High on Bohemian Rhapsody

There have been very few things that get me as excited as I am right now. At least in the recent 3 years. The movie with the said title has appealed to all my senses. Its not that this is the first time I'm mentioning the music themed movies (refer: Music Themed Movies). Perhaps this road to stardom theme has got something to do with it.

I think the acting has been top-notch, bringing the character alive. The madness of the crowd and the evolving of the artist. The father-son moments caught me in a weaker moment, full credit to the acting & the direction. I wouldn't mind watching this beauty again.

There may not be much for the fan, as the stories behind the songs are not exactly clear. Perhaps does well to introduce this band to a new generation of music lovers. Yes, a web-series would've been absolutely delightful.

Coffee Shops: Providing Uninterrupted Personal Space & Time

As I sit in this Starbucks coffee shop here in Connaught Place, New Delhi, I can't help but observe how many people have made this place their office or adda. A couple of days ago, I was in Indiranagar outlet in Bangalore and believe me, that place was overflowing. I overlooked an outlet in the Mumbai airport and there was no place to sit. It is not a different story here in New Delhi either as there is not a free table that you can select. I have had no option but to share a table with a couple of other individuals, who, to my surprise, were welcoming.

As I sit here, I see some people who look like students, studying & making notes. Some people staring on their phones, a few animatedly catching up with their friends. A couple of backpackers replenishing themselves and people like me, typing away into their laptops.

It is amazing what coffee shops have done to providing uninterrupted personal time. One other place I can think of that does this is the library. Apart from the ones attached to the educational institutions, I don't recall any other library that one can go to as of today. Perhaps, a costlier alternative would be to get into a hotel room who charge by the day and the personal time required is in hours.

If there are really so many of us wanting uninterrupted personal space & time, why are more businesses not cashing in on this? 

It is possible that only a section of the population would like this and it is easy to wrongly assume that everyone needs this. It is also possible that more people are here in this part of the year to get away from the searing heat of the sun. 

As far as I am concerned, if I want to get something done and be productive, I head to the nearest coffee shop! If there is none, you can create a virtual coffee shop here: https://coffitivity.com/ which will provide the sounds that you hear in a coffee shop. There are a couple of youtube videos as well that provide this background noise for us to focus.

Blossom Book House on Church Street, Bangalore

There's nothing so fulfilling as visiting Church Street on a Sunday afternoon. One almost feels there lies the soul of Bangalore. Be it rummaging through the books in the Bangalore's favourite bookshop - Blossoms, or get a game of bowling or tank up in many of the cafes. The week doesn't seem complete without this visit. Somehow. 

Yours truly went to Blossoms today and saw people from all ages come and search for books. Physically searching for books still appears to be more joyful than typing a few keys and clicking a button. "Is there a lift to get to the third floor or do we have to use the stairs?" a couple of old men enquired. They were least disappointed when the owner said that there is no lift in the building. 45 minutes later, the old men were still looking for what they wanted book after book. 

"Have you read this book?" asks a father to his wife & daughter flashing a book. A foreigner is sitting on the floor and going through each art book in detail from a stack of about two dozen books, blissfully unaware that there are people who wanted to use the lane but took a detour because she was sitting.

People test their knowledge of books with the person behind the billing counter who seemed to know the author if you tell him the title of the book. A young couple patiently waiting while the staff looks up the book of their interest in the children's section.

All the above action was just in a matter of 30 - 45 minutes and observed when I was not looking at books or the contents of one of them. A great place for observing people and makes your Sunday most definitely.

Music Themed Movies

So, there are few movies on Music that I have watched, close to the heels of me watching this one called "Almost Famous", I thought if the list is amazing, it must be somewhere. And this is my go-to place to preach anything longer than 140 characters. Here's the list in no particular order:

1. August Rush: I have never been so awed by a movie as much as August Rush. The movie itself feels like music and its worth your while. There is a sense of completeness to the movie, perhaps the ending makes it complete.

