Sid Wakes Up!

There is something really refreshing about seeing a movie you have heard hardly anything about, and discover it scene by scene and be captivated by it.

Sidharth Mehra (Ranvir Kapoor) is a spoilt rich brat who is appearing for his last college exam. His intention is stay up the whole night and study hard and pass. However, he finds himself doodling, watching TV, snacking, snoozing all the time and passing out when he is tries to study. He does badly in his paper, but forgets it all and parties hard with his friends. He attends his farewell party and discovers a pretty bengali girl writing away in her diary. Aisha Bannerjee (Konkana Sen Sharma) is new to Mumbai and looking for a job in a magazine, Mumbai Beat. They are diametrically opposite. Sid is rich, pampered, spoilt, clueless and lazy. Aisha is purposeful, educated, active and independent. But they gel instantly and become friends.

Sidharth's father, Anupam Kher, tries to bribe his son into taking an interest in his business of bath fittings. Sidharth cant be pinned down to a 9-5 job and walks out after a week. He spends time with his college pals and Aisha, helping her settle into a new studio apartment. After a showdown with his parents, he leaves home and moves in with Aisha. His credit card is cancelled and he finds he needs to earn money. He starts working in Aisha's firm as an intern-photograper. He starts dating Tanya, the design-intern, while Aisha finds herself dating Kabir (Rahul Khanna), her boss.

Ok, I had better stop divulging more details. The movie is like a slice of life. The scenes are utterly convincing and very funny without being slapstick-comedic. Although there is 'Plot' as such, things seem to keep happening on their own. The pace of the movie never flags.

Both Sid and Aisha learn more things about themselves. Sid of course, has far to go as he is a spoilt brat who has never given a thought to others. But even seemingly perfect Aisha finds herself doing a double-take when Kabir tells her that she has some immature tastes and needs to be cultivated. (This was surely my favorite scene in the film). Even Sid yells back at Aisha that he tired of being told he is a kid when he has tried so hard to improve himself, but Aisha never seems to acknowledge his efforts.

There are some lovely human touches in the film. The relationship between Aisha and Sid. It is totally refreshing. They are never gooey or pally or overly sentimental. They are just together because they have fun together. Then there is Sid's mom. Played by my old favorite Supriya Pathak. When I saw her name in the credits I was stabbed by a fear that I was going to see a Hansa clone. Surely this iconic character from Khichdi was played fabulously by Supriya, but I didnt need to see it EVERYWHERE. But here Supriya plays a mother who is eager for her son's love. It was so touching that I had tears in the back of my eyes most time. But again, its not the OTT Maaaa type of thing. Just a sweet usual mother thing.

Then there is Sonia (Kashmira Shah) who is Aisha's neighbour. She has the hots for Sid right away. Later she gets pally with them both, teaching Sid how to cook eggs and share a drink with Aisha and ask her about her sex life. Then there is another neighbour who wants Sid to photograph her son, and bribes them with yummy poha.

On the other hand, the life seems a tad easy for them all. There is too much eye candy. Despite her moneyless status, Aisha is able to do up her apartment very well. Sid wears all those cool tees, socks and shoes (well, he has a rich father). Aisha too, dresses up in really cool stuff. They are able to eat out and go pub-hunting despite being freshers at work. But then, the pretty look is pleasing and aesthetic. So ok. It adds to the fun.

As for performances they are all toppers, ALL. Anupam Kher puts in a dignified performance. Supriya is wonderful as the mother who tries to speak english so she may not seem out of place with her son's friends. Kashmira Shah is great. All the people who played Sid's friends are great.

Ranvir Kapoor seems tailor made for the role. When peeved he seems petulant and spoilt. He just seems to be going with the flow. He looks every inch a college grad with his low slung, chaddi revealing jeans and cartoon tees. I loved his bright socks. I think I will hunt for some similar ones for my son. (err for me too).

Konkana I have reserved for the last because she is the best. She has lost oodles of weight and looks stunning in this movie. She has turned in an amazing performance. I could watch the movie once more just for her.

