Rockstar 2011

Imtiaz Ali is a rockstar of a director. We knew that. Ranbir Kapoor is a rockstar of an actor. We knew that. Or at least, most of us knew that, anyway. What they would do together was the only question we were looking to see, with the release of this much awaited film of the year. And then, there is Rehman. Sure shot magic formula, some would argue.

Imtiaz has the ability to tell a regular love story, with a sensitivity that is rooted in contemporary urban India. It's not his stories, that strike a chord with us, it's the way he tells them, the eyes he sees the story with, and makes his audience see it with.Ranbir has the talent to bring alive his character with a realism that is way beyond his years of acting experience.And ofcourse, Rehman. What can one say.So, does the magic happen when these 3 get together for Rockstar? It does... mostly, anyway.

The film is a story about Janardhan (urf JJ), who has a latent talent for music, and he walks around aimlessly through college (Hindu College, Delhi University) trying to become a rockstar like Jim Morrison. He's mentored by his canteen-wallah, that true artists are born from feeling the pain of life and love, not from having a comfortable, satisfied life. In an attempt of trying to feel unrequited love, he gets close to St Stephens beauty queen, Heer. Soon, sequence of events follow, where he's thrown out of his family home, Heer gets married and gone, and 'pain' makes a grand entry into his life. He gets discovered as a music talent, signs his initial music performance with a renowned company, Platinum Records (after much attitude and ego clashes), and re-discovers Heer in Prague, getting deeply involved with her in an affair that borders dangerously close to obsession. His music career, in the mean time, soars and he becomes a rock star (from JJ to Jordan), just the way he always wanted. Heer eventually ends the affair, and thus begins his angst, the rebel, the Jim Morrison middle-finger moment, the fall out with his music company, the attitude to media, the prison, the foul mood, the bad-boy-of-music avatar.

What works beautifully in the movie is not this story, but the fact that Imtiaz is telling the story in a way, and Ranbir is playing Jordan in a way, that you feel every emotion, every moment, every high that Ranbir has, when he is with Heer, and every low that he feels when he's not. And many of these moments with Rehman's music just make sure there is no escape in your being Jordan, as he goes through the entire rock-and-roller-coaster of his life.

From the beginning, you know JJ is not a regular guy.. Obviously, he's a little twisted in his head, wired a little differently from the rest of us ordinary people, and not just because he wants to be a rockstar, but just because, perhaps, he was born that way. A Jim Morrison, but from Jath land. Every bit as real, as Jim himself. "Jo Bhi Main Kehna Chaahoon, Barbaad Karein Alfaaz Mere"

His relationship with Heer, starts awkwardly, but the special un-inhibited, spontaneous, second life (tho real) they share grows into something so deep, that while you cant explain why or how they fall in love, you feel convinced that they are in love. You know how the story is going to go, when she asks him to hug him in the attic of her wedding Kashmir house. That's the moment! The reason for it all. Katiyan karoon Katiyan karoon, Tera Roo Tera Roo, Saari Raatein Katiyaan Karoon"

"Kun Faya Kun". Ranbir's momentous start of his journey of self discovery, of exploration,of a new life, of a new talent, the end of his adolescence, and the reluctant adulthood knocking at the door, after he's thrown out of his house. His sleeping, eating, cleaning at Nizamuddin Darga, and Ranbir's poker-yet-full-of-emotions-face becomes the turning point, and start of his journey to becoming a rockstar.

Jordan and Heer's falling in love through the vista of the curiously beautiful Prague, again goes beyond the rational and you don't feel anything wrong with their extra-marital relationship. In fact, the opposite, it feels natural and the way it should be. "Hawa Hawa, Rani Hawaa". And as all natural things go, their love grows deeper, and no one can really help it, and whether its wrong or right, doesn't matter. Its love, and thats it. Tum Ho Paas Mere, Saath Mere, Jitna Mehsoos Karoon Tumko, Utna Hi Pa Bhi Loo"

And therefore, the understandable pain that both of them feel, when their love doesn't take it's natural course, for no fault of anyone, but just the turn life takes. And this is where the movie starts faltering a little bit.

