Mann kasturi re, Jag dasturi re...

There are movies that give you a route to escape the monotony of life and take you along on the journey to nothingness and larger-than-life experiences. However, there are others that have a meaningful story to relate, quite often and unfairly dubbed as the serious movies. Piracy and TV screens unfortunately make such movies fall short of ringing the cash registers. There are markets for both these varieties of cinema of course, just that appreciation may center on the moolah in one to the standing ovations in another.

Masaan does tell us a serious story and yet it is a saga of escape. Not escape from reality a la cinema, but what it seems to significantly tell us is that entrenched within reality is escape from it, sort of a catch 22. The movie talks about the ultimate escape though, the "KashiYatra" (final journey to death and salvation) and how even that is not enough to get free of the stranglehold that life and its customs have on you.

Set in the lanes and ghats of perhaps the oldest surviving city in the world, Varanasi, the story stays clear of stereotypes despite the strong allegory across the plot. Varanasi is not just another picture perfect image here of tourists, backpackers, and junkies smoking up their lives but is more of an important character in the movie, a confluence of life and death...of livewire ambitions and silencing destiny.

There are various sub-plots that make up the story and you watch spellbound as they keep coming together, each thread almost touching the other shyly before intermingling completely. Fire and water, the two elements that the Varanasi of Masaan is made of, are up and about throughout the story...the subtle yet simmering father-daughter relationship playing perfect foil to the fiery ambition followed by consuming sadness of the underdog. At the cost of appearing a bit muddled to the average cine-goer, this interplay between the tracks is effortless enough to actually add to the movie's narrative instead of taking anything away from it.

A professor in Sankrit at the local college has come upon bad days, selling trinkets and trivia at the ghats, that confluence of religion and spirituality that only a few cities are blessed with and Varanasi perhaps most well known of them. His daughter embodies the spirit of youth in India's small towns who is confident in her own skin, not ashamed of getting caught in the middle of a sex scandal except for the problems it is causing her father...cornered but defiant. Even the unlikely little hero who assists the Pandit at his shop is unafraid of diving deep and competing to win every gamble placed at his cost.

The other track, even more poignant, relays the story of the emancipation that every small town looks up to. Education is widely identified even in the darkest reaches of the society to carry hope and yet, it also makes a lot of promises, some kept and yet others totally lost in fires of the crematorium. The lower caste boy dreams to fall in love without drowning under the social stigmas and associated drag. Unlike in the small town India of old, he gets support from his friends and partner, the facebook generation having come up the curve. All he needs to do to make his dream come true is within his reach...or so he thinks. Plans to escape the reality go back to the earth from where we all come into being. Destiny strikes and strikes hard enough to break the skull that can’t be destroyed even by the holy fire.

The acting is top class and the sheer personalities that the protagonists bring to the table are outstanding. Richa Chadha's undefeated fight in slinging over her bag to Sanjay Mishra's hunched shoulders, the debutantes Vicky Kaushal and Shweta Tripathi with their joie de vivre and cute idiosyncrasies, the unambiguous and uncaring evil of Bhagwan Tiwari's blackmailing cop, and even the vulnerability shrouded in boastful swagger of the child artist Nikhil Sahni...the screen is brought alive by these artists and more.

Masaan, the local colloquial term used for Shamshaan (crematorium) is wonderfully titled and brilliantly executed. Generating and retaining its own brand of charm, the writer-director duo of Varun Grover and Neeraj Ghaywan give a local flavor to the movie. References to popular culture notwithstanding (even those meshed into the local milieu of a small town with cyber cafe owners glaring away at facebook explorations), the story keeps referring to poets from the Hindi and Urdu heartland. As the background tracks and songs take you on their unique Kashi Yatra, you can only wonder at the play with words.

Added to the story and its intricacies, what also impresses one about Varun Grover is the striking color he gives to the songs, perfectly creating bright and inviting cocktails which get you high once poured into the soulful music that only Indian Ocean is capable of. The director's debut is as mature and sensitive as it could have been and given the challenging non-linearity of narrative, his handling of his characters and the story are remarkable.

Masaan burns in your mind for hours and even days after you have watched it, the pyres dying down to embers, and embers proving to be genesis for life as they power the cooking stove. It is so pretty, the way water, glorious in the afternoon sun enlivening one ghat ends up being just the background for death being consumed by fire on the other.

Motion, driven by emotions

It is but once in a while that a movie like Piku hits the screens and while there may be a lot of talk about the intended audience for Piku being already past its retirement age, the movie does take on the normal definition of a family movie and turns it around...completely.

The story, or its absence if you may so choose to call it, does not have much to offer but still makes you smilingly indulge in the whimsical ways in which Shoojit Sircar handles and portrays the relationship between Bhashkor Banerjee (played to a fault by Amitabh Bachchan) and his firebrand daughter Piku (Deepika Padukone in a career-defining role). Irrfan Khan's Rana Chaudhary adds to the story in a way that only he can. Rana's character is perfect foil to the intimacy in the father-daughter relationship, representing the audience and ensuring that they do not feel like the only outsiders to the family.

Amidst the existential drama that the family of two and their friends, colleagues and associates partake in, the omnipresent whim takes the father, daughter, loyal servant, and the outsider on a trip to Kolkata and down the memory lane. The journey is as much literal as it is metaphorical for all involved, the old man who realizes the meaning of life as against living, the young daughter who despite her fiery and outspoken nature, learns for the first time to come out of the shadows of her responsibilities. As the outsider falls in love with the titular character and yet holds his own logic and reason against the potential absurdness of family ties, he also undergoes a lesson in moderation and love.

From the old man exhibiting all traits of lovable senility comes the movie's theme of "motion se hi emotion". Obsessed with the movement of his bowels and convinced of being perennially sick, Amitabh's Bhashkor is as cute as he is irritating and annoying. Many in the audience would relate to having experienced some part or the other of Bhashkor in their lives, whether in the form of dealing with the old age and associated idiosyncrasies of their parents or with their own self in case of the senior generation who made that switch to appreciating life from just living it.

Piku's story is as much that of the modern, liberated woman as that of the generation caught between freedom of thought and responsibilities in action. Deepika is brilliant in her depiction of the anger, frustration, and ultimate helplessness of a woman who knows her mind when it comes to everything and everyone else except her father and her responsibilities towards him. While she can decide to spend a night with her colleague and her friend in her house, she is devastated to wake up to her father having suffered a minor heart attack during the night.

Rana as the businessman trying to hold his own amidst a dysfunctional family of an ever taunting mother and a complaining sister, is an interesting character in his own right that makes its presence felt despite the story revolving around Bhashkor and Piku. As he decides to drive a difficult yet important client (who he secretly admires) in Piku all the way from Delhi to Kolkata, Irrfan manages an excellent portrayal of disbelief followed by resigned acceptance at a family that seems normal but is as dysfunctional as his own.

Apart from the three central characters who are all brought alive amazingly well,equally brilliant is the supporting cast. As audience, it is difficult to decide on a favorite out of them: the loyal and seemingly dumb but astute servant Budhan (Balendra Singh), the silent friend and comfort buddy Syed (Jisshu Sengupta), the loving uncle and suspicious aunt living in old-world Kolkata (Sajal Bhattacharya and Swaroopa Ghosh), and of course the infectiously exuberant maternal aunt (Moushumi Chatterjee) who keeps chiding her brother-in-law Bhashkor and his craziness.

