99

99 isn't the funniest film of the year, nor is it always 'pure fun' as the black and red posters of the film would have us believe. It is however a smart, warm and generally amusing piece of work in the crime caper genre and is worth a watch.
The film revolves around 2 small time scamsters, Sachin (Kunal Khemu) and Zaramud (Cyrus Broacha), who are forced to work with the endearingly phsychotic bookie AGM (Mahesh Manjerakar). When the bookie sends our boys out to Delhi to collect payment from a congenital cricket gambler Rahul (Boman Irani), things get interesting. The money is lost, then found, then lost again and then.. err..you guessed it.. found again. The last gambit involves the gambler and the 2 crooks teaming up against a big time cricket match fixer/bookie to recover the lost money. Thrown into the mix is the scene stealing Kuber (Amit Mistry), a small time Delhi bookie to whom Rahul owes money..(is there anyone in the film that he does not?), the pretty hotel receptionist Pooja (Soha Ali Khan), who wants to break out on her own, preferably to open her own coffee shop, much like Sachin, the disconsolate Mrs. Rahul (Simone Singh), who has walked out on her husband because of his compulsive gambling habit and the big boss of the cricket match fixing game, JC (Vinod Khanna), who desperately wants to beat Rahul at cards after having lost to him earlier.
Things take some time to pick up here, so don't expect a laugh riot from the word go. The first hour is spent etching out the characters and their motivations. Its towards the middle of the film that the real action starts with the boys reaching Delhi. Not to say that the film is beyond flaw. The romantic track involving Sachin and Pooja is totally unnecessary and slows down proceedings considerably. The music isn't phenomenal either, with only the song 'Delhi Destinty' being airplay worthy. Direction wise, the debutantes Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK are pretty good and the film is well shot, slick and well packaged. But its the actors that come up trumps here, with natural performances from Khemu, Irani, Mistry and Manjerakar. Khanna is functional while Khan is adequate. Broacha is perhaps the only weak link this ensemble, but shows significant promise in some scenes. One wonders why there was a need to further pad-up an already XXL Cyrus?

Time well spent, this film. Watch.

3/5

Cheers!
Abhishek.

A quick Kolkata trip and some lost treasures

Kolkata for a week is never enough, but this trip was somehow satisfying. The parents are in the process of moving house and there was a bit of excitement there...what with setting up the new place and all, buying some furniture, helping set up the completed portions, choosing the curtains, lighting etc. Also managed to finally tick off some long standing to-dos. But the big surprise lay elsewhere. In an old store room, locked up in a tattered suitcase. My parent's entire LP record collection. Almost all of them in good condition! Just touching the vibrant full colour packing covers brought back wonderful memories of lazy afternoons in Kanpur/Madras/ Calcutta spent listening and trying to memorise some of these very songs. A really interesting mix of music there...given dad's passion for old film music and mom's more western tilt. Some of the records I can remember from the 70 odd that I found are:

western/pop/fusion

1. Tom Jones - She's a lady

2. Usha Iyer - Scotch and Soda, Love Story and others

3. Neil Diamond - The best of

4. Paul Anka - The best of

5. Boney M - The best of

6. Pink Floyd - Piper at the gates of dawn

7. James Last - Trumpet a go-go

8. Yehudi Menuhin/ Ravi Shanker - Improvisations /East meets west 3

9. Nancy Sinatra - These boots are meant for walking - original 1966 release edition

hindi/bengali

1. Satte pe Satta

2. Piya ka ghar

3. Salil Chowdhury and the Calcutta Youth Choir - Modern bengali songs

4. Anand

5. An evening with Mohd. Rafi

6. Bade Ghulam Ali Khan - Legends

7. Lata Mangeshkar - Classical evening

Here are some pics.

Now all I need to do is find a record player. Any ideas where?

Cheers!

Abhishek.

Kolkata Knight Riders - How deep is the sea of tears?

