Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara review

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (U/A)
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Katrina Kaif, Kalki Koechlin, Abhay Deol
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Rating: ***

"Seize the day, my friend," blurts the stunning deep-sea diving instructor Laila (Kaif), on a long walk with an uptight financial broker Arjun (Roshan). Arjun hasn't lived much, nor have his friends -- the apparently spineless Kabir (Deol) and jovial, closet poet Imran (Farhan). The adage pretty much sums up ZNMD.

It's a long, boring advertisement for Spain Tourism, warned a colleague whose "sources" had these precious words about ZNMD. I can safely say, it's a little more than that.

How do they land in Spain? Well, the boys had made a certain pact that each would suggest an adventure sport and the other two would have to follow. Screenplay writers Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar (also director) bring to the table a very beautifully captured Spain, by cinematographer Carlos Catalan. No no, that's not all. Along with Spain, they bring relationships of their protagonists with themselves and each other. Undercurrents unleashed by emotional turmoil, friendship, and finally the unloading of mental baggage, so as to emerge victorious in the truest sense.

For all this, the storywriters use heavy doses of symbolism. Deep-sea diving at Costa Brava, sky-diving in Sevilla and the San Fermin bull run in Pamplona, not to forget the Tomatina festival in Bunyol, where Arjun finally lets go. Fears are drowned, let open in the sky and finally at the mercy of raging bulls.

Performances are honest and telling across the board, yet Farhan stands out (Warning: Some bias may be at play here). Roshan, Deol and Farhan stick to their briefs by Zoya, often contained, and true to their characters, and never over-the-top. They let the characters' intrinsic qualities do the talking. Similarly with Koechlin, whose prim and proper Natasha is, admittedly, not much like her real life persona. They're all easy-going, playing their parts and enjoying while in the act. Kaif's "tumhari zindagi badalnewali hai" made me cringe, but overall her effort to make Laila believable cannot be undermined. You wish you could have a life like hers, jetting off to a part of the world for three months of daredevilry and loads of fun.

Witty dialogue (credited to Farhan himself), playful chitchat and the camaraderie between the friends personify ZNMD. However, the lack of chemistry among them in the first hour cannot be ignored. ZNMD has so many silent moments, it's likely to put you to sleep. The editing tools could have been sharper to give this coming-of-age romantic drama a facelift. Restlessness is the unwelcome guest on this road, much like Kabir's fiancée Natasha.

Sounds uncannily similar to Farhan's directorial debut Dil Chahta Hai, right? Now if you take DCH as the benchmark, it's up to you how slow/polished/boring/unnecessary/pretty you find ZNMD.

Your heart is likely to be set upon the beats of ZNMD, from the free-spirited Ik Junnon to the mellow Khwabon Ke Parindey, not to forget the unforgettable Senorita. And Farhan's poetry infused in the narrative needs special mention. True Akhtar blood must say!

The writers exploit luxury and frankly, ZNMD set anywhere else could be as true to character. They didn't really have to go to Spain.

For those (which, I assume, is a lot of us), who may not be able to afford a holiday in Spain for any time soon, go catch ZNMD for good performances, music, Spain and of course, Farhan Akhtar in his element.

This post first appeared at http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report_zindagi-na-milegi-dobara-review_1565930

Delhi Belly review

Delhi Belly has the gift of the goo

Cast: Imran Khan, Shenaz Tresurywala, Vir Das, Kunaal Roy Kapoor
Director: Abhinay Deo
Rating: A 4 full of shit

Man this Kunaal Roy Kapoor or Nitin of Delhi Belly is a sweet bum (no pun intended). He’s made my love for shit and all things shitty grow fonder, stronger, and unbreakable. And he even has the gift of the goo, oh sorry, gab.

[An inside story: At home at least 96% of all our conversations (esp. between my sis and me) involve hagovni (hug-ova-nee), hagvatoss (hug-way-toes), and all things goo a.k.a shit. And when a movie with shit as a protagonist shows up in a theatre near our house, my joy couldn’t give a shit]

I watched Delhi Belly first day first show (like most movies I don’t get to watch for free at press screenings). And it was right after a session of Yoga, no breakfast and half a dump. I know all these non-events don’t really matter and all you want to know about is what Delhi Belly is about.