His love goes unrequited by Heer, because she's already married and she can't leave her husband because of society. But, she was never shown to be a very conservative girl, so she could have walked out of the marriage if she felt so intensely about Jordan. But, she doesn't. And Jordan gets angry with the society rules and the whole world. "Sadda Haq, Itthey Rakh"

He wanted to become a rockstar all his life, and he finally does become one, but he's pissed off with the media for intruding in his life, asking him questions, and basically making him famous. And Jordan gets angry with the media and the whole world. "Sadda Haq, Itthey Rakh"

He's not able to control his emotions, his hormones, his intensity of love, his demons, his headache, his constipation. And Jordan gets angry with the whole world. Sadda Haq, Itthey Rakh"

The thing is that you do feel what he's feeling, but you can't help asking the question "what is he so angry about?" All the emotions, intensity (both Ranbir's and yours, as you watch the movie) feel a little wasted and pointless. And if you thought you didn't feel the intensity enough, Imtiaz throws in a cancer-affected dying Heer, just to dial it up a couple of notches. And that leaves you feeling a little cheated, exposed and distant

The movie could have done more with the emotions it creates through the film. It could have explored new dimensions of their relationship, and more elements of a rockstar's "outsider" relationship with the society. At its heart, this movie is about individuality and self-identity that is not always in sync with the larger world, it's rules, it's norms. To that extent, all rock music is about this. But, the rebel and the 'anti-society' aspect of a rockstar and rock music is one aspect of this life (admittedly, a big part of this life). But, it's not the whole. You can't help comparing with movies like Oliver Stone's 'The Doors', or even 'Almost Famous', which explore various aspects of being a rock star and living a life at the edge of society, even while being made famous by that very society.

But, despite the fact that the movie stops just a little short, its still big kudos to Imtiaz for making this movie, and exploring this world at all. Ranbir is awesome. Nargis is not too bad. And Rehman mesmerizes with his rocking, experimental music.Thanks Imtiaz for making the movies you do. Keep pushing boundaries, but your loyal audience (I'm one of them) want you to do more, to show the Indian public new dimensions, new emotions, new worlds, new feelings, new ways of being, new individuality. More power to you!

Delhi Belly 2011

Saigal's voice blasting from a broken radio, crowded chairs & sofas with rotting pizzas underneath and cockroaches, Indian style toilet in a latrine-style condition (now, the electric guitar mixes with Saigal's mono drone), water dripping, then flowing, but not into the bucket, and the wide, disgusting butt-crack lying on a bed, in a dark-dingy Delhi dishevelled apartment. And the movie starts...

Yup, that's the first clue that this is not your everyday average Aamir Khan family entertaining- heart warming- meaningful film. In fact, quite the opposite. This movie is not for the family by a mile, is shockingly heart-wrenching not warming and utterly meaningless from the first to the last second of the movie. And that's why it is so amazingly brilliant.

Delhi Belly offends, stuns, bites, pokes, shakes, and makes you laugh till your tummy hurts. The movie appeals to you at a basic human animal level, the part of you that revels in the raw and the senseless. It forces you to shed your inhibitions, and go with the flow that Abhinay Deo has planned for you. Once the movie starts, you have no control. Abhinay has you by the b@*#s and he takes you on roller coaster ride for 100 odd minutes that leaves you breathless and panting, laughing out of the theatre thinking "Woah! What the F*#! was that!"

For at least a week after the movie, I kept playing the dialogues and scenes of the movie in my head over and over again, and laughing at it, over and over again.

If Vishal Bhardwaj is staking claim to being the Quentin Tarantino of Indian cinema, then Abhinay Deo clearly has the makings of a Guy Ritchie. Delhi Belly was a brilliant movie, and will be classified as one of the coolest movies of our times. And it was clearly up there in style, plot, dialogues, humour with the likes of Snatch and Lock Stock. Abhinay, one request. Please don't listen to the critics when you make your 2nd film!

Delhi Belly is a wild storyline and a masterfully crafted plot. It tells the story of 3 regular Delhi early jobber blokes, sharing an apartment, going about their single guys lives - girlfriends (make up, make out, break up), work, eating, drinking, and... well, er.. crapping. And even as we realise that one man's crap is another man's diamond, the one plot gets entangled with another, and before we know it, the 3 guys are involved with gangsters, desperately trying to stay alive.

