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

Best Bollywood Films Of 2013

Amidst "Several Crore Club" members, few movies do touch us. Strike with our emotional chord. Make us think . Tingle our senses. Make us believe that Cinema is not just a source of entertainment, its an art too and a good one . And its not just about the Paisa Vasool factor in the dark theater, its also about what stays with us when the lights are turned on.

Here are few such Bollywood Films of the year 2013 that moved me as an audience .

Kai Po Che
Cinema,Cricket, Friendship & The Three Mistakes .... What more I could have asked for. The movie came in the second month of the year and I had a feeling that I have watched the best of the year. And I was right ...almost.
The story of An emotional friend, An economical friend and A political friend. The Gujarat, The early years of 2000s and The Tragedies. A very sensible movie. Dealt with care and made from the heart.

Dil Chahta Hai , Rock On!! , 3 Idiots , Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. All of these movies about friends and friendship have made lasting impact. Kai Po Che falls in the same league. But it seems to more closer to the reality.

The Lunchbox
A heart felt movie. So quiet and so pleasing as an audience . Probably best of the year along with Kai Po Che.
The story of Two Strangers, One Lunch Box, Several exchanged Letters and A beautiful Relationship. How simple a movie can be to engage your senses !!
A lonely retiring Man. A neglected Wife. A flawed Rookie. And lots of unspoken feelings. The love story of the year. Simple, Caring, Mature and despite its open ending you feel the urge to see the lovebirds together.
Irfaan Khan is steals the show and so does the Nimrat Kaur as a housewife who is willing to spice up her loveless married life.
This Lunchbox is surely something to be craved for !!

Shahid
A hard hitting and fearless movie about a subject that has been rarely given the right treatment. It is not an easy subject to talk about. And it again took Anurag Kashyap, the maker of "Black Friday" to produce this one. The real story of a Lawyer who fought for the injustice done to innocent Muslim youths in the name of terror.
The film showcases so much sincerity that you are instantly with the characters either it is court room arguments or the indoor small conversations. There is no melodrama involved when Shahid is taken by police or when his brother visits him in jail or when his face is blackened. RajKumar Yadav gives another solid performance after Kai Po Che. 

Lootera
Not until the climax did I know that it has been inspired by "The Last Leaf", the short story I loved when I was in 9th grade. A beautiful film from the director of Udaan. Something to treasure in your DVD Collection and do a repeat watch over a summer afternoon. The Cinematography. The setup , The Music and The sincere performances .... by everyone. Everything about this film is so poetic and so simple.
So far best performances by Ranveer and Sonakshi.

Jolly LLB
A satirical take on our Judicial system. The film breaks away from the stereotypes portrayal of court rooms, lawyers, judges and everything you have been watching in Bollywood films over these years. The film shatters all your childhood fantasies about court rooms hearings.
Along with Arshad Warsi, Saurabh Sukla, as the an under achieved judge give a very sincere performance. He has also got some of the best lines "Judge ki izzat nahi , Kanoon ki to kar lo " & "Court me Jhooth bolta hai . Murga ban jaa ".
A very well made movie which gives a message without preaching and at the same time entertains you.




Other notable movies which had potential to leave a lasting impact.
Go Goa Gone, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Fukrey, Special 26, Raanjhanaa, Bhaag Mikha Bhaag, Madras Cafe.

Best Bollywood Films Of 2012

While choosing a film for "best films", the dilemma that one often comes across is that whether or not to consider its "Entertainment Quotient" or its "Box Office Performance". But for me, a good film will always entertain you, in some way or other. Make you laugh. Make you cry. It will Thrill you. It will Provoke Thoughts. It will make you retain some part of it, even after you walked out of the dark theater.

And this year too we had such movies. The films that made sure that 2012 wont be just about the ever increasing Club of 100 Crores. Each of these films made an impact on Indian Cinema . Made us realize that Film Making is an Art of Story Telling on Big Screen along with providing Entertainment and not just a Gold Rush. Some of  these films weren't made to appease the box-office, but cater to a different audience and are ought to be encouraged.

Here are the Best Movies of 2012, in Chronological Order.

Agneepath
A good attempt from a debut director who never competes with Original Cult Movie.It has all the cliches of revenge dramas of 80s & 90s. An Anti Hero, An Ideal Mother, An Exploited Sister, A Psychic Over the top Villain, An Item Number in Villain's Den. Lots of Gore and Violence. The kind of Cinema we have grown up with. The film has got rid off many scenes and characters from the original but The Iconic dialogue,Vijay Dinanath Chauhan...Poora Naam, stays. It is well delivered in an original style. And It works.

