Shah Rukh Khan (Hypocrite Hyena), Aamir Khan (Cunning Chutiya). Salman is the only KHAN who rocks. ALWAYS. Rest all shud shove their ass up each other including Dutts, Roshans, Akshay Kumars, Imrans n Shahids. Salman is the BEST. Matter Over. Khallas. Period.

Though I loved SRK all my life, his attitude SUCKS now. Though I loved Aamir all my life, he sucks as whole now. Though I loved Akshay Kumar last 7 years, he is a confused asshole sandwiched in his thinking between SRK n Aamir all of sudden which I cannot fathom. Though I loved Sanjay Dutt more than any other actor, I strongly believe, he wasn't worth it. Though I loved Hrithik and Shahid last few years, I firmly feel they do not deserve it. I mentioned Ranbir n Imran for others as they seem to be popular. I personally never liked them an iota.

P.S. I am extremely busy at work front so wrote this random article. However, I am writing an Iconic Series on Bollywood which is surely gonna be covered in at least 10 posts. Meanwhile, I thought of reminding my leftover (bachhe khuche) readers that I am alive and I shall be soon reading you all.

I will surely write a short one like this on Female-Actors soon.

Yada (the title of this post) is the word used by my friend when nothing substantial is being conversed. So chosen. Was it Emotional Atyachaar at its best?

P.P.S. And the Bachchans... I won't even consider them in this post. They in whole deserve a separate post.

This is a Quickie on Musics, TV Shows and Movies I have been engaged into.

Music:

I have been listening to songs of Daddy Cool, Fox, Quick Gun Murugun, Toss, Wake Up Sid and Wanted since Monday and have come to conclusion that only Quick Gun Murugun (QGM) is worth investing time and money.

The QGM album is mischievous, slapstick, hilarious and hummable. Composed by Sagar, Raghu Dixit and Vijay Prakash, the album has 13 songs. Lyrics are by Ankur Tewari and Shellee. The music has huge doses of Tamil, Telugu and Kannada songs with unusual lyrics affixed. Sample this: “Kyon Keeda Hai Aapko”, “Naam Mera Mango Dolly”, “Chat Mangni Lover”, “Kuchi Kuchi Twist” et al. The whole album is a laughter bomb to say the least. 4 On 5 easily. Go for it.

Daddy Cool is utter crap and borrows lot from earlier Bollywood movies. I cannot even make out from which movies these songs have been copied, but copied for sure. 0 On 5.

Toss and Fox are ignorable too. Wake Up Sid is fresh and simple. With 6 songs, the album can easily be forgotten though. 3 On 5 for Wake Up Sid. Wanted is a typical Masala album. With 7 Original tracks and 5 of them remixed, it is just about ok. Nothing to rave about. 2 On 5.

As I started writing this, played songs of Whats Your Rashee. Album seems to be ok so with title song stealing the show. Sohail Sen (do not know if he has any earlier songs to his credit) has a catchy voice. 12 Original tracks with just one repeated is a great deal.

Television:

I have been quite busy last 3 weeks and have been missing out on reality shows I spoke about in my earlier post. However, I am catching India’s Got Talent on its website http://www.indias-got-talent.com/ and enjoying the show. The finalists have been chosen and now everyone is waiting for the finals to begin. If you still have not watched it, please do start now. The show which is based on Britain’s Got Talent has brought out the talent in open from unknown/unheard parts of our country. It has lived to its name so far. Yes, I have my own favorites but I believe in let best talent win.

Movies:

Saw Kaminey and was bowled. Something of this stature from India is definitely commendable. I have been reading at many places that what’s the fuss? Let me explain the fuss. Many people liked it and many did not. Those who liked probably can be put into two categories. There are those who judge performances, dialogues, setting and the whole treat given to the film (I fall in this category). They just do not look for entertainment. They do not have any favorites per se. They weigh the film in its totality and pass judgment. And then there are those who want a good entertainer (be it coming out of their favs or not). They are not interested in knowing what all bars movie has outshined. They believe in good returns of their money invested.

Those who did not like can be classified in 2 categories too. The first ones are just plain cynical. "If world liked, let me say I did not like." (Shobhaa De comes here). They have no valid reason for not liking. Shobhaa in her review says “How can a Marathi girl be called Sweety. I haven’t met any Maharashtrian girl who is called Sweety?” Can you believe, that is one of the reasons she cited for not liking the movie. I always knew she was cynic but this cynic. Wow. Isn’t she the one who praised New York to heavens and adorned it with 4 stars? Poor she, can’t even understand a knowledgeable cinema. The second types in this category are those who are honest to themselves and people around. If they do not like any movie, they have their own valid reasons for that.

