Ra.One - The movie with good visual effects

If you were in India over the last few weeks, it would have been impossible to miss the high voltage promotion of Ra.One. Be it Hoardings, Brand tie-ups, TV ads, mall promotions, or serial inducts... he has been all over the place. Shahrukh has been promoting it to such an extent that there are jokes on twitter and facebook that he might even pop out of your salad and say “its raw one”.

The movie has generated so much hype that even if the movie was bad, it still would have recovered its cost and more through opening weekend collections which in India is a real long one. But fortunately (and thankfully), the movie is a decent watch.

Ra.One is a story of a geek father who is trying to win over his modern age son. In this effort to be a cool dad, he builds up a game where the villain is more powerful than the hero. Some error happens and the game transitions into the real world with the villain stepping out. To kill Ra.One (the evil guy), G.One (the good guy) is made to step out as well.

The first half of the movie is strong. The build up of the two lead gaming characters (Ra.One and G.One) is really nice. The fusion of real and gaming world and how each level in the gaming world would eventually progress was, I must say, creative. This is the same half where most of the visual effects are also there. Though some of them do resemble Terminator 2.

But the story starts losing out in second half which seems similar to Robot. The biggest problem with it is the genre movie wanted to focus on. Shahrukh being Shahrukh wanted to please everyone. So the movie has bits and pieces of fiction, emotions, drama, romance, comedy, action and more. There are unnecessary songs brought in. Because the leading lady is Kareena and she must be given some screen time, there are scenes stuffed in, which if edited out, will have absolutely no impact to the film. Might have even made the movie slicker and smarter.

The first half lays out the rules of the games and second half is supposed to be the playtime. But somehow the real gaming levels come across as weak. In fact the final gaming level (which in any video game is supposed to be the most challenging) is the weakest part in the movie. The third level where G.One kills Ra.One should have been more powerful and packed with more effects. There are also lot of inconsistencies but I guess such things are pardonable in Bollywood movies.

Coming back to the strengths; the visual effects are a major plus and its obvious lot of money has gone in it. Shahrukh has acted well and his energy at this age is infectious. The character who plays his son is also good (sorry don’t know the kids real name). Arjun Rampal though plays the title role, has a smaller role as most of the times, it’s the visual effect playing Ra.One. But in all scenes, where he appears, he does look menacing. Rajnikanth's cameo was unnecessary and definitely unimpressive. Kareena (as usual) doesn’t have a role except to look pretty and dance in songs like “Chhamak Chhalo”. The music is already a hit. Most songs have been and will be on the charts for some time. I especially like “Dildaara”.

Summing up, the audience in the theatre liked it yesterday. The kids loved it. Most critics might end up giving it 3 stars and more. Overall, the movie is good and I am sure the movie will be a hit. Lastly, the way the story ends, do expect a lot more from G.One. Shahrukh definitely has plans to turn it into a franchisee concept.

Mere Brother Ki Dulhan - Average flick... good in bits and pieces

“Mere Brother Ki Dulhan” or in short MBKD (this abbreviation trend must have started because of Yash Raj and Barjatyas because of their tendency to name films in sentences than words!!).

MBKD is the next from YRF banner. Well the problem is ... these days the production houses have stopped directing their own ventures and instead give a chance to younger directors thus diluting their own image. When was the last we saw a true YRF movie produced and importantly directed by Yash Raj Chopra? Well, I cant recollect... and that’s why this movie also doesn’t meet the class and standards that YRC had set in the past.

The movie is average and feels a half-hearted attempt. There are so many scenes, where you feel that the acting, the direction and the editing is a bit restrained. They just couldn’t make sure to go whole hog with the flow. There are many unwanted scenes and many unnecessary songs that have been put together in haste in order to complete the length of the movie. And man... the movie has length... It feels sooooo long. In fact at one point, I was wondering if I missed the interval.

I don’t need to tell the story because the name sums it up and there is nothing more, nothing less than what the title suggests.

