Hello Again Blogverse!

Hello...if anyone is reading this. Although, to be honest, I don't expect people to still be checking this space given I had pretty much abandoned it myself.

It's been over two years since I wrote something here last. I haven't even been reading the blogs I used to, during this time. Two years is a really long time, but so much life has happened in these two years that it doesn't seem long at all. Coming back to this blog, I had forgotten how to sign in, upload pics etc. so I think I'll have to learn blogging all over again. But Google being the amazing Google has made Blogspot so user friendly, thank God for that!

Also, I've forgotten how to write as you can clearly see from my rambling and poorly constructed sentences. I'm blanking out of words and can't structure my thoughts. I've lost my blogging mojo :'(

Anyway, I shall try and persist with this post. My friend Moonshine is back to blogging - hopefully she's here to stay - and that inspired me to start writing again. Am I back for good? For one, I'm not sure if I can come up with enough things to write about. Also, I don't think I can write in as carefree a manner as I did earlier. So we'll see how we go.

As I mentioned a lot of life has happened in the past two years. I don't really wish to go into the details of all of it, but the one thing that pleased me the most was my decision, 7 months back, to take a sabbatical. It's something I had been planning since a couple of years but wasn't quite able to get the courage to take the plunge. However, given the way things were going at work towards the end of 2014 I felt if there was ever a time to take a break, it was this. And it's the best thing that I think I've done for myself in a long time.

Sometimes we just need to stop and take stock of where we're going - which direction we want to go in, are we happy doing what we're doing, is there something else that would motivate us even more? It's been 7 months and I can't claim that I'm through with all the thinking, but yes I do have an idea of what I'd like to do next that will make me happier than I was at my previous job, and also some idea of where my passion really lies and what I'd like to see myself doing long term.

So what have I been up to in these past 7 months?

Well, a lot of relaxation and rejuvenation has happened. Travel has happened - got to watch some of the cricket world cup matches live in stadium. Some much needed weight loss has happened courtesy a combination of a healthier eating plan, exercise, lower stress levels and a more disciplined lifestyle.

I moved back to live with my parents after living away from home for 17 years. Needless to say it has its challenges, but they seem to be really relishing it which is very satisfying. Also, I spent 3 months living with my sister - something that both she and I thoroughly enjoyed. We used to wake up in our own time, play some music while we did the house chores, then go out for shopping / coffee / walk around the city / local sight seeing / movie / lunch, grab a siesta, and evenings would be spent watching a movie or a TV series (Game of Thrones marathons!!) and cooking. And we realized that despite living away from each other for 17 years we haven't lost the ability to drive each other up the wall :P

It's been 7 months but I'm not yet ready to go back to the grind. I can't overstate the joy of not having to stress about targets, deadlines, work pressure and crises at work. No Monday morning blues to overcome. You can go for a movie on a Monday morning, shopping on Tuesday morning, leisurely lunch on Wednesday if that's what you feel like doing! I figure, this isn't something I can afford to do every couple of years so I might just enjoy it for a little bit longer :-)

Next on the agenda is to learn yoga and a life skill, a few more vacations (within a vacation?) being planned with friends & family, and some more rest and relaxation. Sounds splendid! :-)

So what have you been up to these past few months?

Can't believe how unexcited I am about my birthday. For the second year in a row.

I don't even know if I am the same person who would start counting down to her birthday soon as March began, and would make sure the day was full of wonderful plans with not a dull moment! 

I could never understand how people stopped getting excited about their birthdays over time - guess I do now. Ughhh. I spent my last birthday shopping by myself and catching up with a few friends for a quiet dinner. This time around friends are coming up with plans and I'm turning them down in favour of a quiet dinner (again), or possibly even a night in with family and mum's cooking. 

Did I let life get to me?

'Kai Po Che' is beautiful

There may be spoilers ahead.

'Kai Po Che' is not about kite flying, as one might infer from the title. Neither is it another male-bonding movie along the lines of 'Dil Chahta Hai' and 'Rock On' though one might get that feeling watching the first 15 minutes of it. What it is, is a marvelously made coming-of-age tale of three friends living in Ahmedabad in the early 2000s.

There's Ishaan, a brilliant aspiring cricketer who did not end up as one of the fortunate few who get to play for the country. He's emotional, all heart, but also hot-tempered with a tendency to get violent. There's Govind, the one with the entrepreneurial spirit. He is cautious with money but has tremendous foresight and is able to spot economic trends before they have emerged (it's early 2000s in India, the time when malls were just about getting a foothold in the retail landscape of the country, and he's able to see how they're going to revolutionize the way Indians shop over the course of the next few years). And there's Omi, the one who believes in being loyal in friendship. He's more the fence-sitter in the spectrum of Ishaan and Govind, balancing the need to be prudent and disciplined about finances, with generosity.

