Pardon me for any oversights that might occur by virtue of my having watched the movie over seven days back. The tickets were bought by a friend of mine and i did manage to reach just in time for the show. The knowledge that the film is by Shyam Benegal did surprise me. The narrative is through the eyes of a villager who completed his education before returning to the village. No, he did not get educated in some swanky college of Mumbai but a near by town in the hindi heartland. The language has a tinge of bhojpuri but makes perspicuous understanding. The first half of movie is entirely about weaving the pastoral lifestyle and the rustic ways of indian villages. A love story or two take birth with the depravity of changing social mores contributing to their hues. The sequences almost seems repetitive and one almost wants to jump into a break. And it does happen.
The second half gets more intense with political rallying, a murder here, a heart break there, some sacrifice and then it heads towards a relatively unimpressive ending.
I expected more from the film but having said that the film is dotted with some flawless performances most notably being the role of Shreyas Talpade. Every one else contributes well enough. watch the movie if you have nothing else to do on the weekend.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Stinking 'Sreedhar Theatre'
I am not too much of a historian. Nor am I a social scientist or someone with a degree in demographic and social studies. But I do take the credit for having a cosmopolitan view by virtue of having spent most of my younger days in south India despite being from far reaches of the young fold Himalayas.
Kerala has been a place with tremendous ironies for me. While I admire the cavernous houses for their spaciousness, the unique greenery of this state that evinces awe and envy to an outsider, I am also put off by the overly irascible demeanour of the shopkeepers here. I have been to several small restaurants and found them to be very neat and clean. The tinted glass doors and the stainless steel paraphernalia of the kitchen are as inviting as poker faced waiters are uninviting. It however is, in many way, a welcome change from what we are treated in most parts of the rest of the country. It is this fact that has forced me to write about the piteous state of the Sreedhar theatre in Cochin.
Cochin is the biggest city of Kerala and poised to become a tier II IT hub in the near future. Real estate prices are sky rocketing to dizzying heights as is the urban landscape of this city with high rises along the Cochin channel. This scenario makes the absence of a multiplex that much more pronounced. I wonder where all the keralites go to entertain themselves. While it is not unusual to see the higher end luxury cars frequent the roads of this city I am often forced to mull over the supposed destinations these belles attired in gracious sequins.
Now with out digressing any further, I would like to stake my claim for the crux of the matter here. I was out the other day to see a movie at the famous Sreedhar theatre which is situated at a prime location of the city next to the famous GCDA complex. While getting a ticket was not too difficult, the random way of allotting seats in the theatre did surprise me to no end. I found a couple of the couples in fact lying to people about the seats next to them saying that their friends were expected which in fact never happened till the end. I have watched movies in much smaller towns and much less civilized areas but never have I come across such organised chaos as was being displayed at what is arguably Cochin’s best theatre. Well, the worst was yet to come.
As the movie interrupted for a godsend break and I found my way to the toilet to relieve myself, it turned out my date with a horror of a bathroom. The stench welcomed me over twenty yards away and as I went closer the urge to pee seemed to subside in the fetid milieu. It truly was a toilet that should make any well meaning malyali put his head down in shame. If there was a foreigner in the theatre that day, I would have turned red with embarrassment. I am sure this in not the kind of toilets that we would like to see in the ‘God’s own land’. The kind of people who visit this theatre often drive in Pajeros and Skodas to the tiny parking space that exists outside it. A look around the ticketing area and you would spot at least a dozen millionaires. The people who come often come sporting ‘Police’ glasses and attired in luxury brands. And this is what they put up with.
How much does it cost to build good toilet in the land where the numbers of cars on road exceeds the number of two wheelers? Would it mean an increase in ticket prices by five rupees? So be it. Show me the toilet of the house I want to rent and I will know how the rest of the house is likely to look.
I am terribly disappointed with the governance of the Sreedhar theatre and the average Cochin Movie goer. I wish communism meant more the just strikes and bandhs. I have known malyalis for their pride and self respect. This toilet seems to tell me the other side of the story.
PS: I have steered clear of other topics such as Crowd behaviour in the theatre
Kerala has been a place with tremendous ironies for me. While I admire the cavernous houses for their spaciousness, the unique greenery of this state that evinces awe and envy to an outsider, I am also put off by the overly irascible demeanour of the shopkeepers here. I have been to several small restaurants and found them to be very neat and clean. The tinted glass doors and the stainless steel paraphernalia of the kitchen are as inviting as poker faced waiters are uninviting. It however is, in many way, a welcome change from what we are treated in most parts of the rest of the country. It is this fact that has forced me to write about the piteous state of the Sreedhar theatre in Cochin.
