Some more Confessions:
Apparently some people really liked my midair confessions so what the heck, I decided to dole out some more. So....
· Sometimes it’s not what you say, it’s how and when you say it.
· Living is tiring, period.
· Some childhood lessons really live forever. I participated in a debate when I was in class VII. I still remember the topic: Your decision, your happiness. Fourteen years later, I realize the meaning. So who says school isn’t important?
· Read this one somewhere which sums it all up for me: “The trouble is that while few believe they can perform brain surgery, nearly every living soul believes they can write. If only they had the time and opportunity.” Ha, if only!
· Buddha says even your deadliest enemy can’t damage you as much as an unguarded thought. Hmmm.
· Acceptance is the greatest gift you can give yourself.
· The greatest courage is to show up.
· Words express passion. Kissing confirms it.
· Doing nothing sometimes hurts more than doing something. Life doesn’t come with a guarantee, which is just as well, because most guarantees are bullshit.
· After a while, all places look the same.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Mera Wala Superhero
You can't miss him. Right at this moment, he is doing his superhero-giri at a theatre near you. Fearing Spidey's indestructible super powers at the BO, Bollywood decided to play it safe and refrained from exposing any of its heroes to Spidey's might. Save Gautam Ghosh's passport to the festival circuit, Yatra, there was no mainstream Hindi release last Friday.
Seeing Spidey's clout at the BO set me thinking which of our heroes can play the role that Tobey Maguire has stamped as his own. Sure we do have our own Hrithik Krrish Roshan but what intrigues me is to find out who from our current crop of actors can play the original three super guys: Spiderman, Superman and Batman.
So I spread the word around to a few of my male buddies who have grown up on these superheroes and after much debate, deliberation and guffaws, I managed to pull of some pretty interesting casting decisions.
Bollywood Superman: Akshay Kumar
Because Akshay can easily switch between a geek and a superman type. Translated, he can strike the right balance between being the apple-pie good boy and look equally convincing when bashing the baddies. Also, he has the right profile to carry off the suit and the side parting won't look too bad on him.
Bollywood Spiderman: Saif Ali Khan
Because Spidey needs to be both funny and nerdy. Saif just needs to mix and match his Dil Chahta Hai funny and frothy self with a touch of dark from Omkara. Also, Saif has the right boyish appeal and the body type to pass of as a desi Spidey.
Bollywood Batman: Hrithik Roshan
Because Hrithik is quiet and mysterious just like Batman. And as he showed us in Krrish, with his quiet intensity he can be the extraordinary guy with ordinary powers. Also as seen in Dhoom 2, he can also be quite a master of disguises, which is a Batman specialty.
Phew! That's my super 3. Now I'd like to know which one of our Bollywood heroes make up your list.
You can't miss him. Right at this moment, he is doing his superhero-giri at a theatre near you. Fearing Spidey's indestructible super powers at the BO, Bollywood decided to play it safe and refrained from exposing any of its heroes to Spidey's might. Save Gautam Ghosh's passport to the festival circuit, Yatra, there was no mainstream Hindi release last Friday.
Seeing Spidey's clout at the BO set me thinking which of our heroes can play the role that Tobey Maguire has stamped as his own. Sure we do have our own Hrithik Krrish Roshan but what intrigues me is to find out who from our current crop of actors can play the original three super guys: Spiderman, Superman and Batman.
So I spread the word around to a few of my male buddies who have grown up on these superheroes and after much debate, deliberation and guffaws, I managed to pull of some pretty interesting casting decisions.
Bollywood Superman: Akshay Kumar
Because Akshay can easily switch between a geek and a superman type. Translated, he can strike the right balance between being the apple-pie good boy and look equally convincing when bashing the baddies. Also, he has the right profile to carry off the suit and the side parting won't look too bad on him.
Bollywood Spiderman: Saif Ali Khan
Because Spidey needs to be both funny and nerdy. Saif just needs to mix and match his Dil Chahta Hai funny and frothy self with a touch of dark from Omkara. Also, Saif has the right boyish appeal and the body type to pass of as a desi Spidey.