Some fabulous dialogues (often in the form of repartee) by Juhi Chaturvedi add chutzpah to the proceedings and the accomplished actors that Amitabh, Irrfan, and even Deepika are, they leverage this to the hilt. Shoojit Sircar's influence is evident throughout the movie, not just in the sensitive portrayal of the delicate relationships in an otherwise fragmented society but also in the loving depiction of the cities of Delhi and Kolkata. He keeps it simple and recounts a story of people more than that of events in their lives.

So you know that Bhashkor needs to get his motion right or that Piku loves her glass of wine and music. You are aware that Rana likes Piku and while he longs to be in her company, neither of them believe in giving a formal shape to their relationship. What you don't know however, is what happens in their lives before and after the few days of their lives that you get to see and which is just fine for the movie is about people and their nuances, enough to fill the two hours of its running time and more.    

To be or not to be, that is the question

Image Courtesy: www.bookmyshow.com

One viewing of Cinematograph's play Hamlet - The Clown Prince currently being screened in Delhi at the Kamani auditorium, and directed by the irrepressible Rajat Kapoor gives you an insight into the sheer quality of theater that it represents. This one is fresh and quirky, simple and complicated, interactive and filled with monologues, talks of The Lion King and of Shakespeare, buffoonery and murder, a tragedy and a comedy...all exhibited without a blemish, just as Soso the clown says in the opening statement of the play, "All this and much more can I truly deliver".

In line with the usage of clowns as a motif across some of his movies and other plays (C for Clowns, Nothing like Lear), Rajat Kapoor presents his own unique clown-ish take on the Shakespearean tragedy. A clown company that is bored of the regular stuff decides to perform Hamlet and perform it they do, in their own style, with a lot of gibberish (the official language of the play incidentally) and their own sidetracks, each more uproariously funny than the other.

The ensemble cast for this play is like none other too. Rajat Kapoor manages quite a coup by getting some of the finest actors play roles that seem to be written for them, the number of years the play has been running being a lot of help doubtlessly. The actors manage to bring out not only the laughs with some very good comic timing but also get into the serious and Hamlet-esque pathos in the very next sequence with amazing ease and brilliant effect. Some well thought of interactions with the audience (specifically the scene where Ophelia is about to die) make the cast stand out even more, making the audience remember them even much after the show is over.

The shows being screened in Delhi in November have Neil Bhoopalam playing Fido (who goes on to play the Ghost, King Claudius, and Horatio in the Hamlet staging that the clown company does), Namit Das playing Nemo (who initially fights with Soso over playing Hamlet but finally settles for Polonius), Sujay Saple playing Popo (the Bossy at the clown company who briefly appears as Laertes, Ophelia's brother in the play-within-the-play), and Puja Sarup playing Buzo (Queen Gertrude of Hamlet). Kalki Koechlin and Rachel D'souza take turns at different show screenings to play Phi-phi (who plays Ophelia in Hamlet) while Vinay Pathak and Atul Kumar take turns at playing the clown Soso (who plays the central character of Hamlet).

Rajat Kapoor's concept and direction is top-notch and the take on Shakespeare that he presents is, though all messed up, quite representative of the original. While the clowns on the stage do away with complete sequences of the play and shuttle from one part to the other without much heed to chronology or logic, you still do get to see Hamlet the story that Shakespeare once told. The bonus is that you also get a peek into the lives of Sarup's Buzo, the alcoholic, sex-starved flirt, Bhoopalam's dance loving Fido who has a mind of his own, Das's Nemo who wants to be the hero but is shunned once too often, and of course Pathak/Kumar's Soso who is as morose and sulky as Hamlet was in the play.

There are several sequences that make the audience hold their sides while laughing their lungs out. Especially noteworthy are the dumb charades scene enacted by Fido the Ghost, as also Fido's frequent breaking away into dance the moment he gets a chance. Nemo's gagging and moments just after his Polonius gets killed are hilarious and so are Buzo and Soso's interactions with the audience. At the same time, this being a staging of Hamlet, you also get to shed a tear or two at Ophelia's death, Hamlet's confession of his love for her and his inability to act, whether to take revenge or take his own life (to be or not to be).

The only negative, if it may be called that, is the length of the screening and considering that there is no interval, things do get a little stretched towards the end and the audience starts getting visibly fidgety. While the play does not bore you at any point, some of the sequences do come out as possibly self-indulgent and can either be shortened or the play can at the least do with an interval.

In a nutshell, this is one play that deserves all the accolades and the long stay at the theater scene that is is getting. With some brilliant production values and very smooth and seamless management of the venue, stage, sound and effects (at least in Delhi), this is an experience that is perfect not just for the avid theater enthusiast but even for a first-timer. 

The one with the hole: Dunkin' Donuts, CP

It is one of those weekday mornings when you haven't had any food hitting the belly and in addition, have that extra hour you can squeeze in before the next meeting. As we walk through the doors of Dunkin' Donuts and I notice the name extension in the form of "& more", I smile to myself, recollecting the various ad campaigns around their new food additions, especially the "Heaven Can Wait" burgers. The place is buzzing and the ground floor of this refurbished CP outlet is almost full.

People here are cheerful for a weekday morning, smiling and talking to each other, reminiscent of a typical European or American cafe with the right mix of teenagers, middle aged couples and a few senior citizens adding to the melee. All of them seem to be reasonably satisfied with what they have had of the Dunkin' experience so far. As the ambiance sinks in and we make our way towards the ordering counter, we can see some really tantalizing pictures of food and for once, I feel happy to see that there are almost an equal number of vegetarian as the non-vegetarian options on the menu (not to mention the egg containing food).

The display cabinet is full of colorful and inviting doughnuts which by themselves can complete a menu and make you drool. As we are busy taking all this in and deciding our order, we are greeted by the server behind the counter with that cheerful yet professional smile, something that tells you that she is going to be nice and yet quick and effective, something which we take to immediately. She helps us through our order of one Heaven can wait burger, one veg chef's special burger, a snacky cupwich and a couple of doughnuts (classic glazed and death by chocolate). We are informed that if we order beverages (which we were about to, anyway), we will get the doughnuts free and we readily accept the suggestion, ordering a couple of iced teas.

As we find a place for ourselves on the crowded floor, we can't help but overhear some of the conversations around us. We see the teenager on the table next to us drooling over the dripping chocolate from her doughnut as she feeds some of it to her friend sitting next to her. The early-thirties couple next to us is busy digging into the burgers with a pretty satisfied smile playing on their faces. We are talking about the origin of Dunkin' as the server comes over with our food, a big smile, and a sincere sounding "what else can I do for you".

The food, in one word, is delicious. The burgers are juicy and cheesy (pun unintended) and the beverages potent (some may not like it but the distinct tea flavor in the iced tea does it for me)...and the doughnuts... Just a moment ago, I was benignly smiling at the foolishness of today's yuppie generation and the way they exaggerate when it comes to anything, even a simple doughnut...and there I was, sucking the last drop of molten chocolate dripping from mine...simply divine.

If there could have been a more cheerful start to the day, I haven't been fortunate enough to witness many of those. A buzzing ambiance, some really genuine (apparently at least) staff, and some finger-licking food, Dunkin' has it all to make it big in the Indian market.

