On Jab We Met

This isn't a review of Jab We Met. It's way too late for that.

Last night, JWM, was again being featured on a movie channel.

And I, yet again, sat down to watch it !

I think this is the only movie after Andaz Apna Apna and Swades that I might have watched for God knows how many times.

My fixation with the movie is a source of irritation for people at home.

Faaltu ladki, zindagi mai koi kaam nahi bacha kya ki fir se yehi movie dekh rahi hai...? is often muttered by my brother.

So, I will try to dissect what it is about the movie that I can't get enough of it.

I remember watching JWM while in HK. My brother and cousin had watched it in India and thought it was a good time paas and could be enjoyed for its sweet moments.

Even though they recommended it, I wasn't very keen to watch it, primarily because it had two of the most irritating actors of that time ! Yeah, I thought Shahid & Kareena were an irritating couple.

Two factors, Imitiaz Ali and Shahid & Kareena's separation, led me to watch the movie.

Since then, every time I watch the movie, I come back with a new discovery, a nuance missed while watching it on previous occasions.

I love the movie because of :

• The love story. It is not your girl meets boy routine. It's your girl "in love" meets the boy "lost in the battle of love". The most appealing part of the story is that both, Aditya and Geet, do not set out to impress and patau each other. That they see each other with their inherent differences of opinion and yet fall in love is what makes the movie click for me. Both have certain notions of their "perfect" match and yet come to like and respect each other is endearing. Neither character sets out to "change" the other. Accepting each other as they are is what makes JWM a gem. Obviously, that love can be found in the least expected of times and places also makes it a worthwhile watch
  
• The friendship. That Aditya and Geet start out as friends makes the story more rooted
  
• The dialogues. The "no frills" and simple dialogues make it easy to connect with the characters. No flowery words, no "chaand taare tod laaunga", no zor zabardasti. In fact, nowhere in the movie does Aditya profess his love to Geet. The undercurrents of romance are what make JWM an exciting experience
• The performances. I was surprised to watch Kareena and Shahid come up with such a spectacular act, despite undergoing their break up pangs while the movie was being shot !
  
• Aditya. Shahid Kapoor. No doubt that Kareena brought a new life and meaning to the Sardarni's role. The naive and talkative girl from Bhatinda was an instant hit. Yet, Geet is incomplete without Aditya. I was floored by Shahid, in what I can safely call his best performance till date. He has never looked so handsome, smart, sharp, melancholic, cynical, innocent, brave, wise and playful ! I felt bad when Kareena walked away with all accolades for the movie. Shahid deserved an equal treatment
  
• The "Kutte, Kameene, Keede ki maut marega, Teri Maa Ki...!" scene which remains my favourite till date
  
• The Chota Sardar who runs to Dadaji every time Geet does anything worth some masala. Such a Chuglikhor bachha !
  
• The Dada ji who is always ready with "I told you so"... "Hamari umar mai..." dialogues. Just how much fun can it be to have such a Dada Ji around !
• The jerk boyfriend, Anshuman. Remember the scene... "Yeh Launde mujhe Ganne ke Khet dikhana chahte hain...Kyun dekhun mai ganne ke khet, kya hai ganne ke khet main? Nahi dekhne mujhe yeh Ganne ke khet !!" Just how could any girl fall for such an idiot? :D
  
• The "aa aa aa aa" in the song Tum Se Hi
  
• The lyrics of Tum Se Hi
• The snow of Shimla/Manali combined in Yeh Ishq Hai
• The authentic use of a Washing Machine in the song Mauja Hi Mauja. Yes, if you observe closely, the Lassi being served to guests is being churned in a washing machine ! This is what is actually done in rural India and Punjab, specifically
• Hotel Decent
  
• A clean romantic comedy which one can watch anytime one wishes to
  

I could go on and on.

The point is, JWM might not be the first of it's kind in the romantic genre.

It is definitely the first of it's kind in being a nice, frothy, authentically made and an understated romantic comedy.

Closure

The last few months have been nothing short of... of...

I don't know of what... !

Maybe a roller coaster ride...maybe something more.

Today, I had some sort of a closure. At least for now.

I have always harbored dreams of pursuing an MBA. Making it big in the corporate world. Then branching out and doing something of my own.

But the last few months had me in a flux. Somehow, this dream of a B School, cracking interviews, getting back to books and aiming for MNC jobs began to lose its sheen.

The more I thought about an MBA and the life thereafter, the more I questioned myself whether this was really what I wanted to do with my life.

Did I really want a job with an MNC?

