Tamasha is a journey of self discovery

TAMASHA is not as much a love story as it is a journey of self discovery. Imitiaz Ali dares to peel off the dust that piles on us as we get lost in the race of life in the concrete corporate world.

The premise is promising but Ali probably could have wasted less time in establishing the dreamy world of the protagonist, Ved. When he reaches the picturesque Corsica, he seemed to be in haste to get over with that sequence where the two prime characters meet. Probably a little more detailing (like the restaurant and forest scenes) could have made it apt as there were many scenes were it seemed the two characters where left on their own.

Also while Dipika sets Ved on his self discovery, I was wondering why did she had to wait for so long after meeting him in Delhi to tell him that he was diametrically opposite to the person she met in Corsica? After all, it was his infectious crazy energy that she had fallen in love with.

The trailers of the movie gave the impression of a love story, something which have become a forte for Ali but this could be misleading and can disappoint fans who are going with the expectations of watching how Ali peels of another layer of relationship.

The positive thing about this movie is that it tries to talk about keeping alive the child, who slowly suffocates to death inside us and three cheers to Ali for bringing this on the Indian screen, which the most powerful medium. I just wished Ali had spend more time in writing and done away with the haste.

The narration of the movie is also slightly complex as it goes back and forth and an average Indian audience might lose the track amidst their popcorn, nachos and coke. But that should not discourage Ali because that's something which I liked about the film.

Ranbir Kapoor is one of the rare popular actor who has always done justice to complex characters and here he once again brings that confusion and inner turmoil beautifully. Dipika Padukone, who had much fewer scenes since the film is more about Ved's journey, does justice to her character, pulling it off with just the right dose of aplomb. Piyush Mishra as the story teller was also superb in this small but important role.

Overall, the movie compels us to rethink what we are and tries to reiterate that we still have a choice of becoming who we want to be, of course it is not as easy. Probably, the film could have ended with this realisation without showing him achieving his dream in the end, which again seemed to be hastily done.

In fine, if you can see through the initial half an hour, chances are that you will not repent your decision of going to the theatres. 

Aamir's intolerance drama

It's all too easy in the end for Bond despite SPECTRE

SPECTRE falls flat despite the hoopla

SPECTRE sets off with a sequence in Mexico city on the 'day of the dead' which has been shot brilliantly, including the initial long shot which introduces Bond. What comes next is a dark world with laden London sky and snow-clad mountains of Austria.

Daniel Craig, who has made this bond his own, comes up with another subtle portrayal of 007 with his brooding but ever stylish mannerism. Some of the action sequences lacks the adrenaline rush which is the forte of this franchise. It also lacks the gizmo's freak show which Bond is known to pull off when he comes on screen in chase sequences. Also some of them were too predictable, something which has been done and dusted in many films.

Christoph Waltz, who plays the main antagonist in this 24th edition of the franchise, however, somehow lacks the dark and menacing presence which he is capable of. For someone who claims to be the 'author of Bond's pain', Waltz's character lacks the ferocity which could have taken it to the next level, something which was a requirement for a movie which is supposed to tie up the open ends from the previous franchises.

Also the song 'Writing's On The Wall' by Sam Smith during the pre credit lacks the punch which Adele produced in Skyfall. Overall, Sam Mendes' second consecutive Bond outing is good but not the best bond movie. It fails to quench the thirst of 007 fans.

An open letter to Mr Pankaj Kapur

     Sir, I watched 'Mausam' last night despite being warned by film aficionados. I was always curious why it was a failure. I think I learnt few things as an audience about film making. Your idea of weaving a love story around the history of violence that this country has seen was commendable but I think you stretched it too far and left too much weight on your son, Shahid's shoulders. If Salman Khan was in this film he could have pulled it off by his sheer stardom but Shahid is still not that big a star.

Sir, I think you didn't follow your heart all through out, specially in the last 45mins or so, where you decided to make the protagonist a super hero. In fact, the treatment of the film also left me confused. It looked two different films in that mammoth 2 and 47 minutes run time and the audience got completely bored to death by the end.

The music was one of the plus points. Shahid and Sonam tried. But no offense, there is something in Sonam which doesn't appeal me as an audience. I think she will need more time to understand the pain of the scars which life leaves us with and such violence and pain which was a constant presence for the characters. The portrayal must have been deeper.

