Mode C is as much for Calvin as it is for Chaos, as much for Cool as it is for Cold, as much for Class as it is for Crass.

Mode C is a way of life, the Calvin way of life which I am so fascinated by as to keep trying to make it my own way of life. But what exactly is Calvin's way of life, you ask...and I say that there are no clear answers to this one.

I strongly believe, however, that almost all the seriously critical fundamental concepts of life, they are just the bogies under Calvin's bed that he is afraid of. Everyhting else...Miss Wormwood, Susie, Mom and Dad, and of course above all, Hobbes...aren't they all merely the means that he uses to attack these bogies?

It is nothing, therefore, but the perspective of each of these players on the stage of Calvin's dramatic life that helps him fight these bogies and move on in his own unique way...listening to all but doing only what finally makes sense to his own individuality. This is what comes closest, I guess, to the Calvin way of leading one's life...

Sunday, July 31, 2005

To master fear, you have to become fear




Anybody who has had a healthy diet of DC Comics in childhood, adolescence, youth, or even later, would have often wondered about the character called Batman. Unlike the other super heroes, Batman does not have super powers...he can not punch planets like Superman, or throw web lines like Spiderman but despite all these shortcomings (??), his is a name that the underworld of Gotham City trembles at.

How does Batman hold a grip so compelling?

How has Batman been able to innovate enough to compensate for the lack of super powers?

How did the Bat-suit, the Bat-mobile, the Bat-line, and so many other things come up in the first place?

What, in the history of Batman, has made an otherwise luxury-loving millionaire like Bruce Wayne into one of the most dynamic characters that fiction has ever known, the Dark Knight who knows how to use fear to remove fear?

As the bearded and unkempt Bruce Wayne is seen getting up from a nightmare in his prison bed, Batman Begins grabs the viewer's attention right away...what is a millionaire like Bruce Wayne doing in a prison located in some God forsaken corner of the world? As events unfold, we view the journey of Bruce Wayne, the adolescent who wants to avenge his parents' deaths but in the process, gets lost amongst crime and criminals. We are shown how Bruce Wayne becomes a petty thief while roaming around the world in his quest for the unknown and ends up in a prison from where he goes out in search of his life's purpose.

The League of Shadows makes its appearance and Christopher Nolan skillfully uses his action director to give the Batman addicted viewer some non-gadgetry and slick action sequences as Bruce Wayne trains with the mysterious Ducard at Ra's Al Ghul's headquarters to conquer his fear, to find the purpose of his life, to become what the world shall know as Batman.

As Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham City, he knows what he wants to do and starts about it with the ease that only a legacy like the Waynes' can offer. Right from ordering 10,000 masks to avoid suspicion to using shelved defense projects (due to lack of money, primarily) as his comrades-in-arms, the journey from Bruce Wayne to Batman is something that all Batman fans would have loved to watch. The credit should go to the director who, despite trying hard (a little too hard, perhaps) to maintain or even increase the darkness that Batman is known for, has managed to show this transition in a pretty lucid manner.

Christian Bale, of course is no match for the earlier Batmen...he doesn't even come close to Kilmer or Keaton but then again, he seems to just fit in the tale, such is the power of the legend that Batman is, especially for the die-hard fans. It must be said, however, that for people not really into Batman but who went to the movie for its own merits, Bale's shortcomings would have been pretty highlighted. Katie Holmes, popular for all different reasons even before the movie came, looks good but that is all Batman ladies have to do, unless they do something spectacularly villainous or attention grabbing like the Catwoman Michelle or the Poison Ivy Uma.

Particularly impressive, however, turn out to be the two villains with a rather constrained (in terms of Batman villains) performance from Liam Neeson who plays Ducard and an equally mature but more sinister Scarecrow depiction by Cillian Murphy. The villains have always been important parts of Batman movies and right from Jack Nicholson to Jim Carrey to even the beefy Arnold, there have been attempts (if not real executions) at some good performances. Fortunately, the villains of Batman Begins do not fail but unfortunately, they are given too less a scope to show their evil properly.

In fact, by the time the villains become active and as the second half takes over, much of the charm that Batman Begins promises in its first half has already been exhausted and it is back to what Batman movies do best...one action sequence after another, with villains being ambushed in dark corners and the dark knight's gadgets flashing around with gusto. At this point, it will only be fair to mention the support cast in Morgan Freeman (who plays the Q to Batman's Bond), Michael Caine as Alfred, and of course, Gary Oldman (the to-be Commissioner Gordon) who jointly make the second half more interesting than it actually is. And oh! Did I say it yet, Bat Mobile rocks :-)

As the Bat Signal is finally mounted upon the roof of the Police Headquarters, Detective Gordon is shown asking Batman for help on a particular villain who has been troubling Gotham for long and who has, as Gordon says, a flavor for the theatrical, just like Batman himself. Batman flips over the card that Gordon hands to him and the pack of cards' legendary Joker is seen smiling from the criminal's identity card. What a way to join the threads, what a way to complete the story, what a way to build expectations for the next Batman movie...

Friday, July 29, 2005

Of Pappu, Munni, Postman Uncle, and Bharateeya Blog Mela




Pappu and Munni had done it again. Not exactly counted amongst ideal children, the brother-sister duo was living up to their reputation even today as they bunked school to go the Mela that had come to their town. Pappu and Munni had never seen a Mela and were very excited at the prospect of seeing if what they had read in their story books about such fairs was actually true. Mummy had given them their pocket money only yesterday and their pockets were full of jingling coins as they made their way towards the crowded street that led to the Mela.  As they were about to enter the huge gates that welcomed them to the Mela, they heard a familiar voice behind them. "Oh no! Postman Uncle had seen them, he will tell all", thought the children.

But Postman Uncle was smiling. He came to where Pappu and Munni were standing, scooped them up his broad shoulders and after smilingly admonishing them for bunking school, agreed to show them around the Mela and not complain to Mummy or Papa (of course, Munni's tears and Pappu's tantrums had a role to play). "First up", said Postman Uncle, "we will go to see what you children will like the most".


The Bioscope



As Pappu and Munni stood awed at the wonders that the Bioscope-wallah was exposing them to, Postman Uncle started telling them about Indian film industry, including eight things about Bollywood that Amardeep says people might not know about. He introduced the children to India's greatest film makers like Satyajit Ray, their movies like Pather Panchali and Arnab's intensely personal take on the legendary Pather Panchali. Postman Uncle also told them that apart from movies, TV and print media have taken up important roles in the society but as Arzan says, their lop-sided priorities might as well make it impossible to take anything you hear or read at face value.

In answer to Pappu's rather innocuous question about the quality of Indian movies vis-a-vis Hollywood movies, Postman Uncle relayed the views of Sunil who does not see the need to be defensive about Bollywood, not any more. "In fact Pappu,", said Postman Uncle, "if you really want to see the current face of Indian movies, hop on to this music review of The Rising by lazygeek and you will find what works and what doesn't". 


The Book Stall



After spending quite some time with the Bioscope-wallah, Pappu and Munni had moved towards the glisteningly covered and unique smelling books. Flipping through the books, Postman Uncle told Munni about how Vikrum finds it difficult to impart the knowledge of books to Mumbai's slum dwellers for whom, even bandages are luxury. "In the internet era", said Postman Uncle, "books have been replaced by sites like Wikipedia but as Dilip says, their accuracy is subject to change, as well". When Pappu complained of lack of time to read all these books, Postman Uncle silently glared at him and told him about how Amit discusses Attention Deficit Disorder and its impact on journalism and media.