What I feel about Kaminey is that you might not agree with it at few places or it might exasperate you but no way can you say it is bad cinema. Those who say so are lying from their teeth.

Kaminey has been touted as the one on the lines of Tarantino work. And I agree completely. The movie is heavily influenced by Tarantino’s line of work. Those who have seen Pulp Fiction will understand what I am saying. Even the enormously famous Dhan Te Nan song has a Pulp Fiction touch in it. Yes, Vishal is inspired. He has always been honest about it. This is his tribute to Indian Audiences and I personally feel owed about it. I never thought I will ever see such a cinema made in our country in my lifetime. This is not the end. I might say something akin to something new altogether. It’s just a beginning. Bravo Vishal and Team.

Ava tagged me in another one.

1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn on page 18 and find line 4.

'Sorry to ask again, but a cricket shop in a temple complex? Who will buy?'

2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can & catch air?

Office Guidelines sheet stuck in my cubicle.

3. What is the last thing you watched on TV?

Sleepy Hollow (7 days ago). Haven’t watched TV since then. Missing those reality shows I love.

4. Without looking, guess what time it is?

23.45

5. Now look at the clock, what is the actual time?

23.57

6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?

Girl in next bay talking on her cell phone (Damn, can’t hear what exactly she is yakking)

7. When did you last step outside? What were you doing?

I came to work. At work, I stepped outside cubicle to bring water.

8. Before you started this Q&As, what did you look at?

Browsed through various News websites (a routine)

9. What are you wearing?

T-Shirt and Jeans (Shawl kept aside in case it gets cold)

10. When did you last laugh?

This morning at a PJ. I love PJs. PJ was: Teacher: Sam, What is skin of tree called? Sam: No idea Sir. Teacher: Bark, Sam Bark. Sam: Bow, Wow, Wow!!!

11. What is on the walls of the room you are in?

In Cubicle I have many sheets pinned. At home in my room, nothing except a huge mirror.

12. Seen anything weird lately?

An IDOL with a mask (A Swine Flu Joke)

13. What do you think of this quiz?

Total fun. I love Quizzes.

14. What is the last film you saw?

Gran Torino

15. If you became a multimillionaire overnight, what would you buy?

A Private Jet and a Home in Istanbul.

16. Tell me something about you that I dunno!

U r one of my Close and Best friends. Yes, U did not know this yet.

17. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?

Poverty and chauvinism.

18. Do you like to Dance?

Absolutely

19. Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?

Vivein or Ava

20. Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call her?

Agastya

21. Would you ever consider living abroad?

Yes, Istanbul, Israel or Russia.

22. What do you want GOD to say to you when you reach the pearly gates?

I want you to go back.

I Tag Mystique, Bhargav and Poonam.

I was busy. Very busy. I am back. Have many posts to read (if possible comment). I have no enthu to write on anything. Have decided to do the tags for sometime... So, please tag me wherever you feel like... Bring it on.

Ava tagged me in this:

A – Available/Single?
Available for one night sit/stands…Single forever.

B – Best friend?
Close - 4 friends, Best - Don’t know, Keeps changing per situation amongst those 4 close ones.

C – Cake or Pie?
None.

D – Drink of choice?
In order of preference: Water, Bacardi, Chivas, Vodka, All Beers, Red Wines.

E – Essential item you use every day?
Cell Phone.

F – Favorite colour?
Black.

G – Gummy Bears or Worms?
Gummy Worms...Heehaw.

H – Hometown
Bangalore, Patna, Delhi, and Varanasi.

I – Indulgence?
Movies, Books, Drinks while doing any of them.

J – Jealous or Benign?
Benign.

K – Kids & their names?
No Kids.

L – Life is incomplete without?
Me of course…. My life is incomplete without me (Ava said same).

M – Marriage date?
Not married and won’t happen.

N – Name? Your real name!
Vivek.

O – Oranges or Apples?
Neither. I like only Guavas in fruits.

P – Phobias/Fears?
Getting Paunch, Losing limbs/eyes, oh there are many.

Q – Quote for today?
I am alive, I am happy.

R – Reason to smile?
Depends.

S – Season?
Winter.

T – Tag 3 People?
Rakesh Bhai, Rakesh V, and Abhishek

U – Unknown fact about me?
I walk in sleep (sometimes)

V – Vegetable you don’t like?
All except Potato and Brinjal

W – Worst habit?
Lazy and Restless. How’s that for oxymoronic

X – X-rays?
Yes. Both Hands, Backbone.

