Flight Plan Review-2

You want a taste of Post 9/11 nightmare of a trans-atlantic air travel to USA??? Just Watch FLIGHTPLAN....from the crafty Brian Grazer( acclaimed for Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind...). Though not officially released in theaters in India, the movie is now available on VCD/DVD.
Well, I know that a crazy Sean Bean fan like myself would not write anything bad about a movie starring him, especially in one of the lead roles..Captian Rich. Nevertheless, right from the start till the last scene, the screenplay was gripping with some shrills here and there. Jodie Foster ( long time no see) played a mixture of emotions in a depressed, grieving, widowed aircraft engineer and desperate mother perfectly.

What I hated the most was that the hijacker's ( conspiring US Air marshall) part was played by Peter Sarsgaard(who?& why?) in place of the ace veteran of all modern day baddies Sean Bean..How on earth was a mushy looking nextdoor neighbour kinda guy cast as the cheesy (anti)hero in place of a professional badman ? The directors have apparently not seen him in Goldeneye, Patriot Games, Don't say a word. In the US, Sean Bean shot to fame only as the Irish terrorist "Sean Miller" in Patriot Games. He being cast as a hands-tied captain of an unknown airlines was an insult to his intelligence, persona and everything he earned all the way! I Guess this son of Gondor prefers to be good guy on screen these days..

Anyway, the plot was thrilling and the treatment of asian/brown passengers was a touch of reality. The plane was the most massive and sophisticated one I have ever seen with 2 level seating schemes withall the comforts under the sun!

Rock Idol Worship>>SuperFuzz BigMuff

Im dazed and bedazzled. Heard of Indian, Popstars, Rappers but Grungers?? from our Soil?? Im not talking about rockers who can occasionally belt out a NIRVANA, AIC or Soundgarden cover...

Chanced upon Rock Idol 2005 on VH1 and I was blessed with the melancholic chaotic melodies of Superfuzz Bigmuff, Delhi based collegeband. True grunge style, good self compositions and excellent vocals. Watching the trio perform, I could'nt stop recalling NIRVANA! especially, looking at the lead singer/guitarist performing with concealed angst and rage. Seamless and ecstatic! NO WONDER, they were adjudged as the best performers with Top Honors! I have been hearing rave reviews about them for past two years espcially after IIT-D festival but actually got to hear them for the first time, thanks to VH1. Great going boys.Waiting for your first album!

Superfuzz Bigmuff are Sanchal (Vocals and Guitars), Nikhil (Bass) & Abhimanyu (Drums)

IPO mania

The flurry of IPOs hitting the market makes one really ponder.Whether these companies are flooding the market for resouces or they are simply tapping the market flooded with resources???A decade back some of these companies offer documents would'nt have even warranted a look from the investor. Check out some issues from the past year:

Ramsarup Industries
Radha Madhav Corporation Ltd
Shri Ramruprai balaji Steels Ltd
Era Constructions IndiaLtd
Saksoft Ltd
Ramksrishns Forgings Ltd
Surya Pharmaceuticals Ltd

Today, the ever discerning, IPO crazy Indian Investor would go to the extent of covertly opening 50,000 Demat Accounts to win a better lottery in the allotment of the quota for retail investors. Some of the companies came out with measly issue sizes , like Saksoft for Rs. 7.5 Crores. If you doubt whether these issues were fully subscribed, you will be surprised by how many times...

Any layperson can tell you that equity entails and contributes to high cost of capital, that too at a time when interest rates are going down the hill. So why are these corporates going the equity route??? At the macro level, the poverty level in India has come down steeply to 26%..Economy is booming, and then the market is flush with funds from increased salaries and profits with limited investment options. At the micro level the burgeoning SINK & DINK households, are wondering where to invest money, earn high returns and pay paltry tax...Enter the stock market..through the primary doors of IPO. FDs interests have fallen and so the interest in FD. Plethora of mutual funds confuse their simple minds.Hence IPO. Gone are the days of filling those long application forms, running to the nearest collecting center, getting turned away because the of broker code! Now, your DP service provider entices you with sms of the upcoming offers and that your IPO application is just a CLICK away(so is your passbookdebit!)

These hitherto unknown companies have sensed the pulse of restless Investor who is desperate to jump into the swelling stock market and share a pie. Moreover getting a bank loan involves much more formalities than IPO( specially after the exit of CCI)! But investors much excercise due caution/diligence before putting their hard-earned money into companies. Every bubble must burst.

