Look what I told you...

I had asked how could someone like ' Brokeback Mountain' over 'Crash'. Apparently the Screen Actors Guild was listening and when they handed out the awards, Crash got the best film. More on the report here. I was right, eh? :)

Playlist

1. Weezer - Perfect situation
2. The Corrs feat. Bono - When the stars go blue
3. The Veils - The leavers dance
4. Badly Drawn Boy - Something to talk about
5. Greenday - Wake me up when September ends

We, the disillusioned youth of India

My flattie and I caught the 10pm show of Rang De Basanti on Saturday night. Both of us were quite blown away. Its not that the film didn't have its own set of cliches and raised a few questions which all of us have discussed in various fora, but its just how simple the movie is. The shots are very good, Delhi looks quite nice. There's no heavy Nana Patekar-esque lecturebazi. The end could have been better but you don't win them all do you?

Its a simple plot. A brit jailor's grand daughter finds his journal and plans to shoot a documentary in India to capture the essense of Bhagat Singh, Azad and the usual suspects during the Indian Independence movement. We go through the movie with Aamir Khan and his friends laughing at the whole idea of patriotism and how it means so little to most of us. Then the plot unravels into a Mig-29 crash and tainted politicians and how there is an uprising aka Bhagat Singh vs the Brits. Don't go by the simplicity of the plot. Its the treatment (except the ending) which should make you happy.

I remember when I was a kid, my grand father used to tell me stories of the Independence movement and the wars that this country has seen. He was a doctor at that time and later became the Director of Health Sevices of Bengal. He used to tell me how streets were cleaned early in the morning, how things were so efficient. If we look back at the same city, except the warmth of the people, most of the infrastructure (except the metro) has been hand-me-downs from the Bristish era. What does that say about us? And we always talk about making a difference and crib about the country and how nothing will ever change, all in the same breath. I think we aren't brave enough to go ahead and do what we really want to. We just don't have the guts. So we take the escapist attitude. But again, when India was fighting for its Independence, eveybody shared a common cause. What's the common cause today? Poverty, illiteracy, public health or the extra hike, the extra bonus. Do we really care about the greater good of the country or are we affected only when it affects us? I know I want the Bangalore infrastructure to get better because it affects me directly. if it hadn't would I be so bothered?

I don't know the right answers to this one. Nor do I know if I asked the right questions. But just a few thoughts.

Crash: The movie and the soundtrack

I had heard about Crash last year but as usual the good movies do not come to the big screen. Its the usual commercial crap that everybody laps up. Anyways, while I was in Toronto, my bro had a dvd-rip of the movie and I had a watch. Brilliant. The Oscar nominations open on Jan 31st and I really think this movie should notch up a few. Golden Globes was a washout with Brokeback Mountain taking away most of the awards. Honestly, how can one like that better than Crash. Matt Dillon was nominated for best supporting actor and Paul Haggis (director) was nominated for original screenplay. Atleast it should have won the screenplay award.

The movie is about a potpourri of strangers thrown in L.A. and how everyone directly or indirectly is interwoven into eachother's lives. As the movie's tag line sums it up "Moving at the speed of life, we are bound to collide with each other." Its a movie about life, race-hatred, frustration at the system, self-esteem. The only one that would beat this one would be American History X. Edward Norton was brilliant as usual in that.

Go rent a DVD and watch it today and you'll thank me (that is unless you have already seen it!). And check out the soundtrack too. I love couple of songs from there. Stereophonics sing 'Maybe Tomorrow' - these guys are frustratingly brilliant and mediocre in one album. The other one is Bird York's 'In the Deep'. If you see the movie, then 'Maybe Tomorrow' is on during the end credits. Go and see this over the weekend.

Gives me an idea. From now on, I'll write about couple of movies to rent over the weekend. :)

free lunch eh? think again!

Yesterday my colleague and I were chatting and he said, 'You know what? HDFC sent me a Rs. 500 gift voucher for being a good customer to their bank!' He didn't sound too happy. So I was like, 'Isn't that good then? You have some free money to buy something.' He said, 'You do not understand. My wife will go with me. Do you think she will buy something just worth Rs. 500? She'll be buying something worth Rs. 2000 and I'll have to adjust that with this voucher.' I was in splits. Great maths. Before the voucher came, his outflow was nil as no shopping was planned. Now with the voucher in, his minimum outflow (after adjusting the voucher) would be more than a thousand for sure! So free lunch, as a wise man had said!

That feeling again...