Y – Your favorite food?
None in particular. Eating is waste of time.

Z – Zodiac sign?
Aquarius.

Ekta ruled Indian Television for good 10 years or so and made fortune by making monkey-ass out of us viewers. I do not know if she has totally lost the touch but I can say for sure that number of shows coming out of her production house is negligible. Currently, reality shows have taken a whole new look and are intimating some or the other. Many have found Star Plus’s Sach Ka Saamna a nerve-racking one, whereas Sony’s Iss Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao is touted as a skin show if not just freakish and scary. NDTV Imagine’s Rakhi Ka Swayamvar is still not digestible to many and is looked down. How can she do that? It is just a gimmick of making money out of a marriage. Rakhi is cheap and her show is cheapness personified. And many such comments have been made. I find all this a tad too irrational and a lot more hypocritical. Time and again it has been established that we Indians are the hypocritical ones and when it comes to Television, nothing and absolutely nothing which is made/re-produced in our country goes without a hostile response.

I find nothing wrong with the above three reality shows. I have never been an Idiot Box fanatic but a good entertainment at the end of day doesn’t do any harm. I have enjoyed just one show (MTV Roadies) in last 6-7 years post Buniyaad/Nukkad/Fauji/Swabhimaan days. And unlike many others, I have always admitted of catching few episodes of Saas-Bahu saga from Ekta factory. How can I demean them if I do not see them and critic myself? Also, upon finding them utterly uninteresting I have stopped but never made a judgment on those who continue to watch, again, unlike many others.

As I said, these reality shows might be scripted but I do not find them obscene and vulgar. What I find disturbing is that plethora of women/girl-centric television serials have found a foothold after Ekta K-Series. If Ekta promoted debauchery, infidelity, multiple marriages, multiple re-incarnations, these newbies are flaunting ‘How women/girl should be treated as in our society?’ I saw one such show called Ghar Ki Laadli Betiyaan whilst surfing between Iss Jungle and Sach Ka. This was being aired on Zee TV. I thought of stopping for a minute or two but ended up seeing till the end because I could not believe what I was seeing. I was quite bothered after seeing that show for 20 mins or so.

Father-in-law along with his two sons is standing knee-deep in a small river and is about to do his own Shraddh. Both his daughter-in-laws are standing on the shore and are crying. He is furious and angry with his younger son’s wife. He says, “ Tum sab apni marzi ke maalik ho gaye ho. Mera marr jaana hi achha hai.” No where it shows he is sad and being ill-treated. Incidentally, he comes across as an egoist, stubborn and conceited. The elder son then starts shouting and blames the younger one for not keeping his wife under control and blames him and his wife for the on goings. All this while, younger one doesn’t speak or defends himself or his wife. Father continues to pour the ashes in the water.

How a person who is alive could throw his own ashes and conducts his own shradhh is a different thing to laugh about. Anyways, so finally the youngest daughter-in-law, who is supposedly the culprit breaks in, takes small quantity of water in both her hands and says, “Thik hai. Mai is nirmal jal ko sakshi maanke kasam khaati hun ki aaj se mai koi bhi nirnay akele nahi lungi. Mera koi bhi nirnay aapse bina puchhe nahi hoga. Agar kabhi aapko laga ki maine aapki marzi ke khilaaf kuchh bhi kiya toh mera mara muh dekhenge.” Her husband still says nothing. Father-in-law content after hearing this comes out of water. I was quite appalled at this. Women still are being shown as home bound, children raising sex objects. They cannot have opinions and decisions of their own. Still? Ekta had not done enough damage I guess; now these people have taken it on them to finish it off.

I spoke to my mother and sister after this and they filled me in with many such serials being screened these days. Majority of them are showing women in contemptible and low-priced fashion (Agale Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo, Uttaran et al) and if not that they are shouting from roof top child marriage can work out if the family is well off (Balika Vadhu). What the hell. I find all these disturbing and alarming and not the reality show which are most often scripted but still enjoyable. I can surely switch off or move to next channel and I suggest those who find reality shows offending to do the same but in my case I am not taking back anything from the show after it’s over. However, the ones I mentioned above are clearly throwing wrong signals and many people are indeed catching them and implementing them. These shows must be banned or must be toned down.