The Kolkata Knight Riders' woes in the IPL 2009 season continue. Mr. Murphy is vindicated and whatever could have possibly gone wrong, has gone wrong. The failed Multiple-captaincy (or, the get rid of Ganguly) theory, Ganguly's ouster from captaincy and the subsequent public backlash, the pathetic fielding standard, new captain Brendan McCullum's woeful form, the Fake IPL Player's stinging and salacious blog, authentic or not, and now the racist allegations. Theres enough there to fill in a dozen HR case studies! And its turned the captain, who till a few weeks ago was in top form, into a mournful, gibbering wreck. To his credit, though, he's put up a brave face and carried on manfully. This must feel like the longest 6 weeks in his professional career. 
This from a team that had everything going for it, on paper. An owner capable of generating mass hysteria with a juggernaut-like PR machine, the largest brand value amongst the IPL teams, one of the largest and most imposing stadiums in world cricket as it's home base, the most passionate home crowd already steeped in club culture and some fantastic ODI cricketers in Gayle, McCullum, Ponting, Sharma and Hussey. 
But lets not dwell on what has been a disastrous outing for the men in black and gold. Here are a few things Joy Bhattacharya and Co. can consider going forward: 

1) Change the kit: The black and gold ain't cutting it anymore. See what the Deccan Chargers have achieved with a smart revamp of their 2009 kit. From bottom placed no hopers last season to serious contenders this time around. SRK can get his good mate Manish Malhotra to come up with something suitably jazzy as the 2010 season approaches. 

2) Get rid of the existing coaching staff: Buchanan and Co. have been an unmitigated disaster. KKR needs a behind-the- scenes kind of coach, and not a superstar primadonna we have right now. When you have strong personalities like Ganguly and Ponting already in the squad, you need someone with the tact, subtlety and diplomatic skills of an Indian civil servant, and not a laptop toting, overbearing, de Bono quoting professor with all the subtlety of a brass band. Didn't we learn from the Chappel/Ganguly episode? Where's someone like John Wright or Gary Kirsten when you need them? I quite agree with Warne's theory of not needing coaches at top level, especially for a slam bang 6 week tourney like the IPL. One doesn't need active coaching at this level, but someone who can help get the best out of the squad, help strategise and motivate. And what's with having more support staff than players? Cut the staff size down to 4-5 max. And get a good mix of foreign and local staff. 

3) Create a city bond among the squad: What do the foreign players actually know about Kolkata apart from its hotel rooms, the Eden Gardens and the social service opportunities it presents? Lets get them a little more entrenched, I say. The local players could educate the likes of Ponting, Gayle, McCullum, Hussey and Hodge about the city, its culture and sporting history (glorious when it comes to football, nothing much to write home about as far as cricket is concerned). They could try something like a student exchange program, where the local boys could host the overseas pros in the city for a week/fortnight. Tough when you consider the international cricket calendar, but might help the overseas boys bond a bit more with the franchise. This could help ease whaterver alleged racial/communal tensions that exist between players from different nationalities. Compulsory community work at Nirmal Hridoy should be made a must for all players as payback to the fans for such a horrendous 2009 season. 

4) Invest in local talent: KKR doesn't suffer from lack of quality overseas talent. Its the lack of decent Indian/Bengal cricketers that's letting them down. Invest in getting back Bengal troopers Manoj Tiwary and Shreevats Goswami. With the ICL cricketers soon returning to the mainstream fold, there is the talented Abhishek Jhunjhunwala and the utilitarian Rohan Gavaskar to chose from as well. Cheteshwar Pujara, Tiwary(should they get their hands on him), Saha and Shukla should be given ample scope. Agarkar, Chopra, Bangar,Taibu, Akhtar, Hafeez and Henriques should have their contracts cancelled (Most of them should not have been contracted in the first place). The aim should be for a lean, well oiled and performing squad and not the 50 strong batallion they have now. The extra cash could also help...theres a recession on, by the way. 

5) Strong leadership: Should Ganguly play in the next edition, he should be made captain with McCullum as deputy. He is a strong individual who can galvanize the team and make things happen. Should he give up cricket altogether, in disgust, after this car wreck that was 2009, Ponting is probably the best man for the job. While his tactical skills aren't the best in the world, at least he looks the part. We're tired of seeing a haunted and desolate McCullum match after match. 

6) Tone down the hype: You'd be forgiven for believing that the KKR outfit was topping the league tables, given the amount of hype surrounding the team. Lets tone it down chaps. Empty vessels and all that. Keep things quiet for the next year and focus on the cricket. Robbie Williams sings when he's winning. So should you. 

Cheers!

Abhishek.

Calcutta - Nostalgia/Romance

Calcutta time again...found this article on Calcutta and how young romance bloomed in its 'good ol' days' in 60s and 70s. A stark difference from how things work today. Achingly penned by Jyotirmoy, from the website India Mike. Read the original content here.