Katrina Kaif was supposed to be projected as funky and sparky. In order to do that, the movie makers added so many scenes which just goes over the top. She also tries to overact in order to step outside her boundaries. On the contrary, Imran Khan is supposed to be the shy, reticent guy and he underacts to play the part. The last is the director himself (Ali Zafar from Tere Bin Laden fame). This is his first commercial Hindi venture. I don’t count “Tere Bin Laden” (which was a classic comedy) because that was a Pakistani movie. Here, he somehow tries to carry the same tone which might have worked in Pakistani comedies but somehow in a full-on Bollywood venture, it sometimes came across as over-acting. But there are scenes, where he outperforms Imran.

There are some good points in the movie as well. The music is already a hit. Songs like “Dhunki” and “Kaisa hai Ishq” are good and will continue to be chart busters. There are also many funny moments which will make you laugh. The unusual pair of Imran and Katrina appeals in many scenes especially because the two characters are so different both on and off screen.

The movie had scope for emotions but the director decided to focus on the comedy part. May be curtailing some over-the-top comical scenes with a bit emotions would have made the movie a full Bollywood drama.

In all, if there is nothing else to do this week, the movie can be watched. In any case, there hasn’t been a good movie since last 3 weeks (Please I still don’t count Bodyguard as a decent flick).

Ready - watch at your own risk

There are comedies, there are loud comedies and then there are “Anees” comedies. With every passing movie, Anees Bazmee tries to outdo himself (or should I say lower himself). “Ready” belongs to this genre. It takes Indian cinemas to the days when double entendres were considered cool. When theatres were not fitted with good quality dolby digital sound systems; hence every actor used to shout at the pitch of his voice so that he could be heard over others. Where comedies meant you keep your brains and minds and intelligence and so on along with the Rs 500 bucks that you just paid at the ticket counter. The brain might get refunded back but with a deduction of a 3hrs interest. Where the following things were considered comical: actors farting, actors peeing in the open to water the dry plants, kids peeing in their pants, kids peeing on the villains (on second thought I think there was a lot of peeing in the film, no wonder the interval says pee break), actors using “choo”, “maa ki”, “kamini” and so on in almost every alternate sentence, dances being choreographed where actors and even little kids are using actions that you might think twice before showing them to your own kids...or actors speaking garbled dialogues. Sample this: Salman speaking to Asin’s aunty and introducing himself "mein kutta hun or yeh meri kuttiya hai..."

Ready is a brainless, illogical, non-sensical comedy.. in short an Anees Bazmee movie. Needless to say it doesn’t have a story.

Having said that, I don’t want to be over critical (you must be wondering what my first para was all about in that case). The movie does have some witty moments. I could hear lots of laughter around me so I assume there are people who liked the movie as well. Salman Khan is “Salman”. Asin looks a bit better in this movie. Other talented actors like Paresh Rawal and Mahesh Manjrekar were totally wasted. The songs are ok. While most of the songs have become popular, I think the best is still “Character Dheela” though howsoever hard she tries, Zareen still looks fat.

The backdrop locations are fabulous especially in song sequences. Overall, watch the movie at your own risk.

Three Cups of Tea - A worthy Read

Post 9/11, the words “War on Terror” and “Weapons of Mass Destruction” have been the most used and abused phrases in modern history. Numerous wars (success or failure depends on which side of the war you were on) have been raged. Countries have been toppled (quite literally and structurally).

"Three Cups of Tea ...One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time" authored by Greg Mortenson with David Oliver’s support is a very interesting book that shows a very different perspective of these wars and how best they can be won. I started reading this book at the same time the book got into controversy. But having read the book, I can safely say even if 50% of the book is true and this man Greg has even built half of the number of schools, medical facilties, vocation centers that he talks about in the book, it is still worth it. He still deserves all the accolades and appreciation for having dedicated his life, his family and his entire youth to this self-less cause.

