'Sachin! Sachin!' - The world cheered,
A billion prayed, a billion wishes unheard,
nothing could change the day all fans feared.
Its here, its here; fans murmured at last.
And then in chocked voices and crimson eyes,
The world bade you Good bye.

We long for the days,
when your sweet sound of the willow,
lulled all heartbreaks to sleep,
with each of your boundaries,
our youthful spirits ran high and free.

You gave us so much to live for,
The on-field and off-field lessons,
A guide for the new and old.

Sachin, in memories you live now,
in dreamy by lanes of childhood, you play,
in our smiles and tears, you stay,
in statistics and in voices of the worlds,
your legend grows old.

When Tendulkar walks into the fading sun

The Masterblaster finally walks into the fading sun, a world sighs in pain. we could see it coming but there was a sense of suspended disbelief and we wanted to avoid this moment. We wanted to play along and avoid topics of your retirement.

Sometimes we switched off the TV when the anchors discussed your future with so much seriousness. We often cursed those anchors and sometimes even swore at them: 'why can't they just leave him alone', we would say. 


But its time now and no matter how much we try, the moment of truth has arrived. Probably someone like me would tell myself that it has not arrived yet. Still the 200th test is due, still that day is due, still that moment has not arrived when the stadium stands up on its feet and bows to you for one last moment. 

You know, Sachin, when you hanged your boots in the one-dayer, I felt cheated because you didn't give me and zillions like me a chance to say goodbye but this time, at least the fans will have enough time to pacify their sobbing heart and hold their breath and surrender to that moment of truth and smile faintly but proudly when you raise your bat and walk out of the battle field, where you scripted so many memorable wins. 

I had so much to say to you but I could never tel you that. Even when I had the 
opportunity of talking to you over the phone once, I could barely speak my heart 
out to you. It was the highlight of my short sport journalism career. I, however, 
did tel you that I belong to a place called 'Silchar' and I could not hide my excitement and happiness when you mentioned about your innings which you played at the DSA ground in the 1990s. It was a rare moment for me.

I was happy because, I could tell you that your fans are not only in the metros but also in the far-fetched land of the northeastern corner of the country. Like me, there were thousands and lakhs here in my small town, who revered you and worshiped you like God, who picked up the cricket bat because they saw you on the TV one day in their childhood, playing that perfect cover drive or pull shot or your trademark straight drive.

Now when I sit down and think about you, there is another moment that comes flashing in my mind's eyes. It was first and the only time when I had seen you, sitting less than 10 feet from me, addressing a press conference during the Indian premier League at the ferozshah kotla ground. I had to get over my amazement to 
listen to what you were saying because I had a job to do. But to be frank, I didn't remember anything after that because all that I could remember was the feeling when the GOD brushed aside me and standing there less than one feet away from you, I had already frozen in time. I could feel how time slowed down at that moment and I could actually gauge your height.

I had so much to write but even now words doesn't come easy, it never does when it is about the God of cricket. It won't be an exaggeration to say that when you go, the game will lose its soul for many, cricket will lose many fans and for me, with you a little bit of me wil also lose its identity that day on your 200th test.

Phata Poster Nikhla Hero is NOT FUNNY enough!!!

First the disclaimer. I've a bais towards Shahid Kapoor. This is because I have always appreciated the fact that like a few other actors in India, he is a hard working and self made actor. He never got any favour for being Pankaj kapoor's son and so when he took a emotional decision to not sign any film for two years since he wanted to completely give himself up for his father's project 'Mausam', I could understand why he was doing it.

I was excited to watch him on screen after he had proved his worth in films such as 'Jab We met' and 'kaminey' but then at this peak of his career, he had taken that decision of not working in any other film beside 'Mausam'.

So naturally, when the teasers of 'Phata Poster Nikla hero' (PPNH) was released, there was a slight excitement in his fans to watch him on screen again. The fact that, it was Rajkumar Santoshi's film after his 'Ajab Prem ki Gajab Kahaani', made it all the more enticing but with a heavy heart, I have to say, PPNH was a big let down.

Shahid has done his role to perfection. As he himself puts it in the film that he danced, fought, was romantic, was Maa-ka-lal and blah blah, but then there was no story in the film. It seemed it was an 1970s storyline where Ma (Padmini Kolhapure) wants him to be a police inspector, while son wants to be a hero and how he fakes a policewala act but then when Maa ko shock lala, son decides to give up his dream and works with the police.

