I am often told that my posts are by and large very long read. I am not going to ask which any writer rarely dares to ask, “Did you read it till the end?” or “Did you yawn while reading it?” Alright I asked already. Anyway, do not worry this time as this post is just to show off.

Vimmuuu and Smita presented me with Butterfly Award and a Trophy.






Vimmuuu and WIAN presented me with ‘Este Blog Investe e Acredita Na… PROXIMIDADE!’ (Portuguese) award which made no sense till I read the translation in English.


This award is given to a blog that invests and believes in PROXIMITY – nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.



Thereby I present this to the following bloggers: (I am not presenting it to those who already received it.)

- V (Small B)
- Gokul (The most honest one)
- Sam (He is crazy..:))
- Avionic (Missing since 2 months)
- E-I-S-I (Should write often)
- Mystique Dew (Missing since 1 month)
- Vinz aka Vinu (Missing since 5 weeks) And lastly
- Shobhaa De (Oh, I love her!)

Moving on, Poonam announced the results of ‘Avante Garde Bloggies Awards’ couple of days back. I was nominated in two categories and I won both i.e. Best Movie Review and Best Blog Design. I thank each and everyone who voted for me.






Well, I fooled you in beginning when I said this post is just to show off. I also wanted to say that:

2008 is one of the worst years for our Film Industry. Probably I will write a different post on that. Hopefully 2009 would be a better one as I am going to present you with the trailer of three upcoming movies which look very promising.

Dev.D (Pronounced Dev [dot] D)

What’s common between Bimal Roy, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Anurag Kashyap. Devdas: brooding and alcoholic loser. However, Kashyap will present Devdas in totally bizarre form. In his own words the characters in his new flick Dev.D are not based on Sarat Chandra’s classic book Devdas. Yea, the hero is called Dev, there is girl named Paro and there is a prostitute Chanda, but that’s where the similarity ends. Ah, that says all. I have a feeling this is a work of mockery. I cannot wait to watch the new age Devdas played by Abhay Deol. I love Abhay Deol. The first five movies of his short career have been well appreciated. Call it coincidence or his innate impulse that all five have been made by debutant directors. His sixth and seventh (OLLO and Dev.D) are the only ones not made by debutant directors. I am dying to see Abhay in the role of cocaine-snuffing alcoholic.

Check the trailer and poster here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRLjycn11Rw




Slumdog Millionaire

Now this is the movie which looks very very promising if trailers are to be believed. If the trailer can blow up your mind imagine what would movie do? ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ is directed by Danny Boyle whose earlier works include Trainspotting and Sunshine. The movie has already won many awards at various film festivals and will be released in India next year. The movie is based on the book Q & A written by Vikas Swarup and runs on the line of famous reality show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’.

Check the trailer and poster here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIzbwV7on6Q




Luck By Chance

The third in list is Zoya Akhtar directed ‘Luck By Chance’ and has her brother Farhan in the lead along with Konkona. The star cast gets alluring with Rishi, Dimple and Juhi. Apart from them Zoya has roped in half of the Bollywood for cameo but the one that every one is excited about is that of Hrithik Roshan.

Check the trailer and poster here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doTBkTc8lXM

This is getting bigger and bigger. When I wrote my last post, I wasn’t being picky and targeting Barkha Dutt in particular. I had put the whole media (especially English News Channel) on pedestal. Moreover, my article clearly hinted towards the histrionics of these self-acclaimed, pseudo-intellects in the repercussions of the terror attack. The interviews, talk shows, video conferencing with every possible neta-abhineta, raja-runk et al have been hackneyed to the core.

Most of us by now understand and realize what these journos have done are not excusable. So now I am really being picky and targeting the poor woman. In my last post I was directed twice to a place where the lady in question had defended herself. I read the article and I wasn’t a bit impressed as she clearly escaped the whole allegations put forth by simply generalizing the whole scenario. Can’t you get it? We (including me) are talking of the recent attacks that were dramatized by you and your tribe. I do not wish to repeat what I spoke in my last post.

Moving on I came across this article written by Shobhaa De. There is absolutely nothing wrong in backing up someone you believe in like De does in Barkha. I appreciate that. What pinches me is how can she be so blind not to realize the obscurity of her own write-up? It stinks of bias. It tastes of disproportion. And ultimately it ends up looking nothing more than a case of back-scratching (Remember her 'Enough is Enough')

Madam De backs her (and tribe) by saying they were doing their job like you and me. They risked their lives by reporting non-stop. Whoa!!! For your kind attention Madam De that whole damn non-stop coverage did pose more threat to the lives already in jeopardy. It has been accepted by the police and the commandos and the rescuers except these journos, of course. They will never accept it. Sam left a fine comment in her post stating, “To draw an analogy - do we get a min. by min. update on the progress of a life and death surgery of a loved one? Don't we let the surgeons do their job? The same restraint has to be shown during blasts at public places."

She says these reporters were in War-Zone whilst we sat in the safety of our homes. Madam, can you tell me who in first place decides whether the media should be present at such sites or not? They were there by their own choice. So, please stop this game of reverse psychology. And even if the producers wanted them to be there, are their brains peanut sized that they cannot fathom what to show and what not to?

Madam De continues to add, “This is not the time for professional rivalries - who got more air time, who was side- lined, who was 'better'?? This is not a film awards nite with actors vying for the top honours. Every single anchor, whether it was Arnab or Rajdeep ,was superb. If they did goof up on certain details, jumped the gun..... that's understandable."

