movie review : love aaj kal

the movie is finally out and i am waiting to watch it. i can do that only tomorrow as i returned late from work. but i did the next best thing...read a whole lot of reviews of the movie. all the reviews have been positive and that gives me hope that the movie will be good. more often than not, the critics get it wrong and i hope they are right this time.

anyways, let me just list out a few excerpts of the review for u:

one review says exactly what i feared, that the movie is just good when it could have been so much better.

Love Aaj Kal is a harmless, watchable film -- sad, because it could have been truly special. It has its moments in the first half, while the second half is an over-melodramatic drag.

the same review also has good things to say

Ali uses a very interesting device by casting Saif himself in the Kapoor flashbacks: Kapoor tells Khan how the boy reminds him of his youth, and so the Sikh Saif isn't Kapoor as he used to look, but Kapoor as both he and Saif can visualise him as the tale is narrated. It's a clever move even though Saif struggles rather laughably with his Punjabi early on in the film, and it doesn't help how the narrative inevitably flips back and forth between that and the overslanged Lay's-salesman Saif of today. A good move overall, though.

the entire review can be found here

here are words from another review that raves about the movie

After making the much loved Jab We Met, Imtiaz Ali succeeds in giving us an extremely different love story that we have never witnessed before on Indian screen. He scores high on his writing and his treatment of the film. In the initial 10 minutes he successfully establishes Saif and Deepika’s relationship and their character quirks. He surprises you then by putting a melancholic song (Ye Dooriyan) as opening credits role showing montages of various important twists of the plot that lie ahead.

and some more appreciation for the movie

Making the film extremely relatable to everyone who has ever been in love and broken off with his/her partner, Imtiaz takes it notches higher by his dialogues that sound simple but convey a lot. Plenty of scenes stay with you as you come out.

this review can be found here

i am booked for tomorrow, make sure that you watch it too.

Discerning Few : Rafi Sings For Bachchan

Today is Rafi's 29th death anniversary. Hope his soul is in peace.

na fankaar tujh sa tere baad aya
mohammed rafi tu bahut yaad aya
- A song from movie Kroadh



Just the other day I was watching the song and something struck me. I felt that the song was ironical in so many ways. Although its a tribute to Rafi Saab, it was sung by Md.Aziz, a so-called Rafi clone, whose voice is such a far cry from the soothing and melodious voice of Rafi. And the fact that the song was filmed on Amitabh Bachchan, whereas Rafi hardly sang a dozen songs for him.

That got me thinking of all the songs which Rafi Saab rendered for AB. Among the pearls of Kishore da songs, I really had to try hard to find the gems that Rafi had sung. And quite truly I found very few of those. I still wonder why the legendary singer was given such few songs to sing for the megastar. While I do agree that Kishore had become the defacto voice for AB, but you still had Mukesh singing for him in Kabhi Kabhie, Manhar Udhas sang a song in Abhimaan, Shabbir Kumar sang a dozen of them during the mid-1980’s in movies like Coolie and Mard, Md.Aziz sang for him in Khuda Gawah and more, Kumar Sanu gave us a nasal AB in Jaadugar and Geraftar; then why did music composers of 1970’s not give more songs to Rafi Saab? Anyways, instead of cribbing about what did-not and could-not happen, let us just enjoy whatever little that’s available of this actor-singer combination.

While I was making a quick list of the songs, much to my surprise I found that Manmohan Desai was the only director who got Rafi Saab to record for a lot of those BigB songs. And invariably, Laxmikant-Pyarelal was the music composer for the Desai flicks like Desh Premee, Naseeb and Suhaag. In fact, even outside of Manmohan Desai films, LP made use of Rafi’s tones for Dostana and Ek Nazar.

Let me start with one of the most melodious duets of Indian cinema, Teri Bindiya Re, what a composition it is! Everytime I hear it, I go into a wonderland of my own dream sequence. Lata-Rafi, at their very best, just take us back to the basics of classical training; and without straining a single chord deliver such fantastic melody. SD Burman, the music director who made this possible, should be given huge credit for this evergreen song. I only wish that Majrooh Saab had written a few more stanzas so that Lata-Rafi could cast a longer spell of magic. Why the hell is this song so short? Under 4 minutes! Ok, here I go cribbing again….forget it. Let me enjoy, thanking God for those little mercies that the song still exists in the hearts and minds of people.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAb-ru6rjXs&hl=en&fs=1]

Another Lata-Rafi duet, which did not get much airtime because the movie did not do well, was the song Patta Patta Boota Boota from the movie Ek Nazar. It was a LP composition, much in sync with the movie but not with the times that were. Its a forgotten song which comes up only when people talk about Mir’s poetry and/or Rafi’s voice and the effortless rendition. What a fine song, and it does not look odd on Bachchan’s persona either.

Let me stepback for a minute, one of the first songs which Rafi sang for BigB was for the movie Parwana and the song was Yu Na Sharma . Madan Mohan was the music composer and the situation was party-like where Kishore da sang the happy version of the song picturized on Navin Nischol. The same song is later sung in a sad version by Rafi for AB. The mood changes, the flavor changes, the voice changes, face changes but the melody remains. AB’s sullen expression and Rafi’s tones of dismay makes for such a beautfiul watch.