Removing his glasses to wipe them, Postman Uncle seemed to be lost in a different world as he advised the children to be true to their books' learnings and not let things end up in a situation, as described by Patrix when he talks about the Desi Columbine. As Pappu and Munni hung on to his words, Postman Uncle told them to try and develop their culture, language, and literature along with them selves, just as Charu talks about her musings on language.


The Food Pavilion



By now, the children were famished and the inviting sight of The Food Pavilion proved irresistible even for the otherwise sedate Postman Uncle. As they made their way through stalls of delicacies, Postman Uncle warned the children about the ills of roadside food but all the same, pointed them to how Rashmi explains people wanting to stomach street food. Seeing Munni dig into her chaat plate with gay abandon, Postman Uncle started his discourse about etiquettes but in good measure, backed it up with Ram's anecdote about The Bite-ing reality.


The International Exhibition



"How come he is so tall, Postman Uncle and how is that girl so fair?", Pappu shrieked out as soon as Postman Uncle was finished paying for the chaat they just had. "Children, that is the international stall and those people are not Indians." "Who is an Indian, Uncle?", asked Munni. Postman Uncle just smiled in reply and told her about how Surya wonders about what it means to be an Indian and about Nimbupani's mixed feelings about the difference between Indians born in India and those in the US or between Indians and people from the Indian Sub Continent.

When Pappu wanted to know if he could go to visit some other country, Postman Uncle advised him to get a job in the IT industry when he grows up and then, as Sumne points out, everyone will ask him, "Yavaag Foreign Ge??". He continued, "Once you go there, however, you will also have to adjust to their way of doing things, as Nilu did by re-learning how to nod". 

Ever the source of information, Postman Uncle told the children about achievements of Indians abroad. "However", said Postman Uncle, suddenly getting misty eyed, "before foreigners accept India and other South Asian countries in their fold, we need to counter prototypes like the one Aaman calls the blanket assumption that pan-Islamic terrorism is only about the Arab Muslim populace.


India House



The children had now moved on to the India House and were busy impressing Postman Uncle with their knowledge by shouting out names of the Indian leaders they could identify from the hanging posters. Postman Uncle kept smiling at each name the children shouted and from his side, entertained them with Dhiraj's tales of how Wajid Ali Shah turned into Krishna. "It has always been the spirit of Indians that has made them successful despite all odds", said Postman Uncle as he took the recent example of Gaurav's descriptions of the Mumbai downpour, here and here. To drive home his point, Postman Uncle quoted Indiagenie on how the spirit of Mumbai came forward to counter the natural calamity.

Coming back from a conversation with a friend he had met in India House, Postman Uncle found the children engrossed in space station models. Seeing this, he started telling them about how Indian industry was successfully shaping India's future, notwithstanding the debates plaguing them like the one Neelakantan mentions about in arguments over the value added by a call center job. Postman Uncle went on to tell Pappu and Munni about the modern centers of development that these businesses had given India and to illustrate such centers, Postman Uncle used excerpts from Saket's post on his first experiences at Delhi and adjoining Noida.


The Curios Shop



The children hardly listened to the last part about other commercial centers of India as their attention was diverted by the curios shop keeper who kept digging out one item after the other for the children. Laughing his rather jarring laugh, Postman Uncle recalled the experience of the unsuspecting rabbit by the name of Neelakantan who barely managed to escape the jaws of an MLM specialist greyhound. Warning the children against spurious products and services, Postman Uncle gave the example of Bangaloreguy who finally had only split hair and ruined garments to show.

On being shown a really innovative product, Postman Uncle reluctantly agreed to buy it for the children but he told them to be careful with it because he said that at times, there are more issues related to an innovative product than one thinks of right away...something similar to what Aditya talks about as he presents the two sides of the Brain-enhancing-drugs coin.


Going home

Even Postman Uncle had lost track of time, roaming around with the wonder struck kids but as he chanced to look at his watch, he realized that it was time for him to deliver his letter and for the children to go home. Passing his hand over their heads in blessing, Postman Uncle asked Pappu and Munni to promise to be good and further sharpen their knowledge and develop their personalities through appreciating and getting involved in things like the Scouting movement and its present significance as described by Arzan. "It is only when you have a solid foundation, that you will be able to think like Saheli who wishes tools of technology to encourage more cooperatives, working for the benefit of all.

As the children walked back to their home, they kept thinking of the day's wonders but at the same time, Postman Uncle's wise words were not lost, either. Pappu and Munni made a silent promise each to them selves to follow Postman Uncle's advice and have something substantial to show Postman Uncle when they meet him at the next Mela.

Thursday, July 28, 2005

For those in the middle


                       

Has Indian English writing really come of age or is it just that we have moved into writing something that they can identify with? They, of course, have to identify with what goes on in the books because it is only then that the Indian writers will be recognized, greeted on the world circuit, given royalties for the never ending sales, approached by movie makers and of course, be known like never before. Perhaps, RK Narayan did not find the need to do all this as he made the readers venture into the streets of Malgudi. Perhaps Anurag Mathur did, as he greets his readers first with the neon lights of New York in "The Inscrutable Americans" and then with the starving millions of India in "Making the Minister smile".

The point is that I am not trying to say that the author is naive enough to portray the customs officials at Delhi's international airport as betel leaf chewing and spitting buffoons or to show that a student who has cleared exams like the GRE or TOEFL to gain admission to a US university is not even able to draft letters in flawless English, forget manage speaking perfectly.

The point is that he has to bring out the satire in this form to make it acceptable to the audience he intends to get his message across to. Here again, the assumption that the books are intended for the Americans or for the Indians would be rather an oversight. The section that would have enjoyed these works the most would probably be the ones in the middle, the pseudo Indians who have their own version of the great American dream and of course, the pseudo Americans who actually know the difference between Taj Mahal and Taj Mahal Hotel.

As Gopal, the protagonist of "The Inscrutable Americans" journeys across his one year stay in America, trying hard to study, avoid beef, and get laid, the readers are entertained, no doubt...but all the more so if they can identify with the characters. The book is really appreciable for those who can understand that most of the things (racial violence, sexual frustrations, loneliness) that the book shows actually happen but at the same time, there are things that have been put there just to bring out the irony, to hit them where it hurts.

In "Making the Minister smile", Chris is shown following a similar pattern, just that his domain is not academic but the thick of Delhi commerce and the intertwining politics. As the author demolishes deeply held ideas about India and Indians by exposing the truths (as he sees them, perhaps) about the fidelity of Indian women, of the lack of food to even feed the middle class, or introduces the readers to the idea of a television and radio in each of the homes in the slums, it might seem that he is trying something novel and to a majority of Americans, it might as well be novel.

However, the people who are going to read his book, as the author must have known, already know these things as facts. The only eyes that the book is going to open for them are the eyes of mirth and laughter for they are the ones who will be able to appreciate the subtlety with which Anurag Mathur has got the satire working for him...how he has touched their heart when he shows things happening that they have always been trying to convince others of.

When read as parts of a series, the two books are interesting readings in deed. Not only do they try a jab at the incomer (the Indian in the first and the American in the second), but the things that are said about the host countries' social fabric are quite intricate as well. Delhi politics, trade unionism, America's racial problems, the supposedly sex starved (or overfed??) American youth...all these things make the books a racy reading for even those who might not really understand what exactly is going on. All the same, the books might help form inaccurate opinions given the amount of popularity that they have already gained and given that all readers (attracted by the popularity) may not be able to appreciate the reasons for introducing satire and logic or their placement in the stories.