Cochin is the biggest city of Kerala and poised to become a tier II IT hub in the near future. Real estate prices are sky rocketing to dizzying heights as is the urban landscape of this city with high rises along the Cochin channel. This scenario makes the absence of a multiplex that much more pronounced. I wonder where all the keralites go to entertain themselves. While it is not unusual to see the higher end luxury cars frequent the roads of this city I am often forced to mull over the supposed destinations these belles attired in gracious sequins.
Now with out digressing any further, I would like to stake my claim for the crux of the matter here. I was out the other day to see a movie at the famous Sreedhar theatre which is situated at a prime location of the city next to the famous GCDA complex. While getting a ticket was not too difficult, the random way of allotting seats in the theatre did surprise me to no end. I found a couple of the couples in fact lying to people about the seats next to them saying that their friends were expected which in fact never happened till the end. I have watched movies in much smaller towns and much less civilized areas but never have I come across such organised chaos as was being displayed at what is arguably Cochin’s best theatre. Well, the worst was yet to come.
As the movie interrupted for a godsend break and I found my way to the toilet to relieve myself, it turned out my date with a horror of a bathroom. The stench welcomed me over twenty yards away and as I went closer the urge to pee seemed to subside in the fetid milieu. It truly was a toilet that should make any well meaning malyali put his head down in shame. If there was a foreigner in the theatre that day, I would have turned red with embarrassment. I am sure this in not the kind of toilets that we would like to see in the ‘God’s own land’. The kind of people who visit this theatre often drive in Pajeros and Skodas to the tiny parking space that exists outside it. A look around the ticketing area and you would spot at least a dozen millionaires. The people who come often come sporting ‘Police’ glasses and attired in luxury brands. And this is what they put up with.
How much does it cost to build good toilet in the land where the numbers of cars on road exceeds the number of two wheelers? Would it mean an increase in ticket prices by five rupees? So be it. Show me the toilet of the house I want to rent and I will know how the rest of the house is likely to look.
I am terribly disappointed with the governance of the Sreedhar theatre and the average Cochin Movie goer. I wish communism meant more the just strikes and bandhs. I have known malyalis for their pride and self respect. This toilet seems to tell me the other side of the story.
PS: I have steered clear of other topics such as Crowd behaviour in the theatre
Review of the Film "Rock On(Hindi)”
Cast: Farhan Akhatar, Arjun Rampal among others
Co Directed and produced by Farhan Akhatar
The film begins with a Hinglish rock song and begins creating the picture the director envisaged. The opening scene is well crafted. As the film progresses we come to know of lives that four men who seem to be socio-economically apart but are on a similar plane as far as their personal lives are concerned. While one is living a limited marriage, another is living on his wife's pay, the third is inefficient at his father’s enterprise while the fourth is doing nothing and seems to be in the most unenviable state. Two of the four are married and one has a kid as well. The film creates two parallel sequence of events which are temporally 10 years apart. While the style is catchy, the plot gets slow as the film approaches the one hour mark. From then on, the movie gets slower and the whiff of freshness that it began with, begins to wear away and you suddenly are looking forward to the intermission.
The film picks up pace in the second half as the reviews that got me to the theatre seem to vindicate themselves. The ensuing hour manages to snatch back a lot of grace. Almost all the scenes are flawless; the one that seems out of place is where Mascaranes and co hop across Mumbai in half a minute.
Do go for the movie, if you like good individual performances and flowing screenplay. But avoid it if you are looking for a gung ho, upbeat party time movie. This one's more intense that you would have thought.
