Por Una Cabeza

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Note 1: If you are wondering what the title is, it is a spanish tango music piece by Carlos Gardel.

Note 2: If you are wondering why I wrote this, don't. Because, if you are wondering, you aren't supposed to know.
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I knew what that man, Al Pacino, was capable of when I saw 'Scarface' 5 years back. What I don't know is that how could I not have seen 'Scent of a woman' until a month back. If you haven't, watch it NOW. It is pure magic.

Coming back to Por Una Cabeza. When I wrote 'I See You', the lyrics were the beauty. And therein lies its fallacy. And therein does Por Una shine. Yes, there are lyrics, but the music is fascinating and haunting. Play it once, you will crave for more. Play it twice, you want more. And before you know it, you are playing it on loop, can't get it out of your head, and would go something like this -> "Damn! I am playing it on loop, want to stop it, but can't. There! It started playing again!" And the beauty is, if you are playing it on loop, the distinction between the beginning and the end fades away.

Losing by a head...

if she forgets me,

doesn't matter to lose

my life a thousand times;

what do I live for?

To me, this piece of music is memorable because of the fascinating performance by Al Pacino in 'Scent of a woman'. A full orchestra performance can be found here. But the performance I am talking about is embedded below. There are a couple of things about this scene which amazes me.

Al Pacino is a blind retired army-man. A man of class, and a man of taste. He is with this young gentleman at a restaurant. And, they discover a pretty young lady across the hall. He decides to approach her for a dance. Teach her to tango. The girl is hesitant, but agrees, and the man is confident, and smiling. When the movements begin, the girl gets conscious. And once they get into the rhythm, the girl begins to lose her inhibitions, and forgets about the people watching. Then she lets go, and magic happens! :) And the expressions Al Pacino and Gabrielle Anwar give! :O

And, since I don't expect you to believe what I say just by reading these words, watch it, and experience it for yourself!

Many deceptions, losing by a head...

I swore a thousand times not to insist again

but if a look sways me on passing by

her lips of fire, I want to kiss once more.

PS: Since after watching this clip, you will want to watch more, here is an extended clip.

PPS: It is natural for guys to go - "I want to dance like that!". Just know that it took Al Pacino a week to rehearse and 3 days to shoot this gorgeous scene.

Por Una Cabeza...

Re: Idiot Volvo bus drivers

22nd November, 2010
Bengaluru, Karnataka

Dear citizens of Bengaluru,

I hope this letter finds you high on spirits (lol, no pun intended!). I am writing this letter so that you gain some insight into my life, before you make those nasty remarks and hold a grudge against me. So what if I drive a bus! FYI, the bus I drive is air-conditioned, and manufactured by a Swedish company, so in a way, I am a part of the elite too. Let me begin...

I was born in the sub-urbs of Bangalore. And, like every child, I had dreams. As a child, I used to look up in the sky, at those mighty flying planes, and used to wonder if I could fly them one day. But, over time I realised, planes? Seriously? What fun would be to drive planes in the sky, without any speed-breakers, or traffic, or fun! Of course, I had heard that there were these glamorous air-hostesses, with more make-up on their faces than butter on my toast, but I decided to sacrifice a little, and get a job I would be really interested in doing and love to do every day of my life. I decided to become a bus driver. Not just any bus driver. I chose to drive the elegant, air-conditioned Volvo, the pride of Bengaluru, and lend my services to the society.

Now, you would like to think that I have a boring job. How could driving buses all over Bangalore throughout the day be interesting, you ask? I’ll tell you how. I make people fall in love. Don’t get confused by the word-play there. People in love (or so they think), fall, literally. The moment I notice a guy giving an uncalled for look to a girl on the bus, I press the brakes so goddamn hard, that, well, he falls. That too when I am cruising the bus quite fast at 3000 feet above the sea level (Remember? I had a dream. In true Martin King style.) And then I have a good chuckle. Sometimes this action becomes a necessity too. When the bus is jam-packed, I HAVE to do this so that people inside can settle a little. Twice, or thrice generally does the trick.

Otherwise, I am generally kind to people (ummm, mostly ladies. Ah, what the hell, always ladies). So when I see a damsel in distress on the road, waiting for me to rescue them, I, as if I were a prince riding my steed, stop the bus in the middle of the road, even if it is not a designated halt. And, I always open the front door for them, not the rear, so that I can have a quick look at their pretty faces and dazzling smiles. Oh, their smiles makes my job worth it, everyday! Well, now, this action of mine does not go very well with some idiotic guys. Not entirely their fault though. If they have been meaning to get off through the rear door, I open the front one, and vice-versa. Sometimes, if there are only few guys who have to get off, I race past their stop, and drop them at the next stop. As if I give a damn. :P And sometimes they tend to argue. To them I say this - "ಹೂ ದಿ ಹೇಳಲ್ ಯೌ ಥಿಂಕ್ ಯೌ ಅರೆ". Did not understand what that means? Neither do they! And precisely why I say that. These non-Kannada people think that they can get away without knowing our native language. Hah, think again!

So, next time you are on a Volvo bus, think about me, and know, that whatever I do is out of my sense of service to you, with a couple of practical jokes here and there. All in good spirit though. :)

Humbly, at your service always,
your-friendly-neighbourhood Volvo bus driver

The Social Network

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Note 1: This post does not attempt to “review” the movie. The movie is brilliant! Watch it.