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Gathering the shreds of life




As Vidyadhar Patwardhan gets back from his morning walk with his friends and starts bellowing "Sumi" as soon as he opens the door, it seems to transmit the viewer to the quintessential middle class home with Dada, Dadi, Papa, Mummy, and the kids.

As Vidya and Aman enter the home and try to work around Sumi to make her accept a Brit as her daughter-in-law and the ease with which she does accept it all...which child or which parent can fail to get a little misty eyed with it?

As Aman, Vidya, Sumi, and Jenny sit in the living room...joking, laughing, Sumi putting oil into Jenny's hair, Vidya and Aman convincing Sumi to let Jenny and Aman go to the party, Jenny trying her broken Hindi and saying "main sabke liye coffee banata hoon"...it is just not possible to stop that smile from coming to the lips.

As the neighborhood mechanic, Ali makes his boisterous appearances in the frame and as Ali gets straightened by Sumi and the way Vidya takes all the credit with Sumi smiling behind his shoulder...could you have asked for more?

But more is what Viruddh delivers and delivers, with panache. Mahesh Manjrekar comes into his element after a long time and after some unforgettable escapades into trash commercial cinema. He delivers the goods this time and no, he does not promise another Saaraansh, nor another Dhoop. Viruddh, as the name indicates, is not just about coming to terms with something bad that happened, but revolting against it, and doing something about it. The protagonists do not lose hope, but keep fighting till the end, and that is the beauty of the movie. Of course, who better for this fight than the pair of Amitabh Bachchan and Sharmila Tagore...seasoned actors who out perform the rest of the cast by miles.

Roughly speaking, Viruddh is the story of how an aged couple's happy family is shaken upside down by events that threaten to tear the very fabric of their home and lives and how the emotional strength of the couple, brings them out of this lurch. Nothing that has not been tried before but this time, they have done it, with a twist. More than the twist or the story in its entirety, it is the subtle moments that pack the kick.

Vidyadhar Patwardhan (Amitabh Bachchan in another of his memorable roles) tries to laugh while sitting on the park bench and is not even able to open his mouth, forget guffaw like those from the laughter club he was a regular member of.

Vidya and Sumi (Sharmila Tagore in an amazingly powerful comeback role) lie on the bed and imagine sounds when there have been none.

They don't embrace each other to share their pain but follow the more natural process of handling their individual sorrows alone...but they know, both of them know what the other is feeling.

Sumi knows that Vidya did not really want the tea he asked for as an excuse to cry alone and Vidya knows Sumi did not run out to prepare tea...touching, most touching.

The helplessness with which Amitabh, as Vidya, performs even the bravest of acts is to be seen to be believed. Doing all this, of course, is the actor we have all seen as the angry young man, an all powerful variation of the human species who does not think twice about his ability to deliver the world of all evil. Watching the same man with sagged shoulders, permanent lines on his face, and a tired gait makes you cry out at the unfair nature of it all. Believe me, Manjrekar could not have got such reaction by the medium of many other actors.

And then, there is Sumi, the mother who is traditional and yet speaks fluent English, one who cries on hearing her son's pining for her hand made sweater and yet is strong enough to support her husband who has started to lose the battle. Sharmila Tagore is as believable as she is graceful and has proved yet again why she is considered to be one of the legends...the difference that she can bring to a character's treatment is what makes Sumi so real.

John Abraham, as the ideal son Aman, does not have much to do but does well in whatever little he is made to put in. He looks serious and well meaning for the most part which is what an ideal son of Vidya and Sumi should have been. Anusha, as the Brit live-in-turned-wife of Aman, could have been much better. Though she does manage the accent pretty well and her attempts at broken Hindi are a treat to hear, they are not as much to watch. A better screen presence would have helped.

Sanjay Dutt, in a dynamic appearance (as the movie credits claim) as Ali, is good and does what he has been kept in the movie for...draw whistles. Last but not the least, Sachin Khedkar, that much under rated actor, is at it again although the role does not offer much scope to him to display his talents. He does manage, pretty well, to show his own frustration and inability.

Viruddh is not as much a take on the system as Saaraansh and Dhoop might have been but it has more to do with the struggle, a very subtle difference in the take on the topic that makes Manjrekar's effort all the more laudable. The movie might not succeed at the box office (Sanjay Dutt's whistle inducing charms notwithstanding) but this has to go down in history as one of the better movies that Bollywood has come up with and one of the better performances of that man, that legend that goes by the name of Amitabh Bachchan.

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

Synapse at IIMK: Marketing comes of age


Another of the firsts happened at IIMK this weekend and this time, it was the first ever marketing seminar on campus. With some big names from the marketing arena making their presence felt over the two days of the seminar, the atmosphere was, if not completely awe-inspiring, at least electrified. The first years were witnessing an event at IIMK for the first time and fortunately, the event turned out to be a success in all respects.

Association with such firsts is always an exhilarating experience for the organizers and I am sure that the Mpower coordinators and volunteers who worked for the seminar enjoyed the entire thing right from the conception to the execution to the post event bickering. In fact, this is one major advantage with IIMK. Being a young institute, it presents so many opportunities for students to make the institute evolve with themselves, in the process setting traditions and leaving their foot prints on the sands of time.

Unfortunately, I could not attend even a single of the sessions in the seminar and hence it is impossible to present a first person review of what happened. Much that I wanted to, assignment submissions, a bad mood, and some pending matters kept me away from all the action that I should not have missed, considering especially that I am a marketing major and have a special thing for the area. Anyway, be that as it may, let me just give a few links that shall guide the readers as to what happened at IIMK's Synapse, the marketing seminar with the theme of "The brand new world - Local competencies, Global challenges".

Pre-event

Business Line's Marketing page

Online information at CoolAvenues

Exchange4Media News

Post-event

The Hindu reports

Pagalguy article

CoolAvenues Online Report

A student's perspective

Friday, July 22, 2005

Aao, mele me gum ho jaao



[image courtesy Nilesh]

All right babies and babas, ladies and ladaas, it is time for the first Bharateeya Blog Mela at Mode C. For those who do not know what Blog Mela is, gorge on the following links:

Blog Mela Schedule
July 14th Blog Mela at Patrix's
July 7th Blog Mela at Maanga's

June 30th Blog Mela at India Uncut

[Edited for the benefit of people who want to know more about BBM]

Some more links:
Old editions of Blog Mela
Blog Mela FAQ

Now that you know what BBM stands for, let me roll the red carpet for you and your nominations. The Mela will be hosted at Mode C on the weekend following July 28 and therefore, the nominations should reach me by midnight, July 28 Indian Standard Time (not stretchable, puhleaaaaaaaaze). As we wannabe managers often like to say, there are some ground rules:

  • Nominations should be sent either as comments to this post or by email to nutkarsh[at]gmail[dot]com.
  • Nominations should reach me latest by midnight, July 28 IST.
  • The posts must either be written by Indians or be centered on India.
  • The posts must be dated between July 22-28.
  • Nominations should be sent as permalink(s) to the individual post(s) being nominated and not as link to the entire blog. In case the permalink feature is not available or not working, the title and date of the post should do.
  • Nominations can be self nominations or if you are feeling extraordinarily generous, you can nominate my posts, too (or for that matter, anyone else's)
  • While you are nominating, please do take care that the entry is not on the lines of "I woke up, I brushed my teeth, bathed and went to office, worked, came back and slept". Even if it has to be on those lines, there should ideally be something interesting, novel and insightful about the way the person bathes or brushes teeth or works...

