For more visit http://bharath2488.deviantart.com/
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
KurBANAL
Would you be alive after a deadly explosive, fabricated to kill hundreds explodes a meter away from you? Well the firang FBI agent in KURBAAN was. This was the level of banality and doltishness this film offered.
Starting with the plot, . . . I don't even want to talk about it. If you have seen the Katrina Kaif, Irfan Khan starrer New York, then this is pretty much the same. The usual muslim turns terrorist story. The desperate attempts to bring twists and turns into the film are barely exciting and are a total failure. Saif and Kareena are devoid of emotion. Kher and OmPuri have been wasted. Vivek Oberoi, I must say has done a good job(as usual) but dear Mr.Oberoi, consult an astrologer, you are a very 'unlucky star'.
Now why did I decide to watch this film?
1. TOI gave it 3 and a half stars
2. The Kurbaan hua song video, with the Adam and Eve concept and the rose catching fire was brilliant so I premised, the movie would be half as good.
3. I had great company(Although it was a crappy movie, the seven of us made sure we had fun)
4. I had to choose between this and 2012.
If you haven't watched any film that is even remotely close to terrorism, or bomb blasts or gangsters etc. and you are spending your miserable life watching 'happily ever after' stories with angels and magic wands, and don't know how to spend your papa ka paisa, then you might want to watch this film.
Overall a thumbs down from me. A BIG thank you to the front row audience who, with their humorous parodies kept us entertained.
Starting with the plot, . . . I don't even want to talk about it. If you have seen the Katrina Kaif, Irfan Khan starrer New York, then this is pretty much the same. The usual muslim turns terrorist story. The desperate attempts to bring twists and turns into the film are barely exciting and are a total failure. Saif and Kareena are devoid of emotion. Kher and OmPuri have been wasted. Vivek Oberoi, I must say has done a good job(as usual) but dear Mr.Oberoi, consult an astrologer, you are a very 'unlucky star'.
Now why did I decide to watch this film?
1. TOI gave it 3 and a half stars
2. The Kurbaan hua song video, with the Adam and Eve concept and the rose catching fire was brilliant so I premised, the movie would be half as good.
3. I had great company(Although it was a crappy movie, the seven of us made sure we had fun)
4. I had to choose between this and 2012.
If you haven't watched any film that is even remotely close to terrorism, or bomb blasts or gangsters etc. and you are spending your miserable life watching 'happily ever after' stories with angels and magic wands, and don't know how to spend your papa ka paisa, then you might want to watch this film.
Overall a thumbs down from me. A BIG thank you to the front row audience who, with their humorous parodies kept us entertained.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Kaminey - Fortitude
Searching for that titillating sting in your movie watching experience? Then go watch Vishal Bharadwaj's latest masterpiece, KAMINEY. This latest desi gangster flick stars Shahid Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Amole Gupte. The twins Charlie and Guddu, both played by Shahid Kapoor lead their separate lives until one fateful day, when their lives intersect which sends them both on the most dreadful roller coaster rides. The story is basically a solution to the following problems:-
Problem 1: Priyanka Chopra(Sweety) is Guddu's love interest but her brother (Amole Gupte), is a politician/gangster in Maharastra, who will not agree to the marriage because Guddu is from Uttar Pradesh. But since they do get married without his consent, they are in trouble.
Problem 2: Charlie, a gangster/aspiring bookie stumbles on a guitar case with dope worth a fortune. But he cant have it that easily because there are two crooked cops working for an international smuggler.
Problem 3(exacerbation): Guddu is mistaken for the wanted Charlie by the cops. Amole Gupte finds Charlie and wants Charlie to help him find Guddu. The good cops want to pin down the nasty ones.
So, to sum it all up, everyone is after everyone else which culminates into a dramatic bloodbath at the end which results in our main three characters, Guddu, Charlie and Sweety, living happily ever after(Ha! the spoiler)
But there is more to it than just the plot. VB's (Vishal Bharadwaj, not V.Bharath), bewitching BGM. Dhan Te Nan has become a cult number and every time its played in the background, its tantalising. There is also a magical guitar tune played whenever the guitar with dope is featured, which reminds you of the BGM scores of Desperado.
VB has done well to distinct Kaminey from cliché twin stories buy not amplifying the senti scenes too much. Yes, there is quite an exuberant influence of Tarentino, Rodriguez and Guy Ritchie in his style of film making but the scenes with Guddu and Sweety, bethinks you that it is still blithely Bollywood.
