6 Things You Can Learn From Dev D

Was generally wasting time on the internet when I came across this. It was a movie review of Dev D. And it ended with the 6 things one can learn from Dev D (http://thenewsdose.com/2009/02/06/dev-d-movie-review/).

“6 Things You Can Learn From Dev.D

1. A very little communication gap is enough to kill a relationship

2. Never let your ego come in between your relationship.

3. Don’t drink, smoke and never do drugs.

4. Learn to move on and never let go the new girl because of a previous girl who is someone with else now.
5. Learn to manage your money.

6. And the most important, never call your dad with his name, say “Papa” or “Dad”

Wonder how many of us have thought about some of these things. Doesn’t take a Dev D to teach us some of them I guess, but to put them across in a blog is altogether a different issue.

If nothing else, that was an interesting way to end a review.

Jais

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire, directed by Danny Boyle is based on the book Q and A written by Indian author Vikas Swarup. It stars Dev Patel, Freida Pinto and Anil Kapoor.

The movie follows the life of a young man from the slums of Mumbai to being part of the game show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’. It starts with Jamal (Dev), who has made it to the last question of the game show, being interrogated as there were accusations of cheating. After all, how does a slumdog know all the answeres?

Then, in flashback, movie then traces Jamal’s life which revolves around his violent brother Salim and his love, Latika. And how he knows the answers to the questions from his various experiences.

As many critics and reviewers have said, this is one of the better movies of the year. Danny Boyle (of Trainspotting fame) has crafted this movie in his signature cinematic style. The acting is uniformly excellent (especially the young Jamal). Anil Kapoor is amazing as the game show host. However, one gets a feeling that the script could have provided more opportunities to Anil Kapoor to  portray this complex role.

The on location shooting and the photography also adds to it. This movie looks good.

But somehow the movie seems too unrealistic and fake. And at times the feel-good factor seems forced rather than a natural consequence of the proceedings. But that’s just what i felt.

Anyway, from a cinematic point of view, this is a very well made and  directed movie and definitely worth a watch. A heart-warming Bollywood-style romantic drama that makes you feel good about life in spite of its tragic and heartbreaking moments.

A word about the soundtrack by A. R. Rahman

When you listen to the soundtrack it doesn’t seem special (Like most of the works by Rahman, it grows on you). But it takes a viewing of the movie to make you realise how amazing the soundtrack really is. The songs, which sound too abstract initially, makes more sense with a viewing. Its an interesting  mix of Indian and Western and consequently, very engaging. Wouldn’t be surprised if you fall in love.

Tracks worth listening are ‘O Saya” , “Mausam and Escape”, “Dreams on fire” and “Jai ho”. Actually, all the tracks are worth listening to. Brilliant stuff.

The album is definitely worth checking out.

Cheers

Jais

PS: The movie ends with a grand Bollywood style song-and-dance number that adds to the fun. A perfect end in the circumstances.

“Secret of Success”… As Meredith Grey puts it.

Meredith Grey is a fictional character portrayed by actress Ellen Pompeo in Grey’s Anatomy, a very popular TV series i believe. I haven’t been able to stand anything other than Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister. However, my attention was diverted this quote by somebody who knows I cant stand sitcoms.

And for all the crapping that these sitcoms usually do, this character spoke some sense. Its something all of us know (even if some of us don’t really do anything about it).

Here’s the quote in question.

“A couple of hundred years ago, Benjamin Franklin shared with the world the secret of his success. Never leave that till tomorrow, he said, which you can do today. This is the man who discovered electricity. You think more people would listen to what he had to say. I don’t know why we put things off, but if I had to guess, I’d have to say it has a lot to do with fear. Fear of failure, fear of rejection, sometimes the fear is just of making a decision, because what if you’re wrong? What if you’re making a mistake you can’t undo? The early bird catches the worm. A stitch in time saves nine. He who hesitates is lost. We can’t pretend we hadn’t been told. We’ve all heard the proverbs, heard the philosophers, heard our grandparents warning us about wasted time, heard the damn poets urging us to seize the day. Still sometimes we have to see for ourselves. We have to make our own mistakes. We have to learn our own lessons. We have to sweep today’s possibility under tomorrow’s rug until we can’t anymore. Until we finally understand for ourselves what Benjamin Franklin really meant. That knowing is better than wondering, that waking is better than sleeping, and even the biggest failure, even the worst, beat the hell out of never trying.”

Last time i tried writing something, i ended up screwing some chap’s well written blog on the same topic which came to the same conclusion. And then i realised If i write something trying to make sense of all this and make it sound fundoo, I will end up writing gibberish as I always do.

Enjoy the quote.

Cheersh

Jais

There’s some good in this world… and it’s worth fighting for.

Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers

Frodo: I can’t do this, Sam.

Sam: I know. It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.

Frodo: What are we holding onto, Sam?

Sam: That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo… and it’s worth fighting for.

Persevere.

Jais

Commitments to myself? Screw it!