The old warhorse: Swagath, GK-2

Image courtesy www.swagath.in

Swagath or being welcomed to the world of good food is what I had expected as I walked into the GK2 outlet of this now-famous chain of Delhi NCR restaurants. Spread over three floors (including a terrace), the promise was aplenty but sadly the delivery not really there.

It is a place that welcomes you to a hopefully pleasant dining experience with its comfortable seating, appropriate lighting and non-overbearing staff. However, when it comes to the real deal, which is the food, there was a lot to be desired.

We ordered a lahori mixed veg taka tak and a dal tadka along with some malabari paratha and rumali roti, a safe choice by any standard. However, what arrived was far from what we wanted. Spicy and oily curry and dal were accompanied by hard and dry breads, that too when what we had ordered should have been particularly soft.

I liked the place but what it stood for was not getting reflected in what came across. I can understand this place being a heaven for people who dig non-vegetarian or coastal food but there are some basics that you can not go wrong on. For the ambience and service that turned out to be charming as expected, I would rate them highly but Swagath at GK2 didn't impress me with its food.

Stairway to Heaven: Escape, Galleria

As you walk up the stairs and pass the guards and the managers, in front of you is an expanse of empty space...something that is rare to even think of in a place like Galleria, choc-a-bloc with its myriad cafes and restaurants, not to say the many shops selling their wares. In the middle of this empty space wafts the music..music of the sort that you have grown up on. Hits of the 90's dominate the playlist and one number after another reminds the 30-somethings of their hey days.

As you make your way to the outdoor couches, you don't cease to wonder about the sheer size of Escape Terrace Bar & Kitchen, given where it is located in the prime of prime locations of Gurgaon. With some 40-50 people possibly getting accommodated outside, there is an air-conditioned space good enough for a similar number if the need so arises. You can see a wood-fired clay oven on one side for the pizzas while you have, on the other side, a banner announcing live music nights (I have been witness to one of those and it is quite something, I must say).

On this occasion, I happened to visit Escape with three others on a Ladies' Night....not one of their busy nights and there were enough and more people to attend to us and the choicest of seating places that we could have for ourselves. Since we were in the mood, we made way for the loudest part of the open-air enclosure and sat down right below the speaker (which honestly they could change since it seems to have seen better days).

Since none of us was very hungry, we ordered some starters including Honey Chilly Potato, Chicken Stroganoff, and another dish with chicken breast and some veg salt and pepper. The drinks were mostly alcoholic and except for the lady who tried the Mojito and the Bloody Mary (which were pretty well made, we were told), we stuck to the basics.

The food was not awesome but just fine when it came to the non-vegetarian stuff. However, as on my previous visits to the place, I did not find the vegetarian fare very appealing. There was too much of honey in the honey chilly potato and too much of salt in the Veg salt and pepper. I am sure they can do a better job of their vegetarian menu.

The music, as I said, was wonderful (although a bit loud and sitting right below the speakers did not help) and the service just right, never too far to notice us and never too close to cause discomfort. This is one of the places you head out to when you have had a long day and want to just drown yourself in the numbness caused by loud music, food and drinks. For hardcore foodies who want to find taste in all they eat, this may not be the right place. However, if you are a sucker for experience (as I am), you will have enough to make you happy about this place...the openness of the terrace, the music, the crowd, and the general spirit that Escape tends to carry.

Get your hands dirty: Andhra Bhawan, Ashoka Road

Andhra Bhavan is by far my favorite when it comes to a quick lunch on a weekday and if you are looking for something spicy and filling, you do not have too many other options that can compete. To top it all, if you want to look out for operational excellence and efficiency, you don't need to go farther than Andhra Bhavan.

Located in the heart of Delhi, the restaurant at Andhra Bhavan (the state house of Andhra Pradesh) has food to die for. Authentic Andhra thali with a whole lot of additions in the form of egg preparations, mutton, and chicken curries, etc is all that this place has to offer. However, this is more than what you would want on any given day. Full to the brim on weekdays during lunch time, the very process of getting a seat is a marvel. The Captain is astonishing in the way he remembers the order in which people need to be seated and somehow (maybe he has eyes at the back of his head) knows when a table is getting vacant behind him as he faces the chaos of waiting guests in front of him.

Once you have your seat (a full table if you are lucky or else if you go in a smaller group, sharing it with some other people in traditional community seating), you will SOON be served your thali with 3 different curries, daal, sweet, curd, mini puris, rice, and the famous gunpowder. While you are having your fix, there will be servers running around shouting "currrrry", "riiiiice" and so on. You can also request addition of a drink or a side order of egg or meat along with your thali and relish the same till it is time for you to vacate your table for some other hungry soul.

Overall, this place ranks right up there when it comes to the food but if you are someone who likes to sit in a relaxed, air-conditioned (yes, you only get fans here) environment, order, and leisurely sample his/her food, this is not your kind of place. Go there if you are prepared!

Charms, Spells, and Potions: The Leaky Cauldron, Hauz Khas Village

I am a big Harry Potter fan and the moment I heard the name of The Leaky Cauldron on one of my numerous visits to the Hauz Khas market, I decided that I would give this place a try. Give it a try I did and what I did have in return were mixed feelings.

You need to climb a few stairs to reach this place and even before that, be quite the Harry Potter to find it in the first place. Located towards the back side of Hauz Khas market in the LakeView lane (as they call it), this place is well-hidden for a spook-themed cafe. The overall look and feel of the place, its decor, lighting (dim, could have been a little brighter), and even the menu are all done keeping the theme in mind, with the menu actually getting into the history (made up?) of the leaky cauldron.

The view is outstanding, probably one of the best you can have while eating out in Delhi, especially if you are sitting out in the open like we were. They have cleverly converted one-third of the cafe into an open balcony with seating that is comfortable yet outdoors-ish.

We had heard that the owner normally interacts with the guests herself but unfortunately, she was not around when we went there and the staff that was present did seem a little clueless. I would not rate the service, the knowledge of the menu, or the eventual delivery highly but if left to ourselves, we did well for sure. The food was very nice and that was probably because we stuck to safe choices of some Italian fare (since we had heard of not-so-positive reviews of people who tried to experiment too much with their food here). I must specifically mention the selection of desserts which was quite fascinating.

Having been there about three months ago, I haven't really had the opportunity or inclination to re-visit the place but I did recommend it to some friends and family and their experience was fairly balanced as well. If you are a stickler for nature viewing while having your cup of coffee (like I am), you will definitely fall in love with this place. However, if you are a hardcore foodie and choose your eatery strictly with its food in mind, you may be in for slight disappointment.

Old World Charm (??): Parikrama, Connaught Place

I have been to Parikrama on five different occasions, with the first being some 7 years ago, and the last as recent as the month of July 2013. Since I work in the city's business center of Connaught Place, I and my colleagues keep looking for good places to spend some of those heavy work-after evenings. My last visit however, was when I and my wife zeroed down on Parikrama after rejecting a lot of other arguably better places, since we wanted to chat and yet be able to withdraw if we wanted to.

Parikrama, being the only revolving restaurant in the city and offering views of New Delhi right from its center, is a soothing place. The views that you can experience out here are unmatched and take you to a state of calm that can be matched by very few other places, if any. The staff is non-intrusive to the extent of being unapproachable. What they lack in their pro-activeness and zeal, they make up for in their knowledge and experience.

