Talkin' Movies

Its good to listen to two intelligent film makers talking to each other. Dibaker Banerjee, the maker of Khosla Ka Ghosla and Oye Lucky, gets together for a chat with Navdeep Singh, the maker of that excellent little gem last year, Manorama Six feet Under. The funny thing is, Banerjee even feels that his Khosla Ka Ghosla was in some ways a compromise, as in the end he had to give into an ending the audiences in India would have expected. Navdeep Singh though, is someone I consider a brilliant film maker. His Manorama Six Feet Under was daring, different and an amazing homage to the classic film noir. You can see the full article at:
http://in.news.yahoo.com/32/20081214/1070/ten-life-or-something-like-it.html

A treat for any serious film buff. A true sign of the times that Bollywood now has a place for those who want to look beyond the extravagant and empty showpieces they make in the name of cinema. I hope for every Singh is King they make these days, I can catch hold of a Manorama.

A Thousand Elephants...

The past weekend I had the privilege of watching Gautam Menon's latest offering, 'Vaaranum Aayirum'. Though i had heard mixed reviews of it (Suzy darling, with whom i went, said a friend had personally told her it was the pits), I figured Gautam Menon and Surya.. How bad can it be?

It wasn't bad. Far from it. It has to be one of the best movies I have seen all year. If there is one thing Bollywood can learn from the South, it is how to make great movies on big budgets. The usual tendency in tinseltown here is 'have money.. will spend on anything but plot or character development'. And the sad thing is, people still prefer the overbudgeted crap to the small thoughtful movies that have been coming these days in Bollywood (OSO's humongous success last year is a pointer to that).

Coming back to Vaaranum Aayirum, I found a lot of things going for it. Surya in almost every frame of the movie helped a lot. This guy has to be one of the finest method actors I have seen from the South. Over here, he had to play a multitude of characters and emotions, ranging from a sixties college kid to a drug addict and finally to an army officer. Not once did you feel not convinced by him. He brought an intensity and sensitivity to his performance that endears the audience to him and makes us care for him. And that is another great thing about the movie. I have not often seen a movie which deals with a wide range of issues as this does and pull it off. Over here you can see a father-son bond,a sixties romance, a modern day romance, tragedy, effects of drug addiction, a kidnapping and rescue, as well as an army operation. Thorugh all of these multiple themes, you get the feeling the director has done his research and paid careful attention to details. And you get drawn into the proceedings. Despite the length of the movie, I was left wishing for more from this magnum opus. Oh... and who can forget Sameera Reddy? Looking more beautiful and convincing than she has ever looked in any Hindi movie, she and Surya formed one of the best on screen couples I have seen in a long time. They just seemed to ooze chemistry.

After the excellent Vettayadu Villayadu, Gautam Menon is fast becoming one of my favourite directors. This one just re inforced my belief that while the Tamil film industry may churn a lot of trash, when they do it good, they do it better than the rest. This was the second one this year I have felt the same way, Anjaathey being the first.

A sportin' shame

Amid all the fanfare over Abhinav Bindra winning India's first Individual Gold ever, I was wondering if the officials of Indian sport would dare take any credit for it. But i think even they would realise here, that they really have no reason to. Abhinav may have been talented, but because of his affluent background, he was able to command himself the best facilities around. He could train in Germany, and even have a shooting range constructed at his home, by his wealthy dad. It seems that his personal range was much better than the national facility available to our shooters. And there lies the basis of India's sad show at sporting events such as the Olympics. There may be many others who could reach the heights, but because of the gross national negligence we afford them, they fade away. I remember when Jaspal Rana shot his way to a world record once. However, lack of funds and sponshorship resulted in him fading away. There was even the embarassing situation, where, at a major championship, the gun provided by our sports body, was defective. He left the field in tears.

