A part of life??

Of all the bakwaas on TV luckily found a discussion going on NDTV  about the Mumbai blasts. One of the members in the discussion was Rahul Bose. I wrote here how I liked the way Amir defended himself. Well hearing Rahul Bose speak was also interesting because he made some remarkably precise observations and generally made sense.

One of his statements was ,it is next to impossible to preempt a terror attack for any government.  I agree.  It's not been done before and there is no 100% guarantee that an attack can be stopped. I mean even US could not prevent 9-11 neither could the UK. Take Mumbai's example. A huge city, with one of the highest concentration of population. The density ie population per km is also high, roughly 30000. How many people can the police stop to check? Maybe it's just possible to check a persons movement in the open. What if he boards an overcrowded local? There are thousands of people in the train. How will anyone ever pin-point that so and so person  has a bag and looks suspicious? I think it's impossible to tell in that situation. Very frankly the police had no chance to stop the attack. Only a suspecting co-traveler could have, but again in a jam-packed local that's next to impossible. Intelligence is the only thing that could have stopped the attack. And the odds of that happening are similar to  finding a needle in a haystack.

So where do we go from here. We have to accept first of all that terrorism is very much a part of our life and it will happen. The chances of it happening are more  than the chances of it stopping. A cynic that I am, this is my view. We have to be practical about it. Move ahead. Live our life. Thankfully that's what most of Mumbai seems to be doing.

Tags: Mumbai, Rahul Bose

Its all about profit

Saw Corporate the other day. As I liked Page 3, I went to the theatre with some high expectations. And returned with most of them fulfilled.

After putting the  glam&gilitz world  under the scanner, Madhur Bhandarkar turns towards high profile Corporations. I think the story of the movie is average at best. The movie does get predictable and an intelligent viewer can surely guess what happens next. So that is a big downside.

Performance wise I think the movie scores. Kay Kay is superb again in the movie. Raj Babbar, Vinay Apte and Rajat Kapoor are also good. In fact Rajat Kapoor has given a stupendous performance, in what is probably the best role ever offered to him. Bipasha Basu is strictly OK. Nothing great. She has a long way to go before she can be called at par with  Tabbu and Konkona Sen.  Minissha Lamba offers some eye candy and does well with whatever little her role was. I really don't know what Samir Dattani was thinking when he signed the movie.  The extras have more role than him. ;-)

None of the characters is all white, i.e all goody goody. There are only shades of gray. It's a philosophy I believe in, so I could accept the way the characters are picturised. But in our world of Hindi cinema, where theres only good and bad  , I wonder how the movie will fare..

Tags: Corporate, Madhur Bhandarkar, review, Bollywood

In the aftermath....

Yesterday this happened. 174 people feared killed. Madness! Thats what the terrorists wanted anyways.

I am always fascinated by Mumbai's reactions in face of comman tragedy. Right from the problems during the rains last yr, to yesterdays blasts. The human face of this otherwise labelled as "commercial" and "superficial" city comes to the fore. The Mumbaikars may not be the most couth of their fellow "major" city  brethren, but when the time to help comes, they surely aren't behind anyone.

TV channels covering the event were pathetic. The news articles and some online reports were more precise and factual. I hope Sharad Pawar's advice about VIPs not making a beeline for the affected areas does not fall on deaf ears.

I just hope and pray that Mumbai does not stop today.

Some helpful links for people who want info about the status on Mumbai.

Mumabi Help.

Also do look at this wiki.

Tags: Mumbai, blasts,

Whaat!!!

Well got this link courtesy Kapeesh. And by god, the results were unbeleivable!!
Thank gawd I ain't going to the US. ;-)

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

UPDATE:

I took the test 2 times:
Once I was Hiter and the other time I was Abe Lincoln!!! Things only get weirder. ;-)

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Krrish...

Well a few days in Miraj imply a lot of movies. Saw Krrish there.

For starters, I think Rakesh Roshan needs to be commended on this effort. I thought it was an admirable and rare attempt at sci-fiction from a Bollywood guy. If not anything else, the movie at least guarantees that you are seeing something out of the comman  faltu stuff dished out by Bollywood.

Now for the movie. Here we have Krishna running faster than  a horse, climbing huge trees and flexing huge muscles in a very secluded village in northern India. The boy has an exceptionally high IQ, but still is fooled by the para-glider, which he assumes to be  a kite!! Anyhow, it's fate. ;-)  Priyanka Chopra is the asmaan se tapki heroine. And she does look hot in the movie. Another plus.

Well the usual story unfolds and Hrithik is persuaded to come to Singapore to meet his lady's maa. There the bad guy, Naseer comes into the main story  Then comes the action. Append Batman+Superman+Matrix. stunts to the storyline. And then the final twist in the tale. Oh yes there is a twist.

I thought Hrithik does do well in the movie. Naseer as the bad guy gives a good performance as well. I personally got bored with the part involving Rekha. Instead of the traditional maa it's dadi maa . Some really corny dialogues between the two.

All in all a watchable affair.One time see. I hope the Roshans recover their money with this one.. As I mentioned earlier a creditable effort.

Oh and before I forget, whats with the in-movie advertising!! I mean for every possible scene they've advertised 1 brand or the other. An example, Priyanka Chopra is watching some stuff on the TV, munching Lays, with the brand name turned towards the camera for the viewer's benefit. There were many products which were advertised in this way.Some examples  which I clearly remember Tide, Great Bombay Circus, Hero Honda.

Tags: Krrish, Hritik, Roshan

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Nostalgic moments

It was a lovely morning. It was drizzling ever so slightly. The bus left the stand. It took me one hour to get out of Pune. Reason: Some work going on in the Katraj tunnel. I take a sigh as I leave the city. I see familiar territory retreat. I see Sangli go by. I see Vishrambaug on the Miraj-Sangli road pass by. I watch with keen interest the changes that these places have undergone since I was a tot. Some very happy memories are associated with these places.Now the bus enters *Miraj.  

Screeech....the bus came to a halt suddenly. I craned my neck to see  the reason for the stoppage. Well it was a gadhav (donkey) !! Now it felt like I was in Miraj. I remembered how I used to tease my cousins about the abnormally high number of the beast in their town. I got down near the stop, and hired a rickshaw.

I saw the famous Mission Hospital, the library pass by.This was where I started to read books. Memories, one after another, start refreshing themselves. The  rickshaw moves through Brahmanpuri, and stops at  the destination. I get down and look around. I see the changes that have taken place. Big buildings have come up. My grandfathers vada thankfully remains. The huge verandah, the garden up front, the huge coconut tree. I am so glad that some things never change. :-)

I spent three days  there. Spent quality time with my relatives , doing nothing in particular. Chattering away, lying idly, roam around. I tried to soak up as much of Miraj as I could.

Finally the day of leaving came. I sat in the bus. I saw these places fall behind.  I felt overwhelmed by that barrage of memories, maybe even slightly choked up. I did the only thing that could calm me down and put the memories into text. Probably the only thing that could let me savour the memories of yesterday without making my today and tomorrow seem unsavory. I wonder how I'll feel when I leave Pune!! 

Enough of the sad stuff!! Did you know that dogs are turning veg? No? Eh! Pick up yesterdays Pune Times. So much meaningful stuff. ;-) It really  feels good to be back in the city.

*Miraj :- A major rail junction. A small town. Now part of the Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad Corporation. For the quiz-zically inclined, Miraj was the place where Balgandharva first performed. The hall is just  100 mts from my Grandpa's house.

                            Tags: Miraj, Sangli, personal