Note 2: A co-incidence, that this post is being published on the birthday of one of the geekiest guys I have known.
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I get extremely disappointed when people tell me that ‘The Social Network’ is about Mark Zuckerberg, and the founding of facebook. Seriously? That is ALL you can take away from this movie?! That Mark created facebook to get his girlfriend back?! And, I don’t get it. Where exactly in the movie has Mark Zuckerberg been shown in a bad light? All I could see was, a guy, who persevered and stuck to what he believed, and succeeded.

As I said, this is not a review, but I do want to talk about some of the things shown in the movie.

“A guy who makes a nice chair doesn't owe money to everyone who has ever built a chair.”

Exactly. There have been social networks before. So when someone accuses Mark for “stealing” their idea, they are just being losers and want a share of the pie, as big as they possibly can. Sure, legal wizardry may even get you that, but what then? If creativity flows in your blood, no-one can take that away from you. That’s the end of the story right there.

“Ma'am, I know you've done your homework and so you know that money isn't a big part of my life, but at the moment I could buy Mt. Auburn Street, take the Phoenix Club and turn it into my ping pong room.”

Mark is doing something, and doing it passionately because “it is cool”. This is an extension of “Chase excellence, and money chases you.” What is striking about this story (i.e Facebook, and even Twitter’s story till now), that they chose to NOT monetise their product early on. Even this (or should I say, only this could) made Mark the youngest billionaire in the world. The point is, its not about wanting to earn lots of money, its about earning a lot of money just because you can, and hence you want to push the limits. And that making a point isn't always arrogance.


Third, I want to talk about the entrepreneurial spirit. I think IITs come closest to having any kind of entrepreneurial spirit at any campus across the country, which is, of course, peanuts when compared to the energy and the ecosystem at the American powerhouses, meaning Stanford and Harvard. Which is why I want to mention a couple of aspects of the movie which I found extremely real. The depiction of the way Mark launches facemash.com; I have seen that happening in front of my eyes! The scene where Mark hires interns is A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E-L-Y S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G, and the way he says “Welcome to facebook!” gave me goosebumps. What happens between Mark and Saverin is not betrayal, it is just about taking unpopular decisions which became necessary. And we all have met a Sean Parker in our lives, right?

I would also want to talk about 'exclusive clubs', their entrance "tests", geeks, and the depiction of girls in the movie in general. But that would result in me being off-topic to what I want to convey about this movie. So I will reserve it for some other time.

In the end, this is a story that was just BEGGING to be told, and there are several things about the movie that is open to interpretation, and therein lies its beauty.

The Social Network...

Kiss

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Note 1: "We've never kissed before and I'll never know when to make the right move or anything. So we'll kiss now and get it over with, and then we'll go eat." - Woody Allen in Annie Hall

Note 2: This is one of the most ironic posts that I have made. I am using words to describe something that, umm, well, cannot (should not) be described in words. However lovely and flowery and beautiful words do I choose to “describe” these moments, I know I will fail. Because? It has to be felt. The moments. So, I will try not to describe, and rather urge you to feel these moments yourself. It is improbable that they will fail you.
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A kiss. Probably the highest form of expression of love. Is touching. Is moving. Is powerful. Is emotional. Is universal. Is beautiful. Is good cinema. Yes, cinema. I am not talking about the ones used to sell more tickets over the counter. I am talking about cinematic triumph.

The more you learn, you learn how less you have you learnt. As I present this, I want to clarify that this is only out of the cinema that I have witnessed, but I can guarantee that every bit of this is great cinematic experience, even if they might not be THE greatest.


#7 Rainman

We have the autistic Raymond Babbit (Dustin Hoffman) and Susanna (Valeria Golino) inside a lift. Raymond has never been kissed. And Susanna, Raymond's brother's girlfriend, so touched by his innocence, wants him to experience his first kiss. They dance to the music in the lift! She asks him to close his eyes, and slowly kiss her on her lips.

Susanna: "How was it?"

Raymond: "Wet!"

#6 The Notebook

I have several problems with this movie. But some of the moments in this movie are absolutely genuine. In this particular scene, Allie (Rachel McAdams) and Noah (Ryan Gosling), who had fallen in love, meet after several years. He takes her on a boat in a lake, surrounded with a million ducks! It starts to rain heavily. The differences resolved, and there, that is the moment!



#5 Black

Yup, this is the only movie from India on this list, because quite frankly, most Indian film-makers and the Indian audiences don't have the slightest clue of how to handle a kiss. Debraj (Amitabh Bachchan) is Michelle's (Rani Mukherjee) teacher. Michelle is deaf and dumb, and Debraj teaches her everything about the world. Michelle witnesses a kiss at a wedding, and is intrigued and curious. In one of the warmest and touching scenes, Debraj kisses Michelle, and goes.




#4 Husbands and wives

Gabrielle (Woody Allen) is Rain's (Juliette Lewis) professor. They have utmost mutual respect, for each other's writing. Gabrielle is a (happily) married man. But there is a perfect moment at Rain's birthday party.

Rain: "Because, you cannot ask for a more romantic moment. It's my birthday, we are in the middle of a storm, the lights are out, there's rain sweeping the skyline"

It is mind-numbing how Woody Allen could pull off a scene like this on-screen! The lightning outside the window right at the moment they kiss!




