Thursday, October 13, 2011
Review of 'Real Steel'
I reluctantly went to watch this one as the trailers almost dare you to dislike it. The story seems far fetched and anachronistic till you set your foot in the hall. But once there, It’s a real revelation. With no ado, the premise of it being set in near future is spelt upfront. There are no gimmicks put in to make it overly sci-fi and you can very much relate to the scenario. The film rightly extrapolates the trajectory that video gaming is likely to take. With that being a futuristic premise, it however at heart remains a tale of emotions, relations, defeat, victory and redemption. It is also an underdog story and delights you with a grounded narrative. Very much watchable 3.5 STARS
Review of 'Saheb Biwi aur Gangster'
‘Saheb Biwi aur Gangster’ is set in a part of rural Uttar Pradesh, which hangs onto its colonial roots and hence erstwhile title of 'Saheb' has been maintained albeit with waning respect of people.
The male protagonist is less of a Raja and more of a local don, and constantly short of money to maintain his lavish haveli and royal tastes. The local politics and his royal step mother are his only source of income. His wife(Biwi) is confined to her house and has to encumber the overbearing responsibility of the title despite a philandering husband and boring life.
The film is about the Sahib’s scheming enemy planting a mole(Gangster) in his house and the resulting melee which has to do with the gangsters ever increasing ambitions, the Biwi's search for justice and carnal pleasures and Saheb's desire to eke out his lavish lifestyle. The film meanders along unpredictability through fine writing, slick editing and wry humour. It keeps the viewer interested and engages myriad emotions.
Alas, the noir theme and serious tone with only smattering of situational humour will kill this film in the relatively juvenile Bollywood audience. It's a must watch for any cinema lover but for those looking for cheap thrills and laughs, it might disappoint.
The male protagonist is less of a Raja and more of a local don, and constantly short of money to maintain his lavish haveli and royal tastes. The local politics and his royal step mother are his only source of income. His wife(Biwi) is confined to her house and has to encumber the overbearing responsibility of the title despite a philandering husband and boring life.
The film is about the Sahib’s scheming enemy planting a mole(Gangster) in his house and the resulting melee which has to do with the gangsters ever increasing ambitions, the Biwi's search for justice and carnal pleasures and Saheb's desire to eke out his lavish lifestyle. The film meanders along unpredictability through fine writing, slick editing and wry humour. It keeps the viewer interested and engages myriad emotions.
Alas, the noir theme and serious tone with only smattering of situational humour will kill this film in the relatively juvenile Bollywood audience. It's a must watch for any cinema lover but for those looking for cheap thrills and laughs, it might disappoint.
Polaroid Sunglasses - The best for me
Back in 2006, as I began earning a decent salary, I decided that it was time to overcome the perpetual squint that I used to wear on my face since childhood due to the unforgiving Indian Sun. It was time to buy a pair of sunglasses.
I have always believed in deriving value for my money and hence wanted to go for a reputed brand. I checked out the West Side in Spenser Plaza, Chennai which was selling a number of brands of which only two were familiar to me viz. Ray Ban and Polaroid.
While Polaroid couldn’t match up to the glamour quotient of Ray Ban, I had to settle for it due the large price difference. For Rs 3000/- I had a nice looking shade that became a part of my dress code every time I went out. It was tinted brown which made it conducive even in places with mild shade.
My Polaroid has been my loyal buddy since then. Its reddish tint lets me wear it late till the sunset time when it isn’t very bright anymore. Also since it was my first Shade, I took care to ensure that it was absolutely fitting my face and so I never go out without wearing this one. So resplendent and bright is the tropical sun that constant squinting had resulted in crow’s feet around my eyes in my teen years itself. The Polaroid has helped me lose some of them.
Over the years I spent lot of money on fashionable gadgets and mobile phones ranging from Rs 3000 to Rs 20000. Most of those gadgets are obsolete and have already been discarded. When I now look back at that investment of just three grand I made to procure this lovely pair of glasses, I can’t pat myself on the back enough for this decision. It turned out to be one of my best investments.
