The Big Bang Theory

Just love this one! Remember how we would say in a childhood fight.. "I am rubber, you are glue. Whatever you say bounces off me, and sticks to you"

Well.. meet Sheldon Cooper. 

Here's how he fights with Leslie Winkle: Yes, well, I'm polymerized tree sap and you're an inorganic adhesive, so whatever verbal projectile you launch in my direction is reflected off of me, returns on its original trajectory and adheres to you.

Enjoying The Big Bang Theory to the fullest! Thanks Nikhil for introducing me to it!

Mausam

Ohh this movie is so 'no fun'!! 

Well...what matters is how you look at it. There is an interesting suspense angle to it.. the big question being... how on earth can none of the characters be exposed to cell phones with good network? Even when the movie FINALLY ended, I found myself saying.. Now I'll never know whether this defunct couple ever gets a cell phone, or ever learns how to leave each other accurate messages on voicemail/answering machines. Thats the suspense...the director keeps you guessing till the end!

There's comedy too.. especially the train scene in Switzerland where he comes running for her. Then the tragedy.. this heroine is there facing the music for each calamity that took place since 1993! 

In the first half, nothing happens. They don't even speak more than 3 lines to each other. Ohh so flat! There's no scope for good acting, and both Shahid and Sonam have promptly given it a miss. And yes! The mystery.. You'll never guess, even after the end credits start rolling, why this 3 hour ad for a mobile network was called 'Mausam'. 

Ho hum. Atleast the mystery of why they used the tagline 'a timeless love story' is solved. They make you lose track of the year that's being depicted with their mindless anachronisms.

Happy Independence Day

Here is a story I received as a forward. I don't know who wrote it, but its beautiful!

In the line of fire

Vivek Pradhan was not a happy man.. Even the plush comfort of the air-conditioned compartment of the Shatabdi express could not cool his frayed nerves. He was the Project Manager and still not entitled to air travel. It was not the prestige he sought, he had tried to reason with the admin person, it was the savings in time. As PM, he had so many things to do!! He opened his case and took out the laptop, determined to put the time to some good use.

'Are you from the software industry sir?' the man beside him was staring appreciatively at the laptop. Vivek glanced briefly and mumbled in affirmation, handling the laptop now with exaggerated care and importance as if it were an expensive car. 'You people have brought so much advancement to the country, Sir. Today everything is getting computerized.'

'Thanks,' smiled Vivek, turning around to give the man a look. He always found it difficult to resist appreciation. The man was young and stockily built like a sportsman..... He looked simple and strangely out of place in that little lap of luxury like a small town boy in a prep school. He probably was a railway sportsman making the most of his free traveling pass.

'You people always amaze me,' the man continued, 'You sit in an office and write something on a computer and it does so many big things outside.'

Vivek smiled deprecatingly. Naiveness demanded reasoning not anger. 'It is not as simple as that my friend. It is not just a question of writing a few lines. There is a lot of process that goes behind it.'

For a moment, he was tempted to explain the entire Software Development Lifecycle but restrained himself to a single statement. 'It is complex, very complex.'

'It has to be. No wonder you people are so highly paid,' came the reply.

This was not turning out as Vivek had thought. A hint of belligerence crept into his so far affable, persuasive tone. 'Everyone just sees the money. No one sees the amount of hard work we have to put in. Indians have such a narrow concept of hard work. Just because we sit in an air-conditioned office, does not mean our brows do not sweat. You exercise the muscle; we exercise the mind and believe me that is no less taxing.'

He could see, he had the man where he wanted, and it was time to drive home the point.

'Let me give you an example. Take this train. The entire railway reservation system is computerized. You can book a train ticket between any two stations from any of the hundreds of computerized booking centers across the country. Thousands of transactions accessing a single database, at a timeconcurrently; data integrity, locking, data security. Do you understand the complexity in designing and coding such a system?'

The man was awestruck; quite like a child at a planetarium. This was something big and beyond his imagination.

'You design and code such things?'

