Archive for January, 2005

Ab Tumhare Hawale “D A N D A” Saathiyon

Monday, January 31st, 2005
I swear I’m completely normal, sane and in a chirpy, jovial mood discussing current events with my roommates over the dining table. I finish the brunch, and move to the living room to watch “Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyon” (ATHWS), directed by Anil Sharma. Saturday, 2:30pm: I knock on my first roommate’s door, and ask him to come to the living room. I then knock on my second roommate’s door and ask him to come down to the living room. With both of them in the room, I give each of them my tennis racquets. I kneel down and put my head on the floor. I then ask them to whack my head with the racquests till I cry out and agree ...
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Posted in Bollywood, Comedy, Movie Reactions, Superhit Posts | 2,332 views | 4 Comments »

Tracking 6 Brilliant Directors and their Crash

Thursday, January 27th, 2005
You feel enthused, pumped up and bow to this first time movie director whose movie just blew you away. You can’t wait to see his next piece of work. His next work comes out, you go in to watch the movie, you come out walking like a zombie…your mind is numb, you are ready to be sent back to kindergarten to re-learn the a,b,c and the only thought knocking inside your skull is “What the fuck happened inside?”. You see, the second movie of this genius movie maker is similar to the work done by babies who are learning to write. The “A” goes all over and turns into some weird new alphabet…and that’s what happened. ...
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Posted in Bollywood, Superhit Posts | 1,950 views | 4 Comments »

Rich Guys get the Hottest Babes

Thursday, January 27th, 2005
After years of intense dating, listening to dating gurus on the radio/tv, reading the dating philosophers’ articles or books, and having consistently noticed the facts, I conclude that IN GENERAL (yes, “in general”, for there will always be cases where this law doesn’t apply) The beauty of a woman Is Directly Proportional to The money possessed by her husband, boyfriend or significant other Whether I am in Karol Baugh in Delhi or at the South Coast Mall in Orange County, there is one thing in common. The hottest looking women are carrying the bags from the most expensive stores, wearing the most expensive designer clothes and jewelry, and with their boyfriends or husbands get out of the store and ...
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Posted in Sex, Romance etc. | 3,406 views | 1 Comment »

Movie Critics: In Conflict

Wednesday, January 26th, 2005
Reading movie reviews have been a favorite weekend pastime. Two great critics whose reviews I read since I started reading anything, were Iqbal Masud and Khalid Mohammed. The late Masud used to write in Indian Express while Khalid wrote in the Times of India. Masud had a serious -say it direct manner of approaching a movie. Khalid on the other hand had the tongue in cheek kind of reviewing a movie, a master of playing with the English dictionary, I got introduced to a new style of writing by reading Khalid’s reviews. If Khalid is as good a movie maker as he was a movie reviewer is highly debatable, but both Masud and Khalid had the ...
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Posted in Bollywood | 1,391 views | 1 Comment »

Therapy 101: Aunty Strikes Back

Monday, January 24th, 2005
Since the last blog (avoiding desi matrimonial sites and the women), Oz has been leading a quiet life away from the all the marriage websites, away from the phone calls of girls or their parents, away from all the emails which would otherwise suck him into another disastrous event….His time’s mostly divided between work, education, his passions of rock climbing and kayaking…..until one day he receives a surprise email that his entire family is on its way from India to visit him. About 10 in all plus a few others who are not a part of his family and friends nor does anyone who know they are, they simply tagged along with the family so they could (a) visit the ...
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Posted in Comedy, Other, Superhit Posts | 21,219 views | 1 Comment »

Therapy 101 : Avoiding Desi Matrimonial Sites and the women

Wednesday, January 19th, 2005
About 6 years ago, before putting my profile on about 6 Indian Matrimonial sites, before placing a matrimonial ad in 3 U.S. based Indian newspapers, before 200 phone conversations, before those 15 – 20 meetings in person…..before all that there was me - straight, innocent, oiled hair, carrying his bag to work, back home, watching tv, going to bed after saying his prayers. That was me - one who wanted to succeed in the U.S., get married to a nice desi girl found by my parents and live happily ever after. Well…it’s been a long journey, these 6 years. A lot has changed. My monthly budget sheet since the last 72.5 months has item no. 34 which reads Pay Matrimonial Sites ...
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Posted in Comedy, Life Flava, Superhit Posts | 3,963 views | 10 Comments »

Desi Movies in 2005: My predictions

Tuesday, January 18th, 2005
I’ve stopped expecting anything out of forthcoming movies, in spite of them being splashed around the paper, web and tv media. So far in my conscious life, I’ve had very high expectations from some movies, but very few have lived up to the expectations. I would say perhaps 1 in 25 was the rate when movies really were as expected. A few movies which lived up to the expectations and were genuine hits: Karma, Jalwa, Amar Akbar Anthony, Dil Chahta Hai, Ram Lakhan, Ghayal, Bombay, Roja, Ghulami, Arjun, Ankush, Tridev, DDLJ,…. Of course some movies where we didn’t expect anything turned out to make us fall in love with the craft like - Ijazaat (I thought Gulzar/RD were done and out, but this ...
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Posted in Bollywood | 1,690 views | 1 Comment »

All in a weekend: From Swades to Desi Women

Monday, January 17th, 2005
Saw Swades this weekend. Nice, lovey-dovey, sugar coated story by Ashutosh Gowarikar. Flopped – judging from the news around, but hope the producers recover their money. Ah and yes - its a copy of a television short story done (I think on Zee) in the mid nineties - if you didn't know about it. The story was part of a television series (don’t remember the name) – which did a new story every week. The original tv story had the guy coming to India from the U.S., having a conversation with his girl in the book store, yes going to his village to see Kaveri Amma and yep in the caravan etc. etc…The actor who played SRK’s part in the ...
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Posted in Bollywood, Lens Eye View | 2,517 views | 3 Comments »

Amrish Puri - Now only in memories

Wednesday, January 12th, 2005
You have a usual morning. Your usual cuppa tea or coffee. Switch on your pc. Type in your usual url which connects you back to India. The news this morning was not the usual ones though. Amrish Puri - had passed away. I forgot all the work on my desk, all the calls I had to return, everything took a back seat....a person whom you never met just saw on the tv or the movie screens...someone who had been a part of most of your life (and you realized that now) - was no more...No more would AP stare at you from those screens and make you hate him, cry for him...laugh with him...perhaps the performances ...
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Posted in Bollywood | 1,179 views | 2 Comments »