Thursday, July 21, 2005

Thinking aloud

The word is finally out and I am not getting any scholarship for the international exchange that I am set to go for in the next term. I called up home and started analyzing the pros and cons of going, missing laterals, spending one and a half lakh of rupees...kept on hinting at not wanting to go till my mother shouted me shut. She was flustered to say the least. Probably, she was comparing this occasion to the Stanford MS call that I had to reject after my engineering due to the moolah problem. Much that I wanted to persuade her that it is not the money (ok, not the money alone) this time, she did not want to hear anything on the topic...all I can say now after I spent one whole night and part of a day thinking over the conversation is...I love you, Maa.

Amongst other things, I am being pressed down by the idea that I am becoming less of a team player with every passing day. Although I still feel that I am capable of performing the toughest of tasks at an individual level any given day, I am finding it difficult to concentrate on anything once I am in a group of say, more than three people. Cut to the conversation that I had a few nights ago with Aditya, I think it has something to do with the false sense of self-righteousness and I-am-holier-than-thou attitude that most of us (and my self in particular) generally suffer from. Cut to the meetings of Backwaters, project groups, even canteen tables, I am increasingly finding myself either all alone or in tune with at most, a couple of people...disturbing signs in deed.

My rank in class has been on a sliding pattern ever since the second term. From a top ten position in the first term to 22nd till the last one, to the current 38, the journey has not been any surprise...not to me, at least. I won't be honest if I say it has not been bothering me at all, but I always console myself by looking at what am I putting my time in (sleeping, watching movies, bitching and cribbing on this blog, Kdio, Konnect, Backwaters) and hoping against hope that these things are what will add more value to my future than the rank. Of course, this assumes necessarily that I indulge into the other activities with full passion and enthusiasm which is as far from the truth as can be, especially in the current scenario (refer previous paragraph).

I have been sleeping like a log for the past few days. It is not lack of classes or work to do...I have quite a lot on my hands and it is not as if I am sick or anything but I just am getting too lazy to even want to get up. Even spelling the word Lethargy is taking so much time for me that it seems I would be better off implementing the stuff (and contributing to what I mentioned in the paragraph above).

Hmm...guess this is quite enough as far as cribbing for the day is concerned. In other news, Campus Monitor 24X7 is set to be re-launched shortly and I am sure that the new team will find some good masala to entertain us all. The marketing interest group at IIMK, Mpower is coming up with a high profile seminar of Marketing Gurus, called Synapse this weekend. It promises to be one interesting affair, considering the popular appeal that marketing holds for so many of us. There are some really big names lined up for the event and I will definitely try to come out with a full report on the happenings shortly after the weekend.

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Kahaani Whatever ki

Once upon a time, in a kingdom shrouded by the tombs of mystery and bathed in the razzmatazz of associated glamour, there lived a boy named Whatever (though it might not be apparent, real names of places and characters have been withheld due to obvious reasons). Whatever was a funny boy...not funny in his actions or thoughts alone but funny in his totality. His deliberations on life and subsequent behavior had often landed him in situations from which only funny people could come out...and come out he almost always did!

Whatever studied in a school called Wherever which was THE place to study in that mysterious and glamorous kingdom. As it turned out later, Wherever added quite a lot to the kingdom's mystery and glamour. All this, however, happened after Whatever's time at Wherever. But then again...even when Whatever studied there, the place had enough charm to completely transform the boy that Whatever was before he left his village, Whichville for the big town, Whatopolis where Wherever was situated. Whichville, it must be noted, was the place for the celibate and the retiree to relax and meditate and not for the excitement, mystery and glamour seeking eyes of Whatever. Whatopolis, on the other hand, was the dream destination for many-a-dreamy-eyed boys and Wherever, in particular, gave ample opportunity to Whatever to whet his desire for an expanded and necessarily non-celibate community.

This, therefore, was the point where Whatshername entered into Whatever's life and swept him off his feet. Not to be confused as a sweeper, Whatshername was the prima donna for Whatever, the dreamy-eyed boy who had never seen what it was to stare into eyes as deep as the ocean, as blue as the sky...who had never known to gape open-mouthed at the sweet words coming out of those perfect pair of lips that moved in cohesion with his own heart beats...who had never known the joy of watching the swaying of body to the tunes of the sweetest octaves known or unknown to the world...who had never been encompassed by the blackness of the tresses, which for a change, was not frightening like other forms of darkness but instead, carried with itself, the mystery, glamour, and soft yet vast dreaminess that whatever had always wanted to find some day.

Needless to say, Whatever was besotted with Whatshername's charms but given the funny nature of Whatever and his actions, it was not long before the eventuality occurred and the twain could not meet. This was not the end for Whatever, however because though he had lost out on using Wherever to his advantage (as some maintain was the simplest of tasks that anyone could have done), Whatever was still young and still dreamt of that ultimate Nirvana. So it was that Whatever graduated from Wherever and moved on to college in the city of Whatsgodswill. The celibate and retiree nature of Whichville being reflected in Whatsgodswill, as well (perhaps owing to the fact that the city was quite close to Whichville, unlike Whatopolis), there was not much that Whatever could do to move forward towards his goal until he went to Whatada, the city where he started working for a living.

It was in Whatada that Whatever met Ohmygodlovely and fell in love for the first time (Whatshername was just an infatuation, Whatever's friends told him). Thus it was with Ohmygodlovely that Whatever went for the walks, shared the chocolates, wiped off the tears...Whatever was lost once and for all in that lovely pair of ear rings, those haughty nods of head, that free flowing laugh, that impish smile, the melody of voice, the tune of songs, that dismissive gesture, those twinkling eyes, the mystery, the glamour, and the dreams. Funny that Whatever was, he did not waste time in creating situations that made Ohmygodlovely bid goodbyes to him and move on to saner pastures and leaving whatever alone with his dreams and memories of what his dreams could have ended in...the ifs and the buts and might-haves.

The episode at Whatada had made Whatever into the cynical soul that landed at the shores of Whatroad whence he went back to academia to try his luck once again and see if he can move ahead in his quest for mystery, glamour, and dreams. However, Whatever had become too funny by this time and regardless of the mystery and glamour and dreams presented by Whatroad and its inhabitants, nothing could deter Whatever...nothing could make him lose his insanity yet again...not even Whatallulikeya, the one with the gait to shame the elephants, the one with the face to launch a thousand suns, the one with the attitude to drive men nuts. The only problem was that funnier and funnier had Whatever been transforming into, and a funny thing he did with Whatallulikeya, too. It all ended for him but then, he had never wanted to start...not after Ohmygodlovely...he couldn't have. So ended the fun for Whatever and so ended his story or did it?

Monday, July 18, 2005

Quidditch...on the rocks


By this time, half of the world knows who gets killed in "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" and the other half is fast getting filled in with the help of some rather unkind zeal on part of the first half. But readers of this blog need not worry for this post is NOT a SPOILER. All that the post shall try to do is to give a dispassionate (and rather partial, as per my individual views and inferences) overview of the way the sixth book in the legendary series is placed and without going into the nitty gritties of the story at all, try to interpret the phenomenon that Harry Potter has undoubtedly become.

Since it is hardly any use mentioning the popularity of the series, it might be a better idea to think of the reasons for the same. Ever since the first edition of the enchanting series came and readers got addicted to the tales of a young boy studying magic in a school for magical folk and playing a strange game called Quidditch, while defending the Philosopher's stone from the dark side, the story has just been one roller coaster ride after another. We have all seen that boy, Harry Potter, brave five years in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry along with his friends Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger and we have all been entertained by three movies that have come up so far on the series (with the other books being covered, as well).