Paan Singh Tomar
One of the Best Performance of Irfaan Khan. And one the meticulously filmed movie of the year. Right from the dialect to the location everything seemed so realistic. Anti System stories have always been loved by Indian Audience. And being a Real story it does strike a chord with the audience (those who watched it).
Tigmanshu Dhulia delivers another hard hitting film after his directorial debut "Haasil".

Kahaani
One of the very taut thriller in long time from Bollywood. Realistic, Original and never goes over the top. The investigation unfolds in the way our good old Byomkesh Bakshi would have done it. And suspense is successfully maintained till the end. Need more of these.

Vicky Donor
Like one of the movie in this list, it dealt with topic so closely guarded in our society. No one talks about it  openly and even hesitate to discuss it with friends but the film presents it in such a lighthearted way that you are bound to be impressed by its story telling. Fresh Topic. Fresh Movie. Fresh Actor with Fresh Music. And Paani Da Rang surely must go as most beautiful song of the year.

Gangs of Wasseypur
Shahid Khan, Sardar Khan and Ramadhir Singh. And "Hamri Zindagi Ka ek hi Maqsad hai .... Badla". Had lot of expectation with Anurag Kashyap's epic. And it turned out to be a very riveting cinematic experience. Depth of each character mesmerizes you . Second part of the epic may not have the same intensity but this piece of art will surely be remembered .

Supermen Of Malegaon !!
The documentary is about a local videographer, Sheikh Nasir, from Malegaon, a small town in Maharashtra. Its about his life and his devotion for movies. This documentary follows his hardship to make 'Malegaon Ka Superman', a parody of "Superman". And your heart goes out for him when you see his optimistic attitude despite the hiccups and genuine film making issues. Sheikh Nasir always gives you Positive Vibes, simply because he is in love with Cinema. One of the best documentaries in recent times.

Gattu

Just like last year's Stanley Ka Dabba, this one very heart warming movie. A simple story of a boy , his life and his love of Kite Flying. And how prepares for the challenge of another Kite "Kali" and finally wins the battle against it. The films beautifully present the world of children where there is thin line between truth and lie, reality and fantasy. It was named Best film at New York Indian Film Festival 2012. Not to be missed.

Barfi !

The movie is a treat to your senses with very believable acting performances. Your heart goes for Priyanka’s Jhilmill and at the same time you feel sorry for Ileana, a beautiful girl who can’t get over her first love. But Ranbir is the soul of the Movie and his funny acts just ensure that you have lots of genuine laugh, just like good old days of Charlie Chaplin. The simplicity of the movie could be best described with the "Love Letter" that Barfi Friend's writes for him and it starts with "Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhana......"

Oh My God
One of the underrated movie of the year. Underrated , because it was assumed that it would be another Akshay Kumar-Paresh Rawal routine comedy. But strangely it turned out to be some serious thought provocative one. And at the same time it din't loose it's comic moments. The biggest triumph of the movie was the way it talks about such a serious topic with such an ease. Paresh Rawal got all the right dialogues to put a very fine performance and a solid case.

English Vinglish
Another directional debut. Another fresh approach and another new idea. And a proven old horse, Sridevi, to take that idea forward, all the way. Such was her performance that you can feel the pain she goes through, every time, because of her lack of  English. And you are truly with her when she asks "Why India,why not The India.Why America,"The United States of America"?

Talaash

You might have seen some similar movies in Hollywood. May be better ones. But this is our own. That's what makes it special. Filmmakers like Reema Kagti should be encouaraged for taking the Road Less Traveled in Bollywood. The film grows slowly on you as it takes you to after dark lanes of Mumbai. Investigation unfolds in good old fashioned way. Similar to what we have seen earlier this year in Kahaani. But its the complexity of characters that makes a difference here.

Dabangg 2

And as the year ended, amidst Christmas Holidays, Chulbul Pandey arrived again. This time as Kung-Fu Pandey. Dabangg 2 may not take Indian Cinema forward, but will provide with you Paisa Vasool Entertainment with Naughty and Funny acts of Chulbul Pandey & Associates . And despite the criticism for lack of artistic values or lack of anything new, sometime you need this kind of escapism cinema.