Wake Up Sid is a Breezy Watch..

Wake Up Sid (2009)
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Kon Kona Sen Sharma,

Rating: 3/5

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There are movies which have a subject matter you can relate to, movies which are a reflection of the lifestyle and attitudes of the new generation. These movies have characters you can identify with and their story is essentially one that you know as it has already unfolded or unfolding in your life or the life of people around you. Wake Up Sid is one such movie. It is yet another addition to the F5 Club as I call it. F5 Club consists Hindi movies (Eg. Dil Chahta Hai, Jhankaar Beats, Dev D & Luck By Chance) which have F5’ed (read Refresh) the multiplex going audience by serving them a slice of their own life.

Many of us (the self made kind) have always said to ourselves – “Oh these rich brats have had it all easy in life having being served everything on a silver platter. What do these kids know about responsibility and the struggles of everyday life?” Siddharth Mehra played by the dashing Ranbir Kapoor is one of those rich brats who lives life king size and whose occupation is spending his father’s money! In Sid’s dictionary, the words love, work and study don’t exist! He flunks his college exam, refuses to join his dad’s business and leaves home after a fight with his parents. But for all his immaturity and I don’t care attitude, Sid is a sweet and endearing character, a person you would like to befriend. The movie is about the series of events that lead to Sid’s awakening as a mature and independent man. The plot is as predictable as a straight line yet you relate to it as it sucks you in for those two and a half hours while you sip Coke and munch your pop corn.

Besides the coming of age of Siddharth Mehra, Wake Up Sid is a feel good romantic movie. The romance between Sid and Aisha, a girl who shifts to Mumbai to pursue her passion as a writer is not of the love at first sight variety. Opposites attract but it takes time for the realization of mutual attraction to set in, something which is shown well in the movie.

The young debutant director Ayan Mukerji proves that often the person who writes the script is in the best position to direct it. The story and its subsequent execution has both simplicity and honesty. This honesty is reflected in the way the characters are etched out. Sid’s friends are real and ordinary looking people, the kinds who are not necessarily the most stunning looking people you will ever see. Then there are Sid’s parents with whom he does not share a very close relationship with. His mom like any other mom barges into his room without knocking, cleans up the mess inside, dotes on his son and insists that he eats ghar ka khaana. His dad on the other hand is a go getter, a self made man who is proud of his achievements on one hand and dismayed by his son’s aimlessness in life on the other.

Ranbir Kapoor once again shows his charm and swagger as he plays Sid effortlessly. It is true that the role doesn’t really stretch his acting capabilities but he needs to be credited for sustaining audience interest in a predictable plot. Ranbir is without a doubt, a mega superstar in the making. Konkona Sen, the seasoned actress is at her best playing a role which she has played many times in the past. It is a master stroke by the director to get Kon Kona to play Aisha instead of one of the reigning queens of Hindi cinema. Konkona fits the bill perfectly. The casting of the support cast is good and director manages to extract quality performances.

Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions adds to the movie the bright, colorful and larger than life glitz it is known for. Whether it is the sea being overlooked by the Bombay skyline or the colorful and often creepy streets of the suburbs and its defaced buildings, top notch cinematography ensures that Bombay is captured brilliantly. Having been born in Bombay ( I insist on not using Mumbai) and spending the first three years of my life there, this movie made me miss that city. The flair, passion for life, the mad pace, and the clichéd - never say die attitude of the city is in the backdrop a very important character of this film.

With the music of Wake Up Sid, Shankar Ehsaan Loy have added yet another feather in their cap. The soundtrack is uplifting and Kya Karoon (a quintessential feel good song) & Iktara (soulful and additive) are the best picks in the album. It is a pity that the male version of Iktara which is there as a background score in the movie was not included in the album.

Despite being bound by limitations of being predictable and moving at a slow pace, Wake Up Sid works because it is honest (Yes I once again use that word). It is a movie which makes you reminisce those times when you were uncertain about the direction your life is going to take or that time when you were unsure of your feelings for someone or the first time you really felt a sense of purpose and pride. If a movie manages to strike a chord like that, it is a successful attempt. Wake Up Sid is an urban story which is well presented.

Whaaaaaaaats Your Raaaaaaaaaa..... Well, what was the name again?

WHAT'S YOUR RAASHEE? (2009)
Cast: Harman Baweja, Priyanka Chopra
Director: Ashutosh Gowariker

Rating: 1.5/5

There was a man who made Lagaan, a film which enthralled one and all leading to a nationwide hysteria for that elusive Oscar, then, a few years later he made Swades, a film which touched the hearts of Indians living both inside and outside the country. His third directorial venture, Jodha Akbar was charming despite its alleged historical inaccuracies. A Hat-trick of these three successful films made us all believe that the man – Ashutosh Gowariker had truly made his mark as one of the best directors in the country. But wait.... because when you watch his latest movie ‘What’s your Raashee?’ (WYR) you are shocked in disbelief! ‘What’s Your Raashee?’ is an excruciatingly painful watch. Two years ago, Ashutosh Gowariker made a comment that he was tired of making serious films and having being inspired by films like Harry Met Sally he wanted to make a Rom-Com. ‘WYR’ is his attempt at a rom-com and I will not hold back when I say that it is a horrendous attempt, an attempt which both he and his audiences would like to forget as soon as possible.