Another somber song which Rafi rendered wonderfully for AB was Mere Dost Kissa Ye Kya ho Gaya in Dostana. The strained relationship between AB and Shatru is brought out so well in this song. A restrained Rafi and a clean-shaven, boyish hair-cut and yet a grave-looking Bachchan was a treat. There is so much emotion in those words sung by Rafi and the expression on AB’s face is just unforgettable. In fact, except for this song, all other songs of Dostana were sung by Kishore da; including the title song, Dillagi Ne Di Hawa etc. And yet, for this song LP chose Rafi who did total justice to this gloomy song.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfKx-ZbWB-E&hl=en&fs=1]

Having mentioned the above songs, let me now come to the Manmohan Desai and LP combo. Desh Premee was quite a long winded movie with so many twists and turns, typical of any Desai movie. The movie was based on patriotism, regional, caste, creed and racial differences. Kishore da sang the fun songs Khatoon Ki Khidmat Mei, Gore Nahi Hum Kaale Sahi etc. But it was Rafi’s song of unity in diversity that won hearts. The title song, Nafrat Ki Lathi Todo, was symbolic of Desai’s movies. Though this song may not count among best of Rafi songs, but its the perfect song for national integration. And keeping in tradition with all the patriotic songs that Rafi has sung.

Teri Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi song, which later gave the title to Adi Chopra’s movie, was sung by Rafi for another Desai movie Suhaag, with music by LP. BigB in the disguise of a ek tara strung sardar and Rekha behind the garb for almost the entire song could have spelt disaster. But AB and Rekha carried it off, with Rafi crooning this playful number and Shailendra Singh lyrically rebutting him.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9vWH-VX3XA&hl=en&fs=1]

Another song from the same movie was the dandiya number, Sabse Bada Tera Naam O Sherowali, was devotionally sung by Rafi. Much later, Mehul Kumar copied the same sequence in Krantiveer, where the hero sings for Maa Sherawali while waiting for the villain to arrive on the scene. Anyways, Suhaag was an exceptional case where Rafi sang entirely for AB. There were two other songs, Athra Baras Ki Tu Hone Ko Ayi filmed on AB and Rekha in her kotha; and Aye Yaar Sun was a silly song where AB was training a blind Shashi Kapoor to ride a bike on his instructions, basically AB literally doing a backseat driving. Nowhere in the movie do we feel that Rafi’s voice does not suit BigB, at least this movie should have opened more doors for this combo. But probably the box-office report and producer’s superstition held them back from doing so.

Betwixt Desh Premee and Suhaag came Desai’s Naseeb. And much before the Hey-Baby’s and the Om-Shanti-Oms, there was John Jaani Janardhan. A star-studded song which was opportunistically filmed during the golden jubilee celebrations of Desai’s Dharam Veer. Desai made the best of the situation by shooting the song as guests kept coming in; they swayed a little, lip-synced a little and the song created history. This was another song which is a symbol of Desai’s secular credentials and all-inclusive approach. And Rafi singing to the tunes of LP was icing on the cake. He gave the song the much required gaiety and enjoyment without missing a single beat. It was one of the more overtly commercial songs of Rafi that went very well with AB’s merriment.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojy7CaunsYY&hl=en&fs=1]

I would like to mention two more songs which were not sung for AB, but nevertheless AB was the proxy of the voice. The song was filmed on unknown faces, but the thoughts and feelings were of AB. One of the song is Deewane Hain Deewano Ko Na Ghar Chahiye from Zanjeer which reflected AB’s thoughts in the movie; and the other is Ruthe Rab Ko Manana Asaan Hai from Majboor. Both songs were sung with great enthusiasm by Rafi Saab, although they were not to be shot on the main lead. That goes on to show the humility of this man who valued the song for what they were, nice compositions.

Amidst all these amusement let me not forget one of my favourite romantic songs of Rafi which also happens to be picturized on AB, which is Tumse Door Rehke. The movie was Aadalat and the music composer was Kalyanji-Anandji, perhaps the only time that the duo got Rafi to sing for AB. The song has such a nice ring to it, filled with fondness and yearning and the magic of Rafi’s voice and expression.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nm9pAdKZCkA&hl=en&fs=1]

Although Kishore da has sung more songs of AB, memorable ones too, I cherish these Rafi tracks as well. These songs should not be lost in the vast ocean of AB songs.

This post was first published on PFC

ajab sanju ki gajab kahani

Today is Sanjay Dutt's 50th birthday. Wish him a very happy birthday.

The day I learnt that Sanjay Dutt is stepping into politics I was a little confused; I was wondering if it is his cup of tea or will he be just tasting it to add yet another experience in his already mired life. From what I have seen and heard about him, he is supposed to be a very emotional person who does things for friends, who takes decisions on the spur, and who can be frivolous at times. But, on the other hand he seems to be the ideal political candidate or guinea pig.

If we observe Sanju’s life and career graph and put it in a book or a movie, it will be an instant best-seller. The tough times that he has gone through and the happy days that he has seen have almost always been like a zebra-crossing, starting with his debut movie Rocky to joining Samajwadi Party.

With a successful father and a great dad-mom duo at home he was a much pampered child and he did get his dream debut in the movie industry with ‘Rocky’ which released in 1981. But he started off on wrong note, the movie bombed. His next movie Vidhata fared much better, more so because it had Dilip Kumar being directed by Subhash Ghai. After the success of ‘Vidhata’ he did a whole lot of forgettable movies like Mera Faisla, Jaan Ki Baazi, Jeeva etc.

