Agantuk (The Stranger)/[Bengali].

Two hours into the psyche of the finest Indian film-maker can be very refreshing. As he takes his pot-shots at a double-standard-society through his sarcastic, but witty lines. Where a guest is "welcomed" subject to terms and conditions.He goes ahead to suggest, whether Urbanization has actually helped the human-race !!! Infact, this "always-look-good" society has paid so much heed to the "orthodox-mannerisms" that we have lost that simplicity, which used to be a desirable trait once upon a time.



Satyajit Ray, with his last offering "Agantuk" captivates the viewer with genuine ambiguity when an uninvited guest announces his arrival into his "supposed-niece's" house. The basic plot is a cracker of a idea, but the execution had to be tricky. How do u take the narrative forward, without avoiding the principal characters turning into mock-detectives ?!! More importantly...how do you end it, and still keep the ambiguity intact ?? And just when i have mentally-dissected this film do i realize that i've just begun to discover the work of a genius-story teller.



My favourite thing about this movie is that it has long intellectual conversations. Many infact. Some may find it difficult to deal with, as Utpal Dutt (Protagonist) goes to great lengths to make his point to the "Society-puppets". One of my favourite instances in the film is where the protagonist (shockingly !!) defends CANNIBALS. But he later clarifies that it goes without saying that what Cannibals do is barbaric, but then why isn't the same said about the airline-pilots who by the press of a button wipe out the roots of an entire city ?! Sophisticated, is it ?! Listening to this are the characters and the audience in total awe... !! Another favourite moment in the film is when the protagonist sees his "supposed-niece" joining some tribal dancers for a dance. Seeing this he says to her husband (sarcastically), "Before this, I had a doubt whether she really was my niece or not !!! But seeing this...i must accept she is MY niece, afterall !!"



The Actors are all top-notch. Utpal Dutt, as the protagonist gives us perfect poise in his expressions. Awes us by his incredibly Encyclopedic-knowledge (Which is obviously SATYAJIT RAY speaking to us through his characters) about other languages, countries and the indian society overall. Dipankar Dey is the ever-suspecting husband, but he optimizes it with middle-class-nobility. Mamata Shankar, is my favourite character in the film because she's in a constant-dilemma whether she should bow to her Uncle's-charm OR her Husband's-skepticism. Which quite often makes her teary-eyed in the movie. Rabi Ghosh and Dhritiman Chatterjee, leave lasting impressions as a consequence of those beautifully-written conversations.



This is one movie to be watched, so as to arrest the ideals of an "aware human being". Who, using his precise yet humourous tone wanted people to understand the shift that the society has undergone, and how the "orthodox-mannerism" have turned into an obligation. The simplicity has gone missing somewhere........

UDAAN - Movie review.

A flight, i thouroughly enjoyed inspite of all the turbulence beneath the surface of its characters.

I've been dying to watch this movie for the past month since its release...But after
emptying my pockets on INCEPTION (Twice :P) i hardly had a choice but to wait for it.
Today i found it on my DTH, and a breath of fresh air hit me.

Its amazing, how rare... "good movies" have become. And who else can u expect it from but ANURAG KASHYAP - one of the most exciting film-makers in the country !! Watching a movie like UDAAN ......is like listening to a soulful song, where u will find a new meaning everytime u re-visit. The Movie is uncompromised, thus it may seem drab to some "masala-entertainment-seeking-audience". But, lets clarify once and for all that a song is still no replacement for a sensible scene.

The script is an engaging story of a 17-year old dealing with a dysfunctional family after being expelled from his Boarding school. An authoritarian father, a 6-year old half brother (who he did not even know existed) and being dumped into an engineering college are only a start for Rohan (Rajat Barmecha), our protagonist. His dreams of being writer are trashed away by his over-bearing father the day he arrives. Here on, it is a simple story of how he is going to stay put with his father, rather... for how long ??