Coming back to the book, Three Cups of Tea (or as the elongated title suggests), is a book of 1 man’s journey towards bring peace in some of the most hostile and “so-called” terrorist regions in the world be it Northern Pakistan – The Baltistan region or the Afghanistan regions. After his failed attempt to conquer the most dangerous peaks in the world (K2 – karakoram), he finds himself spending a month in Northern Pakistan’s most neglected areas and witnesses the people’s warmth and hospitality. This is where the title makes shape. Basically it is a phrase in that part of Pakistan... The first time you share tea with them, you are a stranger. The second time, you are an honored guest and the third time you share a cup of tea, you become a family.

Having witnessed the need for education, he decides to build a school for Korphe region and therein starts his struggle. This need for 1 school slowly becomes a full time job for him courtesy some generous donations and he opens Central Asia institute dedicated to the humanitarian development of the region.

The book comes across as a selfless account of this man’s journey written in a fashion that can allow more donations to flow through the institute. The basic theory remains the same. The war on terror cannot be won by Bushes and Obamas way of unsolicited and unashamed attacks but to enable people to understand the different between a school and wahhabi madarasas. To move them away from extremism to more modern educational system where they can emrace the world and allow a holistic development.

The book might not come across as a fast read as the writing style is documentary oriented but the message is strong and convincing.

The book also throws some interesting insights for an Indian like me who has always viewed Pakistan with just 1 angle. Reading about the Kargil conflict by someone who was in Pakistan at the same time is such an interesting read for me.

Overall... a good book to read if you are interested in modern history and the birth of terror in today’s times.

Dum Maaro Dum – A dumdaar first half with a feeka second half

I know I am very late in blogging about this one. Considering that the buzz around this movie was quite low initially and it was yet another Abhishek Bachchan’s movie after a series of turkeys last year put this in a low priority for me. But with word of mouth, the movie gained publicity and hence prompted me to watch it last night.

The movie starts with a bang. I loved the way the title and casting appears ... just what you need to set the tempo for a suspense action thriller. By the time the interval happens, I was totally impressed... The movie was shot at such a pace that didn’t even realized when 75 mins had passed. Everything was terrific (in critics language 5 star). The pace of the movie, action sequences, dialogues, performances, the Goan set-up under the dark shady clouds of drugs, the flashback sequences, and the smart direction...everything was packed with style (ekdum dumdar).

With this, the expectations from the second half sky rockets and that’s where I think the movie fails. The first half had covered so much that post interval, there is not much left for the filmmaker to cover. So he tends to drag the movie to ensure the audience gets his due of atleast 2 hrs for the 250 bucks they had spent. The second half tends to linger with Abhishek chasing the villain in long-winded sequences.

Having said that, DMD is still a good movie. As I said, the styling is really good. After Bluffmaster, Rohan Sippy once again comes back with a sharp direction and also uses Abhishek Bachchan to his strengths. The new hero Rana Dugubatti is even better (actually cant say he is new because people say he is a big thing in South). Liked his croaky voice. Prateik didn’t have much to do but plays the small role of Goan lad well. Bipasha just had to look the ultra glam girl and I think she plays it to the core. Aditya Pancholi comes back after a very long time (don’t even remember when was the last I saw him) but he too is brilliant in the “bad mafia lord” character.

All the songs are noteworthy. There already has been lot of buzz about the stunning item cum title song of Deepika. But to me, the best song was “Thain Thain”. With the choreography and rapid movement of story in background, this song tends to grow. The other soft song which is very nice is “Te Amo” with the Goan and Bipasha backdrops.

The camera has played a good role in styling the movie with the entire movie pasteurised in shades of yellow adding to the Goan feel.

Some scenes especially a jail torture scene might be quite uncivilized for Indian standards but I think they form a good part in portraying the tough cop character of Abhishek.

The director wanted to create a suspense thriller. The end does have a suspense but I think somehow it loses its relevance. May be if he would have stuck to the thrill part, the movie might have come out better.