#3 The Matrix Reloaded

Can we possibly talk about 'kiss'es and not talk about Monica Bellucci? Neo (Keanu Reeves) wants the key from the key-maker, and Persephone (Monica Bellucci) can help him.

Persephone: "I'll give you want you want, but you have to give me something."

"A Kiss. I want you to kiss me, as if you were to kiss her (Trinity). Because, you love her, she loves you. A long time ago, I knew what that felt like. I want to remember it. I want to savour it. That's all."

#2 V for Vendetta

V (Hugo Weaving) fulfills his plan, but he falls in love with Evey (Natalie Portman).

Evey: "I don't understand. How can you be one of the most important thing that has happened to me, and yet I know almost nothing about you."

V: "There is not much time. I have something I must give you."

V: "This is my gift to you, Evey. Everything I have, my home, the books, the gallery, I am leaving to you, to do what you will."

Evey: "Where are you going?"

V: "The time has come for me to meet my maker, to repay in kind for all that he has done."

V: "All I want, all I deserve is at the end of this tunnel"

Evey: "That's not true."

#1 Wall-E

Wall-E might just be THE most romantic and artistic movie that I have seen. So much, that I want to do a dedicated post for it some day. [sigh] Wall-E and Eve's romance is so beautiful, it is difficult not to have watery eyes several times during this movie. And can robots kiss? Hell yeah they can!








Kiss...

Dabangg

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Note 1: Dabangg is a (somewhat lengthy) fresh attempt in the Indian film industry.

Note 2: This post does not attempt to be sarcastic. If it does seem that way, it is so NOT. Also, the scale used to judge this movie is solely Indian, discounting any existence whatsoever of "foreign cinema".
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Dabangg is one of those movies which makes you think, "Finally! Finally, you get a home-made movie which is absolutely sure of what it wants to do." Dabangg is NOT a Rajnikanth-movie spoof, nor is it an "intelligent plot-driven cinema", nor does it attempt to claim - "Hey! We have a great story to tell." The movie is about entertainment, and entertain it definitely does!

Salman Khan is a treat to watch on-screen. You can see how much fun he is having on the screen. He claims to be 'Robinhood Pandey', and oh boy does he deliver it! I might as well add that maybe we have got our first true superhero (the Indian Robinhood, if you may), and there is definitely a possibility (which should be exploited to the fullest) of a sequel. Salman Khan is probably the only actor in India who could pull-off a character like Chulbul Pandey. There is this 'Once upon a time in Mexico'-ish feel to the movie the entire time, and the director has done well to keep the momentum going even after the intermission.

The dialogues, witty, the style slick, and the moments genuine. And there is not one moment (surprisingly), when it seems to be over-done. So much that when Chulbul Pandey and Bulbul Pandey (as I would like to call her) are on a honeymoon, we still see Bulbul in a saree, riding an ATV behind our very own Mr. Chulbul.

The sets were genuine, and took you right into the heart of Uttar Pradesh. The colors splendid, and the minute details have been worked out with such diligence, the art design absolutely perfect. They could have worked a little more (or spent some more money) on the special-effects though.

The music is spot-on! Agreed, the music was one aspect of the movie which wasn't very Indian (Spanish/Mexican feel to the background score), but I am not complaining. It blends into the scenes seamlessly. They could have trimmed (or gotten rid of) the songs though, and made this movie well under 2 hours of running time.

Sonakshi Sinha is stunning! Well done Mr. Shatrughan Sinha, kudos to you! :D There is not one moment when she is on-screen and you can get your eyes off this damsel (in distress). I hope that one day, I can barge into some damsel's house, just like that, and say it to her face, "I want to marry you", and she comes with me, just like that! :D But then, it is a movie [sigh]. Ms. Deepika Padukone, be wary of this new kid on the block.



In all, Dabangg is an absolute entertainer. A sequel would not be a surprise if this movie succeeds at the box-office.

Dabangg...

GMail Labs

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Note 1: It was the 'About' page on this blog, on reading which I realized, "Heck! Just two geeky posts!"


Note 2: If you are geeky enough, you would already know what is said here. If not, read on!
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GMail (by Google) is the best e-mail client. The re-vamped contact manager in GMail made me fall in love with it, all over again. The GMail Labs feature is what makes it really very exciting, and truly makes GMail better than being already the best. Enable the Lab features listed below, and see for yourself! :)




#7 Inserting Images

Enable this to insert images into your e-mails. You can insert images from your computer, or from a web link. Very handy and useful. \m/


#6 Quick Links

The good thing about GMail is that every "view" has a unique URL. Quick Links can save any "view" as a link on your left-panel navigation menu, which you can access later. For instance, there is an important mail, or a frequent search that you do. Open that, and save the view as a Quick Link. There you go! No more searches for that again, just one-click access! \m/ \m/


#5 Undo Send

"Damn! I needed to attach a file." "Oh I forgot to add a few lines". Don't these realizations hit you right after clicking the 'Send' button? With Undo Send, you can cancel the sent mail upto 30 seconds after 'send'ing the mail, depending on the settings. \m/ \m/ \m/


#4 Multiple Inboxes/Message Sneak Peek/Inbox preview

I have clubbed these 3 features as one, because they help you towards the same goal - easier e-mail access.

