Lafangey Parindey

What do you expect from a love story now-a-days? Should it be different? Should it be unique? Should it be one of a kind? But how many times have you come across a love story that is different or unique? You'd say none! I wouldn't disagree. But, Lafangey Parindey somehow doesn't go down as common love story.  


She, a wannabe figure skater, cannot see. He, a bare-knuckles street-fighter, doesn't need to. But both Pinky Palkar(Deepika Padukone) and Nandan Kamtekar(Neil Nitin Mukesh) have their sights firmly set on a better life, a life beyond the mean backstreets of Mumbai.
One Shot Nandu, as he is called, fights blindfolded every week for Satta King(Piyush Mishra) and lays his opponent low with one blow, always wins.
Pinky, dreams of making it big by winning a reality show but an accident takes away her eye sight and then she is supported by Nandu to refocus her goal. Dekhne ko aankh nai keeda maangta hai. This is the lesson he gives to Pinky. She starts using her all sense organs to offset the absence of sight. Together they form an unlikely pair, but as fate had decided they fall in love and with predictable twists and turns and finally achieve their goals.


The movie is a predictable ride from the beginning, but the typical Mumbai lingo along with fine performances of specially supporting actors prevent you from looking at your watch and the ceiling. The first half is  slow and little boring but the skate dancing in the second half is the saving grace. Many scenes do bring smiles and laughs during the movie.


Neil Nitin is evolving. He has done extremely well. Deepika is finally learning to act. This is her finest performance to date. Piyush Mishra is exceptional. As stated earlier, the supporting actors have done a brilliant job. Music by R. Anandh is good. Special note for the song Man Lafanga sung by Mohit Chauhan. Choreography is top notch. Bosco-Caeser are sure to get many accolades for the skate dancing in the climax of the movie. Dialogues by Gopi Puthran are hilarious. Action and cinematography are OK. Pradeep Sarkar of Parineeta and Laga Chunari Me Daag fame surely has attempted a very different genre this time. He doesn't succeed, nor he fails. The movie is perfect mixture of entertainment and boredom. Seldom you get bored and often you laugh.


To conclude, I would say go for it, if you are looking for a complete masala Bollywood flick and some brilliant skate dancing. 


My Rating: 6/10


Thanks & Regards  


   

PEEPLI [Live]

                         



Bollywood is changing finally! Bigtime!! Makers are now finally shifting their focus on realistic movies rather than making movies having same old cliches and melodrama. Latest film to add in the list is Peepli Live. Produced by ever dependable Aamir Khan, the movie has no big name in the star cast but kudos to Débutante Director Anusha Rizwi's superb screenplay and direction and combining with monstrous marketing strategies by Aamir Khan this created waves worldwide.


The subject of the movie is simple yet thought provoking. As India moves to an industrialized economy, farmers are committing suicide. Self-serving politicians at all government levels have been unwilling or unable to do anything about this. While the movie might appear as a spoof on the farmer suicides but it ends up conveying much more and presents some shocking facts.


Peepli residents Natha(Omkar Das) and elder brother Budhia(Raghuveer Yadav)after losing their land to the bank for not paying up their loan take the jest seriously and decide to volunteer. Natha decides to commit suicide and it becomes a big news. Reporters Nandita Malik(Malaika Shenoy), Deepak(Vishal Sharma) and a local reporter Rakesh(Nawazuddin) along with others make it a big issue and eventually the positions of many ministers is at stake. What follows is a very well directed satire.


Anusha Rizwi has handled her directorial debut like a pro.The lingo is earthy and much humour is derived from the manner it is spoken by the characters. Anusha leaves no stone unturned to poke fun of vote hungry politicians. Acting Department is ruled by Omkar Das and Vishal Sharma. Expressions given by the former make his character very endearing and the dialogues spoken by the latter are hilarious. Raghuveer Yadav has enacted his role impressively! Nawazzudin is exceptional as the reporter whose conscience awakens. Shankar Raman's Camera work makes a good impact. Music by Indian Ocean is OK.