There is a lot of Bengali and Marati being spoken, which i thought should have been accompanied with subtitles. So that's just going to make the Original DVD with the subtitles bring in a lot of cash. Overall i would give it an 8/10.
Problem 1: Priyanka Chopra(Sweety) is Guddu's love interest but her brother (Amole Gupte), is a politician/gangster in Maharastra, who will not agree to the marriage because Guddu is from Uttar Pradesh. But since they do get married without his consent, they are in trouble.
Problem 2: Charlie, a gangster/aspiring bookie stumbles on a guitar case with dope worth a fortune. But he cant have it that easily because there are two crooked cops working for an international smuggler.
Problem 3(exacerbation): Guddu is mistaken for the wanted Charlie by the cops. Amole Gupte finds Charlie and wants Charlie to help him find Guddu. The good cops want to pin down the nasty ones.
So, to sum it all up, everyone is after everyone else which culminates into a dramatic bloodbath at the end which results in our main three characters, Guddu, Charlie and Sweety, living happily ever after(Ha! the spoiler)
But there is more to it than just the plot. VB's (Vishal Bharadwaj, not V.Bharath), bewitching BGM. Dhan Te Nan has become a cult number and every time its played in the background, its tantalising. There is also a magical guitar tune played whenever the guitar with dope is featured, which reminds you of the BGM scores of Desperado.
VB has done well to distinct Kaminey from cliché twin stories buy not amplifying the senti scenes too much. Yes, there is quite an exuberant influence of Tarentino, Rodriguez and Guy Ritchie in his style of film making but the scenes with Guddu and Sweety, bethinks you that it is still blithely Bollywood.
There is a lot of Bengali and Marati being spoken, which i thought should have been accompanied with subtitles. So that's just going to make the Original DVD with the subtitles bring in a lot of cash. Overall i would give it an 8/10.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Where is the Desi Sci-Fi?
I was left stupefied after just watching the trailers of G:I:Joe- Rise of the Cobra and 2012. These two are soon to be releasing high budget films made with an overdose of CG (Computer Graphics). It was just natural for me to sit back and collate Hollywood films with our Indian films. I asked myself - "Why hasn't any Indian film been able to produce stuff like this?" The answer is quite obvious; financial constraints. I think this is just a crap. I say the amount of money producers pump into CGs is diminutive. Leave alone a film completely made with CGs, there hasn't even been a decent Sci-Fi Indian movie. With the success of films like Koi Mil Gaya, Krish and even Harry Potter in India, we surely know that the Indian audiences love Sci-Fi , Fantasy etc. Indians definitely don't lack the talent, because the big guns in the CG department associated with mighty franchises like The MATRIX have been Indians.
I think Indian films have been devoid of a good solid script and storyline. Animations movies like Hanuman , Pandavas etc have been reasonably successful, largely because they were mythological adaptations. The Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, Ambrish Puri starrer Sci-Fi masala movie , Mr.India(1987), was a blockbuster. This was solely because of the story, an enthralling script with some of the most unforgettable lines and some great songs.
Incorporating our dream songs , fantasy dance routines and make-believe Vijaykanth stunts in Sci-Fi films would make them at least, 'believable'. The animation industry is growing at a tremendous pace and there is a lot of effort to gather funds to improve facilities here. Selvaraghavan's Sci-Fi venture, Aayirathil Oruvan, that will hit the screens soon promises to be a level ahead with respect to CGs. But watch out for 'Sultan the warrior' , an animation film that will feature Superstar Rajnikanth in a new, 'animated avatar'. With Indian production houses tying up with the big names in Hollywood like Fox , WB etc, the future looks intriguing.
I think Indian films have been devoid of a good solid script and storyline. Animations movies like Hanuman , Pandavas etc have been reasonably successful, largely because they were mythological adaptations. The Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, Ambrish Puri starrer Sci-Fi masala movie , Mr.India(1987), was a blockbuster. This was solely because of the story, an enthralling script with some of the most unforgettable lines and some great songs.
Incorporating our dream songs , fantasy dance routines and make-believe Vijaykanth stunts in Sci-Fi films would make them at least, 'believable'. The animation industry is growing at a tremendous pace and there is a lot of effort to gather funds to improve facilities here. Selvaraghavan's Sci-Fi venture, Aayirathil Oruvan, that will hit the screens soon promises to be a level ahead with respect to CGs. But watch out for 'Sultan the warrior' , an animation film that will feature Superstar Rajnikanth in a new, 'animated avatar'. With Indian production houses tying up with the big names in Hollywood like Fox , WB etc, the future looks intriguing.