But then again, whose fault is this sorry state of affairs in Indian sports? I've come across a lot of people blaming cricket and cricketers for the neglect bestowed on other sports in India. This, i feel, is a very feeble and shallow excuse. Cricket is in the position it is today because the people running the game knew how to preserve it for the future and popularise it. There was a time when India ruled the roost in Hockey. Winning a Gold in the Olympics in Hockey seemed always a foregone conclusion. Until, one day it snapped. What happened? Similar to what happened to the West Indies and cricket, the wise men in charge just did not plan ahead. They figured the golden goose will keep laying eggs, when, in reality, the game moved forward and India got left behind. Astro turf became the norm, and India just did not seem to know how to cope.

India was not too bad at football either, atleast on an Asian level. They had even managed to qualify for the World Cup held in Brazil in 1950, where they had to decline, because, as always, of a lack of funds. Again, today, football in India is in a sorry state. A sad thing when you consider that India, with its billion people, and millions under the poverty line, would be an ideal place where the simplest and most beautiful game can take hold, if really given a push.

If you look at cricket, last year, after the 50 over world cup debacle, when India were disgraced, there was a fear that cricket would go hockey's way, with many saying that the Indians will not be able to cope with the new kind of power play that teams like Australia were plying. Well, thankfully, that fear has proved unfounded atleast uptil now. The selectors put together a brilliant and young new team with a charismatic captain (M.S Dhoni) and sent the team to the T20 world cup, where hardly anyone gave them a chance. And we all know what happened next.

My point being that, you can hardly blame cricket and cricketers for hogging the limelight. They have toiled and planned for it, and probably deserve their success.

But what about the other sports? Well, probably the whole system would need an overhaul. We would definitely need some fresh faces at the top of the boards, and some strict timelines set for their stints and re elections, so that they would be forced to think out of the box and improve the state of affairs. Lets face it. Given a chance, this country and its teeming millions can definitely throw up atleast a couple of world champions with some regularity.

By the way, isn't hockey supposed to be our national game? Funny how I've never played it or even seen it being played in any school... And that, i guess, is where it all starts...

The grass is greener...

Just finished reading Karan Bajaj's 'Keep off the Grass'. The grass here, of course, is not a reference to the harmless variety we find in our fields, but is the marijuana that college students invariably seem to get into. I usually dont like the books by bussinessmen or IITians turned authors ( I like to call them pop authors, making crass novels for popular acclaim.). Chetan Bhagat is a name which comes to mind. Didn't like his first two books too much and haven't bothered reading the third one.

However, this book, by Karan Bajaj (alumni of IIM Bangalore) is definitely a good read. Although it does get a bit pretentious at times, with its comparison of how Indians are different from the Americans. Despite this, its a charming book, with its simple language, delicious wit and at times, genuinely philosophical discussions. Anybody who has experienced the familiar high of getting drunk or stoned during their student years, will understand the deep discussions on life, love and virtually everything that can come up between guys.

The story is basically about another confused desi, Samrat Ratan. All of 25 years old, and already earning half a million bucks as a hotshot investment banker on Wall Street, he suddenly feels that he is living out someone else's life. He decides to quit and go to India to 'find' himself. For this, he decides to enroll in the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore for the MBA. He figures it wouldn't be too difficult for him. However, once he reaches, he realises that the pressure of the IIM is getting to him.

Despite this, he makes some great friends there. There is Shine Sarkar, the pot smoking, perpetually high IItian, who effortlessly gets to the top of the class, and who is Samrat's chief partner in crime. Then there is Vinod, who has been scarred by his experiences, fighting in Kargil. The trio embark on a mulltitude of adventures, some downright crazy. Soon Samrat is doing things he never imagined he would be. But would he be able to keep his wits and graduate?

The book will deifinetely make you, in parts, laugh, think and retrospect. Go get it!

The Math of it all...