Just one plot hole. Konkana is supposed to be 27 years old. During her interview, she seems to be fresh out of college. College freshers are younger than that. It could have been explained a bit. Just a line of dialogue, to describe what she was doing all this time.

To the credit of the writers, they concentrate more on other elements of Aisha-Sid relationship, their mutual comfort, the fun they have together, their chemistry, rather than harping on the age. It is just mentioned once or twice and never again. Another thing I liked was how there are no shadi plans or any serious implications involved with them both. They just like being together so they are. Wow !

Music is by Shankar-Ehsan-Loy and its wonderful. There was this Ektara song that I am dying to hear again.

Great Job by Karan Johar the producer and Ayan Mukherjee the writer/director.

Harry So Fine

Six of the eight Harry Potter movies are out and the thing to be noted is that they have been so consistent in quality. These movies have excellent production values, the special effects are there in a good measure but they never overawe you. As Harry Potter was literature before anything else, they are very well grounded story-wise. Its not something stretched from cartoons or cooked up just for the sake of producing a SFX heavy movie.

The story itself seems to borrow a lot from fantasy-lore and is yet fresh. The forces of dark and fair is familiar to the readers of LOTR already, but unlike LOTR, Harry Potter is based in current times. The magic world is parallel to the normal world. We are all poor magicless muggles, doomed to live our lives as we know it, while somewhere we cannot see, lies a world where battle rages between the good and evil forces.

Hogwarts seems like the countless boarding school stories we gobbled up when young. For me, notably, the Mallory Towers and St.Clare's series. The children grow up and learn values in these series, quite similar to the kids in Hogwarts. There are feasts and sports and studies. Except in Harry Potter books they learn about the dark arts, fortelling future and casting spells.



The horcrux that contain the soul of the dark lord is also so similar to the evil magician who could not be killed because his life was in a parrot kept in a cage in a faraway castle.

The muggles world which Harry Potter grew up in is so Dickensian. He is an oppressed and disadvantaged orphan, subject to ridicule by his foster parents, living in a tiny room and denied any privileges or rights. He is denied any knowledge of his legacy, and is not allowed any letters even. By contrast, in the magic world he is famous, rich and accomplished. The magic world could be a fantasy of a poor orphan, like the magic world conjured up by the match-girl. But this world is so real, that you quite believe something like this could be going on right now.

So while Harry Potter story absorbs so many elements from other such tales, it is unique in its own way. There are no elves and dwarves and talking animals, but there are lot of people who work magic, giants and weird animals. Its world is lovable and warm and full of people you like instantly. Like Hagrid, Dumbledore, the weasly twins. Hermonine and Ron are the kinds of friends you would like to have.

Yes ! No wonder the books and the movies have such a hold on millions of children and grown-ups.



The books were so vivid and popular that it was inevitable that they would be made into movies.



In the first movie Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone we were shown the poor orphan boy who is having a bad time with his foster parents. He soon discovers his wonderful legacy and enters the world of wizards. Unlike the muggles world where he is a disadvantaged orphan, here he is already famous and rich. Along with Harry it was great to step into Hogwarts, the moving staircases, the talking pictures, the talking hats, Hermoine, Ron, Dumbledore, quidditch. OH the WHOLE JING BANG ! This movie will never lose its sheen for me.



Things are still at kid-level, but are getting a bit serious. The world is still hooked on to Harry Potter. He is gradually getting more clues to his legacy. Looking back it is easy to connect the unease with which Harry will later face regarding the pull of the dark side.



The kids are no longer wee. In this one they have to take some action. It is really my favorite of all (so far) HP movies. Ron-Hermoine action starts tentatively. Hermoine looks fabulous. Emma Watson is turning into a hottie without getting into the gauchy teen phase. Sirius Black is not what they thought he would be. Harry gains a godfather.


Harry finds himself embroiled in a serious game which could be fatal. Goblets of Fire does result in a death, that of a senior student. But Harry comes out of it, growing wiser and stronger by the year.