Sanju shot to fame for his depiction of a guy who goes to Dubai to earn quick bucks and ends up becoming a drug peddler in ‘Naam’. I really loved this movie and this is one of the finest performances that he has given. It may have come naturally to him since he had been through a similar struggle in his personal life. His drug addiction and rehab stories are legendary and then his mother was fighting cancer and finally succumbed to it. All this may have added to his performance. He went on to act in a few more movies which fared in the box-office like Kabzaa, Mohabbat Ke Dushman, Imaandar, Kanoon Apna Apna etc.

Just when he was peaking in his career with hit movies like Sadak, Yodha, Krodh and Thaanedar; and just when he was in the league of Anil Kapoor, Sunny Deol and Jackie Shorff, he got arrested under TADA for illegal possession of arms and ammunitions[AK-56 was recovered from his house] and he was also charged in connection with the Bombay bomb-blasts of 1993. Soon after his arrest, Khalnayak released. The movie was about a boy Ballu who had lost his path and ends up on the wrong side of the law. The movie was surrounded with controversy, firstly because of the movie title and secondly because of the content and of course the infamous song choli ke peeche. The movie portrayed an ideal father who wants his son to come up on his own and live with honesty, whereas the son wants instant success and luxuries of life which lead him to wrong company. People equated this portrayal to his real life scenario, thereby creating a wrong perception of Sanju.

Sanju spent 1.5 yrs in Arthur Road jail. He did confess to the fact that he possessed the arms and his companionship with the other co-accused but he denied any knowledge of the bigger conspiracy. He was finally granted bail, and so started his tryst with jail visits on and off. After getting released from jail, he made a great comeback with movies like Daag, Dushman, Vaastav, Mission Kashmir. He also tried his hands in the comedy genre with movies like Haseena Maan Jayegi, Khoobsurat, Jodi No.1 etc.

Finally, he had his best-time ever in movie industry with success of movies like Kaante, Munnabhai MBBS, Parineeta, Dus, Zinda, Lage Raho Munnabhai. It took him a lot of time to change the image from Baba to Munnabhai, from a guy who had been through rehab to a guy who rediscovered Gandhi; from being careless and ruthless to being sensitive and caring; from being a vagabond to finally settling down.

Sanju’s personal life is also zig-zagged with lots of happy and sad moments. He lost his mother and first wife, Richa Sharma to cancer. His daughter Trishala, from his first marriage, lives far away in US and he does not get to meet her often. While he was in jail, his fiance Rhea Pillai stood by him and she even led quite a few movements asking fellow actors to come in support of him. Once Sanju was out of jail, he married Rhea but that marriage did not last long. They finally called it quits and she is happily married to Leander Paes, the tennis star. Now, Sanju has involved himself in another controversy – marrying Manyata Dilnawaz Sheikh. Manyata’s previous marriage has not yet been declared null and void and she has hopped onto another one, thereby attracting media attention.

He has also estranged his sister Priya Dutt in the process. Firstly he did not inform her about his marriage with Manyata and she got to know of it through a media scoop. And now he has declared that he will stand for election on a Samajwadi party ticket because of his newfound love for Amar Singh whom he calls his elder brother.

People get involved in controversy, but in Sanju’s case he has invited controversy, befriended it and thrived on it. But what is admirable about him is the fighting spirit, never-say-die, never give-up or give-in. He has been through the toughest of situations and come out unscathed; be it his drug abuse and rehab, loss of mom and first wife, jailed under TADA … he has seen it all.

Here is a short summary of events which has finally culminated into him joining politics:

1. a bollywood superstar
2. son of an illustrious and well respected actor-cum-politician[Sunil
Dutt was staunch congressman and a great example of man with Gandhian
principles and of course a brilliant actor]
3. a drug addict who has been through rehab
4. twin tragedies like losing his mother and wife to cancer
5. languished in jail under TADA on charges of abetting terrorism
6. second innings of film career as Munnabhai, thereby making a new
place for himself in people’s heart
7. marrying somebody else’s wife in a controversial manner
8. estranged relationship with sisters and daughter
9. finally taking a plunge into politics

The first 8 points don’t necessarily lead to the 9th point, but he probably is destiny’s child.

This post was first published on PFC

Actress Of Yesteryear, Leela Naidu, Breathes Her Last

News has just come in that Leela Naidu is no more. It came as quite a surprise as she was not in her seventies yet; but her struggle with flu got the better of her this morning.

She was one of the first Femina Miss India's to turn into an actress, she was crowned the title in 1954. She acted in very few movies as she was quite selective about her work. I had been planning on watching her movie Ye Raaste Hain Pyar Ke starring Sunil Dutt, but was unable to do so. I have not seen any movies of hers yet. Now that she has passed away, will catch up with the movie this weekend itself. May her soul rest in peace.

love aaj kal OR love aajkal

Aaj kal and aajkal have two different meanings. While aaj kal is a reference to today & tomorrow, aajkal means now-a-days. I am sure Imtiaz Ali has handled both meanings, aaj kal and aajkal.



Here's the dope on the movie. It begins with Saif and Deepika being in love with each other. But love is not what can keeo them together. They are ambitious genX youth who have ambitions which are of higher priority than love. So, taking a totally practical approach they part ways seeking their own paths. That's love aaj for you, the frivolous love of today's times.