Zodiac Signs is a discussion topic which fascinates many and is strongly believed by people following astrology. Many of us have read the famous Linda Goodman Sun Sign book in which the characteristics for various sun signs are scaringly accurate. Ashutosh Gowariker’s ‘WYR’ revolves around this concept of sun signs. The protagonist played by Harman Baweja has to forcibly marry due to family pressure and for this purpose he sees 12 women from different zodiacs in order to marry the one with whom he is the most compatible with. The 12 women are played by Priyanka Chopra and when Harman asks his Nanaji as to why does he see the same face in all the 12 women, his Nanaji says “Isliye kyunki tumhe har chehre mei apni sapno ki Raj Kumaari dikh rahi hai.” Gah! It is lameness like this which makes the film fall flat on its face!

The film gets from bad to worse. There is a song and dance routine with each girl, a couple of ridiculous and unwanted plots involving the protagonists’ brother who owes money to the mafia and an astrologer turned detective who crops up regularly during the movie and makes you want to pull your hair in disgust. It would still be acceptable if this film would not take itself seriously but there comes a point when Ashutosh Gowariker starts giving social commentary about child marriage! It’s almost as if Ashutosh Gowariker is committing Hara-Kiri.

With 12 different roles you expect Priyanka Chopra to shine but in the end you are rather underwhelmed by her performance. She does make a mark in three characters but a lackluster script with poor execution lets her down. It is a shame that the characters she plays hardly represent the qualities of the respective zodiacs. Where is the stubbornness in the Aries girl? Where is the moodiness in the Cancerian girl? Where is the split personality or dual side in the Gemini girl? Where is the fickle nature and the indecisiveness in the Libran girl? Ashutosh Gowariker creates characters according to his whims and fancy with complete disregard to astrological literature which is supposed to be the basis of his movie. Harman Baweja on the other hand is sincere, acts well and is perhaps the only saving grace of the movie. Here’s a guy who has been ridiculed for being a clone of Hrithik Roshan but in WYR he is unfazed, showcases his talent and delivers a noteworthy performance.

At 3 hours and 35 minutes, ‘What’s Your Raashee?’ is a mega blunder! It should be included as a case study in film schools of how not to make a movie. If you are still interested in seeing the movie at the cinemas, my advice would be to carry your folding bed, blindfolds, some cotton plugs...all for a comfortable sleep.

An exhilarating ride of kameenapan...

KAMINEY(2009)

Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Amol Gupte
Director: Vishal Bhardwaj

Rating: 3.5/5

Many of you, my dear friends and esteemed readers have complained why I haven’t reviewed Kaminey as yet. The fact is that like every major release hitting Indian theatres, I did see it on the day of its release - 14th August, but as I got out from the theatre I was dazed. For once, I wanted to reserve my judgment as I don’t think I had absorbed the brilliance (or the possible lack of it) in the first viewing. One thing was for sure – Kaminey warranted a second viewing and after having finally seen it for the second time with a fellow film enthusiast I finally write my review. Read on...

Shahid Kapoor’s character Charlie says in the beginning of Kaminey, “Yeh life badi kutti cheez hai”. With this very dialog the director, Vishal Bhardwaj stamps his authority on the movie and reminds us of the rusticity of Omkara.

The setting is grim and murky and not once in the film do you see a scene set in broad day light with a clear blue sky and the sun shining! In this backdrop unfolds the lives of two twin brothers Charlie and Guddu. Wait, did anyone just shout the words – cliché, formulaic or been-there-seen-that? Hang on, because this is not the run of the mill “twin-brothers-parting-in-a-Kumbh-Mela-and-uniting-after-20-years-to-take-revenge-on-their-father’s-killer” saga. Vishal Bhardwaj has his own take on Hindi cinema’s (I hate the use of the term Bollywood) favorite storyline. True, that there is a Deewar between the two brothers but this deewar is sans the two Ms – Maa and Melodrama.

The story takes its precious time to truly engulf you. There is some confusion as seemingly random scenes roll out one after another and half an hour into the movie you haven’t been able to figure out what is really happening! It’s almost as if, it is a deliberate attempt on the part of the director to go slow with the screenplay in order to enable the viewer to absorb himself in the setting the movie has been executed in. But one hour into the runtime Vishal Bhardwaj successfully manages to finely sketch the different characters and put various shades to them. The characters are real and life like speaking everyday language like you and me, yet living realistically dramatic ordinary lives.