"One of the unique features of the mid level eateries of Kolkata was the “Cabins”. Basically these were cubicles along the wall with curtains or swing doors. Some four or five people could sit at a table in these cabins. During the evenings families dined in these and those would like to have their tipple in privacy would choose these, New Cathay in Esplanade was one such. On the days when the horse races took place you could find great scholars of numerology, astrology, equestrian biology and all such sorts pouring over sacred literature & frantically doing a series of extremely complicated mathematical calculations. In the evening you found the same people most of them drinking to get over some financial misfortune and a very few drinking to celebrate the gains.
During the slack hours of the afternoon courting couples mostly students would enter the scene. The waiter would lead them to a cabin & take the princely order of two cups of tea & a plate of finger chips(French fries were unknown)
After some time of delicious intimacy if by any chance you happened to look at the curtain you found a pair of feet under it. And if you didn’t have the chance & the tea was getting too cold or he was too tired waiting on his feet for you to see it, the waiter would transmit a signal via a very discreet cough. He would deliver the stuff & get away & wont come back to show his feet for a long time probably would doze off to a slumber induced by the monotonous sound emitted by the antique ceiling fan.
Basanta Cabin near the Hedua on the Cornwallish street was known for the congenial atmosphere provided by the kind & friendly owner. He had over the years seen some great romances blooming there & attended many a marriages that followed the courtships at his establishment. The words like dating, seeing, didn’t arrive. People fell in what is called in the local lingo as “Prem”, intense love. You became brave, honest, compassionate & so sure of life. “Otho mein jawab ane do, kamshini pe sharab, Oh Khuda tera Khudai palat dunga..”(Let words come to my lips & blush to my beloved, Oh God I will change the way you lord)
There were no pubs or discs and no going on a drive. So you went for a walk in the Botanical gardens & ate peanuts, or took a boat ride near the Strands. The boatmen would row to a buoy, tie the boat & disappear on the other side of the boat leaving you alone. After the predetermined time they would noisily take up their oars & the helmsman would again come back to his position on the side you had been seating. You went there after if finance permitted to the Gay Restaurant (Gay meant happy & just that) and sat with ice creams looking at the big ships sailing by. On some days you would go to the sprawling Maidan(after metro construction a fraction of it remains) & sit down under one of the magnificent old trees. There would be hordes of goats grazing around. Some of the chai wallas would buy some fresh goat milk which the young caretakers sold on the sly. One of them would come and squat very close to you. Public property so you cant do any thing except buy tea from him & he will go away. No sooner had he left a vendor of Shar e botrish bhaja( vendor of a concoction that had thirty two & half ingredients) would appear. As the dusk fell & the birds flew back over the dome of Victoria Memorial you walked back to Chowringhee & went to Anadi Cabin. After a Moglai Parotha & tea you took the tram this way & she took the bus that way.
For having some entertainment together you went to the Rabindra Sadan on the morning of the birthday of Tagore. You waited for Chinmoy Chattopadhya to sing the wonderful love songs by Tagore & wish you could sing like him & what a cooing would that be! You wept at the prospect of an imaginary separation when Hemanata Mukherjee sang Jakhon Porbey na more payer chinha ei bat e(When you don’t find my foot marks any more..)
When you had progressed further you took the suburban train or a bus from Esplanade early morning & went to Diamond Harbour where the Ganaga meets the sea. You walked miles on the embankment with the salty air ruffling your hairs & sat down while the gentle waves lapped at your feet. Ate rice & egg curry at the tourist canteen & bought Jai Nagorer moa( a fragrant ball of puffed rice cooked in the jaggery made from juice sapped from date palm trees) & shared them while returning back to Kolkata.
All this went on when the city was plagued with acute shortage of food & every other essential commodities, baby food had did the vanishing act. Soon the cries of “Bel phuler mala nebe go”(Would you buy a garland of fresh Jasmine) or Chai baraf kulpi baraf( Do you want kulfis) in the lanes at night gave away to shouts like “Chalbe na chalbe na manbo na manbo na” Thousands came out with radical political views & soon the worst & the biggest armed political warfare started. Streets were deserted after dusk. Thousands of bright young men laid down their lives, bombs were being made at every nook & corner often the hands of the makers were blown off accidently. Indigenous R&D produced “Pipe guns” Not a single family was to be found who hadn’t lost a near & dear one. Para military police unleashed unprecedented brutality.
Love left the city. “Sat mahaler swarnapurir nibhlo hajar bati”(The thousand lights of the majestic seven floored mansion went off one by one”
After a long period of darkness from the bloody mud of the city & mangled flesh & abandoned bones rose great writers like Samaresh Bose, Shanker, Sunil Ganguly, Joy Goswami & others. Little magazines appeared, some disillusioned men in a small house in Behala started writing the lyrics of Mohiner Ghora guli(Mohin’s horses, the first folk rock band of Bengal) A very very tall man pawned his wife’s jewels to make films that would stun the world.
Love again returned to soothe the tormented souls but that’s another story."