2. The Boat That Rocked: This is a movie that tickled the rebel in me. A rebel outfit running a radio station from the boat and how they sustain it and their own life stories. That's what the movie is about. Rebel outfit not just because running the radio station is illegal, but, because of what appears to be their own rejection of the 'normal' in the world. This movie is classy and deserves your time.

3. Across the Universe: The story of this movie is told through the songs of The Beatles. The meat in the story isn't as much as the manner in which it is told. If you don't listen to The Beatles so much, you may not like the movie, because, the soul of the movie is in its songs.

4. Nowhere Boy: This is supposed to be the biopic or at least the growing years of John Lennon. I am not sure if they have got all the facts right, but it makes a great movie to watch to learn the formative years of the world's greatest rock band.




5. Once: Of course you've read my take on the movie Once

6. Almost Famous: This is a wonderful story that brings what happens behind the scenes when a band is touring. It is also a story of a boy who wants to follow his passion and does anything to do so. This is a story on parenting that shows at the same time how suffocating it can be and how nurturing it can be. Its a story that brings out the human side of the rock stars and tries to bare it all.

If you can think of any other movie with music as its central theme, please do mention it in the comments!

Movie Review: Encounters at the End of the World

The documentary by Werner Herzog is just arresting to say the least. 

This movie blows your mind off. He brings the end of the world - Antartica to your screen like nobody else has. Its not about the visuals, its not about the coverage, its about the experience.

Its awe-inspiring and I am definitely going to recommend this to you. I just wish it were longer. I find the direction quite impeccable. 

The entire movie is a moment of truth. 

Please stop whateverelse you are doing and watch this movie. You'll thank yourself for doing that.

Fight Club

He and She used to fight a lot when they were in touch. I'll never speak with you ever again kind of fights. He got married (to another girl) and went on with his life. After two years, he gets a call from she and is told that the fights are missed. He tells her that the fights are now in-sourced and are available in plenty at home. So, there really was no need to bother her. Both laughed. Funny at one level; a connection at another.

**********

I watched Fight Club the other evening. I was blown away by the concept. If you haven't watched it, you must.

**********

At one level, I don't want to fight. At another, I want to fight myself.

Chinese Coffee

Chinese Coffee boasts of a great history. What with Al Pacino being impressed and making this into a movie and being released in a film festival et al., A play with this background had me interested and I found myself in the NCPA Experimental Theater in Mumbai.

The way I see it, this play deals with a very minute but very significant part of human side - need for validation from the people you trust and those who understand you.

How this need plays out in the protagonist forms the core plot. This is essentially a conversation between friends - one who is seeking validation and the other exploiting this same need. The person who seeks validation doesn't own up to his need and his friend's insecurity in acknowledging a good piece of art is what the play is all about. The interplay of this brings out various facets of their lives an unnecessary washing of dirty linen happens. 

I didn't find the play welcoming to feel the emotions with the characters and had me as an outsider most of the time. The hard work put in by the actors was evident as they were completely in their character and were in complete control.

Movie Review: Les Miserables

Never mind that the wife enjoyed her nap in the movie hall, I had a wonderful time watching Les Miserables. The rare opportunity to watch a musical in the cinema hall as it released wasn't missed. I am glad to have watched the two musicals that I have loved - Chicago & Les Miserables at the cinema. I didn't budge even during the interval.

True to its rating of 8 on IMDb, the movie is simply fantastic. The cast and the drama is great. I felt sad, joyous, happy with the characters and laughed at them as well. It was like watching a live performance. If you are the one who would like musicals, you must watch this one.

This movie is the story of a person's journey from becoming a convict to becoming a man who would command a lot of respect from the people around, spanning more than 20 years. Of the many things beautiful in the movie, the one that captured my imagination is the way the characters bring forth through their singing the double-bind in their mind is a sight to watch.

I'd say, please go and watch this movie at the cinema. You'll earn some good karma.

The Auto drivers in Mumbai. Something is wrong.