Coming back to the aforementioned reality shows, Sach Ka Saamna (Copy of American show Moment of Truth which in turn was based on Columbian Show) has created a furor everywhere. Parliamentarians want it go off air citing various reasons which I cannot fathom and find juvenile. Can I not then rationalize my standing by stating watching someone revealing his/her secrets on national television is much more interesting than watching the same very politicians throwing chappals and shoes at each other right under the nose of the speaker. And that did not happen long ago. Two days ago in J&K assembly, similar story was repeated. Isn’t that sending wrong signals everywhere? Why target TV? People who are participating are adults and aware of what are they getting into. Their family and friends accompany them most of the times and even they take this in their stride (at least on screen). So, what’s the big deal if two or more people in mutual consent decide to rip off their innermost details to the world. The world can watch, enjoy and ignore or go to sleep; but no ways banning it is the way out.

Iss Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao is a copy of Popular British show I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here wherein celebrities live in jungle for a period of two months with basic human necessities and have to go through horrendous tasks to earn the good hearty meal else they will be fed just rice and soup. Once again, moralists are up against it. The show is obscene and vulgar as female contestants are being shown taking the shower in open wrapped in minimal clothing. This is their argument. It is jungle and things are supposed to be the way it is in jungle. You cannot have four walled wrap for a shower in jungle. When basic necessities are provided in smallest quantity and contestants are bothered about their next meal, which animal is going to fuck their brain in the next task, how they will survive another day in jungle with no amenities after living a life of a celeb, moralists are complaining about the skin show and the shower in jungle sitting in their comfy home.

A lot has been said about Rakhi Ka Swayamvar. I found the show or tamasha as few called it a total time pass. The show seemed a dud in the first two episodes, probably because the Rakhi we saw was not the Rakhi we knew. She came across as a coy and quiet unlike her blatant self. I will not go into the details of the show and the 16 prospects that came from different parts of country (world) to woo the item girl. But surely I will cite out few scenarios/dialogues and stuff like that. To state the facts, the show is a super hit. No matter what people say, Rakhi and the channel have raked moolah like there is no tomorrow. Rakhi and her mannerisms were nothing less than hysterical at times. But then that’s Rakhi. Sab chalta hai. I find it very irritating when people voice their opinions in complete off-putting mode. Isn’t it a very basic thing to understand and implement that what she is doing is her decision and how she does that is her choice. What is the need of character assassination? If you do not like the content of the show or whatever that is shown, criticize that but generalizing a person’s character based on it is a big put off for me. She is not very fluent in English and sometimes her grammar and pronunciations are off-mark, but she has voluntarily accepted the fact eons ago and prefers to talk in Hindi. Still, I see people making fun of her. The same people, seeing an interview/performance of a non-english speaking actor with subtitles below go gaga about the person’s intelligence or beauty and find no flaw. Even in corporate world I have seen most of the European executives signing off in their local language. Why single out Rakhi? Another case put forth often is she is cheap-slut and a drama queen. So? What harm her drama is doing to you or your life or your character? She is flamboyant, just the way Nandita Das is not or Sherlyn Chopra is. Big deal. So what if she keeps harping on how sad her childhood was or how she doesn’t get along with her parents and how much she had to struggle to come up in life? She says she has not compromised a bit and has done no wrong to survive so far. I will believe that on face value. I am not supposed to do anything beyond that. Did not Salman’s fans forgive him on his face value when he said he has not committed any crime? I did not forgive him or accused him. For me, it doesn’t matter whether he committed crime or not. It’s his 3 hrs presence for which I can judge him. Same goes for Rakhi and whoever. People should just stop being judgmental and mind their own personal life than murdering the disposition of others.

Which brings me to the conclusion, all those moralists/parliamentarians/public should stop deciding on my behalf what to watch and what not to. I would also say, if they feel those women-demeaning serials are giving them a kick, please carry on. I did say those should be banned instead of reality shows, but each to his own I say. You enjoy your drama; I will dance on my routine.

Thanks for the little mercies, I have something to post. Ava presented me with this award. I have 6-7 topics at any point of time running through my mind which goes up to 12-13 when I am high under influence of alcohol; but I am super duper lazy to put them in words. I always have something to say. If I talk of last couple of weeks or so, I had so many things to write on. I wanted to write on decriminalization of Homosexuality and the reverse of it that followed; the ongoing Ashes Test Series; Rakhi ka Swayamvar; Rita-Maya feud; and more such blahs. Sometimes I have started but stopped after 2 or 3 sentences and that has prepared the posts in my draft to 43 as of today (almost close to the number of posts I wrote in last one year). Also, I have realized that nothing gives me more pleasure than watching World Cinema and writing on Cinema which constitutes 95% of my posts.