The menu is pretty standard and you can have your pick of Indian food along with some Chinese and other cuisines. We ordered some noodles and Manchurian along with daal, one paneer based curry and naan. The food had sufficient portions, was good enough to last us through the conversation but bordered way short of greatness or even goodness for that matter.

What does catch your eye and appreciation however is the decor of the place. With direction signage boards dotting the interiors, one keeps looking out for the next landmark, as the floor keeps revolving and you keep facing a new landscape every few minutes. Conversation is free flowing with majority of it being filled of what you can see outside.

Definitely one of the places to try out more for the experience than the food, Parikrama is a must-visit if you want to have a relaxed evening with decent food and more-than-decent ambiance.

Big name, small sight: Chor Bizarre, Delhi Gate

Hotel Broadway at the end of New Delhi and the beginning of the old walled city, is quite a hit with foreigners, primarily because of its closeness to areas of tourist interest like the Red Fort, the Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk and others. While there, the foreigners can also enjoy the facilities provided by a modern establishment, including a pub called "Thugs" and a restaurant called "Chor Bizarre".

Apparently, Chor Bizarre used to be one really cool place some time back with the decor consisting of completely different and disjointed items (ranging from furniture to cutlery) assembled together as if they were picked up from the thieves' market and brought together. However, they have been through tough times it seems, what with their outlets closing down in Gurgaon and Noida and the look and feel of their flagship outlet having been brought back to normalcy (and dullness). That is not to say that the decor is not impressive...it is, but in a very boring, straight-jacketed manner.

There were eight of us at the restaurant for an office lunch and when we walked in, the place was full of foreigners who were apparently enjoying themselves. Chor Bizarre is known for its Kashmiri cuisine and is one of the few places where you would expect genuine Kashmiri food. Since we had a Kashmiri with us, we were hoping to try some exotic Kashmiri stuff.

However, the food fell far short of our expectations. The beverages (Fresh Lime Soda without fizz and Shikanji without tang) were a let down. The starters were adequate but not great except for the palak ki chaat which was nice and I am saying that despite being a spinach-phobe. We tried to mix the main course as experimental as well as traditional and except for the perennial favorites butter chicken and black daal, nothing else (pyaaz hara khumb, kashmiri dum aloo, kadhai chicken, and the Tarami) impressed...not even the Kashmiri amongst us!

The service was polite but could have been better. When we complained about the fresh lime soda being flat, we were given the option of seeing the opened soda bottle...no talk of replacing the drink or accepting the customer at face value...could have been better as I said.

Overall, I am sure that I am not going back to this place unless there are some "firangs" that I need to entertain and there too, I am going to ask them to take it all with a pinch of salt.

Calm Musings: Barka Med Lounge, GK-2

One of the less known and explored options in the GK2 M block market (probably because it is still new), Barka is one of the nicer places around for you to catch up with friends over a drink or two and some nice music.

With a gravel floor terrace that is perfect for mild winters, you can have the solitude if you so desire or you can come down to the lower floors and experience some very comfortable lounge seating and perfect lighting.

The quality and pricing of food us just right and the staff courteous and non intrusive. They let you be and are yet attentive when you need them. Definitely a place where I would keep going back.

Interesting Cacophony: Uber Lounge, GK-2

The music playing here is just right if you are in the mood to drown out all your worries and get into an introspective or a simply-don't-care kind of a mood. The food us surprisingly quite nice for a place like this and you can actually relish the taste as you watch the buzz that Uber Lounge has on most weekend nights.

A place that sees the fashionable young crowd in droves on a Friday or Saturday night, you will never get bored of the dance floor in the basement or the dim lighting that sets up the mood or the endless chatter around you that allows you to lose focus.

Value for money is perhaps not something that you can expect out of a fashion lounge and you don't get it here as well. It is, all-in-all a nice place to be at over the weekend if you really want someplace hip and happening.

Super Chef: Indian Accent at the Manor

This has to be ranked as one of the best options to dine out if you love Indian food and have the taste for that sought bit of adventure as well. A fusion of Indian food with international cuisine (khandvi ravioli and kesar pista brulee among others) make for the Indian accent on all kind of food.

 The service is excellent and even the celebrated award winning chef has no qualms walking up to the table and asking about the food quality, which incidentally wad quite rocking.

The only thing that I did not really feel happy about was the portion size, especially for the starters. I guess that is the trend though with most of the fancy fine dine places so no real issues.

Self-destructing in 5 seconds...

This is your mission...should you choose to accept it.



Mission Impossible it is, what with escaping from a Russian prison, breaking into Kremlin (of all places for an American to break into), jumping about outside the glass walls of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world and chasing cars in the Dubai sandstorm, and finally driving at break-neck speed supposedly on the roads of Mumbai. A collage of some really fast-paced action sequences with not too much of a plot to speak of, Mission Impossible's latest franchise impresses as an all-out entertainer.

Brad Bird brings a fresh perspective to the MI series and instead of following the established formula of a mixture of intrigue and action, he tilts this edition towards a very tight, action-packed succession of sequences that leave the viewer with hardly any time to breathe or think about the plot or the supposed lack of intrigue in it. Making excellent use of the image created by Tom Cruise over the three editions of the MI franchise, Bird deviates from the one-man-army heroism that Ethan Hunt is known for and in the process, adds some more central characters and subsequently, some more jazz to the proceedings.

The plot is simple enough with a former Russian nuclear strategist turning rogue and managing to get away with Russian nuclear launch device and codes. His objective is to start a nuclear war between Russia and America by ensuring the first strike and the mission of Tom "Ethan Hunt" Cruise and his team is to stop him. A pretty linear plot is embellished with twists and turns, if not to the story, then at least to the sequences with even a simple entry into the safe house (in the form of a rail wagon) being made quite interesting with the treatment it is given. Urgency is palpable and the turn of events fraught with a sense of daredevilry that is bound to appeal to audiences worldwide, cutting across cultures and sensitivities.

The acting department is managed effectively by Tom Cruise who breezes through playing the character of Ethan Hunt that has probably added more to his career than any other franchise (notwithstanding even Top Gun). The support cast is starred by the irrepressible Benji Dunn (played by Simon Pegg) who provides much of the comic relief to the movie. Paula Patton playing Agent Jane Carter and Jeremy Renner playing Analyst William Brandt seem a little awkward in their roles and get overshadowed by Tom Cruise's portrayal of Ethan Hunt. The sheer charisma of Ehtan Hunt, or the chutzpah of Benji Dunn does not appear to be matched by the other two characters.

And oh...Anil Kapoor has a blink-and-you-miss-him role in the movie; criticized by many for the sheer foolishness of the character he plays (Brij Nath, an Indian billionaire and owner of a telecom company in Mumbai that has access to the satellite which is to be used by the Russian villain to launch the nuclear missile). Remember however, that this is Mission Impossible and not Ram Lakhan and the person we normally think of as a hero is but a fringe player in the much larger scheme of things...the huge franchise that Mission Impossible is. His mere presence (and not a completely inconsequential role at that) in such a franchise is indicative of the fact that India is too big a market now for even Hollywood to ignore.