Friday, July 3, 2009
The Law is for the Lady
Be a successful businessman, a leading fashion designer, the president of the USA or just an ordinary man trying his best to make ends meet, BEWARE, all it takes to pulverise your life is a woman. We have heard innumerable cases of the lives the rich and the famous(MEN) crumble after a Sexual harassment charge is slammed against them. Almost all these cases are filed by the woman against the man. When was the last time you heard a woman being charged with sexual harassment?...
All a woman has to do is to walk into a police station and file a complaint of sexual harassment (popularly known as eve teasing) against a man; no proof or witnesses required. Next thing you know the chap is picked up for inquiry. But the inquiry session is not what it sounds like. The man is given a choice to fuel the policeman's wallet or is simply beaten to pulp. The law is constructed to take the side of the woman in these cases, thanks to a disgraced set of moronic perverts the male race bears. Woman are perceived to be an embodiment of care, love,purity blah blah blah, but are capable of causing more trauma to men than you can ever imagine.
Disclosure, by Michael Crichton is a book (also a film starring Demi Moore and Michael Douglas with the same title) based on a true story about how a false accusation of sexual harassment threatens to devastate a brilliant career and the personal life of a man. Michael Crichton exposes the filth of the corporate world we live in today where people go to any extent to achieve their needs. The books shows how people just assume that the man is guilty when in reality he is just a poor victim.
The respect I have for women is enormous but the fact that women take advantage of their privileges is embittering. I also have nothing against the laws because I believe that if they were framed in any other way the ramifications would have been exacerbating. I am glad that it is "Ladies First" in our world but the lady must live up to it. As for the men BEWARE, you'll never know the taste of poison till you drink it. Above all, be it love, friendship, care, support etc...,remember, its RESPECT that is paramount, respect the Woman, respect the Man.
All a woman has to do is to walk into a police station and file a complaint of sexual harassment (popularly known as eve teasing) against a man; no proof or witnesses required. Next thing you know the chap is picked up for inquiry. But the inquiry session is not what it sounds like. The man is given a choice to fuel the policeman's wallet or is simply beaten to pulp. The law is constructed to take the side of the woman in these cases, thanks to a disgraced set of moronic perverts the male race bears. Woman are perceived to be an embodiment of care, love,purity blah blah blah, but are capable of causing more trauma to men than you can ever imagine.
Disclosure, by Michael Crichton is a book (also a film starring Demi Moore and Michael Douglas with the same title) based on a true story about how a false accusation of sexual harassment threatens to devastate a brilliant career and the personal life of a man. Michael Crichton exposes the filth of the corporate world we live in today where people go to any extent to achieve their needs. The books shows how people just assume that the man is guilty when in reality he is just a poor victim.
The respect I have for women is enormous but the fact that women take advantage of their privileges is embittering. I also have nothing against the laws because I believe that if they were framed in any other way the ramifications would have been exacerbating. I am glad that it is "Ladies First" in our world but the lady must live up to it. As for the men BEWARE, you'll never know the taste of poison till you drink it. Above all, be it love, friendship, care, support etc...,remember, its RESPECT that is paramount, respect the Woman, respect the Man.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
The DIE HARD COUCH POTATO
Swiss holidays, the Sunset in the Bahamas, Bungee jumping, ........ absolutely nothing is even remotely close to a day spent in front of your television set, with your rear sunk a good 5inches into your snug sofa cushions, your fingers very tenderly roving through the remote buttons, an occasional sip of bournvita (1.5 spoons of bournvita powder + 2 heaped spoons of sugar + milk) , a packet of potato chips and your leg stretched out to the other end of the couch. Yes, i am the die hard couch potato and i am proud of it..
Thursday, June 4, 2009
SAREE SHOPPING..."WHo me? No way"
Whenever there is a alliance fixed for anyone in the family (especially in my rather capacious family), the only thing that titillates the women is the experience of saree shopping, making sure it is expensive and is not the same shade as any of their other million sarees, and of course the idea of flaunting it. So the other day I had to accompany my cousin sister, mother and aunt to the saree store. Don't ask me how they managed to make me go with them, lets just say these women are 'expert persuaders'.
So here we are outside Pothys, the massive clothes store, in Panagal Park. At the entrance was this guy/lady dressed in a massive Teddy bear costume. I waved at him/her but the moron didn't respond, can't blame him/her because i guess he/she would have fallen asleep or would have passed away inside that costume, considering the fact that he/she has been doing the waving even when the temperatures touched 44 degrees.