Rajat Barmecha, as a seventeen year old "Rohan" gives us a performance that has hit me like a dart of slow poison. Its less expressive, but where he is emoting right into your heart.His little brother "Arjun" (Aayan Barodiya) is the most heart-warming character of the year.Ronit Roy, as the "pushy and un-caring" father gives us my favourite performance of the movie.He is strict, intense and violent, but what makes Ronit Roy such a towering performer is that he is always measured. He never over-does it, hence it does not turn him into a caricatured-villain. He is till the end a "Father", afterall.

The music is haunting, and relieving at the same time. Amit Trivedi gives us a champion soundtrack. The songs have been used perfectly, never too loud and always fitting the situation, hence does not highlight them prominently. There lies the beauty of the Soundtrack.A special mention for Amitabh Bhattacharya & Anurag Kashyap for the literary-rich Poems/lyrics, which have become so rare too. Mahendra Shetty's silhouettes are not too flashy, but just about perfect to potray the distance between the characters.

The real stars of this movie are Vikramaditya Motwane (Director) who makes a rock-solid debut and the Writers Vikramaditya Motwane/Anurag Kashyap who give us witty lines to feed on, and some pretty intense scenes (So pleasing to watch !!!)

A good movie is so great to watch, even these poignant ones..which leave a void once
they are over. Three Cheers for the team of UDAAN, it is movies like these, which should be made instead of those "Sajid/Farah-Khan-entertainers".

Christopher Nolan: The Wizard of Hollywood !!

How does he do it??? How is it possible that every time I think he cannot out-do his last project, he comes up with something even more intricate and complex ??? Let me get this straight from the start, that INCEPTION (like every movie-buff knows…by now!!) is set in dreams. In dreams, everything is possible….Hence Nolan had the toughest task to justify that randomness of a dream, but also had to make sure that they aren’t gimmicky and there was logic behind the randomness. He fuses absurdity and logic into such a beautiful mix, that the viewer is hooked to the very last second.

All those viewers…who love attending calls and replying to texts in between movies, may have to forget about their cell-phones for 2 Hrs 22 Minutes..!! Missing a scene, could get u all fuzzy for the rest of the movie. Watch, listen and read (yeah…they’ve released it with subtitles in India) and surrender yourself to Nolan’s creation for the above mentioned tenure.

The Subject is complex, and a bad film-maker could’ve totally ruined the subject. But Its Chris Nolan, of course!! The script and the screenplay are both brain-teasing, and they need you to follow each and every moment of the film. The Movie has been shot in 6 different countries, so don’t get fooled by the complex plot, at heart it is after all a Blockbuster. Stunning visuals, and alongside the ever-gray human emotion give the film its emotional depth to feel for the characters. As if Sci-Fi and Drama weren’t enough, Nolan treats us with some jaw-dropping action sequences (Like the one…in which a freight-train runs across a city!!). Plenty of chase sequences will keep even the dumbest viewers interested. Wally Pfister (DOP) was noticed for his contribution with the I-Max cameras for DARK KNIGHT, he takes the camera a level ahead….right into the character’s head. Hans Zimmer is hands down, an amazing artiste. The background score compliments the film scene-wise. Not very showy, and there lies its beauty.

The Actors hardly surprise. An ensemble cast, put together by Nolan delivers. Leo DiCaprio is your go-to man for such dark and disturbing roles. He just replaced Tom Hanks as my favorite actor, after awe-inspiring performances in both SHUTTER ISLAND and this. He has this gift of conveying the confusion and illusions of his character, which I’ve seen no one doing any better than this. The connection he shares with his audience is magical. Joseph-Gordon Levitt as the ally (ARTHUR), Ken Watanabe as Mr. Saito (The one who hires Leo and Joseph), Ellen Page as Ariadne (The Prodigy architect for the dreams), Cilian Murphy and the charming Tom Hardy as the Mr. Eames (The ultimate forger in the dream world). A special mention for Marion Cotillard as Mal (Leo’s dead wife…who is the reason for his confusion for choosing between the real and the dream world) is beautiful and haunting at the same time.

