The Review Post

It’s hard to see an adult man being treated as a child. Or to think that a man with as much exposure as Sanjay Dutt would be so naive. My instant reaction to Sanju: Oh the poor thing! He made a flurry of bad choices in life and then had to atone for it all. He still is. But is it that simple? Can someone be duped so easily? Can someone be so impressionable after being born into an affluent family? A child that had access to a cigarette at 6 years of age is no naive bunny. Could his parents have protected him that much? Did he really not know what he was getting into when he was housing an assault rifle? Actually, Sanju left me with more questions than answers and I felt that it did not cover all facets of his life. He was married three times - what about those relationships? Or the many famous actresses he was with, in his prime? What about the birth of his first daughter? Did these things not have an impact on his life? Apparently, after his mother, he was deeply affected by th...

Who am I? She asked herself. Just a pretty face? She hated that. She wanted to be more. Her face, her clothes, her body. Was all that they saw. But what about her wonderful mind? How she'd love to show that to someone. Is that someone out there? She wonders. In that hope she puts her thoughts out. Crazy. Stubborn. Opinionated. Is all they said. She speaks and she's looked at with wonder. Sometimes even dislike. But at times she doesn't want to. It takes all her might. She has thoughts. Is someone listening? She has opinions. Does anyone care? Or is this what we call womanhood? Is it meant to be despair?

This was like revisiting childhood. Only with better graphics and 3D animation. In my mind, nothing can replace the old cartoon version, but Jon Favreau's version is something to be experienced. When the film was released with a U/A rating, I wondered who the fool was to have made such a decision...until I watched the movie. The visual effects are so amazing that some parts are hair-raising! And I mean it in its truest sense. All actors have done a splendid job of lending their voices to the characters and bringing them alive on screen, quite literally. And young Mowgli played by Neel Sethi is endearing. I did miss the vultures and Colonel Haathi, though. :) I loved every bit of The Jungle Book , savored every character, felt their fear and mourned their loss. Everything except one niggling factor - diction. So this is a story set in India, with characters that have Indian names - then why pronounce them incorrectly? Every time any character referred to Akela or Sher...

Resplendent is how I would describe Bajirao Mastani in one word. I know I'm a bit late to the table with this review, and believe me, I wanted to let this pass. But the only thing that lingered in my mind like a sweet scent every time I thought about this movie was Priyanka Chopra's performance. So I had to write about it! Priyanka Chopra is what you would call a 'class act'. Her portrayal of Bajirao's wife, Kashibai, is not just convincing, it's par excellence. With limited screen time, Priyanka's Kashibai creates a lasting impression. At least for me, I walked out with Kashi in my mind. Bajirao and Mastani had anyway sealed their fate, the moment they realized they were in love. Kashi is simple, naive and devoted to the Peshwa. Her happiness lies in his and that's the purpose of her life. I loved the many shades of her emotions. She goes from feeling loved to feeling betrayed, to denial, anger and finally acceptance. Her level of acceptance is ...

Hey there, I've been away for a while (again). I realize I must make these disappearances scarce. A lot of things have transpired in the recent past and I've not written about any of these things. I call this my literary abode and I've not done what I do best - relate my experiences. So, here's a snapshot of what I've been up to in the past year that I haven't written about: - A few trips to: Chennai (my first experience of a big, fat, Bong wedding) Goa  Yercaud  Hampi (a family reunion) - I visited several new watering holes around town - Finished a beautiful book called 'Lean In' by Sheryl Sandberg and downloaded many more on my Kindle - Watched some wonderful movies: Spectre Bajirao Mastani The Hateful Eight Sicario The Theory of Everything I Am Ali Ugh! the list is exhausting as you can see and I'm sure I've still missed out on a few other things. It's too late for me to start writing about each one of the...

I may be a bit late to the table, but I had to write about Bajrangi Bhaijaan because I had a few thoughts that needed some voicing. My first reaction to this movie's release was to ignore it completely because I was disillusioned by Salman Khan's brand of films after  Jai Ho  (yes I did watch it). But then there were a few good reviews (surprisingly), so I thought why not give it a shot. So, I watched it and admit (sheepishly), I bawled like a child. My sentiments got the better of me. Ugh!  All through I kept thinking, ok this is not bad, but I won't cry (I'm too cool for that). But the tears just started rolling at the climax and I had no control. So coming to the film, there is a plot and all that. And of course, there is some silliness. But in the larger context of things, I decided to overlook them.  Here's what I loved the most: the concept of a mute girl and how a nice guy tries to help her out. I even liked how he discovers where s...