I hate colds and I caught one on my way back from Delhi. Have been down since Monday. Sneezing, coughing, running nose, the works basically. Been on my wonder drug - Azithral - 3 tabs of 500 mg over 3 days, or 2 of 250 mg per day (12 hr interval). It helps you by the second day and I'm back at work for sometime today.

My colleague's mom passed away this morning. So we would go to her place in sometime. It was quite shocking. I had called her to tell her that I would be going to the city office today and I heard her sobbing on the phone; she telling me that her mom passed away this morning. I was shocked and I'm always at a loss for words during these situations. All I could say was take care. I haven't figured out what's the best thing to say during these times. All I know is that you need to be with people during their bad times, not being with them during their good times is not such a big deal. Whether we accept it or not, however strong or weak we are, we need people around us, specially during a personal loss. Words are good. Presence is better.

On a less serious note, I have finally managed to sync up a few videos on my iPod and they are of quite good quality. A P2P opens up the world to you. Next in line are couple of dvd-rip movies to go in specially during a Blr-Mum or Blr-Del flight. Kingfisher was quite good, but I wasn't too happy with the in-flight entertainment. The programs are on a 1 hr loop and the same across all sectors. So what you get on an outbound flight is the same on an inbound flight. Boring.

Booked my tickets for Rang de Basanti for Sat night. That movie should be better than the trash I have been subjected to lately. Zinda was ok, an overdose of violence, gore. Bluffmaster was ok again, figured the plot out by the interval. I wanna see Matchpoint. Dunno when's its gonna reach here. Anyone seen it yet?

Playlist

1. Imogen Heap - Goodnight and go
2. Coldplay - Fix you
3. ABBA - Gimme gimme gimme
4. Stereophonics - Maybe tomorrow
5. Fall Out Boy - Dance dance

Trans Siberian Orchestra

Got hooked to them thanks to my bro. If you haven't listened to them, you can do it here. And if you want to see how their shows are, click here. They are just awesome. I love Wizards in Winter, Christmas Eve in Sarajevo. I am hoping to pick up the Christmas Trilogy Boxset when I can, HMV in Toronto had run out of them. Suggest you go pick up yours too before they run out everywhere. And I hear the shows are just awesome, so if there's one close to you, drop everything else and go check it out.

Back after being too lazy

I realised that I haven't posted for more than 3 weeks. Its me being lazy, thats all. I was tempted from time to time to post a pic or jot a few thoughts down...but then I felt lazy and didn't bother.

So back where I left the blog. In London. Meeting up with Rahul, my old school mate whom I haven't seen in ages. Was great to meet up with him. There was so much to catch up. I ended up catching Mamma Mia on stage - had wanted to watch it and I wasn't disappointed. Is absolutely brilliant and since we all know the ABBA songs makes it that more enjoyable. Don't give it a miss wherever you are. The soundtrack is quite good too. Pick it up.

Then I headed to Birmingham but first was a stop at Manchester. Manchester United! I just had to go there. Didn't have the time to get the stadium tour but I will be back for a match hopefully later this year. Please please please. The Rooney Tshirt it was. Bought. Take it. Throw in a nice jacket too. All smiles I am. Then to B'ham to meet pishi and pompidi. Am glad I met them after ditching the travel last time around due to the blasts. They fed me over a night what I had eaten over the whole week in UK. And yes, the fry-up was eaten. All of it.

Then off to Toronto. I was expecting my balls to freeze when I landed. But i liked the cold. Got myself a pair of gloves and my faithful jacket did the rest. Sunil drove down from Cin City and we drove around. Went to Niagara with him and my bro on christmas. Was quite a sight. And cold too. But nothing a beer or a latte could not cure!

Was just good to be back home. Wrestling for the comp to play FIFA 06 Manager with my bro. I used to be up late and he woke up at 8am (a record!!! he does not get up before 10am otherwise) to get a cpl of hours on the comp. There wasn't too much to shop except for the Altec Lansing speakers for my iPod. Is quite smart I say! And throw in 50 blank dvds.

New Years was at home with a couple of families dropping in. Without a car we had to give Nathan Philips square a miss this year where Bedouin Soundclash played. Maybe next year. Else it was just ghar ka khana and going to the malls. Was quite a long holiday - 3 weeks. Zipped by in a flash. On the way back it was first class - my first taste of it. I think its over hyped. But I did get a nice bottle of wine though from my dad's friend.

So am back to bangalore and started hating the traffic all over again. In the time I was gone they decided to change the traffic flow for St.Marks road. Hmmm. Very smart!