Saturday, July 31, 2010

Once Upon A Time In Mumbai





Lets get straight, if you think Once Upon A Time In Mumbai is a biopic, you're wrong. A police officer(Randeep Hooda) who once traced the changing face of the Mumbai Underworld narrates all his experiences and all his unintentional mistakes which affected everything. Almost every movie-goer has a fascination for gangster movies, and yeah it does not disappoint(almost).. It recreates the era which so many of us have left behind and those who arrived on this planet after 80s.

Once Upon A Time In Mumbai is a story that talks about the entry of mafia for the first time in Mumbai and things unfolded in course of time. It talks about the rise and subsequent fall of the King, and the emergence of the Prince as the super power.  It talks about the dialogues which ruled 70s era. It talks about the chic retro look which was the trademark of that era.

The plot does resemble with lives of Haji Mastan(allegedly played by Ajay Devgn) and Dawood Ibrahim(allegedly played by Emraan Hashimi) but whatever is, the screenplay is engrossing and keeps you hooked until you feel about complaining for the length when things get slow in the second half and gradually in the end. But, the dialogues do get lots of claps and whistles in not few but many scenes. Recreating the bygone era is tough and the director, the writer and the art director deserve brownie points for giving the film that authentic feel.

As for acting, Emraan is sure to break free from his lover boy image with this film. This is his finest performance to date. Ajay Devgn has become repetitive, his dialogue delivery and expressions betray you many times, although his character is very strong and he has played it effectively. There was nothing much to do for the ladies(Prachi and Kangana), but they managed to portray their roles 'beautifully'. Randeep Hooda, too, performed well. Pritam's music( in spite of the fact the music is never really 'his') is an ace. But, it was the background score which left an lasting impression even when the movie ended.

When the screenplay is powerful and engaging, direction has to be brilliant. Milan Lutharia successfully recreated that era and his work is exemplary. There should be a special note of the dialogues, also written by Rajat Arora( screenplay) which are fantabulous.

To conclude, I would just say, go for it if you really are interested in the dialogues which no longer have there existence these days(of course allegedly)

My Rating: 7/10

Thanks & Regards 

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Engineers.............are they???

engineering......for aspirants---the word fills his/her mind wid flashes of jee, aieee...drifting them in a dream whr they crack iit n get a top slot in iit k, get a grt cgpa of 9.8, become a gold medallist, get placed in an MNC and so on and so forth.....they get deeper into the maze of dreamland until BANNGGG.............the results pull them back to reality....

the worst part starts then.....not evryone is lucky (and has high intelligence level) to crack the IITs or even NITs....the rest of the crowd (this section comprises majority) has to go into the lesser known world of prvt universities, prvt colgs....
then the nightmare starts.......searching thru newspapers, internet, magazines....gathering all info abt the colgs and tapping the most reliable source(v consider) --- thru ppl studyng thre....(and somehow the most reliable sources r the ones to giv the worst feedback!!)

exploring the options....scrutiny of every aspect of the colgs starts...getting satisfied with the campus photographs(ghossh.. i pictured my colg to be much more beautiful!!)....fees structure..faculty...hostel..
location...the list goes on n on...

after a month of mental torment..a colg is pin pointed that is okayed by the parents in each area.......the great ordeal of admission starts from the many rounds to the colg...
talking to many ppl....submitting innumerable photocopies of marksheet....filing out forms...pasting photos..choosing branch................phewww...tiring wrk!!

but the outcome is quite pleasant(initially it sounds to be).....the mind again drifts into another dreamland...though the dream overall remains same jus the place changes--this tym its the new colg!!

the engineer-to-be wears a look of victorious warrior, who has won an arduous battle....the preparation fr the colg lyf starts weeks before...shopping list consists of every article possible to make us feel at home in hostl....then advices from all corners pop up(adding to the confusion)...

the big day arrives....first day in colg...with hearts fluttering, butterflies in stomach, the 'first yrs' embark upon their graduation... the seniors eye the junior most batch like a hawk...and then..there goes the most feared part...ragging!!