Together, the three open a sports shop with cricket coaching facilities. Omi acts as the financier of the shop, borrowing money from his uncle who is a politician in a fundamentalist Hindu party. Govind manages the accounts and identifies expansion opportunities, whereas Ishaan serves as the talent, the coach. He finds his life's goal in coaching a little boy - Ali - who has a prodigious talent with the bat.

Just as things are looking up for the three friends, Gujarat is rocked by a series of devastating natural and political events - the earthquake of January 2001, the Godhra massacre of 2002 and the subsequent communal riots - that threaten not only to destroy their business but also shred the fibre of their friendship.

Weighed down by a loan he can't repay Omi is compelled to play an active role in his uncle's Hindu party, whilst Ishaan gets sucked deep into the life and trials of Ali and his community. The story climaxes around the time of the riots following the Godhra carnage when Omi and Ishaan find themselves on the opposite sides of the communal divide. By this time, the viewer knows that no good can come out of this situation.

There are a number of things to like about this movie, the story for one. I have not read '3 Mistakes of My Life' but I believe the movie is not an adaptation of the book per se. They have taken the idea from the book and developed it much further. And what an inspiring, moving tale they have developed it into!

There are three protagonists in this movie, and all the three characters are equally developed (which is quite rare in itself in Bollywood). The performances too are superlative. The three actors Sushant Singh Rajput, Raj Kumar Yadav and Amit Sadh give very lived-in performances as if they are, and always have been, Ishaan, Govind and Omi. They talk like us, sometimes so fast you have to strain a bit to follow them (aren't we all guilty of talking too fast at times? I know I am :) There is no exaggeration of emotions even when calamity strikes. They break down, they shed silent tears, they shout at each other when situations get out of hand, but it's never over the top. Sushant Singh Rajput comes across like he has a lot of restless energy but he reins it in so well, even though he is the most hot-headed of the lot. There are times when you're about to bury your head in your hands thinking he's about to pull a Hritik Roshan on you (while you fervently pray he doesn't because he is such a bundle of talent), but he surprises you with his acting chops. Raj Kumar Yadav's Govind is awkward around women but he infuses such charm into the role, you cheer for him when he turns out to be the only one of the three to get a girl (Amrita Puri playing Ishaan's fiesty, go-getter little sister Vidya is that girl. She's at the periphery of all the action between the trio but she is cute and endearing.) Amit Sadh too does a stellar job of playing the slightly confused and vulnerable Omi who is pushed towards Hindu radicalism more out of economic necessity rather than ideology or inclination.

With a running time of just about two hours, the movie is tightly edited. The narrative is engaging and never gives your mind a chance to wander (unlike 'Special 26' that I felt could have been so much more of a movie but was let down by the unnecessary romantic track and songs). The climax is unpredictable and not something you could have foreseen (you're sitting there going "shit, shit, no, no, no! because you know something awful is about to happen but you don't know what exactly).

More than anything I think I was just awed  by the way Abhishek Kapoor has interwoven history with the movie's story line, and the maturity and restraint with which he has handled the scenes of the earthquake and the communal riots. They are not gut-wrenching as one saw in 'Bombay' or 'Parzania', yet they give you a very realistic feel of what would have happened and what the victims would have gone through.

'Kai Po Che' gives lessons in love and forgiveness. It shows us how no good can ever come out of hatred. It is a story of soaring human spirits and redemption. It will be tough to find a pair of eyes that are not moist after having watched the last half hour of the movie. The last couple of movies that touched my heart in the same way were Nagesh Kukunoor's 'Iqbal' and 'The Kite Runner', I think, and those were AGES ago! This one too will definitely stay with me for a long long time.

Yahaan Kal Kya Ho Kisne Jana

I can't claim to be a fan. I've hardly watched any movies of his. I'm an 80s baby and his popularity had started to wane by the time I tumbled out into the world. But I've heard stories of women going hysterical over him...sending him letters written in blood, trying to commit suicide when he married Dimple Kapadia etc. That is some serious stardom. And then he got lost into oblivion to the extent that he had to do B-grade movies to be able to continue paying his bills. That's a sad story indeed.

And can I just take a moment to say that the Havell's ad with him was completely appalling? Not something I expected of Balki.

RIP Rajesh Khanna

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' is directed by David Fincher - the guy who directed 'Fight Club', 'Seven' and 'The Social Network'. All 3 movies that I liked and come on...isn't 'Fight Club' like a cult movie?

