Dostana (2008)

Rating: 3/5

It’s all fun. Music is hilariously best…appreciable work by Vishal and Shekhar. I wanted to see more of Kirron Kher who was excellent. And heyy, what’s up with Priyanka? I mean…she have always looked beautiful, but this time she is unbelievably awesome! She looks sexy, charming and elegant in each and every scene of her. A competent performance…though nothing more challenging for her to do but still looked and acted very well…this is definitely her year…Fashion…Dostana…no wonder you hear it next year…and the Best Actress Award goes too…
And all the fuss about gays and homosexuality…uff! I mean it’s nothing to do with it. Still Karan maintained, in his interviews, that the movie will change people’s perception about homosexuality. Really? Ho-hum!
John needs some acting lessons…and Abhishek was excellent. But anyway, first time ever the commercial cinema has at least dared to laugh on gays whole-heartedly. Fire, My Brother Nikhil were the serious attempts but commercially tanked. And I heard that NCP leaders are high on this movie too. Why? Maa ka ladla bigad gaya?

Arth (1982)

My Rating: 4/5

If you haven't watched this movie, then you have really missed something so important as far as Hindi Films are concerned.

The story is very much simple. You may feel that now but remember the year in which it was released and I would like to salute the writer-director Mahesh Bhatt for presenting and highlighting the issue of extra-marital affairs at that time!
It's a story about an extra-marital affair between Inder and Kavita, a popular film actress and the consequences of this affair on his marriage and his wife, Pooja. Kavita turns psychic and slowly starts feeling insecure about being in such an undefined relationship while Pooja leaves Inder's life to enter a life full of self respect, independence and dignity.

All the songs, be it Tum ye jo itna muskurarahe ho.. or Koi ye kaise baatayein.. are touching and heart-melting..Jagjit Singh and Kaifi Azmi deserves the credit which they got. Direction is too good and last but not least, the performances by almost all actors which keep you engaged till the end. Shabana Azmi delivers a flawless Pooja with such a calm and restrained performance. She excels truly in that party scene when she first faces Kavita. Kulbhushan Kharbanda plays the troubled man with much needed consciousness. Rohini Hattangadi and Karan Razdan are too flawless. But more specifically, I watched this movie for one actress and that is Smita Patil. Hat's Off to her!!! She has sparkled in whichever scenes she did and brought the warmth and craziness required to play an 'other' woman. Terrific performance by late Smita Patil.

Watch it if you haven't..at least for the peformances by Smita and Shabana..both truly compete!!

Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna...

The other day, I happened to watch one of my favorite movies again on TV and it was Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Black. There are many reasons why I term this as one of my favorite movies. Firstly, it was fabulously directed by Bhansali. Secondly, the story was touching, the background score was gripping and cinematography was marvelous. And lastly, performances! No doubt about a classic act from Big B. It was very much expected from him. But I was surprised to see Rani Mukherji as Michelle. I mean, it’s not that I was watching her in any movie for the first time. I had loved her in Mani Ratnam’s Yuva as well. But the way she has performed in Black left me speechless then in the theatre where I watched this movie for the first time and also this day when I was watching it on TV.

I can certainly rate and categorize Rani amongst those classic actresses of Indian Film Industry who gave an altogether different meaning to the word ‘Bollywood Herione’. Madhubala, Meena Kumari, Vjayantimala, Nargis, Waheeda Rehman, Sharmila Tagore, Hema Malini, Rekha, Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit are the most anticipated names of this category. They were Bollywood Queens. There are other ace actresses as well like Juhi Chawla, Kajol, Karishma Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai who made their best attempt to reach the topmost pedestal but weren’t very successful. Rani had the spark to reach the top. The performances she delivered in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Hey Ram, Saathiya, Hum Tum, Yuva, Bunty Aur Babli, Mangal Pandey – The Rising and Black aren’t some jokes. Her last successful attempt was Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna but unfortunately it was the director of the movie Karan Johar who messed up the script and the film couldn’t turn out that well.

But what after that? Babul, Tara Rum Pum, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag and Saawariya were Box Office Duds. Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic turned out to be another good-for-nothing movie. Is that all from Rani?