The film could have been a good comedy but Santoshi fails to use the actors such as Sourabh Shukla, Zakir Hussain, Darshan Jariwala and sanjay Mishra. But then there was not much to do for them in the film as there scenes and dialogues were not funny enough and so what we get is a cake which was left half baked.

The comedy quotient of the film was never consistent. Few of the scenes and dialogues were funny but then the next scene was cliched and irritating. The fight scenes could have been better, while the songs were clearly forcibly inserted  into the scenes and completely disrupts whatever flow the script could manage.

The first half was fairly decent with a few funny situations but the second half tired out the audience with the revelation of Napolean (the villain) and with scenes which seemed where last minute inclusion to give poor Illeana D'Cruz and gang some reel time because the actress especially adds absolutely nothing to the film. Sanjay Mishra was wasted and his best scene is the one shown at the teaser. Sourabh Shukla too could have been given much better scenes and dialogues.

Shahid acted well, whether it was convincing Tinu Anand for landing a role or imitate Dev Anand in the climax. In fact, the Tinu Anand scene was so powerful that for a moment it felt it could have been better if he had done such an intense role rather than comedy.

Talking about climax, Santoshi tried to recreate the confusion of his 'Andaz Apna Apna' but fails miserably. In fine, this could have been a good vehicle for Shahid to once again rise his stakes as an actor, if only santoshi had spent more time on the script and dialogues.

Overall, I would go with a 2 and a half out of 5 for this film.

An Open Letter to Prakash Jha

     Dear Jha, I always had a lot of respect for your work because I always considered you to be a daring filmmaker who have the guts to tread untraveled regions. With films such as Mrityudand, Gangajaal and Chakravyuh, you had shown us how a social issue can be addressed staying within the perimeter of Bollywood. Your films always touched a chord because of its raw energy and fresh content which reaffirmed our faith that the days of good cinema are not over yet.

But then something snapped, something intangible. You made Aarakshan, which despite its right intentions ended up being only a half-hearted attempt to speak about the issue of reservation. You ended up making it a bizarre battle between two individual -- one in favour of treating education as a business while the other treating teaching as a noble profession.

With Satyagarh, this time too, you have decided to remind Indians about the Anna Hazare protest, which made headlines a year back and weaved a story keeping this issue at the center of it. But then once again, you didn't put your heart in it. It looked enticing as it had all the ingredients of a delectable dish but ended up becoming something else. After watching the film, I had a number of questions in my mind which I thought if I could ask you someday.

To start with, what was the provocation of having an item number (although the song was good) at the beginning of the film? Why Kareena Kapoor was making faces and smiling (irritatingly) while covering a Dharna? Why there was a rock band performing along with the crowd? Why Amrita Rao was sleeping at the police station? Don't they have any visiting hours?

Moreover, do you really think a chief correspondent of a leading news channel will leave a PM's assignment for a small developing story just because she receives a call from a person whom she met only twice. Okay, even if she does, do you think a senior journalist will be living in their house and that too not for a day but for 30 days? 

One more thing, a journalist and a cameraman are two separate professions, demanding separate expertise, though we have a few people i the industry who do both the job but once you showed Kareena as a senior journalist (whom the politicians and corporates are scared of), how can you hand over the camera at crucial moments of the film at the same time. 

The film does have some very good performances by BigB, Manoj Bajpayee and Ajay Devgan, but Kareena should not have been in this film. I guess, it is high time you stop repeating your actors in your films because it takes away the novelty while watching a film. Sometimes, it is also about the curiosity of watching a new actor perform some shady roles.

Despite Aarakshan and Satyagarh, Mr Jha, you still remain one of my favourite directors because there are very few like you who still try to tell a story and that too a real one. I have not given upon you yet and I hope I don't need to in the days to come.

Madras Cafe is the best Indian political thriller

How many political films have been made in India? Very very few. Infact, even after probing my mind for sometime, I could just come up with Aandhi and Chakravyuh. There is no dearth of films which tries to weave a story keeping the politicians at the background. Most of these films talks about the politician-criminal nexus and the criminalization of politics in different states such as Bihar, UP or Mumbai, but there is no film which can be compared with a film like 'Madras Cafe'.