I recently came across a funny pseudo philosophical explanation of God. As i am something of an agnostic, the whole concept of God and His doings remain a perpetual mystery to me. Is He there? If He is there, then why does so much sh*t keep happening around us and everywhere? If He just allows good and bad things to happen, does that then make him any better than a dictator, to whom we have to keep showing our reverence by praising and worshipping him? That aspect of things has never appealed to me anyways. After all, i dont think true faith is something to be made of as a friggin public display.

Anyways, this funny book i was reading. One of the protagonists comes up with his own explanation of God and why so much Sh*t happens. It seems he created all life, and left everything to be governed as a mathematical equation. Like how both sides of the equation should be equal always. Pain and suffering to equal joy. Poverty in equal measure as wealth. Love and hate. So basically, everything plays out to an equation. If there is a poor labourer here who struggles for his livelihood every meal, there will be a fat rich corporate on the other side of the world, as well as everyone caught in between. If there is pain at one time, there will be limitless joy another time. And this goes for the soul also it seems. Depending on this life, the next one may balance it out!

Well, i dunno about how seriously you can take that, but in its own way, i felt that it was a funny but inventive way of looking at things! Especially for the skeptics (including me) who may always be wondering...

Cry Freedom

Richard Attenborough is a director whose name is synonymous with the Academy Award winning 'Gandhi', back in '83. I didn't know of any other work of his til i recently came across 'Cry Freedom', released back in 1987 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092804/). While it may not have been as popular as his Gandhi, it is every bit as gripping, if not more, and was released when South Africa still had not got rid of the shackles of apartheid. While most movies on social issues come out after the event had happened, i guess this one released during the time.

The story is based on real life characters and events. The book on which the movie was based, was written by Donald Woods (Kevin Kline), a journalist who used to work in South Africa until the end of the seventies. It traces the origins of Woods friendship with the charismatic black leader Steve Biko, who is wonderfully portrayed by Denzel Washington. I cannot imagine a better choice for the role. Washington exudes a natural charm and screen presence, which Biko's character required.

While initially, Woods was against what he felt was black racism being spread by Biko, after meeting the man, he could not help being drawn into his struggles and ideas. The bond between them grows stronger, and Woods and his family realise and become more sensitive to the plight of the people Biko represents.

However, finally, tragedy strikes, and Woods must now concentrate on escaping from South Africa, with his book, so that he can get it published and let the outside world know what is going on. The second half of the movie is a gripping tale of his escape from South Africa, along with his family, and will keep you on tenterhooks.

There are some deliciously humorous dialogues too. The scene between Biko and the lawyer in the courtroom is an example.

Lawyer: Do you advocate violence?
Biko: I advocate a confrontation.
Lawyer: Well, isn't that violence, Mr. Biko?
Biko: Not necessarily. You and I are having a confrontation now, but i dont see any violence.

However, there are moments that bring you back to the horrors that pervaded the country before better sense prevailed. The scene where the army opens fire on a protest by school children is gut wrenching and heartbreaking.

This is definitely a must watch. I would suggest those not familiar with Attenborough's work, do take time out for this. There are movies which make a lot of money. And there are movies which make lives. I would any day prefer the latter.

The Inheritance of a New Beginning

Sometimes u just gotta let GO....
There are people in your life who you just feel they have to be there. Throughout. As a presence through all ur high and low points. Or you feel more like, they will be there. They become a part of you as urself, that it becomes very natural.

Until one day it comes crashing down. You realise that it may just have been an illusion. A trick of the mind to anchor your faith onto something or someone. (I guess for an agnostic like myself, it is not such a tough thing to happen). Then comes the tough part.

How do you reconcile yourself to the fact that the anchor you thought will always be there, may just not be what you thought. That fairytales may just not happen. That you may have been fooling yourself into believing this illusion.

Two things can happen. You can allow the claws of jealousy and hatred and anger wrap themselves around you and sulk. Or you can get on with it. Accept that you have also made mistakes in life and move on, remembering the good moments and that nobody or nothing is perfect.