The lives of a group of gangsters trying to close a major drug deal with help from top brass of the Mumbai-Anti Narcotics Bureau, a Raj Thackeray proto-type with a ‘Jai Maharashtra’ propaganda trying to get his sister to forcibly marry a Builder’s son so that he can get dowry in his election fund, a local goon wanting to recover his lost savings from a fraud informant and stumbling upon a golden guitar in the process, his estranged brother – a regular next door guy struggling in life and who due to circumstances very hesitantly has to elope with the girl he loves, all intervene through a bizarre series of events and mayhem ensues!

If Vishal Bhardwaj’s direction is the spinal cord of the movie then Shahid’s performances as Charlie and Guddu are the heart of the movie. These two roles present a major challenge to Shahid but he rises up to the challenge and makes the most of it. He proves that his acting capabilities are not limited to the chocolate boy roles we are accustomed to seeing him in. Again the credit goes to the director for the brilliant characterization. In Charlie, Shahid has got a memorable character which will be etched in the viewer’s memory for times to come. Shahid is so good that at the end of the movie you cannot think of any other actor who could have done justice to the two roles. And yes the lisping and stammering act which has already become a rage is pulled off ‘awefomely’ by Shahid! He is without doubt a HUGE Superstar in the making.

Priyanka Chopra (I admit without any qualms that she is my image of the ultimate woman) as the lead actress on the other hand plays the role of Sweety which is beneath her super glamorous image. She carries the toned down look of a Maharashtrian girl with great Chutzpah. Again thanks to the director, her character has some brilliant moments in the movie. Like in that raunchy scene where she tells her lover Guddu when they are making out in a tent and ready to go all the way – “Tere mere beech mei koi teesra aa jaaye, mujhe pasand nahi!” Go figure what that meant! Then there is that scene in the end when she pulls off a ‘Bride’ (Read Uma Thurman in Kill Bill) by picking up a machine gun and pointing and shooting at her own brother for conspiring to kill her lover!

Amol Gupte shines in his portrayal of the Mahrashtrian politician. The casting of the rest of the supporting actors is spot on and their performances A grade. It’s a relief to see fresh faces in the supporting cast and it is this freshness that adds newness to this film!

Kaminey truly has some magical moments. It is commendable how the director amidst the bang-bang mayhem has managed to incorporate a love story between Guddu and Sweety and make it so endearing. The scene where Guddu lashes out on Sweety after finding out that she fakes her stammering deeply moves you. In that very scene the director is able to highlight the insecurity of Guddu’s character on one hand and Sweety's deep love and willingness to go to any lengths to be with him on the other. Then there is that hilarious Bhope Bhau vs. Tope Bhau confrontation which is another masterstroke!

Vishal Bhardwaj recently said in an interview that he considers himself a music director first and then a film director. The background music and soundtrack of Kaminey is pulsating! The Kaminey album has something for everyone. Listening to ‘Dhan Te Nan’ in a Dolby Digital theatre gives you gooseflesh and increases your rate of blood circulation! The lyrics for other songs are brilliantly penned down. Sample this:

“..Ishq mei jalte hue saans tezaabi lage, raaz khulta nahi, koi toh chabhi lage.” (Raat Ke Dhai Bajein)

“...Meri arzoon Kamini,,mere khwaab bhi Kaminey.. ek dil se dosti thi, yeh huzoor bhi Kaminey...” (Kaminey)

“...Yaad hai peepal ke jiskey ghaney saayein they, humnein gilhare ke joothe matar khaaye they...yeh barqat un hazrat ki hai, pehli baar mohabbat ki hai.. aakhri mohabbat ki hai” (Pehli Baar Mohabbat)

Mohit Chauhan’s rendition of ‘Pehli Baar Mohabbat’ is divine. He is arguably the number one playback singer these days with tracks like Masakali (Delhi 6), Khuchh Khaas (Fashion), Tune Jo Naa Kahaa (New York) and Yeh Dooriyan (Love Aaj Kal) to his credit.

Kaminey won’t connect with the sensibilities and tastes of the average Indian movie goer. It requires the viewer’s attention and intelligence throughout. The film cannot be labeled a masterpiece as it loosely draws inspiration from films like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch and Pulp Fiction. But it is not a mish-mash or a rehash of these films. In fact it is a brilliant fusion between the two different worlds of cinema. The movie’s real star is the director Vishal Bhardwaj who proves that what Guy Ritchie/Quentin Tarantino can do, he can do as effectively, if not better with a desi tadka! Kaminey is an insane ride. Jump in and enjoy this ride with the Kamineys and sing - Dhan Te Nan..Te Nan..Te Nan

The L Word...

LOVE AAJ KAL (2009)
Director: Imtiaz Ali Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, Rishi Kapoor

Rating: *****

Imtiaz Ali was the man behind that very endearing movie - Jab We Met which has become a cult of epic proportions amongst Hindi movie lovers. While Jab We Met was essentially about love effecting and changing two people for the better, Love Aaj Kal takes an altogether different route. It’s not the typical boy-meets-girl story. It’s what the boy-and-girl-do-when-they-think-that-it’s-not-going-to-work-out story.