'I used to,' Vivek paused for effect, 'but now I am the Project Manager.'

'Oh!' sighed the man, as if the storm had passed over, 'so your life is easy now.'

This was like the last straw for Vivek. He retorted, 'Oh come on, does life ever get easy as you go up the ladder. Responsibility only brings more work. Design and coding! That is the easier part. Now I do not do it, but I am responsible for it and believe me, that is far more stressful. My job is to get the work done in time and with the highest quality. To tell you about the pressures, there is the customer at one end, always changing his requirements, the user at the other, wanting something else, and your boss, always expecting you to have finished it yesterday.'

Vivek paused in his diatribe, his belligerence fading with self-realization. What he had said, was not merely the outburst of a wronged man, it was the truth. And one need not get angry while defending the truth.

'My friend,' he concluded triumphantly, 'you don't know what it is to be in the Line of Fire'.

The man sat back in his chair, his eyes closed as if in realization. When he spoke after sometime, it was with a calm certainty that surprised Vivek.

'I know sir,..... I know what it is to be in the Line of Fire......'  He was staring blankly, as if no passenger, no train existed, just a vast expanse of time.

'There were 30 of us when we were ordered to capture Point 4875 in the cover of the night. The enemy was firing from the top. There was no knowing where the next bullet was going to come from and for whom. In the morning when we finally hoisted the tri-colour at the top only 4 of us were alive.'

'You are a...?'

'I am Subedar Sushant from the 13 J&K Rifles on duty at Peak 4875 in Kargil. They tell me I have completed my term and can opt for a soft assignment.But, tell me sir, can one give up duty just because it makes life easier? On the dawn of that capture, one of my colleagues lay injured in the snow, open to enemy fire while we were hiding behind a bunker. It was my job to go and fetch that soldier to safety. But my captain sahib refused me permission and went ahead himself. He said that the first pledge he had taken as a Gentleman Cadet was to put the safety and welfare of the nation foremost followed by the safety and welfare of the men he commanded... ....his own personal safety came last, always and every time.'

'He was killed as he shielded and brought that injured soldier into the bunker.. Every morning thereafter, as we stood guard, I could see him taking all those bullets, which were actually meant for me . I know sir....I know, what it is to be in the Line of Fire.'

Vivek looked at him in disbelief not sure of how to respond. Abruptly, he switched off the laptop.

It seemed trivial, even insulting to edit a Word document in the presence of a man for whom valour and duty was a daily part of life; valour and sense of duty which he had so far attributed only to epical heroes.

The train slowed down as it pulled into the station, and Subedar Sushant picked up his bags to alight.

'It was nice meeting you sir.'

Vivek fumbled with the handshake.

This hand... had climbed mountains, pressed the trigger, and hoisted the tri-colour. Suddenly, as if by impulse, he stood up at attention and his right hand went up in an impromptu salute....

It was the least he felt he could do for the country.

PS: The incident he narrated during the capture of Peak 4875 is a true-life incident during the Kargil war. Capt. Batra sacrificed his life while trying to save one of the men he commanded, as victory was within sight. For this and various other acts of bravery, he was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, the nation's highest military award.

Live humbly, there are great people around us, let us learn! 

Dhoosar

Wanted to write about this Marathi film before its memory fades and becomes a blurry haze in my thoughts. Dhoosar is about fading memories. It is about snapshots of a mother-daughter relationship, woven intricately into the story of how Alzheimer's slowly claims the mind and life of an ordinary woman with an extraordinary heart. It is about a stranger, who walks into the life of a single aging woman living alone and battling an evil illness, hoping to take what's hers, but ending up becoming her protector and son. It is about transformation. About photography, about legacy. It is an example of excellent story-telling.
A daughter settled abroad returns one day after 2 long years into her mother's bungalow, only to find its name-plate bearing the name of a stranger. She catches a glimpse of her mother, who fails to recognize her. She is shocked to see, after finally being allowed into her own house, that her mom's room has been painted white and her mom is being addressed as 'Avwa'- a strange word she has never heard. She is quick to grasp that her mom is ill, and conclude that the tenant who has taken over her mother's house and life is an intruder taking advantage of her ill old mother.  It is only after she calms down that the 'stranger' begins to explain the reasons behind each of his acts. It is really touching how she finally grasps that the white color, the strange name and the nameplate are acts of kindness on his part, and not the results of cruelty as she had concluded. It is also touching how the story of the mom's life is slowly unfolded as fleeting memories in the daughter's eyes.
Dhoosar falls under the category of 'meaningful cinema'. Amol Palekar's films are never masala entertainers. But this one, albeit a serious subject, hardly bores you, and surprisingly is not a tearjerker. Sure, there are a few moments that moisten the eyes, but overall, its a simple story, beautifully told.

