And on the Valentine's Day, these lines from the movie I have always liked - “Amar Prem”.
कुछ रीत जगतकी ऐसी है
हर एक सुबहकी शाम हुई
तू कौन है तेरा नाम है क्या
सीताभी यहाँ बदनाम हुई
फ़िर क्यों संसारकी बातोसे भीग गए तेरे नैना
कुछ तो लोग कहेंगे, लोगोका काम है कहना
छोडो बेकारकी बातोमे कही बीत ना जाए रैना
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Underworld – Rise of the Lycans
I generally don’t have much expectation from the movies featuring vampires and werewolves as the main cast – only that the movie be shot in light sufficient to figure out who is killing whom because both the species are “supposed to” come into their own as the darkness falls। :-)
So when I went to watch “Underworld – Rise of the Lycans”, I wasn’t much worried that I couldn’t recall a thing from the first 2 movies in the series। For some, this will be a disadvantage but for me it was a boon because it freed me from the burden of trying to connect to characters in the earlier movies and helped me concentrate on what’s happening on the screen.
And that is about a new species called “Lycans” which, I think, are basically werewolves but with an ability to retain their human forms। These have been created and recruited by the vampires to protect themselves and human rich folk (nobles!) from the menace of those werewolves who have lost their human form! Sounds complicated? :-) One of these Lycans falls in love with the daughter of the vampire leader – a sickeningly pale fellow (even for a vampire!) called Viktor! Of course this love story serves as a backdrop against the struggle for survival and power between the 3 species – vampires, werewolves and Lycans।
The movie has the same creepy dark look that is characteristic of such movies – all grey and black, not a bright color in sight, except for the bedroom furnishings and blue eyes of some the characters! The sight of thousands of werewolves is enough to drive anyone up the walls। And I agree with the vampire leader that an offspring born of a vampire and Lycan would be a “monstrocity”. Some of the blood-sucking leeches that we call politicians in India come pretty close to it and they seem to have the Lycan ability to retain the human form :-)
So if you are a vampires and werewolves fan, this one is worth a dekko. For the rest, keep silver bullets and cloves of garlic handy as you pass the theatres screening this movie, just in case :-)
P.S. - I thought that the actor playing Lucian has some middle eastern roots but Michael Sheen seems to be from Wales!
P.P.S. - Check the details of the actress playing vampire Sonja on imdb.com. Her name is Rhona Mitra :-)
So when I went to watch “Underworld – Rise of the Lycans”, I wasn’t much worried that I couldn’t recall a thing from the first 2 movies in the series। For some, this will be a disadvantage but for me it was a boon because it freed me from the burden of trying to connect to characters in the earlier movies and helped me concentrate on what’s happening on the screen.
And that is about a new species called “Lycans” which, I think, are basically werewolves but with an ability to retain their human forms। These have been created and recruited by the vampires to protect themselves and human rich folk (nobles!) from the menace of those werewolves who have lost their human form! Sounds complicated? :-) One of these Lycans falls in love with the daughter of the vampire leader – a sickeningly pale fellow (even for a vampire!) called Viktor! Of course this love story serves as a backdrop against the struggle for survival and power between the 3 species – vampires, werewolves and Lycans।
The movie has the same creepy dark look that is characteristic of such movies – all grey and black, not a bright color in sight, except for the bedroom furnishings and blue eyes of some the characters! The sight of thousands of werewolves is enough to drive anyone up the walls। And I agree with the vampire leader that an offspring born of a vampire and Lycan would be a “monstrocity”. Some of the blood-sucking leeches that we call politicians in India come pretty close to it and they seem to have the Lycan ability to retain the human form :-)
So if you are a vampires and werewolves fan, this one is worth a dekko. For the rest, keep silver bullets and cloves of garlic handy as you pass the theatres screening this movie, just in case :-)
P.S. - I thought that the actor playing Lucian has some middle eastern roots but Michael Sheen seems to be from Wales!
P.P.S. - Check the details of the actress playing vampire Sonja on imdb.com. Her name is Rhona Mitra :-)
The White Tiger
I recently finished reading “The White Tiger” by Aravind Adiga। So much has been written about this book that I don’t think I need to give any storyline here।
On the whole, I didn’t like this book much। Sure, it exposes the dark underbelly of Delhi. But we all know that every city has its dark side. We all also know about the nexus between the politicians and the businessmen.
