It’s an extraordinarily rainy Sunday in Mumbai. Well, it has been water and more water all through the weekend. Of course, it being a Sunday, things are much less painful as one can comfortably lounge at home and not brave the rain at all. My activities since morning have been on similar lines – lying around joblessly, eating, cursing the Mumbai infrastructure, and aimlessly flipping through TV channels.
Here is where a news channel caught my attention. Not that there was any revelation, but it made me wonder how the news anchor was right there, looking as prim and proper as one can be, her countenance not reflecting a sign of the pathetically gloomy, and gloomily pathetic, weather outside. I do not intend to say that this is the only profession which requires your unconditional presence, but the enormous amount of pressure a news anchor must face has struck me in the past as well.
Now, I work in an industry which, most people would agree, is extremely demanding both in terms of the hours and, on more than a few occasions, the pressure as well. In office, I am used to watching Business news anchors tirelessly dole out news, interviews, analysis – all while looking good at the same time.
These are times when I cherish that, in all but a few moments, the only audience to my face is some lifeless excel sheet. Imagine the abandon my facial muscles enjoy. At most times, I can afford not to care if my eyes look groggy, or my lower lip is hanging pointlessly, or my palm has sunk too deep into my cheek. At, more or less, all times, I can, all of a sudden, decide to get up and get myself a cup of coffee.
How do the Shereens, the Sonia Shenoys, the Mitali Mukherjees look so damn perfect, all smiles, all interested in what they are saying and listening to, all the time? (Equal due to the guys too, but I choose the names I like to write!)Yes, they do have their off-screen time. But, as far as I believe, most of them hardly even have a complete Sunday off. And really, these HD screens only exaggerate the flaws – hell, I would probably see a 10-day old mosquito bite, or a lipstick gone astray by a millimeter. I do look very closely. True.
Well, limelight does come at a price. What comes for free? - The joy of typing away, lying on an untidy bed, in the most contorted of positions, with one’s laptop resting firmly on one’s belly. Happy, safe monsoon!
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Movie Review: Now you see me (2013)
Release date: 31st May 2013
Director: Louis Leterrier
Rating: 3.5/5
Movies about magic are nothing new- some a work of art, others so ridiculous that watching them is worse than being under the Cruciatus curse. ‘Now you see me’ is somewhere there in the middle, slightly bobbing its head towards the former.
The plot is intriguing and fresh. The movie boasts of a more than remarkable ensemble, and none of the actors disappoint. Morgan Freeman, in a less flamboyant than usual character, unsurprisingly, impresses. The four magicians deliver well in a roles that demand showmanship flair – Eisenberg redoing a Zuckerberg – genius, and a certified a*hole. Fischer balances her demure looks and strong character well – her never ending legs do the rest! However, it’s Woody Harrelson as a mean mind-reader, with a caustic sense of humor, who steals the show. Most of the movie’s sequences are well-shot and dazzle one just the right amount for a movie about ‘magic’. Mark Ruffalo too leaves a mark with his portrayal of a harried cop.
That brings us to what keeps this one from inching close to the likes of ‘The Prestige’. Firstly, the plot leaves little scope for any of the characters to jump out and connect with the audience. There are a lot of occasions when you an anxious to know more about a certain guy, and are left clamouring. More so, the plot, the premise of which is so engaging, kills most of the good work when it tries desperately to contort itself into a flurry of twists towards the end. Most things in the movie point to an exciting and surprising climax. However, the element of surprise is taken too far leaving the viewer wondering if all of it even made sense.
All said and done, the movie is an honest attempt at a novel story, with the constant undertone of the age-old debate between the ‘believers’ and the nay-sayers. Creates the magic, but perhaps falls short of the finishing flourish.
Director: Louis Leterrier
Rating: 3.5/5
Movies about magic are nothing new- some a work of art, others so ridiculous that watching them is worse than being under the Cruciatus curse. ‘Now you see me’ is somewhere there in the middle, slightly bobbing its head towards the former.
The plot is intriguing and fresh. The movie boasts of a more than remarkable ensemble, and none of the actors disappoint. Morgan Freeman, in a less flamboyant than usual character, unsurprisingly, impresses. The four magicians deliver well in a roles that demand showmanship flair – Eisenberg redoing a Zuckerberg – genius, and a certified a*hole. Fischer balances her demure looks and strong character well – her never ending legs do the rest! However, it’s Woody Harrelson as a mean mind-reader, with a caustic sense of humor, who steals the show. Most of the movie’s sequences are well-shot and dazzle one just the right amount for a movie about ‘magic’. Mark Ruffalo too leaves a mark with his portrayal of a harried cop.
