movie review : love aaj kal

the movie is finally out and i am waiting to watch it. i can do that only tomorrow as i returned late from work. but i did the next best thing...read a whole lot of reviews of the movie. all the reviews have been positive and that gives me hope that the movie will be good. more often than not, the critics get it wrong and i hope they are right this time.

anyways, let me just list out a few excerpts of the review for u:

one review says exactly what i feared, that the movie is just good when it could have been so much better.

Love Aaj Kal is a harmless, watchable film -- sad, because it could have been truly special. It has its moments in the first half, while the second half is an over-melodramatic drag.

the same review also has good things to say

Ali uses a very interesting device by casting Saif himself in the Kapoor flashbacks: Kapoor tells Khan how the boy reminds him of his youth, and so the Sikh Saif isn't Kapoor as he used to look, but Kapoor as both he and Saif can visualise him as the tale is narrated. It's a clever move even though Saif struggles rather laughably with his Punjabi early on in the film, and it doesn't help how the narrative inevitably flips back and forth between that and the overslanged Lay's-salesman Saif of today. A good move overall, though.

the entire review can be found here

here are words from another review that raves about the movie

After making the much loved Jab We Met, Imtiaz Ali succeeds in giving us an extremely different love story that we have never witnessed before on Indian screen. He scores high on his writing and his treatment of the film. In the initial 10 minutes he successfully establishes Saif and Deepika’s relationship and their character quirks. He surprises you then by putting a melancholic song (Ye Dooriyan) as opening credits role showing montages of various important twists of the plot that lie ahead.

and some more appreciation for the movie

Making the film extremely relatable to everyone who has ever been in love and broken off with his/her partner, Imtiaz takes it notches higher by his dialogues that sound simple but convey a lot. Plenty of scenes stay with you as you come out.

this review can be found here

i am booked for tomorrow, make sure that you watch it too.

Discerning Few : Rafi Sings For Bachchan

Today is Rafi's 29th death anniversary. Hope his soul is in peace.

na fankaar tujh sa tere baad aya
mohammed rafi tu bahut yaad aya
- A song from movie Kroadh



Just the other day I was watching the song and something struck me. I felt that the song was ironical in so many ways. Although its a tribute to Rafi Saab, it was sung by Md.Aziz, a so-called Rafi clone, whose voice is such a far cry from the soothing and melodious voice of Rafi. And the fact that the song was filmed on Amitabh Bachchan, whereas Rafi hardly sang a dozen songs for him.

That got me thinking of all the songs which Rafi Saab rendered for AB. Among the pearls of Kishore da songs, I really had to try hard to find the gems that Rafi had sung. And quite truly I found very few of those. I still wonder why the legendary singer was given such few songs to sing for the megastar. While I do agree that Kishore had become the defacto voice for AB, but you still had Mukesh singing for him in Kabhi Kabhie, Manhar Udhas sang a song in Abhimaan, Shabbir Kumar sang a dozen of them during the mid-1980’s in movies like Coolie and Mard, Md.Aziz sang for him in Khuda Gawah and more, Kumar Sanu gave us a nasal AB in Jaadugar and Geraftar; then why did music composers of 1970’s not give more songs to Rafi Saab? Anyways, instead of cribbing about what did-not and could-not happen, let us just enjoy whatever little that’s available of this actor-singer combination.

While I was making a quick list of the songs, much to my surprise I found that Manmohan Desai was the only director who got Rafi Saab to record for a lot of those BigB songs. And invariably, Laxmikant-Pyarelal was the music composer for the Desai flicks like Desh Premee, Naseeb and Suhaag. In fact, even outside of Manmohan Desai films, LP made use of Rafi’s tones for Dostana and Ek Nazar.

Let me start with one of the most melodious duets of Indian cinema, Teri Bindiya Re, what a composition it is! Everytime I hear it, I go into a wonderland of my own dream sequence. Lata-Rafi, at their very best, just take us back to the basics of classical training; and without straining a single chord deliver such fantastic melody. SD Burman, the music director who made this possible, should be given huge credit for this evergreen song. I only wish that Majrooh Saab had written a few more stanzas so that Lata-Rafi could cast a longer spell of magic. Why the hell is this song so short? Under 4 minutes! Ok, here I go cribbing again….forget it. Let me enjoy, thanking God for those little mercies that the song still exists in the hearts and minds of people.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAb-ru6rjXs&hl=en&fs=1]

Another Lata-Rafi duet, which did not get much airtime because the movie did not do well, was the song Patta Patta Boota Boota from the movie Ek Nazar. It was a LP composition, much in sync with the movie but not with the times that were. Its a forgotten song which comes up only when people talk about Mir’s poetry and/or Rafi’s voice and the effortless rendition. What a fine song, and it does not look odd on Bachchan’s persona either.

Let me stepback for a minute, one of the first songs which Rafi sang for BigB was for the movie Parwana and the song was Yu Na Sharma . Madan Mohan was the music composer and the situation was party-like where Kishore da sang the happy version of the song picturized on Navin Nischol. The same song is later sung in a sad version by Rafi for AB. The mood changes, the flavor changes, the voice changes, face changes but the melody remains. AB’s sullen expression and Rafi’s tones of dismay makes for such a beautfiul watch.

Another somber song which Rafi rendered wonderfully for AB was Mere Dost Kissa Ye Kya ho Gaya in Dostana. The strained relationship between AB and Shatru is brought out so well in this song. A restrained Rafi and a clean-shaven, boyish hair-cut and yet a grave-looking Bachchan was a treat. There is so much emotion in those words sung by Rafi and the expression on AB’s face is just unforgettable. In fact, except for this song, all other songs of Dostana were sung by Kishore da; including the title song, Dillagi Ne Di Hawa etc. And yet, for this song LP chose Rafi who did total justice to this gloomy song.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfKx-ZbWB-E&hl=en&fs=1]

Having mentioned the above songs, let me now come to the Manmohan Desai and LP combo. Desh Premee was quite a long winded movie with so many twists and turns, typical of any Desai movie. The movie was based on patriotism, regional, caste, creed and racial differences. Kishore da sang the fun songs Khatoon Ki Khidmat Mei, Gore Nahi Hum Kaale Sahi etc. But it was Rafi’s song of unity in diversity that won hearts. The title song, Nafrat Ki Lathi Todo, was symbolic of Desai’s movies. Though this song may not count among best of Rafi songs, but its the perfect song for national integration. And keeping in tradition with all the patriotic songs that Rafi has sung.

Teri Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi song, which later gave the title to Adi Chopra’s movie, was sung by Rafi for another Desai movie Suhaag, with music by LP. BigB in the disguise of a ek tara strung sardar and Rekha behind the garb for almost the entire song could have spelt disaster. But AB and Rekha carried it off, with Rafi crooning this playful number and Shailendra Singh lyrically rebutting him.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9vWH-VX3XA&hl=en&fs=1]

Another song from the same movie was the dandiya number, Sabse Bada Tera Naam O Sherowali, was devotionally sung by Rafi. Much later, Mehul Kumar copied the same sequence in Krantiveer, where the hero sings for Maa Sherawali while waiting for the villain to arrive on the scene. Anyways, Suhaag was an exceptional case where Rafi sang entirely for AB. There were two other songs, Athra Baras Ki Tu Hone Ko Ayi filmed on AB and Rekha in her kotha; and Aye Yaar Sun was a silly song where AB was training a blind Shashi Kapoor to ride a bike on his instructions, basically AB literally doing a backseat driving. Nowhere in the movie do we feel that Rafi’s voice does not suit BigB, at least this movie should have opened more doors for this combo. But probably the box-office report and producer’s superstition held them back from doing so.

