By the first look of it and sincerely by the first of it;

Paa looks foolhardy. With all the feasible offense to the makers and the performers, Paa comes across as an intended attempt of lifting in the name of novelty (Ya, I too dreamt eons ago I will revisit Cinema Paradiso). With Small B playing father of Big B on screen (hard to digest) and Vidya Balan as mother (that was perfectly chosen; she looks that), Paa is the story of Auro who is suffering from some disease which is tough to pronounce (no, I will not google).

Blame Aamir for it. His dyslexia ridden TZP hit right chords, his 15 minutes of memory in Ghajini melted many hearts and since then, everyone wants to suffer from one or the other unpronounceable disease. Watch out for Hrithik in Sanjay Leela’s Guzaarish. By the way, Imran had his heart on his right side of the chest in forgettable LUCK.

3 Idiots is an idiotic one. 3 mushtandaas (no built, vast paunches and huge upper frame) pose as 20-something college goers while in real they are double the age. Who cares they say? Audience is an idiot any which ways.

Just started listening to the songs of it and trust me on this, nothing great about it. All Izz Well is idiocy at its prime, by the lyrics of it and more importantly the shot. Once again, no built, vast paunches and huge ugly upper frame.

De Dana Dan is amalgamation of Singh is King and Hera Pheri. All the casts of this movie along with the director should be banned with immediate effect.

Aao Wish Karein to me is like ‘Aao Piss Karein’. And I am in no mood to be pissed more, especially this year. Thank you Aftab (producer and actor in this) but truthfully No Thanks.

Kurban seems dull in its portrayal. Saifeena (Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor for uninitiated) look couple in some kind of mourning and grief. Maybe the film is about that. Whatever. Vivek in his new style is not shown much in promos. And he is not complaining. After all, no one apart from RGV cares for him.

Songs are nice (I have already spoken about it…HERE).

Tum Mile will be a sleeper average if not sleeper hit; mark my words. No box office records breaking but a decent opening and even more respectable following will make it recover the money. By the way, did I tell I have always enjoyed watching Emran (nothing to do with his kisses; I can do better and bitter). I always find him in character (haha) and totally into it whatever he does. His Awarapan took me by surprise. Way to go Emu.

P.S. I hope I eat my own words as I do not wish to see the efforts they have put go in vain. :):)

Reviews of;

Ajab Prem Ki Ghajab Kahani – 3/5 Santoshi’s 2nd attempt at comedy after immortal Andaz Apna Apna is just about ok. A huge hangover of AAA is what APKGK gives the impression of sans Paresh and co. However, I won’t write this off so effortlessly. The movie works for its characters and their witty one liners that comes in offing. I have never enjoyed watching Ranbir so far. All his previous offerings made me think ‘what’s the fuss’ and finally he delivered. Whether it was his tribute to his famous grand-pa at few places in comic scenes or an attempt to shake and move head n booty like his uncle; he was extremely fine at it. Supporting casts remind you of Hrishikesh’s era. Smita Jaykar and Darshan Zariwala as parents of loser-in-life Ranbir are charming what with few scenes written just for them. Songs play quite an important part and are well placed. The only grieving factor for me was utterly delicious but equally putdownable Katrina.

Katrina no matter what all good things people say about her is an extremely annoying to me. No doubt she looks good and her pairing with Ranbir is like ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’. Two supremely good looking ones together of course will raise eyebrows and many other things. But, I am very disappointed with her. She fucking cannot speak good Hindi despite some 3 odd years here. It is of utmost important to me someone who works in Hindi movies should speak, if not good a decent Hindi and it’s been far too long she learnt it. I do not understand why directors cover that by making her a Christian or some of that sort so that she doesn’t need to utter more Hindi. Bull Crap.

Jail – 1/5 Madhur’s tryst with reality falls flat this time. We have seen and enjoyed his rendezvous with Bar girls, Social butterflies, Corporate honchos, but his take on Jail is far from impressing. Falsely accused in a drug case Neil, a sales guy goes to Jail and doesn’t get bail in all repeated hearings. Few scenes and nonsense later, case is reopened and with same evidences & same witnesses the case is solved. Wow. What’s with the agenda here, Madhur? Tell us beforehand it is just one off a story and not fucking reality and we will give you some credit but not in the name of your shouting ‘Jail shown never before’ shit. As a friend told, Ek Haseena Thi was healthier.

A man is known by the company he keeps is now an overused clichéd and peeping at it from the same height would be a man is also known by the city he belongs to. Now it's all mixed up. You are born in one city/town/village, grow up somewhere else, get license to vote/drink/drive in some other place, date/marry someone from other planet altogether. There are more friends virtually than in blood and flesh, your neighbor thinks you are moving in when in actual fact you are moving out after staying in that house for gazillion years. Pheew!!!