The film was good in parts in a few scenes but Shahid's physical features makes him look too young and he tried his best to portray the super hero. For him to carry out such depths, he will need more direction something which Vishal Baradwaj provided.

Unfortunately your script demanded a star more than an actor. It was important to show the protagonist as human like you and me, us. Sorry, but the audience became completely unforgiving when Gujarat Riot started. You could have still had few more fans if that would not have happened. It was too dramatic in the end.

Sir, you are one of the few Indian actors I admire and I know you can bring the depth you achieve in your acting in your direction as well. So hope to see your films again. Best of luck next time.

Suggestions:

1. I think you should have kept it to 2 hours.

2. The narration could have started with his plane going down mid air and then the film going into flashback.

His struggle to get his life on track and his inner turmoil would have given the film a poignant setting and the flashbacks to tell the stories could have kept the audience interested.

The story could have connected midway something that have been used in films such as Saathiya or Namaste London. And then in next 14-20 mins you could have finished the story instead of making him a super hero in the last 40 mins.

handmade incense stick

'Jazbaa' runs the risk of falling into a overcooked and loud thriller

Aishwarya Rai's comeback movie 'Jazbaa', which is an official remake of a 2007 South Korean crime thriller film 'Seven Days', comes across as loud and slightly melodramatic as far as the first look is concerned. The trailer shows that the film has a yellow and brown Tint, which gives it a slightly different look but the way junior Mrs Bachchan is shown teary-eyed and all panicky, it remains to be seen if it can actually touch the emotional chord of the audience.  

I have full faith on the Korean film as it has won multiple nominations and awards at Grand Bell Awards, Blue Dragon Film Awards and Korean Film Awards in 2008 but how well Sanjay Gupta will rework the script and screenplay and importantly implement it remains a questions.

Gupta has films such as the shootout movies, Kaante, Musafir and Zinda to his credentials and if he can keep the script tight without making it loud or turning Aishwarya into a super mom, the film may go on to be a hit. Of course, needless to say, Irrfan is a big positive. Hope Gupta's 'jazbaa' is reflected on the screen on October 9th. I personally have low expectations but I want the movie to prove me wrong.

A forgotten hero basks in the hard-earned glory

Sports is cruel. It involves spending days and nights working harder, training like obsessed zombies with one dream of winning that coveted title that one might have dreamt since childhood.

Often in a country where parents are always worried about securing their children’s life and a career in studies seems to be the first option, to say it takes courage to tread a path in sport is an understatement. But still few souls walk that path, carrying the dreams of their parents and baggage of future on their shoulders.

The journey starts with a win here and there in some sub-junior and junior India ranking tournaments. But most voyage ends even before reaching the senior level. Those who make it to the next level too find themselves lost in the crowd of aspirants, all dreaming the same dream, waiting to write that illustrious chapter in their life that will not get lost in the pages of history.

So right from the first moment at the academy starts the battle to be the best. To first become good enough to wear the national colour and compete with the best in the world. What comes next is long hours at training and then playing the international challengers and the fight to move up the ranking ladder, which initially seems like a lift but with time, becomes a snake-and-ladder game, you go up and down every now and then. A win is not enough, no matter how hard you played. You have to weave a series of wins, you have to be consistent. From international challengers, you graduate to Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold and then one day you reach the Super Series tournaments. Needless to say only a few reaches that upper echelons of players.

When you reach that privileged group, you turn another page in your life. But then comes the main cruel face of sports when one day who tweak a muscle, tear a ligament, twist an ankle or wrongly turn your knee and your world comes crashing down. Suddenly you find yourself sitting at a corner, watching your peers and juniors surpassing ahead. You sit at the corner of your room starting at an uncertain future.

Each day you tell yourself to stay upbeat, each moment you push yourself harder to feel a bit better, sometimes you would shadow practice in front of mirror, you would speak to you coach and family and they would tell you all the right words, trying to inspire you and motivate, even as inside you will worry about the dwindling ranking. Sometimes you would look at a match and tell your pals how you had beaten him on that tournament.   

Seconds will feel like days, minutes like months and hours like years and when you recover and return to the court, it will seem like an age has passed. There would be that iota of doubt in your mind in that first hit of the shuttle in your racquet when you face that opponent in your first tournament. Every loss will remind you of the time lost to injury and every win a balm on the scars that don't seem to heal. 