Over the years, the lens developed few scratches due to mishandling but so perfect is the design and optics that i can still wear it for hours together without any headache.
My respect for Polaroid Company and love for my shades has increased every passing year with the knowledge of its reliability and longevity. When I acquired my car two years ago, I realised that the shades made my life a lot comfortable on the steering wheel. That is when I stopped going out without the Polaroid. Driving around with the glare becomes a lot for tedious and i advise every person owing a car to buy polarised glasses and preferably a Polaroid.
My love for my Polaroid went a few notches up recently after I finally purchased a Ray Ban for 5.5 grand. Buying the Ray Ban was a spur of the moment decision. Invariably I began to compare my two sets of shades. The complete review of the Ray Ban will follow in due course of time but my initial verdict is that Polaroid is surely better as far as the optics and value for money is concerned.
If you want to buy a shade which is reasonably priced with high quality eye protection, go for Polaroid.
I have always believed in deriving value for my money and hence wanted to go for a reputed brand. I checked out the West Side in Spenser Plaza, Chennai which was selling a number of brands of which only two were familiar to me viz. Ray Ban and Polaroid.
While Polaroid couldn’t match up to the glamour quotient of Ray Ban, I had to settle for it due the large price difference. For Rs 3000/- I had a nice looking shade that became a part of my dress code every time I went out. It was tinted brown which made it conducive even in places with mild shade.
My Polaroid has been my loyal buddy since then. Its reddish tint lets me wear it late till the sunset time when it isn’t very bright anymore. Also since it was my first Shade, I took care to ensure that it was absolutely fitting my face and so I never go out without wearing this one. So resplendent and bright is the tropical sun that constant squinting had resulted in crow’s feet around my eyes in my teen years itself. The Polaroid has helped me lose some of them.
Over the years I spent lot of money on fashionable gadgets and mobile phones ranging from Rs 3000 to Rs 20000. Most of those gadgets are obsolete and have already been discarded. When I now look back at that investment of just three grand I made to procure this lovely pair of glasses, I can’t pat myself on the back enough for this decision. It turned out to be one of my best investments.
Over the years, the lens developed few scratches due to mishandling but so perfect is the design and optics that i can still wear it for hours together without any headache.
My respect for Polaroid Company and love for my shades has increased every passing year with the knowledge of its reliability and longevity. When I acquired my car two years ago, I realised that the shades made my life a lot comfortable on the steering wheel. That is when I stopped going out without the Polaroid. Driving around with the glare becomes a lot for tedious and i advise every person owing a car to buy polarised glasses and preferably a Polaroid.
My love for my Polaroid went a few notches up recently after I finally purchased a Ray Ban for 5.5 grand. Buying the Ray Ban was a spur of the moment decision. Invariably I began to compare my two sets of shades. The complete review of the Ray Ban will follow in due course of time but my initial verdict is that Polaroid is surely better as far as the optics and value for money is concerned.
If you want to buy a shade which is reasonably priced with high quality eye protection, go for Polaroid.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Murder 2 - Review
Murder 2 is a completely new film and has no connection with the previous edition. The film is set in Goa and the climax of the story is a culmination of three angles of the protagonist’s life viz. The death of the agnostic in him, the resurgence of the Policeman cap he had abdicated, and reciprocation of love to a deserving girl - all with this one single Murder.
The film is about an ex-Cop turned drug racketeer, who gets embroiled in a case of missing call girls and for once the mercenary in him is replaced by the Human being, as he goes about trying to undo an inadvertent blunder.
The good thing about the movie is attention to details, underplaying the sex scenes and most importantly treating human life in a egalitarian way. The film carefully avoids becoming a happy ending film where the hero saves the day for his loved ones despite the rest of the world falling apart. Thus the film becomes more than just the story of one man’s happiness. It reflects the contemporary world without sounding preachy.
The violence makes you cringe as it should and the seriousness of the plot ever gets ludicrous. While the ending surely has been lifted out of a Brad Pitt starrer, the overall treatment of the film is for a mature audience. Surely worth a watch.