The young and the old have all been giving rave reviews to the way in which JK Rowling, the high profile author of the Harry Potter series, has been giving shape to her characters and story, year after year...all aimed at one grand finale, the seventh book of the series that she is working on right now. In the meanwhile, there has been an evident shift in her story telling style over the six books that have come out so far. Starting from an out-and-out kids' book, the joy and kiddish mystery that the first book stood for has been, to a large extent, replaced by the chilling sequences of the latest that shall probably appeal more to the slightly older generation...not that the kids aren't interested any more...the craze is to be seen to be believed. Even the latest book had crowds of children thronging the book stores right since midnight when the book was to be released with book reading by the author from a castle in the UK marking the occasion.

The Half Blood Prince takes the Harry Potter story forward to Harry and friends' sixth year at Hogwarts. With Voldemort having risen to full power in the last book and the dark side consisting of Death Eaters becoming more and more powerful, it is now time for Harry to grow into what the prophecy intends him to be...the chosen one who can challenge the dark Lord himself. It is also time for people all around to be growing out of their childhood into the stages of adolescence and of course, the consequent series of infatuations and affairs. Amidst all the evil and the natural cycle of emotional maturity, the lesser things like magic and house rivalries between Gryffindor and Slytherin, and even Quidditch have to take a back seat.

The Order of the Phoenix had already set the tone for something similar and with the declaration by the author of a high profile death in Half Blood Prince, nothing less in terms of the darker overtones would have been expected of the latest, either. The book does fulfill all those expectations but unfortunately, it does only that. In fact, it seems as if the book has been written with the single purpose of killing that high profile character. Apart from very little clarity (it has actually been dealt with quite well, but in too subtle a manner for the younger readers to appreciate) on the reasons for the character's death, the book hardly advances the story any further in an apparent manner.

The relatively lame beginning and shortage of joyous distractions (like Quidditch) in the middle had to be compensated by a fitting finale which was not present at all. The totality of the book was sacrificed to create proper impact through the totality of the series and the fitting of the book in the scheme of things. The book, rather unfortunately, has been reduced to a repetition of an already proven formula. Throw in one evil guy, one match of Quidditch, one suspicious act by Snape, one kind act by Hagrid, one unraveling of mystery by Dumbledore, one Harry, one Ron, one Hermione, and some spice in the form of romance budding amongst the growing teenagers and voila! You have Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

Innocent...who, me???

The morning class of portfolio management was at 7:00 AM today and after the way Dr. Uday Damodaran had ended yesterday's interesting class in typical Ashok Kumar's Hum Log style (ab tak aapne dekha ki feasible aur efficient frontiers kya hote hain aur kal, kya hota hai optimum region...dekhenge Hum Log :-)), I couldn't have possibly missed today's class. This would logically mean that I should have gone to sleep early enough last night to be able to attend class (even in the condition of being only fitfully awake). Early enough I did sleep...at about 5 in the morning and before you start saying your prayers for the lost soul that you must think I have become, please do reserve your judgement for a while as I was not, as you might have thought (even for a while), studying.

There were more pressing matters to attend to and the top of them all was the blogosphere, specifically my own blog and that of Aditya aka Indiagenie. It all started with some innocuous (seemingly) comments on the fruitfulness (or the opposite) of putting the movie review of Anniyan on my blog. It also went on to discuss the changes that have come in Indiagenie's blog and actual deliberations on writing a term paper in the final term (in Human Resources stream, for those who are interested) on the psychology behind blogs and bloggers.

Regarding my blog (which is what I am interested in right now), while one opinion maintained that the Anniyan review was just a filler and had it been the older Mode C, either the review would not have appeared at all (for no lack of bloggable masala in my life) or even if it had, the treatment would certainly have been different from what I have been dishing out over the last few movie reviews that I have daringly (because of my incapacity to review, of course) put my hands in.

This difference, it was said, is most obvious in the increasing mention and discussion of technical aspects of the movie in my reviews and not, as earlier, of what I personally liked or disliked about the movie. In effect, I have been playing to the audience which I did not do earlier...or so was mentioned. Also, doing a review of Anniyan and neglecting a movie like Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi that would have been normally closer to my heart and home and emotions, consequently, just goes on to show how much have I been able to change the nature of my blog. It is no longer, they say, my space but has become what others would like to read.

The blog posts, too have become of a particular type and although it was admitted that it is still difficult to predict what is going to come next, the style has become fraught with filters...filters that decide what I am going to write and what I am not, thus killing the freshness, exuberation, joy, sorrow, and the innocence that Mode C had when it was unaffected and raw. In fact, the only instances when I came close to the earlier Mode C lately, it was said, was when I put down the posts about the long face and the why not the trip (the regular readers, if any, might remember the said posts).

Though I did disagree to a lot of points that were mentioned quite particularly, right now I will not like to go into the arguments that I put forth. Rather, I just want to jot down a few pointers on what I believe most of the bloggers feel when they start a blog and sustain it through highs and lows of their lives and in the process, realize the consequences of their writings on their own and their close ones' psyche.

First off, it is naive to think that a blogger does not realize the consequence of what he/she is writing. Even when (s)he is writing something scathingly bad or excruciatingly sweet about somebody, (s)he knows what that can lead to and before writing, (s)he weighs these consequences with his/her acceptance threshold. (S)he always asks, "Is this something I can afford to put up?". The answer depends largely on the emotional state of the person at the time being. If the person has not had the realization dawn on him that the blog that (s)he is writing can touch more chords than (s)he had imagined when (s)he started the blog, the threshold will obviously be quite high and the consequences will not matter. A more mature blogger, however, will not write something similar as his/her threshold might be quite low (due to experiences, reflections et al).

This, therefore, means that the blogger has not changed any filters or applied any new ones...filters are the same old ones, re-calibrated. Once I say this, however, one logical and I would say prejudiced opinion would be that the blog posts are driven by the realization of these consequences and more often than not, consequences drive what is written and not vice-versa. I would beg to differ and though I do accept that at times, a blog does become a medium of conveying your message but all the same, there is a very thin line between trying to modify readers' perception intentionally on one hand, and expression of self on the other.

To bring this discussion to a logical conclusion, I would like to say something fitting even though I don't remember if I was able to do something like this so forcefully in the last night's discussion but then that is one of the benefits of writing a blog...unless the comments start coming, no one can dispute you. As for the blog, therefore, as a final remark, I do maintain that most of the sensitive (and sensible) bloggers (not that I claim to be one) first think on what they want to write and then look at the consequences as far as they can, in line with their emotional maturity at the point in time. It does not happen the other way around unless one is really out to gain brownie points by praising someone to the hilt or be extremely vengeful by washing someone's underwear in public.

Monday, July 11, 2005

Is it wrong to be right?

He who comes from Hell
is not afraid of the ashes


Shankar, One of the costliest directors in Indian cinema, brings another of his opulent movies to the screens and like previous occasions, seems to have succeeded this time, too. Right from re-creating the famous Thiyagaraja Festival to shooting the songs in Amsterdam and getting the best of visual effects for the action sequences, there has been no stone left unturned in Anniyan. A progressive idea but deep rooted in the Indian psyche is the formula that Shankar has been using for a long time. Be it Boyz, Gentleman or Anniyan, the director has kept at what he does best, and has come on the tops time and again.