He doesn't disappoint with 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' either. To begin with, the casting is brilliant. BRILLIANT. I mean the sequence where they introduce the cast members, not the choice of cast (more on that later).

As soon as the casting begins, you know this is going to be one hard hitting movie....what with the amount of violence in the book...there will be no shying away from that. And there isn't. The sexual violence is all there and it's done in a way that will move you, rather than make you uncomfortable.

The movie is engaging and fast paced, and like most movies that are based on books it would help if you've read the book before. There are a couple of things you may miss if you haven't, and a few things you may not understand.

The casting I thought was a mixed bag. The male characters are spot on. I can't think of anyone else in Hollywood who would fit the character of Mikael Blomkvist better than Daniel Craig. Even the actor who plays Martin Vanger is perfect for the role - comes across a regular guy, even nice! But mentally, he's sick and deranged.

I'm not so sure of the casting of the female characters though. Let's start with Erika Berger who is played by Robin Wright ('Message In a Bottle', anyone?). I agree she is never described as being hot or pretty in the book (or is she?), but she comes across as quite sought after and is an important character in the scheme of things. Robin Wright just does not have much of an impact as Erika Berger, not much to do in the movie.

And then there's Lisbeth Salander herself. Now. In the book. She kicks ass. And even though she is a complete social misfit you find yourself rooting for her because she is just so awesome. She isn't social because she doesn't give a damn, but the movie makes her come across as shy. The actress who's played Lisbeth Salander has done a good job no doubt - given it's such a challenging role physically and emotionally - but she's not all that Lisbeth Salander is. And that's a real shame because she is the hero of the series. Maybe I'm feeling this way because I've seen the Swedish version where I found the actress to be awesome.

My main grouse with the movie is that they have changed the ending!!!!!! It may sound like a nice twist, and people who haven't read the book will not pick up on it, but I don't like it when they change things in movies from what they are in the book. I can understand it if it's done to make things more cinema-friendly, but here they have actually changed a part of the story in a way that was not required.

He's closing on 40 but Jude Law is just as sexy now as he was years ago.

Jude-You-Sexy-Law, why don't we get to see more of you? :(

Sherlock Holmes - The Game of Shadows is really good. Just as good as the first one, if not better. Check it out if you haven't already - it keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout. You'll like it...unless you didn't like the first one and you're not a fan of Guy Ritchie's style of movie-making.

****

I went to Watson's Bay last weekend. It's a 30 minute ferry ride from Sydney CBD and is one of the most beautiful places I've visited so far in Australia (of which I haven't visited many yet, and I'm the worse for it because Australia is absolutely breath-takingly beautiful!). On one side of Watson's Bay are two cliffs over-looking the Tasman Sea (the picture on my blog header being one of them). You can climb right to the top and gaze out at the deep blue waters stretching to infinity infront of you.

At a short walk from these cliffs is Camp Cove beach with golden coloured sand and clear blue-green waters, and the legally nudist Lady Bay beach.

****

I am so glad 2011 is behind us. Annus Horribilis. I don't know about you but I feel it was one of the crappiest years of my life. Happy to be in 2012 - it seems to be a year of hope and optimism. It even sounds so much better! Twenty-twelve...a nice round even number.

Hope you've all had a good start to the year.

The long braided hair, the stubble, the arrogance, the cockiness...SRK hasn't looked sexier before. I just wish this was his look throughout the movie.

Don 2 has made me fall in love with the man all over again.

On a separate note, Happy New Year folks.

Christmas Cheer

There's no other city in India that celebrates Christmas quite the way that Calcutta does. The Christmas cheer does not spare people of any religion - how else do you explain people from all religions walking up & down Park Street wearing Santa hats??!!

Park Street is another story in itself. It seems like the entire population of Calcutta has poured on to it. The street has been lit up since days. They apparently also had a Christmas Carnival that I missed. Flury's was packed to the gills with people queuing up outside the shop to have lunch there and buy Christmas cakes. Apparently, it's some kind of a Calcutta tradition to eat at Flury's on Christmas Day.

My day consisted of having lunch with my girl friends at my favourite Chinese restaurant in the city - Flavours of China - followed by plum cake at Flury's. And the weather is perfect - the winter chill accompanied by a bright, glowing sun. I am SO glad I spent Christmas in Cal rather than Sydney. There is something just very wrong about a summer Christmas.

Going by the rate I've been posting, I'm pretty sure I won't be posting again until after New Year's. So I hope you all had yourselves a Merry Christmas. Wish you a very Happy New Year and happy holidays :)

'Rockstar' and 'Dirty Picture'

Let's start with 'Rockstar', shall we?