The film is about an ex-Cop turned drug racketeer, who gets embroiled in a case of missing call girls and for once the mercenary in him is replaced by the Human being, as he goes about trying to undo an inadvertent blunder.
The good thing about the movie is attention to details, underplaying the sex scenes and most importantly treating human life in a egalitarian way. The film carefully avoids becoming a happy ending film where the hero saves the day for his loved ones despite the rest of the world falling apart. Thus the film becomes more than just the story of one man’s happiness. It reflects the contemporary world without sounding preachy.
The violence makes you cringe as it should and the seriousness of the plot ever gets ludicrous. While the ending surely has been lifted out of a Brad Pitt starrer, the overall treatment of the film is for a mature audience. Surely worth a watch.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Lethargic bent- The Govt. Servant
Everyday I wake up with energy anew
I begin my day with a positive hue
My mornings are fresh like the wet dew
The vision so clear and problems are few
As the day goes on, I tend to slow down
The smile soon replaced by an ugly frown
The work is not what bites me the most
It is to the ‘lethargy bug’ that become the host
The tea-break at best, a whiff of air
as the zest is by now a historical affair
The heavy lunch is the last nail on coffin
as sincerity is soon a matter for laughing
Post lunch, I hit the bench post-haste
and a nap to follow, some time to waste
The afternoon roll-call now plays in my dream
and work is best a swim upstream
My eyes on the clock wait for it to tick away
as occasionally with slumber my head sways
The timers are set on the clock and the phone
My batteries charge up on the alarm ring-tone
The thoughts of home turn me on
And the evening soiree I have to storm
I wonder where this new energy came from
As I throb in the lights and dance to the drum
I begin my day with a positive hue
My mornings are fresh like the wet dew
The vision so clear and problems are few
As the day goes on, I tend to slow down
The smile soon replaced by an ugly frown
The work is not what bites me the most
It is to the ‘lethargy bug’ that become the host
The tea-break at best, a whiff of air
as the zest is by now a historical affair
The heavy lunch is the last nail on coffin
as sincerity is soon a matter for laughing
Post lunch, I hit the bench post-haste
and a nap to follow, some time to waste
The afternoon roll-call now plays in my dream
and work is best a swim upstream
My eyes on the clock wait for it to tick away
as occasionally with slumber my head sways
The timers are set on the clock and the phone
My batteries charge up on the alarm ring-tone
The thoughts of home turn me on
And the evening soiree I have to storm
I wonder where this new energy came from
As I throb in the lights and dance to the drum
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Strange Weather in Vizag
Strange Weather in Vizag
It has been sweltering for the past couple of weeks. And any outdoor activity in such weather almost soaks you bone-dry of your energy. I am sure that whosoever came up with the saying, "The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war" didn't exactly cater for Indian weather. One doesn't actually have to move his lazy arse to sweat in this country, if he can't afford an AC.
Well,this morning held a surprise for me. Having shifted to Vizag recently, my body clock is still adjusting to the early sun rise and day break. I have begun waking up at 7AM which is at least 45 minutes before my time in mumbai. Now for the uniniated mumbai is about 10-12 deg west of vizag. The earth moves a degree in 4 minutes. 12 degree west means that the sun rises about 48 minutes later in mumbai.
So I have pretty much adjusted my body clock to the new city. So when I woke up at 7.30 and expected the sun to be brightly shining on my face from the east facing window, it wasn't the case. IN fact, it seemed all dark. I walked up the window to double check if I had not slept less or it wasn't a dream. The visage outside was dystopic, gloomy clouds covered the otherwise uncomfortably bright sky and it could have passed off as late twilight hour. Closer view revealed, low height clouds billowing at about 200 feet. When I stepped outside to feel this unique weather, it dawned on me that this was no hill station weather as soon my eyes began to hurt from the iron ore, sulphur and smoke that was part of the flow. At the horizon, I could see the heaps of coal dust ready for shipping, being blown away by the non-seasonal wind.