By the way, I enjoyed a Parody on IPOs in DNA Newspaper:

Beggars jump on the IPO bandwagon

Harshal A Shah

Tuesday, January 24, 2006 19:50 IST

Rajdhani

Last week I was on a 2-day whirlwind work trip to Delhi(or Daheli for the northerners). To begin with ,I chose the Sarkari carriers to transport me to the Rajdhani( whatever was wrong with me!) The flight scheduled for 9 am actually took off at 10 am as the inflight captain incharge pleaded "due to technical problems with the toilets at the rear end....our engineers are attending..we regret the delay."

On air there was a foul smell emanating from the rear end and no one complained( probably being used to this).My seat being only third from the rear, I was squirming with discomfort and cursing those engineers. Anyways engineers are not trained to be janitors!

I was famished but didnt feel like touching the breakfast or anything coming from the rear end. The cabin temperature was appropriately set lower than usual to cool our tempers! Just when I was hoping for a cup of hot beverage to soothe my throat and defreeze my fingers,our good-old captain incharge PAed "due to technical problems no coffee/tea will be served in this flight...we regret.." and left me pondering:

Are coffee/tea made in toilets? How are they related?
Do coffee/tea come under any technical discipline?
Did the toilet engineers drink all the coffee/tea?
Was the coffee/tea maker out of order?If so will it be the Janitor who shall attend to it as a return favor?
Will I get a free beverage at the airport inlieu?

While I was searching for answers the flight landed at IGI airport in Daheli. Soon I was scrambling towards the same rear-end.......to EXIT ASAP and while I was at it, I saw the suggestion box very cleverly placed .................at the Rear End!!!!

Cardinal BottomLine: A change in logo cannot bring a change in service!

Mumbai Festival

Mumbai Festival is on..there are stalls eveywhere selling everything from a safety pin to ur dream holiday!
This city is never short of shopping holes. Almost every third day you have a new exposition/exhibition/utsav/ fair being held in some corner of the city sprucing up hitherto abandoned grounds to airconditioned Free Market domes. To catch hold of the kiddies you have fun zones and food courts. To couple that you have sarkar sponsored handicrafts exhibitions where you can find wares from plastic(!) to metal((!!)The previous year just passed leading up the shopping mania to the pinnacle. Now when it just seemed that the wallets felt a bit relaxed and safe, Mumbai Festival takes over.

I really dont know how different it is from any of the usual exhibitions except for the extensive press coverage. The organisers have even managed to rope in some artists for stage/culture shows..Like a mumbaikar cares! Mumbai and culture? Although it might do some good to new artists wanting to catch some attention

Ok after all said and one, if you still be a part of this festival, BE MY GUEST! (PG ofcourse!. Like I said, Mumbai and culture?)

The Picture of Dorian Gray

If you have watched the movie " The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" you can instantly recall the titled character "Dorian Gray" potrayed by Irish Actor Stuart Townsend. While each person in the league possessed unique and singular skills (Aceshooting,Immortality, scientific wisdom, vampirical, Split personality,invisibility..etc) I was puzzled by the inclusion of the vain and corrupt Dorian Gray, who apparently did'nt seem to possess any special area of expertise..

Only as the plot progresses we get to liken the character to the protagonist of Oscar Wilde's Gothic Novel " The Picture of Dorian Gray". In fact all the league members are literary charactersfrom the 19th Century. In " The Picture of Dorian Gray", his friend Basil paints a beautiful portrait of Dorian. When Dorian sees the finished portrait he exults"...I shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful. But this picture will remain always young. It will never be older than this particular day of June.... If it were only the other way! If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that — for that — I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in the whole world I would not give! I would give my soul for that!"

By saying that Dorian sells his soul and his yearning for eternal youth soon comes true and the picture ages instead of him. This boon corrupts him and turns him into a vile, wicked and treacherous human being. All his crimes and sins are reflected by the aging and hideous visage of the potrait, which he dare not look at. In the book, towards the end, he seeks redemption for all his sins which he achieves (supposedly) after attaining Death by looking at his own painting.

Although there was a twist in the potrayal of Dorian Gray in the movie (He was actually forced to look at his own portrait), it suited well with the plot , as he was the traitor in the league! Im not sure whether he sought immortality more than endless charm!

Our Vast English and Indian Literature have numerous examples of Vanity of the woman..the female form priding on its female form.. I guess Dorian Gray was created to bring some pride to Male form ?!?

BTW Stuart Townsend played the part with exceptional style and panache! Watch out for his witty oneliners and repartees !