ragging starts from a quiet intro (generally in 'shuddh' hindi) to being lizard, rabbit..(and evry possible animal...)......ragging attains its peak in the boundaries of the hostels.....from being superman to playing live 'mario', 'prince of persia'..from being ridiculed to wishing '90degree' morning and evening to seniors...from sayng yes to evrythng they say to dancing n singing to the tunes of 'atthanni chawanni'.............all this makes helps foster a jovial n friendly atmosphere(huhh...everyone knows nothing friendly happens during ragging... rubbish!!)

gradually as frst yrs settle down in their lyf..get rid of homesickness(though it never wears off)...get comfrtable wid d internals n externals(both go hopeless, in any case)...its tym for them to move on to being the seniors...(yess...it is indeed that fast!!)
tym really flies....their juniors come...they r ragged...n so on...

the in between span comprises of waking up late till early morning...pangs of sudden homesickness...peer pressure fr various thngs(ya ya...u got it..i mean "those" things only)...hitting the worst low marks till date...attendance shortage......but the memories r born out of these.....going to places on weekend wid d group(gang is more appropriate though..)....bunking lectures to catch the frst day show of the muvi(generally the silliest muvis)....njoying labs as if they r meant specially for gossipping...talking to ur crush...leg pulling...sharing--jus evrythng..food, notes, books..in shrt--ur soul(dats 100% true!!).....

the only tym that an engineering student is really worked up is the semester xam(of course...wen u njoy the whole sem..dats wat happens!!)....parents expect the same marks as that in school(god plz...make them understand its no child's play to score marks here..)...last night preparation...going sleepless for days at stretch...suddenly renouncing all worldly pleasures(dat excludes msging, facebuking n gossiping..).....tryng to stuff as much as possble in the little grey cells in one night.......the result is generally "average"(thankfully...bcoz the worst is expected)!!

suddenly one day..the realization dawns upon the students that it is the final year...they wil walk out as 'engineers'(i know i know....every single engineer laughs at himself/herself silently..wondering wat exactly did he/she did to have this degree..).....but they surely take a joyful memorabilia with them...friends for lyftym(yah...those bunch of ppl who stood by their side throughout...coz they wer equally crazy!!)...and a tag of 'Engineer'!!!!!

Sunday, July 11, 2010

An Unforgettable Bet!


Category: Possibly Impossible!


This incident happened in 2008 when i had finished my adjustments in the college i got admitted to( are vahi... ragging!).. All my friends got admissions in respectable colleges and i was the one who got into the college which noone ever heard of. So i used to feel jealous everyday(par jitni ladkiya mere college me hain utni kahi nai! :D). And it all happened when i decided to visit my friend in IIT- Delhi!

Ever since Chetan Bhagat's Five Point Someone released, it has been considered as Bible in IIT-D( are bhai HOD ki ladki ko jo fasa liya tha).. Students try to do everything written in their 'Bible'.. Going to the same places, eating at same places where the characters of the 'Bible' went( par aajtak HOD chhodo.. kisi se peon ki ladki bhi nai fasi).. And yeah.. drinking and smoking at same places where their 'Bible' told them to!

My freind Taran{name changed} (as if anybody really cares), who also followed the 'Bible' but couldn't complete the task, told me that he and his group bought a bottle of vodka but they couldnt drink as it was bitter and was kept like a trash in his cupboard.. I had neither drank before nor i was planning to in future( par mann me laddoo foot rahe the ki saamne vodka rakhi hai :P).. After much insistence he changed my mind and convinced me to try it for once(bet jo laga di usne.. ki mai pi nai sakta).. He said if i drink one full tumbler( :-O LOL!) i would win hundred bucks( bottle khatam karke fekne ka bahana tha).. I agreed!

The first sip was very very bitter( ab mai juice thode hi pi raha tha), the second one was even more bitter( laga jaise i was drinking water mixed with cowdung.... aur haan i haven't tasted cowdung.. incase u think).. He sensed victory and started rejoicing.. I then closed my nose, eyes and then drank the whole tumbler in one sip! My neck changed its color to blue.. My throat made me feel as if i had consumed tube light pieces.. And all i could see was nothing( mai andha ho gaya tha.. bu hu hu).. And when i opened my eyes next i was lying in a cricket ground with Taran and many others looking over me as if i had met with a tragic accident.. But... What the heck! They all started laughing!


I demanded explanation for everything realizing two hours had passed since i held up that tumbler filled with vodka.. He then said,"Nothing mate.. You just blacked out.. Nothing else.."

