of the band members... and the others took the well deserved break...
One thing I've noticed from all the recent rock concerts that I've been attending... you don't get rubbish crowd... as in if it was a shakira or a Kylie.... u'd just see about say atleast 50 times the crowd...; there aren't many asians who spend that kinda money... to view them... there are mostly westerners... though there is a clear share of the arabs (more like wannabes, who wouldn't understand a thing... but the minute there is a band would pack their kanduras and drag themselves to these....) and most important of all... it's an experience that one can't deny.... it's one thing to listen to them on ur Music System.... and another to see them for real...
Deep Purple... the experience UNREAL...
Few songs they played, not necessarily in that order:
I want you, I need you, I gotta be near you
I spent my money as I took my turn
I want you, I need you, I gotta be near you
Ooh, I got a strange kind of woman, yes I have
I love it and I need it, I feed it
Yeah, it turns me on
Alright, hold tight
I'm a highway star, yeah
Come on, come on, come on
Let's go Space truckin'
Come on, come on, come on
Hush, hush,
I thought I heard her calling my name now.
Hush, she took my heart,but I love her just the same now.
Smoke on the water, a fire in the sky
Black night is not right,
I don't feel so bright,
I don't care to sit tight.
Maybe I'll find on the way down the line
That I'm free, free to be me.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Qoute-unquote
However mean your life is, meet it and live it: do not shun it and call it hard names.
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)
Friday, March 13, 2009
random ramblings
"I have to believe in a world outside my own mind.
I have to believe that my actions still have meaning. Even if I can't remember them.
I have to believe that when my eyes are closed, the world's still here.
Do I believe the world's still here? Is it still out there?"
I have to believe that my actions still have meaning. Even if I can't remember them.
I have to believe that when my eyes are closed, the world's still here.
Do I believe the world's still here? Is it still out there?"
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Read it somewhere
"There's a little bit of hooker in every woman...
a little bit of a hooker and a little bit of God"
-Saras Miles, noted English actress
a little bit of a hooker and a little bit of God"
-Saras Miles, noted English actress
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
'fuzon'
Aankhon ke saagar
hothon ke saagar
Le doobe Hame
Le Doobe Hame
sabhi dooriyaan
woh majbooriyaan
sabhi dooriyaan
woh majbooriyaan
bhulado unhe
ke main hoon yahaan...
Lyrics of Song: Aakhon Ke Sagar : Band Name: Fuzon
About Fuzon:
This is a Paki Band... singing style : pop/rock... with a touch of classical...
A fusion of eastern and western styles of music... in my opinion, amongst the few band with something significant with balance and mix of both styles...
I've been listening to the band for a while now... but today, after a really long time... the song just played on my blog... and felt so refreshing... so writing on my blog...
I love the riffs.... (the guitar riffs)... the vocals...
Monday, March 2, 2009
On a friends FB pic...
"Giving someone all your love is never an assurance, that they'll love you back!
Don't expect love in return, just wait for it grow in their heart, but if it doesn't, be sure it grew in yours"
Don't expect love in return, just wait for it grow in their heart, but if it doesn't, be sure it grew in yours"
Sunday, March 1, 2009
the movies over the weekend
1.pink panther 2:
waste of time...
one Question though... what were u doing in the movie... Mrs. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
2. Teeth:
this has to be made by some psycho... please don't watch this... I really have no words to describe this movie... except that don't watch it
waste of time...
one Question though... what were u doing in the movie... Mrs. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
2. Teeth:
this has to be made by some psycho... please don't watch this... I really have no words to describe this movie... except that don't watch it
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Newspaper headlines : "India has arrived..."
A day late but still...
Allah Rakha Rahman wins 2 oscars
I'm confused, why is it a matter of elation... I mean... yes it is a joyous occassion, but i don't think jai ho deserves the kinda credit it is getting... I mean it's just another song... the real rahman is missing in it...
I really want to ask Mr. Rahman,
Sir, of everything you've created so far... where do you place these songs "Jai ho" and "Sayya"... and does it really make you proud of your achievement through these songs...?
I mean... Roja... Bombay... Dil Se... Taal... Yuva... just to name a few, then there are so many regional movies...
I remember in year 2000... when I visited my relatives in Hyd., my youngest cousin, then 3 years old... was humming the words,"sakhiya...hahhaa haaa" and in the right tune... these words made me fall for the song... these exact three songs... I made my cousin bro... hunt for this album... we'd visited nearly 60+ music stores in the city before we could find one which didn't go out of stock for this movie "Sakhi"... "Alaiyapayuthe" in tamil... and I'd play this day in and day out in my college hostel... few who had the patience... fell in love with the music and made copies of the cassette... and the others who were intolerant cause of the language barried/ mental blockage cause of this album being in telegu... I only shushed them by asking them to wait until this comes out in hindi... (to be honest, I had no clue then that the movie would come out in hindi... for that matter I hadn't seen the movie in Telegu until early 2002... but yet something inside me kept saying... we going to have a hindi version of this movie for sure)... and in 2003, "Saathiya" released... do I need to say more...
There are more movies which got "hit" cause of his music in it... than cause of the content in the movie...
with all due credit... Mr Rahman... you are next to god... when it comes to create music... but to be fair... slumdog... is definitely not your best shot... and all u Westerners/Indians... who are praising him for that... or who disagree with me on this... suck it up...
anyways though "slumdog" bagged 8 oscars... I still stand by my verdict... the movie is utter crap and waste of time... and yes, I am biased in my opinion as it shows India in a colored perspective... the color the whites like to see... and not the reality...
All this while I've been thinking...
Is oscar all that we wanted... I am still to figure out an answer to this.. does it really matter... is our work, if unappreaciated by a foriegn body (in this case a selfcentric US body) doesn't recognises it... then does it mean we've done any less of a great job... taare zameen par wasn't recognised at oscars... Roja wasn't... Lagaan couldn't... I mean why is it such a deal for us to be recognised by the whites... don't you think with nearly 100years (first movie was in 1913, so precisely 95 years of age) into film making we are in a position to command the respect already without being recognised by any other external body... and this doesn't limit to the moviedom... but across sectors, both in horizontal and vertical dimensions... we are still seeking acceptance and recognition...
why?
Allah Rakha Rahman wins 2 oscars
I'm confused, why is it a matter of elation... I mean... yes it is a joyous occassion, but i don't think jai ho deserves the kinda credit it is getting... I mean it's just another song... the real rahman is missing in it...
I really want to ask Mr. Rahman,
Sir, of everything you've created so far... where do you place these songs "Jai ho" and "Sayya"... and does it really make you proud of your achievement through these songs...?
I mean... Roja... Bombay... Dil Se... Taal... Yuva... just to name a few, then there are so many regional movies...
I remember in year 2000... when I visited my relatives in Hyd., my youngest cousin, then 3 years old... was humming the words,"sakhiya...hahhaa haaa" and in the right tune... these words made me fall for the song... these exact three songs... I made my cousin bro... hunt for this album... we'd visited nearly 60+ music stores in the city before we could find one which didn't go out of stock for this movie "Sakhi"... "Alaiyapayuthe" in tamil... and I'd play this day in and day out in my college hostel... few who had the patience... fell in love with the music and made copies of the cassette... and the others who were intolerant cause of the language barried/ mental blockage cause of this album being in telegu... I only shushed them by asking them to wait until this comes out in hindi... (to be honest, I had no clue then that the movie would come out in hindi... for that matter I hadn't seen the movie in Telegu until early 2002... but yet something inside me kept saying... we going to have a hindi version of this movie for sure)... and in 2003, "Saathiya" released... do I need to say more...