I wrote this on my other blog and was quite happy with it, so here I am, sharing my joy. :) I need to write for myself.  I get withdrawal symptoms otherwise. It's strange because, unlike other addictive things, withdrawal symptoms for writing occur much after you've stopped.  Your body exhausts every morsel of satisfaction you got from writing your last piece. And then, after about 6-8 months, it happens - the first pang. Your thoughts are finding words, but the words are not reaching the word doc. And when you attempt to put it down, there it is, the dreaded writer's block, staring you in the face. What's writer's block? To me, it's the cursor blinking on a blank screen. There's nothing that bothers me more than that jobless blinking cursor. I get immense pleasure making him work. So then, that's what I do. Make him run, as my words catch up with him. Then I pause to think and he gets time to rest. But then I start typing and he sta...

This is not typically the kind of book I would read, but I really have no clue how I chanced upon it. It just appeared one day, on the 'books that might interest me' list on my Amazon account. So I read the synopsis, it seemed interesting, so I went ahead and scrolled through the comments and reviews. Most people had only good things to say and that's rare when it comes to books. So obviously then, I bought it. And I'm glad I did. The author, Damodar Mall, is an extremely learned man. I can only imagine how much one can learn from just being around him. And I don't know if he'll ever read my review, but I sincerely thank him for writing a book and spreading his treasure trove of knowledge. It's amazing how much insight one can get by just walking through a market or even just standing behind the billing counter of a supermarket. I was awed by some of these insights. Supermarketwala was an amazing read for me because of two reasons - i) I belong to t...

A book review, finally! The excessive delay is because I've not read anything lately that I felt like writing about. But, of course, only Amish could change my mind. It's been a while since I read this one, so pardon any nuances I might miss. I'm doing this purely out of memory. Amish is one of my favorite Indian authors. He has a way of connecting the mortal with the immortal and I truly believe that's a gift. How many writers can make Gods seem like real people? Not many I know. Of the ones I've read, authors can decipher, interpret at best, but not flesh out a character so well that it seems real, and yet maintain a surreal quality about it. Needless to say, I'm a big fan of exactly this trait of Amish's writing. Which is why, The Immortals of Meluha  was such a hit with me. I did not know much about Lord Shiva or his clan until Amish wrote this book. So, the story of Shiva was also high on mysticism for me. Having established how big a fa...

So Kangana Ranaut is turning out to be something of a powerhouse. This movie is all her - and some others who managed to scratch the surface. Everyone else is like background props to set context. Yes I've been away for quite long and I chose to return with Tanu and Manu in their latest outing – Tanu Weds Manu Returns . Hopefully, my blog will make a better impression on you than this film did on me. To sum it up, it's ekdum timepass . IMDb has rated it 8.3 and I seldom disagree with them, but this time I do and strongly so! The story is supposed to be about the marital life of Tanu and Manu, four years hence (they got married in part 1 - just FYI). But it's nothing but an exaggerated rant of a bored couple. I wish there was more to it. They try going their own separate ways but fail miserably. And in their endeavor to get back at each other, they drag poor Kusum into the soup. After a while everything seems like a drag. The songs are good but seem like ...

I must state at the outset that I'm not the zombie-apocalypse-movie-watcher type. I'm more the chick-flick variety. But what happens when zombie apocalypse meets chick flick? Answer: Shaun of the Dead I'd never in my wildest imagination thought that zombie flicks could be funny. Neither had I thought that I'd find myself watching it some day. Well, as you can see, Shaun of the Dead has proved me wrong on most accounts. And boy am I glad it did! The camera work and narrative are quite unique. Horror + comedy only makes me think of the Scary Movies series or American Pie series. But the Brits have shown the Americans how it's done. Smart and funny with a real story line - that's a sure-shot recipe for awesomesness. And I'm saying this 10 years too late. So imagine the furore it might've caused when it first came out? Or wait, don't put your imagination to work yet. Get the first copy of the movie you can lay your hands on and let yo...

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...