Highway film review and thoughts

Oh what a film!

Its truly some great cinema. I just went to watch this film considering some good reviews on facebook. Had never thought that I would be writing about it soon.

The best thing about this film is some breathtaking cinematography...great shots of Indian countryside and Himalayas...so inspiring that I am considering hitting the highway tomorrow...really. One feeling that you get at a lot of places in the film is to break free.

Alia Bhatt and Randeep have perhaps given their best perfomances ever. The script of the film would have been very difficult to carry but the Director does it amazingly well. Portraying a relationship between a contract killer and a rich lass is extremely difficult...but if flows in this film. Randeep plays the perfect Haryanvi Bhati...accent is perfect.

The Stockholm syndrome is tough to depict...but it just happens in the film.

Some scenes in the film are extremely memorable...whether its Alia playing with the pistol as it snows or its Randeep Hooda breaking down towards the end. Zabardast. All the more the movie is very realistic.

Also, the film is about transformation as Alia transforms from a carefree rich girl to someone who can take on the world and break free. And Randeep from a cold contract killer to someone extremely soft.

This film is worth the hours spent in the theatre.

We need more of such cinema. Great work.

JNU days

Visited the Centre for Historical Studies(CHS) at the School of Social Sciences in JNU after a long time.

Time Stopped...

A LCD TV greets you now as you enter SSS-I.

After years I walked down the corridors of CHS. Glad to know that our stars Shashi Kapoor and Dharmender still rule over the subjects at CHS. While the reign of many a Chairperson ended...they still rule.

It was great looking at the names of Profs outside their cabins. Many have changes but there are still many who are there.

It was good to see our favourite Prof Yogesh Sharma shift to the corner room where our favourite Bengali Prof of ancient history used to sit.

As far as JNU goes...

A shocker for me was that Ganga Dhaba is no longer the cool place it used to be. The happening dhaba in campus is now opposite Tapti. Ganga Dhaba is now perhaps for old timers for us to sit and remember the good times we had there.

Perhaps I would soon need to write an obituary to the Ganga Dhaba.

Alltogether it was fun to be there...enjoying drink with old friends...as we remembered the best Profs in CHS. Kamtekar can feel happy as he did feature in the discussions.

Best dialogue of Saheb Biwi Gangster Returns

Ab main darta hoon kahin mera personal blog...ek film review blog na ban jaye. But I guess this is me so let it be...these days  i am watching a number of films.

So this film is awesome from many  angles...the acting, the locales, the characterisation and what not. Now one thing which makes a great film is its dialogues. Remember Sholay...most of us know at least a dozen dialogues from the film starting with Kitne aadmi the and what not. This film also has its share

1. Saheb...Hamen paise chahiye - Remarkable performance by  Mahie
2. I am a king...I can afford to have an extra wife - Jimmy Shergill to Raj Babbar
3. To ab do ho gaye...tamaatar aur..sensitive - one funny  scene in the film


But out here I just want to talk about  one dialogue in the film of which I have become a fan. Darasal...being with Landmark education for so long makes me see this dialogue in a very different light...ontological. In a way this dialogue is what Landmark is all about..if I were to say  so.

So, the scene is where Mahie meets the Gangster boy Irfan Khan and there is some exchange of dialogues. Then  Mahie says 'Lagta hai aap kisi se Ishq karte hain'

And then Irfan replies 'Aadmi ishq karta nahi hai...Aadmi Ishq men hota hai'. Now that is brilliant I think. Its an ontological statement.

While writing this post I just realised that its a grammatically wrong sentence in Hindi. Though it would not be in English i.e People are in love. In Hindi it always pyaar karna. anywhow..let me leave this linguistics apart.

But I just realised main pyaar karta nahi hoon...Main pyaar men hoon.

P.S - Main nashe men hoon

Adventurous and Unique and Cool Baby names

Often whenever a friend or colleague gets a baby in his or her family...they ask me to share some cool names  So I thought why not write a blog entry and send the link to anyone...who asks me for suggestions. Simple

This is my favourite list. I have put in the meanings wherever I know it.

