"99" -- Raj and DK the "Next-Gen" Bollywood directors have arrived

This last week was a big week for my friends Raj and DK, as their maiden Bollywood venture hit the theaters and in turn I felt being on cloud 9...I could well imagine how they must have felt..its an amazing feeling when your close friends make it big and you're part of it..you feel as if you're part of history in the making...I can tell Raagini when she grows up that "Flavors" post production work happened in my home for example, how exhilerating is that..

I couldnt wait for Friday to come last week and when it did, I rushed to the theater leaving behind Suj and Raagini at home (we decided to take turns so Suj would see the movie on Sat and I would baby sit -- that way we get a good movie experience and keenly observe where Raj and DK are hiding and follow the dialogues ;) )...

With Raj and DK, we discuss movies almost non-stop when they're around, and I know we have a common sensibility and somewhat similar likes and dislikes -- so I had this 'vision' of "99" much before I saw it and when I actually did, it sure did not disappoint me...Here's my take on the movie

==========================================================
"Chakka kisine Maara...Paisa kisine haara" -- haunts me even after a day of watching this super thriller...I could so well relate to Rahul -- the Hansie Cronje, if you will, of the movie -- A character you could only pity. Boman for me was the highlight of the movie.

Cricket is such an integral part of the movie that you have a 'reel' Sachin with a 'reel' Dravid (although a fatsy) -- Keeps Sachin good company throughout the movie -- much like the Sachin, Dravid partnerships that we are accustomed to on the cricket field. Kunal is impressive and seems to have taken his acting to the next level from his previous movies. Cyrus evokes enough laughter to keep you engaged. Soha, as her role demands, was very suave and subdued.

Import-Export business king Kuber is another highlight -- his one-liners are bound to become popular in bollywood cinema in the years to come -- "Checking"..."Cut Again"..."Give Respect" etc..much like Vivek in Flavors, if you remember, -- "You Grow Up"...Accompanying him is "Dimple", taking me back to "Michael Madana Kama Rajan's" Kamal-Bheem combo.

Talking of one-liners, there's no dearth of those in the movie -- be it AMG leaving a 'message' after the 'beep' OR the wannabe in the hotel lobby threatneing to buy the 5-star hotel or the popular theory about how cell phones would hurt your entire body, heck I even liked the dude on the street giving TV interview of what he saw of the culprits.

Another aspect of the movie was the subtlety with which certain things are shown -- be it the kids flaunting their bounty hunt on the road or Rahul's "oh!" at the fall of a wicket on a match he bet on, while in the Y2k meeting room -- the directors quality of letting small events tell a story of its own shows up as a highlight.

Although not having songs interrupt the story flow is a welcome change -- having listened to the music album, you almost wish that you see the full version of the songs play out..most people stay in the theater through the credits because of the "What's up" song...come to think of it...shouldn't "Whats up"? song be the opening credit as a way of the debutant directors saying Hello to Bollywood? may be they are setting us up for a sequel, who knows...LoL..

Background score is slick and cocky and suits the mood..

This "99" is bound to cross Lara's 400 and become a "trend-setter" for future Bollywood generation.
========================================================

how to choose what to blog?

I dont know if this is a common quandary for bloggers worldwide -- but of late, I've become circumspect of what to blog and what not to blog. You go through thousands of items on your mind and you kinda start weighing, is this 'blog' worthy or not - know what I mean?

I went through that 'weighing' in process on a number of items this past 2,3 weeks..

I am this big day dreamer, as people close to me can vouch for, that most of the times I am in a bath and its been more than 10 minutes, its more likely that I am lost in a thought process -- an alternate world, if you will, not of the 'kinky' variety (though I've to be honest, I do indulge sometimes..he..he..he..)..Suj has been a victim of this so much that she knows when to knock on that door :)..one of 'such' journeys that I had recently is where "Ganesh" is this quintessential bollywood hero...you know..he will not go wrong in anything..he is all grown up and stuff...so you've to assume he was a university topper and all (that's a given...c'mon)..here is 'him' playing in Wimbledon (hold your breadth..dont laugh) and he's actually fighting hard in a match against a top seed (doesn't matter who that is......kinda blurred image in the background) -- cut to next 'shot' and your consummate hero is jetsetting somewhere in Europe (Europe is exotic for people in the US now, you see) and come the evening, he is already in the 'final' round of the "World Series of Poker" in Vegas..the next thing you know I was in front of my office...god..imagine my plight now..I've to go to my dayjob..