The direction is top notch with the editing although, despite the movie being so fast paced, ever so slightly slipping in the process to try and establish some emotional connect with the audiences. The rest of the sequences are so fast that even a couple of minutes of dialogue (whenever Hunt starts talking to Carter about her loss or to Brandt on the latter's insecurities) seem a waste of time and almost sleep-inducing. Action sequences, on the other hand, are wonderfully shot and form the high point for the movie, something that you wouldn't mind watching twice for the sheer beauty of it all. Executed to the tee by Cruise and company, the movie's action comes across as probably the best for quite some time.

The use of gadgets and gizmos is impressive to a fault. Whether it is the master key computing and figuring out the number pass codes from a huge array of possibilities, or the slightly funny and incredulous hoodwinking of the Kremlin security guard using a screen and a projector, all of them add to the fun and frolic. The background score (with the imitable Mission Impossible signature tune) is extremely effective in highlighting all the action and drama, keeping audiences at the edge of their seats for most of the time.

The Ghost Protocol having been enforced with the American President directing that Cruise and his agency, the IMF is disavowed, the stakes are high. Despite the risk of being branded a terrorist in case of failure (or death), Ethan Hunt and his team break through the plans of the Russian anarchist and save the world yet again. As Hunt hands over the next missions to his team and goes about accessing his own, one can't help but wonder as to what is next for this 50 year old (yes, that is how old he actually is, never mind what he looks like in the movie) and for the MI franchise itself.

Kabhi hum kaminey nikle, kabhi doosre kaminey

Main 'fa' ko 'fa' bolta hoon
Abe 'fa' ko 'fa' nahi to kya 'la' bolega



and it goes...Dhan ta nan. One of the most anticipated talked-about and hyped movies of the year, Kaminey does not disappoint, not in the least. In spite of the overwhelming majority coming out in fully voiced approval of the film, there is always the lurking doubt in one's mind as one watches the scenes unfold. Will it live up to the expectations built by such strong feedback coming in from almost all quarters? Is it another case of might becoming right and people following the herd and talking in a certain manner just because everyone else is? Will all the talk about getting your brains along for the movie and respecting viewers' intelligence be just a carefully orchestrated PR strategy? Is there really path-breaking, cult-forming cinematic excellence at display?

It may not perhaps be said that Vishal Bhardwaj's effort is perfect but it is as close to it in today's times as it can be. Building up the story and all the while challenging the viewer to continually think, interpret situations and get the hang of the story a la Johny Gaddar or DevD, Kaminey seems to have vowed to not let the viewer slip into mental slumber. All events of import post the interval are linked to stuff that is not explained by dumbing it down but more so in passing reference, by just displaying events as they take place with the freedom given to the viewer to form whatever conclusions she wishes to form.

The thread of the story is not lost anywhere what with the careful plot construction that takes place, involving all characters in a blitzkrieg of slides in the lives of the twins, Charlie and Guddu. There are a lot of characters intertwined with these two and the beauty of the movie lies in the finesse with which each one of these supposedly ancillary characters are sketched out. You can not help but wonder at the ingenuity with which the screen comes alive upon each appearance of the Maharasthtrian-speak politician of Amole Gupte, the fiery Marathi mulgi of Priyanka Chopra, the cocaine-addicted whacko gangster of Chandan Roy Sanyal, even the bit characters of corrupt narcotics cops and other gangsters (some of them even imported from Africa).

Vishal Bhardwaj, it will suffice to say, has done it again. Not only has he done an extremely fine job in directing a motley crew of relative newbies to the formulaic Bollywood, he has also worked wonders with the more established cast of Shahid and Priyanka. Shahid delivers on the front foot in his twin role with the two brothers actually coming across as being as different as chalk and cheese. The beefy, catcall-inducing gangster is innocently devilish while the stammering simpleton comes across as the eyes-averted, mentally slow and introverted idealist.

Priyanka Chopra does a fine act as the fiery and gutsy modern-yet-traditional belle who can lie through her teeth, plan much before she gets to act, and even shoot at her brother (in clear deviation from the standard Bollywood lore...even though the gun was out of bullets when she shot it, she did shoot) as long as the end is clear and worthy. Not too much to look at sans her made up and glammed avatar, she still comes across as an actress who is taking leaps and bounds to the grease paint.

As mentioned earlier, each of the other actors in the movie deserve special mention for the way they have, under Vishal's able direction, of course, brought alive the various characters of the movie. Gupte, Sanyal and Co., take a bow!

To top it all, the music of the movie really fits the folds almost seamlessly. Whether it is playing in the background to add to the excitement of chase sequences, or in the foreground in all its psychedelic glory, "Dhan ta nan" rocks...and so does the rest of the musical score re-emphasizing the multi-talented genius of Vishal Bhardwaj. Even the placement of the timeless classic "Duniya me logo ko dhoka kabhi…" is spot on. Consider innocuous songs like phataak, or the one accompanying the celebratory bridal participation in what is supposed to be the groom's baraat, nothing seems to be even an inch adrift.

The story line of Kaminey may admittedly be slightly thin and oft repeated in the Mumbai (or is it Bambai) film industry (identical twins caught up in each other's lives) but it is the treatment that gets this movie up to the tops. It is the small nuances that tease the viewer to apply her mind, to decide for herself if the movie is up to her standard or vice versa. What makes this one special is the pun in showing an auto rickshaw with its clearly displayed meter reading "For Hire" as the corrupt cop is shot down. What works for this movie is the immensely humorous jab in the bad-guy Shahid replying to the plea of the good-guy Shahid of his wife being pregnant by asking him tongue-in-cheek, "to kya meri kokh ("coke") ujaadega?"

Ghate do to bache kya?

Jaise door des ke tower me ghus jaaye re aeroplane
Jaise sare aam Iraq me jaake jam gaye Uncle Sam
Jaise Bisleri ki bottle pike ban gaye English Man
Jaise har ek baat pe Democracy me lagne laga hai ban
Jaise bina baat Afghanistan ka baj gayo bhaiyya band
Jaise door desh ke tower me ghus jaaye re aeroplane

Anurag Kashyap does it again. In fact, he did it again when he did it in DevD. This was what he did before DevD was completed and even if you may say that he did it better the second time, he still did it damn better than most others even the first time around. Coming after Black Friday and No Smoking, with Gulaal, Kashyap has gone really deep into the web of ambition, greed, and angst as he weaves his characters around it.

Set against the backdrop of the Rajputana movement and its overlap with student politics in the local university, Gulaal's storyline seems to be incidental to the real tale that is attempted at being told. This, perhaps, is the weakest link in the movie and it is difficult to say if this was intentional or otherwise...once human feelings and emotions take center stage in such strong fashion as in Gulaal, it is anyway difficult to do justice to anything else.

As you see Dilip Singh (Raja Chaudhary) move in with Rananjay Singh aka Ransa (Abhimanyu Singh) and are just settling into the movie just as Dilip is trying to settle in a new city and university, you are caught unawares as Dilip gets entangled in one of the strongest and most hard hitting ragging sessions seen on celluloid. You follow Dilip getting beaten and thrown butt naked in a room which has for company, another naked individual who, you realize with a gasp a little later, is Anuja (Jesse Randhawa), a new professor at the college. If ever a movie had set the tone for what was to come next, this was it.