The Low phase in career graph is witnessed in each and every actor’s career. Madhuri Dixit too experienced it in 1996 when her movies were simply failing to create the flutter. But don’t forget that Dil To Pagal Hai came in 1997 and Devdas in 2002. Actresses like Madhuri and Sridevi enjoyed a greater period of dominance in the industry. But look at Rani…it’s as if her career graph is going low and low.

The reasons are very much obvious. Rani’s association with Yash Raj Banner has done a lot of mess with her choice of selection of movies. Yash Raj Films are very much stereo-typical and Rani is doing similar kind of roles again and again without any variety like the way she did in Yuva or Black. Or is it that the air of the two consecutive Best Actress Awards which she received for Hum Tum and Black in 2005 and 2006 has gone in her head?

Is this the end of the empire of this queen?

Mind's play!

All the following thoughts are completely my own. It doesn’t have any scientific basis. It’s just a result of what I feel about the things going on around our mind and metaphorically, I relate it to a play.

Knowing one’s own self is as much a difficult task as cracking MBA’s CAT entrance exam! Probably more difficult than it…but it is really difficult task. Many people say that they know their self. They are close to their soul and are living a life full of happiness and content. I would like to appreciate such people’s thought process which makes them say so or feel so. May be they are really happy. But many-a-times, truth aren’t the one which we see. Nobody on this planet is happy with whole of his/her heart at the moments which pass by. Every one has some or the other kind of worry or grief which engrosses their mind. But the thing is that every one tries to find a possible solution of that problem or a probable fix on that worry making it feel that things are all right in their case. I call it as a play of mind.

Yes, I feel it is the play of this abstract thing of our body which is called as mind. It is the mind which makes us laugh, cry, think and ponder over the situations around us. And this is the same mind which makes us react and respond. Mind is an abstract entity of our body which makes us feel about our selves.

Many-a-times, we find ourselves in a pickle…in a situation which we’ve never expected us to be. We take some decisions in haste, not thinking about the consequences but just being what we think right. When we’re in a mob of people, it’s a mob psychology which works and rules. We never try to be someone different from the group in which we are, only because we want other people from the group to relate us. All this is a play of mind.

People find themselves in love and relationships; they decide for a commitment and at the end find themselves separating their ways. This happens many times, with many people. It is the fault of neither of the couple who goes through this kind of situation. It’s just the play of their mind which makes them do certain things which they could’ve done without. Most of the times, we blame it on God, our destiny or time. But, I feel it’s not the fault of any of these. It’s simply a play of mind.

Mind, though how abstract it is, is a stage and day after day, thoughts come and hover around it, sit on it, act on it and go away from it. A play goes on this stage. We act and respond accordingly. But if someone does some mistake, it’s not entirely his fault. Thoughts come and act around on his mind and they propel him/her to do certain things which could not have been done. And thoughts are the consequence of the situations and moments which we experience continuously.

But there are some people who have a control on this play. They try to be the orator of their mind’s play, try to anchor the thoughts and let them act the way their brain or heart tells them to do so. Such people think rationally and are said to have a control on their mind. Hence I say, knowing yourself is a difficult task. It requires observing yourself very closely with a keen and patient eye. Only such people succeed in anchoring their mind’s play. So, now you decide, whether you want to be the anchor of your mind’s play or a mere spectator?

God, us and Me...

'I kept a fast yesterday for my loved one so that he remains happy and cheerful wherever he goes. I know that God will listen to my prayers and make him happy', these are the words of one of my friends who is too much of a religious person for one to believe. She thinks that God is there, high up in the sky, in the frames, in the idols, in the photos and praying to them will fulfill her dreams and that God will listen to her prayers. On the other hand, I’ve another friend who hardly believes in God and approaches the concept of God in a different way. He has respect for all religions but he refuse to believe in the concept of idol worshipping. He even refused to touch the holy vessels and ‘God’s’ frame which was kept at the Vastu Shanti Ceremony of our new residence. While people were coming and praying at the sight of the holy pots, this friend of mine tells me, ‘Kalpak, is it fine if I don’t pray?’ My answer was an emphatic yes for I know that it was his way of thinking and to perceive things. I can’t, in any ways, interfere with it.

