Pay Attention!

An unusual thirst!

So I’m at the only South Indian restaurant in a city in Gujarat (yeah! I work there now) waiting for my bisi bele huli anna. My colleague-friend is on the phone and I’m left to my own devices. I take a quick look around at the people engrossed with their food. Bored, I watch the goings-on outside the restaurant. Bang opposite the restaurant is a roadside stall serving Chinese food. What it lacks in ambience, it makes up for in speedy service. A group of people enter the restaurant and occupy the table next to ours. After deliberating on what to order, they start chatting not bothering to keep their voices down. Darn! Where’s my food!! My friend’s still busy with her phone. I focus on mine and work on Feng Shuing (read-uncluttering) my inbox ever bursting its seams with text messages. Food's served now, finally. Suddenly I hear a woman’s voice loud and clear, “I don't know about you, but I cannot resist Cock.” I wheel around to see who is so bold enough to air her sexual preferences in public, just in time to see the woman sip out of her favourite soft drink bottle! And almost deep-throat a spoonful of bisi bele huli anna.

Quotable quotes

"I like being a mess, its who I am."

- Ally McBeal

Chak De!

As usual, my friend Nilesh Rane has beaten me to writing the review of Chak De! So here goes : )

Chak De India!

This one is must watch. “Chak De India’, in a way, symbolizes a resurgent India, breaking free from the shackles of the past and looking ahead for a glorious future.

A film, which I am sure, has touched a chord (or two), in every person, who has seen the movie.

It’s the story of ‘ Kabir Khan’ ( played by a subdued SRK), who is a committed captain of the Indian hockey team, which, loses to Pakistan in the final of the World Cup. Kabir, who takes the last penalty shot, miscues it and is ostracized by the country, with allegations on having ‘sold’ the country for the sake of money.

Kabir, then disappears in the oblivion, only to reappear after 7 years, to exorcise the demons of the past, by coaching a team of 16 girls, which, the Indian sports bureaucracy has written off even before they leave for the world championship.

The movie revolves around the grooming of this ‘underdog of underdogs’ team into a world-beating outfit. The grueling training that their coach puts them through, the sense of self – belief that he instills in them, the camaraderie that he builds in them and ‘can-do’ spirit that he puts in them.

The movie touches upon the sorry state of affairs of women’s sport in the country and the chauvinism, which is omnipresent, even 60 years after India gained her Independence.

The movie has its poignant moments and for once, King Khan has let the limelight shine of this bunch of young girls and a sport, which even the men’s team has very few takers in this country of Cricket lovers.

The Director has kept the pace of the movie even and there isn’t one lax moment. The portrayal is realistic and the characters, very life-like and very believable. The movie does make you sit up and take notice and it involves the audience, in this women’s team tryst with destiny.

You feel a wave of patriotism run through you, as this team, manages to surge ahead, in spite of all odds, and beating some of the top teams of the world. And even as you walk out the theater, you will still find yourself basking in the after-glow of the ‘cinematic’ victory of ‘our’ girls!!

This is a must-watch for every movie-lover, and not just for the joy of watching a good movie, but also, to reaffirm the film industry’s faith in this so called ‘off-beat’ cinema, which also make commercial sense.

The audience is waiting to lap up and endorse good cinema and the powers-that-be of Bollywood better take cognizance of this fact and encourage and support fresh talent, with ideas, which may not be main-stream, but are very refreshing and saleable.

Nilesh Rane

Cat(s)naps3!

Cat(s)naps2!

Cat(s)naps!

Life in a Metro

A review on the movie, Life in a Metro written by my friend, Nilesh Rane. I know its prolly too late to post this now... but I'm sure you'll agree with me when I say it's a well-written review..

SO HERE'S PRESENTING THE GUEST WRITER...NILESH RANE

“Life in a Metro”; the sound of this title conjures up images of a pseudo, modern-day take, on what is a life in a metropolitan city all about.

The director has more than surprised me on this one. Anurag Basu, coming from the “Bhatt” school of film making, has really carved a niche for himself with this splendid effort.

The casting is just right and the script, as crisp, as corn flakes! The pace of the movie, fast enough to keep u engrossed and yet, the movie captures the essence of city dwelling.

The protagonists, there are 7 of ‘em, do have something in common, it's one of them!

KAY KAY and SHILPA SHETTY, are living out a failed marriage…something neither of them have been able to fathom.

SHARMAN JOSHI, as the eager-to-please, exec at a call centre, is believable. KAYKAY, as a disillusioned husband, indulging in sexual liaisons with his starry-eyed KANGANA, is good. But, he has to look at doing varied roles to avoid the risk of getting stereotyped a ‘serious’ actor.

The surprise package of the movie is easily, IRFAN KHAN…a late-thirty something bachelor, with his dry sense of humour and rustiness , which tends to rub, KONKANA SEN, who plays, SSs sister in the movie, the wrong way initially, is adorable.