To conclude, I would say go for it if you really want to see bollywood coming of its age and of course because its an Aamir Khan Production.


My Rating: 7/10


Thanks & Regards 

Destined to be Friends....!

I have a normal routine. I wake up in the afternoon, have my breakfast at 2 p.m., take a bath at 3 p.m. and again go to sleep..I, then wake up at 7 p.m., have my lunch and surf useless sites on the internet( come on guys.. we know they are not useless) and then chit chat with my buddies through sms and social networking sites. As soon as the clock ticks 12 a.m. i get a notification that my mom has left the dinner in the kitchen and i need to eat it. At 5 a.m. i feel sleepy and then i see nothing but my bed. I lie down and i recall all the good i did the whole noon and night. The only thing i recollect is chatting with friends. I try to recall their names and their faces. Then i try to recollect the names of all those who are worthy enough to be given a 'really good friend' status. Finally, just when my eyes are on the verge of closing, i come across with one question: 'What the hell is friendship?'


People have their own ways of defining frienship. My take is not very different, i think friendship is nothing but a bond that a group of people share. It can be strong or it can be very strong and as we know every statement has an exception: It can be very very strong! That exception can only find its existense between two people. The way they communicate, the way they understand each other, the way they know what's cooking in one's mind, the way they miss each other but are not gutsy enough to speak about it(afraid of being called gay!) and finally the way they come to know how the other is feeling by just having a look into the eye! I'm sure everyone(including you) have that exceptional friend( and if not, then don't worry, i'm available).


Now the question arises, why am i talking about friendship when a lot has been spoken over it. The answer is very predicatble. I'm missing that exceptional friend of mine.


I entered my new classroom in my new school on 17th April, 2004( yes! i can never forget this date). New faces, new walls, new books, new environment and ofcourse new teachers( sorry for mentioning the word 'teacher' in this post). I was kinda afraid( naah! me afraid! eh?). Trying to sound studious i enquired about the topper of the previous class so i could go and get acquainted with him. Satwik Sharma, yes that was the name i was told. An ordinary looking guy with a semi-serious look sat on the first row. Little did i know that someday i'd get an opportunity of complaining god for not making him my blood brother. So, Satwik Sharma, an unsolved enigma he is, a person with a heart of gold, a person with the brain of all the brainiacs, yet a person with very ordinary looks.( that wasn't needed but then i don't want all of you to start praising him; makes me feel jealous).


Blame his luck or praise my destiny, he turned out to be my be neighbour. I was learning to drive scooter then, so i used to go at his place everyday, and chat for almost an hour. Such was his gesture, despite knowing the fact that i was a certified moron and really bad at studies, he never refused to talk or never made excuses for getting me out of his house. My bonding with him became stronger gradually, we started going to coaching classes together and i have to admit it guys, that was the period we used to have unlimited fun. Shouting on empty roads( ok, sometimes roads weren't empty and mostly the one shouting was me), driving Activa in the most crazy way we could ever think, stopping at unusual places and peeing, eating different kinds of shit at different kinds of road side stalls, sharing our daily routine with each other and yeah some times we used to discuss studies too( means he used to teach me whenever we used to have tests). Sitting with him in the class also was a different experience. It was only then i used to realize how intelligent he is. Just listening to his conversation with the teachers taught me more than the textbooks.
And yeah, sitting with him in the tests also helped me a lot.


Time passed, we went to three different coaching centers in three years, and yeah riding with him on all these days was an unforgettable experience, time came when we had to part ways. No, we did not go to different colleges. I opted for a college and he decided to drop an year to perform better the next year. Since, being labelled as genius by everyone, expectations were high from him. But, due to some reasons, his result was not upto the mark( as people say, but the fact was that his was better than almost of all us'). He could easily have got a very good college with his rank but he wanted 'better'. So, unfortunately we had to part ways( anyways i could never have managed the score he got), but we stayed in touch although i kept in mind not to disturb him as i really wanted him to get a better rank and college the next year.


