Spring fest got over last week...the last spring-fest for us. For those of you who don't know what it is, it's a cultural fest held at our college in spring. Simple enough? It's also the time when people from other colleges come over here and the campus gets to have a fair share of the fair sex.
It started out on Thursday evening with Led Zepplica. It's a band that copies Led Zeppelin as simple as that. Now, our interest in rock music starts out with 'In the end' and ends with 'Numb'. So, whatever the gentlemen with really long flowing hairs were trying to convey to us was beyond our comprehension although a small motley crowd out at the front sure were head-banging to them. Bored we started to sing and head-bang to 'Bidi Jalieley' :P
Friday morning was spent in dancing on the make-shift disco and watching our friend go from one girl to another requesting them for a cup of coffee and every time meeting with a disdainful 'Nooo' or 'Whyyy'. I don't understand what could be a problem over a cup of coffee. It's not that we are going to eat you up or something. Hum to yahan lutane ke liye khade hai...apar koi yahan loot ta hi nahi...ghor kalyug hai baba...ghor kalyug.
Friday evening was KK night. The show was a huge hit. People were scaling walls and infiltrating illegally just to get into the show. We had our seats just at the back of the girls row. :). Now, all the girls were enjoying the show to the hilt except for the teen deviyan who just sat directly in front of us never once standing up to dance. They were quite annoying and we kept on pestering them until they stood up and yelled 'You fucking enjoy the show' before making their exit. Bitches...I tell ya.
Saturday was for The India Jazz Suites. The crowd for the show was exhilarating to say the least. A minute correction the crowd in the boys line. The girls had a separate line and you know how long the girls' line go. Anyways, boys being boys the single line soon converted into double and triple lines and there was a huge pandemonium at the scene. My sandal got torn apart, feet were trampled upon but eventually I managed to get inside albeit the trip and fall before the entry door. The show was mesmerizing, an absolute heart-stopper. We clapped till our hands were sore. It was followed by Hasya Kavi Sammelan which was also very good. Dr. Kumar Vishwas was at its usual witty self and kept the show entertaining and jocular.
On Sunday we took part in a Quiz. Although we got through the preliminaries, we finished last in the final rounds. Oh! my story eventually got me selected for the writing workshop by British Council. I decided against going there coz I really don't want to be a writer. Writing that single story was enough of a mind-fuck for me.
Okay then that was Spring fest then...this week we have Kshitij, a techno-management fest.
I was reading Nita's post about parenting. Couldn't help as my thoughts ventured into how I was brought up. In my family, my dad was the lenient type and mom the stricter one. Initially, my mom didn't venture into the academic portion of my upbringing; that was left to my dad. But then two things happened.
1. A KV(Kendriya Vidyalaya) opened in Dongargarh( a tehsil about 4 hours from Bhilai). In those days, KV in dongargarh was a big thing coz there wasn't a single real school in there( I think it still is). This would be like opening of a CCD/Mc.D in Kharagpur. So, every parent in dgg wanted to send their wards to this prestigious school.
2. Plague broke out in Surat which meant that my father had to go to tend to the patients which also meant that he was not present to help me prepare with the entrance test to the school.(this is Class 3 I'm talking about)
I of course failed. I actually failed in Hindi and passed in English and Mathematics. Yes, once upon a time I was very weak in Hindi. My father had to use his sources and bribe the principal to eventually secure my admission in that school.
My mom obviously didn't like it wee bit coz I was in that school solely due to my father. It was then that she decided to take my academic affairs into her hands. She obviously had lost faith in my father's lackadaisical tutelage. I had just managed to score 60% marks in Class 1 and Class 2. Time to straighten up the kid.
The study sessions with her were torturous to say the least. Ear-twisting and hair plucking were common affairs to her plus I was not allowed to cry. She would bark at the top of her voice,'Kante baron korechi!!'(You are not allowed to cry).
So, what would follow would be this wheezing sound followed by pause and then again the wheezing sound and a pause in alternating patterns.
