Temp - late

Time to move on. The old template was really a generation behind. So temporarily I am shifting to this template. Somehow the same text in this new format seems very alien. Hopefully a new original template soon . . .

Uncyclopedia

If you thought wikipedia was good, check this out. A link I picked up from some newspaper is absolutely amazing. Sample this article on India :

"India was discovered in 1492 by Christopher Columbus, circumnavigating the world to find China. India's capital is named Deli, after the fact that so much processed human meat is consumed there. India is the second most populous country in the world, after Luxembourg, with 137 quintillion (1.37*10^17) people. .....

As India was too large, it was divided into pieces in 1947 to help the people to fight with each other in an organized way and pretend that their backwardness is not as important as their need to fight....

The people of India used to be very civilized until they got bored of it. Then, some Europeans saw India and decided they wanted it. When the Queen heard them whine for it, she decided it was ok for them to have it. Then, one very old bald man said that we must not fight for independence. That will confuse the British. The British got confused and left.
....

"

This and many more such venerable treats.

Cheers,

Black Friday

Director - Anurag Kashyap
Based on the book by Hussain Zaidi

Anurag Kashyap brings forth an amazing forthright and complete story of The Bombay Riots of 92. Many would call it a 'pachanaama' - i.e. a detailed all round unbiased report. A depiction so complete, so bold and so detailed that the only people who would have any complaints are the people at whom fingers have been pointed.

The movie is in parts. Starting with actual events during those few hours of terrible violence, it then goes on to detail the socio-political environment before the events which lead to the circumstances that ensued. Then given in vivid detail is the training and selection of those militants, the detailed planned execution of the bombings, their escape and then the very public exercise of legal proceedings,investigations and the related quagmire. The movie is so amazingly complete that there are absolutely no loose ends. Any person walking out of the cinema hall will feel that he can write a thesis on the Bombay Riots.

The detailing, the vast landscapes and environments in which the movie is shot, from the sweaty slums of Mumbai, to the dusty villages of northern India, the streets of Delhi, the backwaters of the Konkan and even Dubai is splendid, showing that no effort has been spared in making of this movie. Sometimes script writers work tirelessly to conjure up stories to entice the throng of moviegoers. However looking at this movie what actually happened is nothing short of a fairy tale. The turning faces of religious politics leading to Babri Masjid, in turn causing communal tension, the planned and passionate Islamic reply, then the internal factionalism within the militants, the inter-gang rivalries and the various happenings within the Police departments would leave any script writer gasping for breath. And only real happenings can weave all these various threads into a single fibre without any abrupt aberrations. What Kashyap has done is that he has not tweaked around. He has tried to keep facts as true as they are, thus relying on the inherent strength of the storyline for the film's success. The cast does a stellar job and Kay Kay's performance is first rate.

Black Friday is however not a documentary. It is a highly informative, fast moving and a passionate proof to the world that this country can produce first class film makers. Add to it the spellbinding background score by Indian Ocean and what you have is a movie you just can't miss. Such a pity that it has been stuck up because of a trivial legal reason. If it had to be stuck up, maybe some political biggie should have lobbied against it and so on. Anyway in the version I saw there were a lot of explicit statements which would ruffle a lot of well preened feathers. Kashyap is dreaming if he feels that this version would screen without the snippety-snap.

In all I wish such films were made about every great historic happening in our nation's history(which ends in 1947 according to our text books). The fact that i watched this long film sitting on the floor of the first row of Screen 5 at E^2 without a twitch is enough testament of the movie to attract audiences. As for the nomenclature maybe Kashyap meant it as a double take on the day that the movie was supposed to be released.

Cheers,

Ferrari - One Day

For all you Ferrari fans out there yesterday's race must have been refreshing. However lets not get too excited. In terms of sheer race pace Ferrari were quite off the mark. It was their good fortune that first the Renaults and then Trulli dropped out just when they were going to pip the Ferraris into another mediocre result. These teams are taking risks in order to maximize car-potential and hence they may drop out. But next time, especially the Renaults will be back with a vengeance and Kimi is in the form of his life. I don't see how Shumi will pip these guys and so at best he may come 3rd. Even Montoya seems to be catching up and come Indy - his old hunting ground, he will be a considerable foe.

So unless the guys from Maranello get their act together this season will be just what it has been - a violent struggle for 'reasonable' results. Like all Ferrari fans I dream about the day I see Schumi's traditional leap on the top step of the podium and the technicians guzzling that huge bottle of the winner's champagne.

Cheers,

CAUTION - Unauthorised Activity Detected

For all of you who do not know about The Activity Club - it now gets it's own blog. So check it out here till I and Kapeesh figure out a way of getting other members involved.

Of Buntys,Bablis,Ruffled Hair and Pani Puris

Exams are over - And after a long time I have some really solid vacations to savour. Hence I am in Mumbai my fav. city to cool off. Last few days have been really good. Here's how:

1. My bad fate with hazaron khwaishen ... continued. I went to 7-G multiplex at Bandra to watch the film, but only ended on the wrong side of the ticket vendors sneers when he pointed out that the movie was at 10:30 Pm not Am. So I bought tickets for B-aur-B and cooled off in the remaining time snapping some amazing pics at Linking road. I watched the movie - which I must say was above expectations and then headed off to ELCO market in Bandra where my mom says we get the best pani Puri in the world. Actually there has been a huge debate in Blogsphere about this particular topic so I must confirm that this pani puri is probably the best I have had and most definitely the most expensive at 25 bucks per plate. (But hey not everyday does someone serve pani Puri with disposable gloves). Overall amazing fun rounded off by an evening visit to Crossroads.

2.Main action - Ate pani Puri which my uncle claims is the best ever. It came close but ELCO was better. Then had an amazing swim at the club and rounded it off watching the 'piano' on star-one.

3.Again tried to watch hazaaron .. but then I was disallowed from entering when I could not produce age proof. How sick ! Maybe Sudhir Mishra should get royalties from other producers from the number of people who come to watch his film and watch others.(I saw 3 films trying to see hazaron - and yes,Sudarshan saw kaal in the same pursuit).Saw Naina which is the crappiest film I have seen in a long time. Anuj Sawhney (of nayee padosan infame)sucks and Matondkar is the same version from bhoot - the only good thing is the sound and special FX but hey I would rather see that in Star Wars that on haring Cross station. And yes a gift from god for bearing the searing heat and dust is an
occasional attempt at stellar observation. I saw Saif Ali Khan with his Italian(?) Girlfriend from close quarters. I am not in for much gossip mongering but when in Mumbai do as Mumbaikars do.

Joke of the day -

Q: Why is Saif Ali Khan a zero ?
Ans: Because he has to negotiate an Italian defence.