(sala %^#$%@@#@%^& kahi ka.. kuchh nai bataya.. doosro se pata chala... I had started singing 'tum to thehre pardesi' loudly.. Then i went nuts as I went into the seniors room and started jumping in front of them.. They got furious and told me to dance infront of everyone.. I obeyed them and started dancing and while i was displaying my exotic moves i went down the hostel and attracted everybody with my dance.. Then i saw students playing cricket and i ran onto the pitch and i started singing 'ae kya bolti tu' and started doing bhangra.. The batsman got irritated and he hit me with his bat and i felt unconsious!).


I was very relieved when he told me that I just had a black out and nothing else and I gracefully won my hundred bucks( vo to baad me pata chala ki mera mujra dekhne ke baad many conrtibuted five bucks! :x )



PS: I couldn't believe i actually sang those songs! :P

Saturday, July 10, 2010

INCEPTION



What is the most resilient parasite? An Idea! Yes, Nolan has created something with his unbelievably, incredibly and god-gifted braniac idea which will blow the minds of the audience away. The world premiere of the movie, directed by Hollywood's most inventive dreamers, was shown in London and  has already got top notch reviews worldwide and has scored maximum points! Now the question arises what the movie has that it deserves all this?

Dom Cobb(Di Caprio) is an extractor who is paid to invade the dreams of various business tycoons and steal their top secret ideas. Cobb robs forcefully the psyche with practiced skill, though he's increasingly haunted by the memory of his late wife, Mal (Marion Cotillard), who has a nasty habit of showing up in his subconscious and wreaking havoc on his missions. Cobb had been involved so much in his heist work that he had lost his love!

But then, as fate had decided, a wealthy business man Saito( Ken Watanabe) hands over the responsibility of dissolving the empire of his business rival Robert Fischer Jr.(Cillian Murphy). But this time his job was not to steal the idea but to plant a new one: 'Inception'

Then what happens is the classic heist movie tradition. To carry out the the task, Cobb's 'brainiac' specialists team up again with him, Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), his longtime organizer; Tom Hardy (Eames), a "forger" who can shapeshift at will; and Yusuf (Dileep Rao), a powerful sedative supplier.  


There is only one word to describe the cinematography, the set designs and the speical effects, and that is Exceptional! You dont just watch the scenes happening, you feel them. The movie is a real thrill ride. The action scenes are well picturised and the music by Hans Zimmer is electronically haunting. Never, in the runtime of the movie, you will get a chance to move your eyes from the screen to any other object.


Leonardo, who is still popularly known for Jack Dawson played by him in Titanic, should be relieved as his role as Dom Cobb will be remembered forever. His performance may or may not fetch him an Oscar but it will be his finest performance till date. The supporting cast too did an extraordinary work. Christopher Nolan, ah! what a man he is. His work is nothing less than a masterpiece and he deserves all the awards in the 'Best Director' category. If "Inception" is a metaphysical puzzle, it's also a metaphorical one: It's hard not to draw connections between Cobb's dream-weaving and Nolan's film making, intended to seduce us, mess with our heads and leave an ever-lasting impression.

To conclude, I would just say before your life ends, do yourself a favor by experiencing this exceptionally lucid classic created by Nolan!


My Rating: 10/10

Thanks & Regards  

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Krishh Ka 'Chamatkaar'


Category: Impossibly Possible

This happened in 2006, when Hrithik Roshan starrer Krishh was released.. It was creating waves.. After watching it first day first show i had liked the movie( god knows how and why.. cuz that movie was ridiculous) so i decided to go for the second time( i have seen it 4 times in theaters and believe me the movie is shit).

That year benaras had only one air conditioned cineplex and as expected it's everyshow was housefull( cuz benarsi ppl had had only one job i.e. watching a horribly-long-haired actor jumping from one mountain to other).. So me and my friends( yes they were also fools as they went for the second time with me) had to go to the single scren theater that was famous for abuses, bad smells, and power cut problems( that theater was also shit). We didnt get balcony tickets as it was housefull so we had to sit in the dress circle section( god was also preventing us from seeing that movie but we were mentally sick that time).