Multiple Inboxes - Add upto 5 additional inboxes. Use can use labels to sort specific types of mails, and make them appear in a separate inbox.

Message Sneak Peek - Just right click on the e-mail to view its contents without opening the actual e-mail.

Inbox preview - Preview inbox even before GMail loads. Extremely helpful on slower connections.

\m/ \m/ \m/ \m/


#3 Old Snakey

Old Snakey is on this list because its cool, its nice, and its geeky. Hit '&' to start and play Snake, GMail style! \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/


#2 Nested Labels

Labels help you sort mails. And Nested Labels lets you sort Labels. =)
\m/ \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/


#1 Add any gadget by URL

This is by far the most flexible and geekiest feature, because, you can literally do anything with GMail with this. Here's how you convert GMail into GMail + Facebook + Twitter.

For facebook, add this gadget -> http://hosting.gmodules.com/ig/gadgets/file/104971404861070329537/facebook.xml

For twitter, add this gadget -> https://twittergadget.appspot.com/gadget-gmail.xml

Thats it! Access twitter and facebook right from inside GMail. :D

For a full list of gadgets, head straight to the Gadget Directory.

\m/ \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/


GMail Labs...

Snooze

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Note 1: Crack it!


Note 2: Wish me (luck)!
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The devil that invented alarm-clocks, and, oh the angel, who invented a snooze button for it! \m/ \m/

The sweet, sweet pleasure of sleeping that extra 5 mins, and more, and more and more... I thank thee Lord for it! :D

The madness, the anger, the frustration when you were just about to hold her hands with love and the painful, agonizing noise wakes you up, and the contentment in resuming it right where you left it, and completing the dream exactly the way it was meant to end! :D

The foresight, of setting the clock for atleast 10 minutes before you have to actually wake up, just for 'snooze'ing... :)

Like 'Inception', that's the 7 'snooze' minutes which feel much, much more... :)

Though, like 'Inception', the final "kick", it still hits you hard. :|

Snooze...

Inception

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Note 1: I generally don't blog about a subject unless I have a strong opinion about it. I am blogging about Inception because everybody else seems to have strong opinions about it.

Note 2: This movie deserves a watch, and your *complete* attention. :D

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There are two types of people in this world. One, who genuinely understand and appreciate 'Inception', and the others, who say "Inception was AWEOMEEEEE!!!!! It is SUCH a COOL movie", primarily because they couldn't get most of what was happening on screen, and NOT appreciating the movie would make them look like idiots.

First things first -

(a) This movie is NOT better than 'The Dark Knight'.

(b) This movie is NOT going to win the 'Best Film' Oscar next year (It might win some technical Oscars though, and my bet is 'Toy Story 3' out of the movies that have come out so far).

(c) This movie is NOT difficult to understand, contrary to popular belief.

Having said that, 'Inception' is brilliant!

"What's the most resilient parasite? An Idea."

There are some movies that take innovation to such a level, that it makes you wonder "What next?". 'The Matrix' made me think that, and that "next" is 'Inception'. It also gives me confidence that when, after watching 'Inception', I ask "Is there any room left for innovation?", the answer would be a "Yes".

Coming back to the movie, 'Inception' explores dreams. Dreams are universal. We all dream. And we all have concluded at some point in our lives several elements about the nature of dreams, and they have been well explored in this movie. The elements that Nolan has used gives him much room for freedom, and boy does he exploit them! There were ample opportunities for going over-the-top, but he has it under control throughout the movie. Also, the film has ample metaphors thrown into it to make this movie a joy for the viewer. The very idea that the inception of an idea can change so much is mind-boggling. But, as far as exploring psychology is concerned, 'Inception' is nowhere close to 'The Dark Knight'.

"Dreams feel real while we're in them. It's only when we wake up that we realize something was actually strange."

The way this movie builds up, it makes you pray to God that you get to watch a worthy climax, and Nolan doesn't disappoint. The Climax! The screenplay! The way it has been handled! Mind-boggling. "Kicks" you right at your face! :D I would give this movie a second watch just for the climax.

Now, the music by Hans Zimmer has been appreciated a lot. I don't see how it was any different from 'The Dark Knight'. I would have loved it if Zimmer would have done a more Sherlock Holmes-esque music for this one.

Second, the levels of the dreams, it WAS a bit of a stretch towards the end, but then I don't blame Nolan for this, I don't see how could he have come up with a more elegant treatment of the subject.

Finally, my only problem with Nolan's treatment of dreams is the level of detail and definition he has given to them. Maybe this is a cinematic liberty he takes, but I perceive dreams to be very vague and volatile. I don't see how ALL dreams can be so definite.

In the end, this movie respects our grey matter, and I respect such movies. :) Mr. Nolan, please keep making movies and keep entertaining us. I almost died waiting for 'Inception', and the waiting-game has begun again for "The Dark Knight Rises". I hope he takes us for a journey as exciting as he always has.

"You're waiting for a train. A train that will take you far away. You can't be sure where it will take you."

Inception...

Cars, etc.

I like cars. There are so many types of cars. Cars come in so many different colors. Some cars are brightly colored. Some cars are elegantly colored shiny black. Some cars are fast, very fast. Some cars are small, and cute. But then, who doesn't like cars? Everyone wants a nice ride! There are so many types of cars that a car can easily show what you are, a lot more about you than you'd imagine.