A job that would require me to give away 10-12 hours a day, maybe travel extensively, lead a very busy life, make lots of contacts and of course, money.

I wanted to pursue an MBA due to the network and the avenues it would open for me. The learning, whatever it maybe, the "take always" from classroom discussions, and a lot more.

But then, I have always been naive.

These are apparently not the reasons why one should be pursuing an MBA for.

The only reason(s) should be - A high paying job and the invisible glass ceiling that exists everywhere which can be easily broken by an MBA.

Well, if I sit down and think about things that I want to do, currently, an MBA doesn't seem to be the way I should be going.

And this is what had made my life tough. Having a dream for ages and then suddenly feeling that I no longer needed to nourish that dream.

Someone who had espoused the MBA cause to friends and family, someone who had always kept a tab on the latest trends in management, that somebody, not being interested in an MBA anymore?

Was I being an idiot by not taking the most coveted route? The most logical path?

What if things didn't turn out as I wanted them to?

I have no answers to these questions since I don't have the comfort of a hindsight.

I have yet to explore the few ideas zooming in and out of my head.

Who knows, I might start feeling the need to re-learn Financial Accounting and Econometrics one year down the line.

Or maybe, I will never feel the need for an MBA again.

All through this, I am very thankful to the most important people in my life - My Parents.

If not for their belief and support, I wouldn't have been able to come to this decision, to take up the unusual things I want to pursue.

Also, all those friends, who listened to my rants and helped by giving sagely advice and sometimes just by being there and listening ! Thanking you wouldn't be a true measure of what I feel. Still, Thank You.

So for now, no more applications to handle, no essays to attend to, no recommendations to be submitted.

Movie Review - The Prestige

Yes, another review. However, a short one !

Being a late lateef, most friends thought I was a fool for not having watched THE Prestige !

Most, being Nolan fans, had painted an amazing picture of this one.

Obviously, the expectations were sky high from this one.

The Prestige, set in the Victorian Era, is a story of two Magicians, who start out as friends, but end up as enemies, due to a magic trick gone awfully wrong.

From then on, it is an endless drama of one-upmanship and revenge.

The movie uses the classic Nolan technique of a complicated narrative meshed with flashbacks at various intervals and clues to be used for later.

An intelligent, but a dark movie, full of twists and turns with gray characters, none of which one can sympathize with.

A spectacular look at an era gone by and a sleek peek at a Magician's life.

Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale are impressive and play their parts with believable kameenapan, though, my favourite is Michael Caine, as Cutter, the wise Old man.

Movie Review - Mar Adentro/The Sea Inside

Mar Adentro OR The Sea Inside is the true story of Ramon Sampedro - a quadriplegic of 29 years and his dream to die.

Ramon, who has been living like a vegetable owing to a dive that crippled him for life, wishes to die with dignity.

For him, life is a right and not an obligation. Pro life sermons from his religious family and the Church fail to change his mind.

Why an intelligent, well read and a warm hearted man might want to die - is what mostly forms the crux of the movie.

Through his every day struggles and the legal battles in every possible court of Spain, and later the EU, we get to have a peak at Ramon, his loving family and friends, his dependent life and the enormity of his particular situation.

Not one to judge others, Ramon does not think that all quadriplegics need to die, or are as unhappy as he is. He believes that one shouldn't be forced to live life only because others deem it to be worth living.

What makes it difficult for the audience to accept that Ramon might want to die is that, at no point, does he come across as a pessimist.

He spreads love and warmth and has quick wit. He writes well and sees things that ordinary people generally miss out on.

This makes it difficult for us to decide if Ramon should be helped to achieve his only one dream - that of death.
Though Javier Bardem does a very good job of bringing Ramon to life, I was happy to watch Belen Rueda once again after The Orphanage. I like the way she fills her characters with strength and poise.

One also gets to tread the delicate path of having to make a choice about Euthanasia.

While I am still not decided on the subject myself, it is difficult, not to empathize with people on both sides of the debate.

Why would and should I help a loved one end his life? My love and need for him would deter me to help him out of his hopeless situation. Also, if taken to another level, doesn't everything boil down to Karma? The cycle of deeds? He will die whenever his time his up. Why should I be an instrument in accelerating the process? Who gives me the right to decide if one needs to die?

At the same time, wouldn't it be very selfish of me to expect my kin to live, even if only like a vegetable, just because it is "the will of God"?? Why would I want him to die everyday, a million times, just so that the sham of a "beautiful and brave" life can be continued? Should he not have a say in this matter, especially when he is the one leading a tormenting life?