All and all, the murkiness of the plot intrigues, than any recent movie…I can remember.
U wanna watch it ?? Watch it on the big screen, that’s what u as a movie-goer deserve and also this is the minimum respect Nolan commands.

My rating - ****

Loud-Thoughts of an Article-Assistant……on his first Business visit !!!!

“Good Morning, son!! How was your journey??”

This is how…I was expecting my Boss to reply to my Good-morning-wish when we met him at the Thivim-Train Station (Goa). That’s when my Boss’ son (yes…that annoying jackass came along!!!) woke me up…in his typical “cool-wannabe-Bandra” accent “Hey Dude…Do u want Omelet Or Cutlet for Breakfast ??” “An Omlette sounds good enough…!!” I replied.

We reached the Thivim Station at around 11am. The moment I pre-visualized of greeting my Boss with a Good morning-wish….was approaching, and so could I feel the suspense building. That’s when he comes in his Navy-Blue Swift…to pick us up. “Good Morning….Sir !!” I say with great anticipation; and I get Silence for a reply…!

FIRST DAY…..

We are driven straight to our House-cum Office (i.e. we use the Bedrooms to Sleep, While the Hall is equipped with the necessary PCs, I-T Reckoners, and Client-Files) in Mapusa. No Television. The Wimbledon Finals – WC (Football) Finals are lined up for the next 2 Sundays, I am preparing myself for a heart-break as I am going to miss them both while, my friends will be watching it in the comfort of their living rooms. As I know my Boss, he is not too keen on things, that do not influence his Business (His Profession, actually!!). We freshen up and get ready for an Internal Audit Assignment (as we were told earlier!!). We first go for Lunch…and then head off to our Client’s Place in Miramar.

Note : My First day…was spent going through vintage files…with papers scattering all over the place. And my Re-imbursement calculations stand at Rs 500/- for the Dinner !!

THE NEXT DAY….

BREAKING NEWS….. BREAKING NEWS….My Boss’ son says something sensible. I forgot to mention this in the earlier day’s entry that the place we were given for working was a nice plush Apartment, which looked good enough to stay. He makes this suggestion to his Dad (My Boss!) that instead of going back to Mapusa we should stay back in Miramar. And surprise…surprise…..we have a television at our disposal in that apartment until then no Sound from my Boss’ son had made me any happier.

THE DAYS THAT FOLLOW…..

We are working our backsides off, putting in 12-14 hour shifts. Right from 9.30 am to 10.00-10.30 pm. I know…..there are lots of “people” grinning at this…”people” who work longer without making a big deal about it (Dad…..!). But 12 hours a day is my cracking point, that’s when I lose interest in work totally.

Oh yes…forgot to tell u that “Sir” (My Boss) went back within 2 days of our arrival !! So its up to his son to..take care of our Dinners and Lunches (Is there a plural for “Lunch”? ) And that Jackass…(Yes…he is one for sure….which u will get comfortable with…in due course) makes no suggestions of leaving work. Its 10.00pm…..all Restaurants are about to close….(they close around 10.30 – 11.00) and we’re still waiting for a “Lets Pack up guys…Time for Dinner !!”. A suggestion that never came….so finally at 10.15 my colleague comes up with his part of the deal…”Sir, Jahmva matein jaoon chhoo ??”.
“Sure…Sure…Why din’t u guys tell me earlier ??” He tells us…pretending that he has heard about “Dinner” for the first time. Jackass….I tell you !!

Now, It happens everyday…We wait for his suggestion till 10.00 for a suggestion that never comes…and finally at 10.15 we break-free. Jackass. One good thing is that we watched both the Wimbledon and FIFA Finals with the regular Jack-ass taunts “ Federer sucks…!!!” He announces like he is the successor for Vijay Amritraj’s Job.