I got a job, like everyone else. I earned money, like everyone else. I wanted to buy a car, like everyone else. I didn't buy a car, unlike everyone else. Because, a car to me wasn't a convenience (conveyance), it was more of a dream. I will save lots of money and get the best car for myself, the car I wanted all my life. That was the dream. A cherished dream. Yes, everybody around me got a car for themselves. So what? Let the dream go? Peer pressure? First car. Its all about the first car. First car is special. In fact, first car is (should be) the car. Some of my friends keep changing their cars. They don't care about the cars they drive. They use them, sell them off, and then get a new car for themselves. Lifestyle, I say. One of my friends even offered me his car, that I buy it "second-hand". Ha! Second-hand? Is he out of his freakin' mind? Anyway, some have more than one car. Is it like, "I have 5 cars, but the blue one is my favorite car"? Though, some have more than one cars because - one, official use, one for the wife, one for the kids and so on. Some have rich dads, so that solved their problem of getting a fabulous car. I wouldn't take money from my dad to buy a car even if he could afford it, or even if he wanted me to. I will not (and should not) get my first car just like that! Some went abroad and got amazing cars for themselves. Boy, cars are cheap abroad! I sometimes wonder if I should get an imported car. But then, It'll cost me a fortune to get an imported car. (Earn more? Goddamit! >.< ) Oh, cars are so difficult to choose. Though, I think, once you really admire and like a particular car, there should not be much doubt. It is more like, 'the car chooses you', not the other way round.

Some, on the other hand, got really fat paychecks right from the start. Yes, they had worked hard for it and they deserved it. Yes, some among them shared my dream too, and they realized their dream of getting a car, a really good, nice car, early on in their lives. Oh! I still remember that day when my friend, my very close friend, showed me his red, shining brand-new car. Boy, was he happy! And that car, a mighty beast! The twinkle in his eyes. The sparkle. I will have that feeling one day. No, there was no envy. But the dream got more resolute, and I, stronger.

Some, on the other hand, bought a cheaper car. Yes they couldn't afford an expensive car, and compromised their dream somewhere along the road. Good for them, I say. Get what you can afford (deserve rather) rather than what you dream. Different priorities, I say. I am not like that though. Stubborn, you may say. "I will have this, nothing else". Ah what the hell, who cares? Get what you want and let me have what I want, how I want.

Oh, and yes, it has been long since I have been doing a job (not that long, but long enough). My current job has been paying me very well (I wouldn't boast, but heavy the paycheck is). Stick to the dream was all I did. And work for it. My bank balance is swelling. I think it is time that I get what I wanted all this while, I have waited long. Ah, and before leaving, might I add, that the dream was always rational. Of course I wouldn't have waited to be so old to buy a car that I wouldn't enjoy the thrill or not be able to drive it. That would have been a silly thing to do. Really.

I See You

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Note 1: I have blogged about "Love" before - Love (and Networks). For that matter, I have blogged about Avatar before too - The Pandora that is KGP. This one is almost like a tribute, referenced to a movie which released exactly 6 months ago, that is still driving people crazy all over the world. :)

Note 2: Doctors reading this, please DO NOT confuse 'I See You' with 'I.C.U'; it will kill the charm these words have. For the rest, DO NOT confuse this with the movie 'I See You', a movie which came and went, and no-one bothered to "see".

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Avatar is one movie that has so many interpretations, so many themes and inspirations, so detailed, shot so tastefully and aesthetically, that this was probably the reason why people all across the planet fell in love with Avatar and the mythical Pandora.

While on one hand it has political overtones, it is about colonialism, it addresses an environmental issue, it is about a philosophical self-discovery, on the other hand, it is a plain, simple, honest, pure and divine love-story. And, this movie gives us one of the most romantic lines written for cinema, ever. 'I See You'. I am not aware of any other movie that makes seeing such a metaphor! Seeing, truly seeing, right into each other. "No-one can teach you to see". Yet, the moment you begin to see, the feeling is indescribable.

Jake enters into Pandora's dreamy wilderness, and is discovered by Neytiri. The first time they meet, we know that they are meant to be together. Even Jake knows, you can see it in his eyes. He is almost killed by Neytiri. But, there is a sign, a sign for Neytiri, by the sacred tree, Ewya. It beats logic, yet it doesn't seem illogical. It is meant to be.

Walking through a dream

I See You...

Jake: "Fine, if you love your little forest friends, why not just let them kill me instead? Why save me?"

Neytiri: "Why save you? Why save you? ... You have a strong heart. No fear."

Neytiri teaches Jake the Na'vi ways. Jake experiences higher perception through 'tsahaylu', the bond. He is able to connect to nature around him, in an absolutely new perspective. The 'civilised humans' turn out as primitive, jaded and increasingly greedy, cynical, and brutal — traits only amplified by their machinery — while the 'monkey aliens' emerge as noble, kind, wise, sensitive and humane.

You teach me how to see

All that’s beautiful

My senses touch your world I never pictured

I pray in my heart that this world never ends

Tsu'tey is the heir to the chieftainship of the tribe. And Neytiri his partner, naturally. Jake is an alien, not of their race, not even trusted by the clan, yet, he comes close to Neytiri. Against that which is natural.

Jake: "Oe-l nga-ti kameie. I see you!"