Anyways, here I go and flaunt my award which Ava gave me. This also comes with few rules and set ups:

The rules that follow are as follows:

* Link the person who tagged you
* The display of award on your blog with these rules
* Reply to the questions
* Tag 7 people deserving the award according to you
* Come back to BLoGGiSTa iNFo CoRNeR (PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THIS LINK) at http://bloggistame.blogspot.com/ and leave the URL of your Post in order for you/your Blog to be added to the Master List

My Answers to the questions:

* The Person who tagged you : Ava
* His/her site’s url http://thepinkbee.blogspot.com/
* Date when you were tagged: 18th July 09
* My top 7 fav blogs….in alphabetical order

Ava – She has three (or may be 4) blogs but I like ‘The Pink Bee’ the best. She changed the template recently making it more apposite to the name given to the blog. Never to mince words, she has been inspiration to me as a writer since Mouth Shut days for saying things the way they are without being impolite (impolite part I am still trying to overcome)

Bhargav – A fellow movie enthusiast whose reviews are unbiased and succinct. He is quite young to be that knowledgeable about the yesteryears of Hindi Cinema. I sometimes see my adolescent days in his writings.

Garbles (Mystique Dew) – When it comes to being funny and sardonic, she is the best. She writes once in a blue moon but the wait is absolutely worth it.

Rakesh – The versatile writer. A fellow movie fanatic as well. He can write on anything and everything. Of late we have started sharing our bachpan ke days of watching movies on DD National/VCR/Theater. Now, he can say he saw his adolescent in mine.

Sam – Straight friendly gay blogger. A very honest, down to earth and talented blogger. He has got the nicest template and amazing header done for his blog. And whether he shares his unhappiness for movie ‘Dostana’ or talks of 377, he comes out thoroughly genuine.

Smita – Be it Books/Life in general/Movies/Music or Salman, words come easily to her and her posts are utterly engaging. Also, she is the one who pulled me into Blogosphere with her constant nagging which actually was nothing but harassment.

Vimmuuu – When we started interacting on each other’s posts, we realized we for sure are twins on Blogosphere. We now have stopped sharing the likes and dislikes as almost everything came out alike; yes including our love for certain Rakhi Sawant.

Vishal Bhardwaj who shot to fame as a composer of Maachis in 1996 has come a long way. Since then he has established himself as a composer, lyricist, singer, director, and writer. Kaminey is his 6th movie as director nevertheless he has composed music for more than 30 movies so far. He composed the music of all the movies he directed except Blood Brothers which was one of the four short films for Mira Nair’s AIDS Jaago Films.

Review of OST – Kaminey:

Dhan Te Nan:

Singer(s): Sukhwinder Singh, Vishal Dadlani and Robert Bob Omulo – Ranting and Raving already all over. It is the promotional song of Kaminey. The song was out on youtube with still pictures of Shahid and Priyanka to compensate for but listening in to OST is another experience altogether. Sukhwinder and Vishal in duet (first time I guess) harmonize perfectly. Throw RAP by Robert and you have song of the album. 5 on 5.

Pehli Baar Mohabbat:

Singer: Mohit Chauhan – He is every composer’s choice for the soft number post Khoon Chala (RDB) and Tum Se Hi (Jab We Met). If these two gave him recognition, Kuchh Khaas (Fashion) gave him absolute credibility. The guy doesn’t go wrong. This song is not in league of his earlier ones mentioned above including my absolute favorite of his Gunchaa Koi (Main, Meri Patni aur Woh) and Gulon Mein (Sikandar); he is perfect though for the beautiful lyrics of Pehli Baar Mohabbat penned by eminent Gulzar. 3.5 on 5.

Fatak:

Singer(s): Sukhwinder Singh and Kailash Kher – This song will remind you of the title track of Omkara. The commencement with the repeated use of word Fatak is direct musing of Omkara. Only when Kailash joins the song starts to find its own holding, although unsuccessfully. Sorry, Omkara’s title is too strong a remembrance; still. 2.5 on 5.

Kaminey:

Singer: Vishal Bhardwaj – The next best track after Dhan Te Nan is the title which Vishal kept for himself. After singing in Omkara, No Smoking and U, Me Aur Hum, he is once again at his best with title song. He never fails to impress. 5 on 5.

Go Charlie Go:

Singer: None - It’s the theme music of the movie on the lines of Dhan Te Nan. On first hear you can visualize it as a dark night/a chase/a con in progress/anything. 4 on 5.

