My favorite dialogue from Rock On:

-Dus saal ho gaye in baaton ko, kab peecha chodenge yeh mera?

-Jab tum bhaagna chod doge...

Yamaha Gladi...

Waited for a few extra days to write my hundredth post. The reason ... just got my first bike. Its a blue Yamaha Gladiator RS. Comments please!!

Sketch - 3

Made this over the weekend. I am searching for a new theme. Any suggestions?

Change

Last week one of my brother’s friends came over to our house. Last I had seen him was three years ago. That was when he was in school, in Xth grade. Neatly oiled hair, a small vermillion mark on his forehead, a half sleeve formal shirt and matching formal trousers which were a size too big, a pair of neatly polished shoes, I still remember clearly. Moreover, he was very soft spoken and respectful using the “jis” to a great extent. “Auntyji”, “Uncleji” “Bhaiya”. It was a pleasant experience talking to him then.

The picture was pretty different last week. As he made way into our house, I could hardly recognize him. It was as if a different person had walked in. Gelled spiky hair, a diamond stud flashing in one of his pierced ears, a loose fitting t-shirt that had an image of a marijuana leaf and the words “Weed” written under the image, loose anti fit jeans hanging low, a pair of rugged adidas sneakers, two bead necklaces around his neck and some beads around his wrist too. I was kind of surprised to see him in such an avatar. His lingo was now pretty modern without the “jis”, which we didn’t mind. It was still pleasant to converse with him, in an alltogether different perspective though.

Isnt it odd, that everyone undergoes this change?

Wanna do an MBA from here?

This is the gate of the Boys hostel of a prestigious Business school. We proved our identities, but weren't permitted inside.

As it is we weren't much interested in getting in, since there wont be any chicks around. The place is "out of bound" for girls.

Other movies

Must watch:
-Body of lies (2008)
-We own the night (2008)

Good to watch:
-Run Fatboy Run (2007)
-The Big Lebowski (1998) - Rated 8.2 on imdb
-Fifty first dates (2004)
-Hell ride (2008) - Recommended only for Tarantino fans

Could be missed:

-What happens in Vegas (2008)

Hello?

I have seen bad movies adaptations of good books. One such movie is Hello. Though the movie follows the exact storyline depicted in the book (One Night @ Call centre), it fails to make an impression for totally different reasons. The reasons being:


The cast:
Most of the people are misfits for the roles they have been chosen for, the remaining few have acted badly.
- Sharman Joshi's acting is very stiff. He is not able to pull off the important scenes with conviction due to which most of them come across as artificial.
- Gul Panag is the wrong choice for the role. She looks much older than the character in the book.
- Dilip Tahil sucks big-time. He kills the character by his overacting.
- Amrita Arora is her usual plastic self.
- Gul Panag's mother is irritating. Not because of her personality depicted in the book, but because of her acting.
- Suresh Menon is pathetic.


The costumes:
Yeah!! If you feel I am being harsh here, check out (in the attached pic) the costumes worn by -Isha Koppikar (leopard skin slacks and knee length boots)
-Gul Panag (gold embroidered purple mini skirt, dazzling electric blue top and a black inner top revealing ample cleavage.. they have tried to hard to make her look young. The dress actually makes her look heavier than she is)
-Dilip Tahil (wtf is the American Flag doing on his tie?)

The sets:
Most of the sets are unrealistic. The call centre bay is huge. Each of the six persons has acres of desk space. The female restrooms are princely; with sofas inside (pic 2). (I wonder what they are for? Casting couches for call centre interviews?)

The dialogues:
A good story needs good dialogues. Most of the dialogues are bad and the only few good ones are badly delivered.


The only saving grace of the movie is the storyline, which as I have already said, doesn't deviate from the book.

Oops.. Completely forgot about Salman Khan. He has a total screen presence of ten minutes (including the song) out of which he is topless for five minutes flexing his muscles. Give us a break Sallu Bhai!!

The Gang - 3

Things got better with time. Thanks to a lot of pushing by Vikram and Adi, Kunal proposed to Arushi one fine day. It was done in typical filmy style. He had designed a love e-card for her, which looked like a movie ticket. It had names of all the movies they had seen together printed in it. The card page was then designed to fade as the words “I love you” printed in deep red appeared on the hazy background. They had even tried to include Arushi’s favorite song in it, but it had not worked out. So, immediately after mailing the file to Arushi, Kunal ran up to her cubicle and sang the song personally for her as she had opened the attachment. Needless to say, Arushi had acquiesced, impressed with his efforts.

