On Your Mark, Getset, Go!

I was watching the news today and saw the momentous launch of Chandrayaan -1, India’s maiden PSLV to the moon. The papers were full of it — detailed illustrated stages of the PSLV launch, interviews with anyone is remotely connected (even retired persons) to ISRO, chronological list of all of India’s satellite launches up to date and the usual hullabaloo. The only dampeners in the whole process was Raj Thackeray’s untimely arrest, which of course took first page top spread coverage and India’s (again historic since it is very very verrrrrrrrry rare) win over Australia in the test series – we are after all Indians, and politics and cricket will any day precede any kind of scientific progress- be it even a cure for AIDS.

Back to what I was saying, watching the morning news, I was feeding my son (it's usually cartoons, but guess my son is growing up as well). The channel had a live coverage of all the scientists involved in the launch wearing coats labeled PSLV, and looking very austerely at laptops, there must have been at least 20-30 in a row and all of them the same. The scene was straight out of a Hollywood Harrison Ford political thriller, where he is the President or ex-military personnel, single-handedly fighting some sinister terrorist plot to destroy the world (its always the world and never just the US, but we always end up getting an American to save our lives- wonder Y) and all dignitaries sitting around laptops in the White House, strategizing to get him out alive. I am digressing again, anyway, most of these Indian scientists had no clue what they were supposed to be doing, I guess all these guys just have to monitor the readings, since they possibly can’t be doing anything crucial at that stage of the launch (which brings me back to the point, all Americans are so full of themselves, they act so self important at such times), Indians are not such good actors, they can’t really make-believe to be doing something important when they actually are not.

One guy, even had a paper open out in front of the laptop and was reading it ;) Finally after successfully launching it into its orbit, the scientists were all blank — unfortunately one of the live cameras were focusing on them. This senior officer suddenly reacts, like he got a shot in the arm or remembered this very same scene from a CNN telecast or something, and started clapping his hands. All the others followed suit, but not before blankly staring at him for a minute at first and looking around vaguely at one another. This guy then goes one step ahead and shakes everyone’s hand and hugs others around him (this is so not Indian style, especially not expected from someone of his caliber) I am not saying it's bad, it's just not our style, and it all looked so contrived.

Finally they were all exulting and hugging each other (again very Hollywood style), but this one senior person, who was also sitting in front of a laptop, just got up from his seat and removed the stuffy PSLV labeled coat, put it on the chair and walked off. It was hilarious, like the end of a drama, his face almost said “the charade is over, can we please go home now.” That was the only really Indian thing about the whole affair – it reaffirmed my whole faith in our countrymen —Mera Bharat Mahaan!!!

Rocking On!!!

It’s been a while since I saw a movie completely without getting bored even once. Add to this some very catchy (although with nonsensical lyrics) music. Rock On takes off from where Dil Chahtaa Hai left, the next cool buddy movie. As all reviews mentioned, the camaraderie among the 4 leads – Farhaan Akhtar, Arjun Rampal, Luke Kenny and Purab Kholi – is very believable. Watching their banter, conversation and fights reminds me of what Anurag Kashyap said in a session he had taken for us at my office – to catch the actual nuances of a natural conversation, he used to place a tape recorder in the midst of a conversation he and his friends would be having. He would go through it later and build his own scenario for a movie, to make it more realistic. Well, the conversations are exactly that - realistic.

The real find among all this, like all have been saying, is Sahana Goswami, finally an actress who can act, and well. Sahana, of course, may not be your regular glamour girl, but fits the role to a T. Arjun Rampal was the next best fit, his brooding, understated, restrainted presentation of Joe, is a perfect foil for Sahana’s character. This role is tailor made for Arjun, he has finally arrived. And man is he a dishy rockstar.

Very few people who direct can actually act, and Farhaan is an exception to that rule. Purab said in one of his interviews that Farhaan would just come on to the sets and become Aditya Shroff, not acting, just becoming. This is evident in the movie. Prachi Desai also does justice to character, laying to rest any doubts on her acting ability while transitioning from TV to silver screen.