My expectations from this movie were sky high given that it was an Imtiaz Ali movie. I really liked 'Jab We Met' when I saw it - for the first and last time, thankfully. I refuse to watch a million re-runs of it on TV! I found Geet's character very endearing and it changed my opinion of Kareena Kapoor to a great extent. I still don't like her, but I've moved on from not being able to stand her at all. Didn't quite like 'Love Aaj Kal' but I suspect that had more to do with Deepika Padukone than the story itself

The reason I like Imtiaz Ali is because he is a good story-teller and his movies have a certain simplicity and innocence about them. The fact he's from the homeland helps of course :)

With a name like 'Rockstar', images of an unshaven Ranbir Kapoor singing in front of a thousand-strong crowd and a song like 'Sadda Haq' that is likely to become the anthem of a generation of people who are frustrated with everything that is wrong with their country, I was expecting the movie to be about a, well, 'rockstar'. In the metaphorical sense of the word. A rebel who inspires an entire generation of young people to fight for a cause. But the movie turned out to be the story of a guy who fucks up his life for a girl who doesn't know what she wants in life and who dies in the end anyway (whaaaaaa???)

The music is mostly uninspiring and not at all Rockstar-ish, except for 'Sadda Haq'. The story is convoluted and has you clutching your hair in frustration. Nargis Fakhri is even more stone faced than Deepika Padukone and can't talk like a normal human being - her definition of 'acting' is yelling every dialogue out at the same pitch. She can't talk normally.

The person who walks away with all the accolades is Ranbir Kapoor. This must be the first serious role of his life and you can tell he's given everything he had to it. His character is really intense, yet there isn't a scene where he goes over the top and makes you cringe. Worth watching only for him, stay away if you're an Imtiaz Ali fan. I guess it's too late in the day to be saying that :)

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The Dirty Picture

Have you watched it? Did you like it?

Do I need to say that Vidya Balan hits the ball out of the park with this one and blows all the competition away with her acting chops? She is the hero of the movie, even Naseeruddin Shah pales in comparison to her. Who was the last actress one could say this about...Smita Patil? Shabana Azmi?

To play Silk Smitha on screen - at least as she is depicted in this movie - required balls and Vidya Balan has taken it head-on. Forget the acting - that's kind of a given when it comes to her. But to be as uninhibited as she is on screen - with her boobs and love handles all over the screen and faking and thrashing around on a bed in a red negligee, faking an orgasm...I'm not sure many actresses would have been comfortable doing that. Or pulled it off with such aplomb.

The movie isn't perfect. It's got its share of flaws and WTF moments, such as an extra song and a love track that is least convincing and doesn't go anywhere. But it is definitely a very engaging story. And there's the 'Ooh la la ooh la la' song that's stuck in my head even 3 days after I watched the movie. Bappi Lahiri rocks, doesn't he?

Dunaden

...is the name of the horse that won "the race that stops a nation". That's the Melbourne Cup.

I've been hearing about the Melbourne Cup since I moved to Australia five months ago, as one of my clients is a sports and race betting major. It's one of the biggest sporting events of the year in Australia, with horses being flown in from across the world and a crowd of close to 100,000 turning up to watch the race.

To be honest, I've never been into the races. Maybe because we don't have too many horse races in India apart from the one in Bombay at the Mahalaxmi Race Course, and that too is known more because of the socialites and the fashion parade than the race itself. But Aussies are different - they love their sport and nothing comes between them and their sport. Except beer.

A public holiday was declared in the state of Victoria (that Melbourne is a part of) to honour the races. And the rest of Australia pretended that the race was taking place in their own town/city. Women everywhere wore dresses and fancy hats, work stopped at 2pm and pubs got flooded. The party continued well into the night even though the race was over by 3.15pm. Don't ask me why.

Our office too came to a standstill between 2-3.15pm. Pizzas were ordered, beer bottles were plonked on the table, and people started betting on their favourite horses. The more risk taking of the lot went to the betting outlet to gamble away hundreds of dollars.

The race itself was enthralling! The gallopping horses were a beauty to look at. So fit, so lean, so well cared for. And they must've been running really fast because they covered more than 3km in less than 5 minutes! It was the closest win in the 151 year history of the Melbourne Cup. Dunaden, a French horse, defeated the English Red Cadeaux by 1 millimetre! That too because she decided to stick her nose out in the end to win!

Besides being gorgeous, these horses are also pretty smart! I wonder how much it must cost the owners to maintain them. But then, Dunaden's owner won $3 million from the Melbourne Cup victory alone, I'm guessing that's enough and more to go around for the year.