There are more movies which got "hit" cause of his music in it... than cause of the content in the movie...
with all due credit... Mr Rahman... you are next to god... when it comes to create music... but to be fair... slumdog... is definitely not your best shot... and all u Westerners/Indians... who are praising him for that... or who disagree with me on this... suck it up...
anyways though "slumdog" bagged 8 oscars... I still stand by my verdict... the movie is utter crap and waste of time... and yes, I am biased in my opinion as it shows India in a colored perspective... the color the whites like to see... and not the reality...
All this while I've been thinking...
Is oscar all that we wanted... I am still to figure out an answer to this.. does it really matter... is our work, if unappreaciated by a foriegn body (in this case a selfcentric US body) doesn't recognises it... then does it mean we've done any less of a great job... taare zameen par wasn't recognised at oscars... Roja wasn't... Lagaan couldn't... I mean why is it such a deal for us to be recognised by the whites... don't you think with nearly 100years (first movie was in 1913, so precisely 95 years of age) into film making we are in a position to command the respect already without being recognised by any other external body... and this doesn't limit to the moviedom... but across sectors, both in horizontal and vertical dimensions... we are still seeking acceptance and recognition...
why?
Saturday, February 21, 2009
D6
delhi 6
*ing: AB, AB ka baby (abhishek bachchan), AK ki baby(sonam kapoor-she's so pretty), the new nirupa roy aka waheeda rehman, the golden boy of bollywood with whom most of the heriones got their first break (rishi kapoor), the method actor ( atul kulkarni), the obviously old man (om puri)
and bunch of other guys... don't remember their names...
k the gud part of this movie is over... the cast... was the trick...
oh no... actually for me there were two more things... which made me like the movie... the address... chandni chowk (of course saadi dilli and dilli te pyaare pyaare log oops dilliwaale)... second was the social message...
K lemme quickly also say... only the social message, I'm still to come in terms with the way it was approached... as in I'm still searching for the logic... the genius behind the attempt... coz I certainly failed to identify the logic... or the complete concept... yes if the same thing was shown say 10-15 years back... would have been able to reason it out easily... but ever since DCH... I thought bollywood was beginning to change... 2007 & 2008 only confirms on the change-belief... about the change... the expectations have been set... and now going back to all that old generation movie crap...
k the people... if u've been to dilli... and esp. that side of the city... you'd have definitely met atleast some of the characters or the likes... so very true in terms of performances... by each one...
About the movie...
The script was dissappointing... I mean the "kala bandar" crap did happen... but that has been used extremely poorly and out of context...
the context of the police-ial heirachy... and the untouchability issue has been portrayed was brilliant...
and to add to this... the intermission was abrupt, and when it happened everyone at the theatre were a little lost... as the context of the happenings were still to be sown together... as in the story was on but still in bits and pieces... in anticipation of something brilliant considering the combined reputation of Mr. Mehra and Mr. Joshi... we were still hoping for that magical twist... lemme just say it didn't turn out that way...( the mellowed tone is basically an implication of being over exposed to extremes... with the recent run of the last few absolutely utterly crapped movies such as... billu barber, chandni chowk to china, rab ne... and for that matter... ghajini dissappointed me too...
so...
my advice... add the movie theatre expense to that "savings for the rainy day account" (if u have one) or donate...
Rating: 5/10
*ing: AB, AB ka baby (abhishek bachchan), AK ki baby(sonam kapoor-she's so pretty), the new nirupa roy aka waheeda rehman, the golden boy of bollywood with whom most of the heriones got their first break (rishi kapoor), the method actor ( atul kulkarni), the obviously old man (om puri)
and bunch of other guys... don't remember their names...
k the gud part of this movie is over... the cast... was the trick...
oh no... actually for me there were two more things... which made me like the movie... the address... chandni chowk (of course saadi dilli and dilli te pyaare pyaare log oops dilliwaale)... second was the social message...
K lemme quickly also say... only the social message, I'm still to come in terms with the way it was approached... as in I'm still searching for the logic... the genius behind the attempt... coz I certainly failed to identify the logic... or the complete concept... yes if the same thing was shown say 10-15 years back... would have been able to reason it out easily... but ever since DCH... I thought bollywood was beginning to change... 2007 & 2008 only confirms on the change-belief... about the change... the expectations have been set... and now going back to all that old generation movie crap...
k the people... if u've been to dilli... and esp. that side of the city... you'd have definitely met atleast some of the characters or the likes... so very true in terms of performances... by each one...
About the movie...
The script was dissappointing... I mean the "kala bandar" crap did happen... but that has been used extremely poorly and out of context...
the context of the police-ial heirachy... and the untouchability issue has been portrayed was brilliant...
and to add to this... the intermission was abrupt, and when it happened everyone at the theatre were a little lost... as the context of the happenings were still to be sown together... as in the story was on but still in bits and pieces... in anticipation of something brilliant considering the combined reputation of Mr. Mehra and Mr. Joshi... we were still hoping for that magical twist... lemme just say it didn't turn out that way...( the mellowed tone is basically an implication of being over exposed to extremes... with the recent run of the last few absolutely utterly crapped movies such as... billu barber, chandni chowk to china, rab ne... and for that matter... ghajini dissappointed me too...
so...
my advice... add the movie theatre expense to that "savings for the rainy day account" (if u have one) or donate...
Rating: 5/10
Thursday, February 19, 2009
tagged!!!
This is the second tym I'm gonna type out 25 things... and both on the same day... I guess sitting late @ work... does this... first one was on facebook... but that was more personal... as in between two ppl... and this one here...
Just one Question... What's with all the taggin?
Though this one's a slogger...
1. How long have I been blogging: close to an year now
2. fav type of music: rock, metal, ballads
3. fav things to do outdoors: Riding a motorbike,
2. fav type of music: rock, metal, ballads
3. fav things to do outdoors: Riding a motorbike,
4. Adrenaline - Sports (basketball, cricket, football, badminton)
5. Adventure Sports ( Mountaineering, rappelling, rock climbing)
6. books - I hate them - though started out on a few philos. ones started out on a few philos. ones
6. books - I hate them - though started out on a few philos. ones started out on a few philos. ones
(this is so difficult... thinking if I should try and copy a few ideas)
7. a definite foodie8. have a huge movie collection
9. a movie buff - this has been a recently acquired title... until... 2006- changed everything
10.as a kid was extremely mischevious
11.started riding a two wheeler when I was 7-8yrs... a moped... then graduated to a scooter, followed by a royal enfield "thunderbird"... now hoping for ...
13.love to cook and experiment
14.flunked physics & maths in my Sr. School (p.s. i never repeated any class these were just the internal exams) and still graduated to be an Engg... and now I love the numbers
15.was trained on Hawaiian guitar... for coupla years as a kid... now I don't remeber a shit about it...
damn it's difficult to write... 25 things
16. I love travelling and love it even more when i am on my bike
17.as kids... me & SD (my best bud) wud rearrange furniture in our house in order to be able to play cricket... this was specially during the exam days ...so no one gets to know... of it... both are mom dad were working so... we kinda had the house to ourselves...
18.our (me & SD) mutual love for hot chocolate fudge... we also used to lock our houses and sneak out in the middle of the night to go have this ice cream at Nirulas... luckily we never got caught... or our parents atleast didn't pull us out on this one...