They were always seen together after that. Seeing their intimacy, Vikram who had never bothered to think about girls and relationships suddenly found his own life empty and lonely and dull. Till then love for Vikram was restricted to pairing friends and teasing them.
“My landlord is such a pain in the wrong place” exclaimed Kunal during lunch one day.
“What did he do now?” Vikram asked.
“He is increasing the rent again. He had just increased the rent six months back. He knows I won’t be able to afford the apartment now. Basically, he is harassing me, so that I leave and make way for new tenants. That ways he would get a higher deposit and better rent” He sighed.
“Why don’t you move into my rented apartment? It’s a two BHK and I am staying alone” suggested Adi.
“Why don’t all you guys stay together” recommended Arushi.
“That would be great. Vikram, you could join us too. It would be fun. Why didn’t we think of this earlier man?”
“Let me think about it. I have no reason to leave my current apartment” Vikram said.
“Come on Vikram. We could share one of the rooms. It would really be fun.” Kunal added.
“I ll think and let you guys know” he said.
“You guys start packing. I am expecting you by tomorrow evening” concluded Adi, before he had a chance to say anything else.
The next night, they moved into the flat. The flat was much bigger than the ones they had been staying in. In fact the place reeked of richness. TV, fridge, music player, computer, washing machine, microwave oven…there wasn’t a single thing missing. They were amazed and realizing their dazed expressions Adi just shrugged his shoulders and said with a smiling face. “It’s because of my mom. She wants me to lead a comfortable life wherever I go.”

The following weekend was one of the best ones of their lives.

p.s: Apologies, if the story has started sounding like one of Ekta Kapoor's soaps.

Words of Wisdom

Ding! He was woken up from his slumber by the doorbell. He checked his watch. 9:07 p.m. He knew who it was going to be as he headed for the door and lighted a cigarette. He made a pit stop on the way to the door to throw the used matchstick into the ashtray and also to collect his wallet. As he opened the door, he was met by a smiling Nepali boy who worked in the restaurant downstairs. Like everyday, Thapa had bought his parceled dinner. The smile was for the generous tip he was about to receive like everyday. Not every customer tipped ten bucks. Little did he know that the tenner he got daily wasn’t because of the food quality, but it was just to see him smiling.
“Khane se pehle cigarette mat piyo saab. Accha nahi hai” the kid proclaimed.
“Zindagi me sab accha nahi rehta Thapa. Tu nahi samjhega.” He said handing him the cash.
“Zingadi ko nahi samajhne me hi bhalai hai saab. Salaam Saab!” Before he could react the boy was gone.
He closed the door and settled on dining table to have his dinner pondering over the child’s deep words.

Sometimes the greatest lessons in life are learnt from the most unexpected sources.

The Gang - 2

For some of you who wanted me to continue this story.

Warning: This one will run long, if at all..

“Lets go for a movie tonight” said Arushi. Arushi was cute, petite and childish. She was from Bangalore. She considered herself lucky to land up in the job, since she was average in studies and took time to grasp things. Her habits and attitude were those of a typical middle class girl, something similar to Monisha from Sarabhai (not to that extent though). She had only one hobby. Cinema! She made it a point to follow her hobby to the fullest by watching every movie, good or bad. Many had suffered in her company watching boring, mind-numbing movies. But she seemed to like every movie, as if though she lived her dreams in them.
“Its Friday! It ll be impossible to get tickets” exclaimed Adityaman before anyone else could even consider the idea. Adityaman was impulsive and spontaneous. There wasn’t a thing about which he didn’t have an opinion. It was either a yes or a no for him…no sticking in between. He was also very firm. He never used to back off from his decisions even though he knew that sometimes his wrong decisions landed him in trouble. But he chose trouble over retreat. Adi hailed from a rich business family in Delhi. He was handsome, dynamic and hence popular amongst girls. He was a good friend most of the times, but occasionally his ego and pride prevented him from acting judiciously, thus leading to spoilt relations. After completing his engineering in Delhi, he had taken up a job, against his dad’s advice, who wanted him to go abroad for post graduation. It wasn’t that he was passionate about doing a job; it was just about his craze to be against his dad in every matter.

“Lets check the websites if tickets are available. Which movie, Arushi?” asked Kunal, who had already started typing in the address of the website which offered online movie ticket booking. Like Arushi, Kunal hailed from a typical middle class family. He was originally from Pune, but he had studied his engineering from Jalgaon. Four years of hostel life had made him more mature and practical than the others. He was average looking and his dressing sense was bad, to be put mildly. But what he lost out on looks, he made up in wittiness and charm. He was friendly, smart, always neutral and came across as sort of a problem resolver. This is why Kunal would always steal the center stage from Adi, which made Adi a little jealous of him at times. One more thing about Kunal, who was purely a guess at that time, was that he had a soft spot for Arushi.
“Any! If it’s Arushi, any movie would do!” joked Priya. Priya came from a well to do family in Nasik. She was a no-nonsense, silent girl, who was an introvert. She came as a puzzle to him then. Priya revealed very little about herself and her past and her talks were mostly restricted to work and day-to-day happenings. She did this with such proficiency that hardly anyone noticed it. Work wise, she was bright and her share of work was usually completed before anyone else’s. She shared a room with Arushi and they seemed to get along well.
“I think I ll skip the movie guys. I have some work to complete by tonight” he said.
“Vikram, don’t act nerdy. Its Friday and you want to spend the evening in office? Give us a break!.” It was Arushi.
“Hmm..fine.” he said.
After some more chitchat, it was decided that they would go out for a dull Hindi flick, which no one else in the city would be interested in watching.