Now is as good a time as any

A lot of 9 to 5-ers I know have chosen these turbulent times to start something on their own despite the nay sayers. While good times lulled us into a false sense of well being and success, the big bad economic bust-up we find ourselves in the middle of right now, has reinforced a feeling of dread. What is today a comfortable existence may just as easily vanish tomorrow. Job losses and lower incomes are a reality and one way that I have seen some people deal with it is to start a small venture of their own, a plan B if you will, something they always wanted to do but never found the time to take up.

One such acquaintance, 30 year old Nirmal Mohanty*, an IT professional with a big US bank, decided last year that he was fed up of being constantly worried if he was going to get the boot like 14 other of his team mates at work. He, along with a couple of his co-workers, have set up a fledgling start-up which is in the process of developing and testing ERP software aimed specifically at SMEs. He devotes time to this on weekends and says that since he set up his small little venture, he's felt significantly better about himself and the future, ie. his feeling of well being has improved dramatically. He quotes financial radio host Clark Howard, “This is an extraordinary time for entrepreneurs. There’s no better time to start a business than during a recession. Think about it: There’s a surplus of vacant office, retail and commercial space that can be had for below-market value. Ditto for high-quality labor.”

Another friend, a banker in Kolkata, 26 year old and single Supratim Adhikary*, has taken up his passion for travel and photography with renewed vigour. When he lost his job with his previous employer, he used his retrenchment money to invest in a high end camera and hit the road. He travelled to places he always wanted to go to but couldn't due to his work pressures. Varanasi, Hrishikesh and Rajasthan provided him with great picture taking opportunities. On his return he sent some of his pictures to some photography related magazines in both India and abroad. His pictures have since been displayed in various magazines and publications like Asian Photography etc. "It opened up another revenue stream for me. The money wasn't great, but it was a huge morale boost. Also, it was incredibly empowering to finally be able to travel and indulge in photography, something I was really passionate about. Its sad that it needed a job loss for me to realise this. I will never give this up again" he says. He has since found another banking job and has also enrolled himself in a long distance photography diploma. Investing in oneself perhaps pays the best dividends.

I suppose there are many lessons that one can take away from all this. These gloomy times, times of worry and anxiety are perhaps the best time to take some time out and invest in something that we always wanted to do. As we've seen, it can be time and money well spent. It is as good a time to follow that passion, that activity which you always wanted to pursue. It not only serves to uplift you mentally as you finally end up doing something that you enjoy immensely, but it can also help to open up an extra income stream to supplement your existing earnings. And what better way to move ahead than by marrying both passion and profession? So what are you waiting for?

Cheers,
Abhishek.

*Names have been changed

Brave or Foolish?

The great Indian electoral tamasha is well and truly underway. And in a couple of months time, we will have a new government at the helm in New Delhi... (or the same one, again). A cursory visit to CNN IBN's website last week brought my attention to an interesting story. Challenging BJP's LK Advani himself, on home turf, in Gandhinagar, is former dancer, actress and activist, Mallika Sarabhai. Also, from Trivandram, we have the articulate, cosmopolitan and former UN official, Shashi Tharoor. Rajdeep Sardesai, on the channel, called this, rather sarcastically, the so-called rise of the urban, English-speaking neta. He seemed to believe that while this made for a good story and all that, these neophytes had nil chance of actually winning at the hustings. Hence their efforts in this regard would end up being nothing more than interesting day time news fodder.