Decidedly dark, Harry begins to find out the extent of evil that the dark lord can summon around him. In this bleak movie, Harry learns what makes him different, its his friends who nourish his soul and keep him away from evil.



Harry has to learn how to be quick on his feet, be a bit of a sleuth, be a bit clever to find the means to serve his needs. He has lost one friend already and must lose another. He knows now that the time has come when he has to venture out and seek to defeat the Dark Lord.



The last book in the series is to be made into TWO movies, slated to be released in the years 2010 and 2011. Here is wishing there is no postponement and our decade long fellowship with Harry Potter comes to a satisfactory culmination.

Thanks for the Award

I got this lovely lovely award :




Yes the rules that follow this blog are as follows:

* Link the person who tagged you
* The display of award on your blog with these rules
* Reply to the questions
* Tag 7 people deserving the award according to you
* Come back to BLoGGiSTa iNFo CoRNeR (PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THIS LINK) at http://bloggistame.blogspot.com/ and leave the URL of your Post in order for you/your Blog to be added to the Master List

My Answers to the questions:

* The Person who tagged you : Valerine
* His/her site’s url http://verbalfiend.wordpress.com/
* Date when you were tagged: 16th July 09
* My top 7 fav blogs….


The Papaya Factor
Bedazzled
Vee to hona hi tha
S
Garbles who hardly writes but is hilarious
Bouncing Bubble
Visceral Observations

Waise all the people in my blog list are my favorites, that is why I put them there in the first place. Its horrible to select only 7, but I am sure Vee will enjoy being the only man with the rest of us .. hehe

Bittersweet Slice of Life - Breakfast at Tiffany's

There are families with a mother and father and children, living together in harmony and setting an example to others. There are other people who live on the periphery, knowing no security, thrown out in the world and forced to find their way around. These people have seen a seamier side of life and have moral values that have been 'adjusted'.



Holly Golightly and Paul Varjak live on the outside of the society. Holly is trying to survive in the world, dreaming of the day she will again be with her brother Fred and raise horses in a Mexican ranch. She wants to save money for this day, but finds it slipping through her fingers. She knows all the rich and eligible bachelors and wants to buy security for herself and Fred by marrying one of them. Paul is a struggling writer and finds that a 'helpful' society girlfriend does not hurt.

Like kinderd souls let loose in the cruel world, Paul and Holly are drawn towards one another. Will they be able to help each other?




Audery Hepaburn's luminous beauty lights up the movie. Her frail, ingenue looks make Holly an iconic character.



Holly Golighty



So frail.

You can understand why the world is in love with Audrey Hepburn, after you see this movie.

Beautiful Always !

I got the idea for this post from Reema's Post about Five Female Crushes. As usual, she peppers her post with lovely illustrations and pictures to show us why those 5 girls are so beautiful. I wanted to pick up the tag and do something on with-and-without-makeup pics of famous beauties. But instead I found myself picking up girls from a bygone era and found myself looking at the current images of those women, still beautiful.

Madhubala :



Sometimes I feel she is the ultimate beauty. She reigned over bollywood with tags like Venus. She was ethereal in her early hit, Mahal. She is the Ladki bheegi bhagi si who was all allure, innocence and loveliness. She was amazingly funny in Chalti ka naam gaadi, a perfect girl next door who is unabashed and spirited. Her role in Mughaleazam was different. She was both romantic and realistic in the movie. She knew that her love for Salim would never be accepted and foresaw only doom for herself. Despite that she offers her sweet love to Salim and accepts all the hardships she has to face with a fortitute that made her an icon for Love.



There is no old picture of Madhubala because she died young of a heart disease. Even if she had aged, she would have looked just as beautiful. Here she looks like a dream beside Dev Anand.