I guess i have in the past allowed too much of the former to get the better of me. Not this time. This time, I'll actually try to be the dude. ;-)

And... as the bard says... therein lies a long story.

Me and Myself

There comes times in life when you introspect and retrospect. Or maybe a lot of times. You look at yourself in a mirror of your mind with the eyes of your childhood and you sometimes see a total stranger staring back at you. And you wonder, is that really me? You realise you have gone far from the person you once were or who you once wanted to be and there may not be any looking back.

Well i guess i'm just trying to say that this is pretty much what i have felt on occasions. Or on a lot of occasions. Have i gone too far away from the person i once was or i once wanted to be? I sometimes imagine myself as a kid looking through the looking glass at the older version of me, and i feel i probably wouldnt have recognised myself.

The other day, an old buddy of mine, from my days in DPS, Kuwait, called me up. After all the usual banter and nostalgic returns to school days, he told me, u know, i'm pretty disappointed in you. I was like, why? Well, i always thought you had more in you. You could have been somewhere man. Well, i thought i'm not exactly doing too bad right now, but i got the drift. I remembered a biology teacher i used to have during my school days. She used to think( for some reason) that i could DO something, but that i was an enigma. I remember her shouting at my parents everytime there was a parents teacher meeting, whenever she felt i was not at par.

Well, i wish i could tell her now... Sometimes, i'm an enigma to myself. But then again, what do people mean when they say they have expectations of someone? Expectations that someone will be a good person? Well, i would like to think that i'm not exactly a monster. Or is it expectations as in the yardstick of achievements that the world measures you by? Well, maybe i have disappointed myself and quite a few well wishers there. But then again, do i really want to
join that rat race?

What i would consider an achievement is satisfying your own self. Knowing truthfully within, that this is what you wanted from yourself, and that you're getting there.

Not that i think i'm there yet. Actually... there's still a long way to go.

Oranje Fever

There is no sporting event like the showcase events of football which can make me spend sleepless nights to catch the action. And Euro 2008 is right now catching my fancy in a big way. All the more so since the team i've always had a soft spot for, Holland, are finally living up to their billing of total football.
Football is a beautiful game, they say. It's also a pretty simple game. The fervour of the supporters around the world can probably not be expected by any other sport. And the Oranj team of this Euro are epitomising the beautiful game like never before(at least since i started watching). I remember rooting for an excellent Dutch team, which had the likes of Bergkamp, Kluivert, the De Boers, Davids etc, back in the world cup of '98. This was probably the last tournament where they looked like they would be deserving winners. But they had a heartbreaking loss on penalties to Brazil in the semi's.
If that was heartbreaking, fans of Oranj were in for more heartbreak in Euro 2000, which was on home soil. They thrashed the Yugoslavs in the quarters, and looked heads on for the final. That is, until they came into the great wall of Italy in the semis. Italy had a player sent off, and Holland had 2 penalties in normal time, both of which they missed. By the time the penalty shootout came, there was an air of inevitability around their defeat. Finally they scored hardly a penalty in the shooutout.
After that, i was a neutral for sometime. Right until Hollands first match against the world champs Italy in this Euro. They virtually thrashed them, with a wonderful display of passing game and counter attacking strikes. If we thought that was the best they can be, nobody told them. I am writing this the day after their match against the other world cup finalists, France. Whew!! I have never been so captivated by a teams performance in a match in a long time. If Italy had no answers, france were rendered virtually invalid by the Dutch. France did not play badly. But like the commentators said, Holland were playing football from another planet. The score was 4-1 to Holland, with all 3 strikes of theirs in the second half being good enough for goal of the tournament. My love affair with the Dutch Football team just reached fever pitch.
I dont know if they can carry this on for the length of the tournament, but i do know that if the Dutch do get eliminated on the way, it will not just be the Dutch citizens who will shed a tear.

In that way alone, they have already left a mark on this tournament.