A Promise Kept- Wedding Crashers

Well, I made a promise and I kept it...I promised myself I'll watch " Wedding Crashers" and did catch it, albeit the second day first show(small lapse). This friend of mine got free passes to the show and I was thrilled beyond words..Then when I actually went to the theater we both made 20% of the total crowd..you do the math..So much for free passes!

But the movie was really enjoyable..very hilarious throughout . The performances from Vince Vaughn(Jeremy) & Owen Wilson(John) trying to potray ladykillers after crasing into weddings were a laugh riot!! Except for some risque /smutty dialogues,the screenplay was generally good. Christopher Walker maintained the whacky persona as always. All the chracters of his disfunctional family were well cast! Towards the end, he supporting his daughter's wishes to choose "John" with his dubious background over the mighty/obsessive fiance "Zack" was convincing! Vince &Owen make a really good team and share excellent on-screen chemistry. The audience was in splits watching their frequent arguments over the "Cardinal rules of crashers".

Watch out for the scene where Owen reverently lauds the funeral crasher as "Innovator" !!

We could really learn a tip or two to crash into weddings!

Vince Vaughn can add one more to his fan list!
Im waiting to catch him on "Be cool"!!

Cheerio

Monkey See Monkey Do

Its no news that I am a big Kurt Cobain fan. But why I wrote that title line was not just to allude to his famous track but to really mean it " STAY AWAAAAAY"!!! from that Ape movie of the year...KING KONG.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0360717/

Worst, I wacthed it with a Peter Jackson (PJ) Freak who shivers even at the sight of a roachling. PJ, the creator of the oscar winning Lord of the Rings Trilogy has come back after years of sabbatical (and aerobics!) with the remake of the ever popular KING KONG. Most of us remember the earlier one starring Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange in supporting roles( ;-).

Now the point is, when a LOTR buff like me, goes on to watch a much hyped PJ movie with great expectations and then comes home crying.. its not out of fright or sadness but for unwarranted waste or 3 precious hours of your life( sleep if u were stupid enough to watch the night show). The KONG actually graces the screen only after first-half .Till then you are not even sure whether you are in the right theater.

Most of the snares are predictable. Most of the backgrounds looked so run of the mill ( as if lifted straight from LOTR)! The actions of Ape looked really made-up..Despite several fight sequences between strange, weild looking CG creatures( Dynos, Goblins, Pods, Creepy Crawlies..you imagine it, they got it) , there was no "shrill" factor"..Not a drop of blood, for that matter!

BUT, Jack Black and Adrien Brody saved the grace by bringing in their best! and the panoramic view from on top of the Empire States Bldg was good.. The natives of the forbidden Skull Island looked really disgusting!

Watch at your Own Risk or Just Stay Away !

Sad But True

I had nothing(absolutely) to do the last two days and so watched a lot of TV. VH1 aired "Big in 05" - a taped event showcasing the top acts in Music in 2005. What struck me was one of the live performances was of "Def Leppard" doing "Pour some sugar on me"...What is it???1985? Scott Weiland ( Ex STP, now GNR, future???) was a presenter and looked awful. It was all Rap/R&B/Funk that took centre stage. Could have played some Rock, for crying out loud or may be Nirvana-Unplugged!

I switched to HBO and watched LOTR-"Chapter-1" for the n+1th time. Old Habits die hard..So despite irritating adverts, patience got the better of me and I watched the movie till near end( I have no heart to watch after Boromir's death). "Freak!!!!" my dad called me after getting no response when he asked Why I owned DVD of the movie and still watched the movie on HBO in between the adverts!!
The decision is "Mine!, My Own!!!, My Precioussss!!!"

My cousin(a.k.a Gollum) went a step ahead and watched LOTR-"Chapter-2" on HBO that aired soon after LOTR-1, and watched the very same on DVD with a friend in the following morning and Iam called a FREAK???? When you are crazy, you abandon reasoning...like Saruman!

I also got to see "Equilibrium" on SM and it was gripping..Kudos to Christian Bale. His transition from a cold human exterminator to an emotional friend was compelling and mindblowing. Its plot was Matrix Superlative! WB Yeats' poem recital by Sean Bean was poignant and excellent.

Last few months I was praying for "Wedding Crashers" to release in Mumbai and looks some somebody listened!
It opens on Jan 6 and I'll be there FDFS.

Will be back with reviews..
HNY

Ps: Im looking for
1) some cool recommendations in Alternative/Grunge music..Suggestions/Links welcome.
2) "Posies"Music, specially "start a life"

'ere Cometh MMVI AD.