Note : Works gone from bad to worse. The soggy files have outnumbered my teeth. And they’re lying in every corner of the living room in heaps. My re-imbursement calculations have just broken the 1500-mark.

JACKASS ..ON HIS WAY OUT…!!

A few more days have passed, and we have re-structured the whole accounting system as we were supposed to do (Even though...we were told that it is an Internal-Audit assignment. The kind of things CAs have to do..to keep their clients happy….amusing I tell u !!) Jackass …is on his way back to Mumbai. Boss will be replacing him (Thank god….I and my colleague exhale !!). As and when he arrives…We are pleasantly surprised to see his wife accompanying him…on this visit. She preaches to us (Me and my Colleague !!) the secret to passing the CA exams (Seeing two sitting next to her…!!). She tells us that if u become a CA, you’ll automatically command a lot of respect and also u get to marry a good girl (“Lagan maathein saari chhokri mile…” as she said it and I could interpret it in bits and pieces….Why are Gujaratis obsessed with Marrigae all the time ??) End of Dinner, End of Gyaan. We’re relieved.

Note : Works become very easy. Especially with the Boss living with his wife in Mapusa, and the whole Miramar Apt. for us…We hardly work. (Haha !!). We hang out at the Miramar Beach everyday…after 7pm.

THEN ONE FINE DAY…….

Our Boss realizes that all that we have done for the past two weeks, was a waste. “I’ve got a better plan….” as he puts it. We are now, putting aside Jackass’ instructions and following our Boss’ instructions. The Job’s over in 2 days, and he goes for a meeting with the client with all the reports with him. He comes out Half-hour later… “We have to put this assignment on hold for 15 days. Why don’t u guys take the day ..off !! I’ll pick u up tomorrow and we’ll have a new assignment for u.”; “Sir, I was thinking if I could go back to Mumbai this weekend ??” I ask reluctantly. “Sure…Sure…Book yourself a ticket on the Bus and go back tonight if u want..!!” He replies with a smile.

So here I am….with Zero-work (Effectively) for 3 weeks ….on my Bus to Mumbai, summing up the loud thoughts of an Article-Assistant on the first out-station Audit (Or whatever it was….!!).

Note : My last night’s calculations…have shown my Re-imbursements of touching the 5000-mark !! And I bring home….Two packets of cashews and Vanilla-Muffins. Ta Da….Ta Da….Ta Da !

By the way…the animal reference to the villain of my story is the “White-Tiger-effect !!” Please do not take it racially. Mrs. Maneka Gandhi….please do not take me to court, for abusing animals !!

RAAVAN A Mani-Ratnam-made Disaster !!

Yes...u read it correct...finally we have a BAD movie from Mani Ratnam. One of the accomplished directors, with an illustrious career comprising of movies like NAYAGAN, , KANNATHIL MUTTHAMITTIL, DIL SE (Yes..i found it engaging ..enough!!) and the more recent ones YUVA and GURU. I've been observing this for the past two years that all the BIG film-makers are having a tough time making movies that correspond to their reputation. Most of them were duds. Take..for that matter Ashutosh Gowariker, Rakeysh Mehra, Raju Hirani, and now the latest addition to the list the perfectonist
Mani Ratnam !!

The film opens with an audacious opening scene where Ragini (Ash Rai-Bachchan) is kidnapped. That was it...the last best thing about the movie. AB Jr has the potential, that Ratnam sees in him, But this is ones just bad writing, no character development for neither of the lead actors. Ash has to look beautiful (Bloody beautiful ...!!), indulge herself in some adventure sports and scream every time she regains consciousness. Vikram is wasted in a role that could've been so much more,(he was more frightening than Beera. Credit to him for that). AB Jr could not do much because of his half-baked role. His is a case of missed opportunity. Beera could've very well become the new GABBAR SINGH or LANGDA TYAGI...but instead he is nothing but a re-done avatar of (his Yuva-character) Lallan singh !! He lacks the sinister-charm to fright u .. everytime he is on screen (that too is the writer (Ratnam's) fault) .From the supporting cast Govinda, Nikhil Dwiwedi and Ravi Kishen do their best with what they have, adding some spice to the brain-dead lines.