She was of course brilliantly trained by Grandpa. The story of my grandpa goes like this. He craved for a son to carry out his family name and tried very hard. But, every time a girl child would be born to him. Eventually the number stopped at 7(my mom was no. 4). You can imagine how pissed off this guy must have been and how much love he must have showered upon his daughters. Add to that my mother unfulfilled wish for graduation.(She was married off half way through her graduation) No wonder all those pent up frustration came crashing down onto me. Damn you Grandpa!!
One of her favorite rants would be,'Salar okal kusmondo, kon ku khone poida hoe chilis, jobe teke poida hoye chis jaliye pudiye kheli'. This roughly translates into O thy wretched son, you have caused me innumerable sufferings since the moment you were born to me.' Translation really takes the edge off.
I remember one particular incident when after repeated instructions I forgot to put the chandra-bindu on madhumakhiyan, she in a belligerent tone told me to get out of her sight. So, I stood up and started to walk out of the house. 'Aye! where are you going?' She screamed back. 'I think you told me to...isn't this what you told me.' I scratched my head in confusion. 'Come back.' She said after banging her head into her palm.
The standards set by her in academics were very high. I remember she started crying when I stood third in class 5 after coming first in class 4. That was really funny. But, more funny was that I had to act remorseful and really try hard not to break into a laugh in front of her.Later that night at dinner, she said that I should quit studying and that she would ask Dad to open a pan-shop for me.'Yeah, okay...I'll take up the offer.' I replied in a jestful way. She visited my school the next day, and made sure that every teacher knew how I had become negligent with my studies.
I see these American way of bringing up kids and how they are 'grounded' and I think I was grounded for the first 16 years of life!! A fixed one hour of TV-viewing and that too DD-1. Yeah, that's true. I wonder how I turned up sane. There was also just two hours of fixed play-time. I remember messing this up too one day.
Now, no kid wants to drink milk. My mother insisted that I should finish up my glass before heading out to play. In my hurry the glass slipped out of my hands and the milk spilled all over the floor. My mom didn't acknowledge that as a mistake and assumed it to be one of my mischiefs. So, she locked me up in the bathroom. Peeved on denied the chance to play, I decided, 'I have had enough of this life.' I flushed each and every soap down the toilet and emptied the shampoo and oil bottles on the floor. I seriously wished that may be she will after go through her threat of drilling a hole through my neck with the kitchen knife if I cause enough problems for her. Nothing of that sort happened otherwise I wouldn't have been writing all this. Isn't it? ;)
Over the years, her image for me has changed from the gigantic eight-headed, eight-legged grotesque monster (when every direction would reverberate with 'Bhago, mummy aa rahi hai') to a lady who is too much preoccupied to see her sons stand on their legs. I say to her 'Maa, in case you didn't notice we have been standing on our legs since we were 1 year old.' Bhagwan, Maa ko sadbudhhi de
Mom saw the picture of the gorilla at the Budapest zoo going under the scalpel for ovarian tumor and asked 'Did men came from gorillas?'
'Yeah, Darwin suggests so.' I answered.
'Must be true. You know how I'm sure of it. That American lady who plays tennis, she exactly looks like one.'
My father and I burst out in laughters. Poor Darwin. He had to undergo several years of research and that too on finches to arrive at the same conclusion.
On Sunday times editorial page, M J Akbar in his article 'India, Pak aren't neighbors; they are worlds apart' suggests 'If a poll were taken in India, asking whether Pakistan should be relocated in Latin America, the answer would be an unanimous yes.' I think Mr. Akbar completely misses the point. Even if such a poll is taken in Pakistan, before casting any choice the question asked would be 'Who gets to keep Kashmir?' ;)
Akbar should have known better. Personally, I feel India should be relocated right past Brazil. That way the carnival dancers would be just stone's throw away from us. :D
Few things are as revered in Brazilian culture as the bunda-the female posterior. Just like God who's omnipresent in here, the bunda has its conspicuous presence in there.