Betwixt Desh Premee and Suhaag came Desai’s Naseeb. And much before the Hey-Baby’s and the Om-Shanti-Oms, there was John Jaani Janardhan. A star-studded song which was opportunistically filmed during the golden jubilee celebrations of Desai’s Dharam Veer. Desai made the best of the situation by shooting the song as guests kept coming in; they swayed a little, lip-synced a little and the song created history. This was another song which is a symbol of Desai’s secular credentials and all-inclusive approach. And Rafi singing to the tunes of LP was icing on the cake. He gave the song the much required gaiety and enjoyment without missing a single beat. It was one of the more overtly commercial songs of Rafi that went very well with AB’s merriment.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojy7CaunsYY&hl=en&fs=1]

I would like to mention two more songs which were not sung for AB, but nevertheless AB was the proxy of the voice. The song was filmed on unknown faces, but the thoughts and feelings were of AB. One of the song is Deewane Hain Deewano Ko Na Ghar Chahiye from Zanjeer which reflected AB’s thoughts in the movie; and the other is Ruthe Rab Ko Manana Asaan Hai from Majboor. Both songs were sung with great enthusiasm by Rafi Saab, although they were not to be shot on the main lead. That goes on to show the humility of this man who valued the song for what they were, nice compositions.

Amidst all these amusement let me not forget one of my favourite romantic songs of Rafi which also happens to be picturized on AB, which is Tumse Door Rehke. The movie was Aadalat and the music composer was Kalyanji-Anandji, perhaps the only time that the duo got Rafi to sing for AB. The song has such a nice ring to it, filled with fondness and yearning and the magic of Rafi’s voice and expression.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nm9pAdKZCkA&hl=en&fs=1]

Although Kishore da has sung more songs of AB, memorable ones too, I cherish these Rafi tracks as well. These songs should not be lost in the vast ocean of AB songs.

This post was first published on PFC

talli hone ke baad ...

Common lines after people get drunk :

• tu to mera bhai hai...bhai !!!
• you know i am not drunk...
• gaadi mai chalaunga...
• tu bura matt maan bhai...
• mai teri dil se izzat karta hoon..
• abbe, bol daal aaj usko...aar ya paar....
• aaj saali chad nahi rahi hai, kya baat hai??
• tu kya samajh raha hai mujhe chad gayi hai...
• ye matt samajh ki peeke bol raha hoon...
• yaar, tuney mera dil tod diya...
• tu bolnaa bhai, kya chahiye... jaan chahiye?.....hazir hai
• Abbe, mere ko aaj tak nahi chadhi...shart laga saala aaj tu..
• chal teri baat karaata hoon usse, phone number de uska...
• saale, teri bhabhi hai wo…bhabi ki nazar se dekh usko…
• yaar, tu samjha kar..... wo tere layak nahi hai…
• chal bhai, tu kah raha hai to tere liye chodh diya usko.... aaj se wo teri
• tujhe kya lagta hai mujhe chadh gayi hai... abhi ek full aur khatam kar sakta hoon…
• saale, mujhe matt sikha...... iss maamle mei baap hoon tera
• yaar, aaj uski bahut yaad aa rahi hai
• saala, aaj se daru band

ajab sanju ki gajab kahani

Today is Sanjay Dutt's 50th birthday. Wish him a very happy birthday.

The day I learnt that Sanjay Dutt is stepping into politics I was a little confused; I was wondering if it is his cup of tea or will he be just tasting it to add yet another experience in his already mired life. From what I have seen and heard about him, he is supposed to be a very emotional person who does things for friends, who takes decisions on the spur, and who can be frivolous at times. But, on the other hand he seems to be the ideal political candidate or guinea pig.

If we observe Sanju’s life and career graph and put it in a book or a movie, it will be an instant best-seller. The tough times that he has gone through and the happy days that he has seen have almost always been like a zebra-crossing, starting with his debut movie Rocky to joining Samajwadi Party.

With a successful father and a great dad-mom duo at home he was a much pampered child and he did get his dream debut in the movie industry with ‘Rocky’ which released in 1981. But he started off on wrong note, the movie bombed. His next movie Vidhata fared much better, more so because it had Dilip Kumar being directed by Subhash Ghai. After the success of ‘Vidhata’ he did a whole lot of forgettable movies like Mera Faisla, Jaan Ki Baazi, Jeeva etc.

Sanju shot to fame for his depiction of a guy who goes to Dubai to earn quick bucks and ends up becoming a drug peddler in ‘Naam’. I really loved this movie and this is one of the finest performances that he has given. It may have come naturally to him since he had been through a similar struggle in his personal life. His drug addiction and rehab stories are legendary and then his mother was fighting cancer and finally succumbed to it. All this may have added to his performance. He went on to act in a few more movies which fared in the box-office like Kabzaa, Mohabbat Ke Dushman, Imaandar, Kanoon Apna Apna etc.

Just when he was peaking in his career with hit movies like Sadak, Yodha, Krodh and Thaanedar; and just when he was in the league of Anil Kapoor, Sunny Deol and Jackie Shorff, he got arrested under TADA for illegal possession of arms and ammunitions[AK-56 was recovered from his house] and he was also charged in connection with the Bombay bomb-blasts of 1993. Soon after his arrest, Khalnayak released. The movie was about a boy Ballu who had lost his path and ends up on the wrong side of the law. The movie was surrounded with controversy, firstly because of the movie title and secondly because of the content and of course the infamous song choli ke peeche. The movie portrayed an ideal father who wants his son to come up on his own and live with honesty, whereas the son wants instant success and luxuries of life which lead him to wrong company. People equated this portrayal to his real life scenario, thereby creating a wrong perception of Sanju.

Sanju spent 1.5 yrs in Arthur Road jail. He did confess to the fact that he possessed the arms and his companionship with the other co-accused but he denied any knowledge of the bigger conspiracy. He was finally granted bail, and so started his tryst with jail visits on and off. After getting released from jail, he made a great comeback with movies like Daag, Dushman, Vaastav, Mission Kashmir. He also tried his hands in the comedy genre with movies like Haseena Maan Jayegi, Khoobsurat, Jodi No.1 etc.

Finally, he had his best-time ever in movie industry with success of movies like Kaante, Munnabhai MBBS, Parineeta, Dus, Zinda, Lage Raho Munnabhai. It took him a lot of time to change the image from Baba to Munnabhai, from a guy who had been through rehab to a guy who rediscovered Gandhi; from being careless and ruthless to being sensitive and caring; from being a vagabond to finally settling down.

Sanju’s personal life is also zig-zagged with lots of happy and sad moments. He lost his mother and first wife, Richa Sharma to cancer. His daughter Trishala, from his first marriage, lives far away in US and he does not get to meet her often. While he was in jail, his fiance Rhea Pillai stood by him and she even led quite a few movements asking fellow actors to come in support of him. Once Sanju was out of jail, he married Rhea but that marriage did not last long. They finally called it quits and she is happily married to Leander Paes, the tennis star. Now, Sanju has involved himself in another controversy – marrying Manyata Dilnawaz Sheikh. Manyata’s previous marriage has not yet been declared null and void and she has hopped onto another one, thereby attracting media attention.

He has also estranged his sister Priya Dutt in the process. Firstly he did not inform her about his marriage with Manyata and she got to know of it through a media scoop. And now he has declared that he will stand for election on a Samajwadi party ticket because of his newfound love for Amar Singh whom he calls his elder brother.

