The Review Post

This is a fresh out of the oven type thing. The film hasn't even finished running credits as I write this piece. That's how compelled I felt to write about this movie. There's so much to be said and yet so little that was. I'm truly astounded by Ben Stiller's take on something so mundane as a closet-hero seeking something more from his life. Walter Mitty is no one but he's everyone. Every one of us who wants to go out there, do something we've never done before, look outside of our comfort zone - but we don't. Because we're too caught up in our own little web of things. Believe you me, when I say, I didn't know what I was watching, for the first hour. Was he searching for his boss? Did he find himself during the course of his journey? What's he doing? Why? My mind was full of questions. But I didn't stop to think. Not once. I was so engrossed, so zapped. The story telling is so unique. Or I haven't seen something like this...

In a first, I'm going to review a restaurant! This is simlply because I have had the opportunity to visit this place twice in the last 2 months and I believe it's worth a review. You may have sensed from my tone that I'm quite impressed with this place. Any time of the day, any day of the week, Social is living up to its name! It's thronging with people all the time and there's no particular kind of crowd that comes in. You'll find your typical college crowd to the working class and everyone in between. I've visited the place during prime time in the day and night. Strangely, both times bang in the middle of the week. But before you judge me, let me tell you even I was surprised at the number of people that come out on weekdays/nights. The music is good, appropriate for the time of the day - I've noticed restaurants generally have a playlist that keeps repeating over and over. Not happening! - Social brings a refreshing change to that scena...

I'm taking a slight detour from writing about classics for now. Because I chanced upon this movie and I wanted to write about it, pronto. A hilarious narration of the lives of two people whose jobs have become obsolete. A couple of old school sales guys (Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn) find themselves not only out of jobs but also out of any more job opportunities in the new digital world. So they apply and get through none other than Google - but - as interns. They're surrounded by 20-somethings, all aspiring to work for one of the world's biggest corporations. They know nothing about Google Hangouts, coding, HTML5, X-Men or Qidditch. [Yes! They actually play Quidditch with brooms between their legs as part of their week-long assessment. You'll just die laughing when you see the snitch though.] These guys are the most experienced of the lot but the youngest at heart. And you'll cheer for them all along as they dodge geek-hurdle after geek-hurdle to prove...

I'd like to start with a couple of classic movies. Husband and I are doing a 'Classics Special'. We're trying to watch, not necessarily Academy winning movies but, Academy-level performances. I'll keep it really short. A young Tom Cruise, a young Demi Moore - what more could you ask for? No. This movie is more than just their faces. It just goes to show that at some point in time, actors were paid to act, not just appear pretty on the screen. For those who haven't watched it, it's about a murder investgation in the US Marine Corps. The unfortunate death of a young cadet raises many questions about the conduct and treatment meted out to new recruits in the Corps. Enter the star of the show - Jack Nicholson. He's vicious. He's proud. He's arrogant. There's no one you want to hate more. And I felt this way as I watched it in 2014. I can only imagine the impact his performance might've had in 1992. And rightfully so, he was...

Hello there! Welcome to my new literary abode (or so I would like to call it). :-) I'm thrilled with this new endeavour that has brought excitement in my life. And boy am I raring to go! If there's one thing I like to do, it's this - review things. Books, movies, music videos, places, restaurants - essentially anything I can experience. I like putting my experiences in words because when I write about them, it's like living those moments all over again. With good experiences I feel nostalgia, with the bad ones, well at least I know what I don't want to experience ever again, right? And in some teeny tiny way, it also makes me feel important. Reviews are subjective and many a time, you may not agree with what you read - and that's perfectly alright. I'd love for this forum to be more interactive in its new avatar, so keep those comments coming! Note: You will need a Google+ profile or page to be able to comment. Happy reading!

Change is good, and inevitable as the wise say. And hence, I'm headed down that path with this blog. I'm bidding goodbye to spots checks & stripes. With the hopes that what's to come will be better. It isn't going to be teary or morose, in fact I have only to thank this space. For bringing me out of writing hibernation and making me believe I can do this. For over a year, it has been my motivation to come back and keep posting. I bid adieu but only to come back with something different, something interesting and of course something original. Cheers!

At the cost of facing flak from Sallu fans, I'm going to do this. Trust me, I'm a big Sallu fan myself. But this movie was beyond disappointment. The good - There are a couple of them only - 1. There is a social message in the film (it's quite blatant actually) and 2. I didn't pay to watch this film. The bad - It is understood that Salman Khan has die-hard fans but to take them for granted? This was a bit of a stretch. I've watched bad Sallu films - Wanted, Bodyguard, Ready (even enjoyed this one) - but Jai Ho left me at a loss for words. The ugly - Check out the cast - I mean seriously! Anyone and everyone is in it. The production house had absolutely no problem keeping budgets in control.  The obvious - There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that works for this film. There is no story (save the one message that you're badgered with throughout because the director hasn't been acquianted with the concept of subtelty).  The frames...