Invincible

Invincible (2006)

Invincible is a story of dreams coming true. Vince Papale ((Mark Wahlberg) a local bartender and a Philadephia Eagles (NFL team) fan) overcomes all odds and manages to play for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1976. Wahlberg is at his wonderful best in the movie. Greg Kinnear has also done a splendid job in the role of the team coach, Dick Vermeil. The movie can be compared with another movie made on a similar theme, “The pursuit of Happyness”. Also this movie is telecasted at least once in a month on HBO and Star movies. So, do catch it the next time it is aired.

The Gang-1

This is the first part of a yarn which I may never complete. Even if I try and complete it, it may take some time. So proceed at your own risk.:

It was Friday night again. Why did the week always go by in a flash? Unlike his other friends, who longed for the weekend, he usually waited desperately for Monday to arrive. Strangely he loved office. Office was where he didn’t have to think about “what should I do next?” It was the only place where he robotically performed his tasks without giving a thought to anything other than the assignment at hand. He wasn’t a nerd though he looked like one in his glasses and ill-fitting formal clothes.
He was on his way to house. He preferred calling it a house and not a home, because it was a rented apartment where he stayed alone. The music was playing in his car stereo, but it wasn’t getting beyond his ears. It was like he was subconsciously listening to the music playing in the background, but his mind was busy with something else. He was getting nostalgic again. He shrugged off the feeling and concentrated on the dark road that lay ahead. Yeah, it surely was a dark road. He parked his car in his regular parking slot. He turned off the ignition and waited a full two minutes before stepping out.
A nod of the head served as an acknowledgment to the security guy who saluted him and a raised hand served as a casual hello to his neighbor whom he bumped into on the stairs. Once inside the house, he switched on the music player and inserted an Engelbert Humperdinck CD. Soft melodious music filled the room. He opened the refrigerator and took out a can of beer and made his way to the balcony. Once he was settled comfortably in his armchair, he lighted a Marlboro and stared at the empty sky. The night was dark and there was no moon. Only a few twinkling stars winked at him. Suddenly the feeling hit him again. Nostalgia! As he turned around and stared into the empty room, he saw himself with all of them. Three years back, in this very room, there used to be a riot every weekend. He still remembered everything crystal clear.
It was his first day in the new city. It was also his first day in his new office where he was introduced to “The Gang”. Adityaman, Arushi, Kunal and Priya. He was the fifth member of the team they were in. Vikram. As it happens to every new joiner, he was given hostile treatment by all four during his initial days in office. Nevertheless, he had gone about doing his job ignoring this and interacting with them professionally. Any help or assistance he asked for was met with upraised eyebrows and “Can’t you see that I am busy now” looks. But he was a lateral joiner and they were freshers and he knew that his experience of one year with his previous employer would give him an edge once he got familiar with the office product they were working on.
Two weeks into his job, he walked in one morning to see the gang huddled in Adityaman’s cubicle. It looked as if there was a problem and they were all trying to tackle it together, like a team. Not intending to intrude, he made his way to his cubicle and started with his work. Half an hour later, he felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Kunal who had a big smile on his face. He smiled back and asked him what the matter was. Kunal explained that Adi was badly stuck on some assignment that needed to be submitted by noon. They were unable to crack it and any help would be welcome. That was it! That was the opportunity he had been waiting for. It was time to pay them back by denying help. But, since difficult problems always intrigued him, he decided to have a look ignoring the evil thought. It was so typical of him, that he smiled inwardly.
C++ had always been his strong point. But this was a big program, the biggest he had seen till date and it would take some time to debug the code and find the problem. Ten minutes into the job and he had located a bug, which seemed to be the likely cause of the problem. Adi smiled at him, there were a few cheers as they removed the bug and ran the program. Strangely the program returned another error while running. It was a tricky situation and he felt that the code needed a few tweaks. A few changes and half an hour later, the program was up and running smoothly. Adi thanked him profusely and hurriedly checked in the code in the nick of time saving himself from a confrontation with the Boss. He was back to his seat after the celebrations were over. He had decided to skip lunch and make up for the lost time. Exactly at one, Priya was at his desk smiling at him.
“Lunch?” she asked.
“Sure” he nodded and smiled back.
As they walked towards the canteen he realized that he was part of them now. Part of the gang!