People get involved in controversy, but in Sanju’s case he has invited controversy, befriended it and thrived on it. But what is admirable about him is the fighting spirit, never-say-die, never give-up or give-in. He has been through the toughest of situations and come out unscathed; be it his drug abuse and rehab, loss of mom and first wife, jailed under TADA … he has seen it all.

Here is a short summary of events which has finally culminated into him joining politics:

1. a bollywood superstar
2. son of an illustrious and well respected actor-cum-politician[Sunil
Dutt was staunch congressman and a great example of man with Gandhian
principles and of course a brilliant actor]
3. a drug addict who has been through rehab
4. twin tragedies like losing his mother and wife to cancer
5. languished in jail under TADA on charges of abetting terrorism
6. second innings of film career as Munnabhai, thereby making a new
place for himself in people’s heart
7. marrying somebody else’s wife in a controversial manner
8. estranged relationship with sisters and daughter
9. finally taking a plunge into politics

The first 8 points don’t necessarily lead to the 9th point, but he probably is destiny’s child.

This post was first published on PFC

car war ... maruti ritz v/s fiat punto

i spotted a red fiat punto on the streets today and it looked awesome from the front and profile view. but its back looked so similar to the back of a maruti swift. i was actually tailing the car and did not really bother to notice it because the back resembled a swift. after overtaking the car i realized it was a fiat punto.

although that's the case, the car will be compared with maruti ritz and not swift. reason being that, both were launched around the same time; ritz came a little earlier. both are targetting the same 'hatchback' segment. both the cars have had great predecessors in the form of palio and swift, so the competition between these both will be immense.

based on design and safety features punto is way ahead, but ritz is economical and works well for the common man. the after-sales-service of maruti is unbeatable, and that will make sure that the sales of ritz far outdoes the sales of punto.

check out this TEAM-BHP link to know more.

Actress Of Yesteryear, Leela Naidu, Breathes Her Last

News has just come in that Leela Naidu is no more. It came as quite a surprise as she was not in her seventies yet; but her struggle with flu got the better of her this morning.

She was one of the first Femina Miss India's to turn into an actress, she was crowned the title in 1954. She acted in very few movies as she was quite selective about her work. I had been planning on watching her movie Ye Raaste Hain Pyar Ke starring Sunil Dutt, but was unable to do so. I have not seen any movies of hers yet. Now that she has passed away, will catch up with the movie this weekend itself. May her soul rest in peace.

don't be concerned about public opinion ... just save your ass

A pastor entered his donkey in a race and it won. The pastor was so pleased with the donkey that he entered in another race and it won again.

The local paper read: PASTOR'S ASS OUT FRONT.

The Bishop was so upset with this kind of publicity that he ordered the pastor not to enter the donkey in any more races.

The next day the local paper headline read: BISHOP SCRATCHES THE PASTOR'S ASS.

This was too much for the Bishop, so he ordered the pastor to get rid of the donkey. The pastor decided to give it to a nun in a nearby convent.

The local paper, hearing of the news, posted the following headline: NUN HAS THE BEST ASS IN TOWN .

The Bishop fainted. He informed the nun that she would have to get rid of the donkey so she sold it to a farmer for $10.

The next day the headlines read: NUN SELLS ASS FOR $10.

This was too much for the Bishop, so he ordered the nun to buy back the donkey and lead it to the high plains where it could run free.

The next day the headlines read : NUN ANNOUNCES HER ASS IS WILD AND FREE.

Alas... The Bishop was buried the next day.

Being concerned about public opinion can bring you much grief and misery and even shorten your life. So, be yourself and enjoy life. Stop worrying about everyone else's ass and you'll live longer.

love aaj kal OR love aajkal

Aaj kal and aajkal have two different meanings. While aaj kal is a reference to today & tomorrow, aajkal means now-a-days. I am sure Imtiaz Ali has handled both meanings, aaj kal and aajkal.



Here's the dope on the movie. It begins with Saif and Deepika being in love with each other. But love is not what can keeo them together. They are ambitious genX youth who have ambitions which are of higher priority than love. So, taking a totally practical approach they part ways seeking their own paths. That's love aaj for you, the frivolous love of today's times.

Rishi Kapoor, who plays Saif's dad, narrates his lovestory. So, while the lovestory is of Rishi, Saif plays it out. Hence we see the sardar get-up of Saif, who is the younger version of Rishi. His dad narrates how his was love-at-first-sight. The moment he saw her, he just flipped. That's love kal for you, the love which drives people totally crazy and the love which makes them do anything for it.

Now that the comparison of aaj and kal is done, we are left with aajkal. Saif takes a leaf out of Rishi's book and chases Deepika Padukone. He realizes how love is the stability that he has been looking for and that she is the one with whom he can be happy forever. That's the love aajkal for you. Today, yesterday and the now-a-days...all find a place in this movie. I am just itching to watch it, you too watch out!

rendezvous in a library

I just came across this write-up which is an imaginary conversation that a guy has with a girl whom he chances upon, in a library:

Hi XX... My name is XY … If all the book covers were as attractive as you - the library would surely serve its intended purpose. I hope you are not tagged in the 'Reference' section. They say the library is a place of knowledge. And I realised the truth in that statement today, because I have actually gained enlightenment on what true beauty is - after I set my eyes upon you.

The one time I've seen you, the camera of my eye has captured the indelible image of your pretty face and is playing it over & over in the projector of my mind in rewind mode. I figured talking to you might push my life into fast-forward mode. Love begins with attraction. Attraction is catalysed by silence. So here I am - with the rhythmic beat of my heart-beat defying the domination of silence. The “Silence Please” display board in the library doesn’t hold good as my emotions overflow. But my vocabulary is unable to convey the whispers of my heart. But I shall still try.

I am not to sure on what I want to say. But I do know for sure that coffee is not available in the library. In the search for a more suitable environment, I solicit your presence in the nearby coffee shop... and the gentleman talking to you right now shall accompany you.

And here is where I come in. Below is my attempt to give a befitting reply to this infantile chatter:

Hi XY... I have been taught to never judge a book by the cover and that could be the reason for library not serving its purpose. I am in the 'magazine' section checking out an article on 'what men want'. Library is a place for knowledge, no doubt; and I have learnt how men tell the weirdest of things just to impress a girl.

The one time you saw me, you were floored and out of your senses. I tend to have that effect on men. But beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. Lust begins with attraction, love begins with understanding each other. So, please hold the horses of your thoughts lest they take you to the land of 'no-return'. The 'Silence Please' board is just the barricade between us, in absence of that you may have opened your mouth much earlier and proven beyond doubt your idiocy.

You are not only limited by your vocabulary but by intelligence too. Why else would you think of coffee at this ungodly hour. So, even before you propose coffee with XY, let me politely refuse it.

megan fox ... hope this is good for my career

found this hilarious pic of miss.fox

Amole Gupte - Then And Now

The first ever screen appearance that I remember of Amole Gupte, was in Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. He wore a grey blazer and was doing a running commentary on the last cycle race ... Sidharth Sharma reporting from the first check point at Pykara Junction .... etc. That was more than a decade and half ago, and things have changed since then.

When his name flashed allover the media as a result of his fantastic story/scripting of Taare Zameen Par, I just could not relate the two faces. The similarity between the younger Amole and the older one was zilch, I just wondered how Joker[TDK] would look with his make-up ripped off. It was a similar kind of feeling, seeing Amole with those long strands of silken hair falling allover the face. But that was just the beginning of the surprise. Sometime later when I learnt that he would be playing Priyanka Chopra's brother Bhope Bhau in Vishal Bharadwaj's movie Kaminey, I freaked out. My mind started swirling as I began imagining him playing the creepy character from the underbelly of Mumbai, and at the same time I was confused. How would a sensitive guy, who wrote TZP with such sincerity and innocence, pull off an underworld character who is supposed to be ruthless, gripy, wicked, whacky!