Raat Ke Dhai Baje:

Singer(s): Rekha Bhardwaj, Suresh Wadkar, Sunidhi Chauhan, Kunal Ganjawala – Vishal’s wife Rekha [last heard in Genda Phool (Dilli-6) and Ranaji (Gulaal)] along with missing in action for sometime Kunal and Suresh render a different version of Pehli Baar Mohabbat. This will strike a chord of Beedi Jalaile (Omkara) but only if you mull over the lyrics. The composition is singular. 4 on 5.

The next two tracks are remixes of Dhan Te Nan and Raat Ke Dhai Baje.
Vishal is known for incorporating some distinctive Hindi words while working with Gulzar and Kaminey is no different. Not much proficient with Hindi might find it difficult to comprehend few words. Overall, the album is creative and worth a collection. On the whole 4 on 5.

Continued from Part 1

The seeds of frenzy for cinema were sown.

My father held that position for a good 4 years till he was transferred to Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh. In those 4 years, I watched close to 250 movies. I had a small notebook maintained of the movies I watched beside other details like cast, director, date of watching et al.

Eventually, new releases started hitting the defense theater as well. The first movie ever which I saw on the first day of release was Govinda’s Ilzaam and incidentally it was his debut movie as well. I do not remember much of that but same year Govinda had another release, Love 86http://blessed-curse.blogspot.com/2009/04/me-and-cinema-part-1.html and I saw that movie 3 times. Govinda instantly took over from Mithun as my favorite. Mithun and his Disco Dancer had left a massive impression on me and those days I could be found fighting with my brother for his stance that Amitabh Bachchan can kill Mithun with one punch. There were no arguments on who is better actor; that did not matter to us then as I recall now. There used to be just fights between us for who can defeat whom if they get in a brawl. Another point I used to put forward was Mithun is a good dancer and Amitabh cannot dance at all. For which my brother retorted with this: Mithun is Nachaniya (slang for cross dressers who dance in weddings up north) and Amitabh is real MARD.

All the time he said this, I did something horrible to him (apart from the ongoing punches and kicks we exchanged). Once, while playing in school during interval, I pronto jumped at him, snatched his glasses and threw far away and ran like hell. Or like pulling his knicker down during the assembly, stuffing his lunchbox with sand, emptying his water bottle.

And all this because of he had bad mouthed Mithun.

Govinda after that movie was my favorite for sometime till I saw a movie released much earlier than Love 86. It was Vinod Khann’s Hera Pheri. Well, it was Amitabh’s too but I was never Amitabh's fan. I had seen other movies of Vinod but Hera Pheri transformed me into a bona fide fan of his. And I knew I was his only fan. No one and I say as a matter of fact, no one in my vicinity ever said that Vinod is their favorite. If few did vouch for Mithun or Govinda, no one mentioned Vinod. I now know I was yet to meet some people who were sensible enough to appreciate what an actor he was and thankfully I do now know many such people and particularly few ladies who appreciate a lot more in him than his persona. I know one such who still gets weak-kneed speaking of him.

When it came to heroines, I was absolutely besotted with Sri Devi from then till now. I need a whole different post to talk of her. So, I am going to talk of other few who enormously caught my interest. There was Neetu Singh and her gleaming smile. Dekh Ke Tumko Dil Dola Hai song had three couples; Vinod and Neetu amongst them but not paired opposite. I was not so happy with that information. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoy that song (if not the movie) even now when I see it on some channel.

Bollywood then always came up with movies which were like mind puzzles. Whose son/daughter was born where, raised by whom, finally ending where to avenge whatever crime that was committed by whomever gazillion years ago? And I enjoyed all of them. One such was Dharamveer starring Dharamendra, Zeenat, Jeetendra and Neetu. Chuck all, Neetu was the one for me.

Amrita Singh was another who caught my fancy. I was upset with Mayapuri for calling her ‘Mard Singh’ and I was overtly glad few years later when Jackie Shroff called her the ‘Real Princess’. I am not sure if it was Jackie or someone else. I remember reading that though. Whoever it was knew the real her like I always knew.

As I grew older, I also criticized these very favorites of mine (Mithun, Vinod, Neetu, Amrita) for their idiotic roles and bizarre performances. I knew then, I cannot be anyone’s fan just for the sake of it. I found myself to be blatant in my opinion by the age of 10.

The seeds of unprejudiced position for performances were sown.

P.S. A little diversion here: I am not liking the posts/blogs written on MJ's death and how sad people who are writing these are after hearing he is finished.