So yeah, Tashi (Imran), Arup (Vir) and Nitin (Kunaal) live a dumpyard, yes that’s exactly what most bachelors’ “home” looks like. Water’s always running out, the ceiling threatening to call it quits, pet cockroaches ever grateful for half-eaten pizzas, and a devil of a landlord always ready to throw you out any instance.

Journalist Tashi deals with bimbettes as with murder mysteries, art director with “talentless Bong art director” for a boss and cute, cute Nitin deals with a Delhi Belly. Mind you that’s a lot of work. Running in and out of the loo, with a flush that’s waterless is a lot of work.

A turn of events involving Tashi’s fiancé Sonia (Shenaz), a Russian doll and a bottle full of gooey, watery excrement is what takes you on a fun ride that’s Delhi Belly.

None of the actors are ever over-the-top and yet manage to keep you hooked and happy throughout the interval-less 96 minutes of the film.

I’m confused who is the best of the cast. I think it’s a tie between villain Vijay Raaz and Kunaal Roy Kapoor, Vijay for his understated yet effective acting and Kunaal for his one-liners and bang on comic timing. Imran strips that boy-next-door image to show his funny side and impresses beyond expectations. Vir Das the Weirdass is logically in a comedy after splitting peoples’ guts with his stand up comedy. Shenaz reminds me of my school days. She used to be a VJ some years back, disappeared mysteriously thereafter and has appeared as mysteriously again. Never mind. She’s good enough in DB and that’s what matters. Oh how can I forget Poorna Jagannathan who plays Menaka, Tashi’s colleague, fresh and expressive face with loads of acting talent. Even Vijay Raaz’s sidekicks offer kicks enough to keep your interest live throughout.

DB’s story is simplistic but its treatment, music and talented cast make the difference. A chase sequence is just more enjoyable because of ‘Bhag DK Bose’, while Vir’s ‘Ja Chudail’ has made getting dumped attractive. Aamir Khan’s item number when end credits roll is the added award.

Upbeat, shameless, unapologetic and unrelenting. Abbey ch**ye bahut ho gaya. People have got the point.

Need I say more? Dear potty, I will stand by you forever. Someday we’ll make a shit of a film together. Just like DB.

PS: Weirdass for Vir Das is not original. His company’s called Weirdass Comedy.

Shivaji Park - The nostalgia factory

Everybody has a place dear to them during their growing up years.

Shivaji Park is etched in the memory of my past, present and hopefully at least the near future.
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Having lived in Matunga all my life, Shivaji Park has been the go-to place, be it on every mid-week holiday (most Mahim-Matunga schools have it), every summer vacation as a child, for teenage romance getaways and now in the evenings when the job allows that rare spare time.

The squeaky slides in the kids’ park, the sound of laughter springing from the group of dentures in the senior citizens’ park, the soiled, white clothes of future Sachin Tendulkars practising master strokes, the smell of mud after the first monsoon showers, the golawalla at the corner, the Mangola-potato chips-eclairs picnics are some of memories painted around this place called Shivaji Park.

Urged to write about Park or SP (as most people in the area call it) are the recent changes it has gone through. And yes, this is no PR exercise for the BMC.

For as long as I can remember, it did not have any dustbins, making visitors litter. The BMC, some years back, erected a huge board near one of the entrances listing the fines for littering. With no dustbin in sight, the board had a heap of garbage right at its feet. Recently, little silver bins have been placed, looking at which I can’t stop smiling. BMC just gave my tirade against littering a shiny boost, or so I’d like to think.

New metal benches lining a selected section of the playground see a competition among couples as well as senior citizens waiting to rest their derrieres while watching young boys kick ball. It’s fun to see how there’s literally a race to get to the benches facing the ground.

The air seems to have got a quaint touch, thanks to the pretty, black lampposts around the ground. They don’t exactly serve the purpose of lighting the area brightly but do add to the path’s beauty. The newly-laid tiles and distance signages make for a pleasurable walking experience.

One step in the beautification plan that hasn’t gone down too well with me is the fencing around the trees on the walking path. Protecting trees may have been the idea, but railings that encroach upon the walking space is not done. The ‘katta’, or sitting area, has been painted a bright green and happy yellow adding to the park’s attractiveness. I even came across a board the BMC has put up enlisting the phases of development and beautification. Seems we’re likely to see changes that’ll influence the memories of the generations to come.

These changes haven’t messed with the park’s soul. It offers everyone something to cheer, be it the sports enthusiast, or the toddler taking his/her first step, the nana-nanis, the budding lovers and also the happily married.