Rishi Kapoor, who plays Saif's dad, narrates his lovestory. So, while the lovestory is of Rishi, Saif plays it out. Hence we see the sardar get-up of Saif, who is the younger version of Rishi. His dad narrates how his was love-at-first-sight. The moment he saw her, he just flipped. That's love kal for you, the love which drives people totally crazy and the love which makes them do anything for it.

Now that the comparison of aaj and kal is done, we are left with aajkal. Saif takes a leaf out of Rishi's book and chases Deepika Padukone. He realizes how love is the stability that he has been looking for and that she is the one with whom he can be happy forever. That's the love aajkal for you. Today, yesterday and the now-a-days...all find a place in this movie. I am just itching to watch it, you too watch out!

Amole Gupte - Then And Now

The first ever screen appearance that I remember of Amole Gupte, was in Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. He wore a grey blazer and was doing a running commentary on the last cycle race ... Sidharth Sharma reporting from the first check point at Pykara Junction .... etc. That was more than a decade and half ago, and things have changed since then.

When his name flashed allover the media as a result of his fantastic story/scripting of Taare Zameen Par, I just could not relate the two faces. The similarity between the younger Amole and the older one was zilch, I just wondered how Joker[TDK] would look with his make-up ripped off. It was a similar kind of feeling, seeing Amole with those long strands of silken hair falling allover the face. But that was just the beginning of the surprise. Sometime later when I learnt that he would be playing Priyanka Chopra's brother Bhope Bhau in Vishal Bharadwaj's movie Kaminey, I freaked out. My mind started swirling as I began imagining him playing the creepy character from the underbelly of Mumbai, and at the same time I was confused. How would a sensitive guy, who wrote TZP with such sincerity and innocence, pull off an underworld character who is supposed to be ruthless, gripy, wicked, whacky!

But even before TZP was in the making I fleetingly recalled that Amole was the host of a talk-show called Bindaas Bol which was telecast on SonyTv in the mid-90's. It was more of a discussion forum, much like We The People, hosted by NDTV which started years later, much after Bindaas Bol had come and gone. Even in Bindaas Bol, Amole was a fiery host/moderator with a ponytail. I don't remember all the episodes, but two of them I can vividly recall. One of the topics of discussion was on 'Acceptance Of Gays In Our Society' and I was quite impressed by the depth and maturity of the chat that took place, way ahead of times for mid-90's. I was really appreciative of the guy. The other topic was about 'techno-chor' where they were discussing how to cheat in exams using technology. Sanjay Dutt did that in Munnabhai MBBS, much much later, using hands-free. But the guys who participated in the discussion were using satellite communication and had that connected to their watches and other gadgets which was their own small-time inventions. It blew me off, I too wanted to do that for my 10th Board Exams back then. Well, he raked up a few other politically relevant issues in his show, some controversial and others not so much. But I don't seem to remember other episodes so well.

Anyways, Amole is a multi-talented personality. Being a product of FTII - Pune, he spent more than a decade there, learning all the various facets of film-making. He was a fantastic painter during his schooling days. I guess we all know that the characrter of Nikumb was based on his school teacher. Even in TZP, those paintings and caricatures/cartoons were all done by him. He put a lot of himself in the movie. Not just painted, he also wrote the song Mera Jahan:

A Little Sweet, A Little Sour
A Little Close Not Too Far
All I Need, All I Need
All I Need Is To Be Free

What a beautiful thought told with such innocence and child-like feelings, simple and straight. And here's the best part of that lyrical piece by him:

Udne Ko Sau Pankh Diye Hai
Chadhne Ko Khula Aasmaan
Mudne Ko Hai Karwat Karwat
Aur Badhne Ko Mera Jahan

The flights of fantasy that we all want to indulge in, but always skeptical of our own potential is very well worded here. The will to break free was always there. Then of course, the age old philosophy of one-life so live it well on our own terms. Beautifully expressed!

Bachpan Ke Din Chaar
Na Aayenge Baar Baar
Jee Le Jee Le Mere Yaar
Jeib Khaali To Udhaar
Jee Zindagi

I am still surprised that Children's Film Society of India [CFSI] turned down the script. All the panelists had approved of it, but the head Sai Paranjpe. She rejected it. Of all people, Sai Paranjpe, I am actually more than surprised, I am shcoked. Anyways, destiny works in weird ways.

He wished Akshaye Khanna could play the character of Ramshankar Nikumb. Reason being that, he was impressed with Akshay's portrayal of a sensitive painter who goes against societal norms, Sid in DCH. He went around with his script but never could meet Akshaye. That's when Aamir borrowed the script and read it, with due permission of course, and he wished to be a part of it. What transpired between them, I seriously don't know. All I know is that, TZP was made well, an awesome movie that swept the awards, was India's entry to the Oscars etc. Neither Amole nor Aamir want to broach this topic, again. Its a karmic cycle which will catch-up with either of the two or both, soon enough.

By the way, even before his freak appearance in JJWS[Tom Alter was supposed to play the part of the commentator, but that did not happen since he failed to turn up], he had done a movie with Aamir Khan. It was Ketan Mehta's movie Holi. A movie that I am still looking for, wonder if anybody can provide me some exclusive viewing of this. His association with Ketan Mehta was not new, he was the Assisstant Director of Mirch Masala, another fabulous movie by Ketan Mehta.