Results out, he got a very prestigious institute and that was the day when i predicted, the teaching staff will soon come to know what a gem they have in their college. Years have passed, both of us have become mature( mostly me! and that too in a very little way) but our bond has only become stronger. Although our way of talking is still the same and so is everything. I look upto him for any problem i get stuck into and like always he is the man for my rescue. I share all my joys and sorrows with him and i wish our 'bond' becomes stronger exponentially.


See, someone has rightly said that the invention of short message service in mobile phones is nothing but a curse, one tends to think so much just because of normal sms chatting.


And then, again I wake up in the afternoon and i pass my day in the same way as stated above.

Once Upon A Time In Mumbai

Lets get straight, if you think Once Upon A Time In Mumbai is a biopic, you're wrong. A police officer(Randeep Hooda) who once traced the changing face of the Mumbai Underworld narrates all his experiences and all his unintentional mistakes which affected everything. Almost every movie-goer has a fascination for gangster movies, and yeah it does not disappoint(almost).. It recreates the era which so many of us have left behind and those who arrived on this planet after 80s.

Once Upon A Time In Mumbai is a story that talks about the entry of mafia for the first time in Mumbai and things unfolded in course of time. It talks about the rise and subsequent fall of the King, and the emergence of the Prince as the super power.  It talks about the dialogues which ruled 70s era. It talks about the chic retro look which was the trademark of that era.

The plot does resemble with lives of Haji Mastan(allegedly played by Ajay Devgn) and Dawood Ibrahim(allegedly played by Emraan Hashimi) but whatever is, the screenplay is engrossing and keeps you hooked until you feel about complaining for the length when things get slow in the second half and gradually in the end. But, the dialogues do get lots of claps and whistles in not few but many scenes. Recreating the bygone era is tough and the director, the writer and the art director deserve brownie points for giving the film that authentic feel.

As for acting, Emraan is sure to break free from his lover boy image with this film. This is his finest performance to date. Ajay Devgn has become repetitive, his dialogue delivery and expressions betray you many times, although his character is very strong and he has played it effectively. There was nothing much to do for the ladies(Prachi and Kangana), but they managed to portray their roles 'beautifully'. Randeep Hooda, too, performed well. Pritam's music( in spite of the fact the music is never really 'his') is an ace. But, it was the background score which left an lasting impression even when the movie ended.

When the screenplay is powerful and engaging, direction has to be brilliant. Milan Lutharia successfully recreated that era and his work is exemplary. There should be a special note of the dialogues, also written by Rajat Arora( screenplay) which are fantabulous.

To conclude, I would just say, go for it if you really are interested in the dialogues which no longer have there existence these days(of course allegedly)

My Rating: 7/10

Thanks & Regards 

Engineers.............are they???

engineering......for aspirants---the word fills his/her mind wid flashes of jee, aieee...drifting them in a dream whr they crack iit n get a top slot in iit k, get a grt cgpa of 9.8, become a gold medallist, get placed in an MNC and so on and so forth.....they get deeper into the maze of dreamland until BANNGGG.............the results pull them back to reality....

the worst part starts then.....not evryone is lucky (and has high intelligence level) to crack the IITs or even NITs....the rest of the crowd (this section comprises majority) has to go into the lesser known world of prvt universities, prvt colgs....
then the nightmare starts.......searching thru newspapers, internet, magazines....gathering all info abt the colgs and tapping the most reliable source(v consider) --- thru ppl studyng thre....(and somehow the most reliable sources r the ones to giv the worst feedback!!)

exploring the options....scrutiny of every aspect of the colgs starts...getting satisfied with the campus photographs(ghossh.. i pictured my colg to be much more beautiful!!)....fees structure..faculty...hostel..

location...the list goes on n on...

after a month of mental torment..a colg is pin pointed that is okayed by the parents in each area.......the great ordeal of admission starts from the many rounds to the colg...
talking to many ppl....submitting innumerable photocopies of marksheet....filing out forms...pasting photos..choosing branch................phewww...tiring wrk!!

but the outcome is quite pleasant(initially it sounds to be).....the mind again drifts into another dreamland...though the dream overall remains same jus the place changes--this tym its the new colg!!