19.I was a hardcore pop music listner until the first year of college... when... I was hit by Aerosmith... followed by GNR... def leppard... metallica... and i really don't know what happened to all those cassettes and cd of pop and hip hop collection i made ( i lost more than 100cassettes in college and never bothered coz i lost complete interest in them)...
20.love to cook and experiment with food
21.the most expensive purchase is a music system (basically amplifiers and speakers only) of worth close to 2 lakhs...
22.my hobbies include randomness in action, thoughts and lifestyle...
23.been blessed to have loadsa friends...
24had a rock band... which survived only one season... basically there was a band... and i would get to perform with them... couple songs... equity matters...
25.i personally feel this ones a girly one to do... but did that coz of the friend who tagged me...
oh by the way i missed out on number 12...
13.love to cook and experiment
14.flunked physics & maths in my Sr. School (p.s. i never repeated any class these were just the internal exams) and still graduated to be an Engg... and now I love the numbers
15.was trained on Hawaiian guitar... for coupla years as a kid... now I don't remeber a shit about it...
damn it's difficult to write... 25 things
16. I love travelling and love it even more when i am on my bike
17.as kids... me & SD (my best bud) wud rearrange furniture in our house in order to be able to play cricket... this was specially during the exam days ...so no one gets to know... of it... both are mom dad were working so... we kinda had the house to ourselves...
18.our (me & SD) mutual love for hot chocolate fudge... we also used to lock our houses and sneak out in the middle of the night to go have this ice cream at Nirulas... luckily we never got caught... or our parents atleast didn't pull us out on this one...
19.I was a hardcore pop music listner until the first year of college... when... I was hit by Aerosmith... followed by GNR... def leppard... metallica... and i really don't know what happened to all those cassettes and cd of pop and hip hop collection i made ( i lost more than 100cassettes in college and never bothered coz i lost complete interest in them)...
20.love to cook and experiment with food
21.the most expensive purchase is a music system (basically amplifiers and speakers only) of worth close to 2 lakhs...
22.my hobbies include randomness in action, thoughts and lifestyle...
23.been blessed to have loadsa friends...
24had a rock band... which survived only one season... basically there was a band... and i would get to perform with them... couple songs... equity matters...
25.i personally feel this ones a girly one to do... but did that coz of the friend who tagged me...
oh by the way i missed out on number 12...
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
TALIBAN lives in INDIA
I've been wanting to write on this topic for a really long time... first the maharashtra nav nirman sena, the muthaliks - both in my opinion in their own way are acting up on similar principles as Talibans did... but inadequate info on each of this topics has prevented me from doing so...
However, a friend has posted a link on FB today... curious... I open this and...
Please read this, for you and I need to take onus of what is happening around us, for we are the one who are nurturing such acts of disgust with our silence and with us lies the power to clean up the mess...
Millionaire slumdogs and how things change.... (read this, for you may have a role to play!) 10:38am
Yes, everything changes.
The fantastic invisible sweep of time rushes and roars past us every dull and intense second that ticks relentlessly away every day, and all around us things constantly morph. Twin towers crumble, good people die, the good earth turns brown and bare, and old love fades.
And what precisely is your role in the incredible kaleidoscope of change?
A slack-jaw by-stander who barely registers the impact and implications? A commentator spectator who freely critiques but somehow rises above being affected by it all? A fatalist loser who bemoans everything and blames it all on circumstances and other people?
Look around you, you who reside in the so-called mind and knowledge capital of the shining new India. This is Bangalore.
Many of the quiet avenues that used to snake through the wooded shades and fragrant flower-scatters of a thousand gulmohars, flames of the forest, bougenvillias and silver oaks are now shorn of even a single blade of grass, their tar guts upturned by mammoth earth moving equipment, tortured sites full of grime, steel and concrete through which an endless procession of loud vehicles crawl back and forth, utterly indisciplined, frothing with impotent anger and frustration, from the early dusty dawns to the midnight hours, every single day.
We are the victims, you say? The civic governance of Bangalore is sub standard, you claim? Well, you may be right, but does that mean that even as an individual citizen whose real powers to influence matters is way less than what it theoretically should be, we have absolutely nothing to do?
I am re-thinking this premise, my friend. Unfortunately not a self realization case, but prompted by a black incident last Friday, 6th February, 2009. And this time it was not about aspects that affect your life and mine indirectly. It wasn't the death of yet another 100+ year old tree. It wasn't another instance of criminal neglect of any civic infrastructure. It wasn't road rage. It was a kick in the groin. Literally. And it woke me up all right.
So, in brief, this is how the drama unfolded:
A few of my friends and I were just paying our bills and coming out of our regular Friday night watering hole and dinner place in Rest House Road, just off Brigade Road, and most of the women in the company were already standing outside. Some of us outside were smoking, people were happy, there was laughter and jokes, as there were many other people in the street, all coming out, satiated, in the closing hour of the various pubs and restaurants around.
Suddenly from up the street a massive SUV comes revving and speeding, hurtling down, and stops in a scream of brakes and swirling dust, millimeters away from this group of 4 women, barely missing one of their legs. A white Audi, imported, still under transfer, with the registration plate of KA-51 TR-2767. Some millionaire's toy thing, that in the wrong hands can kill.
Naturally the women are in shock. And quickly following the shock comes indignation. These are self made women running their own businesses, managing state responsibilities for global NGO firms, successful doctors. They are not used to being bullied. So they turn around, instead of shrinking back in fear. They protest.
And as soon as they turn around in protest, the car doors are flung open, and a stream of 4-5 rabid men run out towards these women, screaming obscenities in Hindi and Kannada against women in general, fists flailing. Some of us who came in running at the sound of the screaming brakes now stand in the middle in defense of our women, and then blows start raining down. One of the goons make a couple of calls over the cellphone, and in seconds a stream of other equally rabid goondas land up. They gun straight for the women, and everyone – a few well-meaning bystanders, acquaintances who know us from the restaurant, basically everyone who tries to help the women – starts getting thoroughly beaten up.
Women are kicked in the groin, punched in the stomach, slapped across the face, grabbed everywhere, abused constantly. Men are smashed up professionally, blows aimed at livers, groins, kidneys and nose. A friend is hit repeatedly on the head by a stone until he passes out in a flood of blood.
A plain-clothes policeman (Vittal Kumar) who saunters in late stands by watching and urging people to stop, but doing absolutely nothing else. A 'cheetah' biker cop comes in, with our women pleading him to stop this madness, but he refuses action, saying a police van will come in soon and he cannot do anything. Everyone keeps getting hammered. Relentlessly.
The carnage continues for over 20 minutes.
Finally when the police van does come in it is this vandals who are raging and ranting, claiming to be true "sons of the Kannadiga soil", and we are positioned to be the villainous outsiders, bleeding, outraged. How do the cops believe them, especially seeing the bloody faces of our men and the violated rage of our women, while they carry nary a scratch on their bodies? Don't ask me! Yet, it is us who these goondas urge the newly arrived law-keepers to arrest, and the police promptly comply, and we are bundled into the van, some still being beaten as we are pushed in. Some blessed relief from pain inside the police van at least, even if we are inside and the real goons outside, driving alongside in their spanking white Audi. The guy who was hit by the stone is taken separately by the women to Mallya hospital.