Norm: "But, its not just like 'I see you in front of me', its more like 'I see into you, I see you, your soul, I understand you' "

My light in darkness breathing hope of new life

Now I live through you and you through me

I pray in my heart that this dream never ends

I see me through your eyes

Neytiri takes Jake to the 'Tree of Voices', where prayers are heard, and sometimes answered. He becomes an Omaticaya, and has to choose a woman.

Jake: "I've already chosen. But this woman must also choose me."

Neytiri: "She already has."

They bond through the 'tsahaylu', a bond into each other, completely surrendered to each other, that when made, cannot be broken in the lifetime. It is a spiritual and divine connection between two lovers.

As destiny would have it, there were problems, mistrust, and fear. Eventually, its love that brings them back together.

Neytiri: "I was afraid Jake, for my people, I am not anymore."

When my heart was never open

(and my spirit never free)

To the world that you have shown me

But my eyes could not division

All the colours of love and of life ever more

Oe-l nga-ti kameie

I See You

I See You...

Listen to this song now, and you shall see. :)

Lefpom ftxozä!

I C U . . .

Raajneeti

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Note 1: I have written positive reviews for movies till now. But, I just had to write this one for Raajneeti.


Note 2: Watch it if you want to, but don't go to watch it because everybody says how "awesome" it is, it is so not.
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The Good...


(1) Ajay Devgan's and Manoj Bajpai's Acting


Ajay Devgan is the only thing that shines in the movie. Manoj Bajpai pulls off a decent performance. Very tastefully does Ajay Devgan portray the dilemma and the conflict faced by Sooraj's character. His controlled acting makes you want his presence on the screen.


(2) Mind-boggling scenes


I don't like Ranbir Kapoor. There is a scene in which Ranbir Kapoor gets slapped so hard, that he rolls turns twice in the air before landing on the ground. Paisa Vasool! I so hope that this scene took atleast 10-15 retakes. :D But keeping personal prejudices aside, he does well. He carries his role gracefully, and you can actually connect his character to some real people in Indian politics today. The scene in which Ranbir Kapoor addresses a political gathering and double-crosses his cousin is one of the best scenes in the movie.


There is a scene in which Ranbir Kapoor's foreigner love-interest, Sarah is out shopping, and some people kidnap a girl right there in the market place. She can't come to believe what just happened, and yells, "Why doesn't anybody do something? Call the police!". It really makes you think how such things have become so common in our country, that we have stopped taking notice, and it doesn't matter to us anymore. "Wake up" is the message, and it hits you hard right at your face.


The Bad...


(3)  Arjun Rampal


For God's sake, somebody please ask him to stop acting. He is SUCH a misfit in this role, it looks as if a cool-dude-guy from Bombay is put right into the heart of dirty politics. He hasn't worked on his accent, has an absolutely shoddy dialogue delivery, and attempts desperately to portray a baahubali, only to result in a huge failure.


(4) Mahabharat


Why did Prakash Jha need to lift 'The Mahabharat' to portray the current state of affairs in Indian politics is something I fail to understand. Does Indian politics lack the so called masala? And lift if he must, why does he have to do it in such a shabby way? That is a plain insult to one of the richest epics in the history of mankind. The scene in which "Kunti" meets "Karna" lacks any emotions in "Kunti", a scene which could have been so emotionally charged and powerful. Dialogues like "jeshth putra" delivered suddenly out of nowhere is amusing to say the least. "Krishna" almost makes a joke out of the "Gita updesh". "Dhritrashtra" looks like a caricature. Only Ajay Devgan and Manoj Bajpai managed to truly bring out the nature of "Karna" and "Duryodhan". The movie is not as gritty as I would have expected it to be, and there almost a feeling of disgust at the end of the movie.


The Ugly...


(5) The Godfather


Lift if he must from Mahabharat, why 'The Godfather' then? The scene where they plant a dead body in Babulal's bed is clearly an attempt to re-create the legendary horse-head scene from the original, without re-creating the same magic. The car bomb-blast scene is also lifted, in a situation where the same could easily have been achieved through an original dramatic instrument. 


(6) Katrina Kaif


This character pained me the most. Because, it had so much potential! But it was dumped into the trashcan. To me, it seemed Katrina Kaif's character had been merely reduced to a sex-starved woman who was forced  into politics under the circumstances. The public rallies shown in the movie were bad, the worst being the one in which Katrina addresses the crowd.   "Abhi humaari haatho ki mehendi ka rang bhi nahi utra tha, aur humaara ghar berehami se ujaad diya"! That too with such a lack of emotions! WTF? Did she even study Priyanka Vadra's appearances, like she said she had in her interviews. My case of putting Katrina at #1 in the list of women I wished were less famous is only stronger now. 


(7) Prakash Jha


Sir, after you have made brilliant movies like 'Apaharan' and 'Gangaajal', why this? Atleast you could have pulled off something original.  I fail to understand what will it take to develop "writing" in India! It is high time that movies focus more on "writing" than anything else. High time! Prakash Jha can take a lesson from Anurag Kashyap's 'Gulaal', which was original and intriguing.


Raajneeti...

Why I like to f***(book)

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Note 1: Like in the Hollywood, when they run out of ideas (I haven't yet, still...), they make sequels, or reboot a series, to make it darker or deeper, so am I, completing my 'The f***book trilogy'. But, it often does not work. So, I promise, there will (probably :P) be no more posts about f***book after this.