The brilliance of the movie is definitely in its story that's well told and a never-seen-before plot. But equally the brilliance of the movie is in the randomness of the non-storyline and the non-plot. In fact, it's the random, totally irrelevant angles that become the most relevant highlights of the film, and stay with you. The kathak dancing neighbours upstairs (who's foot sticks out before the roof finally collapses), the entire Jaa Chudail pre-sequence and sequence, the burkha clad Vir Das trying to sip a glass of water and spilling it, the 5 minute conversation between the gunda and the quality-control obsessed room service boy, the jealous Punju boyfriend who is chasing Imraan Khan with a gun, the orange juice ass wipe, ...These random interventions in the movie were, in the end, what made this movie so special. Abhinay, you would make Kundan Shah (Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron) proud. Remember, the phone sequence between Naseer and Tarneja's assistant, after the disastrous Ahuja meeting, or the legendary Mahabharat sequence.

And then there are the priceless dialogues and the one liners, eg. "Sir, Lundri" or the exchange between Kunal and Vir, after it all turns upside down:

Kunal:"Dude, did they shave your head off before hanging you?"
Vir: "No, I did this to myself"
Kunal: "What is this, f**!!ing Mill On The Floss"

And finally the unimitable music. The brilliance of the story-writer, dialogue/script writer, screen-play and editor is only matched by the genius of Ram Sampat's music. And not just because of a certain Bengali gentleman's name in one of the songs. The music and the lyrics lift the movie experience and while there are hardly any songs in the movie, they allow the movie to live on. The entire album is extremely enjoyable to listen to, be it the rock anthem of Bhaag DK Bose, the outrageously hilarious Jaa Chudail, the movie tempo-creating Nakkadwaaley Disco, Udhaarwaaley Khisko, the whacky disco track I hate you like I love you, the Punju tullie-feel number Sweety Sweety, the love ballad Tere Siva (wow, Ram, you can sing too!) or the unique rock Saigal Blues, where it all starts.

The actors do a good job in delivering the script-writer and Abhinay's vision. Imraan Khan delivers possibly his best performance yet, with few short dialogues that he's capable of delivering with a straight face. Vir Das is hilarious and redeems himself after many lacklustre Bollywood performances (this is what you do best Vir, stick to this). The new girl (Poorna) surprises with her confident performance. But, the real find is Kunal - the fat bastard of the group, the butt crack that introduces the film, the belly which becomes the reason for the entire plot.

Aamir, after nauseatingly taking the centre-stage in all of your movies (even though the movies were fabulous), you have redeemed yourself by making a film, where you're practically not there. Thank you for making this movie. It marks the coming of age of Indian cinema, and we love it. Aamir, you rock.

All in all, a must-watch movie for all movie buffs, who appreciate different kinds of entertainment, who appreciate new styles and sensibilities, but most importantly who can let go and give into their spontaneous lighter side and just enjoy the right-there moment of utterly raw, wild, trippy, random humour.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara 2011

The story is not unique (3 guys go on an all-boys adventure holiday road trip, as a 3 week bachelor holiday before one of them ties the knot). The philosophy it stands for is nothing new (live life today, to the fullest, in the moment, letting go and not just get caught up in life's traps). The 3 lead characters too, we've seen before (the poor funny guy who is really not so happy, the 2nd generation business family son who's a regular guy, the hot shot money obsessed, all work-no play stock broker).

And yet, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara works beautifully and how. Logically speaking, there is not many ingredients in the movie that are brilliant, but all together, it just comes through. What Zoya Khan has successfully managed to achieve is a rare feat in movie making. It's a movie that lives with you much longer after it's over. In many ways actually you could say, that the true experience of the movie begins after you walk out of the theatre and the few days after it. Many brilliant movies, with great plots and powerful characters serve as great entertainers, that you clap at, marvel at, enjoy during, but then move on away from as quickly, after it. Not ZNMD. This movie lives on, as an experience you can feel for much later.