When he was alive, none of these people wrote post/blog on 'how good an artiste he was' but post his death everyone seems to be mourning his death out of no where. Be it Shekhar Kapoor, Ram Gopal Varma, Adnan Sami or my fellow blog mates; everyone seems to get up from sleep to say something about him. I like anyone else grew up on his music but I never captured him in my writings all this while; so I see no reason to imprison him in my words post his demise.

I commiserate the sentiment of those who spoke of him. In fact, I did go and comment on few of the blogs which spoke of MJ’s death; but I did that out of friendship with the blogger friend who wrote the piece. I do not wish to offend anyone here by saying this; nonetheless I am finding it very uncanny to read plethora of piece upon his death.

Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka to win the ICC Twenty20 World Cup Trophy in it’s second season. Pakistan who lost the inaugural final to India in 2007 demonstrated how good they are the team in a match which they almost lost at the end of 15th Over. Cricbuzz reporters after that over wrote: Only Pakistan is capable of losing at this point and only Sri Lanka is capable of not winning from this point. What an ironical statement but I guessed that summed up how Asian teams ultimately choke at the Nth moment. India leads at that is my theory and I stand by it. However, at the end of 17th over it could have been anyone’s game. Many lost faith in Afridi, who by now had just managed to gather 1 or 2 runs if not notorious boundaries and high-flying ones for which he is better known as.

I have been Pakistan Cricket fan since they were defeated by India in 1996 World Cup quarter finals at Chinnaswamy in Bangalore. It was the first ever live match I had seen, despite the fact I was in mid of my Class X board exams and ‘Science’ was 2 days after that unforgettable match. I was over the moon for India’s triumph but I had my heartfelt sympathy for the losing team. I was just 15 then to settle on a favorite. Back then, I had always gone by the fact I am Indian and I need to show my hold up for them. How naïve that was I sense now. As I grew up, I prepared myself for the predictable; wherein, I will be questioned for my beliefs. However, when I still see people holding up to any one for sheer emotional stance, I cringe if their reasoning is not strong enough but I have stopped confronting them.

When Pakistan reached the final of 1999 world cup and were brutally assaulted by the formidable Australian team I was disappointed as a fan. Nevertheless, I also knew they lost to the best side of that time. It was Lord’s and today at the same ground they defeated Sri Lanka and winning by the same number of wickets Australia had won against them 10 years ago, ghosts are finally laid to the rest after that ghastly loss.


Younis Khan in his most emotional statement ever said before the finals that this win is very important for them and their trouble torn country. Winning is all that is in our mind, he said. And I second that. A momentary happiness but they have something to exult on. And the man who achieved this, of course with the helping hands of other team members is Shahid Afridi. He was the part of the loss in 1999 and he is part of the win in 2009. I cannot see any other sportsman at this moment more joyous than him. He was in his best form throughout and keeping his calm (which is unlikely of him) was appreciable in the close fought match at Lord’s today. The team owes it to him or maybe he was paying back. I remember watching India vs Pakistan Test Match at Chinnaswamy Stadium in 2005 and that’s the only one test match I ever saw live on all the five days. Once, Afridi was fielding at the boundary and I could see him very clearly. Indian crowd booed him endlessly and also threw mouthful of maa-behen ki gaalis at him. I was aghast. Why? Why were my countrymen doing that? Afridi reacted to it by raising his water bottle in the gesture that suggested “Shove it up”. Indians went berserk and gave another round of mouthful. Finally, he was moved to different position; much inside the boundary.

Indians were about to be defeated by then. I tried to reason my mind by thinking the inevitable loss which was about to happen could be the reason for people to behave in such contemptible manner. I was wrong. The public was not bothered about our defeat. I found out; We just love to hate Pakistan Cricket team. I did not like that idea. I was speaking to my classmates after the match and they did not find anything wrong with how few Indians had behaved that day. It was all unsettling for me. I kept my mouth shut. But today I won’t. I have always found them a better team than us. Why I emphasize on 'us' is because all this while I had supported them in mind but this is first time ever I supported them so blatantly and I went into countless arguments for this. For me, It doesn’t matter what Pakistan as a country comes across as to the world and India in particular. When I inadvertently blurted ‘Bhai Log Achha Khel Rahe Hain’ in Pakistan’s favor against their semi-final match against South Africa, a friend in point of fact got hurt by that statement of mine and asked me how could I use term ‘Bhai Log’ for Pakis. For me it was irrelevant, I said it as I would have said ‘buddy’ or ‘yaar’; but he by then had got really upset. I find that stupid. They are my favorites and I have followed their game enigmatically all these years. How can anyone take that away from me? Supporting Pakistan cricket team is not a crime for heaven’s sake. They deserved to win and they did win. End of Story.