But even before TZP was in the making I fleetingly recalled that Amole was the host of a talk-show called Bindaas Bol which was telecast on SonyTv in the mid-90's. It was more of a discussion forum, much like We The People, hosted by NDTV which started years later, much after Bindaas Bol had come and gone. Even in Bindaas Bol, Amole was a fiery host/moderator with a ponytail. I don't remember all the episodes, but two of them I can vividly recall. One of the topics of discussion was on 'Acceptance Of Gays In Our Society' and I was quite impressed by the depth and maturity of the chat that took place, way ahead of times for mid-90's. I was really appreciative of the guy. The other topic was about 'techno-chor' where they were discussing how to cheat in exams using technology. Sanjay Dutt did that in Munnabhai MBBS, much much later, using hands-free. But the guys who participated in the discussion were using satellite communication and had that connected to their watches and other gadgets which was their own small-time inventions. It blew me off, I too wanted to do that for my 10th Board Exams back then. Well, he raked up a few other politically relevant issues in his show, some controversial and others not so much. But I don't seem to remember other episodes so well.

Anyways, Amole is a multi-talented personality. Being a product of FTII - Pune, he spent more than a decade there, learning all the various facets of film-making. He was a fantastic painter during his schooling days. I guess we all know that the characrter of Nikumb was based on his school teacher. Even in TZP, those paintings and caricatures/cartoons were all done by him. He put a lot of himself in the movie. Not just painted, he also wrote the song Mera Jahan:

A Little Sweet, A Little Sour
A Little Close Not Too Far
All I Need, All I Need
All I Need Is To Be Free

What a beautiful thought told with such innocence and child-like feelings, simple and straight. And here's the best part of that lyrical piece by him:

Udne Ko Sau Pankh Diye Hai
Chadhne Ko Khula Aasmaan
Mudne Ko Hai Karwat Karwat
Aur Badhne Ko Mera Jahan

The flights of fantasy that we all want to indulge in, but always skeptical of our own potential is very well worded here. The will to break free was always there. Then of course, the age old philosophy of one-life so live it well on our own terms. Beautifully expressed!

Bachpan Ke Din Chaar
Na Aayenge Baar Baar
Jee Le Jee Le Mere Yaar
Jeib Khaali To Udhaar
Jee Zindagi

I am still surprised that Children's Film Society of India [CFSI] turned down the script. All the panelists had approved of it, but the head Sai Paranjpe. She rejected it. Of all people, Sai Paranjpe, I am actually more than surprised, I am shcoked. Anyways, destiny works in weird ways.

He wished Akshaye Khanna could play the character of Ramshankar Nikumb. Reason being that, he was impressed with Akshay's portrayal of a sensitive painter who goes against societal norms, Sid in DCH. He went around with his script but never could meet Akshaye. That's when Aamir borrowed the script and read it, with due permission of course, and he wished to be a part of it. What transpired between them, I seriously don't know. All I know is that, TZP was made well, an awesome movie that swept the awards, was India's entry to the Oscars etc. Neither Amole nor Aamir want to broach this topic, again. Its a karmic cycle which will catch-up with either of the two or both, soon enough.

By the way, even before his freak appearance in JJWS[Tom Alter was supposed to play the part of the commentator, but that did not happen since he failed to turn up], he had done a movie with Aamir Khan. It was Ketan Mehta's movie Holi. A movie that I am still looking for, wonder if anybody can provide me some exclusive viewing of this. His association with Ketan Mehta was not new, he was the Assisstant Director of Mirch Masala, another fabulous movie by Ketan Mehta.

Coming back to the Bhope Bhau character in Kaminey, I am dying to see him perform. I wonder what he would bring to the screen. And not just this movie, I am also looking forward to his next venture Sapno Ko Ginte Ginte. It's a film revolving around children, I hear. Lets wait and watch!

Hillary Clinton Should Be Frisked By Air-India Staff

While Hillary Clinton is visiting India to strengthen ties of the two countries, someone is playing spoilsport. Very unintentionally though.

In the wake of Continental Airlines frisking our ex-President APJ Kalam, I guess even the security of Air-India should frisk her on her way back. Alas, this shall not happen as she does not travel by AI, but yet.

Continental Airlines' staff were totally ignorant about the protocol and inspite of repeated telling that APJ Kalam was a dignitary and ex-Prez of India, he was frisked. What's worse, they are unapologetic about it.

I hope the Govt Of India takes up this issue with USA and make sure that the entire country apologises for this faux-pas. This arrogant and bullying attitude of USA is not doing anybody any good. Hope they realise it soon. Anyways, all I wish is for an apology from the country, not just the damn airlines.

Update on 22/7/2009: Continental Airlines apologised after GOI offically lodged a complaint against them.

How do I?

I noticed a poem in the bulletin-board of my office and I felt like tweaking and playing around with it. Below is the result of that:

How do I survive those moments,
When air is filled with smoke and I cant breathe?

How do I survive those moments,
When the water from purifier is running dirty?

How do I survive those moments,
When flowers refuse to bloom inspite of watering the plants?

How do I survive those moments,
When road to success is always under construction?

How do I survive those moments,
When children start calling you ‘uncle’?

How do I survive those moments,
When you ping me incessantly and I am swamped with work?

How do I?

looking out for a treadmill, any suggestions ???

i was just out, looking for a treadmill in the streets of bangalore. never knew that there were so many models with so many considerations to make.

initially, i had made up my mind to buy a manual one. but the instructor [not the sales woman] informed us that the manual is not good in the long run. it causes back-ache because the entire impetus is on us to get the belts running. so, a lot of stress falls on the back in doing this. hence manual is not suggested. of course, the price difference is the issue here. while the manual ones come for less than 10k, the automatic ones are above 20k range. so, more than double.

the next consideration was foldable or non-foldable. the foldable one gives us more room and the floor beneath it can be cleaned too. this liberty is lost in the non-foldable one. but non-foldable has stability. since its always grounded, it gives a permanent stability. the foldable ones have to be adjusted everytime we unfold it.

finally, the brand...which ones are better? afton, stayfit, weslo caddence, toppro etc.

so, if you have any previous experience with it or you have any advices/considerations that i must make, then please do let me know. thanx in advance...

Proud Owner Of First Tata NANO

Here's the proud owner of the first Tata NANO, being handed the keys by Ratan Tata himself.

On Friday, Ashok Raghunath Vichare from Mumbai became the first lucky recipient of Tata NANO LX in silver color, which was handed to him in Concorde Motors. Tata has started delivering the NANO and all cars from their factory in Pantnagar have rolled out to destinations far and wide, all across India.

To know more click here.

Hillary Clinton Lands In Mumbai

Late last night Hillary Clinton landed in Mumbai amidst heavy downpour. She is on a 5-day visit to India to strengthen the Indo-US relationship.


She would be staying in Hotel Taj to show her solidarity with the people of Mumbai and do her bit to reduce the pain of the 26/11 attacks. She will be in the city till Sunday, and her next stop would be Delhi.