Anniyan, literally translated as "The Unknown" is the story of Ramanujam aka Nambi (Vikram, in a terrific performance) who is a straight laced Brahmin lawyer who believes in principles and doing things the right way...always. As expected, he does not get his way too often and even his close friends rubbish his good ideas. Nandini (Sada, in a rather plain appearance and without much scope of a performance), the neighborhood girl he loves, does not find him attractive and is fed up of him being a stickler of rules. Having seen his sister die in childhood due to negligence of the electricity department and having grown seeing his father's helplessness in not being able to change the world all alone, Ambi's frustration with the system has been building up for quite some time.

The widespread corruption, small things that each one of us do to avoid unpleasantness, get the work done, etc are all observed by Ambi whose silent anger with it all makes him turn into Anniyan, the avenger who does not differentiate between wrongs on the basis of their intensity. Whatever is wrong is punished by Anniyan, whether it is the person who refused his taxi to be used for getting an injured person to the hospital or the contractor who supplies sub-standard food to the railways. Anniyan follows the Vishnu Puraanas to find ways and means to punish the wrong-doers as he puts himself into Yama's shoes and brings hell's fury on to the earth.

Once bitten by the Multiple personality Disorder bug, Ambi does not waste time in changing to the fashionable Remo, who is a ramp model and has no problems in wooing Nandini off her feet. Also, the expensive song and dance routines are facilitated by the arrival of this character and some of the songs (especially "Remo Remo" and "Nokia") do deserve the focus for their shear brilliance of execution, if not anything else.

In the midst of all the executionary powers that Anniyan has taken over, there is minor resistance, as well. The police officer (played by Prakash Raj rather effectively) who is handling the case is as puzzled by the entire episode as the common folk but that is only till he starts using the latest techniques like DNA tests to find the identity of the cruel judge that Anniyan is to him. By the time he gets to Anniyan, however, the movie is almost over but for the climax which has to be seen to be appreciated properly. Kill Bill and Matrix combined, the action sequences can give any movie a run for its money and even the logical conclusion to the movie's central theme which is a relief, in a way, after seeing so many good ideas getting undone due to a weak climax.

The movie can truly be said to be Vikram's best performance till date. Right from the Undertaker style get-up Anniyan to the dashing Remo, Vikram is in his dream performance. The ever flexible changes of character that he performs towards the climax are really full of good stuff. Sada looks amazingly good in the songs but minus that, her role is rather wasted not just due to the story's demands but also due to a weak performance. Rest of the actors do not have much to do in terms of the stage presence but of the support cast, Prakash Raj as the police officer impresses with his expressions, both when he investigates the case as disguised prankster as well as when personal angle comes into the case after Anniyan murders his brother.

Shankar is in his element as usual and performs an all round job. With all ingredients of a masala film, the treatment is appropriate, too. Although the social message is all there and the climax has Vikram waxing eloquent about why we should all stop doing even small things wrongly, but in the process, the director has not lost sight of his focus, an out-and-out commercial venture. Cinematography, aided by the brilliant action, stunt, and dance choreography is a treat to the senses. The visual effects, one of the best in the contemporary industry, add to the overall impact of the movie.

Anniyan is not about something novel. Multiple personality disorder has been broached upon by Indian film industry earlier but the way Shankar does it in this movie is what has finally mattered. The voice inflexions, the songs and dances, the costume design, the sets, and of course the brilliance of Vikram help him achieve the effect that few others have been able to touch upon.

Sunday, July 10, 2005

A page in my journal

It's been a long time since I posted something about what has been happening to me and my life. In fact, ever since I decided to change the shape of Mode C and make it what it can possibly be - my face to the world, I have been writing stuff that is as far from my life as possible. This helps me avoid any unpleasantness that inadvertently occurs when I get too close to my emotions and feelings about something that has been happening around me. It helps me avoid absolute (negative or positive) references to real events and people and thus, exonerates me from the sins of life blogging...or that is what I would like to believe, and that is what has made it possible for me to retain Mode C in whatever form it exists today.

All the same, in nature with the public vehicle that Mode C has now become, there is another angle that can be touched upon and that is, to let people (who are interested, of course) know what has been happening in my life without going any deeper. So here is an account (warning: those not interested in me or my life may skip this post right now and wait for my next movie review :-)) of what's been up since I landed at IIMK and moved into G hostel (which is the last Mode C knows about my life)...

The juniors have come to the campus, one hundred and sixty six of them (minus a couple who have left for greener pastures) and they certainly have made the campus more colorful in terms of their shear number and of course, the initial enthusiasm that a generally high work-ex batch brings with it as a part of the two year holiday package. There are quite some married people in the batch and one couple is actually staying together on campus (and no, not both of them study here). They have been doing the usual, getting bulk deals on laptops (a good deal they got, too), arranging for the lowest possible bank loan interests (which has been dealt with properly, too), and of course getting involved in the politics as committees start getting nominations and the election dates come closer.

Talking about elections, Backwaters received 43 nominations amidst widespread allegations of misconduct by Backwaters committee members in trying to influence the nominees' choices. sTrEAM Backwaters, of course, maintains that the large number of nominations was all due to the "different" presentation they had made to the junior batch. Getting that presentation together had been a delight, of course. I had a basic idea which was further sharpened by the sTrEAM's inputs (especially Pakow's Troy idea). Although there was initial skepticism about the entire thing, the team that we are, all of us got round to executing the thing with full gusto and the result, a presentation that was something that has not been done before. Although it could have done with some editing, I am still proud of my sTrEAM and the way they believed in a vague idea and made it a reality...a small thing for some, perhaps but not at all inconsequential as far as I am concerned.

Konnect had a presentation, too and although I had decided to remove or at least minimize my association with Konnect, somehow I got involved in this one, too. Another something that has not been done before...more of a performance than a presentation. With editing proving to be our nemesis yet again, the overall impact was nevertheless, quite decent.

Recently, I have been inching away from Konnect to make sure that it gets owned by more people in the batch and does not end up being the dream of an individual. For me, it can never be an individual initiative and unless the batches here take note of it and start setting foundations for Konnect, there is no chance of any tradition being born. There will be problems galore and some of them have already started creeping in. Even as of today, Konnect is not considered official (not a committee, neither an interest group) and perhaps, it should not be made official by force or persuasion. Perhaps, there is much more to be done yet before the current batch realizes that there is no other option but to give a standing to Konnect's popularity...but as I said, unless this dream is owned by more and more people, there is no going forward.

Once I have started on Konnect, let me bring things to the logical sequence by talking about the Treasure Hunt that Konnect organized a few days back. I had to get into the thick of things yet again despite having yearned for seeing people take the entire thing up by themselves...but there has been progress, no doubt with more people joining the Konnect bandwagon. Kudos to the Konnect Team for organizing a splendid first event of the year and kudos to those who participated in Kaptain Konnect's maiden voyage (especially people from the senior batch who proved the dictum wrong that only juniors participate in anything requiring enthusiasm and seniors either sleep or sleep soundly).

Things have actually come to a passé as history repeats itself and my over indulgence in public activities (read taking random initiatives) once again received flak from unknown sources. Like in college, there has been nothing directly spoken to my face (how I wish that had happened, instead) but there have been what can be called feelers (direct or indirect) that point to the futility of it all. Kdio had not been my idea but I had taken it up for the good initiative that it was. After the most polite of hints that I received from some body who wants to know "how many people think Kdio sucks", I was pissed off but later, saddened...more due to my lack of understanding than that of the person(s) involved. Now again, I am going into my emotions which I had promised I will not. So let me end this particular episode by saying that counter to that one action by one (or few) individual(s), there have been so many supporting me that I am sure I will be back with Kdio (and other such initiatives, of course) sometime soon.