Coming back to the Bhope Bhau character in Kaminey, I am dying to see him perform. I wonder what he would bring to the screen. And not just this movie, I am also looking forward to his next venture Sapno Ko Ginte Ginte. It's a film revolving around children, I hear. Lets wait and watch!

Chick Flick: He's Just NOT That Into You

Girls are taught a lot of stuff growing up. If a guy punches you he likes you. Never try to trim your own bangs and someday you will meet a wonderful guy and get your very own happy ending. Every movie we see, Every story we're told implores us to wait for it, the third act twist, the unexpected declaration of love, the exception to the rule. But sometimes we're so focused on finding our happy ending we don't learn how to read the signs. How to tell from the ones who want us and the ones who don't, the ones who will stay and the ones who will leave. And maybe a happy ending doesn't include a guy, maybe... it's you, on your own, picking up the pieces and starting over, freeing yourself up for something better in the future. Maybe the happy ending is... just... moving on. Or maybe the happy ending is this, knowing after all the unreturned phone calls, broken-hearts, through the blunders and misread signals, through all the pain and embarrassment you never gave up hope.

The above is the last line from the movie, and it sums up the movie for you. The movie was based on a 'best seller' book and was meant to be a guide for women in handling relationships or trying to understand and interpret the various signs that men send out. If a guy treats some girl like shit, he genuinely means that or if a guy doesn't call back then he seriously doesn't want to call. Stuck in such confusing atmosphere is Gigi[Ginnifer Goodwin], who just cannot decipher what a guy said when they ended their date. She acts too hard and sometimes looks desperate. That's when Alex[Justin Long] enters and starts making her understand how to read such signals.

Then we have a married couple who have known and been in love with each other from 6th grade, Janine[Jennifer Connelly] and Ben[Bradley Cooper], playing out the couple. Ben marries Janine under duress, but he does not feel the love and warmth anymore, adding to this is his wife's constant suspicion of his smoking habits. That's when he meets  Anna[Scarlett Johannson] who is really into him. What path should Ben choose? Go on with life and his wife or fall in love all over again or just have a fling with his new found muse and spice things up. Should Anna hope that Ben will fall in love with her and walk out on his wife?

At the other end of this quandry is Neil[Ben Affleck] and Beth[Jennifer Aniston] who have been in a relationship for 7 years but not married yet. Beth wants marriage while Ben thinks otherwise. On a bitter note, they have a fallout because Beth doesn't see a future in their relationship.

And of course, there is Conor[Kevin Connolly] who has a touch-and-go moments with Anna. They are always there for each other, but not in the same way. Conor goes out on a date with Gigi but does not call back and Anna is heed over heals in love with Ben who is married. Will Anna return Conor's affections?

The movie is a complex web of relationships. And one thing that strikes you is the general sense of ambiguity in the character. I mean, how can Anna hope that Ben will divorce his wife and marry her? Just because a similar thing happened to some guy somewhere, who found the love of his life after getting married? That's just an exception and not a rule. Why is Gigi so naive and gullible? Has she not learnt anything from her past experiences? I think the movie was aimed at telling us the difference between exception and rules. What works for one couple [or two people who are dating or in a relationship] need not work for others. There is destiny, situation, circumstances and above all, human choices which change by the moment.

The only characters with a sane mind are Beth, Neil and Alex. They are the only people who have their heads on their shoulders. When Alex advises Gigi, it all makes so much sense. Or when Neil and Beth talk about their needs from the relationship, that's so practical.

The movie is a nice watch and pretty interesting in parts. But more or less, its about the confused dating/relationship problems that leave you a little bored towards the end.

Music Review : Kaminey

This is the best music album until now, and I am quite sure that it would be the best for this year. Vishal Bharadwaj is at his experimental best and Gulzar is just amazing with the pen.


The song Dhan Te Nan is already doing the rounds in disc and the video is allover the music channel. The song has high decibel energy and is sung with great enthusiasm by Sukhwinder Singh and Vishal Dadlani. The lyrics are amazing ... read this :

koi chaal aisi chalo yaar abke
samandar bhi pul pe chale
phir tu chale us pe ya mein chaloon
sehar ho apne pairo tale

The music is really racy and the energy gets to you. Vishal Dadlani has surprisingly matched Sukhwiner's verve.

Trust Gulzar to whip people and drive home the message on AIDs and he does it verbally, fatak! That's the song - fatak. He belts the lyrics with great sensitivity and talks about the spreading germs:

jitna bhi jhoot bole thoda hai
keedon ki basti da makoda hai
raaton ka bichoo hai kaatega
ye zehrila hai zeher chaatega
darwazon mein kunde ko
dafaa karo ye gunde
ye shaitaan ka saaya re
fatak

Sukhwinder Singh and Kailash Kher give a folksy touch to the song. And then comes the Ghalib take on ye ishq nahi aasaan and this is how Gulzar modernises it:

ye ishq nahi aasaan
aji AIDS ka khatra hai
patwaar pehan jaana
yeh aag ka dariya hai

His pen has the magic to weave words on any topic, and he does with with such beauty. Observe the way he uses patwaar to mean the word condom. It drives home the message, loud and clear. I just wonder how this song will be picturised in the movie.

