Wednesday, January 27, 2010

mile sur....mismatch!

I was eagerly awaiting the release of Mile sur mera tumhara...it turned out to a colossal disappointment! The Bollywoodisation of something equivalent to the National Song was shoddy and plain stupid. Also, WHERE the hell was our biggest sporting Icon, Sachin? Or Saurav or Vishwanathan Anand or Karnam Malleshwari??
Shahid Kapoor over Somdev Devvarman, seriously? And the cursory appearance by sporting heroes at the fag end was pitiful. And what about our Software Sector which single handedly increased our GDP. They couldnt find one representative? Atleast Karambir Kang.... Yet there were some sparks of brilliance. Salman Khan with his sign language and Shobhana/Shaimak surely did light up the screen but such sheer waste!! I would dearly like to know how Rohit Bal and Karan Johar made it!!

I was estatic though, that the Padma Awards were atleast better (barring Saif)and was glad that the inimitable Illayaraja won (who strictly is the best South Indian musician since the 60's, Rehman his former pupil will always remain a distant second!) But I hope the Bharat Ratna will be awarded this time around.

Rahul Mahajan's Swayamwar starts and am swearing off tv!!

Monday, January 18, 2010

Joie de vivre!

This was supposed to be my BIG break, sort of my career-changing thing but like all things promising it crashed because my Editor thrilled as she was with my work (her very words I swear) couldnt carry it this month. I took great pains in writing this and was seriously pertubed when I was not disappointed enough! I really dont know if you can make head or tail of it (it's long, was supposed to be a two page feature!!) but I had to put it up to honour my vanity!!

.....................................................................
Dominique La Pierre in his masterpiece “The City of Joy” remarked wryly that the French don’t party they celebrate! If the festivities of Bon Jour India were anything to go by, his assessment was most accurate! Known as much for their love of art as for their wines and sense of style, the Festival of France was nothing short of spectacular. In collaboration with the Krishnakriti Foundation, the Alliance Francaise brought to Hyderabad the pomp and grandeur of any Parisian art festival.

The Penn Masala concert at the Lumbini Park was a show stopper in the true sense. With the laser show as the perfect backdrop, they wowed one and all. The group’s repertoire of fusion music was synonymous to the event’s theme which was a perfect confluence of the East and West. No wonder that the applause reverberated long after the group performed their last song!

China Moses, the very embodiment of an all round entertainer and an MTV host performed alongside the reputed French pianist Raphael Lemonnier to bring to Hyderabad the finer nuances of Jazz. With this artistic pair at the helm, the evening was a memorable one.

Thoranayudhum, the Kudiyattam performance by Margi Madhu and troupe showcased the rich heritage of India. This ancient theatrical form depicts scenes from the rich mythological history of India using dance as a medium. Immensely enjoyable, the performance can be rightly called as “a divine display of dance”.

Other noteworthy performances included that of Dobet Gnahore, the famous percussionist of the “Bete tradition”. Discussions were held, opinions were heard and workshops conducted. The “Mayakkam-Oxymore”, a dance, music and light show was a collaboration of three different disciplines and appealed to the spectators because of their unique combination of sensibilities and aesthetics. The French film festival at Prasad’s introduced the classics of French cinema to the movie lovers of Hyderabad. Mention also must be made of “Les giraffes”, the animal operetta at Necklace Road. It was a whirlwind of images, sounds of emotions! All the shows had a unifying thread of uniqueness and passionate performers.

Each performance had a story to share. As different as chalk and cheese, the plethora of stunning shows could easily rival that of Broadway’s! With elements of Indian culture, the French ethnicity beautifully interwoven, the festival was on par with any on the world stage. No stone was left unturned to ensure that the events were a resounding success. The diverse range and the sheer assortment meant that Hyderabad has finally arrived as one of the premier art destinations of the country!

Hyderabad had a taste of its erstwhile Nizami splendor, with the interesting blend of performers and quality music. Be it an old couple (wrapped up in woolens because of the cold), youngsters tapping their foot to the energy of the music or connoisseurs who are particular about what they listen to, the festival was a celebration of the coming together of some of the oldest civilizations bound together by their passion towards art and commitment towards providing quality entertainment. By the time the festival was over, everyone had only one word on their lips. Enchante!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Wow!

This week I two things happenned that made me go that!
- Saw the absolutely brilliant, Sherlock Holmes and loved it to bits. From Robert Downey Jr's class act to the razor sharp wit, I loved every bit of it. The amazing photography, Jude Law as the sidekick and the actress who plays Holmes love interest. Everything was just right.

-Attented the Penn Masaala concert with Pt which was simply mind blowing! It is the Worlds' first acapella music group and they performed at the White House recently.The band(12 of them) actually is formed by students of University of Pennsylvania and what's special about them is that they use no instruments but make all the sounds(including drum beats and bass) themselves. They brought the house down when they sang "Mere Mehboob mere sanam" from Duplicate and fused it with the Notting Hill OST. I interviewed them as well and it was great fun!

I am absolutely in love with the music of Ishqiya, there are only four songs but each one is a masterpiece in itself. The promos themselves look so promising! Hope it does not do a Delhi-6!!

I am turning matchmaker and have found the perfect bride for Rahul Mahajan. No its not Rakhi Sawant but the amazingly chirpy anchor of Headlines Today's show "Grand Stand"...what say?

PS(added two hours later), Wanted to rave about Meryl Streep's wonderful movee Julia and Juliet but dont wanna overdo it!!

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Mirror Mirror

who's the most idiotic of them all- it replies, it's a photo finish with each one tripping over the other!!

The above surmise is apt for the unnecessary controversy over the script of 3 Idiots. Anyone who calls that script "original" needs to be taken to the nearest copyright court and sued their pants off! Honestly, I aint no fan of anyone involved here. Chetan Bhagat, a C- grade writer who always pisses me off because in a country like us which produces an Anita Desai, Amitav Ghosh and Rohinton Mistry he is best selling English author (granted he made reading possible for the masses but it's a heavy price). Aamir Khan is one of India's biggest hypocrites who for all his perfection, cheated on his childhood sweetheart and for all his brouhaha over the multiplex fiasco supported the doubling of price of the tickets of 3 Idiots. Vidhu Vinod Chopra is a luckier version of Vindoo Dara Singh, with absolutely nil grace or sophistication. So, I was really amused over this "free for all fight" when it broke out yesterday. Firstly the movie was an absolutely copy of the book. anyone who has read half a book will notice it unless you are a thick headed Troll like Vidhu Chopra. Secondly, Chetan Bhagat was paid the sum he was promised so it's just a matter of credit. Why they chose to fight in such an undignified manner beats me, the movie needs no publicity it's already a huge success! The childish squabbling on television with some very bad grammar was hilarious. I only hope that no more of this fellow's horrendous books are adapted!

New Year is upon us and there is so much my heart yearns for. I only pray that atleast a part of it stays true to the promises made.