Purab and Luke Kenny are also appropriately cast. The one thing that I couldn’t identify with is farhaan’s characters getting all morose about not fulfilling his dream. Come on, this is India, we all dream about being successful, have a gr8 house, car and all that money can buy. That is exactly what aditya shroff ends up with and he is still dejected!!! Too much Hollywood hangeover with the follow your dream.

Otherwise movie is a good time pass, not cult status but good fun.

Jaane Thu... I don't want to know!!!

After reading the numerous rave reviews about Jaane Thu Ya Jane Naah (the new Imran Khan movie) and friends at gym telling me about it (more ill effects of gyming- u make weird friends) we finally decided to go for it on Fridaynite, with bag, baggage, Mani and all. The paper said it was a 10:30 pm show, but the movie started at 11 pm while both of us could hardly keep our eyes open. I should have taken that as the first hint and just left. No, but the masala vada pav, the ice creams and various goodies at the theater tempted me to stay on.

To begin with, I wish Amir Khan had hired the marketing team to do the direction/screenplay as well, they would hav had a better opening at least. With the promos being so attractive, the movie began in a very regular way. I has the same old Dil chahta Hai style of movie narration, all in flashback. Unfortunately, Jaane thu, cannot hold a candle to DCH, I mean DCH was a masterpiece in itself, and Jaane thu falls flat on its face attempting to be another coming of age movie.

For starters, which two best friends keep hugging and kissing and holding hands with each other, through out college. I have best friends, both boys and girls, and I nkow of many others who also have best friends from the opposite sex, no physical demonstrations with such tenacity. All the friends hamming their way, with contrived, trying-to-appear-cool conversations intersperced with lots of supposidly college slang, the only saving grace being Jignesh, who did a gujju accent very well.

Imran Khan for one, needs to learn to keep a straight face. He keeps making these face, u wud think he had a tick or something, of course he is cute, but he knows that and thats the problem. Ginelia is a real find, and bollywood shouldnt lose her again to the south. Here is one girl totally comfortable in her skin (of course it helps to have a figure like that) and one of the few heroines who can carry of a perm/curl hairstyle throughout the movie. She is refreshingly different, very young (although I suspect she is not as young as her character, she has been round for donkey's years), perfect except for the foreign twang in her accent, not sure if its natural or put on. She also at times has this lazy manner of dialogue delivery, which just adds to the beauty.

The songs r nothing great to take home, except mayb "Pappu can't dance" and that too only hummable. I think Rahman is losing his touch.

And the climax sequence just goes to prove we r indians after all. I mean movies like this make u cherish movies like DCH all the more. Gimme Farhaan Akhtar any time, which reminds me, Rock On is one movie u guys shudn't miss. Now that has a bunch of REALLY COOL DUDES.

The Harmful Effects of Gyming

Did I mention I hit the gym after dropping Mani off at school? Well, I do. Its been 3 weeks now, and I eat to make up for all the calorie loss - how else can I stay in shape, the shape that all my friends remember me by!!! Anyway, I meet people (I would have said 'interesting' if they were) at the gym as well, mostly doctors. Goes to show the only health conscious persons are the ones who know the body better.

There is this over-friendly anesthetist in particular. I remember the first day I was on the treadmill, she was on the one next to it, and she started her introduced herself with the usual "u look very familiar" type of lines. And then having kids in the same school became a common ground for extended conversation, other topics included weight loss (both of us being extremely overwt). We exchanged numbers and the usual. This went of for 2 weeks before the reason for this friendliness came out. She wanted to take me along for a seminar on skin care. she being a doctor, also in a family of doctors, I found nothing unusual about it.