So what is love? They say Love is happiness, it is bliss, it is life transforming, it is passion, it is pain, and often it is disappointment. Simply put love is so many things put together yet it is inexplicable. Nothing evokes more powerful emotions than love. ‘Love Aaj Kal’ tries to look at the dynamics of love as it happens and exists today vis-a-vis the love which actually happened and existed ages ago and the kind which exists today only in romantic novels and implausible movie plots.

Does the notion of love which talks about the existence of soul mates, thunderbolt at first sight and loving and living with each other for many lives hold true for this generation where any and everything is ready-made/instant? Is there anything known as true love? Do distances matter in relationships? Does love happen only once in a lifetime? Or can you love someone again with the same amount of intensity? Love Aaj Kal seeks and manages to answer these questions, not in a very emphatic manner though. The ingredient of cheesiness is used to the minimum and the film is devoid of over sappiness and works mostly at a practical level.

Jai Vardhan (Saif Ali Khan) and Meera Pandit (Deepika Padukone) are the in-love-but-ambitious-couple who live in London. Meera has to go to Delhi, India to pursue her career in arts while Jai has always dreamt of settling in the city of the Golden Gate Bridge – San Francisco. Their ways are meant to part and part is what they amicably do. It’s here that the “we-move-on-quickly-with-no-hang-ups” quality of today’s youth is shown. The coolio treatment follows whereby the couple throw a “Break Up Party”, part ways and encourage each other to find new people and get over each other! But do they really manage to do that? It is at this point that the story is interwoven and stirred gently with another story which takes place some decades ago. It’s here where the contrast is beautifully shown – of how Gen-X has stopped being patient, of how it has stopped hoping and believing and of how it has adopted a practical (perhaps rightfully) approach to life and relationships.

Saif Ali Khan has truly grown as an actor. From the quirky guy in Dil Chahta Hai and Kal Ho Naa Ho to the intense and villainous Langda Tyagi in Omkaara, Saif has truly matured as an actor and this maturity clearly reflects in his portrayal of the character Jai Vardhan, a very real and relatable character who experiences a range of emotions throughout the story. It is Saif who carries the entire movie on his shoulders. The high point of his performance comes during the scenes when his character is dismayed, wondering what is amiss in his life even though he has achieved his dream of settling in SFO. Deepika as the lead actress is a bit of a letdown as she seems to continue in the same mould as her characters in Bachna Ae Haseeno & CC2C by pretty much the same standard looks and expressions. Rishi Kapoor in a pivotal role is endearing but it’s the sort of role which has become a cliché for him (Read Hum Tum, Fanaa, Luck By Chance etc.). The role doesn’t stretch Rishi Kapoor at all as you’d imagine that a seasoned actor like him would turn up on the sets and get it right in the first take itself.

The film takes place at four places – UK, Delhi, Kolkata and San Francisco which makes it an ideal platform for creative and visual excellence in cinematography. Since the film has two stories one of which takes place presumably in the 1950s, the cinematographer does a good job by getting the look and feel of the by-lanes of Delhi and Kolkata during this period right. As a Delhite it is heartening to see that this for long ignored city is now on the radar of major film makers. India Gate, Qutub Minar, the wide open tree lined roads, Dilli Haat, the Gurgaon high rises and the Delhi Metro are all captured brilliantly by the camera.

Music was a high point of Imtiaz Ali’s last film - Jab We Met and while the soundtrack doesn’t match the brilliance of that movie it does have some tracks which truly sparkle on screen. “Ye Dooriyan” sung by Mohit Chauhan is easily the best song on the soundtrack, though the song could have been strategically better placed in the storyline. Nevertheless ‘Ye Dooriyan’ is the quintessential track to be played on a winter night remembering each and every dear one’s absence from your life. ‘Main Kya Hoon’ sung by KK is the song which is most perfectly executed in the storyline. ‘Chor Bazaari’ is peppy, ‘Aj Din Chadhiya’ is earthy, ‘Twist’ leaves a lot more to be desired while ‘Aaahun Aahun’ at the end is no ‘Mauja Hi Mauja’.

Overall, Love Aaj Kal is not a letdown. It’s fun and understated. At a runtime of 130 minutes, the film is crisp by Hindi Cinema standards. Don’t expect the film to overwhelm you like Jab We Met. Love Aaj Kal is like that cup of tea with just the right amount of sugar. But still you might wonder why the sugar was too little/more.

Sincerity and Innocence in its purest form

THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (1940)
Director: Ernst Lubitsch Starring: James Stewart, Margaret Sullivan

Rating: *****


To say that 'The Shop Around The Corner' is a romantic comedy which is charming and endearing would be an understatement. Movies as pure and sincere as these are indeed a rarity these days. Lubitsch does a fantastic adaptation of the play by Hungarian playwright Nokolaus Lazzlo, about a man and woman working together in a gift shop who can't stand each other, but are falling in love with each other as anonymous pen pals. The 1998 Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks starer --You've Got Mail was largely inspired by this and was charming in its own right BUT it is no match to this original classic.