I frankly didn’t know what to make of this film. If you thought the bromance in Dostana was much, you ain’t seen nothing yet folks. This is bromance of a serious variety. What you saw on Koffee with Karan was just the tip of the iceberg. The eye contact, the sharing of a smirk, the running in unison – too much I say! Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor shared more chemistry between each other than their efforts to share one with Priyanka Chopra, put together. I’ve been inactive on my blog for over a month, this film made me want to write again (guess I can thank it for at least one thing).  So first off, I’d have never watched this film but I must admit, quite unabashedly, that the only reason I did watch it was the Ghanti song. I mean it does have a ‘ring’ to it (get it? :P)and listen to it a few times over, your body will swing to it automatically. :P Having confessed to something as embarrassing as that, let’s get to the story. Oh right, there was none. ...

AWOL as usual. Sincere apologies, this time was particularly long. I had other business to take care of, you know marriage et al. :) And as husband and I walked into the sunset hand-in-hand he sweetly asks - you're not going to write about this on your blog, right? I just smiled at him. And this is the beautiful part about marriage that people gush about I guess. The understanding. Because at that point in time there was one thing we were both pretty certain about - I was definitely going to write about it! :P How could I not?   If my life were a novel, this is the part where the most important character makes his entry - the hero!   That said, the hero has made his entry and will be a common occurrence in my posts henceforth :) At the expense of his embarrassment, welcome to the blogosphere husband dearest! It's going to take a while to reorient myself. So while I scoop for something interesting to write about, I'm leaving you with a couple snapsho...

I'm feeling rather poetic these days. For those of you who missed the first one of the season, here it is - my ode to India and more specifically the former state of Andhra Pradesh. I was truly torn by the incident. Having said that, I moved on from the sombre state of mind to a slightly more lighter tone with this limerick I jotted down in what I'd call a "burst of creativity". It was an informal dedication to a person I didn't know too well. But despite that I thought I did pretty well (so much for modesty) :P In our time of need, you always paid heed. We can't thank you enough for all your deeds. We look up to you for inspiration anew. You will always be what we call the coolest new-age guru ! Read with with the swagger of a rapper. I ended up singing it in the Eminem (think Slim Shady) kind of way.  Tell me what struck you as a good tune that would go with the limerick!

Cut her, break her, divide her. On any other day, I'd have said, she will rise again. But not today. I am but one person. And I want to make a difference before they destroy her completely. But how? The stealth, the dirt and the audacity of a handful of people conspiring to annihilate this country is beyond me. We can see. The people of this country can see through you. Yesterday, democracy was being torn to bits before me. And all I could do was watch in frustrated silence and helplessness. I am but one person. And I watched my country gently weep. *In memory of a state called Andhra Pradesh

So I'm back to being a copywriter again. And I've discovered that it makes me happy :) Extremely happy! I was born to be advertising's child, or so I'd like to think :) Someone once asked me, "So you're a writer in an ad agency, I've heard you work on extreme timelines and deadlines? Are there many copywriters there? And what qualifications do you need to be a copywriter?" I was ready to pour my heart out about all my hardships and then this is what I wrote: Dear XYZ, Yes I do work in an ad agency and there are writers there, not many though. There are no qualifications as such, if you can write, you can be a copywriter (but you have to be good, HAVE TO!). A lot of it is experience, and that people pick up from client exposure and number of years in the business. But you gotta be crazy and real tough! Advertising is a crazy world and you gotta love it that much to be in it - that's my learning. :) If you ask me, a job in advert...

Happy new year everyone! Welcome to 2014 or the year of the Horse (according to Chinese astrology). Apparently this year is good for luck, in general. That might sound like good news to most of us, but in the light of my last post, doesn't seem like it for the AAP. Now, while I wish them luck, I really hope they stop the drama and start the work. They seem to be more and more consumed by the party they've made alliance with - not so much good news for us. So let's hope the horse swoops across to change the luck and fate of this nation this year :-) Having said that, 2014 seems to have begun at quite the galloping speed - already 16 days in - feels like we were preparing for new years just yesterday! I hope the year remains as eventful. To put it in true Bollywood terminology - hanste hanste kat jaaye raste. (Pardon the filminess, it's just so innate :-P) There's nothing new about new years, in my opinion, especially when it comes to resolutions. Every y...