The photography is very good. Internationally acclaimed technicians Santosh Sivan and V. Manikandan do a splendid job to make sure that the audience don't leave the movie midway and atleast watch it for the eye-watering scenic beauty. Art Director Samir Chanda puts up some extra-ordinary sets in the forest (deserves recognition !!).

The Music is haunting and fun at the same time. ARR does experiment (as always !!) for some western- cum-african background orchestration. "Jaa re...udh jaa re..." is one of the classics of the year and the accordion will haunt u even after u come out of the theatres. The picturisation of the songs are fresh, even though the narrative does not completely convince us for its necessity.

I won't delve any deeper for the rest of the movie, because its just plain BAD !! But...all hope is not lost. Sometimes even Sachin gets out for a duck. Its just one of the bad days for Mani, which i'm sure he'll overcome. Expecting LOTS of good cinema from u Mani .....

My rating: *

A lazy sunday evening......

Here i am....all bored....!! Nothing substantial to watch on TV, not in the mood for movies, and certainly not in the mood to reply to "Hiee, hows you??" OR "wats up dude ?"

Life's become bland...as it usually does...!! Have a deadline tomo to adhere to...a report to be submitted. Tomorrow @ 5.30 pm. I wish i could just experience freedom like a bird, just fly away...where ever u want to...for a week or so...

Watched DONNIE DARKO the night before last (One hellofa movie !!) prompted me to think as in what do i want in life ?? I don't wish to define my goal as a certificate to be attained. The Last line of the movie still haunts me....where the protagonist says, "I wish the world would come to an end, so that i can breathe a sigh of relief...because then there will be so much more to look forward to..!!"

FIFA World cup just started, and everybody is "sharing" the "Waka Waka"-song .....Shakira's one singer...who is able to switch sounds with utmost ease, without sounding uncomfortable at all.

I'm just putting down random thoughts....which i picked up from a child-hood friend recently. "It helps u clear your head." she says.

Bhopal's injustice - a slap on the face for each citizen of India !!

I'm angry. Very angry. Disgusted.... to say the least.
Just saw on prime-time news that the accussed in the Bhopal gas tragedy have been let-off with Rs 1 Lac-fine and immediate bail. I mean..what the hell is wrong with the indian judiciary ??! Its the saddest day since 26/11. In a layman's words, sadly "the constitution has been molested with in broad day-light by hot-shot lawyers, UCIL, and the Bureaucracy of India". This letting-off is a reminder that the Constitution and the Law they're just words on a paper, which can be twisted and turned to be used by the trickerists (lawyers, Politicos ) for their own good. The Judiciary has let the victims down very badly.

After 26 years, 15000 deaths, a million injured, and destruction of a whole generation (born Paraplegic or deformed beacuse of the gas leakage) all that the judiciary did was fining the accused ?! The Govt. promising all kinds of financial help has not paid a single paisa till date (even 26 years later !!).

But what have i got to do...?? I can just ignore it, and rather worry about , what train i have to catch to reach office on time, what i will have for Lunch ??Dal makhani OR Paneer kadai ?? thats what we do...right !! I mean come on we are the middle class, what else CAN we do ?? I have to worry about my degree, a decent job, a beautiful life-partner ...thats all there is to life, isn't it ???

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH US ??? HOW LONG....are we going to ignore Dharavi, and rave about Bandra ??? Talk about a Developing Super-Power in the making and keep our eyes shut to such disaster-judgements ??? How long ??? I've had enough of the system-argument...i've decided to do something on my own....that is "WRITE ABOUT IT" until i can do something concrete for the victims.
Lets stop being content, and ignoring the trash our country possesses. Lets circle them out , and throw them out of the country. Swear an oath now.... 'cos tragedies have become routine these days. YOU COULD BE THE NEXT VICTIM, and there won't be anyone to defend u.