The agenda for today is a corporate event hosted by Ratan Tata. And later in the day she will be taking part in an event in Xavier's College along with Aamir Khan.

if mayawati were to be raped ...

if a dalit woman is raped, she gets a compensation of 25000 rupees; if mayawati were to be raped, should she be given one crore rupeees as compensation ... this may not have been the exact sentence what ritu bahuguna joshi, the cong chief of UP said, but it was to the same effect. and this led to the rampage of BSP members who burnt down her house, hounded her and she was finally arrested in a late night drama.

what joshi said is appalling, but nevertheless its a correct call. she could have put it more astutely and her choice of words could have been better, but the logic still holds good. the statement is not anti-dalit, its anti-women for sure.

the psychosis that mayawati has created about herself, giving more importance to herself than the social sector who has brought her to power. instead of working for the dalits, she has been going about with a halo around her head. someone needs to tell her that elephants and statues are not going to bring prosperity to UP, her programs and actions can, if she were to implement them.

and whenever anyone criticizes her, she shields herself with the proverbial 'dalit ki beti being harassed' remark. its high time people of UP woke up from their slumber and vote those people to power who can alleviate their living conditions.

Chick Flick: He's Just NOT That Into You

Girls are taught a lot of stuff growing up. If a guy punches you he likes you. Never try to trim your own bangs and someday you will meet a wonderful guy and get your very own happy ending. Every movie we see, Every story we're told implores us to wait for it, the third act twist, the unexpected declaration of love, the exception to the rule. But sometimes we're so focused on finding our happy ending we don't learn how to read the signs. How to tell from the ones who want us and the ones who don't, the ones who will stay and the ones who will leave. And maybe a happy ending doesn't include a guy, maybe... it's you, on your own, picking up the pieces and starting over, freeing yourself up for something better in the future. Maybe the happy ending is... just... moving on. Or maybe the happy ending is this, knowing after all the unreturned phone calls, broken-hearts, through the blunders and misread signals, through all the pain and embarrassment you never gave up hope.

The above is the last line from the movie, and it sums up the movie for you. The movie was based on a 'best seller' book and was meant to be a guide for women in handling relationships or trying to understand and interpret the various signs that men send out. If a guy treats some girl like shit, he genuinely means that or if a guy doesn't call back then he seriously doesn't want to call. Stuck in such confusing atmosphere is Gigi[Ginnifer Goodwin], who just cannot decipher what a guy said when they ended their date. She acts too hard and sometimes looks desperate. That's when Alex[Justin Long] enters and starts making her understand how to read such signals.

Then we have a married couple who have known and been in love with each other from 6th grade, Janine[Jennifer Connelly] and Ben[Bradley Cooper], playing out the couple. Ben marries Janine under duress, but he does not feel the love and warmth anymore, adding to this is his wife's constant suspicion of his smoking habits. That's when he meets  Anna[Scarlett Johannson] who is really into him. What path should Ben choose? Go on with life and his wife or fall in love all over again or just have a fling with his new found muse and spice things up. Should Anna hope that Ben will fall in love with her and walk out on his wife?

At the other end of this quandry is Neil[Ben Affleck] and Beth[Jennifer Aniston] who have been in a relationship for 7 years but not married yet. Beth wants marriage while Ben thinks otherwise. On a bitter note, they have a fallout because Beth doesn't see a future in their relationship.

And of course, there is Conor[Kevin Connolly] who has a touch-and-go moments with Anna. They are always there for each other, but not in the same way. Conor goes out on a date with Gigi but does not call back and Anna is heed over heals in love with Ben who is married. Will Anna return Conor's affections?

The movie is a complex web of relationships. And one thing that strikes you is the general sense of ambiguity in the character. I mean, how can Anna hope that Ben will divorce his wife and marry her? Just because a similar thing happened to some guy somewhere, who found the love of his life after getting married? That's just an exception and not a rule. Why is Gigi so naive and gullible? Has she not learnt anything from her past experiences? I think the movie was aimed at telling us the difference between exception and rules. What works for one couple [or two people who are dating or in a relationship] need not work for others. There is destiny, situation, circumstances and above all, human choices which change by the moment.

The only characters with a sane mind are Beth, Neil and Alex. They are the only people who have their heads on their shoulders. When Alex advises Gigi, it all makes so much sense. Or when Neil and Beth talk about their needs from the relationship, that's so practical.

The movie is a nice watch and pretty interesting in parts. But more or less, its about the confused dating/relationship problems that leave you a little bored towards the end.

life is ...

leaving the house for work in the morning,
dressed in clothes that you bought on credit card,
driving through the traffic in a car that you are still paying for,
putting in fuel that you cannot afford,
in order to get to the job that you hate but need so badly;
so that you can pay for the clothes, car, fuel and the house
that you leave empty the whole day!

Inidan Military Parade In France's Bastille Day Celebrations

July 14th, 2009 is a historical day for India. As France celebrated the Bastille Day, Indian Navy, Army and Airforce troops, 400 in all, marched proudly. The Maratha regiment lead the march as the 90 member band played on with much pride and glee.



Not just that, Indian PM Manmohan Singh was the guest-of-honor. This was France's way of telling how close India is to them. A memorandum issued from French office read: India has a primary role on the international scene and we support India's candidacy to become a UN Security Council permanent member.



This is one of the most celebrated days of France and India's presence here will send out a great signal to the larger world community of India's growing dominance in all respect - education, military and warfare, entertainment etc.



This is a step in the right direction and one of the achievements for the Cong led UPA government. Lets raise a toast for this date with history.

Music Review : Kaminey

This is the best music album until now, and I am quite sure that it would be the best for this year. Vishal Bharadwaj is at his experimental best and Gulzar is just amazing with the pen.


The song Dhan Te Nan is already doing the rounds in disc and the video is allover the music channel. The song has high decibel energy and is sung with great enthusiasm by Sukhwinder Singh and Vishal Dadlani. The lyrics are amazing ... read this :

koi chaal aisi chalo yaar abke
samandar bhi pul pe chale
phir tu chale us pe ya mein chaloon
sehar ho apne pairo tale

The music is really racy and the energy gets to you. Vishal Dadlani has surprisingly matched Sukhwiner's verve.

Trust Gulzar to whip people and drive home the message on AIDs and he does it verbally, fatak! That's the song - fatak. He belts the lyrics with great sensitivity and talks about the spreading germs:

jitna bhi jhoot bole thoda hai
keedon ki basti da makoda hai
raaton ka bichoo hai kaatega
ye zehrila hai zeher chaatega
darwazon mein kunde ko
dafaa karo ye gunde
ye shaitaan ka saaya re
fatak

Sukhwinder Singh and Kailash Kher give a folksy touch to the song. And then comes the Ghalib take on ye ishq nahi aasaan and this is how Gulzar modernises it:

ye ishq nahi aasaan
aji AIDS ka khatra hai
patwaar pehan jaana
yeh aag ka dariya hai

His pen has the magic to weave words on any topic, and he does with with such beauty. Observe the way he uses patwaar to mean the word condom. It drives home the message, loud and clear. I just wonder how this song will be picturised in the movie.