Even I’m not complaining as I have got new reasons to enjoy quiet evenings there and make new memories.

So, what is your Shivaji Park memory?

June 5: World Environment Day

Litter one paper less.
Save one drop of water more.
Switch power off when you go.
To plastic say no.

From today, let’s put ‘environment’ in World Environment Day.

The fear of memory loss

Today something very strange happened. It’s not unusual for me to forget things.

I’ve learnt to address my memory issues. Every morning I make a list of things I have to do. These could include: Go to work, Pay phone bill, Train pass expires, Eyebrows, Call so-and-so, etc.

I know these are not extraordinary chores and at some point or the other each of us forget to do any of the above things. A while ago my phone had reminders like: Turn off milk gas, Rosy aunty unwell, Fill water at 9.30, Troy on HBO. Just the day before I couldn’t think of the word ‘sustainable’ while writing a review. I knew exactly what I wanted to say but still couldn’t.

Today I had to go to Andheri (yes, godforsaken Andheri) for a movie screening. Fun Republic and Andheri is general is where in a week at least one film is screened. I got off at the bus stop before CitiMall and kept walking.

I realised I couldn’t remember where I was going. I walked upto Infiniti Mall and back, trying hard to remember which lane I had to get in. With loud music in my ears I felt, for the first time, a fear. The fear that memory loss could bring. I saw my phone had a reminder SMS from the PR about the press show at 12 noon Fun Republic. Phew! Gathering my thoughts I tried calling my cousin who works in the same lane as Fun. No answer. Finally I asked a man where Fun was and he told me the left at the signal.

After reaching Fun I struggled to find the way to the special screening theatre.

There’s something really weird about not remembering things. Worse is not knowing where you, what you’re there for and how you got there. Hoping this was just a one off incident. Definitely don’t want a repeat of such a thing.

The smart-phone generation

Here's my Mumbai Muse that appeared in DNA on May 8

A friend was bragging about the apps on her new Android phone as we sat in a dark theatre waiting for the film to begin.

“The Shakespeare app gives me a list of sonnets, plays, etc of the Bard,” she said. “And I’m so addicted to the e-book app. So much so that I have developed a number and have to wear specs.”

“Oh,” I expressed wonder. “What else can your phone do?” I was quick to cash in on the opportunity to get a free lesson in new mobile-phone technology.

She said her friends shop online. Every time they come across something they like, they take pictures and send them to the others online. After some discussion, the prospective buyer makes his/her decision. Sounds like a cool way of operating. But is this all friendshipshave come to? I mean, whatever happened to those days when, in girlish excitement, we’d call each other andmeet up at Bandra or Lokhandwala to shop?

For me, a phone has always been (and always will be) a little box that fits into the palm of my hand, makes and receives calls, sends urgent texts, perhaps plays the radio, and has a fairly good memory to contain my ever-increasing contact list. A mobile phone for me carries out basic communication functions. Treating it like a convenience store doesn’t seem to be my cup of tea (maybe if I had a new-age phone, I would bask in the glory of what it could do for me).

But with life as it is now, everybody seems to be running to catch the next big thing. From the regular Nokia with radio to cameras to touch screens to QWERTY keypads to what not. When the BlackBerry arrived, everybody wanted a piece of it. And now it seems like everybody has one. A friend (who did not own a BB until a few days ago) even observed that many of our common teenage buddies managed to find partners after they got BlackBerries. How, you might ask. Young boys and girls sharing BB pins and chatting away all day have cemented relationships, it seems. A BB messenger is probably their channel for finding love, while for us it used to be religious and social events like weddings, etc.

I’m baffled while I wonder if anyone communicates the way we did just a few years ago. Hello/Hi have made way for Wassup. (I still don’t have an answer satisfactory enough for that question.) People don’t laugh the hahahahah way anymore, they only LOL/LMAO/ROTFLMAO/ and such like. You’re only as cool as the number of Facebook friends you have. That you keep in touch with only two of them is a different matter altogether.

I may sound like an old cynic who cannot see and appreciate the wonders the new-age mobile phones and internet have brought into our lives. But think about it. Don’t you miss the good ol’ days of meet and greet?

In short

Fool
Drool
Loner
Corner
Refuse
Recluse
Decent
Reticent
Absolutely magnificent :-D