PS: I always had this feeling that I was born in the wrong country.
Saw this tag at somebody's blog (can't recall whose). Instantly caught my eye. The rules are simple enough: I have to do a google search for the answers to all the 18 questions and pick the picture on the first page with minimal explanation. Sounds interesting, eh?
1.The age you'll be in your next b'day.
2.The place you'll like to travel to.
3.Your favorite place.
4.Your favorite food/drink.
5.Your favorite pet.
6.Color combination.
7.Favorite piece of clothing.
8.All time favorite song.
9.Favorite TV show.
10.Significant other.
11.Town in which you live.
12.Nick name.
13.Your first job.
14.Your dream job.
15.One bad habit you have.
16.Your worst fear.
17. Things you'll like to do before you die.
18.Things to buy if you get $1,000,000.
PS: Do let me know if anything remains unexplained from the photos.
Yes, I'm talking about Deepika Padukone and if you are thinking about going to see this film, don't unless you are a Deepika drooler like me or if you have absolutely no work at all. This film makes 'Singh is King' look like a well crafted movie. What more can I say?? ;)
PS: If all the girls were like Deepika *sigh*
Just thought of sharing this with you.
Well, I have seen this list of movies in alphabetical order at many blog posts. Being the movie buff that I am I decided to take it up. The list are solely my preferences if I am given with the choice of watching just one movie from each alphabet.
A: As Good As It Gets
One of my favorite romantic comedy. Jack Nicholson gives commendable performance as a obsessive compulsive misanthropic man. Helen Hunt also came into forefront with an equally laudable performance.
Both of them (Jack’s 3rd and Helen’s 1st) won Academy Awards for this wonderful film.
B: Back To The Future
A feel good movie that doesn’t fail to bring a smile to the face no matter how many times you may have watched it. My favorite part is the sexual tension between Mcfly (Michael Fox) and his mother played by the gorgeous Lea Thompson.
A truly family film from the stable of Robert Zemekis. Although I think the 2nd and 3rd part were really unnecessary.
C: Cinderella Man
A very inspiring movie about how a man fights for his family in the great depression era. Excellent performances from Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger. A true riches to rags to riches story of James J. Braddock.
It performed poorly at the box office. May be because Million Dollar Baby was released around the same time and had the same theme: boxing.
D: Die Hard
That’s how we know Bruce Willis. Perhaps the best action movie ever. The rest of the movies in the same franchise are no less thrilling but the first will always remain special. It introduced for the first time a man against x no. of goons and against the tide of time.
Favorite One liners from John McClane : ‘Yippee ka Yay, Mothafucka!!’
E: Eastern Promises
The best film to come from David Cronenberg, it successfully depicts the murky under goings inside the Russian Underworld. Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn from LOTR) gives a somber performance in this dark and gory film.
Mortensen collected his nomination for the Academy Awards from this movie.
F: Forrest Gump
Another feel good movie from Robert Zemekis about a mentally retarded guy. Anything he touches essentially turns into gold. The range of emotions one goes through as one watches the film is difficult to describe.
It won 6 Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor( Hank’s 2nd after Philadelphia).
G: Groundhog Day
Actually I have lost count of the number of times I have watched this delightful comedy with romance ever so subtly insinuated. What performance from Bill Murray in an equally innovative plot. Good supporting role from Andie MacDowell.
Strange thing is not even nominated for Oscars. A neglected masterpiece.
H: Hotel Rwanda
Can be called an African Schindler’s List, this heart wrenching tale is about a hotelier’s effort at saving the Tutu population from the Hutu militia.
A really inspirational movie that was nominated for 3 Oscars (Best Actor, Supporting Actress and Original Screenplay). Don’t forget to keep your handkerchiefs' with you while watching it.
I: It Happened One Night
A classic romantic comedy. The title is miss leading as the story takes place over several nights, none of them more important than the other. If you think you haven’t seen it, well ‘Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahi’ is a frame by frame copy of this film.