Kudos to all the actors for a good job done.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
The message is loud and clear- CHINA's OLYMPICS
Hello Friends,Having read your views, I thought i should express mine as well. First of all, I must tell you that I am an Indian and we as indians look at the chinese with suspicion. They have given us a bloody nose in the war of 1962 and we can never forget that. Now this background should lend credibility what i am about to say.In the past few years, China , as a subject of my intrest has amazed me to no end. I have been a staunch critique in public while have privately admired them. But all that has changed now. I have come to respect the chinese as a race, as people , and as human beings for their pride, for their dedication and their commitment. If i were to wager today as to who would rule to world 50 years hence, I would emphatically say, if it has to be someone, it would be China. They have been steadfast and at the same time adapatable. Their foriegn policies have been subject to widespread criticism but that too would die down nice and slow as China grows from strength to strength. The hyper critical western media doesn't even realise that the might of China is not the present, It is the future itself. The grandiose opening ceremony was a message to the entire world, that China has arrived. The grandeur and pomp of that evening could bring a dead man alive, It sure sent a chill down my spine. The military precision that was a hallmark of each of their activity was a showcase that shall be unmatched for it's human element. The months of training and sweat and blood that went into making that flawless show can evince nothing but admiration from a perverse critic. The smiles on the faces of the people who performed was a sign of the change that China wants the world to see and also was a subtle way to calm the nerves of all the military thinkers worldwide.It was perfection at it's very best. It was symbolism that was well made use of. It was a sign to things to come. It was China all the way. The Medal tally was only a translation of their message so that all your simpletons can read it clearly as I have.
Thank You. amit2992@yahoo.com (as posted in another blog)
Thank You. amit2992@yahoo.com (as posted in another blog)
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
My frustration..
The most frustrating thing for me is the knowledge that I am a part of a country that has bred ignorance, bigotry and hypocrisy. I am frustrated by the fact that our rulers are the worst leaders this country ever had. I am despondent at the knowledge that we elect as our representatives, people who can buy, sell and kill to get there.
I am frustrated at the thought that I am tiny drop in this ocean of ever growing humanity that symbolizes nothing more than lack of planning and bereavement of the will to work at the highest level.
I am deeply pained at the knowledge that so many of our sons and daughters have bled at our borders to protect us from outsiders while the worst of evil rules us from our very own Vidhan sabhas.
It frustrates me to think that, as we, the lucky and suave deliberate here for no rime or reason in a forum that shall have nothing to do with our nation, there is a man out there in the dark knee deep in his trench, keeping a vigil, there is woman out there who is doing the late shift with the worry that she has to get back safely to her house with a narrow alley on the way to cross, that there is a man out there working hard unconcerned of supervision and working for his pride.
It frustrates me to know that a nation of over a billion doesn't have the spine to stand up put a claim for a medal at the most of noble of duels..on the sports field.
The awareness that I am born in a race that excels at nothing but pulling each other down, a race that can do no good to itself or the world, a race of people who have no regard for basic humane principle of work ethics, a race that is prudish in public and prurient in private, a race that is weak physically and deranged mentally and a race that in unwilling to look in the mirror and call spade a spade frustrates me to no end.
I am frustrated at the thought that I am tiny drop in this ocean of ever growing humanity that symbolizes nothing more than lack of planning and bereavement of the will to work at the highest level.
I am deeply pained at the knowledge that so many of our sons and daughters have bled at our borders to protect us from outsiders while the worst of evil rules us from our very own Vidhan sabhas.
It frustrates me to think that, as we, the lucky and suave deliberate here for no rime or reason in a forum that shall have nothing to do with our nation, there is a man out there in the dark knee deep in his trench, keeping a vigil, there is woman out there who is doing the late shift with the worry that she has to get back safely to her house with a narrow alley on the way to cross, that there is a man out there working hard unconcerned of supervision and working for his pride.
It frustrates me to know that a nation of over a billion doesn't have the spine to stand up put a claim for a medal at the most of noble of duels..on the sports field.
The awareness that I am born in a race that excels at nothing but pulling each other down, a race that can do no good to itself or the world, a race of people who have no regard for basic humane principle of work ethics, a race that is prudish in public and prurient in private, a race that is weak physically and deranged mentally and a race that in unwilling to look in the mirror and call spade a spade frustrates me to no end.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
The walk
As pregnant clouds loom above
I hope they are filled with love
I march ahead to the beats
To a place where the sky and earth meet
Sounds of birds, music to my ears
A pat on the back, admiration from peers
These are the thoughts that float in my mind
Soaking in sweat, a product of the grind
Of the millions of them made worldwide
Stacked a few are in the pack on my side
Each of them created to fight of my safety
In a hope that the enemy doesn’t have one for me
Every step I take in the walk ahead
Takes me closer to the goal at the end
Yet, I am as good as I was then
A part of the crowd I was when
I walk and I walk, aware and alert
Fighting the bushes, clearing the dirt
The long trudge is for my cup of gold
The paradise beyond the horizon, I am told
I hope they are filled with love
I march ahead to the beats
To a place where the sky and earth meet
Sounds of birds, music to my ears
A pat on the back, admiration from peers
These are the thoughts that float in my mind
Soaking in sweat, a product of the grind
Of the millions of them made worldwide
Stacked a few are in the pack on my side
Each of them created to fight of my safety
In a hope that the enemy doesn’t have one for me
Every step I take in the walk ahead
Takes me closer to the goal at the end
Yet, I am as good as I was then
A part of the crowd I was when
I walk and I walk, aware and alert
Fighting the bushes, clearing the dirt
The long trudge is for my cup of gold
The paradise beyond the horizon, I am told
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
My experience on the Volvo-10 Jun 08
The Volvo bus is a monster of the road. it is the veritable tiger of the Indian road. The other buses with similar build albeit of far inferior material and finish seem clones from a different era. It seems to be the Sachin Tendulkar of the roads while the other vehicles seem a school boys’ cricket team. It devours every vehicle in a jiffy. The effortless ease with which it accelerates leaving behind not only the Tatas and Marutis but also the Hondas and Toyotas is a sight to behold.