KITES – Movie review !!

After hours of deliberation of discussing the minute details of the film I watched less than 24 hours ago, and finally finding no one with the patience to undergo a gruelling session of debating with me...i find myself with the only option left – WRITING IT DOWN !!

Now, arises the colossal question; “Is it just the desire to sound different or did I genuinely like the movie ?”. After hours of introspection I conclude that it is in fact the latter. I have never been a fan of cheesy romance, nor have I ever hated “Relationship-Potboilers” like K(abhi) A(lvida) N(aa) K(ehna).
So where does KITES figure in this map ?! It does have some very clunky dialogue like Kabir Bedi's character says in one instance in the movie “Bob ko Vegas mein koi na nahi kehta !!” Come on thats lame, and I know it ! The center of action are always Hrithik and Barbara, which somehow makes the supporting cast look like caricatures including a “vulnerable-Kangana Ranaut” (who sure did surprise me with her salsa). A word for Nick Brown (Tony) whose character is the dumbest i've seen since Sameera Reddy's in RACE.

Now the pros of the movie. Anurag Basu gives us some moments, which I as a movie-goer will cherish for years to come. The awkward silence for the entire drive during Hrithik & Barbara's first date is beautiful to watch. The one in which they make shadow-puppets is very much what we call “communicating without words”. Basu is one director who can give us a gem of a scene on one hand, and still look tacky in another. Special Mention : Ayananka Bose (DOP), that kid sure knows his craft very well. Impressed in JBJ and Dostana...and doesn't fail to capture the harsh terrain of the Nevada desert without making it look so good. The action sequences are just like u would have expected. The film's got style, and u cannot deny it.

But the film's soul remain the lead pair – Hrithik Roshan & Barbara Mori.
Hrithik is something rare, which I am admitting for the first time. This guy has the looks to kill, moves to make u feel like you're 50-already, and also a heart-melting sincerity for which u could forgive any of the shortcomings his character may have. He is such a cracker on-screen, every time he is there, he makes sure u cannot take your eyes of him. Barbara Mori too gives an earnest performance and the chemistry makes u feel for the pair as they are on the run. The length of the movie is roughly 115 mins which is why it did not bore me at all. I was hooked till the very last scene. To tell u the truth, I was devastated in the climax, and ironically it also did give me some peace to watch them get-together.

The film is technically sound, the script is not entirely original, but still the lead pair's performance is what saves it from the blushes. The blood and the sweat of the crew is visible and so is their effort to experiment and break the barriers. Hrithik Roshan is a fine actor, only if he had the same cinematic-taste, and would undertake such experiments more often. It just feels unfair to call it a “potty-movie” as a friend of mine mentioned earlier this week. Its one of those films like “Lakshya”, “Delhi 6” where the audience just hate the movie unreasonably because they did not get good reviews.

My rating - ***.

M(aharashtra) N(avnirman) S(ena) - NAZISM Re-born ???!!!

It was very disheartening to see the latest SLAP-GATE controversy at
the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly involving MLA-Abu Azmi(SP) and
the four MLAs namely RAM KADAM,RAMESH WANJALE, SHISHIR SHINDE, VASANT GITE.
from the MNS.

The largest Democracy in the world hung its head in shame while 5 'Leaders'
chosen by the PEOPLE fought it out in the open......over a petty issue like
Language of Oath-Taking !!!!!

Nobody comes out to claim equal responsibility during the floods....the
Terrorist-attacks.....or for the matter-of-fact even the pot-holes on
the roads that give a back-breaking experience to all the Mumbaikars.