Inside the police station at Cubbon Park it becomes clear that these goons and the police know each other by their first names. The policeman in charge (Thimmappa) initially refuses to even register any complaint from me, on the purported grounds that I am not fluent in Kannada and I have taken a few drinks (3 Kingfisher pints, to be precise) over the evening. No, it doesn't matter that I didn't have my car and was not driving, and no, it doesn't mater that the complaint will be written in English. We watch them and the goons exchange smiles and nods with our our bloodied and swelling eyes and realize in our pain-clouded still-in-shock brains the extent of truth in the claim of one of the main goons when he claimed earlier in the evening in virulent aggression: we own this town, this car belongs to an MLA, we will see how you return to this street!!
This was the turning point of the saga, I guess. For we refused to lie down quietly and be victims.
One of our girls, a vintage and proud Bangalorean who is running one of the town's most successful organic farming initiatives, took upon herself to write the complaint, when I was not allowed to write the same. Another Bangalore girl, a state director of a global NGO firm, wrote the other molestation complaint separately on behalf of all the girls. Some of us called our friends in the media and corporate world. Everyone stepped up. And even when the odds were down and we were out, we did not give up, and as a singular body of violated citizens we spoke in one voice of courage and indomitable spirit. That voice had no limitation of language, not Kannada, nor English, or Hindi. It was the voice of human spirit that cannot be broken.
And in the face of that spirit, for the first time, we saw the ugly visage of vandalism, hiding behind the thin and inadequate veil of political corrupt power, narrow-vision regionalism and self-serving morality, start to wilt.
We spent 6 hours next day in the police station. The sub-inspector of police who filed our FIR, Ajay R M, seemed a breath of fresh air inasmuch that he did not appear a-priori biased like others, even though the hand of corruption and politico-criminal power backing these goons was still manifest in many ways: a starched, white-linen power-broker walked in handing over his card to the sub-inspector in support of the goons; the goons got an audience with the Inspector because of this intervention, while we had to interact one level lower down in the hierarchy; the plains cloth policeman of last night, even though he had arrived far too late in the crime scene, gave a warped statement, passing it off as a "neutral" point of view, repeatedly stressing that we came out of a pub and hence were drinking, positioning this as a 'drunken brawl', while completely forgetting to mention the unprovoked attack against the women and the one-sided vandalism and violence that ensued. I guess one cannot blame the low ranked police officer – the criminal connections of these goons must be pervasive enough for him to be careful.
Thanks however to the impartial handling of the situation by Ajay, soon the goons were all identified. The lead actor was one Ravi Mallaya (38), a real estate honcho and owner of a small property off Brigade Road which he has converted into a "gaming" (you know what that means, don't you?) adda. The others identified are Mohan Basava (22) of Chamarajapet 12th Cross, R. Vijay Kumar Ramalingaraju (25) and Shivu Rajashekar (20). All are residents of 12th & 13th Cross in Vyalikaval. Their bravado and machismo were by that time evaporated. It was good to see their faces then.
Of course nothing much happened to them, nor did we expect it. They were supposed to be in lock up for at least the weekend till they were produced in court, but we understand that they were quickly released on (anticipatory?) bail. The car, purportedly belonging to an MLA, also does not figure in the FIR, apparently for reasons of "irrelevance to the case".The media also have given us fantastic coverage and support so far, strengthening the cause.
The goons meanwhile, as an after thought, also filed the customary reverse complaint on the morning after we filed our own complaint: the women have apparently scratched the car! (Why did they not file the complaint the same night, considering they came to the Police Station in the same car? Why was the car allowed to be taken off police custody? Why is the car still irrelevant to the case and not in the FIR? Questions.. questions..).
Is this the end of this saga? Probably not. Are these women, more precious to us as friends and wives than most things in our lives, safe to walk or drive down Brigade Road from now on or are the goonda elements, slighted by this arrest and disgrace, are lying in ambush, waiting, biding their time to cause some of us more grievous harm? We don't know. Is there reason for us to remain apprehensive of future attacks and victimization? Perhaps.
But here is the point.
We stood up.
We believed in the power of individual citizens even in the face of hooliganism, intolerance, corruption and power mongering. Even though many of us have the option of leveraging political or government connections, we deliberately chose to fight this battle as individuals. Sure, these connections have been activated and they have been kept informed, should the worst case scenario unfold tomorrow. But we have chosen to not leverage them. And in every small win we register as a group of individual outraged citizens of Bangalore and India, however insignificant these milestones may be in the larger scheme of things, there is one small notch adding up in favor of what is right, one small notch against what is wrong. And we believe that every such small notch counts, each such mark is absolutely invaluable.
It is the people who make this city, this country, this world. It is you and I, as much as the terrorists inside and outside. And in our small insignificant little ways, it is my responsibility and yours to not shirk from investing effort – not just lip service or any token attempt, but real effort – in backing up what we ourselves believe in. It is so easy to logically argue that everything is corrupt, nothing is worth it, there are so many risks involved. We must not fall trap to this escapist trend. We must not fail to try.
Next time you feel outraged, violated, abused, don't let it go by and add up to your list of litanies and complaints. Stand up and take it to the limit - at least your own limit. Not in the same way as they wrong you, but in the way that every citizen, at least in theory, is entitled to complain and protest. Do not let the hooligans power rant scare you or prompt you into submission. Do not allow the corrupt cop make you give up trying. Carry the flame forward. Try harder.
If are up to it, start right now.
Forward this note to everyone you want to be made aware of this. Post it in your own blogs. Talk about it amongst your circles. And if anyone of you should like to step forward with a word of empathy or advise, talk to me. Comment.
It is not Bangalore that is going to the dogs. It is us. We have far too long become accustomed to let everything go. And the more we let things go without any protest or fight, the dormant criminal and dark elements of the society get that much more encouraged. Every time we turn the other way, the hooligan next street gets incentivized to push the boundary a little further, provoke a little more, try something a little more atrocious. It is time for us to refuse to let this go on. We are responsible for making ourselves proud. Lets believe in ourselves. We can do this.
My name is Saugata Chatterjee. And I am standing up.I refuse to let Bangalore go to the hooligan slumdogs, even if some of them are pets of corrupt power millionaires.
However, a friend has posted a link on FB today... curious... I open this and...
Please read this, for you and I need to take onus of what is happening around us, for we are the one who are nurturing such acts of disgust with our silence and with us lies the power to clean up the mess...
Millionaire slumdogs and how things change.... (read this, for you may have a role to play!) 10:38am
Yes, everything changes.
The fantastic invisible sweep of time rushes and roars past us every dull and intense second that ticks relentlessly away every day, and all around us things constantly morph. Twin towers crumble, good people die, the good earth turns brown and bare, and old love fades.
And what precisely is your role in the incredible kaleidoscope of change?
A slack-jaw by-stander who barely registers the impact and implications? A commentator spectator who freely critiques but somehow rises above being affected by it all? A fatalist loser who bemoans everything and blames it all on circumstances and other people?
Look around you, you who reside in the so-called mind and knowledge capital of the shining new India. This is Bangalore.
Many of the quiet avenues that used to snake through the wooded shades and fragrant flower-scatters of a thousand gulmohars, flames of the forest, bougenvillias and silver oaks are now shorn of even a single blade of grass, their tar guts upturned by mammoth earth moving equipment, tortured sites full of grime, steel and concrete through which an endless procession of loud vehicles crawl back and forth, utterly indisciplined, frothing with impotent anger and frustration, from the early dusty dawns to the midnight hours, every single day.