Vishal Bharadwaj himself takes up the mike to belt the title track of Kaminey. Its a solemn song about lost dreams, lost friends and unfulfilled hopes. And Kaminey is not just a reference to characters but the ambitious dreams, untrustworthy pals etc. Its a soliloquy.

meri aarzoo kameenee
mere khwab bhi kaminey
ik dil se dosti thi
yeh hazoor bhi kaminey

After the Delhi-6 song of Genda phool, Rekha Bharadwaj is back again. This time, singing to her hubby's tunes and the song is Raat Ke Dhai Baje. Its a fantastic fusion of western music and rustic lyrics. The song is rendered by 3 other singers - Sunidhi Chauhan, Kunal Ganjawala and Suresh Wadkar. It has a fine rhythm that gets to you slowly. A nice song indeed.

ishq mein jalte hue
saans tezabi lage
raaz khulta hi nahi
koi toh chaabi lage

chikne chikne lachhe hain
reshmi se phande
chupdi chupdi baaton mein
bhole bhale bande

tanhai ne fursat di hai
arey pehli baar mohabbat ki hai
aakhri baar mohabbat ki hai

Mohit Chauhan finally gets to sing Pehli Baar Mohabbat Ki Hai, which is nice romantic ballad. After his ok-dokie song in Love Aaj Kal, this sounds refreshing. He should sing more often. This song may sound like reprise of Raat Ke Dhai Baje, but its not. The similarity lies only in the lyrics. The mood is different, the song is different. I think there must be a reason for the similar sounding words, though.

thode bheege bheege se
thode nam hain hum
kal se soye voye bhi,
toh kam hain hum
dil ne kaisi harkat ki hai
pehli baar mohabbat ki hai
aakhri baar mohabbat ki hai

The album also has the remix of Dhan Te Nan and Raat Ke Dhai Baje. And then there is a small musical instrumental piece called Go Charlie which is a medley mix of other songs. All in all, its a great album with awesome music, great vocals and fantastic lyrics. Its a must-buy!

SRK Honored With Doctorate From UK University

SRK was given an honorary doctorate by the University of Bedfordshire for his contribution to the field of arts and culture.

“On one wall, where I have my personal desk, where I keep my scripts, I have the Padmashri, the French honour, the Malaysian honour and this one will also go there. The Filmfare awards are in front of me so I am like a megalomaniac, self-centered person who likes to be surrounded by his awards,” he said.

Kaminey Lyrics - Kaminey Title Song

Music: Vishal Bharadwaj
Lyrics: Gulzar

kya kare zindagi
isko hum jo miley
iski jaan kha gaye
raat din ke giley
raat din giley

meri aarzoo kameenee
mere khwab bhi kaminey
ik dil se dosti thi
yeh hazoor bhi kaminey

kabhi zindagi se maanga
pinjare mein chand la do
kabhi lalten de ke
kaha aasma pe taango
jeene ke sab kareene
the hamesha se kaminey

meri dastaan kameenee
mere raaste kaminey
ik dil se dosti thi
yeh hazoor bhi kaminey

jiska bhi chehra chila
andar se aur nikla
masoom sa kabootar
naacha toh mor nikla
kabhi hum kaminey nikle

kabhi dosti kameenee
mere yaar bhi kaminey
ik dil se dosti thi
yeh hazoor bhi kaminey

Kaminey Lyrics - Pehli Baar Mohabbat Ki Hai

Music: Vishal Bharadwaj

Lyrics: Gulzar

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8xWp3Ed9Dg&hl=en_US&fs=1&]

thode bheege bheege se

thode nam hain hum

kal se soye voye bhi,

toh kam hain hum

dil ne kaisi harkat ki hai

pehli baar mohabbat ki hai

aakhri baar mohabbat ki hai

aankhen doobi doobi si

surmai madham

jheeley, paani paani hain bas

tum aur hum

baat badi hairat ki hai

pehli baar mohabbat ki hai

aakhri baar mohabbat ki hai

khab ke bojh se

kap-kapati hui

halki palkey teri

yaad aata hai sab

tujhe gudgudana, satana

yun hi sote hue

gaal pe teepna, meechana

bewajah besabab

yaad hai peepal ke

jisak ghane saaye the

hunme gilhairi ke jhoote matar

khaaye the

yeh barkat un hazrat ki hai

pehli baar mohabbat ki hai

aakhri baar mohabbat ki hai

pehli baar mohabbat ki hai…

Kaminey Lyrics - Raat Ke Dhai Baje

Music: Vishal Bharadwaj
Lyrics: Gulzar

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WC7mRcf0gpQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&]

raat ke dhai baje
koi shehnai baje
dil ka bazaar laga
dhela taka pai baje

chaunke chaunke chaunke se
khoye khoye se hum
aankhen doobi doobi se
soye soye se hum

dil ne kaisi durgat ki hai
pehli baar mohabbat ki hai
aji aakhri baar mohabbat ki hai
arey pehli baar mohabbat ki hai
aakhri baar mohabbat ki hai

jaan hatheli, upar leli
yaaro kaisi harkat ki hai
aji pehli baar mohabbat ki hai
aakhri baar mohabbat ki hai

ishq mein jalte hue
saans tezabi lage
raaz khulta hi nahi
koi toh chaabi lage

chikne chikne lachhe hain
reshmi se phande
chupdi chupdi baaton mein
bhole bhale bande

tanhai ne fursat di hai
arey pehli baar mohabbat ki hai
aakhri baar mohabbat ki hai

raat kuch aisa hua
jaisa hota toh nahi
thaam ke rakha mujhe
main bhi khota toh nahi
ek hi latt suljhane mein
saari raat guzaari hai

jaan ki gathri sar pe le li
aapne kaisi zehmat dee hai
arey pehli baar mohabbat ki hai
aakhri baar mohabbat ki hai
pehli baar mohabbat ki hai