In the meanwhile, classes have been pretty sporadic and given the schedule of the visiting faculty for most of the courses, the trend is likely to continue. None of the marketing subjects that I have taken this term have started yet and it has been a dosage of finance that has been keeping me busy so far in this term. Fixed Income Securities, Management of Banking and Financial Services, and Portfolio Management have all started and apart from FIS, I am comfortable with the other two and of course, with the compulsory Strategic Management course. As far as FIS goes, I have to brush up more of my basics (well, almost all of them) if I am to enjoy and utilize the immense knowledge and experience that the course faculty brings to class.

Saturday, July 09, 2005

Here now...here now

Uski aankhon me baatein, baaton me jaadu
Jaadu me kho gaye hum, ho gaye bekaabu



Dus has star power, no doubt and with the kind of treatment given by the director to the characterisation of these stars, the star power has been used, for a change, effectively. An effective treatment does not mean that Anubhav Sinha has been successful in making a quality movie because apart from the slick sets and fast-paced action, the movie can not really be said to belong to class. However, the effectiveness is brought out in the way the actors are made to carry the aura of the movie around their characters. It is this aura that adds to the glamour and attitude of the movie and ensures that if nothing else, Dus will be a commercial success.

Siddhant (played by Sanjay Dutt with his trademark swagger defining the character's I-don't-care-as-long-as-I-believe-in-it attitude) heads the Anti Terrorist Cell which has received information about something big planned by terrorists on the 10th of May (thus Dus :-)). His officers and comrades-in-arms include Shashank, his brother (played with unmatched confidence by Abhishek Bachchan), Aditya (Zayed Khan in a role that he has been almost type casted in), and Aditi (played by the ravishing Shilpa Shetty with a bat tattoo just above the tail bone and a figure to die for). Danish (Suniel Shetty looking good as he does not have too many lines exposing his poor dialogue delivery) is an officer of the Canadian police who is forced by circumstances to help the ATC (anti terrorist cell) officers in their mission.

On hearing about the imminent danger from the terrorists, Siddhant sends Shashank and Aditya to Canada where their agent, Neha (Esha Deol who does nothing more than walk around in designer tights) will help them find and neutralize Jamvaal (the unknown and face-less terrorist who has planned the 10th May attack). In Canada, the two officers (each of them carrying dollops of attitude and style) meet Danish who is separated from his wife (Raima Sen who does not get any chance to display her talents) and is willing to take on crime and criminals for the principle of it.

While Shashank, Aditya, Neha, and Danish are hot on the tracks of the terrorists and their cronies (including Pankaj Kapur in an amazing display of acting that overshadows even the biggest of the rest of the so-called stars, and Gulshan Grover in an act that does more staring than talking), there is something else being hatched in Delhi at the ATC headquarters. Siddhant's sister (Dia Mirza who hardly appears in more than a few frames) is kidnapped with her to-be-hubby and the terrorists, in association with a mole at the ATC office, want their arrested colleague back in exchange for the sister and sister-in-law.

One action sequence follows the other till the climax shot in a football stadium in Canada where all the players of the drama make their last appearance. Obviously, good finally wins over evil but the way it does is what is going to make Dus a hit with the masses. The movie may not be able to do sustained business but the kind of opening it is already receiving is going to be enough to make its fortune. Apart from the huge star cast, the other plus that Dus carries is, of course, the style and the slick nature of the flick that is made clear to the audience right at the beginning when the credits roll in along with the immensely popular Dus bahaane song.

Audience starts expecting a certain kind of treatment from the movie once the trailors show four immaculately dressed people in black suits toting guns and coming out of stylized cars. Dus succeeds in meeting those expectations...almost. The first sequence where the squad diffuses a car bomb (and where Shilpa Shetty gets to execute her much discussed kick) really seems to fit the image and expectation right to the tee. In fact, the entire first half is racy and even the initial moments of the second half are watchable for, if not anything else, the masterful performance of Pankaj Kapur.

The movie, however, starts going downhill as the climax starts getting uncovered. Lots of loose ends, a screenplay gone awry, sequences out of context including spoiling the racy and action packed effect by mixing it with some typical Bollywood sentimental-ism, unncessarily subduing the evil to make sure that all of it ends happily and yet, providing an out-of-context jerk to the happily-ever-after proceedings, all give an impression that the director is done with showing what he wanted to, and is now in a hurry to finish things and go home.

The music is already topping the charts and even the placement of songs is just right. The cinematography adds to the style and glamour that the movie is counting on to cover its weak points. Ditto for the actors, with Abhishek Bachchan stealing the show through another confident display of what success can do to a talented but unlucky actor. The direction is adequate and Anubhav Sinha, in an attempt to try something he has not done before, manages the routine quite well. However, he is not able to come out with something fresh owing to the screenplay that is rather unfitting and cripples the director and the movie.

There was a movie called 16th December that came a couple of year back. It was the story of how an anti-terrorist special force led by Danny and comprising of Millind Soman and Sushant, among others, prevented a terrorist attack at a crowded place scheduled for a particular date, which was 16th of December. Dus has almost the same story line but with a difference (stars, style, attitude and a little more) and the difference is what made 16th December forgettable and what will make Dus a force to reckon with for at least some time...time enough for the producers to go happily to the bank.

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

It's ok but why?

I wanted to go, too...I so badly did! (okay, you wanted to go, so what...did you tell anybody about it?)

Why didn't I go then? (they never even asked me)

They might have thought that if I were interested, I would contact them (why not, I love being the unwanted guest)

But...perhaps they did not have enough space (but didn't someone say they had space for one more person?)

They might not have found me online or on messenger (they had my phone number, na?)

Oh come on, the plan was made in such a jiffy...do you expect them to wait for eternity and call the entire batch up to ask them if they wanted to go? (hmm...that sounds reasonable. After all, I take so much time to get ready that they would have had to spend another day waiting for me to get up and going)

They might have thought that I will be busy with classes (yeah, considering the whole second year has no classes, that is a realistic probability)

They might have thought that I will be busy with Konnect or Backwaters (oh yes, I can not live without Konnect or Backwaters, they are my sweethearts you know!)

They might have forgotten that I exist (ah well...ummm...but they, of all people?)

They might have remembered what I am capable of, when unleashed (if it's that, which I think/hope/pray/wish it is not, well...I have nothing more to say about it)

There might be a substantial reason for it that I can not think of and anyway, why the hell did I expect anything from anyone? (I know but I feel so hurt...but then, this, too shall pass :-))

And yeah, I just remembered...didn't I say myself that I did not want to go to any more trips? (yes I did :-(( )

Sunday, July 03, 2005

There are no rights or wrongs...only power

"Like all other directors across the world, I have also been inspired by The Godfather. This is my tribute to it"
Ram Gopal Verma

No, this movie is not Godfather. No, this is not the first time that Amitabh Bachchan is playing such a role. No, this is not an Amitabh movie.

Yes, there are similarities in some sequences that make you remember Godfather (especially part of the opening sequence where the father of a wronged girl comes asking for revenge and perhaps even the dining table scenes or the last scene where the new don takes charge). Yes, Abhishek Bachchan comes up with yet another stellar performance. Yes, the movie does carry the trademark Ramu style.

Sarkar is anything but Godfather copied frame to frame. There is no way it could have been. The Italian mafia is too different in its style and fabric, when compared to the Mumbai underworld. While politics was only a minor irritant in the Italian mafia scene, it is a major factor when one comes down to Mumbai and its dons. Amitabh Bachchan plays Sarkar, the undisputed (so far) king of Mumbai who rules over the masses with an iron rod, working for the poor and not caring about the rich, law, order, system, etc.

