Bajrangi Bhaijaan

Finally a Salman Khan's movie that touches your heart !!

If you are a emotional person, you will find several moments in the film that will have lump in your throat. And people who are parents of beautiful little daughters would have to try hard not to cry. People around me did !!

It's a bit melodramatic and lengthy but it still does move your heart. One of Salman's best.

The little Shahida steals your heart with her cute and innocent expressions without uttering any words. The random cliches involving different cultures makes you laugh. Especially the way little Shahida puts aside the Veg meal and follows the smell of "Biryani Bukhari, Nalli Nihari".

A Salman Khan movie with almost no gravity defying actions and no "Commitment / Ehsaan" issues punchlines. Its a rarity these days. You feel that you are watching a Raj Kumar Hiraani's film rather than Kabir Khan's. Having said that , credit should go to the director who focuses on story rather than larger than life image of the Superstar.

Ignore the lack of Bureaucracy involved for the International Affairs and you have a movie to cherish.

Go for it !!

Piku

Its a beautiful film , simple and very well made. And even though we are still in first half of the year , its probably the best . Just like Queen from last year. At no point it lets you loose interest and makes sure that you have a smile throughout the film , while occasionally making you burst into laughter.


Deepika hasn't looked this better before . As a devoted daughter, this is her best performance so far . You can feel her pain and frustration and can relate to many of them. We all have gone through them as sons and daughters. With due respect to my late Grandfather , Amitabh Bachchan's character made me remember him with a smile . Could relate to many his habits. The "I am always right" , "Your generation does not know anything" and "I love you but I am highly critical person" smile emoticon


Coming to the theme of the movie, Constipation, images from the past, just flash before you . All of us had friends who had this 'emotional' issue and would make you remember those mornings when they would hold on to their 'Sutta' and wait for their 'right' moment .


A loving daughter, an old man as a child , a man looking for solace , and a Journey across North India ...makes you pack your bags and go on a Trip with your family. Haven't done it in long time. Now its a wish. All the characters stay with you even after the end credits roll on the screen. You feel a sense of time well spent. Credit goes to the director to mesmerize you with simplicity. The beauty of little innocent moments of life.


Don't miss it.

Best Bollywood Films of 2014

1. Queen

2. Ugly

3. Haider

4. Ankhon Dekhi

5. Highway

6. Citylights

7. Filmistaan

8. Mardaani

9. Mary Kom

10. PK

Photography : Shots from 2014

Balic Winery in Atlantic City. A non-drinker , with a Nikon in hand makes good use of time while others are busy Wine Tasting.

A Cades Cove romance in The Great Smokies. Surrounded by mountains, an 11-mile, one-way loop road circles the cove and offers one of the best views at a leisurely pace.

The Smoking Hills. The View holds the moment for you as you are at highest peak of East Coast. One of beautiful places in The Great Smokies. A little effect makes The Great Smokies look altogether a totally different place.

Tribute in Light has become a powerful international symbol of 9/11 for more than a decade.

The wind farm located in Atlantic City is the first coastal wind farm in the United States.

The "Liberation Memorial" commemorates the Holocaust. The memorial depicts an American soldier carrying a Jewish concentration camp survivor. It is located at the Liberty State Park.

LBI, as Long Beach Island is known in the local lingo, is a beach lover’s paradise. Even at the widest point of this 18-mile-long island strewn with small shore towns and long stretches of white sand, you’re never more than half a mile from the other side.

Brooklyn Bridge illuminated on the Occasion of  Independence Day

Zip Flyers at Camelback Mountains make Summers more fun.

Vermont's world famous foliage is at the top of many "bucket lists." Touring the state in search of yet another view is a timeless tradition.

The 4th of July, the nation’s largest patriotic pyrotechnic display illuminates the night sky over New York City as the 38th annual Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks returns to the East River and lights up from one of New York City's most famous landmarks, the Brooklyn Bridge

Fall Foliage in Bear Mountain, NY

The Statue of Liberty with World Trade Center in the Background. For a long time now it represents the symbol of great American Dream.

The Majestic Manhattan Downtown mesmerizes every time.

The Pulaski Skyway. After a Cricket match at Lincoln Park, Jersey City. A lost match can make you take a look of your surroundings in a different perspective. 

Fall Colors in upstate New York. Always a fan of Bridges.

In the Middle of City. A perfect Summer spot during office hours. A view from Bryant Park in Manhattan

The Fallen Leaf on JFK Blvd, Jersey City. The symbol of days ahead . Canada Calling.