I am still undecided. But yes, it would be extremely tough to see my kin suffer just so that I get to be with him and live in the knowledge that he is "alive".

The movie is very well made - Everything, from the background score, to the cinematography, to the underplayed performances - all very well synchronized. The slow pace is perfect while bringing out the mundane lives of everyday people and also helps you have a look at the forever sad life of a quadriplegic.

Though viewing a movie with subtitles can be a pain, yet, it is worth a watch if the movie is beautifully made and leaves you with something to chew on.

I can't think of us making underplayed movies here. Anand, Kal Ho Na Ho and others have always had lots of masala to keep everybody happy and not force them to answer unpleasant questions.

I recommend this movie to lovers of Cinema, who wouldn't mind some food for thought with popcorn.

Update - Tata Jagriti Yatra

The Organizing Team for the Yatra came back on my post about the trip. This is what they had to say -

Hi there!
I came across your post while exploring what people are writing about the Yatra.
Just a small correction. You dont need 32K to go on the yatra. If you are selected for sponsorship all you pay is 3K. So dont dither. If you think you want to be the change, stop talking and start acting! Over 80% participants on the train last year were sponsored.

Best,
Organising team, TJY09

Have also been hearing some very encouraging feedback from the Yatris of the last few years.

So, finances not-withstanding, do apply and see where the journey takes you.

Movie Review - Ajab Prem ki Gazab Kahani

After reading this and this and listening to heaps of praises being showered on Ranbir by cousins, friends and other ladies, I got really curious about "the next Andaz Apna Apna".

Now, being called the next AAA is quite something in itself. Personally, I think no movie will ever hold any candle/tube light/lamp to AAA.

However, knowing Santoshi and his craftsmanship, I thought it wouldn't hurt to try this one out.

Also, this was going to be my first watch at Ranbir Kapoor. I hadn't watched any of his movies until now.

Small Town guy meets an equally sweet and simple small town girl and how, through various twists and turns, goof ups and heartburns, manages to win the lady - this loosely forms the story.

In between we have other sidekicks who have been included to add to the fun quotient of the movie.

I must add - Ranbir Kapoor is likeable and funny. It won't be wrong to say that the burden of making this moronic flick work falls squarely on his shoulders.

Having said this, everything else goes downhill from here.

Apart from a few laughs and sweet moments, Ajab Prem has very little to offer in terms of content and originality.

Everything, from the small town, which very much resembles that of Mohabbatein and Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa to goons that have been transported directly from Santoshi's AAA, Ajab... doesn't have anything to call it's own.

The biggest fault with the movie lies in various references to Andaz Apna Apna, Amar Akbar Anthony and other equally famous movies. This interrupts the naration and makes the viewer go back to those lovely classics, forgetting what's playing onscreen.

Performance wise, Katrina does a fairly good job of playing a wide-eyed, child-woman and looks the part too.

Everybody else is over the top and forgettable.

The trophy, however, goes to Upen Patel - a miscast and who has applied every trick in the book to get on the audiences' nerves.

The music would be forgettable too, save for, Tera Hone Laga Hoon and Tu Jaane Na.

I wouldn't recommend this waste of time, money and energy to anyone.

However, I do think that the movie will rake in decent moolah - anything remotely comic with a candy floss romance should work in these hard times.

Anyway...

Oh ya, do stop falling for stupid Khalid Mohamed. He has lost it.

Wada Pav

Butter Wada Pav
Cheese Wada Pav
Szechwan Wada Pav
Chole Wada Pav
Paneer Wada Pav
Manchurian Wada Pav
Grilled Wada Pav .................................

Jumbo King and the likes have revolutionized this little snack from Maharashtra, forever.

They have come up with never before thought of variations to this snack and maintain high standards in terms of cleanliness, storage and packaging.

Creative pricing too has helped to convert and bring in the common man into the net.

A good fusion food, with mouth watering chole and tangy sauces.... Umm.....Yummmyyy......Right?

Noo !

Absolutely wrong !

Why would anyone... or rather, how could anyone like to distort a perfectly delicious, spicy, spongy and wholesome snack?

Why would one like a Szechwan Wada Pav when the normal Wada Pav offers a perfect taste of hot potatoes, garnished with the most perfect orange chutney and a teekhi hari mirch?

Just why do we morph and dilute delicious things to make them sooo cosmetic ?

Phew. Come what may, I just cannot imagine having a paneer wada pav when I can get my hands on a scalding hot, traditional, road-side, Desi Wada Pav !

Now that's pure yummmm....