It is a movie which carves out a niche for each character and makes all of them loved and memorable. The dialogs are some of the wittiest and the most charming I have ever heard.

Sparkling performances by the lead pair James Stewart and Margaret Sulluvan. Aah.. the charm Jimmy is able to turn on, is simply divine! That such an actor once walked in flesh and blood on this earth is an eternal blessing for all of us who appreciate CLASSIC cinema.

Slumdog Millionaire, OSCARS, My Dad and Me

If you are a regular visitor or at least bump into my blog, every now and then, you would find something odd in this post. There is no movie poster followed by a star rating and my review. Also if you decide to read this post any further, you will find that it is a blog entry with a more personal touch, something that I usually avoid. Nevertheless the subject matter is the same - Movies!

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Part 1: My take on the OSCARS 2009.

So Slumdog Millionaire has made it big by winning 8 OSCARS and matching the achievement of the 1982 film - Gandhi (which I have yet to see). The Indian media has as expected left no stone unturned to proclaim it as an Indian victory. "Bharat ki jai ho" is what was flashed on desh ka sarvshresht news channel - Aaj Tak on the day of the OSCAR win. I realise that three Indians won, but seriously give me a break, "Bharat Ki Jai Ho" because a film made essentially by British film makers has won the OSCAR? The Indian obsession with the OSCARS is something I fail to understand. Lets face a fact, most of the movies nominated for the Best picture at the OSCARS will easily bore to death more than half of the movie goers in India. We know that Indian cinema and Western Cinema are poles apart, yet each year we crave for the golden man which is not meant for the kind of films we churn out as makers and enjoy as audiences each year!

Let it be known to you guys that in no way am I undermining Slumdog Millionaire's victory at the OSCARS. In fact, I have loved the film and having also seen the other nominees in the Best Picture category I firmly believed it deserved to win big. I really give credit to the academy for not bowing down to popular tastes and excluding The Dark Knight in the Best Picture Category. A superhero film is at the end of the day, just that - a superhero film!

Coming back to the OSCARS, this year, I made it a point not to watch the repeat telecast and catch 'em live instead. The event though held in the midst of a deep recession in the US, had all the glitter and glamor possible. Hugh Jackman made for a charming host who was effective without making the digs at the stars like his predecessors Chris Rock and Jon Stewart did. His opening act certainly caught everyone's attention without any contempt. It was clear that the evening was to celebrate the movies and the men and women that make 'em. The yesteryear's winners coming to give the award in the categories for the Best Actor and Actress added an endearing personal touch.

It was great to watch the the makers and actors of SDM including the child artists, walk the red carpet with a resounding confidence. It was going to be their night and it certainly was! Three Indians - A.R. Rehman, Resul Pookutty and Gulzar had their hands on the gold. While A.R Rehman and even Resul hogged the limelight, I was particularly happy for Gulzar winning it, although was flummoxed by his absence from the event. The man who has written some of the best songs for Hindi cinema was getting the biggest prize in Entertainment but had chosen to skip the event! The high point of the evening for me was the performance by Rehman who sung Jai Ho and O Saya with Desi dhol walas and dancers dazzling the arena filled with the who's who of showbiz.

Talking about the other awards of the evening, Mickey Rourke not winning the Best Actor was the shock of the evening and left me heart broken. Here is a man who had made a smashing comeback in a deeply moving film, yet he was denied what should have rightly been his. Kate Winslet winning Best Actress for The Reader was pretty much expected as it is exactly the sort of role that the voting members of the academy fall for. For me, Kate deserves the award not in particular for her performance in 'The Reader' but for the great work she has done over the years, specially in 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'. Heath Ledger's best supporting actor was the most assumed award of the evening and it was nice to see his folks picking it up on his behalf. Penelope Cruz's win as best supporting actress (female) too was well deserved.

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Part 2: Slumdog, OSCARS , Dad and Me




Currently living in Chennai and working in Orchid Pharmaceuticals as President and Chief Exectuive, my dad (pic above), is as big a movie watching enthusiast as there can be. He boasts of the finest collection of world cinema which if sold, would probably earn him a fortune. His passion is one of the major factors responsible for me being more willing to watch classic cinema and not necessarily in English language. Over the past couple of years I have discovered some of the finest classics out of which, Its A Wonderful Life, Ladri di Biciclette, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, Vertigo, Casablanca, To Kill A Mockingbird, Rashomon and Notorious have entered my all time favorites list. Its A Wonderful Life (1946) is the most feel good movie ever made. Period. Having a bad day? Put this movie on and it will uplift you instantly!