Of course, life in the place that the driver, Balram, refers to as the Darkness, will shock those of us who have been born and brought up in the metros। But can that be the justification for his killing his employer so as to build a new life for himself? One might argue that the books don’t need to be always about the noble and the principled. I will say that in this increasingly materialistic world, people like Balram are dozen a dime and so it is vital that the books talk about those who think that “clean conscience is the softest pillow”.
Though I hate using bad words, I think I will make an exception this time. So, to sum it up in Balram’s own words – his calling himself entrepreneur is rather “A f****** joke”!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Ever heard of "tetra amelia syndrome"? I hadn't either until I came across a mention of it in one of the newspaper articles - http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Cosmic_Uplink/When_standing_up_is_not_an_option/articleshow/4121191.cms
Nanhi Chhan
I have been greatly disturbed by the promos of an upcoming serial on the "Colors" channel. It shows an infant girl being sent to her death in a pot of milk. With the cable TV reaching into villages these days, I cannot imagine the havoc this will cause in the minds of the illiterates. Of course, you find preference for sons even in the highly educated families. :-( And though such educated lot might not resort to such ghastly ways of getting rid of the female child, I worry that this will affect them as well.
So I felt a bit relieved when I read about "Nanhi Chhan" (Nanhi means little and Chhan means shade) - a project that is being rolled out in Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan. Read about it at http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/view/11907/ and if you have any relatives in these regions, tell them about it.
However, one cannot help but feel the irony that in a country that celebrates Stree-Shakti through festivals like DurgaPuja, we have to launch such efforts to give the girl child a chance at life :-(
So I felt a bit relieved when I read about "Nanhi Chhan" (Nanhi means little and Chhan means shade) - a project that is being rolled out in Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan. Read about it at http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/view/11907/ and if you have any relatives in these regions, tell them about it.
However, one cannot help but feel the irony that in a country that celebrates Stree-Shakti through festivals like DurgaPuja, we have to launch such efforts to give the girl child a chance at life :-(
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Recently I was watching the “Deep Fried Food” episode of the “Food Paradise” series on Discovery Travel and Living Channel. I already have a huge To-Do List of food that I plan to taste when I take my dream India vacation, hopefully, in a few years from now – Surati Mithai and loads of Gujarati food, Chhole and paratha in a dhaba in Punjab, Sea-food specialties in a houseboat in Kerala backwaters and so on and so forth. Oh yes, I also want to visit the NorthEast region and find out what their culinary delights are. :-)
Added to this list now are a number of dishes from various episodes of the “Food Paradise” series – except for one. There is a burger place in Memphis – Dyer’s. They have been frying their burgers in the same oil since 80+ years!
Don’t believe me? Check out for yourself - http://www.yelp.com/biz/dyers-burgers-memphis
Added to this list now are a number of dishes from various episodes of the “Food Paradise” series – except for one. There is a burger place in Memphis – Dyer’s. They have been frying their burgers in the same oil since 80+ years!
Don’t believe me? Check out for yourself - http://www.yelp.com/biz/dyers-burgers-memphis
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
दिलहारा या मैच हारा?
This must be the question in the minds of most of the Lankans after losing yesterday's 20-20 to India. I must confess that my heart was in my mouth on seeing that the Indian side needed 4 runs in 5 balls to win. I was praying that this shouldn't turn to 4 balls-4 runs and later to 3 balls-4 runs. But the Pathan Brothers worked their magic!
The look of pure astonishment on the face of the unknown Lankan supporter - when the match ended - was simply priceless :-)
The look of pure astonishment on the face of the unknown Lankan supporter - when the match ended - was simply priceless :-)
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Help Gaurav
A batchmate from ISB sent an email to the alumni network about his colleague Gaurav Tandon. Please check http://www.helpgaurav.com/ and remember that no amount is small amount. Do forward this link to anyone who you think would like to help.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Into Thin Air
It’s not a book that someone like me – who prefers planting both feet firmly on terra firma at all possible times and who shivers during what pass as winter months in the humid city of Mumbai – would have normally picked out. Why, the name and the front cover are enough to give me a bad attack of vertigo!
