Dostana

Dostana is everything you see in a typical KJ movie: expensive locations, all-star casts, mindblowing music, shameless budgets - all save the sloppy direction. In other words - I LOVED IT!

The Cast

Chopra: She's always been a show-stealer, but this movie takes her to a whole-new-league in chic-ness. They dress her up beautifully, and she delivers a stunning, absolutely natural performance. To be fair, I guess it needn't have taken much acting to play a smart, lively and beautiful girl with enough attitude to put Michelle Obama to shame. Div is all respect and very jealous.

AB Jr - is BACK to what he does best: light, humorous roles with liberal doses of self-deprecation and boy-next door. Playing a (pretend?) gay guy is very often confused with a total lack of manhood, and both the guys remove this stereotype with much style.

And speaking of style -

John Abraham - is absolutely c.h.a.r.m.i.n.g. I have never found him very handsome, but there is a certain something about the man's mannerisms that makes a girl go crazy. And despite being not much of a dancer, he pulls off Desi Girl with so much attitude, Div is doubly charmed. And very swooned.

What works best for the cast is that above everything, they *look* the part . The screenplay is just about as natural as it gets, and at many points you will be reminded of your own pals and the way you interact. Lookout for the horror movie sequence: that's something I can totally picture us doing.

The Music

Mindblowing. We have been trying to fuse English and Hindi since the Colonial Cousins, and this time we've got it right. With room to spare. I also love that the guitar has finally made an entry into Bollywood music. The lyrics are young and fresh - a definite shift from the pyaar-ishq-mohabbat genre.

I loved how they express the fresh-crush sentiment in Jaane Kyun (Tu hai toh I'll be alright!). And Khabar Nahi's English version takes the cliche out of puppy-love music. Desi Girl takes the cake, though. On behalf of all Indian girls, I say thanks-and-you've-finally-noticed! to the lyricist.

Also on the show
- Caveat emptor: Dream first-date expectations taken to a whole new level. Damn you, John.
- Kirron Kher makes a fantastic comeback after the Om Shanti Om disaster
- Boman Irani's cameo is worth watching. Indian men who are gay need not be effeminate (I suppose - KJ's counsel had a lot to do with this, good for him)
- Best use of the iPod in Hindi cinema thus far*
- Cinema's first non-irritating 5-year old!

Above all, I loved that the movie was positive and happy. Hindi movies have forever been known as perfect escapes, and this one takes it one step further - you actually feel good even after the trip's over.

*Says Kav and Div agrees

The Shuffle Tag

Two posts over the week - I must be on a roll. For good reason too: sprained my ankle running too much in the post-holiday euphoria. To make things worse, I lost one of the embedded stones in a ring that my folks got me for the 25th :(

So I'm under sofa-arrest, with piles of reading and a borrowed tag from Sayesha. Put on the ipod on random and answer with the current song!

1. If someone says "Is this okay?", you say:
You've already won me over, in spite of me!

2. What would best describe your personality?
Kaadal Sadugudu

3. What do you like in a guy/girl?
Complicated

4. How do you feel today?
Mera Laung Gawacha (haha funny enough given the circumstances)

5. What is your life's purpose?
Take my breath away!

6. What do your friends think of you?
Say na say na how you said to me!

7. What do you think of your parents?
Its' my life!

8. What do you think about very often?

Free, is all you've got to be
Dream dreams, no one else can see

(Nice one, that)

9. What do you think of your best friend?

I've been wandering around the house all night, wondering what the hell to do!
When you're gone

(Again, is pretty true)

10. What do you think of the person you like?

Smooth (Smooth and Complicated - urm, yeah okay)

11. What is your life story?
Why don't you and I get together
Take on the world and be together forever
Heads we win, tails we'll try again :P

12. What do you want to be when you grow up?

I'm not a perfect person
There's many things I wish didn't do
(Ouch)


13. What do you think of when you see the person you like?

Dont know how it happened
It all took place so fast
All I can do
Is hand it to you
And your latest trick


14. What do your parents think of you?
Neele neele ambar par
Chaand jab aaye


15. What will you dance to at your wedding?
Cocaine!


16. What will they play at your funeral?
Tell her not to go (aww, that was sweet really)

17. What is your hobby/interest?
Aaoge jab tum saajna
Angna phool khilenge

18. What is your biggest secret?
Lay down Sally (!)

19. What do you think of your friends?
Waiting for tonight!

20. What should you post this as?
Pretty Vegas

21. What do you think about this tag?
The Sign! (I hope so, a lot of those songs came out pretty true)


I tag: Packy, Sherene, Div, CL and Wini

Artistic types are forever under the influence of some chemical or the other - alcohol, drugs, love. Is it just the inhibition argument or do these really inspire creativity? If the latter is true, isn't there an artist in all of us? And would the world not be a better place if everyone was creative, less-inhibited, and consequently more happy?