The New Year always brings some sort of excitement in every one . There's the sanguine cheer that fills the air.However eventful the past year might have been, one always waits for the New Year, forever believing that supernatural/almighty might shower more blessings on the mortals..(or I call it children of the lesser Gods)

But the so called excitement to jump into the new Calendar year is not particularly because of great expectations. but more because of the fact that you have actually gotten rid of a year full of forgettable and unplesant events... AnnusHorriblis!

People actually indulge in excessive partying on the NewYear's eve....the only logical explanation?..Its basically to forget the past year!!!! because, why else would anyone want to start the first day of theNew year with a hangover???

From all of Mumbai's biggest hotels to the road side lunch homes have arranged for elaborate new year eve festivities where in you pay,drink, jump around and later crash on your beds(or wherever!),. The following morning tells the same old story!!

So...Friends, OPEN your eyes.!!!. When will you ever learn??
There is no such thing as " NewYear"..
Its just old wine in new bottle(pun intended)

Happy New Year!

Ps: I liked the song 'Open your eyes" by Alter Bridge
For people who dont have party tickets watch LOTR with me on HBO on New YearEve..Its definitely a better bargain!

DIY-X-Mas Tree

Like everybody else, I was totally caught up by the festivities surrounding the yuletide. While all my friends were enjoying their leftover CLs with their families out in Peaks of Mahabaleshwar or Lonavla, here I was !! getting nowhere even remotely close to a weekend plan..

So I dragged my only immediate albeit old, company I had in my sight...My dad.. to the local market to get him into buying a miniature(a.k.a fake) X-mas tree, on which I could spend time decorating and somehow kill time (surely I was being influenced by the Santa-Excesses on TV these days). I carried 100 bucks with me because I was operating on a shoe-string budget..Moreover my shoes were broken too, so I had to save for a new one!

It was then I was pleasantly awakened by something...This cute looking, self standing, moderately decorated, 12 inch X-mas tree which I fell for, was on sale only for 10 bucks..I confirmed and reconfirmed the price with the hawker...He gave me the same poker face reply"Dus rupaiye,ten rupees" . I bought it with utter disbelief ..and also bought some decorative thinggies to hang on the tree, a miniature salontro.. all for 5 bucks.

I used to ponder...afterall, What value does 10 Rs note carry today??

Now I know, It can definitely make a poor man's Christmas!!!!

Chill Out !!!! Boy, I mean it !!!

Its not that its Saturdy today and Im chilling my Weekend off. Its chilling cold out here and Im freezing my @$$ off. Mumbai is not a place where winter is felt in the day. An occasional 15 degrees by the night might give you some hint of it.

But for the past 3 days its been so cold out here (11 degrees)...feels like Delhi and we Mumbaikars are'nt used to it. My toes recoil on the icy floor. The water off the tap gives papercuts. We dont have "Garam Kapde" in our closets and nor heaters in the living room. Our Offices dont regulate AC to suit outside temperature so you find almost everyone sniffling and sneezing. The pollution and the smog do their bit to accentuate the situation.

The MET office says some" western disturbance" exists and we dont understand that kinda english. Whatever, the resilient Mumbaikar can take the Sweltering Summer Heat, Lashing Monsoon Deluges and so the called Winter with relative ease. When will it snow? Im sure we'll handle that too!!

Merry X-Mas!!

Johnny Johnny.. Yes papa.!..Eating Sugar...Yes Papa!!!

Just yesterday I watched Tim Burton's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and what can I say, When its Tim Burton looking for a weird looking factory owner...there he is, Johnny Depp. What is the matter with these two?

Tim Burton is bent on putting an end to Depp's career by hanging funny looking faces ( Edward ScissorHands, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow) on good old Johnny who never gets the hint. On the contrary he wants to work more with Tim. Now Johnny has done a voice over for Tim's Coprse Bride. Johnny is much more capable than that..He can play such intriguing roles as in Donnie Brasco, Nick of Time, and my fav "Whats eating Gilbert Grape?"

And as far as C&CF is concerned, the chocolate was the best part. Johnny seemed to have borrowed Whitney Houston's teeth and looks really feminine like some guy finding his Neverland with a bunch of kids.

Sorry Johnny...Good Luck Next Time!!!

Sean Bean for James Bond!!!

How about that?