But I picked out “Into Thin Air” by Jon Krakauer because it said that it gives a “Personal Account of the Everest Disaster”. The disaster he referred to happened on 9th May, 1996, when five expeditions were launched on the summit of Mount Everest but fierce storm broke out and claimed the lives of 9 climbers.
The writer gives a good historical summary of the discovery and early summiting attempts made on the Everest. I never knew that the locals – the Tibetans and Nepalis – had their own names for the mountain. The Tibetans call it Jomolungma (Goddess, mother of the world and the Nepalis - Sagarmatha (Goddess of the sky). I know - those of us who know Hindi will say that Sagarmatha literally would mean the head or crown of the seas. It’s a pity that Sir Andrew Waugh, India’s surveyor general at the time of discovery of this “Roof of the World”, ignored these ancient names – despite the official policy encouraging retention of local names - and chose to name it after his predecessor, Sir George Everest. The local names are so meaningful! But then that’s the British for you. They really believed that the sun will never set on their so-called empire!
As the book progresses we get an insider’s view on how much goes into arranging a “Himalayan” expedition (pun intented!). I was amazed by the tenacity and courage of those who choose to go on such excursions. The author is right – you need to be beyond all logic to embark on one. The list of things that can go wrong and the diseases that can claim life in a jiffy at such high altitudes took me aback.
And then, finally the author describes 9th May, 1996 in all its chilling twists and turns. Murphy’s Law couldn’t have applied in a more sinister manner anywhere. Small errors aided by the sluggish mental faculties at high altitude added up to bring about a tragedy of gigantic proportions. If I was horrified at reading that the bodies of those who perished in past expeditions are still on the mountain, I was chilled to the marrow on reading that the climbers simply walk past such bodies on their way to the summit!
For those of us who have never attempted such mountaineering, the thought of not assisting anyone who is sure to die if left unattended sounds macabre – even inhuman – but as that Japanese climber said, probably, no one can afford morality at such “lofty” heights. Ironic, isn’t it?
A must-read - even if just to make yourself aware of how fragile life’s thread can be and of how men and women choose to touch the skies despite that!
But I picked out “Into Thin Air” by Jon Krakauer because it said that it gives a “Personal Account of the Everest Disaster”. The disaster he referred to happened on 9th May, 1996, when five expeditions were launched on the summit of Mount Everest but fierce storm broke out and claimed the lives of 9 climbers.
The writer gives a good historical summary of the discovery and early summiting attempts made on the Everest. I never knew that the locals – the Tibetans and Nepalis – had their own names for the mountain. The Tibetans call it Jomolungma (Goddess, mother of the world and the Nepalis - Sagarmatha (Goddess of the sky). I know - those of us who know Hindi will say that Sagarmatha literally would mean the head or crown of the seas. It’s a pity that Sir Andrew Waugh, India’s surveyor general at the time of discovery of this “Roof of the World”, ignored these ancient names – despite the official policy encouraging retention of local names - and chose to name it after his predecessor, Sir George Everest. The local names are so meaningful! But then that’s the British for you. They really believed that the sun will never set on their so-called empire!
As the book progresses we get an insider’s view on how much goes into arranging a “Himalayan” expedition (pun intented!). I was amazed by the tenacity and courage of those who choose to go on such excursions. The author is right – you need to be beyond all logic to embark on one. The list of things that can go wrong and the diseases that can claim life in a jiffy at such high altitudes took me aback.
And then, finally the author describes 9th May, 1996 in all its chilling twists and turns. Murphy’s Law couldn’t have applied in a more sinister manner anywhere. Small errors aided by the sluggish mental faculties at high altitude added up to bring about a tragedy of gigantic proportions. If I was horrified at reading that the bodies of those who perished in past expeditions are still on the mountain, I was chilled to the marrow on reading that the climbers simply walk past such bodies on their way to the summit!
For those of us who have never attempted such mountaineering, the thought of not assisting anyone who is sure to die if left unattended sounds macabre – even inhuman – but as that Japanese climber said, probably, no one can afford morality at such “lofty” heights. Ironic, isn’t it?
A must-read - even if just to make yourself aware of how fragile life’s thread can be and of how men and women choose to touch the skies despite that!
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