'Madras Cafe' takes off at a breathtaking pace and keeps the audience at the edge of the seat all through out. It is an espionage thriller but it can't be compared with anything that has been seen on Indian celluloid. There is no time for romance or emotions because there is a job at hand -- saving the former Prime Minister from assassination.
Even though there are bullet-ridden bodies tumbling across in Jaffna as the civil war rages on, the blood doesn't make one nausea because the camera doesn't linger on a scene for long. There is so much information given at a breezing pace and characters (who are important pieces in this conspiracy) are introduced and removed that there is no time for the audience to get swayed away for anything else than the main plot. There are no unnecessary sub-plots, which kills a good story.

The director Shoojit Sarkar was so dedicated to his craft that he didn't give John Abraham a single scene extra nor did he provide Nargis Fakhri an extra frame. There are no cliched scenes nor any run-of-the-mill dialogues. The film stays grounded all through out and truly committed at telling an unsaid story. Abraham and Nargis are good at their portrayal, while Prakash Belawadi is brilliant as Major Vikram Singh's superior at Jaffna. Even Siddharth Basu makes an interesting debut.

The film will go a long way in educating the country about the then situation in Jaffna and the Sri Lankan issue which not many people might have known otherwise. However, one note of caution, if someone is not at all aware of LTTE or the civil war in Sri Lanka, he or she might find it a little difficult to get a hang of the story and the pace early on.

What is commendable is to see Shoojit trying to tell such a different story after the huge success of Vicky Donar. The 'Yahaan' director, who produced 'Aparajita Tumi',  gives a big hope to the future of Indian film industry. In fine, a welcome relief after 'Chennai Express' and 'OUATIMD'.

'Chennai Express' ka Punchnama

First the disclaimer: I am neither a SRK fan nor m I a SRK hater. I am also not a Rohit Shetty loyal, neither I have the hots for Deepika Padukone. I am a pure film aficionado who 'eat, sleep and breath' films and can't help speak in gibberish tone.

Now, it has been two weeks since 'Chennai Express' hit the theatres and ever since it has broken one record after another and is on its way in becoming the highest grosser ever in Bollywood (I am not saying Indian cinema coz they don't earn money).

While, on one hand, there has been a complete frenzy over the film, there are sections of society who are feeling ashamed to watch CE and are also mourning the death of good cinema with such commercial-over the top-no brainer-potboilers bringing in all the moolahs.

I too watched the film (ofcourse under duress) but then I am not feeling too ashamed because I had a much below expectation from CE. I never considered CE to be a film, rather right from the first time I watched the trailers, I knew it is a business master piece which SRK has pulled off with Rohit Shetty.

When the trailer was released, three things strike me: First, it is aimed to cover the South Indian movie buffs and extend SRK's fanbase. (Since North India and oversees people bow in the name of SRK and they can create a riot at the theatres just by the mention of his name)

Secondly, CE had Rohit Shetty behind the camera, a man who has successfully pulled off the first of its kind Indian movie franchise in the 'Golmaal' series. A man, who after giving hits such as 'Singham' and 'Bol Bachchan', himself enjoys a sort of loyalty from his audience. SO, it meant SRK fans + RS fans.

Thirdly, interestingly, the trailer didn't reveal the plot, which kept SRK fans interested till they go to the theatres. Also Deepika was in a very different role with her 'bokwaas' accent creating a lot of curiosity.

From the time, the CE trailer was released till the film hit the theatres, SRK and RS didn't leave any stones unturned to promote the movie. They gatecrashed/bought/threatened/entered every Tv serials and reality shows to spread the news of CE. No points for guessing what a shrewd and tactical business man Mr SRK is and he went all out for the film.

Interestingly, during the promotion, we also came to know that it was not the script that RS had in mind and infact, it was an old script which RS had in his disposal and it was only at SRK's insistence that he decided to make this film with the super star.

Now the critical discussion. I don't understand why people are ashamed to watch the film. I guess, each and every person who walked into the theatre had a clear idea how the film would be, it was screaming out loud in the trailers that it will follow the trends of a typical Rohit Shetty film with an SRK topping. CE or such films are made but no one forces the audience to come to the theatre but still there are hordes of crowd making a beeline in the first weekend itself. I was shocked to see an 80-year-old lady who could barely walk with a stick, walk out of a Noida theatre. I saw old couples, children alike throng the theatres. So why this hypocrisy now. Moreover, there are many films which are worse than 'Chennai Express'.