2. Durga Khote

I have always seen Durga Khote in a character role, mother, grandmother even. She exudes a grace and glory that even a young shapely nymphet would want. She was one of the first women of bollywood, Indian films who chose movies and acting as a career. Despite hailing from a 'good' family she stepped into acting. She was attached not only to the film world but the progressive theatre as well. An intellectual actress she was Beauty and Grace Personified.



She has worked in countless movies, but let me list two or three. She was the grandma who gave her favorite ugly duckling granddaughter Sadhana a makeover in Love in Shimla. She breaks Sadhna's thick glasses, cuts her hair and styles it and gives her a lesson in deportment. Amazing. She was the beautiful Jodhaa in Mughaleazam who is torn between her love for her husband, her duty as the maharani of Hindustan and her love for her son Salim. Class Act ! She was again Dimple's Grandma in Bobby who loves Rishi but cannot allow them run away. At the last, she was seen as Rishi's mother from previous birth in Karz.



The dimples NEVER fade.

3. Ingrid Bergman :

There were a bevy of beautiful women in hollywood, girls who could take your breath away. Girls with sass and spunk and loads of talent. There were studio heads who knew how to get the best out of their stars, how to showcase their talents. They made Hollywood into a standard that the rest of the world struggled to follow.



In this scenario it was difficult to stand out. But Ingrid Bergman had a quiet kind of a beauty that stole over you totally. Sometimes it is not just pretty features and beautiful figure that makes one face stand out, it is some kind of an allure that draws glances, an aura that makes people look at THAT face and no other. Ingrid Bergman had that allure, a soft lovely look on her face that made her look so beautiful. Her supreme talent that made her unforgettable.



Graceful always !

Play it again Sam.

4. Waheeda Rahman :



She had a whammy debut in CID, went on to play a prostitute with a heart of gold in Pyaasa. She looked like a dream. She was the original protege of Guru Dutt, but soon shook off the mantle and became a great star on her own steam. Her opus was surely Guide. She was known as a magnificent dancer and a good actress, both these talents were well exploited in Guide. I think Pyasa and Guide are among the top 5 Hindi movies and Waheeda graces both these movies beautifully.



Her looks never faded !

5. Dimple :

It helps when a great filmmaker launches you. Raj Kapoor was looking for a fresh looking girl to match his cute and talented son, Rishi. He happened to look at Kapadia's older daughter and history was made. In Bobby he chose to re-enact his own first meeting with Nargis.



But of course it was much earlier, during his birthday party that Rishi spots Dimple, framed in candles and prettier than a picture.



Cuter than a button.



Locked up in a room - a scene fraught with innocence and sexiness. Did they do it?

Just when she became the toast of the bollywood town, she tossed it away to marry Rajesh Khanna who was THE man of the moment. An early death, a retirement turns a memory poignant and its subject a topic of debate. Thus the tinseltown sang out its grief when such a natural actress and such a pretty girl bid adieu. Dimple returned with a bang in Sagar, and has never needed to go away. After a few unsavory films during the early period of her comeback, she has chosen wisely and had given us gems like Rudali, Being Cyrus, Dil Chahta Hai and Luck By Chance.



AGE, naah !

Cinderella Comes Back - Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

I was looking for a good movie to see. There are mighty few choices out there these days. No new releases, bad ones like Tasveer and mediocre ones like Aloo Chat are still around. Among the english ones I had a choice between Underworld, Confessions of a Shopaholic and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. I tried to cart my son along for Underworld, he refused to go. So Underworld went out of the window, its no fun watching a movie like that alone. I would have picked COAS if it werent for a comment on a friends blog that she couldnt watch the movie on DVD it was so boring. Boring is a word thats really scary. So I settled for MPLFAD, as I remembered reading a favorable review somewhere. Frances McDormand clinched the deal further. It is directed by Bharat Nalluri.

Am I glad I followed my instincts ! Wholeheartedly !