Dilip's humiliation sees Ransa getting involved in the petty college rivalry and the subsequent entry into the scene of Dukey Bana (Kay Kay Menon) who is the covert marshal for Rajputana independence. In no time, Ransa is projected as the candidate for General Secretary Elections in the university, with full support from Dukey Bana and hidden support from his father, the ex-King, whom Ransa is not really proud of.

At this stage, we also see the introduction of probably the two strongest characters in this movie, the brother-sister duo of Karan (Aditya Srivastava) and Kiran (Ayesha Mohan). Burning with angst against their father for not having given them his name and against the society for never failing to make them realize and remember their illegitimate status, Karan and Kiran want to achieve their rightful place in the Rajput society, come what may.

As pawns start getting moved, the color of blood gets mixed with the heat of bodies pressing against each other and everything, right from bullets to free sex, is used to further the political ambitions of the involved players. Ransa gets killed, Dilip becomes the dummy candidate, wins the election. Kiran sleeps with Dilip, makes him lose his sleep and resign only to take his place. The two camps bump off people before seamlessly merging and Kiran using her charms on Dukey Bana to go for the final kill.

Things happen at such a frantic pace that getting a hold on the story and tying together the strings of each of the many characters becomes next to impossible. This may have been the falling of any other movie but the treatment that the characters get from the director stands out in this case. You keep marveling at Kiran's unabashed sexuality, at Karan's lack of any scruples in getting his sister on others' beds, at Dukey Bana's insane fervor, at Dilip's bumble act translating into that of a madman, at Jadhwal's (Pankaj Jha) arrogance and cruelty, at Anuja's pride and her frustration at having lost it, at Madhuri's (Mahie Gill in a special appearance) simplicity going to the extent of idiocy, at Bhati's (Deepak Dobriyal) cool composure and single minded devotion, and above all at Prithvi Bana's (Piyush Mishra) John-Lennon-amulet-wearing, harmonium-playing folk songs interspersed with some really topical English lyrics.

The score, especially the lyrics for Gulaal is one of the most exceptional to have hit the screens in recent times. With Piyush Mishra being given full freedom to flex his creative muscles, the result is striking. Whether it is the topical commentary sung and picturised as a mujra or the closing re-interpretation of Sahir Ludhianvi's Ye duniya agar mil bhi jaaye to kya hai, Piyush Mishra is simply brilliant. With his music (mostly in the background), lyrics and his smooth act in the movie, he stands out as the single largest thing going for this movie. And to say that for a movie which has excellent acting displays from nearly half dozen artists is really a lot.

The ever potent Kay Kay Menon, though standing by his own in an explosive performance, is still overshadowed at times by the sheer natural talent of others, the notables amongst them being Abhimanyu Singh, Deepak Dobriyal, Ayesha Mohan, and Aditya Srivastava. All these actors and most of others get into the skin of their roles and get colored by the red Gulaal at different points in the movie, red Gulaal that depicts the emotions associated with rebellion, revolution, anger, ambition, pride, lust, fear, greed, exploitation...

Anurag Kashyap has managed the technicals well and they are good enough to not distract attention from the pure play of emotions that is the high point of Gulaal. In trying to be true to the plotline, however, Kashyap does actually lose the plot at times. There are too many things going on and the typical movie audience keeps trying to tie all loose ends together, focus on how each character is developed, concentrate on the idea left behind with them at some point of the movie, expecting it to be brought to its logical conclusion before things end. It does not happen, however, and it can be attributed to the new genre of film-making that Kashyap brings to the fore.

All threads are not meant to be tied up, all ideas are not important, it is not as much about the revolution than about the characters' situations around it and their way of handling these situations. It is not important if you did not know what happened to Anuja, to Dilip, or to Kiran later...what matters is the strong realization that a change in guard is not enough to change the reality ala Ye Duniya agar mil bhi jaaye to kya hai...what matters is the look on Kiran's face in the last frame of the movie and she stares on with tears of pride at her brother as he takes over pride of place at the helm of Rajputana, a society of those very people who had rejected them, humiliated them, and laughed at them for their illegitimacy.

While you watch the movie and digest all this, you may keep your eyes open for the Kashyap touch. There are many ways in which he differentiates this movie, changing it from yet another couple of hours of entertainment to an arrogant medium of expression. The difference is depicted and illustrated both directly and through references...via the use of profanity in sharp dialogues, use of some twisted humor and unconventional music, attention to details, some jazzy light and camera angles, raising a toast to rock culture, whether it is direct references to John Lennon, or the indirect usage of symbols like the song Kiran keeps playing on her guitar (Goodbye Blue Sky from Pink Floyd's album 'The Wall'), and above all, cryptic symbolism depicted in so many different ways, in the antics of the painted Ardha Narishwar and Prithvi Bana, in the names of drinks that Ransa orders (Republic and Democracy, anyone?), through symbols like the word Nihilism (the philosophical position that values do not exist but rather are falsely invented) written on the black board of the class Anuja goes in to teach.

Nayan Tarse

Tauba tera jalwa tauba tera pyaar
Tera emosional atyachaar

The movie is anything but emosional atyachaar and thanks to a certain Mr. Kashyap for this. This is one movie that more than lives up to the expectations that surrounded its release. Not boasting of a stellar cast, the movie seems to be running purely on the eclectic reputation of its lead actor and more than that, its director. Abhay Deol and probably more so, Anurag Kashyap (especially after his recent work in No Smoking) have increasingly set themselves up for scrutiny whenever they try to do something that is even close to different. They have done so many things that are supposedly different and that too, in such a short span of time that any more different from their stables does raise the curious and often cynical eyebrows.

This one, however beats all cynics hollow in an almost surreal psychedelic fashion, a fashion, which to the average viewer, would come out as the underlying theme of the entire movie. Starting quite in similar vein to other recent small budget Abhay Deol starrers, DevD traces the stories of Dev, a spoilt brat who goes to London to study and his childhood sweetheart, Paro who doesn't think twice before sending her nude pics over the internet to her lover and carry a mattress to the fields on her bicycle in the hope of getting an opportunity to make out. As if this was not explosive enough for a start, soon enough, we are transposed from the single room sets and the fields of Punjab to the techno music playing bars of Delhi.

This transformation is not without incidents, though...incidents which are central to the story and the setting of context. A casual fling at a marriage ceremony (the definition of casual gets a new meaning here) and some banter about Paro result in the arrogantly rebellious scoundrel humiliating and disowning his equally strong-headed, reveling-in-sexuality girlfriend insatiate, almost as in an incomplete sexual release.

That is how it comes across, the first half of the movie, resplendent in the colors of the human body and the desires that it has over and above anything else. There are no feelings and no emotions as things move from one frame to another with an incoherently insensitive Dev trying to recover from the emosional atyachaar of his pyaar who decides to get hitched to an older man, if only to teach her jilted lover a lesson.

This recovery is guided by the ever-smiling, cunning Chunni, the pimp operating in the environs of Paharganj, that eternal cove of Delhi which hides beneath itself much more than probably the entire city of Delhi can dare to reveal. And this is where we meet Chanda, the girl prostitute, the linguist who can provide phone sex facilities in so many languages, the girl-woman who could never make it as the regular girl-next-door because she was filmed doing the unthinkable for a school going girl.