ZNMD belongs to that special genre of movies that are "feel movies", that leave behind what the film felt like, not necessarily linked to the story line or the dialogues. ZNMD is a light, free, spontaneous, sunny film that leaves a glow in you. While you are trying to follow the storyline of the movie, what's really happening is that you're soaking in the Spanish countryside, the fields, the sea, the drive, the sun. While you're empathising with Imraan's search for his real father, what you end up feeling, is his poetry (Humne dil ko yeh samjhaya…Dil aakhir tu kyun rota hai... Duniya mein yunhi hota hai). While you're watching Arjun so obviously falling for Laila, you unknowingly feel the wind of the Latin farms flowing through your face while driving in the open air convertible. While you're sorry for Kabir for being trapped in the upcoming wedding, you're subconsciously dancing in abandon with señorita, kneeling and hugging her belly.

The magic of ZNMD is not in the movie. It's in the several moments in the movie, that collectively leave you with not what you liked about the movie, but how it made you feel. It's a sensorial movie, that opens up and fills up the senses. And in that it again breaks a stereotype. Thats possibly, it's biggest success. It does not fit to a paradigm of movie genres. It's not a comedy movie, but it's funny in parts. It's not an action movie, though it does have action. It's not a romantic movie, though it does have romance.

And what makes the experience complete is Shankar Ehsaan Loy's once again master piece sound track, that captures the essence of the movie. Once again, SEL give an album and a background score that is unique to the movie, and not typical or predictable. Over the years, we've come to realise that there is no SEL type. Every movie and it's sound track is unique. And ZNMD sound track is exactly that, unique. Capturing every moment, feel of the film.

Farhan Akhtar is fabulous in the movie, with some terrific performances, over-shadowing Hrithik who gets exposed for his limited skill in trying hard to be spontaneous & unrehearsed. Abhay Deol is not too bad, and is able to carry off his normal, seedha buoooy role. Katrina delivers a surprisingly polished performance. And Kalki is wasted playing a possessive, conventional girlfriend.

But, all in all, a great young fun movie, which is a must watch, on the big screen to be able to feel the movie, in the way it's meant to be. Its got it all. Deep sea diving, Para gliding, Bull run, Tomatina festival, and the Spanish country. Many have called it Dil Chahta Hai of 2011, and that's quite true. 150 minutes of pure young abandon fun.

The END by Black Eyed Peas

There are two kinds of people. One, who fall in love only once, and for them that defines what love is, how it feels, how it should be. The details of the thing or person or feeling they love gets hard coded into their system. They stick to the familiar, what they understand, and what fits. And the smallest departure from the love 'prototype' makes them uncomfortable, unloved and unconnected. And they don't really then love or even like it.

Then there are the other kind of people, who keep their hearts open to fall in love again and again. They are not in love with a prototype, but are in love with the idea of falling in love. And feel what they feel right then and there. They don't approach every new experience with a checklist of what it needs to tick the box for them to love it or reject it. They give different people, different things, different feelings, different experiences a chance, and give themselves a chance to fall in love again and again.

Black Eyed Peas' The End (Energy Never Dies) is for the 2nd group of people. It is not 'just another' hip hop music album from BEP. It does not fit the prototype. It breaks expectations, surprises you, moves you, shocks you, and pleases you. It's a complete journey for the senses, full of non- stop stimulation, one track after another. An album, strictly for the BEP fans... Strictly!

Boom Boom Pow... The perfect first song of the Album that sets the tone for the rest of the album, saying clearly that this album is for the 2nd group of people. It's not what you would expect from BEP. And yet exactly what you would expect of them. "They like to cover my swagger, I'm on my next shit now. I'm so three thousand and eight, you're so two thousand and late" says it all.

Meet Me Halfway, the first song release from the album, is a great ballad, done in classic BEP style. In fact, it's the safest track for those who still have Elephunk and Monkey Business as the benchmark. It hits the spot, with Fergie's gorgeous crooning and Will I Am's counter-rap. Reminiscent of Shut Up and Don't Phunk With My Heart, this one delights easily.

I Gotta Feeling, that tonight's gonna be a good night, that tonight's gonna be a good good night, a feeling, ooooo hooooo. What more can one say. The quintessential party-all-night-long song. The one song in the album that is for everyone, not just BEP fans. A universal, no-brainer hit. Takes a lot more meaning especially after the 3rd Rum and Cola. The other song in the album with the same sentiment, but different rhythm is Party All Night.

Now Generation. Country style guitar? Am I still on the same album? Beats that are definitely more 80s pop, it's a completely different style of music in this one, vs rest of the album. A little stereotypical picture of the Now Generation, but when did we listen to BEP for deeper meaning.