I happened to view this blog by chance. Couple of days back. Found it interesting. I could totally relate to it (minus the last paragraph). Please note that i have nothing against the author. absolutely nothing. just that i think there are other smaller things that matter. The blog in question:

http://ronnie8in.rediffiland.com/blogs/2008/11/18/Commitments-to-myself-Screw-it-up.html

Sometimes I wonder why i haven’t become the person of my dreams. Is it what i never got a change? If was completely honest with myself … Often i see so many dreams. I want to live with so much enthusiasm, often I see myself a hero, lover, sometimes i am a loquacious speaker, sometimes I am cogent; sometimes I am sophisticated, sometimes I am a prankster. There are so many things in the world that I want to be, yet I didn’t become any of them. Why haven’t I lived upto my own standards? Why am I not the man of my dreams?

I looked inwards for the answers. I discovered how I have sabotaged myself for umpteen years by shying away from the moment. Our destiny is not shaped by a few decisions that we ought to make in a few critical situations that appears in our lives (although it might seem so), but by those countless small decisions that we make each and every day. Our decision of what to focus on, our decision to respond to an unpleasant situation, our decision of whether we are willing to take a risk or not. Yes, everyday we have at least one chance of subjecting ourselves to risk.

Have you ever seen an interesting stranger whom you would so much like to talk to, but you never accost him or her out of your fear of rejection. Have you ever let go an opportunity to take part in group discussion or public speaking because of stage fear. Have you ever wanted to stand for something but decided not to fearing that people will make fun of you.

I don’t know about you but I have done it over and over, day in and day out. But today I make a commitment to myself that I will never shy away from the moment. I will never fear rejection.I’d rather like to have more real problems then imaginary ones. I’ll try hard to put myself in a challenging situation. I wont care about critics I wont care ending up looking like a fool. I will be energetic, enthusiastic, zealous,CRAZY!

I’ll screw it up, I just wont care.

Just a thought…

Have i let go of an opportunity to take part in a group discussion or public speaking because of stage fear? Yes. Have I wanted to stand up for something but deciding not to fearing people might make fun of me? yes. And i also have done it day in and day out, over and over. Does it make those decisions wrong? Should i regret not making those decisions?

I have wanted to be a singer, an actor, a cricketer, footballer, poet, writer (i even started this blog!), artist. But i am not. I am me. and i don’t regret it. I keep shying away from ‘moments’. But i don’t regret them. I do not regret not doing anything so long as i did what i thought was right without the benefit of hindsight bias (there are very few situations where i actually regret not doing something, even with the benefit of hindsight bias). However, what i do regret is screaming at somebody, getting pissed or angry, saying something which i shouldn’t have or hurting somebody when there was another way out. I know every action (or inaction) will shape my destiny. And i know i won’t regret it.

I know that didnt make sense. but what the heck! this is my blog!

And now i should get back to studies considering i have an exam tomorrow. Is this a decision that will shape my destiny? Do i make myself butt of peoples’ jokes by studying or not studying? Should I care about critics? Do i take the risk?

Screw it! Am off to sleep.

Cheers

Jais

Kashmiriiiiiiiiiii

Hello world! my 5 post in don’t know how many days or hours. i can see the excitement waning. But this is exam time. and i don’t feel like studying… anythings possible. this stupid blog might just survive!

Read somewhere that blogging is when you don’t have to say anything but you say it anyway. that’s true. i don’t have to say anything as of now. And i seriously doubt i ever will.

However, the present dilemma is whether to go out for food to Kashmiri. Amazing non-veg. not that i am a hardcore non-veggie. i prefer the position of being a non-veg who prefers veg. i doubt such a position exists. What to do what to do…

chalo, will fill this stupid blog with nothing later on. now its time to contemplate.

Cheers

Jai

Update!

Well, i did indeed go to Kashmiri yesterday. A dhaba near the railway station. and what amazing non-veg food. the chicken was awesome. The Kima fry was mindboggingly amazing. A bit on the spicier side, but i do find everything a bit spicy. Dahi (Curd) was the best; delicious, rich, creamy and uniformly thick.  One can go there just for the cud!

We have this policy of no compromise on food. And that’s the thing with kashmiri, there’s never any question of compromise. The place changes the definition of hogging. I was so full by the end of it that i couldn’t have an ice cream. (actually, i did… but that was a BIG mistake. shouldn’t have had it.) Overall, amazing non-veg food. worth every penny. Came to about 100 Rs per head. Not bad for the kind of hogging we do.

Cheers

Jais

Could have…?

Dear Interested readers. This is my third post in 12 hours! wonder how long this blog craze will last. Knowing me, i will delete it within the next 24 to 48 hours. Or might probably take it as a challenge and keep for a while longer. 72 hours perhaps. Decisions decisions!

Saw this as the gtalk status of a first year. Probably hes the only first year i know… anyway, it was as follows:

“The saddest summary of lyf contains three descriptions: ‘COULD HAVE’ , ‘MIGHT HAVE’ and ‘SHOULD HAVE’.”

Would i have liked it any other way? Probably. Can i do anything about anything that ‘could have’, ‘might have’ or ‘should have’? Nope. That puts an end to the debate, doesn’t it? Sometimes its easy to deal in absolutes.

However, coming back, definitely an interesting status. but in the end doesn’t really matter. As Gandalf put it in lord of the rigs: fellowship of the rings, “all you have to decide is what to do with the time given to us’ (or something to that effect).

And considering the time that has been given to me, I wouldn’t want it to be any other way…

Or would I? Hmm…

Cheers

Jais