A song has haunted me

I have been listening to this song continually since yesterday. And really I had no intention of doing it, but somehow got hooked to it. I was just youtubing some songs by Rihanna, when I stumbled across a song ‘Take a Bow’ re-sung by some ‘Sheena Melwani’. I didn’t know her; probably you too wouldn’t have.

But curious to watch the song as it was on the top of the list, I buffered it in a new tab: the girl was beautiful, the song lilting, and the voice musically melodious. I searched more, and wow-I had just heard the voice of the Internet. Follow this URL:-

http://sheenamelwani.com/

An Indian-American singer, another first among the ubiquitous engineers and doctors, she had taken to Internet to reach out to the people worldwide. And indeed, she has succeeded to a great extent. In just first 7-8 months, her songs have received many million views on different sites, but more importantly, lots of rave reviews, appreciation and offers. Now, that is something to start on a career one loves dearly. And I did ‘take a bow’.

And searched more about her... I then reached the song, ‘Bad Grammar’ on her MySpace profile. Though not originally song by her, she has lent an incredible voice to it. Her two original songs, ‘Crazy Place’ and ‘Wonderful Life’ too are mellifluous. Since then I have been listening to them, more devotedly to ‘Bad Grammar’. Oh, I gotta leave now; the song needs a re-hit on the ‘Play’ button.

Pathos of worst kind

It has been a very bad movie-watching phase for me in the last few days. I have watched a few movies more than I normally do, but unfortunately they all have been trash-kinds.

The first one was ‘Dan in Real Life’ which I watched during my flight from Munich to Chicago. A Steve Carell movie, the first of his that I probably watched, it was another a-lonely-man’s romantic life perspective. There has been a surfeit of these kinds of movies in Hollywood, but still if put in a refreshing way, ala Sleepless in Seattle, can be really worth watching. ‘Dan in Real Life’ was painfully slow, its only saving grace being the suaveness of Steve Carell.


The next week, I watched ‘The Strangers’ in a theater. Touted as a very chilling horror movie by my accompanying friend, it was another let-down of massive kind. It did have its striking moments, drawing gasps and screams from the viewers including me. But in the end, you felt unconnected to the whole set-up. Three psychos lurking around a house and brutally killing a couple: the story deserved more than this. Where have the genuine unobtrusive scary movies gone?


To continue on the scary genre, I watched ‘The Happening’ of M Night Shyamalan fame the next day. Being a reputed director of Indian origin, he is naturally held in high regards by all of us. He started off very well, with his ‘The Sixth Sense’ undoubtedly moving in the pantheon of unforgettable cinema. But he has tapered off since then, and with ‘The Happening’, it seems, he has hit the nadir. The story revolving around trees emitting toxic gases leading humans to kill themselves, had ample novel scope to make the movie a classic. But I don’t know what he made of it. Sometimes, the movie felt like a comedy. And I am not alone; just go around the movie-forums for the proof.


How much things can go bad? Not worse. To challenge it, I watched a low-profile movie, the 13th Alley, which was simply a non-descript even on the list of movies being shown in the theater. We two along with another idiot, i.e. three in total, watched the movie, and needless to say, it broke all the records for squalor. I don’t want to talk more about it.


So, that is the story till now. After taking a break, I will start afresh and watch the classics only now, at least for a few days. They have forgotten to make movies now-a-days. Anybody listening?

Nobody can beat Lataji

It is true; Lata Mangheshkar is the best singer India has produced. Now-a-days she doesn't sing that often, so her poor pretenders to the throne rule the roost. But still if competed with them, she will win hands down. In fact, one of her fellow compatriots had commented on her voice, "Saali kabhi besuri hi nahin hoti"

I have a strong liking for melodies, and in fact, it is the only genre that holds me now. There is such a wide array of such beautiful songs sung by her that it is almost hard to pick the best. But I like the song embedded below the most. It is a wonderful lyrical song picturised on the ever-gracious and beautiful Vidya Sinha. Simply outstanding!

The Narnian Wonder World

The Chronicles of Narnia-I is an amazing film. I watched it now only because I wanted to watch the sequel-Prince Caspian, which has received rave reviews worldwide. It is by no means a children’s film only, and even if it is, why this long-held distanced opinion about movies catering to children’s delight? They are far better than movies replete with sex and violence.

The movie is really a fantasy world story where a witch has ruled over the land of Narnia for many years. The totalitarian rule unleashed by the self-appointed queen has turned the once-beautiful land into a veritable icy zone. There is a great lion, Azlan, who the people look up to help them overturn the queen’s oppressive rule. But according to a prophecy, the victory can not be achieved without the help of four humans; and these four humans are four children protagonists in the movie.