Because people who've watched Golden Eye would totally agree. 006's performance was one of Sean's best and oustanding one. He's got all that JB needs...charm,wit,"pithy comebacks"..and a damn good brit accent that a JB fan would die for..and lately he's been looking for a change from his typecast role of the rogue/Russian/bad guy roles and he's succeeding. LOTR/Troy/North Country were a revelation. Dont look at his age because if Pierce Brosnan could do it in his late 40s, so could SB.. atleast a couple.

Whoever this Daniel Craig guy is..I dunno nothing about him but only heard that he is blonde and I can't imagine how he could fit the role of Bond, James Bond!

Lately Sean is shooting for "The Sharpe's Challenge" in Rajasthan..I hope bollywood bigshots will not lose this opportunity to rope him into a Hindi movie !...May be a cameo or an item number perhaps!!!

Ana's Song

If you have listened to Silverchair's "Ana Song" or watched its video, you'll be amazed by its likeness to a typical Nirvana song ( "Rape me"). Not to mention the semblances of Kurt Cobain in the lead singer's hairdo/posture . Not suprising, if you knew Nirvana is one among thier major influences.

Nirvana's untimely demise left a big void left in the World of grunge...but no one knew whether there would be a new torch bearer to lead the angst-ridden discerning youth. Lane Staley's suicide orphaned AIC...STP was hit by substance abuse problems..PJ's music geting different..Of course there were a lot of comers and goners..but none with a lasting footprint. This does not hold true with other genres like plain rock, rap or metal as you have a lot of bands to switch to.

That is why ardent Nirvana fan like me can never fill the void by listening to any other kind of music. The loud and metallic Soundgarden has turned softer in the reincarnated "Audioslave" with only Chris Cornell remaining. He does'nt even play the guitar. I've listened to "Like a stone"and " Be yourself". Pretty hummable, but no where close to grunge.Guess they had to change with the times...but thats what fans like me can't bear.

Among others, I ve also noticed Billy Corgan's (of Smashing Pumpkins) solo efforts ..

Is grunge dead?
Nevermind

Lord of the Ring

Ive got to let this out:
Over the last one month, I ve watched LOTR- FOTR for about 20 times, and mind it !, this tally does not include TTT & ROTK. Now why you may ask?
A cousin of mine (a she-elf, mech engineer and car enthusiast) blogs regularly about this trilogy and I thought hey! whats so great about this movie anyways. Hence I actually watched it for the first time 4 yrs after its official release and got sucked right in. Not only that, elvish is like our mother tongue now ,and we talk just like gollum/gandalf/boromir/aragorn assuming these characters as situation suits. I keep raving about it to all the non-enthusiasts trying to extract some form of interest/inclination(but in vain)!

But for those who havent watched this movie yet..(not to worry, there are several like muh) ...WATCH it..better late than never!

If any of you lucky got to watch the extended editions( not officially released in here) then please rave to me about it..specially MEN of GONDOR!

"
Frodo ......What have I done?
Im sorry"
..Boromir


PS: BTW, I'm the biggest fan of Boromir

"Seasons in the sun"

I thought that song had shot the Irish Boyband Westlife to fame ( and subsequent break-up) but was really amazed and purely thrilled to hear Kurt's version of the same song. The version circulating in the net is being claimed to be the one he performed live in Rio. He can convert a song of virtually any genre with grunge undertones with natural ease. I wish he could have done more such covers, although his albums Incesticide, Unplugged and Outcesticide(posthumus) had several of them.

The Outcesticide album was not released in India..Thats because the distributors of rock music have vague and limited knowledge of varied musical taste of Indian youth.There is too much of misconception about basic categorisation of Rock & Pop, leave alone metal, punk.. Ever since Indi Pop came to mainstream, it was curtains to Rock as we know it. Now music from across the border is more easily available than your favourite groups.Nirvana/PJ/AIC/Mudhoney/STP/Filter have such cult following amoung the Gen X/Y crowds..You have to see it to believe it.

The other day I approached a smart looking salesperson in one of the top music shops in Mumbai and asked whether theyve got Foo Fighter's latest album and he drew a complete blank. He asked me to spell the name of the band ( I lost my cool by then) and was smiling wryly while noting it( I lost my hope).

"what else could i write"...
Kurt Cobain

Whatever happened to Grunge?

Looks like the G world from the world of Music is near extinction. The only word to describe the current genre of music that plays on the local Indian music channels ( call them International, if you dare) is JUNK.
Nirvana, AIC, Soundgarden...have all become "classics" just like their frontmen. Some groups have disbanded for greener pastures and some for lack of material.
As an ardent grunge lover my only question is can Grunge ever die?? SOS

" Come as you are, as you were, as I want you to be"
KurtCobain
RIP