What is with the auto-wallah's in Mumbai? If I have to pay them 33 rupees as per the meter, the auto driver smiles and tells me 30 is alright! I am seriously worried, especially because, yesterday when I asked an auto driver for the route to a mall, he said he would drop me half way as he is heading in the same direction. The most painful part is that he didn't want money for it! When the point where he said he would drop me was reached, he refused to take me money because he was only dropping me at a place he chose and failed in his duty to drop me at a place I wanted to go to. No, you don't understand. It went to the extent of me trying to push money into his pocket and he was laughing and pushed my hand away!

The other day, when I had to pay 28 rupees as per the meter and neither the auto driver nor me had the exact change and I had paid 30 rupees, the auto driver refused to acknowledge to my pleas of 'let it be and keep 30' and got change after getting it from fruit vendor at the other end of the road!

I tell you what, something is seriously wrong with the world I live in these days. 

Once

A very simple story and lots of music. As I watched the movie, I got quite irritated by the lack of maturity of the characters, but I realize, that is the whole beauty of the movie - they are ordinary people who are struggling to make a living. It was very refreshing to watch the movie in a language that  may not be grammatically perfect and of simple things. I was surprised by the IMDB rating of 8 for this movie. The simple characters, the simple lives, some wonderful music definitely makes it worth the watch.

And this trivia I quote from IMDB:

Bob Dylan was such a big fan of the film that he arranged to have the two leads, Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, open for him on part of his world tour. Hansard and Irglová also covered Dylan's song "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" for the I'm Not There. (2007).

Exit Through The Gift Shop

This movie is all about Street Art and Street Artists in US and Europe. I came to know through this movie about some supposedly "big players" in this field. It has been written that this is the first available documentary on this form of art. This movie tells a story of a film maker who intends to make a documentary film on Street Arts. Artists of international reputation like Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Space Invader, Mr. Brain Wash and their work is featured in this movie, perhaps for the first time in such detail. I was impressed by the graffiti itself and I remember seeing some art before - at that time not knowing much about it. To have seen behind the scenes and the artists themselves was an education.

I found the movie a tad dry in the beginning with the film maker giving an impression of having lost the plot. It gets interesting in the second half and I was left thinking, why this movie was made in the first place. It could be as an answer to someone, it could be a need to show the true story and set right certain basic assumptions. However, what mattered was that, the director takes a neutral stance and the narrative is told from an observer view point. This movie also provides a great view from the inside in the field of street art.


IMDB Link

The Immortals of Meluha

I avoided buying this book from a long time. And then it happened. I started reading it the day I bought which is very rare from my side. And, I haven't been able to put it down from the day I started reading it.

Having born in a family that is Vaishnavite (followers of lord Vishnu), Shiva is one God (lack of a better word) who I had least known about. Ignorance, laziness, a general feeling of "not mine" when it came to Shiva, this book has been a revelation. The book looks to be a period fiction, but, nevertheless. The content is something that I've been missing all my life.

The book narrates the story of Shiva and the human side of his. I feel the language used when the characters communicate is not really "period" but, could well be the language that is used today and makes it sound casual. This, to some extent, takes the "period" away from the book. And yes, the cities in Indus Valley civilization comes to life which is a delight.

Amish (the author) promises two more books as this is the first of the trilogy. I'll surely look forward for the second book. Shiva inspires me.

My Green Umbrella.

It is at times like today, when there is an unexpected drizzle, I take pride in my decision to invest in an item as rare as an umbrella and deciding to bring it with me this morning as I left home. While it keeps me from getting wet, it also makes a statement about my planning capabilities and intuition (that it may rain), especially to people standing under the shelter without carrying one.

As you're reading this, it might be easy for you to misunderstand me as a boastful person. The mistake you're making is the 'misunderstanding' part. I am very modest and am surprised how easy it is for people dismiss this in a trice.

Do I care what people dismiss and what they confirm? All I know is me and my green umbrella. One happy family. How nicely it sits in my hand, spreading its web above me, protecting me with its might. Its a sight one can only stand (under a shelter) and watch.

The White Tiger

Dear Aravind Adiga,

Thanks for writing "The White Tiger". It has not only captured the unsaid about India but also makes a statement that Indians are hungry and go to any extent in order to satisfy the same. I liked the White Tiger, the man himself, as he helped me get in touch with my own anger. The book was 'unputdownable'.