Dhobi What?!!

What? And Why?? This whole movie is like modern art. An abstract painting, for you to look at, and derive your own interpretations. Here's mine....Dhobi NOT!!

It really made me think of an indulging parent praising the work of, and even posing to be painted by a child who really shouldn't be painting at all!!! Aamir Khan should have let his lady try her hand at writing or interior decoration!

The story starts off as a series of random events in the lives of 4 of its characters, and keeps moving with the same style. The only interesting story is that of the lady who occupied artist Aamir Khan's house before him. But even that could have had a definitive ending. And the amateurish style of the video shooting to show that the lady was a novice gets on your nerves after a while. Really could have been done better - it speaks for amateurish direction, giving the movie a documentary-feel.

Overall- ok to watch @ home...you can definitely give the theatre a miss!

A cry in the night

This is the first time I had such a negative reaction to a book! I would read a few pages at night before sleeping, and then have nightmares! Well, the thriller part could have been more fast paced... I felt the story drag on in the middle. The tale is different, but could have been told more effectively. And even though she goes through a lot, you don't really connect too well with the lead character Jenny. If you ask me, she's too weak and helpless! All in all, I'd say you can give this one a skip..
Now I need something cheerful! Maybe I'll pick up my Wodehouse or Douglas Adams again!

Mystic River

Just finished this one by Dennis Lehane. I'd heard the movie's really good, but I chose to read the book first. Quite some good work there. Initially,  I was a little put off by the bad language and bad grammar used to portray the crime-infested, mugger-dominated neighborhood of the three protagonists. But as the story develops, you tend to get so absorbed into it, that you really forget the language. The way the characters are potrayed is simply amazing. From when the three friends Sean, Jimmy and Dave were little kids growing up in an area in the city where innocence is lost really early on; until the time all three have become men with distinct characters - the author takes us through their minds and thought processes as they build their personalities. Same neighborhood, different outcomes. All three make something different of the collectively similar set of experiences they have.
And the story moves forward at a medium pace, engrossing all the same. Suspense is kept alive too... all in all, a very good read! Gonna catch the movie too!

He's just not that into you

This movie just came and went in India. No big uproar, or maybe I missed it. But right now, while vacationing in US, I happened to visit Schaumburg Public Library for a Yoga Conference, and saw this cover, not on a DVD, but on a book. Of course I was really curious to know what could be written to fill about 130 pages on this subject. I love the saying 'When in Rome....'. So, when I'm in US, I always try to read the things that seem to be 'in' at the moment. As a child, this is how I got into Judy Blume, Sweet Valley Twins, The Babysitter's club series, and a very good novel called 'Where the red fern grows' (I later saw the movie too- amazing), and in a recent trip, one called 'What dreams may come' - by Richard Matheson. This one made it to my list of all-time-favorites-and-can-read-and-re-read-any-number-of-times books.

So..coming to this book. I was just browsing through the chapters... He's just not that into you if he's not asking you out, He's just not that into you if he's not calling you... I still couldn't believe they'd written full chapters on these seemingly pretty complete sentences. My uncle finally asked me if I wanted to check any books out, and here I was, with this book in my hand.