Many wait for that balm to heal the scars, passing through days, breezing through tournaments after tournaments waiting for that one stroke of luck that will bring you back to your rightful place. But sometimes that wait becomes eternal and slowly and slowly the resolve gives in and one fine day, you decide enough is enough and you quit. But there is another breed who hope a little longer, pray a little more and most importantly persevere harder.

Ajay jayaram is one such player who has lived those uncertain nights. For seven months he was left on the sidelines, nursing his shoulder injury, making multiple visits to the doctor, going under the knife and then going through the unforgiving rehabilitation process which involves rigorous physiotherapy.

For a player who had come into touching distance of qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics, only to lose the berth at the last moment after P Kashyap toppled him in ranking following a walkover in India open, Jayaram has shown what perseverance can earn you.

Not giving up is the antidote of failure and Jayaram's reaching the finals of the Korea super series proves that if one is determined nothing can stop you. Tomorrow this forgotten hero will take court against world No 1. Chen Long. No matter what the final holds for this Bangalore-based player, he has already inspired many like chief coach Pullela Gopichand once did when he won the All England championship in 2001 after recovering from knee injury. 

Yes, Sports is cruel but this cruelty makes your stronger, sometimes even giving birth to legends. As for Jayaram, greatness is still a far walk but then this has given him a moment to savour and no one can take away that moment from him ever. This is his time to bask in that glory and become an unforgettable part of history.

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Bombay Velvet runs the risk of not making enough profit

For a movie made at a cost close to a whopping 100 crores, Bombay Velvet runs the risk of not making enough profit, given the non-mainstream music of the film.

Amit Trivedi has produced the 1960s Jazz era of Bollywood but then apart from a couple of songs, I doubt how much people can relate to the songs of the film, which always makes a huge difference to the fortune of a Bollywood movie in India.

In India, films with soothing, melancholic and hip-hop (read Honey Singh) music make it to the 100-crore bracket. I can't remember a film earning 100 crores without music or with non mainstream music.

There is no doubt, Bombay Velvet will surely set new standard for film making in India. It will bring spectators to the theatres because of the fan following of Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma and Karan Johar but will it go on to be a big hit, remains to be seen.

When the Himalayas sung a melancholic tune

                                                        Photograph: Omar Havana/Getty Images

Debris pile up each day,
Bricks and bones, buried under the rubble,
thousands of lives wiped out from the surface of earth with one sudden shy of mother earth.

A mother looks for her child in the remnants, 
couples wrapped in an eternal embrace waits under the debris,
friends hold hands,
life has left them behind for long now,
their stony gaze waiting to melt into dust.

The livings,
mourn the dead,
scream to the heavens in betrayal,
blame the gods for its wrath,
and then sob into submission.

Survival brings souls close to humanity,
erasing the lines of religion, race, creed & language.

Under the streetlights, they fight cold now,
hunger breaking their resolve a bit more with each inch of time.

Who will light candles in their dark sadden hearts,
who will heal their bruises,
who will teach them to hope?

Perhaps, its time we need to understand the futility of life itself or else tomorrow when the mountains roar, heavens bled and the ocean comes to our homes, the blame will still lie with Mother Earth.

From Bomkesh Bakshi to Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!!!

Many Many summers ago, I remember giving my lessons to my mother to earn a meeting with a dhoti-kurta clad man who called himself Byomkesh Bakshi. He came on Tv, solving difficult and complicated cases with his wit and intelligence. He seemed to be a simple man with a nice and warm personality. In no time, we became his biggest fans and he the hero of our childhood fantasy. Though a lot of it we hardly understood then, we still fantasied to be a detective.

But then we grew up and got busy with our lives. Lost in the hustle and bustle of life, intertwined with the complications which has slipped into our own lives we somehow had forgotten that dhoti-clad man. Sometimes when Rajat Kapoor popped up in the screen, he reminded us of Bomkesh. We saw Mr Kapoor in many shades after that but nothing could replace the dhoti-kurta clad man.

Even in this commotion of life, Bomkesh Bakshi sometimes peeped at us through some websites or newspaper articles or jumped into our discussions with friends.