One Tribe. This one is the deeper meaning and purpose. The purpose that BEP has always stood for. The purpose that all music always stands for. One world, One love, One tribe. The one track that's always there in every BEP album. "Where is the Love" of Elephunk, "Union" of Monkey Business. We hear you BEP everytime and we're on it.

Rocking to the Beat. This is easily my favourite track of the album. Pure music genius is what BEP have on offer in this. Techno is where it starts (did you say BEP is a hip hop band?), taking you straight to the 90s, the synthesizer, the digital sounds...and then it quickly transforms to the disco beats of the 80s. You're like "whooa where did that come from" and quickly realise it's only the beginning. Pretty soon the techno is back and then it's time for Will to weave his magic and the hop begins " whats a DJ without a turntable, what's a hot girl if she can't really dance", and then back to a reverie of techno, hip hop, disco, beats, guitar, going back and forth, up and down, surprising you with every test, every turn, every second, till you're completely full with the ride of your life, leaving you heaving and sighing, craving for more.

Missing You and Alive are the other love ballads of the album, in true BEP style, this time again mixing 90s Cher-style heart-break song with BEP style. Must listen to, for that love song future sound. The first is the girls' song, and the 2nd is the boys' song. Enjoy.

No one album experiments and tries out such different styles of music within the same album as this one does. This makes the album one helluva roller coaster ride. Yup, Black Eyed Peas' The END is not for the faint hearted. Its not like anything else you've heard. It's nothing like what you would expect from a BEP. But, that's exactly the point. And exactly, why it works. Rock On, BEP!

Source Code 2011

The Matrix, 1999: Woah! What-the-..., Wow! Oh Man! Hail the Wachowsky's for changing our lives forever

Inception, 2010: Woah! Wow! No-way! Cool! Awesome Mr. Nolan

Source Code, 2011: What-the-..., Oh Ok! Great.

If that doesn't say it all, then here's the details.

Source code once again brings to the fore the genre of movies that we can't put a finger on (is it action, is it suspense, is it thriller), but those which we can't get enough of. It's movies that don't reach out to you, but make you want to reach out to them. Movies, that you don't sit back & relax with, but actively participate & think along with. Movies that mix technology, biology, neurology, philosophy into a heady cocktail that gives you the trip of your life. Movies, in one way or another alter your own reality. I call this genre, the "Alternate Reality" Movies Genre.

Source Code definitely fits the bill on this genre, keeping you hooked on till the very end, keeping you guessing what's gonna happen next. Will he find the bomb? Will he find the terrorist in time? Will he kiss the girl?

The movie presents the alternate reality of the 8 minute memory capture of a nearly-dead brain, that can be used by the authorities to save the world. It keeps you guessing about where the bomb is, who the terrorist could be, making you look around in the train just as he is. The movie even makes you suspect Russell Peters (what was he doing in the movie!)... well, almost! And all of this in a span of thrilling 8 minutes...again, and again, and again...

While the movie is enjoyable as all "Alternate Reality" movies are, this movie doesn't change your life. Actually, far from it. It presents an entertaining story that you watch for the 90 minutes, smile at the time you spent and then forget when you walk out of the theatre. In many ways, it's a dumbed-down version of a concept that potentially had more excitement to offer. The ingredients were all there - 8 minutes, almost-dead-brain, train with a potential exploding bomb, suspects on the train, almost-but-not-quite time travel. But, the chef didn't mix them well.

So, does the Source Code disappoint? Not really. Only movies that set up a very high expectation disappoint. But, Source Code never sets this high expectation. Pretty early on in the movie, it dumbs-down and lays down in black-n-white exactly what's happening & therefore setting up exactly what's going to happen. And therefore, it doesn't disappoint, but keeps you engaged till the end.

It takes the vision of the Wachowsky's or a Nolan to really do justice to Alternate Reality movies. And Source Code isn't that. Not by a mile.

Eclipse

A Trilogy always works. The author figures out the mistakes she made from the sequel and that understanding returns her to the core of the plot that she originally conceived when writing the first book. The core of the Twilight Series rests in conflicts in a teenager’s life, conflicts that every teenager goes through, but only in Bella’s life does it get magnified into epic, scary & fantastic levels.