We are the victims, you say? The civic governance of Bangalore is sub standard, you claim? Well, you may be right, but does that mean that even as an individual citizen whose real powers to influence matters is way less than what it theoretically should be, we have absolutely nothing to do?
I am re-thinking this premise, my friend. Unfortunately not a self realization case, but prompted by a black incident last Friday, 6th February, 2009. And this time it was not about aspects that affect your life and mine indirectly. It wasn't the death of yet another 100+ year old tree. It wasn't another instance of criminal neglect of any civic infrastructure. It wasn't road rage. It was a kick in the groin. Literally. And it woke me up all right.
So, in brief, this is how the drama unfolded:
A few of my friends and I were just paying our bills and coming out of our regular Friday night watering hole and dinner place in Rest House Road, just off Brigade Road, and most of the women in the company were already standing outside. Some of us outside were smoking, people were happy, there was laughter and jokes, as there were many other people in the street, all coming out, satiated, in the closing hour of the various pubs and restaurants around.
Suddenly from up the street a massive SUV comes revving and speeding, hurtling down, and stops in a scream of brakes and swirling dust, millimeters away from this group of 4 women, barely missing one of their legs. A white Audi, imported, still under transfer, with the registration plate of KA-51 TR-2767. Some millionaire's toy thing, that in the wrong hands can kill.
Naturally the women are in shock. And quickly following the shock comes indignation. These are self made women running their own businesses, managing state responsibilities for global NGO firms, successful doctors. They are not used to being bullied. So they turn around, instead of shrinking back in fear. They protest.
And as soon as they turn around in protest, the car doors are flung open, and a stream of 4-5 rabid men run out towards these women, screaming obscenities in Hindi and Kannada against women in general, fists flailing. Some of us who came in running at the sound of the screaming brakes now stand in the middle in defense of our women, and then blows start raining down. One of the goons make a couple of calls over the cellphone, and in seconds a stream of other equally rabid goondas land up. They gun straight for the women, and everyone – a few well-meaning bystanders, acquaintances who know us from the restaurant, basically everyone who tries to help the women – starts getting thoroughly beaten up.
Women are kicked in the groin, punched in the stomach, slapped across the face, grabbed everywhere, abused constantly. Men are smashed up professionally, blows aimed at livers, groins, kidneys and nose. A friend is hit repeatedly on the head by a stone until he passes out in a flood of blood.
A plain-clothes policeman (Vittal Kumar) who saunters in late stands by watching and urging people to stop, but doing absolutely nothing else. A 'cheetah' biker cop comes in, with our women pleading him to stop this madness, but he refuses action, saying a police van will come in soon and he cannot do anything. Everyone keeps getting hammered. Relentlessly.
The carnage continues for over 20 minutes.
Finally when the police van does come in it is this vandals who are raging and ranting, claiming to be true "sons of the Kannadiga soil", and we are positioned to be the villainous outsiders, bleeding, outraged. How do the cops believe them, especially seeing the bloody faces of our men and the violated rage of our women, while they carry nary a scratch on their bodies? Don't ask me! Yet, it is us who these goondas urge the newly arrived law-keepers to arrest, and the police promptly comply, and we are bundled into the van, some still being beaten as we are pushed in. Some blessed relief from pain inside the police van at least, even if we are inside and the real goons outside, driving alongside in their spanking white Audi. The guy who was hit by the stone is taken separately by the women to Mallya hospital.
Inside the police station at Cubbon Park it becomes clear that these goons and the police know each other by their first names. The policeman in charge (Thimmappa) initially refuses to even register any complaint from me, on the purported grounds that I am not fluent in Kannada and I have taken a few drinks (3 Kingfisher pints, to be precise) over the evening. No, it doesn't matter that I didn't have my car and was not driving, and no, it doesn't mater that the complaint will be written in English. We watch them and the goons exchange smiles and nods with our our bloodied and swelling eyes and realize in our pain-clouded still-in-shock brains the extent of truth in the claim of one of the main goons when he claimed earlier in the evening in virulent aggression: we own this town, this car belongs to an MLA, we will see how you return to this street!!
This was the turning point of the saga, I guess. For we refused to lie down quietly and be victims.
One of our girls, a vintage and proud Bangalorean who is running one of the town's most successful organic farming initiatives, took upon herself to write the complaint, when I was not allowed to write the same. Another Bangalore girl, a state director of a global NGO firm, wrote the other molestation complaint separately on behalf of all the girls. Some of us called our friends in the media and corporate world. Everyone stepped up. And even when the odds were down and we were out, we did not give up, and as a singular body of violated citizens we spoke in one voice of courage and indomitable spirit. That voice had no limitation of language, not Kannada, nor English, or Hindi. It was the voice of human spirit that cannot be broken.
And in the face of that spirit, for the first time, we saw the ugly visage of vandalism, hiding behind the thin and inadequate veil of political corrupt power, narrow-vision regionalism and self-serving morality, start to wilt.
We spent 6 hours next day in the police station. The sub-inspector of police who filed our FIR, Ajay R M, seemed a breath of fresh air inasmuch that he did not appear a-priori biased like others, even though the hand of corruption and politico-criminal power backing these goons was still manifest in many ways: a starched, white-linen power-broker walked in handing over his card to the sub-inspector in support of the goons; the goons got an audience with the Inspector because of this intervention, while we had to interact one level lower down in the hierarchy; the plains cloth policeman of last night, even though he had arrived far too late in the crime scene, gave a warped statement, passing it off as a "neutral" point of view, repeatedly stressing that we came out of a pub and hence were drinking, positioning this as a 'drunken brawl', while completely forgetting to mention the unprovoked attack against the women and the one-sided vandalism and violence that ensued. I guess one cannot blame the low ranked police officer – the criminal connections of these goons must be pervasive enough for him to be careful.
Thanks however to the impartial handling of the situation by Ajay, soon the goons were all identified. The lead actor was one Ravi Mallaya (38), a real estate honcho and owner of a small property off Brigade Road which he has converted into a "gaming" (you know what that means, don't you?) adda. The others identified are Mohan Basava (22) of Chamarajapet 12th Cross, R. Vijay Kumar Ramalingaraju (25) and Shivu Rajashekar (20). All are residents of 12th & 13th Cross in Vyalikaval. Their bravado and machismo were by that time evaporated. It was good to see their faces then.
Of course nothing much happened to them, nor did we expect it. They were supposed to be in lock up for at least the weekend till they were produced in court, but we understand that they were quickly released on (anticipatory?) bail. The car, purportedly belonging to an MLA, also does not figure in the FIR, apparently for reasons of "irrelevance to the case".The media also have given us fantastic coverage and support so far, strengthening the cause.
The goons meanwhile, as an after thought, also filed the customary reverse complaint on the morning after we filed our own complaint: the women have apparently scratched the car! (Why did they not file the complaint the same night, considering they came to the Police Station in the same car? Why was the car allowed to be taken off police custody? Why is the car still irrelevant to the case and not in the FIR? Questions.. questions..).
Is this the end of this saga? Probably not. Are these women, more precious to us as friends and wives than most things in our lives, safe to walk or drive down Brigade Road from now on or are the goonda elements, slighted by this arrest and disgrace, are lying in ambush, waiting, biding their time to cause some of us more grievous harm? We don't know. Is there reason for us to remain apprehensive of future attacks and victimization? Perhaps.
But here is the point.
We stood up.