I reckon Sardesai might have been a tad uncharitable to both Tharoor and Sarabhai. The current political scenario is already replete with examples of young, educated, professional, articulate albeit second generation politicians, ie, the Abdullahs, Pilots, Gandhis, Scindias et all. It is perhaps rarer to see urban, educated professionals, who after making a name for themselves globally in their chosen fields, opt to give up their flourishing careers and get their hands dirty, so to speak, in the muck that is Indian politics, and therein lies the heart of the matter. They have chosen not to be armchair participants in India's destiny. They intend to use their expertise to make a change in the India they see around them, and that is laudable. Take Tharoor's case. One of the most passionate Indophiles I know (as well as an alumnus of my high school in Calcutta), his writings on India and being Indian have influenced me a great deal. He has risen to the top of the UN in an exceedingly short span of time. Imagine what a person like him could accomplish in Government. An effort in the right direction this is indeed, as India needs bright, educated and clean professionals in politics. Outsiders we may brand them, but it is this breed that we need now more than ever, if we are to build on the momentum of India fulfilling her destiny. They might well lose the election, more Sarabhai than Tharoor, but this is a start and hopefully they have already set an example for others to follow. In a small way, the cleansing of the political system has begun. So go forth Mallika, and continue your 'Satyagraha against the politics of hate'.

PS - Here's a link to an interview with Tharoor, about his life and work, from the archives of UC Berkeley(Conversations with history series). It's an hour long but a very interesting watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aoR8fp6SNg

The Stoneman Murders

In the mid 80s, a mysterious serial killer terrorised the streets of Bombay, stoning sleeping street dwellers to death. Large numbers of police personnel were deployed, but the killer was never brought to book. The killings then stopped as abruptly as they started, only to resume a couple of years later in Calcutta, where again the killer was never caught. I was in Calcutta at the time and as a 9 year old was suitably petrified of the legend of the 'Stoneman', as he was christened. Our first 'rock' star!! :-)

Manish Gupta, best known earlier as the writer of 'Sarkar', brings this real life incident to life with chilling effect in 'The Stoneman Murders', one of the finest thrillers to emerge in recent times. Although a fictionalised account of the investigation of the Bombay leg of these murders, the film almost convinces you that what transpired was anything but fiction. Kay Kay Menon plays a suspended cop who views the case as a vehicle to forge his way back into the force and to credibility. He carries the film on his able shoulders and doesn't fail to deliver, as usual. His manic and desperate portrayal of the fallen from grace Sub-inspector Sanjay is what keeps you glued to the proceedings. Well not quite... the script is the other hero, tight, focused and with only minor blemishes, one of them being the track with the protagonist's wife and his marital life, which gets a little jarring and takes a little away from the surrounding tension and intended claustrophobia. Arbaaz Khan, in another sleep walk of a performance, plays Inspector Kedar, Sanjay's colleague and the biggest roadblock in Sanjay's parallel investigation. You see, Kedar believes that Sanjay is the 'Stoneman' and will go to any lengths to see him brought to book. This subplot takes shape in the second half of the film as the film hurtles to its thrilling climax. 

Manish Gupta as a director does a fine job and keeps the suspense up right until the very end, when the killer's true identity is revealed. The real life incident provides him with great ingredients for a thriller and he redeems himself as a fine chef indeed. Shooting most of the scenes in the night, amidst Mumbai's desolate streets adds to the pounding tension and recreates the atmosphere of the time pretty well.

The film is a good take on a 'what could have been' scenario. And it delivers.

  

3/5

Cheers!

Abhishek.

Filmfare Awards 2008-09 - Winners

The winners of the 54th Filmfare awards now stand announced. Lets see how I did. 

I must say the best actor award came as bit of a suprise. Hrithik Roshan gave in a competant performance, but did he deserve the best actor award? Well, apparently. Another one I got wrong was the Best Male Playback. Well, something had to go to the Chopra camp, didn't it? :-)

8 out of 10 ain't bad.

Cheers!

Abhishek.

Filmfare Awards 2008-09

Hi all,
The nominations for the Filmfares are out and I can't complain too much about the list of nominees, given the nature of these popular awards. Well here are my predictions.

BEST FILM
Dostana
Ghajini
Jodhaa Akbar
Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na
Rock On!!