Coming back to my Dad, he forwarded me a mail earlier this week where he wrote what he though about Slumdog Millionaire. It was a great review/perspective from someone who had lived in Mumbai for 25 years! The mail was first posted by him on the BITS Pilani yahoo group, where he and his other batch mates are members. I forwarded him my own review on the movie which surprised him as he never imagined that I wrote movie reviews or had a blog. I never told him in the first place as I thought my writings were too insignificant to be shown to him. He liked the review and much to my amazement even shared it with his batchmates of BITS Pilani on the same Yahoo Group.

My generation is big on facebook/orkut. We have all our friends added on these social networking sites and despite seeing each other's profile pictures everyday we send a "Hi !, How are you?" message only once in a blue moon. On the other hand, batchmates of an Institute, passed out in mid 70's are still in touch regularly through a less fancy Yahoo group. Thats amazing and certianly something for us to learn!

I will now copy paste the two mails (with my Dad's mails in blue color text, my mail to him in red and the the comments to my review by his friends in green).

Mail 1:

My Take on "Slumdog Millionaire" and the Oscars‏

From:	Ashutosh Ojha (ashutosho@gmail.com)
Sent:	25 February 2009 21:35PM
To:

Dear friends,

Since I do not blog, I thought I would send you 3 yahoo posts I wrote day before yesterday pertaining to "Slumdog Millionaire" and the Oscars.

My BITS, Pilani yahoo group is called The Dirty Dozen. My nickname there is O,O

Please read at leisure and comment if inclined, when convenient.

AO

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Post 1 : My Take on "Slumdog Millionaire" and the Oscars

Dear Dirty folk,

You cannot believe the euphoria sweeping Chennai or for that matter all of India. SM has not only made headlines but has hogged 15 of the first 20 pages of the Times of India today. I have never seen such an over the top coverage ever. We certainly are a movie and cricket crazy nation.

I am going to stick my neck out and air my opinion about SM as well as the awards. Panja ladaai invited, Kuwaiti old chap!

Is SM a great film? No way! But it is a complete "paisa vasool" movie. I saw it twice. Absolutely entertaining!

It is at best, an out and out Bollywood masala movie in the genre of Manmohan Desai with incredible coincidences, twists and turns... The only difference is that it has the discipline of a Western film-maker, a fable tautly delivered within the Hollywood self imposed time limit of 120 minutes. Not a minute less, not a minute more. "Memento" and "12 Angry Men" are amongst my all time Hollywood favourites. Both were 100 minutes long each. Their remakes in Hindi "Ek Ruka Hua Faisla" and "Ghajini" went on for 150 minutes and 190 minutes respectively.

Many Indians have dismissed this movie as poverty porn. There has been enormous criticism by some "patriotic" Indians. I for one have no problems with the depiction of slum life the way David Boyle has done it. Nothing that has been shown in the movie is untrue or an exaggeration.. . Having lived 25 years of my life in Bandra, Mumbai barely 2 to 3 miles of adjoining Dharavi, Asia's largest slum, I can confirm that every dark side of the slum life depicted in SM is true. Begging mafia, disfiguring and blinding children for better alms collections, child prostitution, paedophilia etc are all daily realities.

It becomes disturbing and disconcerting when a talented Western Director puts it slickly together in a crisp and compressed melodrama. This movie in my opinion comes no where near the last effort "Gandhi" where a British Director, Sir Richard and many Hollywood and Bollywood stars and technicians came together to give us the unforgettable epic. I own a copy of the DVD of "Gandhi" and even after 27 years of its release, I keep going back to it from time to time.

Will I be revisiting SM after a few years? I doubt.

So was I rooting for the 10 awards for SM, watching the Oscars live? Absolutely. I wanted it to win every nomination despite having my own reservations about the music nominations (Please see my next post) and despite the fact that other than one of the nominees "Changeling" I had not seen any of the other Oscar nominations. I jumped with joy, every time an award for SM was announced. I had moist eyes when ARR bagged the 2 awards.

I have this one approach to being a supporter, cheer leader. I will root for my team irrespective of who is the better contestant. In IPL, I cheered for Chennai Super Kings all the way even though Rajasthan Royals were a better team. After all, (to misquote a phrase here) "blood is thicker than water".

The Hollywood Bollywood marriage is the best thing to happen to India. I hope SM and the Oscars do the same thing to the Indian Movie industry clout what the IPL did to the clout of Indian cricket. Things can only get better and bigger!

Jai Ho,

O,O

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Post No. 2 : A R Rahman and the 2 music Oscars

Dear Dirty folk,

I am a huge fan of A R Rahman, and my iPod has every single work of his that he has ever created in any language, filmy and non-filmy. But I am afraid that ARR is not exciting me enough over the last couple of years. The ARR magic has been replaced by more funky stuff and the melody seems to be disappearing. I think this comment applies to his work for "Slumdog Millionaire" as well.