She also invited herself home, after my umpteen attempts at dissuading her failed. I kept my fingers crossed, praying that she wouldn't turn out to be one of that maniacs that appears normal, invites herself home, and then kills everyone and escapes with the loot - not that anyone every tries one of these worst unplanned robberies anymore, or that there was no great "loot" at home to entice them. She called me up again after gym and reconfirmed the time, 4:00 pm, "and I will get my dentist friend along" - Great an accomplice. I called up Ajit and told him about it, and he seemed hardly perturbed. "I bet she wants to sell you some product." Sheesh!!! and then it dawned upon me, I was blinded by all these stupid negative possibilities, that I actually forgot to even consider the one most likely possibility - she wanted to dump some extremely expensive cosmetics on me. And worst of all, while I had spent all my energy preparing myself for the worst, I dint think of a good enough excuse to put her off.

Finally, he came alone, at 4:15 and apologized for being late and then proceeded to gimme a demo of her products. while all along, my knight in shining armour - mani- was being extremely ungracious, in that, he was throwing things around, asking her to leave (thankfully in Malayalam) and dropping water all over the place. For once, I didn’t try to control him, and was relieved for having an ill mannered child; he drove such unwanted elements off.


Her demo dint make much of a difference, the only way I wud have such ostentatiously priced products on my face. Although she kept saying that I was glowing and looked like I had a facial. She had wanted to wait for her friend for a little longer, my son, however, was too much for her to handle. I promised to tell my friends about it and feeling bad, ordered a lipstick and nail polish, the only affordable items and for which she dint have samples.

After she left, I gave Mani a hug kiss and treated him to ice cream.

Rain Rain Go Away!!!

I think I spoke too soon, in my last entry when I said Mani had coped with school. Apparently, he hasn't. Mumbai has been facing an onslaught of torrential rains for the past few days, nights cold, days wet and damp, just want to curl up in bed and snooze. So who can blame the kids.

So Monday morning, I had to literally drag Mani off bed, dad gave him a bath and dressed him up. But poor me gets saddled with the tough part, actually dropping him off to school. As we arrive at his classroom, I presume he will get off me (like he used to) take his bag and bottle and walk into class with a sullen face. But no, he howls and screams for milk in front of the classroom. I turn away from the door, red-faced to see another mom, in a similar delimma, it's mean, but I sighed with relief - atleast Mani was not the only kid throwing tantrums.

An hour and half later, a happy (touchwood) beaming Mani, comes bounding, bag, bottle and all, into my arms. And he already seemed like an acheiver.

Of course, today (Tuesday) was only relatively better, with him whinning all along the stairs and very very relunctantly taking the bag and bottle while entering class.

Guess, this is the way its going to be, come rain, winter, colds and all those troublesome worries. Do we have a choice?

Mani's School

It been the 4th week since Mani's school, yet the first week is still very clear. I thought I would be doing a Carrie bradshaw styled blog on a day to day basis of what happens in school, however, that hasn't been happening (as you would have seen - or rather not seen). the very first day was a dream (which as all good dreams do, dint last long). Having familiarized mani with his school and teachers, he had no problems the first day. He took to his classroom like a duck to water, while most of the other kids were howling. Come day two, and he does a total volte face. He screams and holds onto to me, trying to run out of class and all that jazz. The next couple of days were harrowing, he kept repeating this behaviour. I tried going to class with him and settling him down, but he would try to run after me, but not before picking up his bottle and bag. Children have a very scary sense of belonging which I think is part of them even at birth. He was howling and kicking and screaming to leave with me, but not without his bag and bottle. And in this brought a smirk to my face, although I felt heartbroken otherwise.

His grandparents, aunt and all came to school, hoping to bring about a change in his mood, but to no avail. I even contemplated private tutoring at home, amidst all this melodrama. And even shed a few tears after tearing my son off me and dropping him in class. But come 3rd week and suddenly he wasn't howling to come back with me, which doesn't mean he totally co-operated. But something had changed, when we climbed the stairs and were nearing the class, he got down and asked for his bag and bottle (which poor me had to saddle all along plus carry him) and went into class crying, but went in nevertheless. I watched quietly from the door and saw him climbing the miniature slide in class all along crying and holding onto to his belongings for dear life. It was hilarious, here this kid was crying and clutching his bag/bottle and still had to climb the slide, it was as though he was being forced to perform these tasks.