Vishal Bharadwaj himself takes up the mike to belt the title track of Kaminey. Its a solemn song about lost dreams, lost friends and unfulfilled hopes. And Kaminey is not just a reference to characters but the ambitious dreams, untrustworthy pals etc. Its a soliloquy.

meri aarzoo kameenee
mere khwab bhi kaminey
ik dil se dosti thi
yeh hazoor bhi kaminey

After the Delhi-6 song of Genda phool, Rekha Bharadwaj is back again. This time, singing to her hubby's tunes and the song is Raat Ke Dhai Baje. Its a fantastic fusion of western music and rustic lyrics. The song is rendered by 3 other singers - Sunidhi Chauhan, Kunal Ganjawala and Suresh Wadkar. It has a fine rhythm that gets to you slowly. A nice song indeed.

ishq mein jalte hue
saans tezabi lage
raaz khulta hi nahi
koi toh chaabi lage

chikne chikne lachhe hain
reshmi se phande
chupdi chupdi baaton mein
bhole bhale bande

tanhai ne fursat di hai
arey pehli baar mohabbat ki hai
aakhri baar mohabbat ki hai

Mohit Chauhan finally gets to sing Pehli Baar Mohabbat Ki Hai, which is nice romantic ballad. After his ok-dokie song in Love Aaj Kal, this sounds refreshing. He should sing more often. This song may sound like reprise of Raat Ke Dhai Baje, but its not. The similarity lies only in the lyrics. The mood is different, the song is different. I think there must be a reason for the similar sounding words, though.

thode bheege bheege se
thode nam hain hum
kal se soye voye bhi,
toh kam hain hum
dil ne kaisi harkat ki hai
pehli baar mohabbat ki hai
aakhri baar mohabbat ki hai

The album also has the remix of Dhan Te Nan and Raat Ke Dhai Baje. And then there is a small musical instrumental piece called Go Charlie which is a medley mix of other songs. All in all, its a great album with awesome music, great vocals and fantastic lyrics. Its a must-buy!

Delhi Metro Bridge Collapses, 5 Killed; Sreedharan Resigns

Around 5am this morning, Delhi woke up to the news of a part of the Delhi Metro Bridge collapsing, in which 1 engineer and 4 other laborers were killed and 15 others injured.

This happened very close to Lady Sriram College where a pillar was being erected and it gave way under immense weight. This is the second such incident in last 8 months.

Taking moral responsibility for the mishap, the Managing Director of Delhi Metro Corporation, Sreedharan, sent his resignation to CM Sheila Dixit.

While his intentions are honest, I sincerely feel that the resignation should not be accepted. First of all, he was not directly involved with this incident. Secondly, he has been doing a good job. A project of such proportions require honest people like Sreedharan. While we see what's been happening with Mayawati and her statue-fixation in UP, this moral responsibility claimant deserves an applause.

He should be re-instated and be given full support for the wonderful work that he has been doing. An investigation should be launched to find out where the problem lies. Was it with the pillar strength or the material used or some other technical snag? That needs to be found out and corrected. Let's hope the injured ones recover soon and the project continues to a successful completion.

SRK Honored With Doctorate From UK University

SRK was given an honorary doctorate by the University of Bedfordshire for his contribution to the field of arts and culture.

“On one wall, where I have my personal desk, where I keep my scripts, I have the Padmashri, the French honour, the Malaysian honour and this one will also go there. The Filmfare awards are in front of me so I am like a megalomaniac, self-centered person who likes to be surrounded by his awards,” he said.

Kaminey Lyrics - Kaminey Title Song

Music: Vishal Bharadwaj
Lyrics: Gulzar

kya kare zindagi
isko hum jo miley
iski jaan kha gaye
raat din ke giley
raat din giley

meri aarzoo kameenee
mere khwab bhi kaminey
ik dil se dosti thi
yeh hazoor bhi kaminey

kabhi zindagi se maanga
pinjare mein chand la do
kabhi lalten de ke
kaha aasma pe taango
jeene ke sab kareene
the hamesha se kaminey

meri dastaan kameenee
mere raaste kaminey
ik dil se dosti thi
yeh hazoor bhi kaminey

jiska bhi chehra chila
andar se aur nikla
masoom sa kabootar
naacha toh mor nikla
kabhi hum kaminey nikle

kabhi dosti kameenee
mere yaar bhi kaminey
ik dil se dosti thi
yeh hazoor bhi kaminey

Kaminey Lyrics - Pehli Baar Mohabbat Ki Hai

Music: Vishal Bharadwaj

Lyrics: Gulzar

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8xWp3Ed9Dg&hl=en_US&fs=1&]

thode bheege bheege se

thode nam hain hum

kal se soye voye bhi,

toh kam hain hum

dil ne kaisi harkat ki hai

pehli baar mohabbat ki hai

aakhri baar mohabbat ki hai

aankhen doobi doobi si

surmai madham

jheeley, paani paani hain bas

tum aur hum

baat badi hairat ki hai

pehli baar mohabbat ki hai

aakhri baar mohabbat ki hai

khab ke bojh se

kap-kapati hui

halki palkey teri

yaad aata hai sab

tujhe gudgudana, satana

yun hi sote hue

gaal pe teepna, meechana

bewajah besabab

yaad hai peepal ke

jisak ghane saaye the

hunme gilhairi ke jhoote matar

khaaye the

yeh barkat un hazrat ki hai

pehli baar mohabbat ki hai

aakhri baar mohabbat ki hai

pehli baar mohabbat ki hai…

Kaminey Lyrics - Raat Ke Dhai Baje

Music: Vishal Bharadwaj
Lyrics: Gulzar

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WC7mRcf0gpQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&]

raat ke dhai baje
koi shehnai baje
dil ka bazaar laga
dhela taka pai baje

chaunke chaunke chaunke se
khoye khoye se hum
aankhen doobi doobi se
soye soye se hum

dil ne kaisi durgat ki hai
pehli baar mohabbat ki hai
aji aakhri baar mohabbat ki hai
arey pehli baar mohabbat ki hai
aakhri baar mohabbat ki hai

jaan hatheli, upar leli
yaaro kaisi harkat ki hai
aji pehli baar mohabbat ki hai
aakhri baar mohabbat ki hai

ishq mein jalte hue
saans tezabi lage
raaz khulta hi nahi
koi toh chaabi lage

chikne chikne lachhe hain
reshmi se phande
chupdi chupdi baaton mein
bhole bhale bande

tanhai ne fursat di hai
arey pehli baar mohabbat ki hai
aakhri baar mohabbat ki hai

raat kuch aisa hua
jaisa hota toh nahi
thaam ke rakha mujhe
main bhi khota toh nahi
ek hi latt suljhane mein
saari raat guzaari hai

jaan ki gathri sar pe le li
aapne kaisi zehmat dee hai
arey pehli baar mohabbat ki hai
aakhri baar mohabbat ki hai
pehli baar mohabbat ki hai

Kaminey Lyrics - Fatak

Music: Vishal Bharadwaj
Lyrics: Gulzar

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i62RNviKLH0&hl=en_US&fs=1&]

ke bhavra bhavra aaaya re…
ke bhavra bhavra aaaya re…
fatak

ke bhavra bhavra aaaya re.. fatak
ke gun-gun karta aaye re.. fatak

ke bhavra bhavra aaya re
gun-gun karta aaya re
sun-sun karta galiyo se
ab tak koi na bhaaya re
fatak

sauda kare saheli ka
sar pe tel chameli ka
kaan mein ittar ka phaya re
fatak

ke bhavra bhavra aaya re
gun gun karta aaya re
sun sun karta galiyon se
ab tak koi na bhaaya re
fatak

ginti na karna iski yaaron mein
awara ghoome galiyaaron mein
ye chipku hamesha satayega
yeh jaayega, phir laut aayega
khoon ke maile katre mein
jaan ke saare khatar ke aaaya, ke aaaya
ke aaaya raat ka jaaya re
fatak

ke bhavra bhavra aaya re
gun gun karta aaya re
sun sun karta galiyon se
ab tak koi na bhaaya re
fatak

jitna bhi jhoot bole thoda hai
keedon ki basti da makoda hai
raaton ka bichoo hai kaatega
ye zehrila hai zeher chaatega
darwazon mein kunde ko
dafaa karo ye gunde
ye shaitaan ka saaya re
fatak

ke bhavra bhavra aaya re
gun gun karta aaya re
sun sun karta galiyon se
ab tak koi na bhaaya re

ye ishq nahi aasaan
aji AIDS ka khatra hai
patwaar pehan jaana
yeh aag ka dariya hai