His last few films have left me cold. Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, Yuvraaj, Ghajini and Delhi 6. His die hard fans eg my brother keep saying that you should keep listening to ARR over and over again and the music will grow on you. Sorry, that is not my idea of great film music. If I do not leave the theatre humming or whistling at least one tune from the movie, the music has not worked for me. In none of the films mentioned above have I come out of the theatres humming any tune.

To me the song has to strike a chord the very first time one hears it. 28 years back, sitting in a cab in Mumbai, I heard the KK song from "Yaraana" ... "Chhookar Mere Mann Ko, Kiya Tuune Kya Ishaara" on the cab's radio. It gave me goose flesh. Till today, I can recall the entire listening experience. The song continues to be my favourite. Around 17 years back I heard "Chhoti Si Asha" from ARR's Roja. It was his first flim song. I was mesmerised when I heard the song for the first time. Even today I rate it as one of ARR's best creations.

The magic that was created in Roja, Rangeela, Bombay, Dil Se, Lagaan,Taal, Zubeida and Saathiya is missing in ARR's music of current times. His non-filmy patriotic bouquet "Vande Matram" was absolutely hair raising. If you do not have the audio CD, please sample it on you tube and later buy the CD. You will thank me for it.

I have a long list of his Tamil favourites but I will mention only one "Kandukondain, Kandukondain" . Superb music. It had a wide national release because it starred Aishwarya and Tabu. The music and movie became national favourites.

Compared to all this, the later works of ARR are not as exciting. His West End/Broadway production "Bombay Dreams" was an abolute mish mash but the PIOs lapped it up (more so in UK and less so in the US). I have not seen the musical but I have the audio CD.

He and his collaborator, Sukhwinder (of Chhaiyan, Chhaiyan and Jai Ho fame) have recently announced that they will do less of the filmy stuff and more of soul satisfying stuff hereafter. I hope the lucre of Hollywood does not derail them.

And here I stick my neck out for an opinion. ARR should have got an Oscar for his score in his very first film "Roja" and not for his latest "SM". "Roja" is the work of a genius. Years later, he went on to earn the title "Mozart of Madras".

I guess it needed a Western movie maker and a Western vehicle for ARR to be noticed and recognised internationally.

I hope that he gives us what he is really gifted with and capable of.

Time magazine Film critic, Richard Corliss had once said that he rated the score of "Roja" as one of the top 5 ever. (See his comments in blue below.) Corliss has many critics but I take him seriously. He has a pretty good pulse of popular tastes as well as juries' opinions. 3 issues back in the Time Magazine, he had forecated this year's Oscar winners. He got 19 out of 24 right. He comments well about Bollywood also.

Jai ho,

O,O

Roja:Though he is renowned as the preeminent composer of modern Bollywood, A.R. Rahman was born and still works in Madras, 1,000 miles south of Bombay. His Tamil compatriot, the writer-director Mani Ratnam, yanked him out of jingle-writing to compose his first full score for Roja (The Rose) the tale of a woman whose lover is kidnapped by terrorists. Through this grim political parable, Rahman laced some spectacular melodies that not only serve the drama, they create their own[EM]as in the duet ballads "Yeh Haseen Vadiyan" and "Roja Jaaneman," which first are grounded in recitative, then suddenly ascend into celestial melody. This astonishing debut work parades Rahman's gift for alchemizing outside influences until they are totally Tamil, totally Rahman. He plays with reggae and jungle rhythms, fiddles with Broadway-style orchestrations, runs cool variations on Morricone's scores for Italian westerns.

-Richard Corliss in the Time Magazine

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Post no. 3 : Acceptance speeches at the Oscars

Dear Dirty folk,

To me one of the charms of watching the Oscar awards is to listen to people's acceptance speeches. For the first time we had to hear 3 acceptance speeches from 2 Indians. I was wondering how they would pull it off.

Though they do not have the gift of a Sean Penn, a Kate Winslett or a David Boyle, or for that matter a Gulzar Bhai or a Javed Akhtar, I thought they did great with their short speeches completely steeped in Indianness and patriotism.

I hope this observation has not been missed. Both the winners are Muslims. (ARR as we know is a convert but a stoutly devout Muslim). ARR lost his father when he was 9 and from very early stages he had to take on the responsibility to be the sole bread winner for the family of 5. He could have cursed his destiny and luck and gone astray.

But he went on with his dint of dedication and hard work to reach a pinnacle of glory in his chosen field. He talked about his choice between love and hate and he chose the former which brought him to where he stood that night.

Of course there was the Bollywood English used when he quoted the one-liner from "Deewar" ... Mere paas Maa Hai. calling it a "dialogue". Though very Salim-Javedish, at least the tribute to his mom sounded very heartfelt. The shy ARR used the 3rd language as well i.e. Tamil when he said "God is great" in his mother tongue.

The second winner Resul Pookutty, a Mallu muslim for a village near Qilon, could have also been a drifter, being the youngest in a huge family of eight children. Instead he made his way to the top by choosing a suitable vocation after studying at FTII, Pune.