I especially liked the following sentences:

"Now to explain to you what was going on with all this shouting from the trucks, I will have to tell you all about democracy - something that you Chinese, I am aware, are not very familiar with"

"It was election time. People sipped tea and discussed the same things again and again. Like eunuchs discussing Kamasutra, the voters discuss the elections in Laxmangarh"

Wish you good luck!

Warm Regards,
Sleepyface

Two Bad Days

Two days after the beautiful evening in Pune, I landed in Chennai. I have mixed feelings of this place. I like this place for the birth of On Our Own (travelogue - part 1, part 2, part 3) - the blog that was, the orkut community that was, and the many nice people I came in touch with. I liked the place for it had the beaches that Bangalore doesn't have. And for the white chutney (Coconut chutney), which is, according to me, world class! And then, there are reasons that I don't like Chennai.. the reason being the latest one.

The hotel stay was a bad experience. The food this place had to offer was bad. There was a powercut in the hotel for an hour! (no, it was'nt on the day when Chennai went batti bundh). I had nightmares in my dreams. Waking up in the mornings made me feel sick. This visit wouldn't stay in my memory for a long time, except for what happened during the return journey in Lalbagh Express.

Unable to withstand the power cut in the hotel, I meandered forth to Odyssey store near Thiruvanmiyur and thought I spend some time there. I must say, they have a really good collection of books, even though the number of books they stock is not anywhere near Landmark or Crossword. I have found this even in the Odyssey outlets that I've visited in Jayanagar & the one in Cosmos Mall in Whitefield (both in Bangalore). This collection had me hooked for more than an hour and I ended up buying Shashi Tharoor's The Elephant, the Tiger & the Cellphone, Moshin Hamid's The Reluctant Fundamentalist and a couple of DVDs, just in case I find the books boring during the journey back to Bangalore. Even though Shashi Tharoor's book was tempting, I decided to start The Reluctant Fundamentalist. Four hours later in the train, I had finished the book! This one sitting finish is what it makes me not forget the journey for long.

More about the book, later, but, for now, that were the two bad days in Chennai.

Kite Runner

There are very few authors who have the power to move the reader. Move the reader beyond words. Khaled Hosseini is one such. I finished the book yesterday and was glad I read it.

It ranks right up there, along side Life of Pi, Siddartha, ZMM and such like.

The brilliance of his writing takes the reader into another world - the world in Afghanistan. The protagonists' narration takes the reader through the tragedies, celebrations and intimate moments.

Makes a great read! And one to own.

(the movie site is here: http://www.kiterunnermovie.com/ will have to wait until it releases in India)

Cheeni Kum is like a Sunday

When it comes, it comes bright and promising. The moment in time when you're not under any sort of authority. You are the authority. As it progresses, there's a mournful silence that demands to be executed. Thats Sunday.

As I was thinking this through, I begin to realize the same emotions flow, while watching the hindi movie, Cheeni Kum. Bright and promising at the beginning, slow and mournful at towards the end. If you haven't watched it yet, you know what to expect!

Movie Review: Provoked

In this movie, you get to see Aishwarya without any make up, not even a smile to keep up her 'gorgeousness'. Some great acting.

There's an argument that the movie are quite far from what really happened. (in this wiki page) As a movie, it has a story to tell. As a true story, there's a point. This incident redefined the word "provocation" in the case of a battered woman in the judicial system.

IMDB Link

(and, if you're still searching for a reason to watch the movie, there's Nandita Das in movie!)

Movie Review: Black Friday

A great movie. You just have to watch this movie for the sheer damage done to Mumbai. For the direction, for the acting, for the role of police after the blasts.

Made extremely well. One has to keep in mind this movie was all set release much earlier and such cinema at that time was rare.

(Now, after watching Parzania and Black Friday, in two consecutive days, don't be surprised if I turn into a social worker. The movie planned for tonight: provoked)

Movie Review: Parzania

This is as real as it could get. Inspired by a true story. Its important for one to watch it.

This movie being a true story makes it all the more important.

Just watched it and am moved beyond words

Director's note; IMDB link