All these things make me ponder. Both of my above mentioned friends have different ways of thinking about God. It’s their approach and their perspective. Good for them. But if any one asks me to put forward my views, I find myself without an answer.

Yes, I find it difficult to answer when some one asks me that whether I believe in God or not. I keep pondering, thinking as what to answer. Every one around us is entitled to have an opinion about various things in the world. Each of such opinions is influenced by several such factors like family and upbringing, relatives, friends, teachers, books we read, newspapers and life experiences. I come from a religious family where God is given utmost importance as in any other Maharashtrian family. But in spite of such religious background, I am unable to relate myself either with those of my friends who believe in God or with those who are atheists.

The most I can think is a general answer…may be…or may be not! And that’s true for me. I don’t feel that I need to find a perfect exemplary definition of God and the need to find about His existence. For methinks that God is the power with which I work day and night. I am of the opinion that God lies in my conscience and in my inner self. He dwells in my optimistic approach towards life. He is my soul, my mind and my body. In that way, I believe that each one of us is small parts of the big entity called as God. That’s it. I can’t think of any other definition other than this one. Lokmanya Tilak started Ganeshotsav with the belief that people will unite together at the moments of festivals like this one. And I appreciate this feeling. I would always like to then keep my faith in a supreme power if it unites us altogether forever. And this is the way I perceive this concept of God. Furthermore, I believe that it’s individual choice to think about God. Then you may say anything about my views, call me idiot for my definition or anything of that sorts, I don’t find the reason to care.

Other than this, I don’t know anything about God. Whether he is their in those rock marbles or idols is not my topic of research. Having said so, tomorrow if my parents ask me to accompany them to a temple or pilgrimage, I won’t mind to go. I respect my parents’ love for myself and it will not make me any small if I obey their wishes. I’m not adamant in my principles. I, no doubt, follow them but if in any ways, they prove to be affecting my state of mind then I don’t care of disobeying them. I love my closed ones and respect their views. What I said above, are my views. I don’t want them to enforce on somebody else. I’ve respect for all religions but still I opine that humanity is greatest of all of them. That’s all for it.

This is the way I perceive God. May be you’re right…may be God is there…a supreme power…encapsulating mankind and universe…may be He isn’t there…just a fake belief which humans tend to have for making their life more easier…I don’t know…I don’t want to know…so far as I’ve faith in myself…in my inner God…I don’t find the need to search for an external one…and I know that I would never find the need to do so…this is my way of thinking…good for me…what you perceive is your way of approach…good for you!

The Namesake - A beautiful piece of work!

Gogol…the name sounds to be little strange, right? But this was the name which Ashima and Ashoke Ganguli kept for their beloved little son. And Jhumpa Lahiri’s ‘The Namesake’ is a story about Ashima, Ashoke and Gogol. I haven’t read any of Lahiri’s work before. But I would like to say that ‘The Namesake’ is really a very well written piece of work.

The variance which Ashima finds in the Western culture from the Indian one, her loneliness even after having her husband so close to her self, the emotional attachment with the families left far behind in the traditional houses of Calcutta, an emergence of new life on the Pemberton Road where she strives to find her own new identity is all which is described in the first half of the book. The rest part revolves around her son Gogol, who is unhappy about his strange name, who finds it difficult to relate with the Indian culture in which their parents were born and brought up, who undergoes a several failure in his relationships with the women who came in his life. He even goes to an extent to change his name from Gogol to Nikhil. With the passage of time, he regrets about what he has done…at last, feels guilty that this was the same name which saved his father Ashoke from entering the doors of heaven.

Jhumpa Lahiri, very articulately, describes minute details of their lives, depicting each and every scene with much needed warmth and affection. The end too is wonderful!

And hands down to Mira Nair, who translates this saga into a beautiful illustration of a motion picture where Tabu, Irfan Khan and Kal Penn plays Ashima, Ashoke and Gogol. Apart from well written screenplay by Sooni Tareporewala and outstanding direction by Mira, Tabu, Irrfan Khan and Kal Penn excels in making their characters as real as possible.

Some people who have read the book first, opine that the movie was much better than the book. Since in my case it was otherwise, that I read the book after watching the movie, I think I loved the book equally.

A saga worth reading and watching!