However, PERSONALLY, I don't endorse making only such kind of film making and turning the world of cinema into a money churning affairs and killing the art completely. I know this unfortunate trend will continue for sometime because film making has completely become a business and actors such as SRK, Salman Khan and Amir Khan have become big brands in themselves and they not only act but also produce the films, which means they held all the aces and call all the shots.

Somewhere, it is important also for such films to exist because such films keep the producers, distributors, theatre owners and every people connected happy, what bothers me more is why can't these actors or directors after making a 100 crore film, invest the money in making at least a couple of good films. If they can't act or direct them, at least give someone a chance. There are a line of independent directors and actors who are struggling to make a mark for themselves.

Among all the super stars, Aamir Khan is an exception in this regard because he is sharp enough to not only enjoy the 100 crore status but also avoid the brickbats. Ranbir Kapoor also so far has chosen his film intelligently and even without doing such mindless movie, he managed to be in the 100-crore club.

There are others too like Anurag Kashyap, Shoojit Sarkar, Anurag Basu, Vishal Baradwaj and Imtiaz Ali, who have successfully touched the chord of the audience and for them probably a good story is more important than joining the 100-crore club. I hope such filmmakers don't follow RS-SRK example and go astray because then it will truely be the demise of  Indian cinema.

Can we pass on the 'moral science' to our kids?

I still remember those slim, rectangular books that had the pictures of Gods and Angels. I remember, how they spoke about the virtues of life, taught us  what is right and wrong, good and bad, truth and lies. ''To err is human and to forgive is divine''-they used to read and we used we say in unison-those were the books of 'Moral Science'.
     At home parents used to teach us to speak the truth and to be good always, to be giving and forgiving. Even those fairy tales, which we listened with utmost silence as our Grand parents narrated them with alacrity, creating pictures in front of our eyes and as we slept we dreamt to be one of those noble kings, when we grow up, spreading the goodness around, felt so true and beautiful. Those were the stories of honesty and truthfulness, of virtues and tolerance and of forgiveness and all of them had one ending--Truth always wins, overcoming the evil.
     But now after  26 years of my life, when i look back at all those moments i feel so futile about the stories. The world that we our parents tried to show us, perhaps never existed and if at all it existed it was a 'neverland' that is still to be discovered.
   I have always felt the hardest thing in this world is to be a parent. Growing up your child into a nice human being who can face the world and move with his or her head held high, well, not all parents can do that. I really wonder how difficult it would be to be a father or a mother--always answering the innumerable questions that the inquisitive mind of the youngs are clouded with, saving them from the worldly evil forces, nurturing them everyday with diets of nobility, instilling in them the confidence so that they can take on the world in the future. It is difficult, but our parents managed it.
  But can we do it with same amount of efficiency? can we conjure up images of the same wonderland in front of their eyes? can we still impart the lessons of virtues of life? Honesty, truthfulness, tolerance, forgivenss and hardwork--won't all these things sound alien to them? Will they believe us? perhaps not.
   The world is shrinking so fast, thanks to globalisation. Today we are exposed to every little thing in this world and that too just at the click of the mouse. We can see, listen, and say whatever we want. Our life is no more ours, it is a public property. Even without your knowledge there might be a peeping tom around exposing ur personal life to the world.
  In this overt world, can we succeed in showing them a rosy picture of the world? I don't think so. But does that mean we shoud give up? No.
  In this 'maddening' world, where everyday truth dies an unceremonious death, where honesty and hardwork are ravaged by the power and money clout--it is important for the parents to teach their kids to be tactful, they should know the art of manipulation so that he or she can protect themselves from vices and demons of the world, they should be shown the real picture. It is important to instill in them the art and tenacity to fight with the biggest monster-the 'self' coz if they can win over it, they can rule the world.
  Don't try to change the society, no one can change it-these are bookish things that should remain confines to the boundaries of books only. If you want to change anything then change your attitude towards life, whenever your belief shakes and you start to fumble take the course of your life in your hand. If you can protect yourself from 'the demons of the world' then you can change the world---these is the truth of the present world and that's what the parents should teach their wards.