This, of course, refers to the DPS (my alma mater, coincidentally) MMS scandal. Here, I must admire the way Kashyap brings out the fact that everyone who ever found it fit to condemn the protagonist in the little MMS movie did so only after having a good time exploiting the victim, first by enjoying the episode to his heart's content and then, of course, by writing and talking reams on how the moral fabric of the victim and the society at large has gone to the dogs.

So Chanda, it is, who goes ahead and gives some sort of support to Dev, even if it means Dev vacillating between pining for a forbidden fruit in the form of an unclaimed and now non claimable love and coming to terms with the fact that the only one who loves him probably does not have the right to do so for she, her body and her love, are all on sale in the marketplace.

Sounds familiar, does it? Close to what Sarat Babu wrote in the classic Devdas, is it? Well, the answer is both yes and no for the director and all three lead actors (four, if you also count the effervescent Chunni) hold fast to a modern adaptation of the classic but at the same time make it abundantly clear that it is but an adaptation.

There is no way the classic would have ever thought of the three characters who come out at the most random moments in the movie to break into a jig or just watch silently, leaning against the wall. There is no way the classic would have such an amazing soundtrack and make the most optimum use of sound, lights, and camera to reflect the inner conundrum that Dev goes through while getting split between the two loves of his life...destruction of self and humiliation of others.

All the same, Anurag Kashyap does not fail to dig deep into the psyche of his characters and bring out what they stand for in the story that the classic novel tells. The nonchalant rebel in Dev, the vibrant pride in Paro, and the calm devotion in Chanda are all there, perhaps brought out in Technicolor through brilliant audio-visual treatment. The cine-goer comes out with endless things (good or bad depends on the diet of movies that he has been brought up amongst) to say about the technicians of this movie, whether it is the director Anurag Kashyap, or the cinematographer Rajeev Ravi, or the brilliant people associated with the songs and music of the movie (Music Director Amit Trivedi and the playback singers, specially Bony Chakravarthy and Shruthi Pathak).

Amongst the actors, it is not very surprising to see the underplaying of Abhay Deol fail for once. He could have grabbed a little more of the camera and been the better for it. However, he continues in the tradition of an Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye or a Manorama, Six Feet Under and plays the exact contrast to the most recent portrayal of the character of Devdas by Shahrukh Khan. While Shahrukh was completely over the top, Abhay is too subdued to make any meaningful impact.

The half-Indian half-French Kalki Koechlin is not an actor and that is very clear. However, Anurag Kashyap has worked wonders with what he has been able to get out of his real life girlfriend for this particular movie. It is difficult to put your finger on whether it is the disinterest of a prostitute that is essential to the character or it is the lack of capacity to act and portray emotions that leads to the empty face of Koechlin. Whatever it is, it works!

The one actor who comes out very strongly in the entire movie, of course, is Mahi Gill. Playing the super-confident woman of the world of today, Mahi is superbly brash but yet dignified, strangely even in her humiliation and more appropriately in her revenge. She comes out as someone who would be likely to be the sort of woman that the character of Anurag Kashyap's Paro is...and that is saying a lot because even if this character is real, it is certainly more real than what any of the movie audiences are going to be willing to accept.

The broad pulse of this movie is rocking, to use the euphemism that the supposed target audience of this movie would typically employ. The endless scenes of intoxication preceded by the ones that cause the said intoxication have been shot with perfection. The camera angles, the colors, the background score and the actors' emotions or the lack of them need to be seen to be believed.

Most important of all, the transition of the much filmed character of Devdas is there for all to see and admire. From a man who loved too much of KL Saigal and Dilip Kumar to the self-flagellating, self-indulgent man of Sharukh Khan, Devdas is now the sulky, unsure, and insecure individual who goes on a journey of self-realization, a journey that is replete with his own obsessions and addictions.

Just how hungry starts getting foolish

It has been ages since I last wrote a review of any sort and it has been one remarkable book that has made me take this up after such a long time. Titled "Stay Hungry Stay Foolish" after the famous concluding words of Steve Jobs at a B-School convocation, the book tells the stories of 25 IIM Ahmedabad pass outs who made it big as first generation entrepreneurs. The book contains stories as implausible as the ones of Naukri.com and Shree Renuka Sugars to ones as different from the league as GiveIndia and Ekalavya School.

All 25 stories in the book are as similar to each other as they are distinct which goes on to show, in my mind, the talent of the author, Rashmi Bansal, an entrepreneur herself. Rashmi writes a popular blog Youth Curry and is the founder and editor of the youth magazine JAM. In this book, written with as much fluidity as is found in her blog, Rashmi uses a generous dosage of her own insights, opinions, and views without introducing any bias in each of the stories. These insights, often expressed employing very matter-of-fact mannerisms (read, in italicized Hindi), are what make the stories believable and at the same time, grand and singularly unique.

The arrangement of author's thoughts is well brought out as it starts from her own notions and expectations about the entrepreneur and his/her story. Moving on to the facts, the author provides clear insight into the background from which these entrepreneurs started out. She then moves to the interview approach which is more like a free flowing thought expression than a Q & A. Even though it is obvious that the author had a certain set of questions she posed to all interviewees in the book, the way she has avoided putting the questions down and the manner in which she has stopped short of publishing responses to all such questions for all interviewees shows a fair amount of discretion.

The final section on advice for entrepreneurs is really icing on the cake as it puts across the personality of the entrepreneur and his/her story in a nutshell. Drawing from their own experiences, the entrepreneurs very succinctly put across their take on the entire journey and the struggle to achieve what they have. Although the takes are as different from each other as chalk and cheese, they still provide a profound perspective into the decisions that the concerned entrepreneur took and what anyone in a similar scenario should logically go for or avoid.

Notwithstanding the insights and views included in the book's narrative by the author, there still seems something missing as far as an independent take on the entire subject of entrepreneurship is concerned. An additional chapter on the author's own opinions, though not holding a torch to the other chapters which necessarily deal with all these fascinating stories, would still have gone a long way in threading the thoughts and ideas together. As of the moment, though there are many of them and this should be appreciated, they are just floating in the air right through the pages. For all you know, such a chapter may have just answered the question that the title of this blog post poses.

Before getting started on this book, I had thought that I will be able to truly relate to two specific stories where I have been personally associated with the protagonists at a professional level. However, it was a pleasant surprise to finally discover that my bonding with the book's stories ran deeper. To say that the book was inspirational and provided motivation would definitely be an understatement. I could almost see the past, present, and future of myself and so many others like me in one story after another and that, Ms Bansal, is quite creditable from where you stand as a debutante.

Gurubhai Gurubhai aavya che...

tha nahi hai...mera naam Gurukant Desai tha...hai...aur aage bhi rahega

 

 

As Mani Ratnam's Guru carries his swagger to the microphone and smirks at hearing of competition's efforts at undermining him, the audience does not know whether to empathize with him for the background that he has risen from, or to protest the absolute lack of respect the rich industrialist has shown for the law of the land.

 

Despite the dropped (once-too-often) hints of the movie's story being based on the life of Dhirubhai Ambani and of course, the several sequences of the movie mirroring memorable instances of the life of Reliance's founder, there is still quite a lot of originality of idea. Mani Ratnam makes sure that he does not fall prey to the biographical conundrum, but at the same time, he makes optimum use of the sheer magnetism of Dhirubhai's story.