The children are lovely too, the cutest – Lucy. They all are different emotive beings so reminiscent of our own characters. There is one solicitous but domineering character; another one wanting to establish his own against him; a girlish morally-bossy one; and a refined pure kiddy soul. They experience a very similar nature of their original world–the fight of evil against good- in the land of Narnia, and despite their initial reluctance, join forces with Azlan to fight and defeat the witch. A lovely sleep-time story, but told in a visually spectacular way. The scenic beauty rendered on the screen is instantly captivating.

Hollywood movies are masters in telling stories just through their stills and music. Bollywood, for its hearty self, has never wanted to excel on storyline and technological refinement. Hope they learn these good aspects. And no offence from me, at least, in aping movies like Chronicles of Narnia, for they are refreshing treats to eyes and heart. I really wanna watch the second part now.

Dogs of War

With my wonted way of browsing the Internet intermittently during office hours, I opened the rediff site to have a look at the headlines. Below the top 5-6 news items, there was this line - ‘Shahrukh licking at my feet’, glaringly conspicuous with its content. Rediff had succeeded….

It is no news at all if a dog licks at someone’s feet. But if the dog happens to be ‘Shahrukh’ and its owner, ‘Aamir’, then it is a news of the most deviant and sensational kind, especially if it comes directly from the horse’s mouth – the mouthpiece blog of Aamir Khan. I too was taken aback by reading the news and had an immediate doubt over its veracity. I opened the blog which I am a regular reader of. But the site was down, further lending credence to the arresting and instantly abominable words written by Aamir. Anyway, I read it in the night after office hours, and the words were literatim as in the news article on the rediff website.

At that point of time, I didn’t know how to react. Aamir had just written something which he always stood against – to take media leverage to promote himself in a cheap way. It immediately struck discordant notes among his die-hard fans, me included, as was evident from the trenchant comments underneath that blog item, ‘Settlers of Panchgarhi’. The news might be exactly true that the previous owner of the house which Aamir bought in Panchgarhi had named his dog after Shahrukh in reverence. But to mention it in public with such gibing ways was an absolute low-kind affair from Aamir. I know it looked so tasteless because it came from the most unexpected person. Probably we all are reading too much into it. May be Aamir wrote all this in his usual whacky jest, but I can’t believe that he didn’t know that this would create a furore. Media are having a field day already, and here is I believe Aamir too succeeded ….

Before the release of TZP, Aamir had stirred a hornet’s nest by calling ‘Black’ an insensitive film and taking on ‘Amitabh Bachchan’ openly ( a favourite past time for all now). He did manage to get a high-falutin spotlight on his movie. Right now, his new home production movie, ‘Jaane Tu’, is getting released in a few days. Is he wielding the same tactics? I am indeed cynical, pardon me for that.

My ‘over the top’ - to use his favourite phrase to lambaste AB’s acting in Black – reaction gets more justified for me because it places him in the same loathsome zone as SRK’s. And I don’t like it, if it involves my real-life heroes. Aamir is still my favourite because he is the best. Nobody can take that spot on the pedestal. But Aamir, you should understand, there is more to it that meets the eyes, the eyes that look up to you for every act.

Bollywood becoming dead

It might not be true. But going by the recent happenings, it definitely seems true. No major Bollywood releases, no major news. It seems to be very cold out there in the tinsel town … because everyone wants to cash in the moolah. Leave aside the franchise owners, SRK and Preity-they have the genuine right to promote their team, but what about the others? They too in one way or the other have got associated with the monster, IPL.

Shahrukh Knight Riders
Preity Punjab Kings
Hrithik Mumbai Indians
Akshay Delhi Daredevils

It was really incongruous to see Akshay Kumar commentating on the Delhi v Jaipur game, with the regular commentator, Tony Cozier not sure what to ask from him. Hrithik Roshan is doing promotional ads for Mumbai team. SRK brings in his whole coterie of chums to watch and cheer his team. Then who the damn is making films. Aamir Khan ? Hhh, he does far too few films to get distracted. I am craving for a good Bollywood movie to come out, so that I can devote my hard-found precious time now-a-days to something refreshing.

PS- A knee-jerk reaction to my frustration of not having any good Hindi movie to watch right now. My Internet connection too has become very slow in the last few days, sob, sob :(

Awards of Justice

B.o.l.l.y.w.o.o.d ! Unravelled at the Filmfare Awards !

Really ?

Think again, Bollywood ravelled at the Film Unfair Awards !