But this is not the case with Behram Contractor aka Busybee who lived in Mumbai all his life. He was Parsi, and like an average Parsi in Mumbai he too believed till his last breath in 2001 that Parsis belong to Mumbai in a way that no other Indian race belongs to any other Indian city. This is not the narrative of this book. This is the story of the author of this book. Busybee technically never wrote this book. He worked as a columnist for various newspapers of Mumbai 365 days of the year for 30 plus years. He wrote about everything in his daily column and this is an attempt to bring out all his columns in a single book. Round and About is the first of the series covering year 1996-97. His style of writing is snappish and to the point, but it has a rhythm in it which creates an impression of straight-faced humor.

The city Mumbai has always fascinated me for various reasons. My being a big movie buff has nothing to do with that. I know more of Mumbai as a city than of her association with Bollywood. And I bet I am as good or bad as any average Mumbaikar in knowing this intriguing city in spite of not living for more than 10 days at stretch in my numerous visits to this city (Another one week of stay is in offing soon).

To be witty is not a big deal but to be humorous at the same time is. Busybee excelled at witty humor in all his columns, always. A man who lived with a wife, two sons and a dog left a mark on the psyche of every Mumbaikar capable of reading and comprehending so much that his columns became part of their lives and people bought copies of the newspaper plainly to read his columns. This first series is just an appetizer; the full feast is still to be consumed.

Mayanagri (Bombay): I say so as it was Bombay and not Mumbai those days. Busybee called it home and in one of his columns he mentioned not living anywhere else in the world even if he was paid five months salary in lump sum. On January 1, 1996, he honored aam aadmi of Mumbai in his columns as the "man of the year". Why? Because he felt people of Mumbai had never been given due. For surviving and coming out smiling from every adverse situation, for never been consulted in anyway by any from the authority, for his/her city being getting crowded day by day and dirty hour by hour and he/her has been welcoming always. For he had been fed empty promises, for he had been lived through bad monsoon, hot summer and constant threat from people wearing orange and yet in good spirits.

Mayanagri ke log (Her People): This second section of the book has some true, funny, interesting anecdotes of some truly famous, some austerely infamous, known, seen, read people of Bombay. Whats with that Michael Jackson-Raj Thackeray deal in the event of MJ's show in Mumbai back in 1996. The part stands out as the one of the most hilarious sections of the book. Indeed some of his best were people.

Rajniti (Politics): I sometimes feel politicians are not only the source of all the chaos in the country but also the fountainhead of all the humor. Busybee is at his best when it comes to scrutinizing the politicians of our country and especially those from Bombay. He wrote on everyone from Bal to Raj to one time MP Big B to Munde to Joshi. A section talks of the meeting Bal had with Deve Gowda (Ex-PM) at Big B's residence and boy, did Busybee come up with the authentic version of the meeting in his column. Yes, he did. You may take it or leave it.

Gol guttam lakad battam de dana dan khel (Cricket): Nation's favorite pastime. When it comes to cricket, I guess we all Indians tend to treat it as a war and not game and a Mumbaikar is no different. And if it is Mumbai it has to be Wankhede. The infamous hooting at the world famous local boy at his own home ground proves it more than ever. Yes we are fanatics. Period.

Chalo Chaupati (Eating Out): There are puri people and chapatti people. There are rice people and bread people. I am chapatti person. Busybee was rice person. He fed on rice twice a day and in this section he has discussed the eating habits of Mumbaikar. Mumbai is also known for the kind of food and eateries she provides. From Mexican to the vada pav, from German frankfurters to Italian sausages, his column on places for eat-outs is bible for the strangers in the city.

Samajik Titaliyaan (Cocktail Circuit): The most envious circle in whole India. The invitees who eat caviar (or is it chew they do) and drink champagne. Guests who come to outdo the others or to outdo themselves. The wannabes who have their freshly printed visiting card outstretched in their hand along with a shake from the other which straightly meant I-want-to-be-part-of-it.

Gol Chakkar (Round And About): What could not be covered into any aforementioned defined categories, Busybee put it in this section. It's all about what-goes-around-comes-around.

I have been visiting and interacting with all kinds of people from this absorbing city, and it never ceases to amuse me, every time. After having been befriended few elitist, few not so well off and few hanging in between; from the guy who sells beeda at the intersection of Churchgate station and Dalal Street to the service provider of all kinds. From not so famous singer who is a clandestine queer to the famous performer who cruises around the Gateway in her merc. From this much aged, highly obnoxious scribe to the middling commuter of local. These are the people who form the Mumbai and put in some way or the other a remarkable demonstration in the lives of the regulars or the unexpected. Behram knew them all and knew them too well. And let me end it by using another worn out clichéd: They do not make like him anymore.

I preferred reading his compliation as a book, but for lazy bums, here is the link to his work: http://www.busybeeforever.com/round.asp.

This review I had earlier published here and here.