 

From the protagonist venturing out to Turkey, learning new ideas and getting his self-confidence going, to his coming back and setting up his own business and earning for himself, the story of Guru is a journey across people who ditched him, people he ditched in return, and of course, the several innovative ideas that are used in both the processes. But to limit the scope of this movie to just that would be injustice to the little nuances that the director and the actor are able to bring to the story, refining it beyond just another dramatic rendition of an interesting sequence of events.

 

Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Madhavan, Vidya Balan, the indomitable Mithunda and of course, the talented support cast have made the life and times of Gurukant Desai stand out, almost to perfection. Most of the actors, Abhishek clearly towering above the others, have given a unique twist to the characters they play, infusing life into them and making sure that the viewer is clearly able to see the mental makeup of each of them.

 

Aishwarya is not just looking drop dead gorgeous (perhaps more than any of her previous performances, if that is humanly possible) but also manages to bring the right expressions on her face at the right time, and that, I am sure would be a welcome change for fanatics like me. Madhavan manages to portray a sincere and intelligent image, just right for the character he portrays, never trying to overshadow the chief protagonists of the movie and yet managing to make his presence felt.

 

And then there is Abhishek, the dynamite of this package. If Amitabh is to be believed, his performance has actually brought him to tears. Even if you can not be so superlative, you will nevertheless realize that this one has been one of Abhishek's (or any other actor's, for that matter) lifetime performances. Before moving on to the technical aspects of the movie, one must mention the one and only Mithunda, who keeps showing now and again why he is rated as one of the better actors  of the Indian movie industry and why he has all these acting awards in his kitty. From the mentor that he is to the young Guru, to the person who encourages his muse to take on the successful Gurubhai, to the aged guardian of an unwell Guru, he manages the transitions with characteristic ease and elan.

 

What does one say about the director of such a movie, except perhaps salute his genius and marvel at his knack of identifying the audience's nerve and hitting on it like no one has ever done before? Mani Ratnam, with this movie, has moved on from a mere story teller to someone who is much wiser to the needs of the industry. And industry it is that he is working in, which is apparent from the various interviews Mani gave to the media as a part of the movie's publicity. Clearly mentioning that the movie is not a biography and yet discussing the story's stark similarities to Dhirubhai's life (right to the episode of bribing a highly placed minister), Mani has proved his intellect beyond doubt.

 

Audiences across the country have enjoyed watching this movie and once they are done with drawing the parallels between Dhirubhai, Reliance, and the movie's story, they have praised the director/actors no end. The movie's credits notwithstanding, the important thing that has come to the forefront from this movie is the very idea that people have been talking about it. In addition to being a good omen for the fortunes of this movie and its stakeholders, it also augurs well for the Indian movie industry which can now consider another door open as far as finding ideas for making movies are concerned.

Family's family!

99 out of 100 people you meet will advise you against watching this movie, as they did to me. I still went for that one time and perhaps, you ought to, as well.

Like me, you may have been intrigued with the characters of the movie and the director coming on forums like NDTV's We, the people and discussing things other than what you would expect people who have been parts of a Karan Johar production to discuss. I mean, how many times have you seen a Shobha De discussing a Karan Johar movie other than to rubbish it and the ideal family values that it portrays? How many times have you seen a Shahrukh Khan straying from the "I am dream walking into my romantic roles" statements of his to something like "I did not know and did not believe in the character that I was playing"?

Even if you haven't seen all Karan movies, take it from me since I have that you will not find anything like Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna if you take your mind in the past. In fact, the movie is as much away from tradition as it could have been. Amidst protests that accuse the movie of showing things in an irresponsible light that may encourage people to take the easy way out of problems and some others that claim that the movie does not show what is real in the Indian context and is too far fetched to be of any interest to the audience, I will like to put forth that the very fact that the movie has been able to raise such aspects and critique means that there is something more to it than being claimed by some.

At no point do I want to say that I liked the movie. I did not and the movie had a lot of glitches and unnecessary package for me to enjoy it totally but that it did provoke some thought process inside me, I can not deny. Unlike its predecessors who have raised the bad marriage question many times in the past, KANK tries to find solutions in the coves that have been unexplored by Bollywood so far. As Karan Johar says in the chat show, his friends and contemporaries (which would mean people like me and others of my age group) are facing more marriage woes than ever before and more importantly, they have no compunctions in looking at the easy way out, get out of a bad marriage.

At the cost of giving away some part of the movie's story (which is not too much of a suspense, anyway), let me point the crux of the matter here. There are two couples not hitting it off with each other and one part each of these couples gets disjointed from the traditional view of marriage and tries and finds love outside marriage. The transition from saying "Family is family" with some conviction to mocking at the same words is what Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna is all about. It does take more than three and a half hours to say that and despite this being the worst aspect of the movie, I believe that the job has been done and the message conveyed in as explicit a manner as there could have been.

Right from the Sexy Sam character of Amitabh Bachchan to the anti-tradition, pseudo-modern undertones of the story, the movie is set in the context of the urban young and there, too, the concentration is more on those who have already broken away from the mould, if not in reality then at least in the head. Somewhere along the line, the intended audience of this movie is prepared to let go of the threads that bind them to the Indian way of treating relationships. A stark contrast to earlier movies of Karan Johar that have always shown the weakest of Van der Waal's forces enough to not only sustain, but even mend the most embittered of relationships, KANK shows that there comes a time when even the Indian says "enough is enough".

The best part about such giving up of relationships in the movie is that it is not driven by something very concrete like the man beating the wife or the wife being a promiscuous cheat, but the more subtle feelings of being left out, being forced to make a "samjhauta" are at the back of the redical steps...small things that we all know, make all the difference in real life, as well.

Cut to what everyone has been talking about...yes, the movie is horribly long, Amitabh Bachchan is wasted in a story that did not need him, but for giving it the conviction and stage that only he can provide, there are too many tears and wasteful, repetitive moments, Rani Mukherjee's acting is limited to the use of glycerine and Shahrukh Khan's to being the foul mouthed jerk whose sense of humour is not only foul but without even the last tinge of creativity. The screenplay is non-existent and the dialogues could have been so much more sharper. Karan Johar fails when it comes to details, but I will still say that he gets the bigger picture right.

In terms of the actors, not commenting on Amitabh's blink and I am gone role, rest of the cast has been mediocre, to say the least. The fault would once again lie on the screenplay and the director who seem to fail miserably in infusing any breath of fresh air at any stage in the movie. Agreed that the content and the context did not allow for too many deviations from the stark settings, but the only deviations that are there are too crass and awkward for the actors to do any justice to the same. The careerist bitch played by Preity is so easily converted into the lovelorn wife that it becomes difficult to digest the contrast between one situation showing her leave a job for her husband and the other where she ends the relationship with her husband in a jiffy. Some consistency would not only have done wonders for the movie, but also allowed the actors to give a sane performance. I won't, as I said, comment on what Amitabh Bachchan was doing in this movie so that also leaves Kiron Kher out of the ambit. Honestly speaking, the two were wasted beyond redemption.

Music of the movie works and is quite in line with the story and events as they unfold. All said and done, I feel that though the movie has fallen to the neglect of details, the idea behind it has been pretty brave and unique and as such, it does deserve that one time in the theatres (watching it at home might not be able to sustain your interest for enough time to let the movie impress you in any way). I, for one, will not advise anyone against watching this movie!