Note 2: I would have liked to call this post 'The f***book Revolutions'. In which case, 'The f***book Reloaded' can be found here, and 'The f***book' can be found here.
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I have pretty much lashed out on f***book in the previous editions of my posts. In my final installment, I would like to end it on a good note. Well, truth and happiness should prevail in the end, isn't it? There are some very good things that I like about f***book.


1) Lists

Your online-social-life can get pretty f***ed on f***book when you have several members of your family/boss/office colleagues/professors/other (unwanted) people in your friends list :D . Only if you don't know how to use lists. Head straight to your friends list, and segregate your friends into different lists, it would take 5 minutes. This done, you can share updates only with specific lists of people, read updates by people in a specific list, and appear online only for people in a specific list. Like they say, use protection on f***book. Better safe than worry.


2) Games / Applications

Some of the games and applications are pretty neat. I am not talking about Mafia Wars, or Farmville here. I am talking about some pretty cool and classic games like UNO and Scrabble, which one can play multi-player, in real-time, with their friends, or with people from around the world.


3) Idiocy

Trust me, it will keep you engaged. When you see some of the updates, you realize that there is practically no limits to the idiocy people can do on f***book. I thought Failbook was fictitious, until, similar updates started creeping into my updates. Its fun! Forget the status updates, it is hilarious to know what people "like". I didn't know 58,969 (and counting) people like "Breathing", 534,155 (and counting) people like "Food", and 1,245,847 (and counting) people like "Sleeping"; so much that they feel it imperative for other people to know. I don't know how will this get any better and more hilarious than this, but I trust f***book to get even better, the people will make it. Period.


4) Shameless self-promotion

When I make a post, I would goddamn shout upon you to read it. Read it. Read it. READ IT, WILL YOU?  And, 'like' it. 'Like' it. 'LIKE' IT, WILL YOU? I would naturally do it on f***book. And now my blog is integrated with f***book, so you can 'like' my posts on the blog itself. \m/ \m/ Do I feel ashamed doing this? Hell no! I deserve this after suffering the atrocities of people in my friends list in my updates. \m/


5) Privacy settings

F***book has pretty strong and powerful privacy settings. BUT, people don't know how to use it, and mess up. Oh the joy! When you visit a profile, and are able to circumvent the privacy settings, knowing that you are among the few people who can do it. :D Geek-joy in f***book-dom. :D


6) Google ka baap

There was a time when Google was Microsoft ka baap. Until, Google realized that its baap has pwned the web. F***book is already ahead of Google in terms of the time people spend on the site. Further, Google seems so intimidated by f***book, that it had to launch Buzz to counter it. The problem with f***book being more powerful is, the more powerful the beast is, the more scary the beast is. But, as long as two mighty and gigantic beasts are busy fighting it out in the ring, we might very well sit back, relax, and enjoy the show! I 'like' it.


P.S: I have only listed six, and not the usually attempted seven, for a reason... ;)

Why I like to f***(book)...

Spotting an IITian on f***book 101

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Note 1: This post is written by analyzing only 'guy' IITians, because 'girl' IITians is too small a sample-space to be useful for any meaningful statistical analysis. A previous post on f***book can be found here.

Note 2: This is NOT a Fool's Day prank!
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This post has been named 'Spotting an IITian on f***book 101', because, this is like a course. It has no real-world applications (unless there are a host of people [read girls] that I am unaware of trying to discover IITians), but reading this would give you a lot of (useless) information.

Below, I will list out traits, one or more of which are invariably found exclusively on the profiles of students from Indian Institutes of Technology. (Caution: This is applicable mostly to people currently studying)


1) Single

It is a glorious badge displayed on the profile. "Hey there, I am single. ;) " Their "Looking for:" will read "Friendship, Dating", and their "Interested in:" will read "Women". They will also have an awesome profile picture, a picture which they feel makes them look really cute/smart/sexy, but they end up looking like a jack-ass. And yes, an amazing "About Me:" section, which will tell the world that they are as good as a guy can get. Of course, all this seldom works.


2) Friend of the Day

They will use such applications everyday, and by some magic/divine intervention, the friend f***book picks is ALWAYS a girl. Other variants include 'Date of the Day', 'Who has a secret crush on you?' and the like. If, by any chance, the application has a name such has 'How many girls secretly admire you?', the answer will be a number greater than their age, which is ironic, because often they don't have that many girls on their list! :D


3) Cuteness Index

They tend to use applications which tell them how cute/sexy/romantic they are, or how well they know girls, and the result that they get from these games/quizzes is ALWAYS the best possible anyone can get. This does not impress anyone who reads these updates on their wall, but it does help them boost their ego a little bit, and enable to see them the light at the end of the tunnel. Because, hope doth set you free...


4) Intelligence Quotient

IQ is one thing every IITian is proud of. So, he feels obligated to show this off to the world by playing any and every quiz that tells them that they are "among the top 0.5% intelligent people of all f***book users". These tests have become so credible, that soon there will be no need to conduct silly examinations like JEE, and cracking these quizzes will be enough for somebody who wants to study at an IIT.


5) What's on your mind?