So when Detective Byomkesh Bakshy was set to be made into a hindi bollywood movie I had doubts but when I heard it was Dibakar Banerjee, who would be at the helm, i wanted to give him a shot. Someone, who has directed four completely different films on four different subjects and treatment, he was definitely worth a shot.

When Sushant Rajput was cast as Byomkesh, my heart sank. A 2 and a half old film actor for such a celebrated character? I again had doubts and once again I placed my faith on Banerjee. I am glad that Banerjee didn't disappoint me.

He completely reinvented Bomkesh Bakshi without compromising on its soul. He made him a little grey, he made him a part of the mystery which he was trying to solve. Rajput brought a cookiness, innocence and intrepidness to the character. He was nothing like the dhoti-kurta clad man of my childhood fantasy but still he made me to stay with him, always apprehensive to trust him completely, but eventually accepting him as a new-age young Bomkesh, who probably would be more relatable to the kids of this generation and has the potential to grow into a fantasy of the new age India.

Banerjee has stamped his authority on the screenplay and the way he has created a Kolkata of 1940s, getting down to the last details, and shot it so beautifully through a tram journey at the start of the film, its simply commendable. The trash metal background score, the colour and texture of the film gives it a touch of a stylish and edgy political thriller.

But despite the films numerous positives, still there would be people, both bengalies and non-bengalies, who might stay away from the theaters for their own contrasting reasons. So to them, I would like to say: Bongs don't go looking for Bongness as you won't find one and non-bongs don't rule out the film because it might have bongness. You need to trust Banerjee here and see it just as another political crime thriller and you might just like it.

Go with an open mind, give this 'Detective Byomkesh' a chance and if you

are following closely, you will surely go on amazing ride. I had my ride. For

now, I am staying with this Byomkesh!!!

How do you want to be remembered Mr Kohli?

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A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom. -- Bob Dylan.

We can choose a zillion superlatives to describe your cricketing exploits, but to give an honest account of your off field persona will mean my words have to stoop to a new low.

Ever since you burst into the scene as the young energetic captain of the victorious Indian team at the 2008 U-19 World Cup in Malaysia, you have mesmerised us with your on-field exploits. You always stood out with your record-breaking feats, making each of us proud of you as an Indian.

You took the fight to the rival camp, stood up against sledging and we thought you are someone who wears his heart on his sleeve. But then your history of run-ins became more disturbingly regular with each passing day. 

Whether it was the spat with colleague Gautam Gambhir at Wankhede stadium, or the flashing of the middle finger to the Australian crowd or the hurling of verbal abuses at rival teams, it all kept adding up. Most times we smiled it off considering your extraordinary on-field exploits. 

But the recent verbal abuse hurled at a respectable newspaper journalist without provocation at Perth after a mistaken identity and your arrogance of not even apologising to him in person even after realising your mistake justifies the 'spoil brat' tag which has been hanging on you for some time.

According to reports, your invective was triggered by a report by another Indian journalist who had apparently written about your personal life. Well, the reporter had written: "In a departure from the past, Virat Kohli has been allowed to have girlfriend Anushka Sharma around" during last year's England tour.

Is writing about personal life of cricketers banned in India? Does it justify the volley of expletives, Mr Kohli? Okay, anyone can lose his/her cool, after all you are just a human being but to have the arrogance to not even apologise directly to the person who you just blasted in front of many, shows your aggression is misplaced and you actually are quite weak inside because it takes a lot of courage to admit, acknowledge, accept and apologize.

Indian team has seen many talents becoming legends. Whether it is Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly or Rahul Dravid, each of them had to face intense media scrutiny but they never ever engaged in a behaviour which was unbecoming of them as Indian icons.
Even Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is the best captain India ever had, despite his of late cold attitude towards Indian media, has never give us a reason to doubt his human qualities. Even if Dhoni weren't the best captain, he would have been remembered as someone who gave respect to seniors and juniors alike and earned respect equally. His demeanour earned him the title of 'captain cool'. However, looking at the way you are going, it would be from captain cool to 'captain namakool' for India in the coming days.

At a time when each person is clinging to his piece of debris, fighting own battles, it is paramount to strive for appropriate behaviour even in the face of extreme hazards. One who can do that becomes a true leader, who is rewarded and remembered for his action.