ke naiya doobe na
re bhavra kaate na

Kaminey Lyrics - Dhan Te Nan

Music: Vishal Bharadwaj
Lyrics: Gulzar

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IF3q0Xxxlo&hl=en_US&fs=1&]

aaja aaja dil nichodein
raat ki matki todein
koi good luck nikale
aaj gullakh to phodein
til til tara mira teli ka tel
kaudi kaudi paisa paisa
paise ka khel
chal chal sadkon pe hogi
dhan dhan..
dhan te nan

aaja ki one way hai yeh zindagi ki gali
ek hi chance hai
aage hawa hi hawa hai agar saans hai to
yeh romance hai

yahi kehte hain
yahi sunte hain
jo bhi jata hai jata hai
wo phir se aata nahi

aaja aaja dil nichodein
raat ki matki todein
koi good luck nikale
aaj gullakh to phodein
til til tara mira teli ka tel
kaudi kaudi paisa paisa
paise ka khel
chal chal sadkon pe hogi
dhan dhan..
dhan te nan

koi chaal aisi chalo yaar abke
samandar bhi pul pe chale
phir tu chale us pe ya mein chaloon
sehar ho apne pairo tale

kahin khabrein hain
kahin kabrein hain
jo bhi soye hain kabron mein
unko jagana nahi

aaja aaja dil nichodein
raat ki matki todein
koi good luck nikale
aaj gullakh to phodein
til til tara mira teli ka tel
kaudi kaudi paisa paisa
paise ka khel
chal chal sadkon pe hogi
dhan dhan..
dhan te nan

Union Budget By Pranab Mukherjee

Pranab Mukherjee presented the Union Budget today, for the year 2009-10. Some of the highlights from the budget are:

* GDP growth dipped to 6.7% in FY'09

* Fiscal deficit up from 2.7% to 6.8% of GDP

* 'Aam aadmi' is focus of all programmes and schemes

* IT exemption limit raised; Rs 15,000 for Sr.citizens

* Limit raised by Rs 10,000 for tax payers, including women

* 10% surcharge on personal income tax scrapped

* Fringe Benefit Tax abolished

* No change in corporate tax

* Defence gets Rs 1,41,703 cr, up 34%

* Total fiscal stimulus in 2008-09 amounts to Rs 1,86,000 cr

* IIFCL to evolve mechanism for increased funding of infra

* IIFCL to re-finance commercial bank loans up to 60 per cent in critical projects through PPP to tune of Rs 1,00,000 cr

* Allocations for highways being stepped up by 23 per cent

* Funds for housing, amenities for urban poor up Rs 3,973 cr

* Funds for JN Urban Renewal Mission up 87% to Rs 12,887 cr

* Assistance for storm-water drainage project up by Rs 300 cr

* Farm credit target up at Rs 3,25,000 cr from Rs 2,87,000 cr

* Interest rates incentive to farmers to repay loans on time

* Additional Rs 1,000 crore for accelerated irrigation scheme

* Export Credit Guarantee scheme extended till March 2010 * 2% interest subvention (IS) scheme extended till March 2010

* IS scheme to cover 7 job-oriented sectors, including textile, handicrafts and handlooms.

* Commodity Transaction Tax abolished

* New pension system trust exempted from STT; DDT

* Minimum Alternate Tax hiked to 15% from 10%

* Tax holiday on petro sector extended to natural gas

* 100% tax deduction on political donation

* Stimulus for print media for another six months * Fertiliser subsidy to be nutrient-based, not price

* Expert Grp to form viable pricing for imported petro goods

* Banks and insurance firms to remain in public sector

* Rs 100 cr one-time grant to expand banks in unbanked areas

* Govt committed to provide Rs.100 a day as wages under NREGA

* Allocation of Rs 39,100 cr to be made for NREGA

* NREGA coverage increased to 4.74 crore households in FY'09

* Work National Food Security scheme has begun

* Allocation for Bharat Nirman being raised by 45 per cent

* Rs 2,000 cr rural housing fund under National Housing Bank

* Mission for female literacy with focus on minorities, SC/ST

* 50% of all rural women to be brought into SHG programmes

* Full interest subsidy for students in select institutions

* Five lakh students to benefit

* Modernisation of national exployment exchanges

* Action for social security to unorganised sector workers

* New pension benefits for 12 lakh jawans and JCOs from July

* One lakh dwelling units for paramilitary forces personnel

* Unique Identification Card to citizens in 12-18 months

* Provision of Rs 120 crore for UIC project

* Rs 2,113 crore allocated for IITs and new IITs

* Rs 3472 cr for Commonwealth Games from Rs 2112 cr

* Customs, excise and service tax base rates unchanged

* For Indira Awas Yojana, allocation increased 63%

* IT returns to be made simpler

* 8 missions being launched under Plan on climate change

* Allocation for market development assistance scheme up 148%

* Allocation for Rural Health Mission raised by Rs 257 cr above interim budget

* Rs 500 cr for rehabilitation of Sri Lankan Tamils

* Rs 1,000 cr for infrastructure in cyclone-hit area in WB

* Total expenditure crosses Rs 10 lakh cr for first time

* Share of direct taxes in revenue increased to 56% in FY'09

TOI Website Carries Fake Pics Of Kareena Kapoor

Just to increase the hits on their website and to cash in on Kareena's success, TOI has been posting morph images of hers. Just a few months back they had posted a very bad fake of Kareena


The face has been morphed over Jennifer Lopez's body. The picture was later deleted, and now they have done it again by posting yet another morph image of her in their article B'wood bikini-bodies to die for

Check out this picture of Kareena in a skin coloured lingerie, this pic may not seem as obvious a fake as the last one but it is a morphed image of Adriana Lima.

And here is the original picture.

Here is an another pic from the same series.

I really hope that TOI realises their folly and not indulge in such activities.

movie review : kambakht ishq

the movie has an offensive poster, but the movie is much more offensive i believe.



here are a few excerpts of the reviews that the movie has been receiving:

Kambakkht Ishq is a painfully excessive work of burlesque, one so dragged down by the nauseating combination of toilet humour and lazy screenwriting that it makes American Pie look like Brokeback Mountain in comparison. Nope, Kambakkht Ishq is a weak, often revoltingly cheap film that serves merely as aspirin-seller or hangover-simulation.

it just doesn't stop here, it goes on to describe how the movie insults the intelligence of the audience.

there is nothing at all wrong with an unabashedly lowbrow film, one which delights in skin and scatological humour, and makes no bones about being a collection of gags rather than something with an actual plot. What is wrong is when such a low-rent farce pretends it's a bonafide summer blockbuster.

read the complete review here

here are excerpts from another review which points to the same flaws of the movie but a little too strongly. check this:

How much you enjoy Kambakkht Ishq is directly proportionate to just how low your standards have fallen. This battle-of-the-sexes saga starring Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor is a loud, vulgar and seriously offensive film that has reportedly been made at a price of Rs 60 crore. In that much money, you could feed an entire starving nation. And you'd be blessed for it.

sample this line from the same review:

The problem with this film isn't that it's ridden with logical loopholes. Those you're even willing to turn a blind eye to, in keeping with the film's screwball nature. What is inexcusable is the consistently crude tone of the film.

you can read the second review in its entirety here.

after going through two such reviews which pans the movie, i am surely gonna skip it.