Now tell me honestly, dont you all have some similar 'video' running in your mind everyday when you drive to your office?...

Another topic that is really close to my heart is...I want to be able to 'write' a STORY..a fiction..but not of the drab 'book' variety...more like a 'screenplay' -- you can say having couple of friends who are big into making movies, as a big influence..but even otherwise I always marvel at how people concieve small things in a movie scene..so much so that I end up observing the background, the props and the reactions of all people other than the main characters who are engaged in a conversation..so I've been scouting for ideas all around..one recent incident that had my 'antennas' up was one of my friends had this nightmarish journey where he went from SFO to Chennai ONLY to board the next flight out of Chennai back to SFO...imagine that...wont it make a good story line? I want to add 'the elements' and churn out a blockbuster...and I am not day dreaming this time....LoL

Why 'Camping' is boring...

You may say I am wired differently...may be I am -- I am not arguing that...but camping is such a bore for me that even if someone says they'll give me 1000bucks if I 'camp' for a weekend...I most probably would not take up on that offer..no kidding..
Over the weekend, we (entire Sujatha family on one side and me and my s-in-law on the other....atleast that's how me and my s-in-law percieved it...LoL) went on a camping trip to Yosemite...my first trip to that place in all this 10 years of living in the bay area, this itself may throw off some people--"what? you've been here for 10 whole years and never been to Yosemite once..you're wierd..." is the kind of look I get when I disclose this to people..but sorry to say that I may not go back to that place that soon..mind you..its a beautiful place and all...nothing wrong with the place itself, its just that I cant take so much of nature..I feel aloof..something like there's something happening at the other end of the world and I am stuck here, kinda feeling..if you see what I mean..
to say that we 'camped' -- is like saying it snows in the bay area...I mean we 'lived' in a cabin furnished with a bedroom, a proper kitchen and a bath...the only proof is that the cabin itself is in the woods...so if u'd imagined we erected a tent and we had bears for company and we had a cozy night by campfire...get real...

One development I loved during this trip was Raagini taking to the swimming pool like the proverbial fish taking to water..she could get into the water with me..she was flapping her legs and in general was very happy to be there..I should look out for a swim school now..

For me the culmination of the boredom on the weekend was this one hour journey we had to take from the base of the camp uphill to "Glacier point" where you get to see the 'half dome' on the otherside...I mean the halfdome is smack in front of you at the base camp...so what you do is, ignore it, climb up a hill and go to a seemingly 'vantage' point and look at it through your binoculars...hello...no one told me that at "Glacier point" that's all there's to it..you'll see the same rock in a different angle..at a different elevation..If someone even gave a mere hint, I would have considered my options and decided to stay put...or may be not...they needed a driver..ah! that was it..they needed a driver....
and to hear that these camps are so 'pricey' and they get booked out in advance..I hear its' all gone for the july4th weekend..may be I should become savvy and buy some 'timeshare' here..what you say?

primaries, Raagini updates, and life in general

Finally the Democratic nomination for the presidential election is finalized -- This is probably the first time in the last 13 years that I've been in this country, that I saw people very involved in the primaries (much more than the previous primaries) and seems like its a mandate for "Change" -- While that in itself is nothing new, if I try to compare it with Politics in India -- what's heartening is this whole selection process. We in India can definitely take a leaf (or a few leaves...LoL) out of this whole presidential election process. You get to listen to the 'prospective' president's plans for the country and how he is planning to tackle various imminent issues facing the nation -- While there is mudslinging in various forms, its not close to as bad as some of the stuff that our 'netas' pull out. I can vote in this country for the first time, and you can bet I am going to exactly that on Nov 11th.