Even though all the citizens of Mumbai know that MNS is just trying to pull
the oldest trick in the book....by addressing its cause to the 'MARATHI-MANOOS'.
and still we see 'LITERATES' taking RAJ THACKREY's side....just because he's
excellent when it comes to taking pot-shots at Bollywood Super-Stars, and they
cite reasons for supporting him are his "Hilarious-speeches" ??!!!!

Here's a list of all the issues MNS has raised in the last twelve months :

1) Redressal-issues for the MARATHI-MANOOS (their primary source of vote-banks)

2) FIGHT AGAINST "OUTSIDERS" (pot-shots at Actor Amitabh Bachchan for not valuing
mumbai.....his "karam-bhoomi" )

3) Attacking the "North-Indian" construction workers in pune (due to which IT-giant Infosys
Technologies moved out of the state)

4) Attacking the "North-Indian" candidates at the Railway-Examination centres.

5) A threat to shut-down Jet Airways in the city as a part of protest of the sacking
of the employees.

6) Violence and demonstrations in the Theatres premiering Ranbir Kapoor starrer "Wake up Sid !" fo
using the word "Bombay" instead of "Mumbai" !!!????
(Karan Johar, being a good Businessman apologised almost immediately)

7) Threatening all MLAs to take their oath in Marathi, which resulted in the denunciation
of Mr Abu Azmi for taking his oath in Hindi.

RAJ THACKREY or MNS have all the lime-light with them. They speak of Equality for the
"Son of the Soil".But whilst enlarging their Vote-Base they have intentionally OR Un-intentionally have
instilled a belief in their supporters that they can take the law into their hands, get away with
rowdy behaviour, damage all the public property, and in some cases even murder Human Beings by
citing a common reason;

"For the Marathi Manoos, for whose equal rights we care !"

The MNS is just a caricature of Adolf Hitler's "NAZI PARTY".
While MNS is still confined to the boundaries of the Mumbai, it is not too
different than the H1N1-menace. It shall spread to such an extent that Independent Observations/opinions shall remain limited to the "DRAWING-ROOM-DISCUSSION" and "CHAT-ROOM-DEBATES" !

The MARATHI-MANOOS has to come out in the open to denounce such a "LEADER" or such an "organisation" which not only obstructs The City's prosperity...but also the Country's! This Epidemic needs to be controlled now,otherwise the world has already experienced the horror stories of

ONE NAZI-REGIME....we may just get to

experience another...................

"My Name is Khan, and i'm not a terrorist !!!"

Okay,lets get one thing straight from the very beginning;movies like FORREST GUMP, LAGE RAHO.....MUNNABHAI ! and the latest MY NAME IS KHAN are not movies where you ask cynical questions...about how the Plot takes "convenient" turns to suit the protagonist. The messages in these movies are much more deeper. I wouldn't say that it is one of the best movies i've seen recently, but it is certainly very nicely poised between defending 1)the fact that a terreorist cannot be generalised to a particular religion and 2)Humanity - how small getures of love can make the world such a beautiful place.
For the "bubble-gum-team" (the trio SRK-KJo-Kajol) who have literally "stepped-out" of their comfort zones in to the mud.....Kudos to them for carrying out such a HUGE project on their shoulders. The "behind-the-scenes" stars have to be Ravi K Chandran (DOP) and Sharmishta Roy (Art Director) who have shot United States...like never before.....into the interiors ! It is for that section of the audience, who do not know of the existence of USA beyond NY, LA and Las Vegas !They've covered from San Fransisco, Arizona desert to Washington DC !A special note for the DOP Ravi K Chandran whose shots
have given depth to the characters and have also helped convey their emotions.