He too made a crisp and compelling speech and was able to invoke pride and respect for India and its civilsation by making a very apt reference to the sound of OM or Aum.

I hope the less"tolerant" of the youngsters in India were watching the two on TV. No two Muslims could have sounded more mainstream Indians than these two proud achievers for whom their childhood was not a bed of roses.

I lament the fragmentation that has happened so fast and is getting worse.

There were no such undercurrents of this nature in our growing up years and all of India just swooned after the Dilip Kumars, Meena Kumaris, Madhubalas and Waheeda Rahmans of this world. Today SRK and Amir Khan are as much mainstream Indians as the most devout Hindus. When they act in patriotic movies or movies about human sensitivities eg. "Chak De India' or "Taare Zamin Par", they move you to tears.

When India was at the verge of disater in the last Twenty20 with SL, it was the 2 Pathan Brothers, also from humble backgrounds, who rose to the occasion and showed what they could do for the country.

If only others too could emulate and not lose their way into "jihad" after blaming society and the world for their miseries and wreak havoc with death and destruction. We could do without these "Aslam-dog Martyrs."

Jai Hind,

O,O

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Mail 2: The response to my review from some of his friends

Sorry for bringing the nextgen's thinking on "Slumdog Millionaire" and Oscars‏

From:	Ashutosh Ojha (ashutosho@gmail.com)
Sent:	26 February 2009 14:27PM
To:

Dear Dirty folk,

When I forwarded a bcc copy of the 3 part post on "SM and the Oscars" to you guys to my son, I never expected to get this response from Rahul who is about to complete MBA from Delhi in the next 5 weeks.

My learning from this exchange : children do have an opinion of their own and can make you sit up and take note.

Cheers.

O,O

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Dear Papa,

Thanks for sharing your 3 posts about "SM" and the Oscars. I completely agree with your assessment of "Slumdog Millionaire" but would like to differ where you said that "Delhi 6" was not one of Rahman's better works. Also I felt there was no need for Resul to "dedicate the award to India" in his acceptance speech. The Academy got it wrong by giving Best Actor to Sean Penn when Mickey Rourke more than deserved it for his performance in 'The Wrestler'.

The media has gone overboard with coverage of "Slumdog Millionaire" winning the Oscars proclaiming - how it is a giant step forward for 'Indian Film Industry'. All what I see Slumdog doing is make more Indian films appeal to the sensibilities of Western Audience.

I am pasting my review of Slumdog Millionaire which I posted on 2nd January on my blog, much before the hooplah sorrounding the movie.

Love,

Rahul

The review can be found here: http://unbornlegend.blogspot.com/2009/01/this-millionaire-deserves-billion.html

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Comments from my BITS, Pilani friends most of whom are Head Honchos or entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley Companies

Ashutosh:

I was reminded recently that while she is a "child" to me, my daughter is actually an adult with fully formed opinions and thought process. So the first adjustment we must make is to consider our children as adults. They have just as much conviction for their opinions as we had in Pilani which led to years of lachha.

What a great write up your son has provided - kudos to him.

I am puzzled by the comment about Resul - what is the issue with dedicating the award to India?

Cheers,
-anjaneya
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Ojhaji,

Excellent write-up from your son. This is a good example of why you
need not make promises about avoiding non-DD posts. After all it is
topical and enjoyable by all of us "groan ups".

That touch at the end shows that Rahul, in addition to being a great
progeny, is an excellent prognosticator as well!

If I don't get to see the movie during my vacation I will see it when
I come back.

Cheers,
Madhu

P.S. My folks informed me that there is a package, sent by someone
named Ojha, awaiting Sandhya when we get to Hyderabad. Thanks in
advance. We take off tonight. Look forward to chatting with ya soon.

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Howdy OO,

That was a very tightly written piece from your son. Man, you must
be a very proud daddy. Incidentally, don't people periodically post
jokes, etc, which are non-DD content? I would hardly consider works
of immediate family as non-DD.

I guess I have to see the movie sometime. (I have been meaning to
see Trainspotting ever since it came out, so that may give you the
timeline.)

Cheers,

Lakshman
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Ojha:

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree! Dhanya ho ... very
impressive writing from this young man, taking after his father in
movie appreciation and the use of the language!

Wah!

8
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Dear Ojha,

One thing is ceratin. This generation is years ahead of us at the same
stage of life.

Pillai
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OO, what a brilliant review Rahul has written. His communication skills apart, I was quite impressed with the originality of his thoughts.

Jai Ho,

Atul

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These comments by my Dad's friends are amazing, flattering and encouraging. I personally have always maintained that I have been and still am, an average writer. It is the love of the movies which makes me write sense. My endeavour shall be to improve and with that promise, my longest blog entry ever comes to an end.

P.S. You deserve a cookie if you read the whole of this! Yes, I am serious.