A day in Choton's life

Have a look at this short film. I shot it during May, 2013.

Dancing to the tune of 'Ojha'

A documentary on ojha dance, a traditional form of art which is on a decline and soon may cease to exist.

Lootera is a visual treat!!!!

In his world,love speaks in whispers and murmurs and expresses itself in silent glances. In his world darkness and shadows are as beautiful as peeping sunshine through the window panes. In his world love is pure and pristine like the virgin nature and also helpless and painful like the shedding leaves of the trees. 

Vikramaditya Motwane takes the audience to that world where once silence spoke a language. With cinematographer Mahendra J. Shetty, Vikramaditya shot his ambitious 'Lootera' like a beautiful painting, while Amit Trivedi instilled life in it by his music and background score and he deserves kudos for his renditions. 

The cinematography and music makes the film a delightful watch. In terms of acting, the lead pairs Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha put their best and their portrayal was subtle and apt. 

Ranveer has left behind his street smart act behind in most parts of the film, while Sonakshi's transition from a love struck girl in the first half to a hopeless n depressed lady in the second half is well acted. Their acting is fresh and though there is no flaw in their acting but probably two more experienced actors could have taken the film to an altogether different level.

Despite Ranveer and Sonakshi's love story, there was something missing in the bonding that they shared on screen. Ranveer could not bring the pathos of the character in the final phase of the film. Rest of the cast has too little to do but they fit in nicely. 

The filmmaker dares to tread a path less travelled and leaves a mark behind. He didn't ever try to impress the audience and stayed true to his craft till the end. In short, after Udaan, Vikramaditya has proved once again he is a master story teller and with Lootera he surely has sealed his place among the elite directors of the new generation. In times to come, a lot would be expected from him.

Curious case of Edward Snowden

A man of conscience is paying the price for being a truth seeker. If only, life could have been like movies. Unfortunately, the real is very different from reel and so Edward Snowden has been stuck in the transit area of Sheremetyevo International Airport (Moscow), something like the character Viktor Navorski  (played by Tom Hanks), who gets stuck in the New York City airport for several months in the movie Terminal.

US intelligence services snoops on their European allies, a man of conscience spills the beans and he instantly becomes a political criminal. I wonder what would have happened if Snowden like, many others, would have 

just sealed his lips, killed his conscience and would have been a silent spectator. He would have been a happy man, living a normal life in some posh locality in the United States. Today, he is a hero for some, while a 

villain in his own country.

Snowden has written to 21 countries, including India, for asylum. A country which have given asylum to the Holiness Dalai Lama, Sri Lankan Tamil leader V Perumal and many others, India refused Snowden's request 

with record speed. Of course, India would eventually have to give him up someday even if it would have granted him asylum as it has an extradition treated with the US but what strikes one is the spontaneity with which the 

decision was taken, which clearly stinks of India's reluctance to not offend Uncle Sam.

It is funny that a country which considers itself much superior to any other nation and vows to uphold International laws, is violating all such laws blatantly. They talk of acting against 'cyber terrorism' 

but themselves hacks our computers, they talk of privacy and individual rights but then taps phones, they swear by friendship and then break trust. Clearly, Mr O is no better than Mr B.

Soon, it would be all over for Snowden. He will be either forced to return back to the US or extradited to his country, arrested and punished for speaking the truth and the world will go on. Directors will make films on his life, which will go on to win Oscars and Golden Globe awards and everything will be just like before. But in all this 

hoopla, truth and conscience will die a silent death once again.

What Raj Kumar Gupta can learn from 'Ghanchakkar'

From the high of 'No one killed Jessica', Raj Kumar Gupta hit a low with his 'Ghanchakkar'. Well, it did decent business in the weekend but the expectations (because of the publicity) was so high that it left audience confused and their hopes crushed. 

First things first, Ghanchakkar is not the worst film of 2013. It is much better than the matrix-inspired, logic defying action films which has nothing apart from a big star. It's comedy is subtle and much better than the slap-stick homophobic comedy movies which are released nowadays in the name of cinema. But then, Ghanchakkar missing the train because it somehow fails to tell a story. Audience are left waiting for a thrilling finale where all ends would be tied but what they get is a shocking revelation and a new character, who was no where in the scene for the first 20 minutes of the film. So can't blame the audience for feeling cheated but then I have felt worse sitting in a hall and for me it was just plain 'okay'. 