Bollywood Batman: Hrithik Roshan
Because Hrithik is quiet and mysterious just like Batman. And as he showed us in Krrish, with his quiet intensity he can be the extraordinary guy with ordinary powers. Also as seen in Dhoom 2, he can also be quite a master of disguises, which is a Batman specialty.
Phew! That's my super 3. Now I'd like to know which one of our Bollywood heroes make up your list.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Good Shot
Here are a few of my unforgettable on-screen moments based on some recent releases:
The one with the 7 helicopters and Manhattan skyline: I don't know why the audience rejected Jaan-e-Mann. I quite liked the treatment of the film especially debut director Shirish Kunder's storytelling style through the medium of a song. Yeah, it was quite Broadway and that's what stayed in my mind. But another image just refuse to leave my mind space and that was when 7 helicopters were used to spell out New York. I think it was a fantastic gimmick to depict that the action has shifted to New York. It created an impact and was nothing short of a spectacle. No wonder they call it showbiz with the emphasis on show!!
The one where the Big B plays footsie with Lolita: It was the defining moment of Ram Gopal Varma's Nishabd. A 60-year-old man (Amitabh Bachchan) is having dinner with his wife and his daughter's friend (Jiah Khan). Everything seems routinely normal and polite except the fact that the daughter's friend is an 18-year-old vixen who is naughtily playing footsie with her friend's father who can't control his laughter. Both the protagonists portray just the right balance of sexual tension, awareness, mischief, fear and delight of the forbidden. This one crackles with energy!
The one where Ash n' Abhi are in bed: The mock fight that Abhishek and Aishwarya indulge in that scene in Guru successfully dispelled all those about their thanda on-screen chemistry. The scene adds just the right touch of intimacy, fun and comfort. Everybody in the cinema hall had a smile on their face when the actors were playing this one out.
The one where Rishi Kapoor has the last laugh: The entire rugby sequence in Vipul Shah's Namastey London was masala entertainment at its best. Taking it from where Lagaan left, the scene successfully evoked humour and patriotism. Didn't we all cheer for Akshay and his army to defeat the goras in their game and on their turf? Now that's kitschy! But the
piece de resistance was what followed after. Rishi Kapoor's unbridled laughter at the dinner table when he's reminiscing about the great victory is a great touch. And when Akshay and Katrina join in the laughing binge (the latter does it quite grudgingly) the scene is stamped with that something special.
The one with the pigeon: The scene where a blindfolded Amitabh Bachchan in the garb of Eklavya aims to separate a ghungroo tied to the leg of a flying pigeon is in my opinion the image of the film. The impact, in one word, is breathtaking. Everything works in the scene: the background music, the camerawork, the art direction, the performances and the direction. The dramatic effect of the sequence is made even more riveting when the ghungroo gets stuck on a ledge. Vidhu Vinod Chopra shoots the scene like a ritual especially when Eklavya is required to get into the pool to catch the ghungroo . It's like a painting!
The one where Eiffel Tower was in the background: I love the way Farhan Akhtar shot the introduction sequence of Shah Rukh Khan in Don. The whole attitude of the film was reflected in that little montage when SRK is on the phone, in his cool black car, while the Eiffel Tower is blurred in the background. The message was clear: Paris and Eiffel Tower were just incidental, Don had much more important things to do than moon about the most romantic city of the word. I liked the arrogance and attitude in the shot.
The one with unhinged disco ball: This one makes the mark for its sheer absurdity. I can't recollect the last time I saw a film with a more bizarre climax. Suneel Darshan's Shaka Laka Boom Boom was touted as a desi Amadeus but the film ended up as an unintentional comedy and that too of a pretty low order! I mean, can you imagine a disco ball falling on the protagonist's head as the conclusion of a film? It was hilarious, especially the demon dance in Bobby Deol's mind that followed soon after. People actually write this kind of stuff, shoot it and expect us to enjoy it? Sigh!
The one when Raima's saree came off: This one shot of Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd when Raima Sen's saree comes off when she's on a parachute is symbolic to the core. There she is, the free spirited Bengali housewife enjoying her freedom in the sky without bothering about her saree. And there on the ground, is her conservative Bengali husband ready to burst a blood vessel because he can't bear to watch others see his wife in her petticoat and blouse. The scene brings out the contrasts between the couple so effortlessly. Good fun!