Missing from the list of nominees are A Wednesday! , Aamir, Mumbai Meri Jaan and the subtle Mithya.
Should win: Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na
Will win: Jodhaa Akbar/Ghajini

BEST DIRECTOR
A.R. Murugadoss - Ghajini
Abhishek Kapoor - Rock On!!
Aditya Chopra - Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
Ashutosh Gowariker - Jodhaa Akbar
Madhur Bhandarkar - Fashion
Neeraj Pandey - A Wednesday!

Should win: Neeraj Pandey - A Wednesday!
Will win: Ashutosh Gowariker - Jodhaa Akbar

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Aamir Khan - Ghajini
Abhishek Bachchan - Dostana
Hrithik Roshan - Jodhaa Akbar
Akshay Kumar - Sinng Is Kinng
Shah Rukh Khan - Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
Naseeruddin Shah - A Wednesday!

I felt Rajeev Khandelwal was more than an able leading man in Aamir and Ranvir Shorey did a fabulous job in Mithya.. also ignored is Paresh Rawal for his classic turn as a agnst ridden but resigned police officer in Mumbai Meri Jaan and the understated Abhay Deol for Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (OLLO) but the industry wallahs can't seem to look beyond the mainstream.
Should win: Naseeruddin Shah - A Wednesday!
Will win: Aamir Khan - Ghajini


BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Aishwarya Rai - Jodhaa Akbar
Anushka Sharma - Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
Asin Thottumkal - Ghajini
Kajol - U Me Aur Hum
Priyanka Chopra - Fashion

Should win: Kajol - U Me Aur Hum
Will win: Aishwarya Rai - Jodhaa Akbar/ Priyanka Chopra - Fashion

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (MALE)
Abhishek Bachchan - Sarkaar Raj
Arjun Rampal - Rock On!!
Pratik Babbar - Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na
Sonu Sood - Jodhaa Akbar
Tushaar Kapoor - Golmaal Returns
Vinay Pathak - Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

Where's Jaaved Jaafrey for 'Shaurya', Anupam Kher for A Wednesday! and Manu Rishi for OLLO, one asks?
Should win: Pratik Babbar - Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na
Will win: Abhishek Bachchan - Sarkaar Raj/Arjun Rampal - Rock On!!

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (FEMALE)
Bipasha Basu - Bachna Ae Haseeno
Kangana Ranaut - Fashion
Kiron Kher - Dostana
Ratna Pathak Shah - Jaanu Tu... Ya Jaane Na
Sahana Goswami - Rock On!!

Should win: Sahana Goswami - Rock On!!
Will win: Kangana Ranaut - Fashion/ Bipasha Basu - Bachna Ae Haseeno

BEST PLAYBACK SINGER (MALE)
Farhan Akhtar - Rock On!! - Socha Hai
KK - Bachna Ae Haseeno - Khuda Jaane
KK - Jannat - Zara Si Dil Mein
Rashid Ali - Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na - Kabhi Kabhi Aditi
Sonu Nigham - Jodhaa Akbar - Inn Lamho Ke Daaman Mein
Sukhwinder Singh - Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi – Haule Haule

Should win: Sonu Nigham - Jodhaa Akbar - Inn Lamho Ke Daaman Mein/ Rashid Ali - Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na - Kabhi Kabhi Aditi
Will win: KK - Bachna Ae Haseeno - Khuda Jaane/ Sonu Nigham - Jodhaa Akbar - Inn Lamho Ke Daaman Mein

BEST PLAYBACK SINGER (FEMALE)
Alka Yagnik - Yuvvraaj - Tu Muskura
Neha Bhasin - Fashion - Kuch Khaas Hai
Shilpa Rao - Bachna Ae Haseeno - Khuda Jaane
Shreya Ghoshal - Singh is Kinng - Teri Ore
Shruti Pathak - Fashion - Marjaawa
Sunidhi Chuhan - Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi - Dance Pe Chance

Should win: Alka Yagnik - Yuvvraaj - Tu Muskura
Will win: Alka Yagnik - Yuvvraaj - Tu Muskura/ Shreya Ghoshal - Singh is Kinng - Teri Ore

BEST LYRICS
Abbas Tyrewala - Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na - Kabhi Kabhi Aditi
Gulzar - Yuvvraaj - Tu Meri Dost Hai
Jaideep Sahni - Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi - Haule Haule
Javed Akhtar - Jodhaa Akbar - Jashn e Bahara
Javed Akhtar - Rock On!! - Socha Hai
Prasoon Joshi - Ghajini - Guzarish