As expected, there was a power failure and that too in a scene in which Krishh was about to jump from one mountain to other and......ppl went mad, they started giving abuses( abuses: funny sounding and open source words, ie, eveready for a meaning change according to the situations) to hall-owner and to the powerman( not to be understood as shaktimaan). But there was no electricity and then madness turned into chaos when a typical benarsi sitting rght behind me threw his shoe( one part.. left leg may be.. :P) in a well planned way as to hit and tear the screen.. Alas! the plan failed..

Another benarsi sitting around ten rows( actually i didnt count the rows) ahead us got hit by the shoe.. He then got furious and threw the shoe back shouting, "who-so-ever did this, needs to be punished"( actually it was, " jo bhi sala %^#%$@$#& ye kiya hai, marayega.. ")
and the shoe went on to hit the third man and in a few mins the next thing i could hear was hocth-potch of abuses and all i could see above my head were shoes( chappals mainly.. and torn shoes.. smelling shoes) flying here and there..

And suddenly light came and Krishh completed his jump( that was crapppiest jump i could ever see) and ppl realized that they had come to watch the movie.. But they cared for their shoes too.. So while the movie was on, noboday cared for the movie.. Krishh was fighting the villians and jumping here and there and ppl were looking for their shoes in the dark..

When the movie came to an end.. few like my group were amazed and were talking about Hrithik's acting( actually they were saying," Hrithikwa mast kooda be.. Priyanka to gajab maal lagi!!") and rest were still searching for shoes and many left for home bare-footed..


Krishh completed!

welcum!!!!

hmmmm.......m still trying to figure out how to start my first post :-o
dhurr dhurrr dhurrrrrrrrrrr............there starts my motor..!!! :D lol

now to this my frnz wud surely scream- "lol be lol"!!!!!!! Lol- laughing out loud in writing was never this easy before. And "lol be lol" is our own banarasi edited version!

So welcum to the world of laughter, silliness, absolute nonsense with a dash of smartness and intelligence......
dont be surprised if u find all the impossibly possible things and possibly impossible things fitted together(yess...together! ;) )

Njoy the madness.... :) :D

Friday, July 2, 2010

I Hate LUV Stories

The title was attractive.. So was the treatment and the hype.. Both, who love and who hate love stories were excited.. But, we adore love stories, don't we? So how can anybody possibly hate love stories.. That was supposed to be the main theme of the movie.. But.. things went wrong right from the beginning.. Full of clichés and predictable storyline the whole setup of the movie failed..

Imran a typical Casanova works as an assistant to a director who is famous for making blockbuster love stories.. Incomes Sonam who is an art director for the same movie in which Imran is working.. Imran hates his job and love stories but Sonam lives in fairy world where love stories are made in heaven and she has already got a perfect match for her who is just like a typical love story hero.. As usual they are totally anti towards each other and gradually grow liking and Sonam already being engaged falls for him and he rejects... Then as the time passes Imran finds himself as a changed man and he doesn't enjoys his life as he used to be.. His friends convince him that he has fallen in love but he isn't ready to accept the fact but like all the old stories he gets to know that he is in love with Sonam and after all the tedious drama they meet and live happily ever after!

Now, I don't need to say anything on the storyline provided you already have made your opinion after reading the above para.. Then comes the acting.. Imran Khan is as always very consistent.. No actor can act as badly as he does.. Neither he accepts this fact and nor he tries to improve upon.. His dialogue delivery is worse than Bruna Abdullah(yeah, she too is present in this film)and like always he is expression less throughout the movie and dances like a douchebag! Sonam is strictly OK..! Kavin Dave as Imran's friend is the show stealer and takes the lime light in not few but in many scenes.. Samir Dattani is decent.. Aamir Ali is good as an individual but his pairing with Pooja Ghai is irritating.. Samir Soni is OK in some parts and good in some.. The only saving grace if the movie is the music.. Vishal-Shekhar are in top form.. Styling by Manish Malhotra is top notch.. Cinematography is enjoyable too.. The worst part is the direction.. Debutante Punit Malhotra should be backed for trying a different theme but he should be thrashed for failing miserably..

To conclude, I would suggest the movie only to those who have a strong affinity for usual love stories.. Yeah the movie had its few hilarious moments but thats not what you expect from a movie made under Dharma Productions banner..!

My Rating: 4/10

Thanks and Regards