the engineer-to-be wears a look of victorious warrior, who has won an arduous battle....the preparation fr the colg lyf starts weeks before...shopping list consists of every article possible to make us feel at home in hostl....then advices from all corners pop up(adding to the confusion)...

the big day arrives....first day in colg...with hearts fluttering, butterflies in stomach, the 'first yrs' embark upon their graduation... the seniors eye the junior most batch like a hawk...and then..there goes the most feared part...ragging!!

ragging starts from a quiet intro (generally in 'shuddh' hindi) to being lizard, rabbit..(and evry possible animal...)......ragging attains its peak in the boundaries of the hostels.....from being superman to playing live 'mario', 'prince of persia'..from being ridiculed to wishing '90degree' morning and evening to seniors...from sayng yes to evrythng they say to dancing n singing to the tunes of 'atthanni chawanni'.............all this makes helps foster a jovial n friendly atmosphere(huhh...everyone knows nothing friendly happens during ragging... rubbish!!)

gradually as frst yrs settle down in their lyf..get rid of homesickness(though it never wears off)...get comfrtable wid d internals n externals(both go hopeless, in any case)...its tym for them to move on to being the seniors...(yess...it is indeed that fast!!)
tym really flies....their juniors come...they r ragged...n so on...

the in between span comprises of waking up late till early morning...pangs of sudden homesickness...peer pressure fr various thngs(ya ya...u got it..i mean "those" things only)...hitting the worst low marks till date...attendance shortage......but the memories r born out of these.....going to places on weekend wid d group(gang is more appropriate though..)....bunking lectures to catch the frst day show of the muvi(generally the silliest muvis)....njoying labs as if they r meant specially for gossipping...talking to ur crush...leg pulling...sharing--jus evrythng..food, notes, books..in shrt--ur soul(dats 100% true!!).....

the only tym that an engineering student is really worked up is the semester xam(of course...wen u njoy the whole sem..dats wat happens!!)....parents expect the same marks as that in school(god plz...make them understand its no child's play to score marks here..)...last night preparation...going sleepless for days at stretch...suddenly renouncing all worldly pleasures(dat excludes msging, facebuking n gossiping..).....tryng to stuff as much as possble in the little grey cells in one night.......the result is generally "average"(thankfully...bcoz the worst is expected)!!

suddenly one day..the realization dawns upon the students that it is the final year...they wil walk out as 'engineers'(i know i know....every single engineer laughs at himself/herself silently..wondering wat exactly did he/she did to have this degree..).....but they surely take a joyful memorabilia with them...friends for lyftym(yah...those bunch of ppl who stood by their side throughout...coz they wer equally crazy!!)...and a tag of 'Engineer'!!!!!

An Unforgettable Bet!

Category: Possibly Impossible!


This incident happened in 2008 when i had finished my adjustments in the college i got admitted to( are vahi... ragging!).. All my friends got admissions in respectable colleges and i was the one who got into the college which noone ever heard of. So i used to feel jealous everyday(par jitni ladkiya mere college me hain utni kahi nai! :D). And it all happened when i decided to visit my friend in IIT- Delhi!

Ever since Chetan Bhagat's Five Point Someone released, it has been considered as Bible in IIT-D( are bhai HOD ki ladki ko jo fasa liya tha).. Students try to do everything written in their 'Bible'.. Going to the same places, eating at same places where the characters of the 'Bible' went( par aajtak HOD chhodo.. kisi se peon ki ladki bhi nai fasi).. And yeah.. drinking and smoking at same places where their 'Bible' told them to!

My freind Taran{name changed} (as if anybody really cares), who also followed the 'Bible' but couldn't complete the task, told me that he and his group bought a bottle of vodka but they couldnt drink as it was bitter and was kept like a trash in his cupboard.. I had neither drank before nor i was planning to in future( par mann me laddoo foot rahe the ki saamne vodka rakhi hai :P).. After much insistence he changed my mind and convinced me to try it for once(bet jo laga di usne.. ki mai pi nai sakta).. He said if i drink one full tumbler( :-O LOL!) i would win hundred bucks( bottle khatam karke fekne ka bahana tha).. I agreed!