The stairway at the entrance has eight to ten steps which took us two full minutes to transcend because of the number of people we had to tackle, push, and shoulder. That is how congested it was. We wriggled our way to the Silk Saree section where the ladies found a spot near one counter and started their selection while I found my spot next to a pedestal fan. The place is so congested that I am sure the store spends a fortune on room fresheners because the air conditioners have no effect.
One irksome aspect about women at these stores is that they derive some sort of a sadistic pleasure by asking these poor shopkeepers to stack up, spread, and have a private display of every single saree available knowing fully well they won't be buying them.
Anyway after the billing and all was finally over a sense of relief and triumph that "I SURVIVED" crossed in as we left the store, but it was shot down when my cousin said, "So next stop, Man Mandir." FYI-Man Mandir is a saree store in Nungambakkam. I turned to her in total disgust and asked her , "WHY WHY WHY ME?.. I thought you just bought a saree each?", for which my mother goes, "what we bought now was for the 'main' wedding, what we are going to buy there is for the reception." I was thrown off, i mean i pity my dear uncles, father, and all other earning male members who have to succumb to the ever inflating wish list of their women counterparts.
The Man Mandir experience wasn't too bad. The interiors are tastefully done, the AC works well, you don't have to push, pull stamp feet, waggle yourself in, and they have these extremely comfortable cushioned chairs. A very interesting aspect, or should i say USP of Man Mandir is that their people who help you select the sarees also work as part time models. Meaning , if one wants to pick one saree from a variety of say 5 sarees, these sales people stand up on the counter(which is a good 1.5 feet in width) and actually wear the sarees on top of their shirts and pose as models. So i guess the selection criteria for a job as sales guy in Man Mandir would be - 5ft nothing (anything taller, you would hit your head on the ceiling while standing on the counter), butler English, ability to drape a sari in 2min and fold the longest sari in 30secs, moustache compulsory (or else your identity will be mistaken when you are doing the modelling part) . So that was some day, there was a sense of triumph for the ladies. They consider Sopping to be the greatest stress buster, but i won't get into that, I was just happy to get back home.
So here we are outside Pothys, the massive clothes store, in Panagal Park. At the entrance was this guy/lady dressed in a massive Teddy bear costume. I waved at him/her but the moron didn't respond, can't blame him/her because i guess he/she would have fallen asleep or would have passed away inside that costume, considering the fact that he/she has been doing the waving even when the temperatures touched 44 degrees.
The stairway at the entrance has eight to ten steps which took us two full minutes to transcend because of the number of people we had to tackle, push, and shoulder. That is how congested it was. We wriggled our way to the Silk Saree section where the ladies found a spot near one counter and started their selection while I found my spot next to a pedestal fan. The place is so congested that I am sure the store spends a fortune on room fresheners because the air conditioners have no effect.
One irksome aspect about women at these stores is that they derive some sort of a sadistic pleasure by asking these poor shopkeepers to stack up, spread, and have a private display of every single saree available knowing fully well they won't be buying them.
Anyway after the billing and all was finally over a sense of relief and triumph that "I SURVIVED" crossed in as we left the store, but it was shot down when my cousin said, "So next stop, Man Mandir." FYI-Man Mandir is a saree store in Nungambakkam. I turned to her in total disgust and asked her , "WHY WHY WHY ME?.. I thought you just bought a saree each?", for which my mother goes, "what we bought now was for the 'main' wedding, what we are going to buy there is for the reception." I was thrown off, i mean i pity my dear uncles, father, and all other earning male members who have to succumb to the ever inflating wish list of their women counterparts.
The Man Mandir experience wasn't too bad. The interiors are tastefully done, the AC works well, you don't have to push, pull stamp feet, waggle yourself in, and they have these extremely comfortable cushioned chairs. A very interesting aspect, or should i say USP of Man Mandir is that their people who help you select the sarees also work as part time models. Meaning , if one wants to pick one saree from a variety of say 5 sarees, these sales people stand up on the counter(which is a good 1.5 feet in width) and actually wear the sarees on top of their shirts and pose as models. So i guess the selection criteria for a job as sales guy in Man Mandir would be - 5ft nothing (anything taller, you would hit your head on the ceiling while standing on the counter), butler English, ability to drape a sari in 2min and fold the longest sari in 30secs, moustache compulsory (or else your identity will be mistaken when you are doing the modelling part) . So that was some day, there was a sense of triumph for the ladies. They consider Sopping to be the greatest stress buster, but i won't get into that, I was just happy to get back home.