They left out the brilliantly worded songs of OLLO and Aamir.. oh well.
Should win: Javed Akhtar - Jodhaa Akbar - Jashn e Bahara
Will win: Javed Akhtar - Jodhaa Akbar - Jashn e Bahara

BEST MUSIC DIRECTOR
A R Rahman - Ghajini
A R Rahman - Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na
A R Rahman - Jodhaa Kabar
Pritam - Race
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy - Rock On!!
Vishal-Shekhar - Dostana

Amit Trivedi was done a great disservice by not being nominated for his brilliant Aamir score.
Should win: A R Rahman - Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane /Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy - Rock On!!
Will win: A R Rahman - Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na/ Jodha Akbar

Lets see how it goes then...

Cheers!
Abhishek.

It's a crazy world out there...let's hope our prayers are in good hands tonight...

Roxette sang this years ago, but somehow this sprang out at me today, while I was thinking about how to start the blog for the new year...so I decided to use a couple of lines to headline this new year post.

Phew! What a 2008 its been!

Here's wishing you all a very happy, peaceful and prosperous 2009 ahead...maybe there will be light at the end of the tunnel.

Just a few lines to kick off the new year on a bright and positive note, regardless of all the mess around you.

From Robin Sharma's blog -
"You just received a giant gift: a fresh, virgin new year - utterly open to it being made into anything you choose it to become. Forget the doomsayers. Block out the fear-mongers. Shout down those voices of mediocrity encouraging you to play small with your days amidst the dramatic changes in our world. This is a time to dream, to shine - to lead. It's a great time to be alive - regardless of how bad your life might appear (things always get better don't they?).
You just got 12 fresh months (I needed to repeat that because it's such an inspiring thought to me). Some amongst us don't have that time. You do. You are blessed.
So what will you do with 2009? Will you spend it wisely - reaching for excellence and outright greatness, regardless of where you work and who you are? Will this year be the year you leave behind all your victim stories about why you can't be in world-class health and lead in your field at work and love your family like there's no tomorrow? Will this year be the year you have the courage to catch a glimpse of how extraordinary you are and then assume the personal responsibility to let that talent see the light of day? And will this new year be the 12 months that you give back to the world, by lifting others up and by being honest, ethical and downright good?
Just wondering. Because the clock is ticking. And this very moment is a fine time to begin."

Cheers!
Abhishek.

Another unnecessary post on another unnecessary attack

Well, I don't really need to write anything about 26/11. Much of what we are all feeling as a nation has already been captured by the media, various columnists, conscious citizens et all. I am yet again saddened, shocked and numbed by the events that unfolded over those three fateful days. But not so much at the loss of life and the general destruction. No sir. Let me not kid myself. As someone from this violent generation of extremism and religious fundamentalism (and that includes all religions), I am more than used to seeing gory pictures of death and violence on sensationalist national television and reading more of the same in the headlines of news hungry newspapers. No...this is not what I am really upset about. What got my goat was the fact it takes us an attack on 2 five star hotels, 6o hours of soap operatic carnage and 180 deaths to get us to react the way we did. If there would have been a routine blast (routine blast??!?) in say, a remote part of a tier 2 town, then all we would have done is shake our heads, sigh and change channels with a wise ass comment about how that's all we see on television these days. Now that the attacks have been on a scale and range that have shaken us, we are reacting differently and with purpose (hopefully). Things hurt when they hit closer to home I guess...the middle class/upper middle class is used to visiting the places that were hit in Mumbai and hence the fear and helplessness. India has been hit by more than a thousand terrorist attacks since 2004, killing thousands of people, but such a reaction was not deemed worthy on any of the earlier occasions. What happened then? Were those lives not as important as the ones lost in the 26/11 carnage? Apparently not.
As a nation we need to reflect on how insensitive we have become and how a certain insularity has crept in...It can therefore almost be inferred that there is no value accorded to human life in this country. Oh sorry, its worse than that...the higher up you are in the human food chain, the more value your life has. We are happy to shut up and turn a blind eye and even continue happily with the IPL when a blasts kills innocents in Jaipur, but will make a hue and cry when an iconic hotel is turned into a battle zone and the people who are killed this time are rich and famous. I'd rather we not care about anybody at all... at least its fair.
I weep not for the many who died or who were injured, I weep for their fellow countrymen who have forgotten how to feel.

Cheers,
Abhishek.