The first sip was very very bitter( ab mai juice thode hi pi raha tha), the second one was even more bitter( laga jaise i was drinking water mixed with cowdung.... aur haan i haven't tasted cowdung.. incase u think).. He sensed victory and started rejoicing.. I then closed my nose, eyes and then drank the whole tumbler in one sip! My neck changed its color to blue.. My throat made me feel as if i had consumed tube light pieces.. And all i could see was nothing( mai andha ho gaya tha.. bu hu hu).. And when i opened my eyes next i was lying in a cricket ground with Taran and many others looking over me as if i had met with a tragic accident.. But... What the heck! They all started laughing!


I demanded explanation for everything realizing two hours had passed since i held up that tumbler filled with vodka.. He then said,"Nothing mate.. You just blacked out.. Nothing else.."

(sala %^#$%@@#@%^& kahi ka.. kuchh nai bataya.. doosro se pata chala... I had started singing 'tum to thehre pardesi' loudly.. Then i went nuts as I went into the seniors room and started jumping in front of them.. They got furious and told me to dance infront of everyone.. I obeyed them and started dancing and while i was displaying my exotic moves i went down the hostel and attracted everybody with my dance.. Then i saw students playing cricket and i ran onto the pitch and i started singing 'ae kya bolti tu' and started doing bhangra.. The batsman got irritated and he hit me with his bat and i felt unconsious!).


I was very relieved when he told me that I just had a black out and nothing else and I gracefully won my hundred bucks( vo to baad me pata chala ki mera mujra dekhne ke baad many conrtibuted five bucks! :x )



PS: I couldn't believe i actually sang those songs! :P

INCEPTION

What is the most resilient parasite? An Idea! Yes, Nolan has created something with his unbelievably, incredibly and god-gifted braniac idea which will blow the minds of the audience away. The world premiere of the movie, directed by Hollywood's most inventive dreamers, was shown in London and  has already got top notch reviews worldwide and has scored maximum points! Now the question arises what the movie has that it deserves all this?

Dom Cobb(Di Caprio) is an extractor who is paid to invade the dreams of various business tycoons and steal their top secret ideas. Cobb robs forcefully the psyche with practiced skill, though he's increasingly haunted by the memory of his late wife, Mal (Marion Cotillard), who has a nasty habit of showing up in his subconscious and wreaking havoc on his missions. Cobb had been involved so much in his heist work that he had lost his love!

But then, as fate had decided, a wealthy business man Saito( Ken Watanabe) hands over the responsibility of dissolving the empire of his business rival Robert Fischer Jr.(Cillian Murphy). But this time his job was not to steal the idea but to plant a new one: 'Inception'

Then what happens is the classic heist movie tradition. To carry out the the task, Cobb's 'brainiac' specialists team up again with him, Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), his longtime organizer; Tom Hardy (Eames), a "forger" who can shapeshift at will; and Yusuf (Dileep Rao), a powerful sedative supplier.  

There is only one word to describe the cinematography, the set designs and the speical effects, and that is Exceptional! You dont just watch the scenes happening, you feel them. The movie is a real thrill ride. The action scenes are well picturised and the music by Hans Zimmer is electronically haunting. Never, in the runtime of the movie, you will get a chance to move your eyes from the screen to any other object.


Leonardo, who is still popularly known for Jack Dawson played by him in Titanic, should be relieved as his role as Dom Cobb will be remembered forever. His performance may or may not fetch him an Oscar but it will be his finest performance till date. The supporting cast too did an extraordinary work. Christopher Nolan, ah! what a man he is. His work is nothing less than a masterpiece and he deserves all the awards in the 'Best Director' category. If "Inception" is a metaphysical puzzle, it's also a metaphorical one: It's hard not to draw connections between Cobb's dream-weaving and Nolan's film making, intended to seduce us, mess with our heads and leave an ever-lasting impression.

To conclude, I would just say before your life ends, do yourself a favor by experiencing this exceptionally lucid classic created by Nolan!


My Rating: 10/10

Thanks & Regards