Overall, Dum Maro Dum can be watched. The movie is in its 3rd week so you will need to watch it this week itself as it is unlikely to last one more.

The world Cup Bonus - is it fair?

With the world cup win so close and the national sentiments so high, lot of people might not like what I am going to blog about. But the fact of the matter is I went through similar emotions before writing this one.

We all loved the win and celebrated our cricketers. We turned them into national heros and icons. We have been demanding Bharat Ratna status for some and some are being moulded into religious deities. India is a land of extreme emotions but cricket takes these extremes to a new high. But the sport of cricket is also a business proposition today. There are crores riding on them. So it never surprised me when Dhoni became the largest endorsed player commanding an ad rate equivalent to top Bollywood stars or Yuvraj getting ‘Re-vitalized’ once again or for that matter some of the younger talents like Virat making crores in advertisements. What surprised me and stirred my emotions is when I started seeing our politicians doling out largess.


Last heard, BCCI announced 1 cr for each player. Fair enough, they play for BCCI and so they deserve a bonus for a sparkling performance once in a while apart from the salaries they make on every match. I can equate this to ‘healthy’ bonuses in some of our corporate parlance. No issues at all. Fully acceptable... Its a corporate body paying from their pockets... well is it? ICC just got a tax exemption for the world cup 2011. So that means they will not be paying any tax whatsoever for the enormous money they made for organizing the world cup... be it sponsorships, telecast rights, extensive and comprehensive ads placed on every nook and corner of stadiums, bats, jerseys etc...stadium charges (well we can discount that knowing that on an average it was just 20% of tickets up for sale and the remaining 80% distributed free to their families, sponsors and our ‘beloved’ politicians who by the way are still fighting on the uneven distribution of tickets because they couldn’t accommodate the ‘aunt’ of their mother-in-law’s sister into the stadium to watch the WC final...too bad)

Then came the announcements of individual states each trying to outdo the other with offers ranging from crores (A crore seems to be very common figure now) to residential plots to acres of lands to plush houses. Well who is paying for all this? A government is a representative of the people and its finances are run by tax payers’s money... yes we people ...you and I ... the one who is writing this blog and the one who is reading it now. Well who authorized them to use my money?

So on one hand... ICC doesn’t pay any taxes while on the other hand the taxes that the audience pay is used to further enhance the wealth of the cricket players.

I have no qualms or issues against the cricketers. They played brilliantly and hence deserve all the accolades. Its good to be benevolent sometimes...But shouldn’t we keep it fair? What if the money could have been used to build better sporting facilities for other sports so that a WC triumph can be replicated in other areas or may be a pace bowling cricket academy.

At least this time, I have a consolation. The last time so much tax payer’s money was used in sports was for stuffing pockets of some of the organizers of the common wealth games and that too unaccounted. At least this time, we know where its going and can still attach an emotional reason for it.

‘MOHALI’DAY

30th March 2011 is a day that will get embossed in History. It’s the day when India met its arch rivals Pakistan for the 6th time in World Cup. While the past statistics strongly support India for it had won on all previous occasions. But as we all know statistics are just numbers and can be changed anytime. And on top of that, it was a Semi-Final encounter.

While I am not going to blog about the above as by now everyone has gone through an extensive emotional turmoil and a frenzy of excitement, I just wanted to share what an interesting day I spent on this momentous day. So to start with, not knowing the day and the WC schedule (and also at that time not sure if India will reach this far), I had pre-booked some meetings in Delhi with a return flight in the evening (Yes evening, the same time when the chase begins and the entire sub-continent will be glued to TV at their homes (or may be pubs, multiplexes and in some cases even stadiums like the Gachibowli stadium in Hyderabad)

The meetings got over and I did manage to watch the initial explosive batting of Sehwag and some of the dropped catches of Sachin. But the real fun started, when we reached the Delhi airport at T-3 around 6:30pm for my 8pm flight back to Mumbai. First, we were told that the flight has been cancelled due to lack of passengers and now I am shifted to 9pm flight. Well not that bad, I might be able to watch some more overs.

