hindi film industry

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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Garam Masala and More

John Abraham & Akshay Kumar in Garam Masala I have been a fan of Akshay ‘Akki’ Kumar and his partnership with Priyadarshan (Hera Pheri) had left an indelible mark with his comic timing. No doubts then that I decided to catch up with his latest offering Garam Masala which was running at Fame Malad. This also meant another golden opportunity to visit InOrbit Mall and the shopping gala ;-)

This time around I took my car and Aadesh both together. This combination is the most fruitful as far as user experience is concerned :D Then I also had to get a haircut from the Exquis Salon of L’Oreal. From the onset, it would look like the same but the barber (forgive me for using that name for him) actually used numerous scissors to get my hair into shape. After a meal at Pizza Hut we headed for the Fame.

The movie is about Makarand (nicknamed Mac and played wonderfully by Akkie) who wants to show his superiority to his “senior” Shyam (nicknamed Sam played by John Abraham) and to do it he goes around with 3 gorgeous air hostesses Sweety (Neetu Chandran), Priti (Daisy Bopanna) and Pooja (Nargis Bagheri) all at the same time while still being engaged to Anjali (Rimi Sen). The funny part of the story is when you realise that all the 3 stay at his posh villa and none of them ever get a whiff of each other anytime. The support cast is awesome too and let me bow to the greatest of all Paresh Rawal who plays a cook cum housekeeper called Mambo. His comedy has come to a level where he doesn’t need to resort to flimsy actions and jugglery – the kind of which we’re so used to in Bollywood. There are some very funny moments in the movie and would be a spoiler if I described them to you but I felt it got a bit stretched towards the end. Watch the movie to see Akkie in action albeit in a comic one and the lovely damsels too.

I also have taken the Fame Purple Privelege membership and they have promised a lot to me. Tickets, meeting with stars, etc. Only time will tell the difference between fact and fiction.

We, the People

SwadesIt can’t get any auspicious than this. After 4 days of no internet, I got it back, right on our Independence Day. The problem apparently lay in some cables which might have got snapped due to the ‘Big Splash’. The cable guys at Hathway worked today to repair the cables and set my internet working again :-) Thanks a ton to them.

I had the opportunity to watch Ashutosh Gowariker’s Swades on STAR Gold. Coming soon after the tremendous success of ‘Lagaan’, it must have been difficult process in making a film which would live upto the expectations of the people and Ashutosh has not disappointed. Swades is about Mohan Bhargava (Shahrukh Khan) a Project Manager on Global Precipitation Measurement at NASA. He comes to India to see his nanny in a small village in Uttar Pradesh called Charanpur where he meets his love life Gita (Gayatri Joshi making her debut on the silver screen). The story unfolds when on a trip to a neighbouring village, he sees how people are living under abject poverty and decides to do something about it. He helps in breaking the shackles of age old traditions of caste and creed which are so prevalent in rural India even today. By contructing a small hydel electric project in the village, the protaganist gives the villagers a reason to cheer. Finally his motherland beckons him to come back and the rest is history.

The highlights of the movie are just too many. The narrative itself is very simple and well tackled. The cinematography is excellent and gives one the feeling of being in a rural setting. AR Rahman & Javed Akhtar do it again after Lagaan. The Ramlila song is the highlight for me since it’s written by a non-Hindu and I am too proud about this fact.

Lastly I hope we have a Mohan Bhargava hidden somewhere inside us who can create a revolution and bring happiness to everyone’s hearts. I know that we have become too cynical about the way things have been happening about us but cynicism will only pull us back into that quicksand called hopelessness.

Leave Him Alone

Salman Khan It all started with the Black Bucks. Then he ran his car on the pavement and killed some folks. The he beat up some journalists outside a courtroom. Later he got involved with Aishwarya ‘Ash’ Rai and now this. He allegedly threatened her on the phone some 4 years ago and named some gangsters in that conversation. The entire transcript was published in the first edition of Hindustan Times when it got launched in Mumbai. One more round of allegations against Salam ‘Sallu’ Khan and this time it looks to be serious. His ‘Bad Boy of Bollywood’ image is here to stay.

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