While New Moon disappointed (like all sequels do), Eclipse doesn’t & delivers against the reason why the Twilight series works.

And so, Eclipse comes back with a bang, giving a new angle to the conflicts in Bella’s life. If in Twilight the main conflict was her un-deniable passion for Edward vs. the sanity of self-preservation from a vampire, in Eclipse the conflict is simpler - her all-consuming love for Edward vs. her soul-mate love for Jacob. This becomes the main theme of the story, with the background of yet another (engrossing) bunch of vampires coming to kill her. In fact, Stephenie Meyer goes out of her way to lay out the contrasts between Edward & Jacob. They couldn’t be more different and their un-likeness plays to every regular love-triangle story. One is rich, the other is poor. One is cold, the other hot. One is in-human, the other too human. One is sophisticated & suave, the other raw & earthy. One is a vampire, the other a werewolf. In fact, at points the author over-does it, till the point you are reading and saying to yourself “okay, okay, I get it!”

There is also the ‘eye-to-Hollywood-screenplay’ moments in the book where you ‘roll your eyes’, like this exchange between Jacob & Bella:

“What’s up Bella?” he asked with a big grin

I rolled my eyes. “Same old, same old”

“Yeah” he agreed. “Bunch of vampires trying to kill you. The usual”

“The usual”

But, even with some of these flaws, the book works. Stephenie Meyer has managed to pin down this style of writing well. Bella’s growing love for both men in her lives is as believably irritating as is possible. Jake’s emotions and his immature reactions & uncontrollable emotional outbursts feel real & endearing. Edward’s reluctant & helpless tolerance to Bella’s in-decisive & self-destructive ways, feels again both authentic & coming from genuine love. The story is told well and Meyer again does a masterful job of flow, conversations & visualization. You can see the book happening in front of you, which is the author’s biggest win. The impending danger of vampire attacks moving from distant Seattle to Forks, looms large throughout the story and the dread for Victoria returning keeps you turning the pages to see if the orange head does finally arrive, after dancing around the entire time (& never showing up) in New Moon. Also, the inevitable reality (or is it?) of Bella finally turning into a vampire, keeps teasing you throughout the book... Will she, won’t she?

You can feel the entire story building up to a grand climax and it doesn’t disappoint. The climax is there and the story has an end. In many ways, Eclipse is the end of the story that started in Twilight. The Victoria chapter comes to an end. The two loves of her life are real and out there for Bella (and the audience) to acknowledge... no more denial, no more confusion. She finishes graduation. And the decision for her to finally turn into a vampire is sealed. Eclipse ends with clear choices in Bella’s life & if you would ask Alice at the end of the book, she would tell you exactly the life that Bella is going to lead, as a vampire.

But, Alice will also tell you that the future she sees is only as clear as the choices made at that point in time, and if the choices change, then the future changes too. So, until it happens, it’s still “a” future & unpredictable. Therefore, after the shadow cast upon the world by an Eclipse clears, what we have is a soon approaching Breaking Dawn...

Two Oceans South Africa Sauvignon Blanc 2009

World Cup is definitely the biggest thing South African this year, no doubt. But this sub Saharan beauty won't be a very distant second.

Tried the Two Oceans Sauvignon Blanc 2009 from the vineyards of the southern most tip of the continent, which is where it gets the name from as well... wines from where 2 great but differing oceans meet - the Indian and the Atlantic. The brand messaging talks about wines that have 'character & elegance' and it's absolutely true. The website (www.twooceanswines.co.za) talks about making wines for easy drinking... no big talk, flowery language, or pretended sophistication. The philosophy seems to be wines to be enjoyed easily and this particular wine I tried lives up to it.

We bought & opened this bottle on a weekend evening in Vienna and were really pleasantly surprised at the quality & the taste. It's the way god intended a Sauvignon Blanc to taste. Crisp to the core, spritely in spirit, enthusiastic in its experience and the right mix of spicy tones that linger into the mouth well after the wine has left it. Nothing like an uplifting wine that enhances the Indian flavourful food. A brilliant summer wine that is as refreshing as it is intoxicating.

Suffice it to say, that I will be trying some of the other offerings of this vineyard in the near future. Having sampled the goods with the white, I'm looking forward to trying the red offerings, especially some of the blends. More on that, as I get a chance to have those.