The more I think, the thinner the argument on criminalizing marijuana gets.

===

Oh, Bangalore

My favourite city in India. Style, sass, food, music, shopping, with a weather to die for. Don't listen to them talk about traffic, crumbling infrastructure and dying seasons - every time I go back this place just gets better.

This was my most comprehensive visit so far - 3 days with G who knows the city inside-out. And the talking points included:

1. Natasha Inn - If you want cheap, clean accommodation in the heart of Bangalore city, go to Natasha's. India doesn't have the dorm concept in operation yet, so this place is rather more like a serviced apartment - bedroom, living room, washroom and a kitchenette - all for Rs 1,700 a night. The staff were friendly and the bathrooms were clean, but the location takes the cake: right in Victoria layout, a stone's throw away from Lifestyles and Garuda Mall. We pretty much covered the entire city during our trip, and none of the auto rides felt too long. So the next time you want to be in the city and *not* shell out $700/ night, this is your option. And yes, they have a pretty good in-room breakfast menu - idli, dosa, vada, uthappam!

2. Opus at Chakravarthy layout has got to be the most intelligent club/ pub/ night-spot I have been to. We were at their weekly karaoke night (titled: Croaknite!). Now this is not your traditional Page 3 club. But if you love all kinds of music ex-trance-ex-house, and want to hear some seriously good singing and do your own not-so-serious dancing, make sure you go here. G says on Sunday mornings this place becomes a taboo/ pictionary spot, and Thursdays are apparently quiz nights. Could someone start a petition to exempt this one place from the disgraceful 1130 curfew?

3. Liquid at Istha - I am normally too restless for lounge bars, but this place has an ambience that is worth checking out. The drinks were exceptionally good, and we even got two shots on the house (which tilted my review a bit, yes). This is an outdoor-ish layout on level 4, with very good service and a reasonably un-snooty crowd. And yes, it is right on MG Road, next to the Lido mall, which should make it easy to spot.

We also really enjoyed the brunch menu at Indi Joe's. And if you want some good North Indian food, try Sahib Sindh Sultan at the Forum Mall. It was a tad expensive though, and the decor is a bit gloomy. I really wanted to try out Olive Beach at Ashoknagar, mainly because an old friend manages the place, but I guess three days can only translate to 9 eatouts at most, especially if you were meeting folks and doing a fair bit of (window, damn you Lehman) shopping!

And finally, a word on the new airport - Open 24 hours, fabulous service and a nearly all-Malayalee workforce. A cool way to say - welcomed back home :P It took us 45 minutes on a Saturday morning to get out of the airport into the city, and 1h10m on a Monday night to get back. Not too bad, really.

PS: Another thing that came out of this trip: a reinforcement of my belief in travel companions, and how they can transform your trip completely. G and I had similar budgets/ adrenalin levels, and wanted to do the same things. Trip wise - we were an efficiency machine!

.. and the best man won

In the years to come, life will change and take us through many turns and places. But I know I will always remember this election, and the moment of its outcome.

I am still searching for this wonderful shot I saw on TV from the Obama party at Grant Park. It combined relief, joy and immense pride on an elderly black man's face - emotions that millions of folks, American or not - are experiencing right now. Truth is, while it is not WW3, it has been a while since many folks felt hopeful about or interested in anything. And that is why I am so happy, so glad that a good man who ran a neat and positive campaign won.

That this campaign was more of a movement is a well-documented fact. If you need an understanding of how Obama came about, I would strongly recommend his first book - Dreams from my Father. I started reading it on the flight back, the narrative is fabulous. He writes well but more importantly, the way he thinks and sees the world is completely different from anyone I have met, heard or read. The right wing was right - he is *not* one of the folks, and that’s why you should read him.

This is a post from work and I need to get back. So last word - Woohoo!

PS: I have not read his second book - it seemed a little too much pre-campaign - correct, clean and a bit boring.
PS2: Missouri, the most famous bellwether (predictor) state, has yet to reach a verdict. If it goes McCain in this election it will be the first time it incorrectly predicted the outcome of a Presidential election (except '56). As of now, North Carolina and Montana are also still counting.
PS3: A democrat took Virginia and Indiana. The boss said - change is coming. I say, change has already come!