It was the first film to win the Grand slam of Oscars i.e. Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Director and Original Screenplay.
J: Jurassic Park
Adaptation of the novel by Michael Crichton by the same name, Spielberg introduced heavy CGI effects to bring the dinosaurs into reality and boy! did he succeed. I got to finally see it when I was like 10 years old. I remember staring at the screen in awe at the marvelous, life-like creatures.
It went on to became the highest grossing movie of its time beating E.T.
K: Kill Bill
We also get to see Pai Mei’s ‘Five Point Palm exploding Heart technique.’
L: La Vita e’ bella
A tragic comedy that makes you smile and cry at the same time. It’s about a man’s (superbly played by Roberto Benigni) effort to save his son in a Nazi concentration camp using his imagination. Among all the good movies about the Holocaust, this one’s got a totally different flavor.
It went to win 5 Oscars including Best Foreign Language Film and Best Actor.
M: Memento
Memento is Nolan’s Best film to date. It is like a non-linear puzzle. Nolan doesn’t allow the audience to get ahead of the film at all and the final picture gets clear at the very end.
Anybody who says that Ghajini is inspired from it should jump from the 22nd floor of a building. It couldn’t even depict anterograde amnesia properly (What was that ‘15 minutes’ bullshit).
N: Nuovo Cinema Paradiso
If you wanna cry out of sheer sense of nostalgia, go no where. This movie reminded me of my childhood and my friendship with an old man who used to tell me fascinating stories about jinns, witches, demons and ghosts. The last scene was like a heart wrenching waltz.
Won Oscar for Best Foreign Language film.
O: October Sky
An inspirational movie about Homer Hickam who pursues rocketry against strong reservations from his father. Just goes to show how if one has got his head and heart at the same place, no one can stop him.
Brought Jake Gyllenhaal right into focus and he has been doing fine job since( Brokeback Mountain, Donnie Darko).
P: Pulp Fiction
It’s not one single plot, but a collection various of various sub-plots connected very loosely shown in a non-linear fashion. Two sub-plots standout. One’s involving Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta & the other involving Bruce Willis and Ving Rhames( Mr. Wallace).
The USP of the film is the violence and the punchy lines. Won Oscar for Best Screenplay.
Q: Quantum of Solace
Hmm…not enough films starting with Q. No I don’t have any objections to a blonde bond. I thought that Casino Royale was a superb movie. One of the reasons I found it superb was the lack of stupid gadgets. I had enjoyed the hand to hand combats.
Quantum of Solace on the other hand is no doubt a fine movie but doesn’t even comes close to Casino Royale by miles.
R: Reservoir Dogs
Am I a Tarantino fan or what? Three films already in this list. An inspiration for independent film makers, this film is notorious for its violence and brash language. Audience find the ear-cutting scene too unnerving to handle.
The black humor is all too evident and the opening discussion about Madonna’s ‘Like a Virgin’ sets up the perfect tone for me.
S: Sin City
Wow!! This movie adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic novel, is like watching a comic come into life. This particular technique of camerawork was used later in300, Beowulf and The Spirit.
A host of heavy actors, mind blowing action(especially involving Mickey Rourke), exotic women(remember meho) and gun totting men…you have all that makes it the perfect popcorn movie.
T: The Lord of the Rings
I am not much of a book reader but I should thank Peter Jackson for bringing out this grand adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of The Rings. The awesomeness of this trilogy is perhaps only matched by George Lucas’ The Star Wars saga.
All 3 movies feature in IMDB’s top 50 movies and have won a total of 17 Oscars. What more can I say!!
U: Unforgiven
The legend of William Munny. Last lines from William Munny after the legendary gun-fight at the bar:
‘You better bury Ned right! Better not go cuttin' up... nor otherwise harm no whores... or I'll come back and kill every one of you sons-o-bitches.’