Kaminey Lyrics - Fatak

Music: Vishal Bharadwaj
Lyrics: Gulzar

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i62RNviKLH0&hl=en_US&fs=1&]

ke bhavra bhavra aaaya re…
ke bhavra bhavra aaaya re…
fatak

ke bhavra bhavra aaaya re.. fatak
ke gun-gun karta aaye re.. fatak

ke bhavra bhavra aaya re
gun-gun karta aaya re
sun-sun karta galiyo se
ab tak koi na bhaaya re
fatak

sauda kare saheli ka
sar pe tel chameli ka
kaan mein ittar ka phaya re
fatak

ke bhavra bhavra aaya re
gun gun karta aaya re
sun sun karta galiyon se
ab tak koi na bhaaya re
fatak

ginti na karna iski yaaron mein
awara ghoome galiyaaron mein
ye chipku hamesha satayega
yeh jaayega, phir laut aayega
khoon ke maile katre mein
jaan ke saare khatar ke aaaya, ke aaaya
ke aaaya raat ka jaaya re
fatak

ke bhavra bhavra aaya re
gun gun karta aaya re
sun sun karta galiyon se
ab tak koi na bhaaya re
fatak

jitna bhi jhoot bole thoda hai
keedon ki basti da makoda hai
raaton ka bichoo hai kaatega
ye zehrila hai zeher chaatega
darwazon mein kunde ko
dafaa karo ye gunde
ye shaitaan ka saaya re
fatak

ke bhavra bhavra aaya re
gun gun karta aaya re
sun sun karta galiyon se
ab tak koi na bhaaya re

ye ishq nahi aasaan
aji AIDS ka khatra hai
patwaar pehan jaana
yeh aag ka dariya hai

ke naiya doobe na
re bhavra kaate na

Kaminey Lyrics - Dhan Te Nan

Music: Vishal Bharadwaj
Lyrics: Gulzar

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IF3q0Xxxlo&hl=en_US&fs=1&]

aaja aaja dil nichodein
raat ki matki todein
koi good luck nikale
aaj gullakh to phodein
til til tara mira teli ka tel
kaudi kaudi paisa paisa
paise ka khel
chal chal sadkon pe hogi
dhan dhan..
dhan te nan

aaja ki one way hai yeh zindagi ki gali
ek hi chance hai
aage hawa hi hawa hai agar saans hai to
yeh romance hai

yahi kehte hain
yahi sunte hain
jo bhi jata hai jata hai
wo phir se aata nahi

aaja aaja dil nichodein
raat ki matki todein
koi good luck nikale
aaj gullakh to phodein
til til tara mira teli ka tel
kaudi kaudi paisa paisa
paise ka khel
chal chal sadkon pe hogi
dhan dhan..
dhan te nan

koi chaal aisi chalo yaar abke
samandar bhi pul pe chale
phir tu chale us pe ya mein chaloon
sehar ho apne pairo tale

kahin khabrein hain
kahin kabrein hain
jo bhi soye hain kabron mein
unko jagana nahi

aaja aaja dil nichodein
raat ki matki todein
koi good luck nikale
aaj gullakh to phodein
til til tara mira teli ka tel
kaudi kaudi paisa paisa
paise ka khel
chal chal sadkon pe hogi
dhan dhan..
dhan te nan

TOI Website Carries Fake Pics Of Kareena Kapoor

Just to increase the hits on their website and to cash in on Kareena's success, TOI has been posting morph images of hers. Just a few months back they had posted a very bad fake of Kareena


The face has been morphed over Jennifer Lopez's body. The picture was later deleted, and now they have done it again by posting yet another morph image of her in their article B'wood bikini-bodies to die for

Check out this picture of Kareena in a skin coloured lingerie, this pic may not seem as obvious a fake as the last one but it is a morphed image of Adriana Lima.

And here is the original picture.

Here is an another pic from the same series.

I really hope that TOI realises their folly and not indulge in such activities.

movie review : kambakht ishq

the movie has an offensive poster, but the movie is much more offensive i believe.



here are a few excerpts of the reviews that the movie has been receiving:

Kambakkht Ishq is a painfully excessive work of burlesque, one so dragged down by the nauseating combination of toilet humour and lazy screenwriting that it makes American Pie look like Brokeback Mountain in comparison. Nope, Kambakkht Ishq is a weak, often revoltingly cheap film that serves merely as aspirin-seller or hangover-simulation.

it just doesn't stop here, it goes on to describe how the movie insults the intelligence of the audience.

there is nothing at all wrong with an unabashedly lowbrow film, one which delights in skin and scatological humour, and makes no bones about being a collection of gags rather than something with an actual plot. What is wrong is when such a low-rent farce pretends it's a bonafide summer blockbuster.

read the complete review here

here are excerpts from another review which points to the same flaws of the movie but a little too strongly. check this:

How much you enjoy Kambakkht Ishq is directly proportionate to just how low your standards have fallen. This battle-of-the-sexes saga starring Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor is a loud, vulgar and seriously offensive film that has reportedly been made at a price of Rs 60 crore. In that much money, you could feed an entire starving nation. And you'd be blessed for it.

sample this line from the same review:

The problem with this film isn't that it's ridden with logical loopholes. Those you're even willing to turn a blind eye to, in keeping with the film's screwball nature. What is inexcusable is the consistently crude tone of the film.

you can read the second review in its entirety here.

after going through two such reviews which pans the movie, i am surely gonna skip it.