We believed in the power of individual citizens even in the face of hooliganism, intolerance, corruption and power mongering. Even though many of us have the option of leveraging political or government connections, we deliberately chose to fight this battle as individuals. Sure, these connections have been activated and they have been kept informed, should the worst case scenario unfold tomorrow. But we have chosen to not leverage them. And in every small win we register as a group of individual outraged citizens of Bangalore and India, however insignificant these milestones may be in the larger scheme of things, there is one small notch adding up in favor of what is right, one small notch against what is wrong. And we believe that every such small notch counts, each such mark is absolutely invaluable.
It is the people who make this city, this country, this world. It is you and I, as much as the terrorists inside and outside. And in our small insignificant little ways, it is my responsibility and yours to not shirk from investing effort – not just lip service or any token attempt, but real effort – in backing up what we ourselves believe in. It is so easy to logically argue that everything is corrupt, nothing is worth it, there are so many risks involved. We must not fall trap to this escapist trend. We must not fail to try.
Next time you feel outraged, violated, abused, don't let it go by and add up to your list of litanies and complaints. Stand up and take it to the limit - at least your own limit. Not in the same way as they wrong you, but in the way that every citizen, at least in theory, is entitled to complain and protest. Do not let the hooligans power rant scare you or prompt you into submission. Do not allow the corrupt cop make you give up trying. Carry the flame forward. Try harder.
If are up to it, start right now.
Forward this note to everyone you want to be made aware of this. Post it in your own blogs. Talk about it amongst your circles. And if anyone of you should like to step forward with a word of empathy or advise, talk to me. Comment.
It is not Bangalore that is going to the dogs. It is us. We have far too long become accustomed to let everything go. And the more we let things go without any protest or fight, the dormant criminal and dark elements of the society get that much more encouraged. Every time we turn the other way, the hooligan next street gets incentivized to push the boundary a little further, provoke a little more, try something a little more atrocious. It is time for us to refuse to let this go on. We are responsible for making ourselves proud. Lets believe in ourselves. We can do this.
My name is Saugata Chatterjee. And I am standing up.I refuse to let Bangalore go to the hooligan slumdogs, even if some of them are pets of corrupt power millionaires.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
the date with the demons
“Scream for me, Dubai!”... was the anthem of the night on Friday as thousand of headbangers and metal fans converged on Dubai Media City... to witness what is for me once in a lifetime opportunity... a dream... to see the legendary British metal band IRON MAIDEN perform... and they did... rip some...
Fans of all ages, including different generations - there were fathers and mothers who'd come along with their kids... and both wanted to stay away so no one gets in each other's way... while each chose his/her own method to worship , to headbang and cheer , as the "Demons" played hit after hit from the first dozen years of their 30-year career.
The show was opened by Lauren Harris... she sang couple of sangs from her yet to be released album... I found out this only today that Lauren Harris is the daughter of the band's Bassist Stephen harris... anyways while this was happening... I lied down on the ground... no disprespect to the rocker but honestly I was way to eager to listen to MAIDEN... than waste my time and energy on some "britney-voiced-pretending to be-rockstar-girl" singing and jumping across the stage...
Ten minutes later... "Somewhere Back in Time" happened...
For the first song... it still had to sink... this was no Bon Jovi... this is no Maroon 5... this is not Shakira... this was f*cking MAIDEN...
We are talking about IRON MAIDEN... the big daddy's of Metal
I don't remember, but somewhere between the first song and the second I had forgotten about the world... around... I headbanged like I never did... I jumped... I cheered... like a crazy maniac set on loose... and this was not me... this was the music that was making me do all this... there were two others with me... who were as grooved in as I was... infact the entire arena with 10000 ppl ( though 10000 luks like nothing for an Iron Maiden concert) was buzzing out... it was electrifying... it was just __________ ( damn I need a word to fit this expression...)
The songs he played... couple of them Bruce declared as song's that were written in the band's early days but somehow never get played on tour... I guess, part of "somewhere back in time" concept...
Wrathchild, a 13 minute song called Rime of the Ancient Mariner (based on Samuel Coleridge's poem the Albatross), the Trooper (a must for an IM concert), Run to the hills, Two minute to Midnight, Iron Maiden, hallowed be thy name (again a must for an IM concert), Fear of the dark (probably the only song I knew the lyrics by heart, my personal favorite too), Number of the Beast...
and Bruce said... "we'll play here again"...
oh yes this time around they were acoompained by eddie.
While I'm writing this... my limbs are aching... my neck refuses to stay straight without support... and I've got a soar throat...
Never before experience...
cpla homers
This guy cracks me up... and I love him for that...
Homer Speaks
===========
Scully: Homer, we're going to ask you a few simple yes or no questions. Do you understand?
Homer: Yes. (lie dectector blows up)
****
Homer: Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.
****
Marge: Homer, the plant called. They said if you don't show up tomorrow don't bother showing up on Monday.
Homer: Woo-hoo. Four-day weekend.
****
Homer: There's your giraffe, little girl.
Ralph Wiggum: I'm a boy.
Homer: That's the spirit. Never give up.
****
Homer: Here's to alcohol, the cause of—and solution to—all life's problems.
****
Homer: I'm normally not a praying man, but if you're up there, please save me Superman
****
Homer: Fame was like a drug, but what was even more like a drug were the drugs.
****
for more click here
oh, by the way it is me & homer in this pic...
Homer Speaks
===========
Scully: Homer, we're going to ask you a few simple yes or no questions. Do you understand?
Homer: Yes. (lie dectector blows up)
****
Homer: Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.
****
Marge: Homer, the plant called. They said if you don't show up tomorrow don't bother showing up on Monday.
Homer: Woo-hoo. Four-day weekend.
****
Homer: There's your giraffe, little girl.
Ralph Wiggum: I'm a boy.
Homer: That's the spirit. Never give up.
****
Homer: Here's to alcohol, the cause of—and solution to—all life's problems.
****
Homer: I'm normally not a praying man, but if you're up there, please save me Superman
****
Homer: Fame was like a drug, but what was even more like a drug were the drugs.
****
for more click here
oh, by the way it is me & homer in this pic...
Billu Barber
Billu Barber:
*ing SRK, SRK and SRK...
supporting caste: Irfan Khan and Lara dutta...
Don't give me that look... I wrote what I meant... the move titles "Billu Barber" and knowing that Irfan Khan played the character of Billu Barber... you'd expect the movie to be all about the character... and it is about the barber... the story of a barber who held his self esteem, his principles ahead of himself... for that matter even his family... ( don't take it negatively, he strives way to hard for the welfare of his family, so nothing negative)... but... the movie sports nearly three songs by the King Khan... his onscreen presence extends a bit more than an hour... again which focuses on reinstilling the idea that he's the KING... his character in this movie truly is an impression of his real life stardom... and he does play the King Khan of the bollywood... with an itsy bitsy difference... the name is Sahir Khan... anyways, his character in the movie is so much of a publicity stunt that... he actually becomes superly compassionate with the poor... the desperation in calling for attention is so loud that you can make it out from the first few minutes... then he goes bringing out the rivalry amongst the khans... and then reading out a beautiful comment " hum filmwale ek parivar ki tarah hain ... crap... crap... crap"... which is again a calling attention from the media perspective... then the thrashing of Abhay "Akshay" Kumar in his dialogues...
damn I really don't feel like writing more... for once he was amongst the most respected actors and now he's stoop so low...