So I got my boarding pass and proceeded to security. Not a single soul in sight. The security check which in any normal day would have taken 15-20 mins was such a breeze... only 2 mins. I asked whether there would be TV inside showing live match, and the security guard very heartily responded "YES... OF COURSE" (as if I just asked for some basic essential services). Infact, he also updated me with the latest score. India had lost its 5th wicket and was struggling (as usual in its last 15 overs).

I was almost through security when I heard some loud screams inside...Not sure what it was, I walked past security and would have just crossed the first shop when I realized what cricket can do to the nation.

There was a Giant screen showing cricket with a whole lot of crowd standing in front of it. Audience included passengers, cabin crews, pilots, air hostesses and even the security guards (so much for our tight security). The power play was on and Suresh Raina was trying to achieve a respectable score for India while wickets were falling at the other end. We started searching for a place where we can sit and watch the remaining few overs of Indian batting but there was not an inch left which could offer us a good view. Finally, we went to a pub and watched the remaining overs from there.

1st innings got over and suddenly the entire space was empty as if all flights for takeoff were just waiting for the break.

We watched the first 20 overs quite comfortably before our flight announcement was made.

With some very heavy heart of missing the action, we started walking towards the gate only to find that there were more TVs near each boarding gates. Some passengers even had radios and were listening to the commentary while waiting for their boarding passes to be scanned. We boarded the plane and just casually asked the air hostess... ‘By any chance would you know what the latest score is?’ She immediately responded “Don’t worry Sir, the pilot will be updating shortly and will give regular updates throughout the journey”. Our jaws dropped...’Can this happen??’ She said “YES...OF COURSE” ... once again as if it’s part of the flight price we paid like the cold meals and the tiny water bottles we were entitled to.

The flight took off and as soon as the initial boarding instructions got over; came the first score update. ... Pakistan has lost its 5th wicket and its 144/5. We were happy that at least we will be able to hear (if not witness) some action and are not totally betraying our nation.

The score updates continued and with each update, India’s chances of winning increased. There were some Ethiopian journalists sitting next to us and they were quite curious to know what this frenzy is all about. They had very little clue about cricket and all they wanted to understand after every update was if India was winning or not. We kept confirming "YES...OF COURSE".

The anxiety continued and the pilot mentioned Pakistan needs 86 runs from 63 balls with 3 wickets remaining. And then for the next 20 mins, there were no updates... We got anxious, worried, eager, tensed and many more such emotions flooded our nervous systems. Various theories started coming in the mind. Has India lost? Has Pakistan utilized its batting power play effectively? During those 20 mins, we must have asked the airhostess at least 5 times. The poor girl said she was also upset and has reminded the pilot many times. If she barge in once more, she would be killed.

Just when all hopes were lost, there was a sound of a throat getting cleared and the update being announced. Pakistan needs 31 runs from 10 balls.

Yeh Dil Maange More... We were now desperate for a ball by ball update but the pilot couldn’t oblige much and obviously we couldn’t let the beautiful airhostess get murdered. Then suddenly as if the prayers were answered. I heard a sound which would have been normal if I were on ground. But in the flight....? Is that by any chance sound of a commentary? Is someone able to catch radio signals in the flight? No it cant be possible? I rushed to the source of the sound and tapped the gentleman? ‘By any chance, are you listening to commentary? Do you know the score?’ And he responded “YES... OF COURSE... 30 runs from 6 balls with 1 wicket remaining ... Zaheer will bowl the last over.” Phew...

Another 2 mins and the pilot announced “INDIA HAS WON”. We all clapped and cheered along with our anxious African colleagues. One of their female journalist asked if that’s all we are going to do? Won’t there be any Victory Dance and we immediately imagined and missed the streets in India at that point of time.

What a journey this was... These memories will remain embedded forever. Last but not the least, for the first time in my life, I thoroughly enjoyed flying with the “Maharaja”