In The Acting Dept. SRK has ARRIVED ! He plays the Autistic RIZWAN KH-KH-KHAN ("Kh" from the epiglottis) with such sincerity that u tend to forget about the "lover-boy-RAHUL" right from the first time RIZWAN KHAN enters the frame. His heart-melting nuances like the "don't die...please don't die" line and also his clean-heartedness.....which will win u over in minutes !My personal favourite is the one where a fellow muslim asks him as to what is the need of going to read the 'namaaz' in the middle of
the desert...to which he replies "Namaaz jagah aur logon ko dekh kar nahin padhi jaati,yeh achchi niyat se padhi jaati hain"

Kajol is at it again...playing a MANDIRA KHAN with such enviable ease ! I had a feeling that Mandira could've been a little more complex, because of her out-of-the-blue-outburst towards Rizwan just before the intermission! Tanay Chheda is one boy to look out for. After his Oscars rendevouz (courtesy: Slumdog Millionare) it is another shining performance as the younger Rizwan. Numerous supporting roles from Jimmy Shergill, Sonya Jehan, Zahira Wahab, Pravin Dabbas are sincere and earnest.

Karan Johar is brave for a change, and attempts something very different and new. As for the film it does seem contrieved in some of the parts, but it is the sheer good-heartedness that you will remember once you walk out of the theatre. The film preaches (not a bad thing) that in this competetive world, the goodness has somewhere vanished. It is imporatant to be good again ! It deserves one watch atleast ....in the theatres !

RAGING BULL : The difference between Martin Scorcese and Hollywood !!!!

This is one movie whose name I heard first from my father, then from my favourite directors from hollywood as well as bollywood. They refer to it as a cinema-textbook, which should be studied thoroughly if one wanted to understand the small nuances and details of film-making (Like an M. L. Khanna for the IITians !!!).

Listening to all this, I was introduced to two "heavy" names - MARTIN SCORCESE and
ROBERT DE NIRO. I downloaded the movie from the internet, (as soon as I got myself
a broadband) but never quite got down to watching it. Finally came a day, where I
had already pre-decided on watching this so-called "classic". To start with,
when I had seen the posters of Robert De Niro in his boxing gloves, I had presumed
that it is a sports film, and the film was based on Boxing. Having grown up watching the
"Rocky-franchise" starring Sylvester Stallone, I thought to myself there could be nothing
better than a Rocky Balboa, to do justice to a Boxing-film. Then, what is so special in
"Raging Bull" that people consider this movie so great ?!

I watched the first 45 minutes and, being a loyal "Rocky-Fan", was quite taken
aback by the way Robert De Niro's character "JAKE LA MOTTA" behaves !! Violent,
physically and verbally abusive on his wife as well as his brother, deeply-paranoid,
and simply-crazy would be the right adjectives to describe him. So here I was
watching a supposed-classic and still felt absolutely no sympathy for the protagonist.
Instead, I felt an anguish for this illiterate and ignorant "JAKE LA MOTTA".

But I was so wrong. As the movie progressed I found myself the difference between MARTIN SCORCESE and HOLLYWOOD ! Until the climax, all my misconceptions were cleared and doubts erased. First of all, this is NOT a sports film, it is the story of the rise of a "Champion", who falls very quickly because of his absolute disregard for other people including his wife, elder brother and even his bosses. It is the character study of a man, even though magically gifted with some boxing-skills, lands up in a cheap restaurant introducing cabarett-dancers by the end only because of his insensitivity towards the people. It is not another "Under-dog" story. It is the story of an under-dog who became a champion and then threw it all away, because of his paranoia and disrespect for other people.The film is based in the 1940s-1950s and hence Black & White was used effectively, to satiate its grammar of film-making.

My favourite scene is where Jake LaMotta has been convinced to throw away a fight,
and because of which he hardly makes an attempt or two to jab his opponent. At the end, with a profusely bleeding face and mouth he goes up to his opponent and says, "You never got me down, ray !... You never got me down, ray!!!". This very scene encapsulates the madness, and the infallible ego of Jake LaMotta.

Even though, the character arouses a lot of anguish, it also shows us a very human-problem, and makes it very relatable to the audience. There lies the masterstroke of the great Martin Scorcese and Robert De Niro. To make something so unsettling, and yet so empathic is what has me raving over this epic film.