This is what is being discussed in the Bollywood forums right now. People questioning the authenticity of the given awards , outnumber those actually appreciating it.

Surprisingly, I belong to the latter category, as I have been a vocal critic of the FilmFair Awards since the time I realised what awards mean in life. I appreciate the organizers and jury this time around, because they have shown an inkling of sanity in awarding the deserving candidates. Yes, I call it sanity because the past experiences have only exhibited extreme tomfoolery by them. It was like rubbing my palms in frustration, read anger, on watching the nepotism, read wrongness, going out there in the farcical opera on the stage. I was not alone ….

And so the debate continues.

While some of this debate stems from the fanaticism towards a particular individual or a cult, some is the outcome of the growing realization and discernment of the deserving candidates by the general public. Deserving candidates were there in the past too …..

Despite my new-found fondness for Shah Rukh Khan, I can not uphold the numerous awards bestowed upon him in the past. The case that still rankles me is his ‘Best Actor Award’ for Dil to Pagal Hai. How could you, my dear jury, for such a flat performance brodering on nausea; and how could you distribute the ‘Black Ladies’ as if they were the groceries for the same family. A good performance on one count in a film doesn’t guarantee the greatness of other aspects too in the film. So, the Best Film shouldn’t get Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Song.…keep on reading…. by sheer default. Sadly it happened umpteenth times in the nineties. It makes the other bigger half of Bollywood redundant and dispirited. An award is the paragon of excellence, and nobody knows its importance more than he or she holding it after years of toil. But what if it remained clinged to the same hand over the years?

That’s why I am more than happy with the distribution in the last few years, particularly this year, as they have tried to break that deplorable and detrimental monopoly. Johnny Gaddar – a movie of small budget- found a nomination and won it, while a child actor actually got the Best Actor award, even if Critics. The year’s small starrers like Bheja Fry, Gandhi My Father, Life in a Metro etc. had nominations and wins too. The top four awards were shared to almost different movies based on relevance and quality.

All was not well, but ‘all promises well, if it starts well.” I am giving the list of the winners, and try fitting a member from the biggest blockbuster of last year, ‘Om Shanti Om’, in each of the categories. If you are able to do so, you would have solved this riddle or mystery, whatever you call, of the FilmFare Awards in the nineties.

Filmfare Best Actor - Shahrukh Khan (Chak De India)

Filmfare Best Actress - Kareena Kapoor (Jab We Met)

Filmfare Best Film - Taare Zameen Par

Filmfare Best Director - Aamir Khan (Taare Zameen Par)

Filmfare Critics’ Award For Best Actor - Darsheel Safary (Taare Zameen Par)

Filmfare Critics’ Award For Best Actress - Tabu (Cheeni Kum)

Filmfare Critics’ Award For Best Film - Shimit Amin (Chak De India)

Filmfare Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male) - Irrfan Khan (Life in a… Metro)

Filmfare Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female) - Konkana Sen Sharma (Life in a… Metro)Filmfare Best Lyrics - Prasoon Joshi (Maa - Taare Zameen Par)

Filmfare Best Playback Singer (Male) - Shaan (Jab Se Tere Naina - Saawariya)

Filmfare Best Playback Singer (Female) - Shreya Ghosal (Barso Re - Guru)

Filmfare Best Music Director - A. R. Rahman (Guru)

Filmfare Best Story - Amol Gupte (Taare Zameen Par)

Filmfare Best Screenplay - Anurag Basu (Life in a… Metro)

Filmfare Best Dialogue - Imtiaz Ali (Jab We Met)

Filmfare R. D. Burman Award - Monty Sharma (Saawariya)

Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award - Rishi Kapoor

Filmfare Power Awards - Yash Chopra & Aditya Chopra

Filmfare Best Debut (Male) - Ranbir Kapoor (Saawariya)

Filmfare Best Debut (Female) - Deepika Padukone (Om Shanti Om)

Filmfare Best Special Effects - Red Chillies Entertainment (Om Shanti Om)

Sony Head N Shoulders Fresh Face of the Year Award - Deepika Padukone

Filmfare Best Background Score - A. R. Rahman (Guru)

Filmfare Best Editing - Amitabh Shukla (Chak De India)

Filmfare Best Choreography - Saroj Khan (Barso Re Megha Re - Guru)

Filmfare Best Action - Rob Miller (Chak De India)

Filmfare Best Art Direction - Samir Chanda (Guru)

Filmfare Best Sound - Leslie Fernandes (Johnny Gaddaar)

Filmfare Best Cinematography - Sudhip Chatterjee

Filmfare Best Costumes - Sujata Sharma (Gandhi My Father)