It was bitter sweet feeling as the heat had been beaten but the dust would soon corrode every metallic object in the undulating landscape of city on the east coast. So much for development in the sunshine city!
It has been sweltering for the past couple of weeks. And any outdoor activity in such weather almost soaks you bone-dry of your energy. I am sure that whosoever came up with the saying, "The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war" didn't exactly cater for Indian weather. One doesn't actually have to move his lazy arse to sweat in this country, if he can't afford an AC.
Well,this morning held a surprise for me. Having shifted to Vizag recently, my body clock is still adjusting to the early sun rise and day break. I have begun waking up at 7AM which is at least 45 minutes before my time in mumbai. Now for the uniniated mumbai is about 10-12 deg west of vizag. The earth moves a degree in 4 minutes. 12 degree west means that the sun rises about 48 minutes later in mumbai.
So I have pretty much adjusted my body clock to the new city. So when I woke up at 7.30 and expected the sun to be brightly shining on my face from the east facing window, it wasn't the case. IN fact, it seemed all dark. I walked up the window to double check if I had not slept less or it wasn't a dream. The visage outside was dystopic, gloomy clouds covered the otherwise uncomfortably bright sky and it could have passed off as late twilight hour. Closer view revealed, low height clouds billowing at about 200 feet. When I stepped outside to feel this unique weather, it dawned on me that this was no hill station weather as soon my eyes began to hurt from the iron ore, sulphur and smoke that was part of the flow. At the horizon, I could see the heaps of coal dust ready for shipping, being blown away by the non-seasonal wind.
It was bitter sweet feeling as the heat had been beaten but the dust would soon corrode every metallic object in the undulating landscape of city on the east coast. So much for development in the sunshine city!
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Program on NDTV Imagine/Zoom tv
Talk about blatant lies on national television? You need to go no further than two of popular TV channels (NDTV Imagine and ZOOM). Come 11 Pm and both the channels air a program(the name of which is unclear) in which a picture is flashed on screen and viewers are asked to call an 8 digit number flashing below to win large sums of money. So far it all appears innocuous and healthy way to quiz people and generate some revenue. The real extent of the wanton act of cheating that the channels are indulging in is apparent if a sane headed man spends few minutes watching the program or is lured into the trap(as i was the 1st time). Now, there are two good looking anchors exhorting you to pick up the mobile phone and call the number and win insane amount of money easily as the puzzle which is usually a combination of two famous actors morphed together is solvable even by a blind man. The anchors receive calls every few minutes and to my surprise, the caller gives most ludicrous of replies but never the right one. I for one was curious to know as to what this was all about and hence called the number. When you call the number, you are put on hold while a recorded voice keeps saying that you are lucky and you are on wait. I waited for over three minutes but to no avail and then decided to disconnect. I was shocked when I received a message from the mobile service provider that Rs 36/- had been deducted from my account. I was stupefied. I didn't make an ISD call, did I? Then I saw the fine print on the TV screen which in the tiniest of fonts says, that special call rates apply here which is Rs 12/- per min. I felt cheated and upset in the way I was. I decided to watch the program intently and find out if there was any truth in it at all. The following emerged:- 1. The caller never gives the right answer despite it being as clear as elbow and the Anchor’s arse. 2. The exhortations of anchors are so shallow and you can almost read on their faces that they are lying through their teeth. 3. The callers who supposedly get though, I believe are fakes as they never have TV background disturbing their calls and are never surprised to have got through. 4. In essence, the modus-operandi of the channel is to fool the viewer into making the expensive call and thus make a killing. 5. The correct answer is always found by a viewer calling at the end of the program. But it's a call as brief as it can be and no details of the viewer/winner are announced. Clearly, like everything else about the program, this is stage-managed too. In our country there is no dearth of first time viewers who are lured into the trap of making the call without reading the subtext being flashed intermittently that keeps them legally safe. So the onus of preventing such blatant acts of cheating should rest with the govt which should audit such malfeasance periodically. My advice, avoid these programs/channels by a mile.
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