BOYS:

Anand - old popular Hindi name
Anthony- My name is Anthony Gonzalvis
Anubhav- means experience
Bakshi - That was my grandfather's name
Hyder or Haidar-
Kabir - A popular saint of medieval India
Rustam - Very popular among Parsees
Sufi - comes from Sufism
Tashi - A popular name among Tibetans
Tenzin - Another popular Tibetan name
Vishwamitra- That is my Dad's name


GIRLS:
Catherine - love this name
Koohoo - thats what the Koel does
Khushi - means happiness
Muskaan - means smile
Michele- love this too
Mithi - means sweet
Siya- A mod version of Sita
Zohra- popular Muslim name
Zoya - A wow name...one of my friends has a daughter named Zoya

I will keep adding to this list as and when I get to hear new names...thats it for now...May your kids give you the joy of your life. Have a great parenthood

Akaash Vani - traditional yet contemporary

Just came back after watching Akash Vani...from the makers of Pyaar ka Punchnama - thats what got me to the theatre. The acting is average...yet there is something remarkable about the film.

Its a traditional film because the heroine sacrifices her love for the Izzat of her parents. But the film very solidly portrays the torture she goes through her married life and ends on a simple note.

The girl puts it very clearly to her parents that she cant live with her husband and wants a divorce... and without any much tamasha...moves out of the house...which makes the film contemporary. Though I guess its her love that gives her the courage to take up the matter with her parents and hubby...but still whatever the reason...the woman musters courage to go on in life...do her MBA and live life to the full.

Powerful scenes:

1. When the father of the girl cries after her elder sister runs away.
2. When the husband forces him on the girl first time...cant see it!
3. On the bridge Akash Vani - with Akash holding a rose in the mouth


Good story...could have been directed well.

Cocktail

Watched this film yesterday...hadnt expected much from the film as the reviews werent really flashy. And though its not a film which is really really great yet its a film which has several unique elements to it, which  I have never seen earlier in Indian films.

Unique element no.1 - No other Indian film before has taken up a story around two girls and a guy staying together in a house. And the ease with which this relationship is portrayed...it looks real

Unique element no.2 - The no strings attached relationship between Veronica and Gautam staying together (it often ends up in love in other Indian films) - Its sheer 'being together' nothing else.

Unique element no. 3 - The film is not melodramatic at all...it talks about all the emotions straightforwardly...and the characters get straight with conversations. High time Indian films start talking straight. Life as it is. Gautam asks the two ladies Veronica and Meera to come to the table and puts it openly what his love interest is - Wow! what a scene

Unique element no. 4 - The film deals with sexuality very straightforwardly. I like the scenes when the Mama (Boman Irani) literally begs Veronica to wear her pants and not roam around the house without a bottom. The best part is the way Veronica is able to carry those scenes very well...the casuality in it all.

Unique element no. 5 - I think its a girls' film. Talk about female oriented films and roles....where you have to portray that the female comes out as Rani Jhansi. Thats passe...I think this is what I call a female oriented film in contemporary modern urban India (or should I say Indian diaspora)...completely...would love to watch more of such films.

Its amazing to see the two beautiful ladies in the film...both look pretty and fresh. Diana isnt beautiful on the first look...but be with her for a while and you fall in love with her.

Lastly...I must appreciate Deepika urf Veronica...I think she has got all that it takes to portray roles of a contemporary girl...the way she delivers dialogues is just so desi yet modern. She is the strength of the film. Deepika is doing the right kind of roles and would play a key role is altering the sensitivities of modern Indian girls in time to come.

Ishaqzaade

Watched the move 'Ishaqzaade' a couple of days back. Walked out  of the cinema  hall- jolted...very moving film.

Very interesting plot and very impressive performances by the lead roles.

One thing I really liked is the couple taking refuge in a brothel. There is a scene when the hero takes the heroine to his favourite girl's room. Its interesting to watch the conversation between the girl and the heroine.

Very  disturbing end but a great film