I finished the book in two days. Its written by the co-authors of the show 'Sex and the city'. Greg Behrendt is the funny-man author, and as his co-author Liz Tuccillo puts it, he's the big brother you never had when it comes to dating-advice. The book is written like a self-help book... and is written in the form of sarcastic agony-aunt type responses from Greg to women with dating problems. His answer to all of them: He's just not that into you if he's not head over heels in love with you and not emotionally available to you. And, in his own words, 'Don't waste the pretty'.

Erm, in an Indian context, this could fall flat, coz firstly, Indian women don't date, dump and re-date as often as dating women in New York. But lately, I've become very introspective, and it struck me that this book could be used by Indian girls looking for grooms on shaadi portals!!!! Far-fetched idea, true, but I really applied it to some of the scenarios a very good friend of mine has been in, and I felt, had she applied the rules in this book, she would have known when to shout "Next!" and move on, rather than waste her time with some really bad so-called prospective grooms. I like Greg's line "Don't waste the pretty". And also this one "Pets are God's way of saying 'Don't lower your standards'" :D What he means is, if all you're looking for is a sloppy mannerless weirdo who only wants to be fed, go get a pet! Don't settle for less. Nice message...

His writing style makes you laugh... he uses humor to drive a tough point home. In one letter, where he wants to say that women should use this book as a tool to find out whats really going on in their relationships, but caution us against overdoing it, here's what he says

'when I say tool, I don't mean a giant shovel you use to hit unsuspecting men over the head'

Hahaha..nice work, Greg :). We get it...finally in any relationship, we have to use our own common-sense, while remembering that we are worth being treated with respect and then reach a decision.

I'm gonna see the movie next! Hey....no raised eyebrows! I'm on vacation!!!

Cheers,

La Pensive

Mumbai Pune Mumbai

I saw this one with cousins over the weekend. This is what I'd call a complete success! Good direction, great acting, nice dialogues, and for once, everyone's sticking to the story line!
Its a love story. I really don't remember the last time someone made a love story in Marathi!! The story begins with a Mumbai girl's visit to Pune. Her first glimpses of Pune and the subtleties of the differences between the two cites are very nicely portrayed during her search for an address there. The story unfolds between conversations with a stranger who helps her. Both the actors have done a great job..Very natural dialogue delivery, and a very easy exchanges of ideas. I think after Pu La's hilarious Mumbaikar-Punekar-Nagpurkar....this is a very apt and modern take on the definite differences that still exist between the lives and thinking of the citizens of the two cities.
Music's nice too. There's a title track, and just one song during the movie...and what a lovely one!! Kadhi Tu.....
And of course...a sweet ending! That's definitely the quintessential necessity for making a love story successful. Go see it! I give it 4 and half stars!!

Don't Lose Your Mind...Lose Your Weight

 I'm not the obsessive type who'd lose her mind over losing weight! But I still picked this book up, and didn't regret it for even a minute! By the way, the fact that Kareena Kapoor got her Tashn look by following Rujuta's diet plan is a great incentive to get curious and want to know what's in this book..

Here's a perky, entertaining account of the things you can do to make slight alteration to your lifestyle and diet if you want to look like a million dollars. The message is simple, what you'd keep hearing in Yoga classes or from your parents, but the way its delivered really makes you want to do it. Here are some things she says in the book:

1. Use your common sense while eating and exercising. 
2. It really is possible to eat whatever you like and still stay fit, the trick is in knowing when and how much you eat
3. Her message in her words: Eat local, think global..
4. Split up your meals into smaller parts and have something every two hours 
5. Eat more during the day and less at night
6. Start your day with a fresh fruit instead of tea/coffee

Her writing style is good, although I wouldn't give her full marks for grammar.... but what she has to say is  nicely said, and her cheeky similes make you forget that this is a self help book. Its almost as fast-paced and entertaining as a chick-lit! Here's an example of her witty way to drive a point home.."If you eat like a dog at night, you'll behave like a b**** during the day"  Ouch!! But who'll forget now, that suppers are supposed to be light?!
I'd say....Go for it! Read it, and try to apply it in your life!