From the last time we talked about Raagini -- she has grown in leaps and bounds as a person -- yes you read it right -- she is her own person now...just amazing...I've had my bout of experiences bringing up kids but all of that has been in their first 6-9months of their birth (my sister's kids) and during that phase its more like one-way interaction...Raagini, after her first birthday, is totally different to what she was in her first year..Some of her amazing traits that I see, admire, love are:

• She loves playing ball --what can I say, can there be a better 'father's day' gift for a person like me :)
• She religiously reads books every night -- be it Barney, Barbie, Winnie the Pooh -- I cannot remember a day where she slept without reading a book..
• She loves talking to, engaging with people -- Now this is something I've always feared for I wanted my daughter to be a social bee -- because both Sujatha and I are reclusive in that sense -- and this girl is a bee alright, we have to actually pull her back from causing havoc...
• She has taken really well to my family folks when we went to India and also to her 'little' cousins -- Aaditya and Divya.

Wow!! to say that I am a proud father is putting it mildly :).

My in-laws are visiting us for 2months --arriving this weekend -- hoping to get a break from the weekday to weekend ratrace -- Now that my wife is going to be busy with her dearest mom, dad, sister..I am hoping to catch up on a few things that I missed out in the last 1 year

• Need to go watch a movie in a theater -- can u believe that I've not watched an English movie in the last 1.5 years? if you tell me Arnold had 5 releases in the last year, I might believe it...
• get back to my running -- the 'tires' are re-appearing -- the only comforting factor is I know that I can get it under control fast, if I am disciplined enough for a couple months..
• finish some household projects..

so got a lot on my plate..see you next time...:)

What a Win!!

Wow!! 2-0 we beat the World Champions! Indian Cricket seems, at last, to be in safe hands...if this win is anything to go by, WE--the most-loyal, sopcast-sucker-watchers, 'if we win - shout laurels -- if we lose -shout expletives' FANS are in for a great feast over the coming years. I think we got it right, at last, as far as the make up of the one day team goes -- there is a nice blend of youth, energy and experience -- One important fact that is heartening to see is the growth of all-rounders in the team -- We have a wicketkeeper-batsman who is a no-mean act with the bat..I mean, he is one of the sensible bats of the tournament...we have Praveen Kumar who we all know how he bowls, but is said to be a decent bat (although he didnot get enuf opportunities to prove it in the CB series)..we have Rohit, whom I see as the kind of 'utility' player of the Mohinder Amarnath variety -- very useful in ODI format..Pathan, we all know he is a very decent bat-- though he looked more a batsman who can bowl (and I know he says to the contrary).., Chawla--seems like this kid had a second birth...I mean in his first outing for India, he was not that impressive...but now the confidence seems to have grown--he is not afraid to toss the ball, which is a heartening sign...India needs to produce couple more spinners who are genuine tweakers...and he can hold the bat and score it seems...for once we seem to bat atleast till the 10, if not 11.
Kudos to the team -- you have done us proud and for once I really didnt mind staying up until 3:30 and getting to the office by 9....now if we can reproduce this form in Olympic hockey qualifiers and if Sania can start winning tournaments and let her 'racquet' do the talking -- to borrow a phrase from Sachin -- the Indian sports lovers would be in for a good 2008.

a visit to the 'dreaded' library

I always dreaded libraries in my life -- may be because of the ambience--the sea of books that stare at you, as if to say, "if you have not read me yet - your 'knowledge' is not upto the mark...
seriously, I have this notion that libraries are for the studious kind of people and I definitely am not one of that breed. I think this notion dawned on me during my engineering school days in SVU, Tirupathi -- when there are these group of friends who used to spend time reading at the library, whenever they get a chance. Read more than 2,3 books on the same subject to 'understand' it better--I was like, what?!#$...I've to read 2,3 books to understand what a topic is about...I better avoid that subject then...it will not come in the exams, and even if it comes, I will pick another 'choice' question...That my engineering marks speaks about the quality of 'read' hours that I put in is a reality today.
Anywayse, I took my niece to the library yesterday and I took a 'new' membership for myself as well..Went through the children's section to see if I can pick a 'Barney' book or video for Raagini -- she is very adamant that 'Barney' stars in any video that she sees, at 16months she has 'her' own favorites -- I was amazed at the wealth of information and the different forms of it -- and to top that, easy access to all the common people. As you can expect, the moment I took my membership, the 'librarian' helped me with FAQs and policies and no surprises-- you can search online for a lot of things and I can return borrowed things to any of the 'interlinked' libraries -- "Wonderful" -- now, if only I can be a little disciplined to return things on time -- my sis-in-law says that its easier said than done and going by the amount we spent on late fees on movie rentals, I dont hold my breath on not paying any dues to Fremont library :)