That brings us to what keeps this one from inching close to the likes of ‘The Prestige’. Firstly, the plot leaves little scope for any of the characters to jump out and connect with the audience. There are a lot of occasions when you an anxious to know more about a certain guy, and are left clamouring. More so, the plot, the premise of which is so engaging, kills most of the good work when it tries desperately to contort itself into a flurry of twists towards the end. Most things in the movie point to an exciting and surprising climax. However, the element of surprise is taken too far leaving the viewer wondering if all of it even made sense.
All said and done, the movie is an honest attempt at a novel story, with the constant undertone of the age-old debate between the ‘believers’ and the nay-sayers. Creates the magic, but perhaps falls short of the finishing flourish.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Movie Review: Yeh Jawani hai Deewani
Release date: 31st May 2013
Director: Ayan Mukherji
Rating: 3.75/5
A KJo banner movie, with two budding 'stars' (I still feel it is early to call one of them an actor really!), directed by a guy who gave us "Wake Up Sid" - expectations were riding high on this one. Yet, the trailers showed little apart from the song and dance sequences, and I was carefully balancing my hopes to avoid being disappointed.
I wasn't. The movie, I would say, delivered on all the things it might have promised- joyful music, rightly timed humorous bits, a barrage of cheesy lines, new-age friendships and a whole lotta love and emotion. The story is little to write about: an overtly stereotypical and extreme nerd, a life-changing vacation, multi-year time jump, rediscovering love and an ever-so-happy climax. This is not what your average critic brands as "good" cinema. No reason not to watch this one, though.
At a 165min, the movie is a tad long, but leaves you smiling and energized at the end of it. Ranbir Kapoor makes a mark with his youthful charm. Not a remarkably difficult (or different) character to play keeping in mind his record, yet it is always nice to see him trying hard and succeeding in a line of B-town wannabe heroes who have little to offer. Deepika contributes with her stunning looks and manages not to screw up much else. Kalki, as always, is a fresh whiff of air, and seems to be the perfect person to depict the in-with-the-times, carefree girl. Meanwhile, Aditya and Kunal Roy make a statement or two, signalling the arrival of the 'other' Kapoor Clan in Bollywood.
The camerawork is brilliant. The locales are magnificent. The handling of relationships ranging from boy-girl, friendship to father-son and even a bit of son-stepmom is deft. This one's for the cheesy romantics, the 'one-for-all-and-all-for-one' group of friends, and a movie you can safely take home and introduce your parents to!
Director: Ayan Mukherji
Rating: 3.75/5
A KJo banner movie, with two budding 'stars' (I still feel it is early to call one of them an actor really!), directed by a guy who gave us "Wake Up Sid" - expectations were riding high on this one. Yet, the trailers showed little apart from the song and dance sequences, and I was carefully balancing my hopes to avoid being disappointed.
I wasn't. The movie, I would say, delivered on all the things it might have promised- joyful music, rightly timed humorous bits, a barrage of cheesy lines, new-age friendships and a whole lotta love and emotion. The story is little to write about: an overtly stereotypical and extreme nerd, a life-changing vacation, multi-year time jump, rediscovering love and an ever-so-happy climax. This is not what your average critic brands as "good" cinema. No reason not to watch this one, though.
At a 165min, the movie is a tad long, but leaves you smiling and energized at the end of it. Ranbir Kapoor makes a mark with his youthful charm. Not a remarkably difficult (or different) character to play keeping in mind his record, yet it is always nice to see him trying hard and succeeding in a line of B-town wannabe heroes who have little to offer. Deepika contributes with her stunning looks and manages not to screw up much else. Kalki, as always, is a fresh whiff of air, and seems to be the perfect person to depict the in-with-the-times, carefree girl. Meanwhile, Aditya and Kunal Roy make a statement or two, signalling the arrival of the 'other' Kapoor Clan in Bollywood.
The camerawork is brilliant. The locales are magnificent. The handling of relationships ranging from boy-girl, friendship to father-son and even a bit of son-stepmom is deft. This one's for the cheesy romantics, the 'one-for-all-and-all-for-one' group of friends, and a movie you can safely take home and introduce your parents to!