Atlantis Found - Clive Cussler

Just finished Atlantis Found. This was my first shot at a Clive Cussler novel. True to his description at Wiki (American Adventure Novelist and a marine archaeologist), he has created a first-rate thrilling fiction story. The story stars Dirk Pitt (A James Bond kind of character) working for N.U.M.A. (National Underwater and Marine Agency). Giving away anything about the story would be horrible for anyone wants to read the book. But the story consists of blend of high adventure, technology, numerous twists, outlandish plots and beautiful women that keep you engrossed. Do read it!

Which pizza house do you prefer?

Whose pizzas do you like most and why?

- Dominos

-Pizza Hut

-Smokin Joes

-Garcias

-US Pizza

-Any other

Do you dislike any particular pizza chain from the above list for some reason. Write about that too if you want to.

Dilemma

Several years back I had one tenth the money I can now afford for a birthday party. Strangely the number of friends who wish me now are just one tenth of the ones used to wish me then. Now I am in a dilemma. Should I amass more wealth in the future or make more friends?

Fear

The feeling creeps up inside him again. He glances at the distant sky that is darkening as the sun is setting. This happens to him with amazing regularity everyday. Every evening as the sun sets, something in him changes. It is as if he is a completely different person after darkness sets in. Courage is replaced by fear.
As always restlessness makes its way in and discomfort sets in. He quickens his pace. He wants to reach home fast. All along, he has a feeling that he is being followed. The streetlights are dim and every moving shadow plays a million tricks on his mind. He is walking faster, so fast that he starts sweating. In a few minutes, he reaches his house. To his disappointment, he finds the house in pitch darkness. He suddenly remembers that the landlord and his family aren’t in town. They wont be back until morning.
With trembling fingers, he unlocks the doors. The creaking sound of the door hinge makes his heart skip a beat. With amazing swiftness, he switches on the lights. There is a faint buzz after which the lights come on. Suddenly, he is a different person, his confident self, no fear in his heart. He laughs at himself for being such a paranoid about non-existent stuff. He dumps his office bag and proceeds to the bathroom for a shower.
He is whistling under the warm shower, enjoying himself. His mood is gay now, and he is busy planning his dinner. Zonk!! The lights go out. It’s a power cut. For a second, he is paralyzed. The same shower he was enjoying a second ago starts to sting him. He turns it off and gazes around, eyes adjusting to the darkness. Claustrophobia sets in and the bathroom walls seem to close in. He opens the bathroom door and rushes out to the kitchen. The headlights of passing by cars on the street illuminate the kitchen glass windows, which in turn cast strange shadows on the walls.
He is scared to death now. The water drops on his body blend with the sweat and drip to the floor. He lights a candle but the dim flame doesn’t provide much relief. Hurriedly he rubs himself dry with a towel and rushes to bed. He isn’t hungry any more. Once in his bed, he covers himself fully with the blanket. He shuts his eyes tightly and cringes in fear on the bed. Strangely this darkness seems as ghastly as the darkness waiting outside. He curls into a ball and start praying. The strange noises coming from the leaves of the trees outside make it impossible for him to sleep.
He shuts out the noises by pressing the pillow tightly on his ears. After a lot of twisting and turning in bed, he finally falls asleep. He sleeps fitfully and every time his eyes open, he shivers and soothes himself back to sleep.
Finally after what seems like eternity, he sees light filtering through the windows. Sunlight! It is day again. He curses himself for being afraid of darkness and promises that he will handle it better next time. In his heart he knows, there is no cure for fear.
Fear of the dark!

Indian Rain

This one is an excellent song by Colonial Cousins.

You can hear it at http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=49rRK8slUaY .

Here are the lyrics:

Rain Clouds in the sky, I don't know why
They make me blue, when I'm thinking of you
Maybe they want to cry, As I walk on by
Hiding my tears, in a world of good byes

Love during summer rain, causes no pain
Cause I'm looking back, at you once again
Memories crowding my mind, You're one of a kind
Life with out love, I'm helpless I'm dying

Rain drops and dance, strange kind of romance
I don't know why (whether) to cry out loud, But I'm feeling fine
Watch the rhythm of the rain falling down, falling down

(Trumpet Solo)

Rain falling around, Its just the sound
I like to hear, when my hearts feeling down
Try to smile once again, As they slash in my window pane
I quite like that, I don't mind
I've got no complaint

Rain drops and dance, strange kind of romance
I don't know why (whether) to cry out loud, But I'm feeling fine
Watch the rhythm of the rain falling down, falling down