At this point let me bring forth a point which has been floating in my mind. All the channels were trying to beat each other by reporting in their own exclusive way. TRPs were at stake after all. Alright. When we talk of situations like this, don’t we all talk of bringing about the change? When aam-junta complaints of political, judicial or any other system, the first thing that is thrown to us is, ‘Why are you cribbing? If you want change, start doing something of your own. You start and rest will follow suit.’ Aren’t we given that profound logic when any of us lesser mortals speak up? Similarly, it’s all up to them. One of them has to stand up and say, ‘Hey look, we are not taking the path others have taken. If they are showing it, doesn’t mean we should do that too.’ One stance and you will be acknowledged. Of course it’s not film awards night and we people are not saying it. They themselves made it Indian Oscar by outsmarting each other in the race of TRPs. And by the way Arnab and Rajdeep were also sitting in the safety of their respective studios like you and I were sitting at home.

Coming back to Barkha, none of us in our right minds were interested in knowing how many family members a particular guy lost when she interviewed him live on TV. None of us in our sane minds bothered whether yours was THE ONLY CHANNEL who got the news first as you repeatedly reminded us. What resistance plan you have now for the charges made by Navy Chief Admiral on you? He has put blame on you for the loss of three soldiers during Kargil War because of your irresponsible coverage. That was 1999. Nine years down the line and what have you learnt since then Barkha?

Madam De in one of her gazillion articles written during those 60 hours mentioned how we fucked up in as many words. I say Media fucked up and Barkha a bit more. De sums up her trial on Barkha by reserving an extra ‘taali’ for her. I would give an extra slap to her. Why not? Each to his own, you only say that na. And for heaven’s sake, please refrain yourself from showing empathy towards the aam-junta. Social butterflies like you do not get brownie points for that.

P.S. Please read some of the finest comments I ever read in De’s post especially by a certain Joy.

A week of actions, reactions, anger, shock, disgust, distress, debate, speculations after, not much has been achieved spot on. We talked about it in our bedrooms, pondered over it like never before, and conversed over coffee and beer. Do we have any concrete upshot to it? Nothing except the drama which we are all subjected to, thanks to our media. I am not going to add anything which is not been said or debated over since a week of Mumbai Terror. Neither am I going to blame media for what they showed in those sixty hours nor I am getting into another round of blame-game. Few channels have been sent notice for screening the footages that were uncalled for by I&B. I wonder whether that would do any good. For me that’s an open and shut case. My case is not that. The case here is what those few pseudo-intellect, highly acclaimed journo have been doing post-relief of the terrorists attack.

Our very brave Barkha Dutt who covered Kargil in 99 has turned the current episode into a soap-opera. She is melodramatic to the core. Her histrionics are over-the-top and pessimistic to say the least. With a heavily-choked tone of voice, she did nothing but the dramatization of the whole scenario. If you are so choked, ask your camera guy to switch off and cry your heart out. Come on, we all are choked beyond utterance. And if that doesn’t suffice her hysterical ego, she calls a bunch of morons for a debate and asks them equally moronic questions. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, politician from INC joined her show via video conferencing was praised not once but twice by her in one hour of the show. The public present there are for some purpose and not to listen to her tirade twice, “Sir, you are the only politician who turned up, rest all refused citing they might get beaten up. I appreciate you came over.” What the FUCK. People have some questions for him. Give them a chance to ask those instead of your ‘Oh-I-am-so-powerful-yakking’. A couple of questions did put him in dock, yet she was quick enough to bail him out of it with her repeated rants. And then she goes onto cut almost everyone present there with ‘how short of time she is’ in a show which was already reduced to forty minutes because of ‘we will take a short break’. Can’t these guys get done with the Advertisements at least now, at least for one show? I am sure they can. Who the hell is interested in watching those Ads at this time of crisis when we are so full of questions and we want some answer to them? How else we can ask those questions to an authority? How else other than you Barkha? What was the need of reciting 3 minutes of grief-stricken poem written by Prasoon Joshi in between the show? With all fucking respect to Prasoon, I know you are as devastated as any of us; and you poured your heart by writing a poem. But get your own platform to showcase your poetry skills. What irked me was she cut short (a very valid question a gentleman had put forth to the congressman at that very moment) stating, “We have a poem by Prasoon.” God Bless you Barkha.

What with the chosen guest list? I do not fathom what Simi, Kunal, Ness and Ratna were doing there? Bachi Karkaria’s presence made sense till she blabbered “We should not blame the present govt. as this would have happened if any other party was at the center.” Wow, that was some soothing statement. Barkha nods in agreement. How the hell a senior journo can make a statement like that despite knowing there were warnings given to this present govt. in advance. All were buffoons and the biggest was Barkha for choosing such an elite group of morons for her show.

If Barkha is Ekta Kapoor of Media, Arnab Goswami is Shahrukh Khan of Media. He hams, mumbles, gets short of words all the time and the biggest fuck up is he (like SRK) thinks he is the best. All channels do ‘how-this-news-was-first-reported-by-them’ thing but no one harps on it like Arnab. Sometimes I feel he would come out of the television, will held me by collar and say, “Did you get it? Times now brought this piece first to you.” Who cares who showed it first I ask?

Rajdeep Sardesai of CNN-IBN is no saint either. In fact, all of them have given themselves into building news as sensational as possible at the cost of anything and everything. Almost all of them devoted 3/4th of their news on Taj and Trident. How can they forget that it all started from VT (CST) where 50 plus lost their lives at the outset of this atrocious terror strike? Was it because first time elites of this nation were attacked? Were not the lives of those who travel through the locals worth covering more than the chiffon and tuxedo wearing socialites chatting over a sit-down dinner? Why was CST ignored just like that? With all due respect to those who died at Taj and Trident, I request media to act responsible and ask right questions to the right people.