Railway Budget By Mamta Bannerjee

After 5 long years, somebody other than Lalu Yadav has presented the Railway Budget. Mamta Bannerjee did so, today in the Parliament's Budget Session. She presented a host of sops as well as some economic-driven budgeting. Here are the key highlights:

• No hike in freight rates


• No increase in passenger fares across classes


• Tatkal scheme to be reduced from 5 days to 2 days


• 12 new 'Duronto' AC sleeper trains between major metros

1. New Delhi-Jammu Tawi (tri-weekly)


2. Howrah-Mumbai AC (bi-weekly)


3. Mumbai-Ahmedabad AC (tri-weekly)


4. Chennai-Delhi (bi-weekly)


5. New Delhi-Lucknow (tri-weekly)


6. Delhi-Pune AC (bi-weekly)


7. Howrah-Delhi (bi-weekly)


8. New Delhi-Allahabad (tri-weekly)


9. Sealdah-New Delhi (bi-weekly)


10. Kolkata-Amritsar (bi-weekly)


11. Bhubaneshwar-Delhi (weekly)


12. Ernakulam-Delhi (weekly)

• Non-stop AC 'Durant' trains to be introduced


• 1000 MW power plant with NTPC on Bengal-Jharkhand border


• Kolkata Metro to get more extensions


• Ladies Special to be extended to Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi


• Metro concession in Kolkata to minority students


• Press correspondents to get 50% concession


• Cold storage facilities for farmers to store produce


• New scheme called 'Izzat' for low-income monthly travel where a monthly pass of Rs.25/- will be issue to travel upto 100kms


• New coach factory to be set up in Kanchrapara in Bengal


• Mega logistics hubs in Eastern and Western corridor


• Launch of premium parcel service between 3 stations


• New policy to allow private freight terminal


• Railways to lease out land for commercial purposes


• Special recruitment drive to fill up physically challenged posts


• Metro Rail Hospital in Tollygunj to be upgraded


• Hospitals to be developed for railway staff


• Colleges on railway land through public-private partnership


• Girl child scholarship for Group B Railway employees


• To increase number of women commandos in key routes


• Ramps, special bogeys for physically challenged passengers


• To introduce double-decker AC coaches for inter-city travel


• Passengers can buy tickets from Post Offices


• SMS update on waitlisted tickets


• Automatic ticket vending machines in 200 stations


• Ticketing services in 200 new towns and cities


• Infotainment services in Rajdhani, Shatabdi


• 49 stations of religious importance to be upgraded


• To introduce ambulance facilities in long-distance trains


• Depute one doctor in long-distance trains


• Specially designed coaches for handicapped passengers


• Book stores, PCOs to be set up across stations


• Multi-functional complexes for railway users at stations


• Toilet facilities for women at stations


• Public-private partnership to develop stations


• 309 out of 370 stations identified for development


• CST Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Howrah, Sealdah to be developed


• Develop 50 stations as world-class


• To lay stress on platform and train security, catering


• Expert committee on socially unviable projects to be set up

All in all, looks like a good populist budget that will make everyone happy.

The White Balloon : Abbas Kiarostami Scripts A Children's Movie

While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about

There are very few children's movie that touch our heart. The last such good movie I had seen was Majid Majidi's Children Of Heaven, which was made two years after this movie. What a nice, cute gem of a movie this is!

The movie took me back to the time when I was a 10 year old boy and my dad had handed me the grave responsibility of depositing Rs.10,000/- in his bank account. He gave me the accompanying paying-in slip and my face turned as pink as the slip itself. Although the bank was about half a kilometer away from our house, it seemed all so far on that particular day. I trudged along, all fidgety, with my hands inside my pockets clutching the bundle of notes. I was perspiring a bit, and it was not because of the summer heat since this happened in the winter of 1990.

The movie begins with Razieh who has been given a 500 tomans currency note on the eve of New Year to purchase a gift for herself, not exceeding 100 tomans. The entire movie revolves around this 500 currency note and her adventures at trying to buy a goldfish. At the face of it, it sounds quite ordinary but the manner in which she struggles from one incident to another is heart-touching.

Her first stop is at the roadside snake charmer and his accomplice, a dervish. They play all kinds of tricks with the currency note, first they take it right out of her small fish-bowl, later they place the note around a slithery snake and ask Razieh to pull it out on her own. Fear, anxiety, curiosity, gloom and finally a smile ... all this happens in those five minutes that sees the note exchanging hands and finally making it back to her fish-bowl. The range of expressions that she displays in those 5 minutes is the highpoint of the movie.

I do recall that a few of those expressions were on my face when friends and neighbours waved at me when they walked past on that particular day, and all I could do was to smile back. Obviously I could not have removed my hands from the grasp of the bundle and waved back at them, I could have, but I dared not! I was anxious enough to reach the bank as soon as possible, before I could encounter a few more known faces and give them sheepish grins.

I did reach the bank and was mighty relieved as was Razieh when she reached the gift-shop. But unlike me, she was in for a rude shock. After having bargained with the store-keeper for a plump and chubby goldfish, she was dumbfounded when she found that her fishbowl is empty and that she has managed to lose the money again. I too had a bit of a tormenting time when I saw that there was a long queue for depositing cash and that, I would have to wait for some more time before I could offload myself.

Her chirpiness and innocence won my heart, I would have given her the goldfish as a gift. But alas! the store-keeper has to make a living. Anyhow, Razieh retraces her path and finds the spot where her currency had dropped off. Its a pit covered by grills, infront of a store which is already closed for the vacations. Here begins her next set of struggles of having to retrieve the note from that pit. She is soon joined by her brother and they cannot return home empty handed. Razeih definitely wants her New Year gift and the brother being older feels the need to be by his sister's side and help her out.

The story is quite simple, nothing showy flashy at all. But the manner in which it unfolds is very appreciable, keeping the sensitivity of children in mind. The screenplay is wonderful and filled with lots of sweet little moments like the conversation with the army man who is on his way to his native place on account of New Year leave, the tailor who argues with a customer about the size of the collar, an elderly lady who offers to help and finally the smallboy who sells balloons for a living. How all these people come together and do their bit in trying to help the sweet little kid is very well done.

When the army man tries talking to Razieh and she does not respond, he asks if she has been instructed not to talk to strangers. That's such a basic parenting nature, all of us are taught not to do so. This was captured well in the movie, sticking to the minutest of details about children's mannerism and behaviour pattern.

The baby-girl is really enchanting and her expressions are just fantastic. The director, Jafar Panahi, has extracted a fabulous performance from her. From the first scene that she steps out of the house to the last scene, she is amazing. A lot of credit should go to Abbas Kiarostami who is the screen-writer of the movie. When Razieh finally gets her goldfish, its more of a writer's victory than the directors. Taking no credit away from Jafar who has brought out the best from Aida Mohammadkhani[Razieh] and all other characters, I think the beautiful and detailed writing from Kiarostami must have helped him a great deal. All in all, a fantastic team effort and a good movie to sit back and watch.

I, of course, did manage to deposit the money with a little help from the clerk sitting across the table. When I got back home with a broad smile, dad let me know that he was following me like a guardian angel, keeping a distance of 20 feet. He believed in the saying that if you want a child to grow-up, hand him some responsibility.

By the way, the last shot of the movie was quite exceptional. All the characters who had appeared earlier, crossed each other's path in that last snapshot. It probably signified the wheel of life, the criss-crossing of paths could also be a symbol of the close-knit society that exists and how people come forward to help each other.

PS: I shudder to think what we would do with the movie if it were to be remade in bollywood. We would, for sure, have a bunch of jokers, a few so-called-stars making an appearance; then a dream item-number prompted by some movie poster stuck on the billboard, a few silly laughs by a drunk passer-by who attempts to pull the note out of the pit etc. The reason for this afterthought is the fact that I heard 'Children Of Heaven' is being remade.