Baar Baar Dekho

I wasnt interested in watching Baar Baar dekho because of its star cast...but my wife insisted...I watched the trailor...and thought...hmmm...looks interesting. lets go and check out.

Went to watch it without much expectation but was pleasantly surprised. Its a very deep film in terms of its content and its also a film which matches Hollywood standards in many ways. But one wonders why they named it Baar Baar dekho?

The film is a story of a young mathematician (Sidharth Malhotra) getting married to an art person (Katrina). The day of marriage he has a fight with his lady love and falls asleep. The movie is all about him waking up at different stages of his life (in future) and getting surprised about whats happening around. To see what happens and how he comes back to present is something you will have to watch.

The script of the film is very fresh and the way it portrays future is amazing..its believable and not overdone...though they could have tried a different way of taking the person into future. But it works fine.

The things I liked about the film:

1. The story - The story is very contemporary and has been done very well.
2.The message - if you can get to it OR if the Director really intended one. For me it was the key...some dialogues...have the entire world in them...You cannot live the same day again...Tum ek hi din dobara se nahi jee sakte...Choti cheezon ko pakdo. This film has the capability to alter life if you catch it.
3. The portrayal of future - As the lead character goes into future...its created in a very believable manner. The classroom in his university. The 25% tint in the cars.The cell phones and the bedroom of 2047 is very believable. The buildings are also believable.
4. Acting - Sidhharth is good and the best thing is that the story shows Katrina is born in London...so she can carry her natural accent as well. Good thinking. It must also be the first film where we can see Katrina as an old woman...she still looks young with grey hair.

Its a film of a different kind. Go..give it a chance.


P.S - Baad men pata chala that it is a directorial debut by Nitya Mehra. Great film on a debut and we can see your class lady.

Tuesdays with Morrie

My HR department at Career Launcher gave me this book long time back...and I happened to read it now.

Tuesdays with Morrie is the story of a busy sports reporter, Mitch, who reconnects with his graduate Professor Morrie, who is diagnosed with ALS (lateral sclerosis). As the professor counts his days, Mitch comes and meets him on Tuesdays to listen to the last few lectures of his professor  on life. Life as he experiences when he nears his death.

I cried twice while reading this book. Incidentally I started this book on a Tuesday and completed it on a Tuesday...today. Moreover, one day before I started this book, I was listening to an old time favourite gurbani song... Jind meriye, mitti di teriye...ek din chalna i.e Oh my Life! a mound of earth, will have to go one day.

There are two key messages I really like in the book apart from the many.

1. The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesnt work, dont buy it...So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, evenwhen they're busy doing things they think are important. This is becuase they are chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.
2. Love each other or perish. One has to read this in the context of the book, otherwise its hard to understand. He writes, " As long as we can love each other, and remember the feeeling of love we had, we can die without ever really going away. All the love that you created is still there. All the memories are still there. You live on- in the hearts of everyone you have touched and nurtured while you were here"

Thats it!

PK movie review

Though the title says review but this is no professional review. This is a musafir review. You can close the window if you want. Ha ha. Anyways I write for fun on this blog.

I had gone to watch the film without any clue of the story or without any story based reviews. I guess I will have to keep the suspense here as I dont intend to share the script with you.


Mr Hirani has the ability to make a film on a sensitive issue and yet let it sound totally uncontroversial. To make a film on Gandhi in India and not have any public unrest is phenomenal. In PK, he draws an amazing script on an issue as difficult as religion...and gets away with it. No protests till now.

The most phenomenal thing in the film is that everything is questioned within the film...including the origin of the hero. You dont have to believe in the story but gradually you start believing in the origin of the hero...and then you are in for a ride as the protagonist asks questions and goes to the origin of religions in a very organic manner. An enquiry so deep and yet so simple that any common audience would relate to it. The fact that the protagonist happens to choose Bhojpuri accent by accident is a part of the script I guess.

Though the film has the conventional Hindi film drama and melodrama but it is amazing in what it does and delivers.

Aamir is as usualy but I think an actor like Pankaj Kapur or Shahnawaaz could have made the film 10 times more powerful. But I guess, the fact that a mainstream super actor chooses to do such a film is in itself a nice thing.

I happen to see the film with an upcoming AD of a film and we both agree that it takes a lot of friendship between Vidhu Vinod and Hirani to produce such films.

If you have some interest in communal harmony...this film will appeal you.

The tears of a woman

I was speaking to a dear friend and colleague this morning and he shared a very profound thing as I complimented him about he was looking today. I told jhim any woman would fall for him today if he proposes.