The White Balloon : Abbas Kiarostami Scripts A Children's Movie

While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about

There are very few children's movie that touch our heart. The last such good movie I had seen was Majid Majidi's Children Of Heaven, which was made two years after this movie. What a nice, cute gem of a movie this is!

The movie took me back to the time when I was a 10 year old boy and my dad had handed me the grave responsibility of depositing Rs.10,000/- in his bank account. He gave me the accompanying paying-in slip and my face turned as pink as the slip itself. Although the bank was about half a kilometer away from our house, it seemed all so far on that particular day. I trudged along, all fidgety, with my hands inside my pockets clutching the bundle of notes. I was perspiring a bit, and it was not because of the summer heat since this happened in the winter of 1990.

The movie begins with Razieh who has been given a 500 tomans currency note on the eve of New Year to purchase a gift for herself, not exceeding 100 tomans. The entire movie revolves around this 500 currency note and her adventures at trying to buy a goldfish. At the face of it, it sounds quite ordinary but the manner in which she struggles from one incident to another is heart-touching.

Her first stop is at the roadside snake charmer and his accomplice, a dervish. They play all kinds of tricks with the currency note, first they take it right out of her small fish-bowl, later they place the note around a slithery snake and ask Razieh to pull it out on her own. Fear, anxiety, curiosity, gloom and finally a smile ... all this happens in those five minutes that sees the note exchanging hands and finally making it back to her fish-bowl. The range of expressions that she displays in those 5 minutes is the highpoint of the movie.

I do recall that a few of those expressions were on my face when friends and neighbours waved at me when they walked past on that particular day, and all I could do was to smile back. Obviously I could not have removed my hands from the grasp of the bundle and waved back at them, I could have, but I dared not! I was anxious enough to reach the bank as soon as possible, before I could encounter a few more known faces and give them sheepish grins.

I did reach the bank and was mighty relieved as was Razieh when she reached the gift-shop. But unlike me, she was in for a rude shock. After having bargained with the store-keeper for a plump and chubby goldfish, she was dumbfounded when she found that her fishbowl is empty and that she has managed to lose the money again. I too had a bit of a tormenting time when I saw that there was a long queue for depositing cash and that, I would have to wait for some more time before I could offload myself.

Her chirpiness and innocence won my heart, I would have given her the goldfish as a gift. But alas! the store-keeper has to make a living. Anyhow, Razieh retraces her path and finds the spot where her currency had dropped off. Its a pit covered by grills, infront of a store which is already closed for the vacations. Here begins her next set of struggles of having to retrieve the note from that pit. She is soon joined by her brother and they cannot return home empty handed. Razeih definitely wants her New Year gift and the brother being older feels the need to be by his sister's side and help her out.

The story is quite simple, nothing showy flashy at all. But the manner in which it unfolds is very appreciable, keeping the sensitivity of children in mind. The screenplay is wonderful and filled with lots of sweet little moments like the conversation with the army man who is on his way to his native place on account of New Year leave, the tailor who argues with a customer about the size of the collar, an elderly lady who offers to help and finally the smallboy who sells balloons for a living. How all these people come together and do their bit in trying to help the sweet little kid is very well done.

When the army man tries talking to Razieh and she does not respond, he asks if she has been instructed not to talk to strangers. That's such a basic parenting nature, all of us are taught not to do so. This was captured well in the movie, sticking to the minutest of details about children's mannerism and behaviour pattern.

The baby-girl is really enchanting and her expressions are just fantastic. The director, Jafar Panahi, has extracted a fabulous performance from her. From the first scene that she steps out of the house to the last scene, she is amazing. A lot of credit should go to Abbas Kiarostami who is the screen-writer of the movie. When Razieh finally gets her goldfish, its more of a writer's victory than the directors. Taking no credit away from Jafar who has brought out the best from Aida Mohammadkhani[Razieh] and all other characters, I think the beautiful and detailed writing from Kiarostami must have helped him a great deal. All in all, a fantastic team effort and a good movie to sit back and watch.

I, of course, did manage to deposit the money with a little help from the clerk sitting across the table. When I got back home with a broad smile, dad let me know that he was following me like a guardian angel, keeping a distance of 20 feet. He believed in the saying that if you want a child to grow-up, hand him some responsibility.

By the way, the last shot of the movie was quite exceptional. All the characters who had appeared earlier, crossed each other's path in that last snapshot. It probably signified the wheel of life, the criss-crossing of paths could also be a symbol of the close-knit society that exists and how people come forward to help each other.

PS: I shudder to think what we would do with the movie if it were to be remade in bollywood. We would, for sure, have a bunch of jokers, a few so-called-stars making an appearance; then a dream item-number prompted by some movie poster stuck on the billboard, a few silly laughs by a drunk passer-by who attempts to pull the note out of the pit etc. The reason for this afterthought is the fact that I heard 'Children Of Heaven' is being remade.