Sarkar is a law unto himself and Amitabh Bachchan does look the part with a panache. He plays the quintessential ageing man with a deep voice, one who may not be in the prime of his health but one who still demands respect by his glance, stare and voice. It is not so much the dialogues and/or the histrionics that matter in this movie (for there are hardly any, at least from the father-son duo of Amitabh and Abhishek) but it is the silent stare, the expressions in the eyes and the slow, steady and deep baritone that does the acting. Kay Kay (supposed to be playing a combination of Sonny and Fredo Corleone) does raise his voice a lot and like Sonny Corleone, is shown to be the hot-tempered one in the family and like Fredo Corleone, does things that are against the family.

In fact, perhaps the the only central theme in which  the movie can be be said to be similar to Godfather is the family concept and the patriarch passing on his duties, though he does not want to, to the younger son, the one who has always been kept away from the dirt and scum. The family, however, is not as much that of an underworld don as it is of an influential politician who has taken it upon himself to become the messiah of the poor and the helpless.

Although the intent behind the movie was good, but it has been an overdose of underworld movies from the Ramu stable now and yet another, despite the Amitabh-Abhishek magic, does not really work from the point of view of the average movie goer who might never have heard of The Godfather. For the multiplex audience who have been expecting a hard-hitting (and for a change, decently "inspired") movie, the disappointment is written clearly as they realize that it is not the story of Don Vito and Michael and Sonny that they have grown up on. Rather, it is just an attempt to take the basic idea and build upon it as per Indian conditions, a concept that may be foreign to many of them who are used to direct frame to frame lifts.

The characterisation, unexpectedly is a trifle weak in this movie. Apart from the Bachchan duo, as Ramgopal Verma admits himself, rest of the actors are not stars, taken mostly from the stage and cast in what has been a clear attempt at making a commercial movie. Although the addition of more stars would have helped in the commerical aspects, even the characters and their placement in the current scheme of things does not seem to be good enough. While the villains are all caricatures (as has been seen in many Mumbai underworld movies) going by names like Silvermani and laughing hysterically, the sidekicks have nothing to do than grind teeth, either. The female leads are wasted and have nothing to display (literally or otherwise) at all in a short movie (just over 2 hours) which is dominated entirely by the brooding looks and toned-down but effective dialogue deliveries of Amitabh and Abhishek.

Amitabh Bachchan holds the movie together, no doubt, with his voice booming across the screen in every other frame but this movie belongs to the junior B. With Yuva and Bunty aur Babli, he has already proved that he can act outside his father's shadow and in this movie, he really out does himself. In fact, in some of the scenes, the intensity of his expressions surpasses those of Amitabh himself, truly something any actor would die for. Kay Kay is wasted in a role where he does not know what to do, a mix between Sonny and Fredo, he is neither strong nor completely weak, a waste of a character and an actor. Katrina Kaif looks amazingly beautiful and more than that, carries oodles of sex appeal but since she does not have much to do in the movie, no impression of her acting even starts getting formed. Rest of the support cast is just that, support cast and none of them manages to make his/her presence felt in the middle of the Amitabh-Abhishek performances.

The background score, though it sounds good initially, starts getting on the nerves when it is repeated every now and then without scope or necessity. Cinematography is apt and the dialogues crisp and as per the situation. There are no typical hard hitting whistle inducing typical-Amitabh-movie dialogues but Amitabh manages to overcome this minor issue with the extra-ordinary way in which he delivers even the most ordinary dialogues. Ram Gopal Verma comes back to direction after a long gap and actually realizes his dream of over 25 years by making this movie. However, he does not manage to do something extra-ordinarily novel this time. Unlike his different-from-the-league movies like Kaun, Bhoot, or even Satya, this one has a lot of aspects that Ramu has already shown us and has already got our respect for.

Looking at the promos, and expecting a Godfather made by Ram Gopal Verma and enacted by Amitabh Bachchan, is not going to help when you go to watch this movie. Expect another Amitabh and/or Ramu master piece and you will get it but if you expect a different underworld movie after Satya, Company and D...or if you want to relate Amitabh Bachchan with Marlon Brando or Abhishek with Al Pacino, there is disappointment written right ahead.

Saturday, July 02, 2005

They are here...run!!!


Right from the mitochondria to the cells to the organisms to the planet and the universe, life has so many things and so many wonders hidden inside it that it is almost impossible to contemplate on what might happen next. This is the idea that had prompted HG Wells to write a story that turned out to be a sensational success, the stuff legends are made of, when relayed over the American radio one fine morning. The story comes back to treat us to the possibilities of annihilation, this time in the avatar of a movie. And before you reject it outright as a stale idea (after the success of Independence Day and even spoofs like Men in Black, the idea does seem stale), let it be known that the person who has directed this movie is none other than THE Steven Spielberg and the lead actor, none other than THE Tom Cruise.

While this might have been enough to draw people to the theatres for the first time, the rest of the making-the-movie-a-hit part has to be done by the movie itself, which it fails miserably to do. Having directed movies in the same league earlier (Jurassic Park was also a case of bigger powers against humans), audience would certainly expect better from Spielberg. It may be possible that he was constrained by the elements of the original story, but then since when have directors stopped taking artistic liberties with the story line (and it is a re-telling of the original, remember)?

The story begins with Ray, a divorcee who lives all alone, enjoys his work at the docks, and lives a life of carelessness and monotonous sustenance. Ray (played in a rather lacklustre manner by Tom Cruise) has his kids staying with him for the weekend. While his son hates him, his little daughter does not trust him, either. Soon enough, Ray finds himself in a city where after multiple lightning strikes, tripod machines come out of the ground and start wreaking havoc, destroying man and material.

The annihilation continues as Ray and his kids run from city to city in a car that is one of the only cars to be working when all others are stalled on the roads ever since the tripods arrived. Overstretching the story from here onwards, Spielberg seems to be making a mess of holding the script together though he does have a few brilliant moments. I specifically liked the part where the news lady asks Ray if he had been a passenger of the plane that had crashed so badly the last night. On being informed that he was not, she expresses disappointment on having lost a probable story. Good stuff, Mr. Spielberg but what happened to the rest of the story?

The combination of Spielberg, Cruise, and of course the immensely popular War of the Worlds had given birth to so many expectations that on seeing yet another man vs beast movie where man has no clue but keeps fighting back, it turns out to be a major let down. The special effects are also not something to write home about and after trend setting effects like those in ET, there was more that one wanted to see in a Spielberg presentation.

Tom Cruise is the only actor worth mentioning in this entire movie though his son (Justin Chatwin) and daughter (Dakota Fanning) have equally long airtime but they fail to utilize the same to promote their histrionic talents. The daughter does a much more creditable job than the son, though. As for the acting acumen of Cruise himself, there is little to say but that he looks tired and jaded throughout the movie. While it is understandable that the character demanded portrayal as a dazed and helpless person but Tom does not limit his expressions to these, he goes on to look tired, even when there were no tripods and no running away from them. The difference between a tired and a scared person is obviously too subtly handled by the director and the actor.

Decent cinematography saves the movie from complete disaster although the rest of it is enough to make Independence Day appear a classic before this one. A shorter story or if that was not possible for staying true to the original storyline, a tighter screenplay would have certainly helped. So in effect, if you are expecting this movie to be as path breaking as some of Spielberg's earlier movies, you are in for a rude shock. However, if you take it as another of those whale-shark-tornado-anaconda movies, you might even enjoy your popcorn and the soft drink, of course!