The Farm House, Mississauga , ON. First click in Canada.

The Backyard, Mississauga , ON.

The View from Window, Mississauga Valley Blvd. Autumn Leaves make everything beautiful.

The Building Next Door, Mississauga , ON

Movie Review : Queen

"Mera Sense of humor Bahot Achcha Hai....Aapko Dheere Dheere Pata Chalega...."

And that's what you realize as you move slowly into the movie. The film is predictable but it is fun. It entertains you. Makes you laugh even with those Santa-Banta jokes. Somewhere you feel its English Vinglish meets Jab We Met but its fresh on entertainment quotient.

Kangana is the soul of the movie. She perfectly essays the role of the middle class Delhi girl who is all excited about her wedding . And later she echoes the pain and uncertainty of the girl who has been dumped by her longtime boyfriend and fiance just before the wedding. The fun starts when she decides to go for the honeymoon that she had planned , alone !!

Rajkumar Rao plays the typical middle class Indian guy who feels that people with whom he grew up are no more suited for his company as his Status Symbol has changed. And at the end of movie is aptly labelled as Kutta !!

The director captures sweet little things about the middle class smartly. You cant stop smiling when Kangana's kid brother companies her to all the places where her parents cant join her.  There are many such moments .  And don't miss the End Credits ...its more fun !!

The credits goes to Kangana and the director, Vikas Bahl. She would be in contention for best actress this year. And its another solid performance by Vikas Bahl after Chillar Party. But one has to also mention the producer, Anurag Kashyup. There is something about  him. The projects he undertakes have something that's missing in most of stereotyped Bollywood films. We have seen that in Lootera, The Lunchbox, Gangs of Wasseypur and others.

Queen is one of them .

So far the best movie of the Year . Do yourself a favor, go and watch it.

A Nation Of Corrupt Mindset ?

Last Sunday I watched the first episode of Satyamev Jayate. It was about Rapes in India. It was disturbing. As Aamir Khan was discussing about the the issues, causes, mindset,  it reminded me of one incident .

20 years ago , back in 1994, when I was 11-12 years old child , I was watching a movie Krantiveer in a local Cinema Hall in the small town of Mau with my brother and cousin. It was a National Award winning movie. During the movie, came a scene when the lead actress was being raped. That got instant attention of 5-6 middle aged men sitting behind us. They giggled as the actress screamed on the screen and used lewd words to describe the "event" that was happening before them . It seemed they were enjoying the crime on the screen. For them it wasn't a heinous act , it was an act of pleasure.


The number of those men in that hall might have been small but that was India then. That was the mindset. Sadly that mindset hasn't changed much !!

Evidence of such mindset where woman is seen as an object of pleasure is abundant in our history. You wont have to dig deep into history book to find that. If you look into 80s & 90s, you will find evidence of that mindset in our movies. If the hero of the movie had a sister, you knew that at some point in the movie she will get raped. A rape scene was a must in most of movies. Why ? Film producers claimed that such scenes helped ticket sales. That says something about the mindset of men in the society. The same society churns out Policemen, Lawyers, Doctors and other guardians who are meant to protect women and help them. Ironic !! Isn't it ?


Not all the men who enjoyed those scenes went on to become criminals but with such a mindset its hard to believe that they wouldn't have committed the crime if they got the chance.  Shall we be ashamed that we are part of that society or shall we be glad that we do know any such person and continue to live in a fear that we may come across one ?

Today we might have reached Moon. Trying to take on Mars. We might have claimed world with our Computer skills but "that small number" is not content with just watching the scene on the screen. They are executing it fearlessly as they believe that they can get away with it. And they do, courtesy to the same society !!


Over the last 2 years much has been said about corruption, both moral as well as financial. Some people seem to have realized the gravity of the situation and want to bring a change to that mindset. They are spreading awareness and educating people. This is a good signs. Gives a hope that this mindset can changes. But this is 5000 years old . Keep that in mind !!

Photography : Nexus 5

Jersey City Seen Through Nexus 5.

Sunset At Exchange Place

(One of the Beautiful Places to Visit In Jersey City)

Colgate Clock, Downtown Jersey City

(One of The Landmark Of Jersey City. Can you Spot the Statue Of Liberty in the Background?)

Tennis Court, Jersey City 

Manhattan Ave, Jersey City

Pershing Field, Jersey City