The next day on, he again repeated the same thing when we neared the classroom, however, an unhappy frown had replaced the tears. From then on, it only got better. Even while being let off, Mani who the first to come ouit in a tearing hurry, actually started walking calmly out the door. I still remember the first time, must have been the fag end of the third week, my sis in law had come to school to \surprise him. The teacher opened the door to let out the kids and I could see Mani peeping out from behind her. He saw me, but dint come out, he waited his turn calmly while she made the kids leave in a single file - bags on their backs and bottles around their necks. He came out striding confidently towards me. I had a lump in my throat. I kept wondering how parents of overacheivers must feel if this was the way I felt when my son had just adjusted to playschool. However, I still haven't been able to working around the bigger problem - POTTY TRAINING. I really need a miracle for that one.

Having said this, our daily school routine is no bed of roses, Mani usually needs to be forced out of bed, and will not eat his breakfast and is cranky when he dresses up. But he knows the drill when he nears his classroom. And thank you God for that!!!

Feasting on Nigella

I don’t know if any of you have seen Nigella Feasts or Nigella Express (can’t remember the name). I was channel surfing one boring afternoon, and I chanced upon this cookery show, if you could call it cookery. There was this sumptuous woman, cooking up something equally scrumptious on the show.

She was making pastries and other desserts, lots of sugar, cream, butter. They should have a disclaimer at the begging, “All you dieters beware” or something to that effect; she is every dieter’s worst nightmare.

Lord knows what viewers have on their mind when watching her, but its most definitely not food. I can see y the channel even has such a show running.

Sex and the City: The Movie – Strictly for fans

I have wanted to see the movie very bad ever since talks of its inception have been going round, I think for the last two years. At first news reports said it was on, then various members of the cast denied any such move or even being approached for it (very similar to the current round of discussion about possibility of a Friends movie being made).

Anyway, coming back to the movie, it began like any regular episode in the series. Carrie’s voice giving viewers a quick recap of happenings in lives of the foursome – Carrie, Miranda, Samantha, & Charlotte. The opening has Carries skipping through the Manhattan streets, in one of her crazy supposedly “stylish” costumes ;-) It proceeds in the regular pace, Carrie and Mr Big, househunting, Samantha in her new life at LA, Miranda with her family in the suburbs, and Charlotte with her lawyer husband and adopted Chinese daughter. All looks hunky dory till cracks start appearing in each of their lives, except Carrie’s – she and Mr Big decide to get married.

Just as in the serial, the movie is also a catwalk of various designer clothes, bags, show – the highpoint being Carrie’s bridal gown photo feature for vogue, very chic and lovely, in fact the only scene in the movie where Sarah Jessica Parker does not look haggard and old. Then on the movie goes into the predictable path of the series, where a misunderstanding between the lead woman and her lover provide fodder for the plot. This movie is definitely not for the uninitiated, those new to idiosyncrasies of Carrie and her quirky friends. You may wonder why Carrie (or any of her friends) can’t just have a talk with Mr Big about the wedding fiasco, instead of mopping around the whole time, changing her haircolor and other stuff. For die hard fans of the series, this is very integral to the buildup.

The sexy foursome don’t look as sexy as they used to- is it to do with the big screen or the decade gone by, maybe both. But watching their eccentricities on the silver screen make you realize why none of them, although huge TV stars, never made it big in Hollywood. If they want to have another installment of the movie, it will have to be with Samantha’s daughter, coz that’s how old she looks in the movie.

Few let downs for die hard fans:

There is very little of carrie’s war of words, she is mopping most of the time in the movie
carrie hardly sits at her laptop and writes, when she ruminates about life and comes up with her quirky & funny but sensible conclusions. “gay men are the loopholes of monogamy”
It lacks the punch of the half and hour serial. In certain parts it tends to drone on.
Very important – the nude scenes (of which there are many) are censored; so no boobs or lovemaking scenes (It felt like my childhood in the Gulf).

However, there is no denying it still is a fun watch for die hard fans, such as me. The four gusty women, living life on their own terms, live and let live. It’s not a classic, but leaves you with a light heart and smile on ur lips.