As it bides its time behind a slower vehicle to avoid the oncoming traffic on a narrow road, it resembles a tiger ready to pounce on a rabbit. The effortless ease with which it accelerates past the vanquished is a sight to behold. The overtaking is more like a Pulsar overtaking a TVS 50 or a more apt comparison would be a Hayabusa taking on a Pulsar, only in this case with out breaking a sweat. It's amazing to see a bus with such incredible power yet such noiseless demeanour. The only time it seems to make a wee bit of ruffle is when it breaks to stop. Such is the magnificence of the air suspension that the bus on stopping swings like a pendulum with series of dampening oscillations thus ensuring complete comfort to the passenger.
The passengers inside are supremely comfortable. This is taking luxury to new heights. Others on the road only watch in awe as this monster takes on the shameful Indian roads. Such is the comfort level of the driver that he streaks past the traffic with ridiculous ease. The bumpy road can make all but a little ruffle in a faint corner of the driver's mind as he can seldom feel any of those unruly undulations. This is really the cutting edge of bus technology
The bus has been furnished with 44 world class seats which can be reclined. It has a plasma TV snugly fitted and two light screens avoid any back scatter to disturb the driver. The seats are a wee bit closer and I suspect that it's an Indian custom made design and hence the sleeping comfort is slightly suspect. There exists ample space for the baggage underneath the passenger cabin. The elevated passenger cabin results in expedient space for luggage which also contributed to the overall stability of the bus. There also exists a sun roof in the centreline alley and would double as an escape hatch should this incredible controllable, remarkably cutting edge and amazingly safe machine suffer the misfortune of an accident.
This bus takes the on road experience to another plane. Come on all you friends, you are invited to the party.
As it bides its time behind a slower vehicle to avoid the oncoming traffic on a narrow road, it resembles a tiger ready to pounce on a rabbit. The effortless ease with which it accelerates past the vanquished is a sight to behold. The overtaking is more like a Pulsar overtaking a TVS 50 or a more apt comparison would be a Hayabusa taking on a Pulsar, only in this case with out breaking a sweat. It's amazing to see a bus with such incredible power yet such noiseless demeanour. The only time it seems to make a wee bit of ruffle is when it breaks to stop. Such is the magnificence of the air suspension that the bus on stopping swings like a pendulum with series of dampening oscillations thus ensuring complete comfort to the passenger.
The passengers inside are supremely comfortable. This is taking luxury to new heights. Others on the road only watch in awe as this monster takes on the shameful Indian roads. Such is the comfort level of the driver that he streaks past the traffic with ridiculous ease. The bumpy road can make all but a little ruffle in a faint corner of the driver's mind as he can seldom feel any of those unruly undulations. This is really the cutting edge of bus technology
The bus has been furnished with 44 world class seats which can be reclined. It has a plasma TV snugly fitted and two light screens avoid any back scatter to disturb the driver. The seats are a wee bit closer and I suspect that it's an Indian custom made design and hence the sleeping comfort is slightly suspect. There exists ample space for the baggage underneath the passenger cabin. The elevated passenger cabin results in expedient space for luggage which also contributed to the overall stability of the bus. There also exists a sun roof in the centreline alley and would double as an escape hatch should this incredible controllable, remarkably cutting edge and amazingly safe machine suffer the misfortune of an accident.
This bus takes the on road experience to another plane. Come on all you friends, you are invited to the party.
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