Clint Eastwood won his first 2 Oscars for this film a feat he went on to repeat in ‘Million Dollar Baby’.
V: V for Vendetta
I have actually lost count the no. of times I have seen this movie. Every time I see the movie, it gives me the goose bumps. I haven’t seen a better screenplay writing (Wachowski Brothers) than this. Mesmerizing and powerful dialogue delivery from Hugo Weaving(Agent Smith). Able support from Natalie Portman.
Should have been nominated for Oscars.
W: What Women Want
There were quite a few contenders for the W category…Wall-E, Wedding Crashers, When Harry met Sally etc. (probably better than this), but since Helen Hunt is in it, I had to choose it. I am a sucker for Helen Hunt. Besides, I enjoyed it very much.
Besides, every man wants to listen to what women are thinking :P. Just nominated for Golden Globes.
X: X-Men
Y: Young Frankenstein
What a comedy!! I mean this film is a laugh riot. This is how a parody should be made. You can list about a 100 things that you can learn from this movie. I was laughing my ass off from the beginning till the end. A very rich tribute to the classic horrors of 1930’s.
Thank you Mr.. Mel Brook for Young Frankenstein or shall I say Fronk-en-steen!!
Z: Zodiac
A very gripping thriller from David Finch, but not as engaging, brooding or surrealistic as Se7en or Fight Club. Still holds out on its own as you engage with Jake Gyllenhaal into solving the case, based on the facts available to you. Mark Ruffalo gives a convincing performance as a frustrated cop who has failed to nab the serial killer.
Features in almost every critics list of movies to watch in 2007.
1: 12 Angry Men
Brilliant debut movie from Sidney Lumet. One room, 12 extraordinary actors, one rock solid script and you have a genius of a film. This movie explained to me the need of a good script for a successful movie. Very absorbing drama.
Nominated for 3 Oscars. Lost out to ‘Bridge on River Kwai’.
2: 21 Grams
Tells the story of 3 individuals, how there lives are affected as a single incident ties them together. Shot chronologically but edited to jumble up the past, present and the future. Difficult to understand for the first 30 minutes but, then it eases out.
The narrative in the last few minutes is thought-provoking. It says: ‘How many lives do we live and how many deaths do we die?’
3: 300
Movie adaptation of another graphic novel from Frank Miller about the battle of thermopylae. Another treat for the eye. The effects are breathtaking. So, excited I was after seeing the trailer of the movie that I caught the first day first show of the movie and I was not disappointed.
The post production work took 1 year to complete with 10 special-effects companies working on it.
4: 4 luni, 3 saptamâni si 2 zile
4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days. A movie about 2 friends trying for an illegal abortion in communist Romania. The film is entirely shot with just a single camera and the acting is just absolutely perfect.
This film won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes film festival. It is Romania’s official entry for Oscars in the Foreign Film category.
5: 50 First Dates
A mushy romantic tale about how a man has to win the heart of his lady love every single day as she forgets him the very next day. As is the case with Adam Sandler’s most movies, this movie is entertaining and you wouldn’t feel bored. Drew Barrymore as usual looks cute and gives a reasonable performance.
8: 8mm
8 mm has a very interesting plot. An investigator investigating about a tape of a snuff movie found in the safe of a dead industrialist. But, that’s about it. The film falls flat and what could have been a gripping thriller, ceases to be despite the presence of a charismatic actor like Cage.
9: 9 Songs
9 songs is famous for only one thing. A mainstream film showing explicit unsimulated sex. Personally, I couldn’t find any difference between a porno and this film. All kinds of jobs and positions are shown unabated and the border between art and pornography becomes really smudgy.
[]: [.REC]
A Spanish horror film. The camerawork is shaky and amateurish which adds authenticity to the horror that the director is trying to inflict upon the audience.
Similar camerawork in ‘The Blair Witch Project’ and ‘Cloverfield’ appealed to me very much.
PS: No worthwhile movie starting with 6,7 or 0.
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