bollywood

Lage Raho Munnabhai (2006)

Sequels are always looked upon with distrust both by the public and the producers. It’s especially true for such movies which have been successful in achieving cult status and hence raise a lot of expectations from the second portion. Indian film industry is thus very careful and does not believe in making epilogues because of the apprehensions over their triumph at the box office. Lage Raho Munnabhai (Carry On Munnabhai) will eventually break the ice and set an example of a sequel which is larger in canvas and better than the parent movie itself. It’s a runaway success at cinemas when I last read about it in the newspapers.

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Movie of A "Third Kind"

Rang De BasantiThere are films which are remembered for its music. There are some films that have instances of fine performances. And then there is a third kind – like Rang De Basanti. It’s difficult to sum up anything about it. The performances were exquisite; the songs were magical; the storyline is the best in recent times. Then if there’s Aamir in a movie, there’s hardly anything that can go wrong with it (only if the movie is titled Mangal Pandey – The Rising or Mann).

Rang De Basanti presents a nice intersection of the mindset of the youth of 20th century British India and the present generation through 5 friends – D.J. (Aamir Khan), Karan (Siddharth making his debut in Hindi Cinema), Laxman (Atul Kulkarni), Sukhi (Sharman Joshi) and Aslam (Kunal Kapoor). Sue (Alice Patten) comes to India in search of actors for a movie which would be based on her grand dad’s experience in India as a British jailer. She starts to identify the characters of her film in the 5 friends with help from her friend Sonia (Soha Ali Khan Pataudi) whose also a student in the University. The film-making experience becomes more memorable when it helps the cast to recognise their true self and awakens them to do better things for their country. Madhavan (as Ajay in the movie) plays a small but pivotal role in the film as well. The movie, as a whole runs high on emotions and spirit and you’re left thinking in the end about the state of affairs in this country. The music of the film by Rahman is excellent and it’s difficult to single out a particular favorite number but I will vote for Rubaroo, penned wonderfully by Prasoon Joshi. It’s also played at a very crucial point in the movie and the lyrics hit you immediately. If you are free this weekend please watch Rang De Basanti at a theater near you.

» Visit the Official website of Rang De Basanti

Workshop Wrap-Up

Abhishek in & as BluffmasterThe Human Factors seminar ended quite nicely today and I admit that it has made a huge difference for me. As I have said earlier when I attended the very first workshop, the first few hours itself were enough to change my mindset completely. Both Hitesh and Neha, our instructors for the Practical Usability Testing workshop created enough interest and excitement to make the 2 day workshop very absorbing. I am now going back to my sweatshop desiring to put some of the gained knowledge to actual practice. I am also hoping that the management gives a serious thought in constituting a body of usability experts from the industry who can work in tandem with the developers in making usable web and software applications.

After the day ended with some emotional goodbyes and hand shakes and promises of keeping in touch over email, it was time for me and Aadesh to chill out. Being movie buffs, we hopped over to Huma Adlabs at Kanjurmarg and watched the Rohan Sippy directed Bluffmaster starring Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra and Nana Patekar amongst others. It’s the story of a deceiver Roy (Abhishek) and Simmi (Priyanka) and their lives. Nana as Chandru, a local don has been amazing throughout the movie.

The movie has been shot wonderfully. I say this because it presents to you some of the most scenic images of Mumbai which have hitherto been unexplored. I personally liked Abhishek’s apartment and the magnificent view of the city from it. There’s no point in narrating the story and spoiling the fun. The least that I can say is please go to the nearest theater and enjoy the movie :-)

Weekend Movie Treat

Deewane Hue PaagalI am sure after reading this passage a lot you guys would term me as a movie buff. This is the third weekend in a row where I have watched a movie. This time it was Deewane Hue Paagal (DHP) with the affable (rascal) Akshay Kumar. I also wanted to see the FAME Raghuleela at the shopping mall by the same name. This mall culture has surprised me to no limits. We’re constantly bridging the gap between the manufacturers & the consumers in that goods are now easily procured.

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A Taste of the East

AntarmahalI went to see Antarmahal at FAME Andheri on Sunday – a bengali language film starring Jackie Shroff, Soha Ali Khan, Abhishek Bachchan among others. The setting is of the old bengal in the 1800s when the zamindari system was still prevalent. The film is based on a short story written by Tarashankar Bandopadhyay called Protima. It deals with the oppression of women by the hands of the zamindars and the hindu priests of those times. The most enduring aspect of the movie is the excellent light and shade cinematography by Abhik Sen. That really moves you well before you have settled down in your seat.

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