Here are a few of my unforgettable on-screen moments based on some recent releases:
The one with the 7 helicopters and Manhattan skyline: I don't know why the audience rejected Jaan-e-Mann. I quite liked the treatment of the film especially debut director Shirish Kunder's storytelling style through the medium of a song. Yeah, it was quite Broadway and that's what stayed in my mind. But another image just refuse to leave my mind space and that was when 7 helicopters were used to spell out New York. I think it was a fantastic gimmick to depict that the action has shifted to New York. It created an impact and was nothing short of a spectacle. No wonder they call it showbiz with the emphasis on show!!
The one where the Big B plays footsie with Lolita: It was the defining moment of Ram Gopal Varma's Nishabd. A 60-year-old man (Amitabh Bachchan) is having dinner with his wife and his daughter's friend (Jiah Khan). Everything seems routinely normal and polite except the fact that the daughter's friend is an 18-year-old vixen who is naughtily playing footsie with her friend's father who can't control his laughter. Both the protagonists portray just the right balance of sexual tension, awareness, mischief, fear and delight of the forbidden. This one crackles with energy!
The one where Ash n' Abhi are in bed: The mock fight that Abhishek and Aishwarya indulge in that scene in Guru successfully dispelled all those about their thanda on-screen chemistry. The scene adds just the right touch of intimacy, fun and comfort. Everybody in the cinema hall had a smile on their face when the actors were playing this one out.
The one where Rishi Kapoor has the last laugh: The entire rugby sequence in Vipul Shah's Namastey London was masala entertainment at its best. Taking it from where Lagaan left, the scene successfully evoked humour and patriotism. Didn't we all cheer for Akshay and his army to defeat the goras in their game and on their turf? Now that's kitschy! But the
piece de resistance was what followed after. Rishi Kapoor's unbridled laughter at the dinner table when he's reminiscing about the great victory is a great touch. And when Akshay and Katrina join in the laughing binge (the latter does it quite grudgingly) the scene is stamped with that something special.
The one with the pigeon: The scene where a blindfolded Amitabh Bachchan in the garb of Eklavya aims to separate a ghungroo tied to the leg of a flying pigeon is in my opinion the image of the film. The impact, in one word, is breathtaking. Everything works in the scene: the background music, the camerawork, the art direction, the performances and the direction. The dramatic effect of the sequence is made even more riveting when the ghungroo gets stuck on a ledge. Vidhu Vinod Chopra shoots the scene like a ritual especially when Eklavya is required to get into the pool to catch the ghungroo . It's like a painting!
The one where Eiffel Tower was in the background: I love the way Farhan Akhtar shot the introduction sequence of Shah Rukh Khan in Don. The whole attitude of the film was reflected in that little montage when SRK is on the phone, in his cool black car, while the Eiffel Tower is blurred in the background. The message was clear: Paris and Eiffel Tower were just incidental, Don had much more important things to do than moon about the most romantic city of the word. I liked the arrogance and attitude in the shot.
The one with unhinged disco ball: This one makes the mark for its sheer absurdity. I can't recollect the last time I saw a film with a more bizarre climax. Suneel Darshan's Shaka Laka Boom Boom was touted as a desi Amadeus but the film ended up as an unintentional comedy and that too of a pretty low order! I mean, can you imagine a disco ball falling on the protagonist's head as the conclusion of a film? It was hilarious, especially the demon dance in Bobby Deol's mind that followed soon after. People actually write this kind of stuff, shoot it and expect us to enjoy it? Sigh!
The one when Raima's saree came off: This one shot of Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd when Raima Sen's saree comes off when she's on a parachute is symbolic to the core. There she is, the free spirited Bengali housewife enjoying her freedom in the sky without bothering about her saree. And there on the ground, is her conservative Bengali husband ready to burst a blood vessel because he can't bear to watch others see his wife in her petticoat and blouse. The scene brings out the contrasts between the couple so effortlessly. Good fun!
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