He is already in a committed relationship as I presume. He said: One should never play with women as if you hurt a woman, her tears remain with you for life"

I agreed completely.

But as I sit to write this blog...I realised that even for men its true. Men dont cry but even their thoughts perhaps would emit the same radiation if played with.

I think the gospel would then be that no matter its a woman or a man...dont play with anyone.

Miss Spontaneous

Spontaneity in life is the best virtue one can have. Not only in academic parlance but in relationships. You can just spot people in your life who are spontaneous. By God's grace I have some people like that in my life.

But a few days back a lady came into my life whom I called Miss Spontaneous, for obvious reasons. On a shayari spree, I wrote a couple of lines contexted around our conversations and engagements

Kehti ho ki yeh hai akhiri tasveer,
Na Jaane Kitni aur tasveeren hain meri takdeer
Milenge tujhe kabhi agar rahi mehr faree-e-peer

Scotland referendum

Its so interesting that it came to a referendum in Scotland and the world media didnt have anything to say about it till a month ago. Its now that the referendum is now happening that we find so much of news for the last month or so.

I was just discussing it with a friend that how many countries have come up in the last 30 years of so. Russia broke up into numerous countries. People called it the downfall of the the Russia...it weakened and it split.

But the split in United Kingdom is interesting as UK is no where close to be a weak state, though it may become one if the split happens.

Being the dreamy kinds...I think British have gotten back what they gave to the world and India in particular...a split.

But the good thing is that if this split happens, it will be in a civilised manner.

The problem of looking formal in India - suit...safari suit?

So, you have an official meeting or a formal party...what do you wear? A suit... thats the answer. Men dont seem to have any other option. But speaking from an Indian point of view and taking into consideration the tropical kind of climate here...why would anybody want to wear an extra layer of clothing when its already hot out there. Rationality says you shouldnt but still I see people wearing coats in summer despite the 40 something temperature. Enough to prove that humans are not rational minds after all.

The worst to bear this brunt are the corporate guys and lawyers. Unki rag rag men coat(read suit) basa hota hai.  I feel wearing a coat in summer is the height of stupidity. Thats the reason I have always looked down at people wearing coats in peak summer (winter its still ok).

I have always preferred to wear a kurta pyjama as a formal attire but there was a time when I was to be interviewed by some top notch corporate guy and on the suggestion of a friend...wore a suit for the interview. Obviously I had to tell everybody around...could you put on the a/c ...its hot!.

 But do we have an option. There is no other way to look formal. A simple formal shirt isnt considered formal enough in many scenarios.

Thats why millions of Indians go that way. The neck tie is another such story by the way...extremely irrelevant for India...but yet the easiest way to be formal is to wear a tie. I am glad some progressive schools have now banned it.

One thing that has gone in favour of the suit is that the usage of air conditioners in India has increased and thus you could afford to wear a suit in you air conditioned office or car. But still for God sake...its summer.

I had at some time contemplated putting a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) to stop this inhumanity. Imagine a sales guy wearing a tie and suit...running after a bus. All lawyers are subject to this humanity by wearing neck ties or something similar  right in the Supreme Court.

Anyhow, I was travelling in the metro the other day and saw a gentleman wearing the safari suit. Now thats something hard to find these days. Its probably left to some old government clerks or business people to wear. I can remember the scene from the film Bunti and Babli, where Abhishek Bacchan wears the safari suit and sells the Taj Mahal.


Reading up about the Safari suit on the net was joy. With origins in Asia, perhaps Australia, designed to go on a safari and with multiple pockets, it became a city thing and had become a rage in the 1970's and 80's in India.  As an article said:

"The 70s and 80s saw the reign of the safari. In fact, one would see both a clerk and his managing director wearing a safari."  - http://www.dnaindia.com/speak-up/report-rise-and-fall-of-the-safari-suit-1072575

Another remarkable must read article on the safari suit is here - http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/south-asia/hail-the-safari-suit-vanished-symbol-of-modern-india

Though I also don't look at it as something fashionable these days but I think it was perhaps the best way to look formal or something like that for a country with a climate like India. At least you wear only a single layer and over that its a half sleeve suit.

May be our designers need to reinvent the safari suit and give an option to the 'slaves' we are to the Western  fashion with origins in cold climate countries. I know there are numerous designers from India doing great on the fashion scene. Kuch to karo bhai.

I saw this interesting website which sells safari suits...exclusively. Check out http://safarisuits.biz/ I am putting an image from their website...Doesnt it look cool.