Because the homepage is refreshed every 5 minutes, they see "What's on your mind?" every 5 minutes too, and then say to themselves "Oh crap! I will have to share what's on my mind again :| ". Not only this, they feel it imperative to post the results of each and every quiz they took and game they played on their wall, so that its updates are displayed on EVERYONE's wall. And yes, if they don't get any new updates from their friends on their homepage for more than half an hour, they will post something like "Whats wrong with everyone today? No activity on f***book!!! :( ".


6) Friends List

No. of friends > 500
No. of girls in friend list < 10% X total friends
No. of girls in their list who are committed > 90% X (10% X total friends)
No. of boys in their list who are committed < 10% X (90% X total friends)


7) Photo Album

Yes, they will have an overloaded album just to show the world how "happening" their life is. Also commonly found are pictures of inanimate objects shot with a weird angle to show that they are passionate about "photography". 


P.S. : These traits statistically apply to 90% of all IITians. Also, 90% of all IITians reading this will tell themselves, "Thank God! I am in the other 10%!". Meanwhile, of course I belong to the other 10%. :D :P

Spotting an IITian on F***book 101...

7 girls I wish were less famous

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Note 1: This is my 3rd post in a possible series of 7 posts. The previous two posts can be found here and here.

Note 2: This list consists of just two non-Indian actresses, primarily because Indian actresses enjoy more popularity in India.
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#7 Malaika Arora

Before writing about why she should be less famous, I would like to clarify why exactly is she famous. Is it because she was a VJ in some music channel, or because of her appearance in a number of 'item numbers', or the fact that she is married to Arbaaz Khan? She is neither pretty, nor a good actress. As far as item numbers are considered, being famous just because of them?




#6 Priyanka Chopra

She has made it into this list primarily because she won a 'national award' for her role in the movie 'Fashion'. She is considered to be one of the top-rated "actresses" in the Indian film industry today. Let me list down the last five, no wait, ten movies done by her. Pyaar Impossible (bomb), What's Your Raashee?(atom bomb) , Kaminey(surprisingly watchable, but no credit to her), Dostana (crap), Fashion(good, but she over-acted), Drona (nuclear bomb), Chamku (when did this movie come?), God Tussi Great Ho (it went away from the theaters sooner than it came), Love Story 2050 (L.O.L), Big Brother (whatever). Such is the line-up of movies of this "fantastic" actress. Not just acting, even her choice of boyfriends is bad! :D Harman Baweja? Give me a break! The only credit I give her is her lips, they are as gorgeous, if not more, as much as those of Angelina Jolie's.



#5 Kareena Kapoor

This is one actress that gets on my nerves every time I see her (Well, except a few instances). She is responsible for creating all this fuss about being 'size-zero'. She has definitely done some good movies recently, her acting being appreciated even by critics, BUT, more than what she deserves. Being from a family as hers gave her a huge advantage in launching her career. Apparently, she did the same thing to Shahid Kapoor what Brad Pitt did to Jeniffer Aniston. Whats worse is that she has become some sort of an 'idol' for young girls today. Anyway, my respect goes to her for her display of enormous confidence in herself.



 #4 Kristen Stewart

Oh! How vividly do I remember the day when I was watching 'Into the Wild', and was enchanted by Kristen Stewart, and said to myself, "This girl is going to become a very huge superstar one day!" And then came 'Twilight'.And it spoiled everything. Mushy-mushy romance, vampires, and audiences (mostly in their mid-teens) applauding their performances? Why? Why did she have to kill the magic she had created for me? Whats worse is that she doesn't "act" in her movies, THAT is her! Just look at her public speeches at award functions. She is SO awkward, to say the least. I hope she does some quality cinema soon, awes us with her performances, and comes to truly deserve the fame she has received.




#3 Aishwarya Rai

Miss World 1994. Beautiful. Talented. But, what has she done with it? Not many acclaimed movies to her credit. Obsessed with going international in the movie industry. Did a couple of lame movies in Hollywood (Mallika Sherawat did better in going international than her). Used to be constantly in the news due to her relationships with Salman Khan and Vivek Oberoi. Married Abhishek Bachchan, who belongs to the first family in the Indian Film Industry. And, somehow, she became the face of Indian women represented abroad. Now, this is something hard to digest for me. Definitely, we have better women in the country who can represent India at a global platform.




#2 Megan Fox

Agreed. Megan Fox is insanely hot. But, that is IT. She is in no way responsible for global warming. She is getting signed on by producers for her looks! And not once, but in every movie that she does! Paparazzi all over the place to get her pictures! Get over her people, there are others who deserve more than her.




#1 Katrina Kaif

Katrina Kaif has become so famous and loved, that I am scared even to write about her here, forget all the hate-comments I am expecting on this post due to this. Yes, she is charming, and has a smile that can melt you. For the uninitiated, her sister Isabella Kaif looks MUCH better than her. Coming back to Katrina, she is just not fit for the Indian Film Industry. She lacks acting skills, and is taller than most Indian actors, has a body which is almost masculine. Her accent sounds fake on-screen, and to cover all that, all she does is put on a lovely smile! What is wrong with everyone? A song like 'Teri Ore, Teri Ore', where all she does is stand and smile, is enough to blow away everyone's wits? I would have forgotten all this, but the fact that she is dating someone who is 20 years older than herself is just too hard to digest for me. :P






 7 girls I wish were less famous...