Street dancers Diversity won this year’s Britain’s Got Talent. IMO, they deserved to win after that scintillating dance act in the finals. 48-year old Hairy Angel Susan Boyle for the finals sang “I Dreamed A Dream”, same song which made her an instant star after the first round. Initially ridiculed for her appearance and later for Everything-is-planned ploy which also included the planned shock reaction of audiences and judges alike, she decided to quit the show mid-way. However, she stayed on and came second in the third season of Britain’s Got Talent. I loved her singing but I guess she was hyped way too much. That apart, she has got impressive voice.

My personal favorites Shaheen Jafargholi and Stavros Flatley did enter final but could not reach the final three. In particular twelve year old Shaheen was an absolute delight to hear. Like Susan, he too chose the song he sang in the first round; Michael Jackson’s “Who’s Loving You” and boy was he good? He was enormously attention-grabbing. Greek Irish father-son duo of Stavros Flatley completely entertained with their uncanny dance manner.

Other findings which I enjoyed were: 10-year old Natalie Okri and 11-year old Aidan Davis. Natalie rocked with Jamelia’s Superstar song and Aidan wowed everyone with his delightful dance.

Thanks to talent.itv.com and live commentary by Sujoy on his blog, I was able to watch all these great acts on internet. There were many more amazing performances; I have listed only my favorites.

In my last post, many people asked me the source of those movies. Pirated? Downloaded? Well, nopes. I do not download them from net. I am way too impatient for that. And forget finding those movies in your local dvd library. I am member of DVD rental sites Seventymm and Bigflix. And that’s where I get the movies from. This doesn’t work out cheaper but ultimately I it’s worth it. I had been member of 70mm for over two years now. I am not too demanding, in the sense I do not look out for latest blockbusters or famous ones. I look out for movies which are hard to get otherwise and which we hardly get to hear of. There are so many movies being made all over the world and we get to hear of just 15-20%. Where else could I have seen Iranian/Korean/Mandarin/French/German/Persian/Spanish/Japanese et al language movies? In the name of foreign language films, all that gets released in India are the blockbusters of Hollywood, half of which I found absolute crap. Yes, I am talking of Superman/Spiderman, ye-man, wo-man, Harry Potter and many such. They might be having huge followings but I do not like such movies. Of late, the scene has changed and we do get to see some lesser known good ones releasing in India too, ‘The Revolutionary Road’ for example. Yet, the scene is pathetic when it comes to the release of Non-English movies in India.

Am I happy with them? I have heard from few friends from north that 70mm service sucks. Well, I haven’t found any reasons whatsoever so far to discontinue my membership. And definition of suck varies from one to another. My look-outs are usually the Non-English foreign language films and 70mm comes with a good collection of them. For English, I am trying to watch as many old classics as possible. I am going by the decade and I am still on 50s/60s/70s. I half-way through watching the movies of Marlon Brando, Gregory Peck, Cary Grant, Montgomery Clift, Paul Newman, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor et al. I do not see any other way to watch their movies as I yet cannot afford to buy DVDs of all these movies.

Serviceability too is an important factor, and my experience says these providers have improved a lot in last couple of years. Initially I did face few hiccups but I was patient. Bigflix I joined recently because I wasn’t getting few movies on 70mm. Though, 70mm remains my primary provider. Cinema Paradiso is another DVD rental site, but I haven’t checked out them. My queue in the former 2 is more than 100+ which will take some time to get exhausted. However, Cinema Paradiso is another good one if words of few of my friends are anything to go by.

I do not go by the fact which site provides maximum number of titles. What is the point if you have more number of titles but what you want to see is not there? These are web based, you can check out the kind of movies you wish to watch and decide whether you want to take the membership or not. Makes sense?

Btw, did I tell how Bangalore is progressing backwards? The deadline for pubs/clubs to remain open is 11.30 PM, killing the nightlife. And, not many know that dancing here in pubs/clubs is banned. This wasn't enough that the show timings of the movies have been revised and the last show of the day will be screened at 8 PM. Can anyone beat that? The last show here till now started by 10 PM and in order to reduce the crime (words of Shankar Bidari, Bangalore Police Commissioner), they have decided to end the show at the most by 11 PM for which the show must be at 8. Now, is that rational? I do not even wish to get into the pros and cons of this as I feel there are many people (working ones usually) who would prefer to go for late night show after day’s work. And if not just that, there could be hazaar other reasons. And why any reasons? Do not we have any say in anything? Ending up show 2 hours early than usual will reduce crime. Mashallah.