I guess this is what sets apart the two leading Khans of the industry... One doesn't react at all... coz he knows what he's capable of doing and he proves that so very often... and the other reacts at every lil buff of an event...
saluting Mr. A Khan... and if Mr S Khan... if you have any pride left in with you... please don't make such movies ever again... make an impact by virtue of your abilities... and not your capacity...
about the movie... irfan was really good... but in my opinion you shouldn't have agreed for such a degradation... lara as a homely housewife... was good too... but SRK... nevermind...
if you really want to know...go if you must have to... in my opinion-spare this one...
And all those critics who've given it a great review... I've got ten fingers too choose from... you've got two... I guess you are smart enough to know which ones are for you...
rating: 2/10
*ing SRK, SRK and SRK...
supporting caste: Irfan Khan and Lara dutta...
Don't give me that look... I wrote what I meant... the move titles "Billu Barber" and knowing that Irfan Khan played the character of Billu Barber... you'd expect the movie to be all about the character... and it is about the barber... the story of a barber who held his self esteem, his principles ahead of himself... for that matter even his family... ( don't take it negatively, he strives way to hard for the welfare of his family, so nothing negative)... but... the movie sports nearly three songs by the King Khan... his onscreen presence extends a bit more than an hour... again which focuses on reinstilling the idea that he's the KING... his character in this movie truly is an impression of his real life stardom... and he does play the King Khan of the bollywood... with an itsy bitsy difference... the name is Sahir Khan... anyways, his character in the movie is so much of a publicity stunt that... he actually becomes superly compassionate with the poor... the desperation in calling for attention is so loud that you can make it out from the first few minutes... then he goes bringing out the rivalry amongst the khans... and then reading out a beautiful comment " hum filmwale ek parivar ki tarah hain ... crap... crap... crap"... which is again a calling attention from the media perspective... then the thrashing of Abhay "Akshay" Kumar in his dialogues...
damn I really don't feel like writing more... for once he was amongst the most respected actors and now he's stoop so low...
I guess this is what sets apart the two leading Khans of the industry... One doesn't react at all... coz he knows what he's capable of doing and he proves that so very often... and the other reacts at every lil buff of an event...
saluting Mr. A Khan... and if Mr S Khan... if you have any pride left in with you... please don't make such movies ever again... make an impact by virtue of your abilities... and not your capacity...
about the movie... irfan was really good... but in my opinion you shouldn't have agreed for such a degradation... lara as a homely housewife... was good too... but SRK... nevermind...
if you really want to know...go if you must have to... in my opinion-spare this one...
And all those critics who've given it a great review... I've got ten fingers too choose from... you've got two... I guess you are smart enough to know which ones are for you...
rating: 2/10
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
new fav in my playlist...
Rascal flatts - what hurts the most
I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house
That don't bother me
I can take a few tears now and then and just let them out
I'm not afraid to cry every once in a while
Even though going on with you gone still upsets me
There are days every now and again I pretend I'm ok
But that's not what gets me
click here to get the complete link
I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house
That don't bother me
I can take a few tears now and then and just let them out
I'm not afraid to cry every once in a while
Even though going on with you gone still upsets me
There are days every now and again I pretend I'm ok
But that's not what gets me
click here to get the complete link
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
"Quote- unQuote"
The simplest questions are the most profound. Where were you born? Where is your home? Where are you going? What are you doing? Think about these once in a while and watch your answers change. ~Richard Bach
read the above at a fellow bloggers Quote- Unquote section...
and kinda had these Questions cropped up immediately:
- do we know our name?
- what does our name mean to us?
- what does it mean to our family & friends
- what does it mean to everyone?
- do we really know what we are supposed to do?
- do we have the distinctive purpose?
when do we exactly stop sleepwalking through our lives
read the above at a fellow bloggers Quote- Unquote section...
and kinda had these Questions cropped up immediately:
- do we know our name?
- what does our name mean to us?
- what does it mean to our family & friends
- what does it mean to everyone?
- do we really know what we are supposed to do?
- do we have the distinctive purpose?
when do we exactly stop sleepwalking through our lives
Sunday, February 8, 2009
to grow or go...
Which is better... to grow with or to go away...?
I guess the answer most of us would opt for is to grow with... but still many of us in our daily lives choose the easy way out... go away...
As in if there is a situation that is to be dealt with, doesn't really matter, how small or big it is... do we choose to stand up, accept and work alongside it... or we simply decide that we ignore it for the time being... by shifting our focus to something else, and hence subdueing the immediate effect of it...
My guess... we all take the second option...
I have done the same, many a times... hoping the realization helps...
cheers...
I guess the answer most of us would opt for is to grow with... but still many of us in our daily lives choose the easy way out... go away...
As in if there is a situation that is to be dealt with, doesn't really matter, how small or big it is... do we choose to stand up, accept and work alongside it... or we simply decide that we ignore it for the time being... by shifting our focus to something else, and hence subdueing the immediate effect of it...
My guess... we all take the second option...
I have done the same, many a times... hoping the realization helps...
cheers...
Thursday, February 5, 2009
It's time ... I need "The Doors" dose...
"People are afraid of themselves, of their own reality; their feelings most of all. People talk about how great love is, but that's bullshit. Love hurts. Feelings are disturbing. People are taught that pain is evil and dangerous. How can they deal with love if they're afraid to feel? Pain is meant to wake us up. People try to hide their pain. But they're wrong. Pain is something to carry, like a radio. You feel your strength in the experience of pain. It's all in how you carry it. That's what matters. Pain is a feeling. Your feelings are a part of you. Your own reality."
-Jim Morrison
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
"thought for the day"
Life is too short to wake up with regrets.
So love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don't.
Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.
If it changes your life, let it.
Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.
Friday, January 30, 2009
"Luck By Chance"
hmmm
I really can't make up my mind on what to write about this movie...
there is a story... of a struggling actor... how he uses everyone to carve a name for himself in the world of Bollywood.
Then by the time the movie is over... the story takes a pro-feministic arrpoach...
There are a few powerful scenes... few of the harsh realities of life have been portrayed brilliantly...
Rishi Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia... were absolutely brilliant... only to be outdone by Farhan's brilliant performance... Hrithik's Cameo... was the breather from the serious scenes...
About the movie... I'm not really sure of how to rate it...
Overall Rating...: ##/10
I really can't make up my mind on what to write about this movie...
there is a story... of a struggling actor... how he uses everyone to carve a name for himself in the world of Bollywood.
Then by the time the movie is over... the story takes a pro-feministic arrpoach...
There are a few powerful scenes... few of the harsh realities of life have been portrayed brilliantly...
Rishi Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia... were absolutely brilliant... only to be outdone by Farhan's brilliant performance... Hrithik's Cameo... was the breather from the serious scenes...
About the movie... I'm not really sure of how to rate it...
Overall Rating...: ##/10
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
"Seven Pounds"
I saw it once and immediately saw it again.... to be in touch with all the details of the story...
This ones a real good one... an emotional drama... and it gives you a lot to think about...
Will Smith & Rosario Dawson... were both brilliant...
No Spoilers here, about the story...
One request: Watch it till the end...
Rating: 8.5/10
Monday, January 26, 2009
26th January
Today is 26th January-
The relevance:
On this day , in year 1950 the people of India adopted the Constitution of India and declared themselves as a democracy.
I don't intend to comment on the relevance, the implications, the interpretation, the positioning... the global political atmosphere etc.