SHINEY, who, makes his entry, pretty late in the movie, also, has very little to offer, as a out-of-work, theatre artist, trying to find his feet, in a city, which has long buried its theatrical roots!

The director, along the way, also touches upon, some simmering, social issues, like homosexuality and infidelity, without really losing the grip on the film.

The film revolves around the lives of these people, who are seeking salvation, in some form or the other.

Be it Shilpa’s quest to search for love outside marriage, or Konkana’s charmingly sketched, character, who metamorphoses, from a goody-2-shoes, all- believing girl, to a well groomed, with-it girl for the most sought after RJ at her work place, only to discover later, that he is gay;

Be it Irfan Khan’s, search for a ‘eligible’ arrange-marriageable girl, with his libido on his sleeve, which turns Konkana off; or Sharman Joshi’s heart tugging at the sight of Kangana, who, in the mistaken belief of money-can-buy-me-everything, sleeps with her boss , KAYKAY..

Shilpa has again proved in this film, that given the right canvass, she can act well. The mental battles, which her character fights, when, she decides to take that forbidden step into the world of infidelity, are well etched.

Both Shilpa and Shiney, share a good on-screen chemistry, and that helps to enliven the characters..

The music score is also a big plus. PRITAM, has doled out some excellent tracks, with rock as a base, and this is a sure fire chartbuster.

This movie is a treat to watch, a break, for those seeking some refuge from glossy, pop-corn movies.

Watch the movie carefully, maybe, someone in the film, may bring a sense of ‘been there done that to you!’

AAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaRRRGHH!

Have you ever gone a long train journey & felt trapped with a co-passenger or two who drive you up the wall? If yes, skip this post. Read on if you haven't met your nemesis yet.

So, I’m in this boring air-conditioned compartment, foggy windows..and I cant look out. A half-read book that I have picked up and put down several times! I miss the cacophonic shouts of vendors selling chai..kaapi. For company we have Mr. Oil-running-down-his-face and Mrs. Skinny-Dumb-Grim face. Man and wife go about tucking their baggage safely under their berth.. one sidelong glance at me that makes me feel like a Chambal ka Daaku : (

Munch time! Man and wifey can put Mr. Bean’s putting-together-a-sandwich-on-a-park-bench act to shame. Grim-face pulls out a big bag of puffed rice and places it on a spread out newspaper. Mrs Grim-face and Mr. even grimmer than grim face start to partake the meal. Man now regales wifey with tidbits of information that he has obviously picked up from the well thumbed, ‘Trains at a Glance’. Wifey seems super awed by hubby… and rewards him with a bag of chips. I grit my teeth as they take sadistic pleasure in biting noisily into the crispies. A passing vendor provides momentary relief with his melodious rendering (did I say cacophony earlier on? Feigns ignorance) of “Kaapi…Kaapi”. I’ll spare you the details of Man haggling with vendor over the cost of coffee and the slurping sounds that follow : (

I almost forgot to mention about Cool-Dude a 25-something, the other co-passenger. All my attempts to strike up a conversation with him come to a naught. He is more interested in reading up the half-a-dozen Commando comics that he is carrying with him. I wanna screaaaaaaam!

So I try and focus on my book- Bare Bones by Kathy Reichs. And just when I reach an interesting part…

Man: Are you really going to read till 10 p.m?

Me: Errm..

Man: We have the habit of sleeping early. (Sic!)

Me: (looks at cool-dude, shrugs, sulks)

I’m too polite and tired to protest lest Mr. Grim-face lectures me on the virtues of sleeping early. I put away my book, grab my blanket and try to sleep.

Man pulls out a suitcase, unlocks it, carefully pulls out his nightwear, locks his suitcase, goes to the washroom, changes, pulls out his suitcase yet again, in goes the carefully folded shirt and trouser, out comes the scarf, locks the suitcase, pushes it back under the berth. Sigh!

Me in my jeans and tees looks comparatively under-dressed.

I try and squeeze my eyes (and ears shut) as a series of plastic bags crackle to life and die in succession. Sounds of plastic bottles being twisted and crushed out of shape. The place looks like a Poltergeist was just here. I turn to the other side and try to think of happier times…music.. friends.. books..THIS ISN’T helping a BIT! Try movies…the beach.. the mountains...SEX! Man choses this exact moment to chant his prayers and me goes, “God forgive me for I have sinned : (“

Man helps wifey get on to the upper berth. Man and wife create a dust storm as they shake out the blankets and make sure there are no roaches or lizards lying in wait for them.

Lights off!

I close my eyes shut and go off to Zzz-land only to wake up to the noise of russstling plastic bags. Husband and wifey get into the morning routine. Out comes a bag…a toothbrush.. an oil bottle?

Moral of the Story: I’m not gonna be travelling for a long long time…

P.S. The only saving grace of this trip, my co-conspirator Cool-dude-hunk without whom I would have jumped out of the train out of sheer boredom, Ajji 1 and Ajji 2 who get together with me as we bitch about the oily-noisy-grim couple after they get off the train*Grins

that's me!