Raj Kumar Gupta might crib for his film got bad review and ratings, which impacted its success. But instead of crying over split milk he should try to understand why audience didn't like the movie, where did he go wrong. 

First, a film cannot win the heart of the audience (especially whom he is targetting) without a story. 
Second, if you want to make a movie with four characters, you got to write their story well, give the audience something to feel or connect to them.

Third, don't underestimate the intelligence of the audience, who have grown up watching thrillers -- films, books and TV series -- much before they learnt walking. So if you want to create confusion in the mind of the audience, make sure they are not able to guess the twists and turns or else you will hear yawns in place of gasps in theaters.

Fourth, a pair which has done well in one film, may not do well in another but still if you want to cash in on their chemistry then you have to give the audience something which is fresh. Vidhya Balan needed to put on weight for a reason in 'Dirty Picture' but in Ghanchakkar to play a nagging Punjabi wife with a heavy accent, she need not be a fat ass with an obsession for style.

Fifth, Never introduce a new character in the end if you can't justify it.

Things which you could have done right

First, you could have given the characters shades of grey. The characters were one-dimensional. I didn't understand why Emraan was sulking and angry right from the start and stays a ghanchakkar till the end. Probably, he himself could have turned out to be the master mind or probably, Vidya, though did good with her over the top clothes and "Haaaaaa" punjabi accent, could have turned up as the vamp if you could have justified it, made her role a little more meaty. Mr Gupta, the robbery scene was spot on especially due to the masks and secondly, the music was also apt for the film. 

Well, for someone who knows the difficulty in making a film, I might not have got bored but if you want a much wider audience and appreciation, its better you pick up your socks before making another film because you are one of the most promising filmmakers and but your transition into a master filmmaker will depend on how you can better tell a story. I for one, will be waiting for your next release and hope that you enthrall us the way you did with 'No one killed Jessica'.

Ghanchakkar and Lootera -- two interesting films in next 10 days

     Raj Kumar Gupta and Vikramaditya Motwane -- Two very young directors will be bringing two drastically opposite films --  Ghanchakkar and Lootera -- in the next 10 days. Both Raj Kumar and Vikramaditya are brilliant screenwriters as is evident from the kind of cinema that they have written in their career till now.  

     Raj Kumar had burst into the limelight with his political crime thriller 'No one killed Jessica' but it was the critically acclaimed Aamir which was his first writing project. The film explored how an urban Muslim is exploited by Islamic extremists.

     His next writing project was the realistic but enjoyable comedy 'Barah Aana', which shows three working class men trying their hand in crime for quick money. It had the veteran Naseeruddin Shah and Vijay Raaz in main roles but the film flopped, mainly because of lack of publicity.

     Vikram, who won seven Filmfare awards for his directorial debut 'Udaan', too is a writter with panache. Along with Anurag Kashyap, he co-wrote 'Dev D', which was a modern-day take on the classic Bengali novel by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. He was also one of the writers of the film 'Goal', which is one of the rare sports film coming out of India.

     Ghanchakkar and Lootera have very different themes. The former is a comedy which deals with heist and amnesia at its center, while the latter is a period romance drama. Both the film has an interesting cast. While Ghanchakkar brings together Vidya Balan and Emraan Hashmi after their success in 'Dirty Picture', Lootera will have Ranveer Singh opposite Sonakshi Sinha.

It would be interesting to see how Ranveer stars in a period film after doing the ultra smart act in 'Ladies vs Ricky Behl' and 'Band Baja Baraat'. His role has shades of grey and needs to be carried out subtley. Sonakshi has done nothing in her career til now apart from starring in 100-crore movies where she had nothing substantial to do. So in a way, it will be a test of her acting.

     Interestingly, both the films have music by the supremely talented Amit Trivedi. The title song and 'Jholu Raam' from 'Ghanchakkar' have already touched a chord with the audience, while Lootera has equally soothing Sawaar Loon"  and 'Zinda'. Amit should be a contended man given that his drastically different compositions have already topped the chartbusters and two of the songs have been sung by he himself.