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Food Review: Summer Park
I really have to begin the food section with this one. Not because it offers the most amazing of food, but, because of it being a stone’s throw from our apartment, it has been a lifeline for me and my housemates (who, for perspective, are similarly-aged guy friends who sing better than they cook. And they don’t really sing much).
Coming back to Summer Park. It is not uncommon to find restaurants like this one in Mumbai. Located close to a residential area (this one being in Worli), good footfall, strictly vegetarian, Summer Park is a restaurant with an inclination towards South Indian cuisine, but one that has a fine assortment of north Indian preparations too. It has a separate menu for ‘Jain’ dishes as well, for the relevant populace.
The restaurant has very ordinary interiors- seating for, say, 20-25 people on the inside, a similar number on tables laid in the outside shed, and a sneaky, yet more ‘formal’ seating area upstairs where the room height makes you believe it was the original residence of the Hobbits. The menu for the segment upstairs is the same, with a surprise alcohol serving. Taking this seating, however, is not recommended, (1) because it takes more time for the food to be served with the kitchen situated downstairs, (2) the idea of eating at Summer Park is basically agreeing to a compromise on ambience for simple food, so trying to get formal seating beats the purpose, and lastly, (3) it can be a fatal exercise for claustrophobics.
It is advisable to settle for ‘mendhu vada’, fried ‘idli’ and more from the family if one is in for snacks. Some of the north Indian curries are good too- a trifle less oil and spice, and they would be as ‘home-like’ as restaurant food gets. Some of the pluses are the fresh fruit juices ranging from pomegranate to black grapes (one of my friends actually convinced them to make a customized spinach juice), a very filling chickoo shake and the availability of palatable tea till past 11 in the night. The very sensible ‘khichdi’ also deserves a mention. Also, the quantity in the dishes is more than value for money.
Summer Park is your no-nonsense go-to restaurant. The staff is friendly enough. Nobody really pesters you with too many choices, and sticks to what you order rather than confuse you with a zillion additions and variations. They also deliver within reasonable vicinity, and they open from 8 in the morning and close only past 11pm.
It might make sense to reiterate that with the not-so-spectacular seating, the location jutting out right into the road, this is not your impress-my-friends eating joint. One of the wall posters (pictured) pretty much sums up the purpose of the place!
Food: 6.5/10
Ambience: 3.5/10
Service: 7/10
Value for money: 7.5/10
Coming back to Summer Park. It is not uncommon to find restaurants like this one in Mumbai. Located close to a residential area (this one being in Worli), good footfall, strictly vegetarian, Summer Park is a restaurant with an inclination towards South Indian cuisine, but one that has a fine assortment of north Indian preparations too. It has a separate menu for ‘Jain’ dishes as well, for the relevant populace.
The restaurant has very ordinary interiors- seating for, say, 20-25 people on the inside, a similar number on tables laid in the outside shed, and a sneaky, yet more ‘formal’ seating area upstairs where the room height makes you believe it was the original residence of the Hobbits. The menu for the segment upstairs is the same, with a surprise alcohol serving. Taking this seating, however, is not recommended, (1) because it takes more time for the food to be served with the kitchen situated downstairs, (2) the idea of eating at Summer Park is basically agreeing to a compromise on ambience for simple food, so trying to get formal seating beats the purpose, and lastly, (3) it can be a fatal exercise for claustrophobics.
It is advisable to settle for ‘mendhu vada’, fried ‘idli’ and more from the family if one is in for snacks. Some of the north Indian curries are good too- a trifle less oil and spice, and they would be as ‘home-like’ as restaurant food gets. Some of the pluses are the fresh fruit juices ranging from pomegranate to black grapes (one of my friends actually convinced them to make a customized spinach juice), a very filling chickoo shake and the availability of palatable tea till past 11 in the night. The very sensible ‘khichdi’ also deserves a mention. Also, the quantity in the dishes is more than value for money.
Summer Park is your no-nonsense go-to restaurant. The staff is friendly enough. Nobody really pesters you with too many choices, and sticks to what you order rather than confuse you with a zillion additions and variations. They also deliver within reasonable vicinity, and they open from 8 in the morning and close only past 11pm.
It might make sense to reiterate that with the not-so-spectacular seating, the location jutting out right into the road, this is not your impress-my-friends eating joint. One of the wall posters (pictured) pretty much sums up the purpose of the place!
Food: 6.5/10
Ambience: 3.5/10
Service: 7/10
Value for money: 7.5/10
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