The Empress

I was four years old then. It was the year 1994. My family carried me along with them to watch a movie Hum Apke Hain Kaun?. Now at the age of four, obviously, no one was expecting from me to understand the movie. Moreover, the darkness of the theatre made me afraid and I sat on the laps of my mother, hugging her throughout the movie, instead of sitting on a separate seat. Nothing of the movie made me happy or cheerful, except one face!!! My mom still recalls that how quietly I sat soon after the entry of Madhuri in the movie...throughout the movie then...and says that even after the show, outside the theatre, I was continuously telling mom that I want to see that smiling face again!

Yes, this face is a constant source attraction, admiration and a sense of pride since the age of four for me. Madhuri Dixit is the only person I have loved so desperately after my mother!

Madhuri Dixit~the name says it all! She was no known face when she entered the glit-bltiz…she was no one when her first movie Abodh (1986) was offered to her. She accepted the offer and did the movie. The movie was a flop, but not Madhuri! She was noticed and her acting and dancing skills attracted the eyes of all the big names of this film industry namely Subhash Ghai, Yash Chopra, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, N.Chandra and so on.

What followed was a history…she stepped those floors of the industry where her former competitor and the then superstar Sridevi had burst out with her stardom. In months or so, the reigning position of Sridevi came down and Madhuri became a constant name in the nominations and awards of almost all awards, especially Filmfare. Several actresses of her times where trying to compete with her..be it Juhi Chawla, Meenakshi Sheshadri, Manisha Koirala or Kajol, neither of them couldn’t achieve what Madhuri successfully did. Right from Tezaab(1888) to Hum Aapke Hai Kaun(1994), she came like a wave and swept Bollywood.

She made people notice her…glance at her cheerful and pleasing smile…look at her completely flawless and perfect dancing steps…admire and live her acting power. She made people love her…made people smile for her…made people dance for her. There was a time when balconies of theatres used to get full only to see her one glimpse. And even if you keep the oomph factor aside, she did some de-glamorous roles like Prahar, Prem Pratigya, Mrityudand or Lajja which took her to an all together different level of success and stardom.

But popularity is a double edged sword. There came a time between 1994 and 1997 when her movies were more of Box Office duds. Anyway, Madhuri wasn’t one of those to give up so easily. Critics wrote her off saying that ‘Dixit magic has began to fade’ or ‘End of an empire’. But she came back. And this time with a more charm and intensity with Dil To Pagal Hai in 1997. While receiving the Filmfare award for Best Actress that year, she said, ‘I dedicate this award to all my critics who were thinking that I should pack my bags or something of this sort. I think this is a proof of it’ while showing her award with her hand raised upright with the Filmfare trophy.

Marrying US based surgeon, Dr. Sriram Nene in 1999, she went off to America again breaking innumerable hearts that were already fallen for her. She did come again, immortalized the role of Chandramukhi in Bhansali’s Devdas(2002) again becoming an award recipient in many functions. Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who became a director while aspiring to work with this dream girl, was blessed, he said, with her charisma, simplicity, down-to-earth nature. Right from classical dancing maestro Pandit Birju Maharaj, Saroj Khan to Shamaik Davar..all admired the dancing style and perfection of Madhuri…called her synonymous to the word ‘dance’ and termed her as the only worthy actress of Indian Film Industry of twentieth century who can dance so well.

She is now a mother of two little kids. A perfect balance of work and family is what she wants to achieve at this stage of her life. She made an empire and left it behind her. And still no one can rule this empire. She brought in an era of female superstars…an era where movies came with names like ‘Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahati Hun’…innumerable girls entered the industry by dreaming to be another Madhuri! There was a time when she was called as a Female Amitabh Bachchan!

A perfectly humble nature, simplicity of the character adorns Madhuri apart from her beauty. Each and every one who works with her can’t stop raving about her. And even today, at the age of 40, the fire is very much alive in her. In her recent movie Aaja Nachle(2007) she showed everyone that only Madhuri can replace Madhuri! Even today she is spreading her charm all over the world. An empress who truly needs to be saluted…an empress who truly needs to be remembered…even years and years after today, people should get the smile on their face when they will watch this smiling face…as they got two decades ago…and as they are getting now. Bow down to da Empress!