Monday, May 4, 2009
India is Deprived...
The IPL(Indian Premier League) T20 Season 2 is undoubtedly a monumental hit. It has snatched away the TRP (Television Rating Points) from all the other channels. SetMax simply rules the prime time slot in India. Half the tournament is over and cricket fans in South Africa have turned it into a carnival. The matches are so engaging that it makes you want to be there.(But Rs.49,990 only SA Holiday through Kingfisher Holidays is not very inviting) But in retrospect, it lacks the sting IPL Season 1 in India had. This season is devoid of the Akshay Kumar Stunt show before the games, the Hariharan Concert, drumming with empty bottles, and most importantly the reverberations of the INDIAN CROWD.
The dhoti clad, bespectacled, Harvard educated Home Minister of India, Mr.Chidambaram took the IPL 2 away. The reason, the inability to provide security at the match venues and for the players at the time of Elections. Yes, politcs definitely has greater precedence over cricket but the Congress govt could have cashed in on the opportunity to suck the votes. By conducting the IPL and the election simultaneously, and successfully the already diminishing faith on the party could have been restored. The attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers in Pakistan has terrified Mr.Chidambaram. By deciding to shift the venue of the IPL, he has portrayed India as a perilous land and also evidently shown that he has no faith in his security force.
Some of the his decisions during his Finance Minister days, like the stimulus packages etc were credible (btw the farmer loan waiver and all were crap). I have great respect towards Dr Manmohan Singh and the Abdullahs but if at all the Congress loose this election, it has to be due to the goof ups by their Home Ministers (be it Mr.Shivraj Patil or Mr.Chidambaram). As for the IPL, Sanath is GOD and GO CHENNAI SUPER KINGS!!!
The dhoti clad, bespectacled, Harvard educated Home Minister of India, Mr.Chidambaram took the IPL 2 away. The reason, the inability to provide security at the match venues and for the players at the time of Elections. Yes, politcs definitely has greater precedence over cricket but the Congress govt could have cashed in on the opportunity to suck the votes. By conducting the IPL and the election simultaneously, and successfully the already diminishing faith on the party could have been restored. The attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers in Pakistan has terrified Mr.Chidambaram. By deciding to shift the venue of the IPL, he has portrayed India as a perilous land and also evidently shown that he has no faith in his security force.
Some of the his decisions during his Finance Minister days, like the stimulus packages etc were credible (btw the farmer loan waiver and all were crap). I have great respect towards Dr Manmohan Singh and the Abdullahs but if at all the Congress loose this election, it has to be due to the goof ups by their Home Ministers (be it Mr.Shivraj Patil or Mr.Chidambaram). As for the IPL, Sanath is GOD and GO CHENNAI SUPER KINGS!!!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Painting 1 - Venice!!
275X340 mm , Watercolour Acrylic mix on w/c paper
Click to enlarge
For more Art works visit http://bharath2488.deviantart.com/gallery/
Tickle - 1
hmmm, Tickle is a collection of Mokkais or PJs.....Some, rather all of them are completely idiotic and doltish ....... Also these arent my own creations.....
For best results after the read, slap yourself or bang your head against the hardest wall....
Tickle 1 -
X - What is the time now?
Y - Its 7:11, ya SEVEN ELEVEN.
X - OK then, see you at 9:11, NINE ELEVEN.
Y - Why?
X - Cos there is no 27/11.....
For best results after the read, slap yourself or bang your head against the hardest wall....
Tickle 1 -
X - What is the time now?
Y - Its 7:11, ya SEVEN ELEVEN.
X - OK then, see you at 9:11, NINE ELEVEN.
Y - Why?
X - Cos there is no 27/11.....
Thursday, April 30, 2009
The Simple Question of Choices
You eat, sleep, fight, hate, love, live, co-exist,....you are Human after all..... hmm, but what really makes you that distinct being??... It is the CHOICES that you take, the simple decisions you make that has brought you where you are now. So diligence in making those choices is quintessential. Very often you tend to blame your actions ,or other external factors for your failures, but in reality its all the decisions/the choices that you have made. Choices are all in the mind. Never ever regret a choice made, it makes you weak ..... greatness lies in converting that so-called bad choice into something worthwhile. SO just make that choice and let the theory of CAUSE AND EFFECT do the rest.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)