And one last thing, lads, before I leave...

My favourite Sourav moment isn't his shirt waving at Lord's, his magnificent century on Test debut or even his triumphant Australia tour in 2003-04. It is in fact an advertisement he did while he was out of the Indian Team, in support of Rahul Dravid's World Cup team. It went like this, "Hi, My name is Sourav Ganguly. I hope you haven't forgotten me. Whatever happened, why it happened I don’t know. I am practicing hard to come back into the team.Who knows I might get another chance to swirl my shirt in the air! In the field or outside the field, I wont keep quiet. For every match of India I am going to cheer them like this and so should you… my team will feel good.You will listen to your ‘Dada’ right?” For me that summed up Ganguly. It takes immense courage to acknowledge that you've been been dropped and might never make it back to the team. It takes even more courage parade naked emotions on national TV. But emotions have been Ganguly's forte. As a player and a captain, he always wore his heart on his sleeve. Not many warmed up the man when he broke into the national side after his brilliant debut at Lord's in 1996. He had his own way, was an aristocrat and didn't care much for authority. These qualities, in the sycophancy -driven BCCI setup are almost sure to finish off your career, but the man managed to come out playing over a 100 tests and 300 ODIs. Oh, and he turned out to be the country's most successful captain as well.

Sourav has had many highlights throughout his illustrious career. But I saw him come into his own during the captaincy phase. Under him, India weren't the same team of old...happy to go quietly into the night. There was a steely resolve to fight, to believe, to give back as good as given. Building a new team and throwing his weight behind youngsters like Sehwag, Harbhajan, Yuvraj and Kaif, he instilled an entirely new character into a team of talented but generally directionless youngsters. The BCCI can thank him for the the team they see now. You could always count on him to put up a fight, against the system, against the defeatist baggage of earlier Indian teams and even against the mighty and unflappable Australians. Steven Waugh will always remember him as the man who spoilt his party. Love him or hate him, but you couldn't ignore Boycott's Prince of Kolkata. He will be remembered with much more respect than he has been accorded of late, sure to be classed among India's best captains ever along with Tiger Pataudi and Ravi Shastri. When all seemed lost there was always Sourav and his team who gave us something something to cheer about. The legendary scraps with the Aussies, the Natwest trophy finals, the one man show at the Sahara Cup in Canada and the dream run in the World Cup in South Africa. India was back on the cricketing map and a force to contend with. No longer the tigers at home and the mice abroad. All this and a team for the future.

Indian cricket and I will miss the left handed captain courageous, Kolkata's favourite son, and the once 'God of the offside'. So long, Sourav. And thanks for the memories.

Cheers!

Abhishek.

Book Review: The White Tiger

Much hyped, Aravind Adiga’s debut novel, The White Tiger was something I was waiting to read for a while now. While the book's recent short listing for the Man Booker prize came as a bit of a surprise to me, it is indeed engaging and insightful in many respects.
The book tells the tale of the rags to riches story of Balram Halwai, the son of a rickshaw puller from a remote village in India (which Adiga christen’s ‘The Darkness’) and his subsequent meteorical rise to dot com millionaire. Halwai’s path to riches is far from clean. There are compromises and unscrupulous deals along the way, and Halwai does not even mind spilling a little blood to get to where he wants to be. The book raises many issues… the inequality of incomes and lifestyles, religious tensions, the corruption in the system and the fact that success in today’s India can never be achieved with hard work and diligence alone. Adiga is clearly angry, and Halwai, narrating his story in letter format to China’s premier (no less!) becomes his mouthpiece. Life in rural India is described in all its blood, deprivation and stench. The anger is even more evident in Halwai’s narration of his ex-employers’ family’s treatment of him and other servants in the big bad city of Delhi. The chasm between rich and poor in India is highlighted as it should be. The funny thing is, even as you start to realize and know that Halwai is far from being the clean poster boy of small town success stories, and is in fact willing to go to any length to achieve his goals, you somehow still root for him. And that is the beauty of Adiga’s writing. It’s the angry young man/ anti-hero circa 2008. The narrative also alludes to popular real life issues that have occurred in India over the last few years, such as the BMW hit and run case, the many bribery cases in politics etc.
The book raises many uncomfortable questions about modern India, and does so unflinchingly, relentlessly and unapologetically.
I’ll be watching out for the follow-up.

Cheers,

Abhishek.