Writing in this post, to remind us why this day was chosen... if you actually go back in history the Indian Constitution was written and ready in the November of 1949, but we waited for two months to declare ourselves as a Democracy... the answer is something that we all would have read as a part of the curriculum, but I'm not sure many would remember/recall...
In case you don't recollect read on...
Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre is recorded to be one of the most pivotal events in our struggle for freedom. This was one incident which stirred the nation, brought them together, what was until now an outrage against the Britishers in small pockets had strengthened grip... in year 1920, Gandhi ji along with fellow congressmen came together and committed themselves for " Swaraj"... this was later followed by the civil disobedience act, the non cooperation with the British Govt... then Simon Commission... in 1928, when Lal Lajpat Rai was killed... further uproar... and more outrage...
What followed was a stage of reforms and denial of the then Indian political parties by the British Govt.... this in turn helped the oto grow stronger and function as a unified body... the motion to uproot the British from the Indian soil grew stronger. As a revolt to all the British doings, the then congress members, the likes of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Dr. C V Rajgopalachari, Nehru , Gandhi etc. pledged out the Declaration of Independence...on New Years Eve. This was then officially declared on 26th Jan 1930. and ever since 26th Jan was celebrated in India as Independence Day... till 15th August 1947 happened.
So, in order commemorate the 1930 declaration, the consitution though was ready, was to effect from Jan 26th, and now is celebrated as the Republic Day.
This is probably the only thing I remember from the History Books.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
read it somewhere
"Initially, what separates us, is the choice...
eventually
what separates us, is the effort"
eventually
what separates us, is the effort"
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Hinduism...
I got this article in my email. This clarifies much of our thoughts about Hinduism.
"Four years ago, I was flying from JFK NY Airport to SFO to attend a meeting at
I was surprised to see the young girl reading a Bible unusual of young Americans. After some time she smiled and we had few acquaintances talk. I told her that I am from
'I mean, what's your religion? Are you a Christian? Or a Muslim?'
'No!' I replied, 'I am neither Christian nor Muslim'.
Apparently she appeared shocked to listen to that. 'Then who are you?' 'I am a Hindu', I said.
She looked at me as if she was seeing a caged animal. She could not understand what I was talking about.
A common man in
I explained to her - I am born to a Hindu father and Hindu mother. Therefore, I am a Hindu by birth.
'Who is your prophet?' she asked.
'We don't have a prophet,' I replied.
'What's your Holy Book?'
'We don't have a single Holy Book, but we have hundreds and thousands of philosophical and sacred scriptures,' I replied.
'Oh, come on at least tell me who is your God?'
'What do you mean by that?'
'Like we have Jesus and Muslims have Allah - don't you have a God?'
I thought for a moment. Muslims and Christians believe one God (Male God) who created the world and takes an interest in the humans who inhabit it. Her mind is conditioned with that kind of belief.
According to her (or anybody who doesn't know about Hinduism), a religion needs to have one Prophet, one Holy book and one God. The mind is so conditioned and rigidly narrowed down to such a notion that anything else is not acceptable. I understood her perception and concept about faith. You can't compare Hinduism with any of the present leading religions where you have to believe in one concept of god.
I tried to explain to her: 'You can believe in one god and he can be a Hindu. You may believe in multiple deities and still you can be a Hindu. What's more - you may not believe in god at all, still you can be a Hindu. An atheist can also be a Hindu.'
This sounded very crazy to her. She couldn't imagine a religion so unorganized, still surviving for thousands of years, even after onslaught from foreign forces.
'I don't understand but it seems very interesting. Are you religious?'
What can I tell to this American girl?
I said: 'I do not go to temple regularly. I do not make any regular rituals. I have learned some of the rituals in my younger days. I still enjoy doing it sometimes.'
'Enjoy? Are you not afraid of God?'
'God is a friend. No- I am not afraid of God. Nobody has made any compulsions on me to perform these rituals regularly.'
She thought for a while and then asked: 'Have you ever thought of converting to any other religion?'
'Why should I? Even if I challenge some of the rituals and faith in Hinduism, nobody can convert me from Hinduism. Because, being a Hindu allows me to think independently and objectively, without conditioning. I remain as a Hindu never by force, but choice.' I told her that Hinduism is not a religion, but a set of beliefs and practices. It is not a religion like Christianity or Islam because it is not founded by any one person or does not have an organized controlling body like the Church or the Order, I added. There is no institution or authority.
'So, you don't believe in God?' she wanted everything in black and white.
'I didn't say that. I do not discard the divine reality. Our scripture, or Sruthis or Smrithis - Vedas and Upanishads or the Gita - say God might be there or he might not be there. But we pray to that supreme abstract authority (
'Why can't you believe in one personal God?'
'We have a concept - abstract - not a personal god. The concept or notion of a personal God, hiding behind the clouds of secrecy, telling us irrational stories through few men whom he sends as messengers, demanding us to worship him or punish us, does not make sense. I don't think that God is as silly as an autocratic emperor who wants others to respect him or fear him.' I told her that such notions are just fancies of less educated human imagination and fallacies, adding that generally ethnic religious practitioners in Hinduism believe in personal gods. The entry level Hinduism has over-whelming superstitions too. The philosophical side of Hinduism negates all superstitions.
'Good that you agree God might exist. You told that you pray. What is your prayer then?'
'Loka Samastha Sukino Bhavantu. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti,'
'Funny,' she laughed, 'What does it mean?'
'May all the beings in all the worlds be happy.
'Hmm ..very interesting. I want to learn more about this religion. It is so democratic, broad-minded and free' she exclaimed.
'The fact is Hinduism is a religion of the individual, for the individual and by the individual with its roots in the Vedas and the Bhagavad-Gita. It is all about an individual approaching a personal God in an individual way according to his temperament and inner evolution - it is as simple as that.'
'How does anybody convert to Hinduism?'
'Nobody can convert you to Hinduism, because it is not a religion, but a set of beliefs and practices. Everything is acceptable in Hinduism because there is no single authority or organization either to accept it or to reject it or to oppose it on behalf of Hinduism.'
I told her - if you look for meaning in life, don't look for it in religions; don't go from one cult to another or from one guru to the next.
For a real seeker, I told her, the Bible itself gives guidelines when it says '
Loving each and every creation of the God is absolute and real. 'Isavasyam idam sarvam'… Isam (the God) is present (inhabits) here everywhere - nothing exists separate from the God, because God is present everywhere. Respect every living being and non-living things as God. That's what Hinduism teaches you.
Hinduism is referred to as Sanathana Dharma, the eternal faith. It is based on the practice of Dharma, the code of life. The most important aspect of Hinduism is being truthful to oneself. Hinduism has no monopoly on ideas.- It is open to all. Hindus believe in one God (not a personal one) expressed in different forms. For them, God is timeless and formless entity.
Ancestors of today's Hindus believe in eternal truths and cosmic laws and these truths are opened to anyone who seeks them. But there is a section of Hindus who are either superstitious or turned fanatic to make this an organized religion like others. The British coin the word 'Hindu' and considered it as a religion.
I said: 'Religions have become an MLM (multi-level- marketing) industry that has been trying to expand the market share by conversion. The biggest business in today's world is Spirituality. Hinduism is no exception'
I am a Hindu primarily because it professes Non-violence-'Ahimsa Paramo Dharma' - Non violence is the highest duty. I am a Hindu because it doesn't conditions my mind with any faith system."
The above is an article I read... and wanted to spread the awareness of the same... So posted it...
Funnily something similar happened to me... but that's another post
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