Ms. Pettigrew (Frances McDormand) has lost a job, and has been denied the wages for the last week even. She is at the lowest point in her life, having to eat at a soup kitchen, sleep at a train station. She visits her employment agency next morning to find the door slammed in her face, but she nicks a visiting card before she leaves. The visiting card belongs to Delysia Lafosse. She decides to visit Delysia and offer her services. Just as she rings the bell to Delysia's apartment, she has second thoughts, but returns to make another try. The door opens to a beautiul young woman (Amy Adams) who is obviously very flustered. She has one lover in the bed, another on the verge of a visit and another devoted one who waits in the wings, and never the three should meet. She throws her problems right at Guinevere Pettigrew and finds her quite capable of managing them. So Delysia hires Ms. Pettigrew instantly and tags her along with her everywhere for the day.

As it turns out the flighty Ms. Delysia is facing several delimmas at the moment and is sorely in need of a awise counsellor. She has just done with trying to seduce the son of a famous producer, Phil (Tom Payne) in order to bag the lead role in his play. However, she is also in thrall of the owner of a nightclub where she sings, Nick (Mark Strong). He keeps her in luxury, the fancy apartment she lives in is his, and he is in no hurry to give her up. True Love beckons in the form of her piano player Micheal (delectable Lee Pace). It is the night of reckoning - who does she finally submit to? Phil and a career on stage? Nick and Luxury? True love and two tickets to New York with Micheal? She looks at Pettigrew for answers to this and finds her own viewpoints changing through the various points in the day.

Ms Pettigrew is pretty needy herself. She needs a job, food, security for future. She hasnt eaten for a long time, her soup at the soup kitchen the night before had spilled before she could take a spoonful, Delysia's cupboard was bare and she got only drinks whereever she went. Her genteel hunt for food is a delight to watch. She isnt looking for love but is drawn to a handsome and successful Joe (Ciaran Hinds) - a lingerie designer who is a sought after bachelor. In this glittering glamourous world of shallow silly socialites four people try to find love.

It is a totally feel good movie, a romance that is simply not shallow. Despite its breakneck pace you find yourself finding out almost everything about the characters. The loveless Ms Pettigrew who has struggled to survive in this heartless world, a successful Joe who is at last fed up of being the darling of the Beau Monde and wishes to design Gentleman's Socks. Micheal, who just loves Delysia and wants her for himself exclusively. The scheming Edyth who wants Joe for his rich contacts. The young Phil who just wants to be able to sleep around.

Everything is brought to life perfectly. The times, the language, the ambience, the dresses, the cars are all faultless. Amy Adams looks gorgeous, she plays the simpering silly socialite with her heart in the right place to perfection. Frances McDormand is perfect as ever. She speaks like a true Governess here. Her language is a delight to hear. Just after encountering Delysia's naked lover in the bed - She tells her - "He was in the state of nature".

The guys looks absolutely handsome and yummy, esp Lee Pace. The movie is spot on for a viewing.

It reminded me somewhat of Breakfast at Tiffany's, I guess, because Delysia is herself a high society climber and the ambience is similar.

Oonche Log - High Drama

It was both the RIP Feroze Khan messages on my mobile, and the excellent review of Oonche Log by Memsaab that set me off to hunt down the movie. And what a treat that was.

Major Chandrakant (Ashok Kumar) is a retired major who was wounded in a war and has lost his sight. He has led a disciplined life and has his own moral standards. He cannot bear anyone deviating from them, and his punishment is usually 3 strokes of a whip. He has two sons. The older one, Shrikant (Raj Kumar) is an upright police officer who does not hesitate to rebuke his father if he finds him breaking the law. The younger one, Rajnikant or Rajjo (Feroze Khan) is a student and leads a life given to pleasure. Shrikant senses this and is distaurbed about it, but his love for his younger brother makes him sheild his misdemeanors.

Rajjo is carrying on with a classmate of his Bimla (K R Vijaya), they even holiday in Kodaikanal. This has repercussions when Bimla finds herself pregnant. She asks Rajjo to marry her as he promised. Rajjo is too chicken to broach the subject with his father and tries to brush off Bimla. Shrikant comes of know of the issue and shields his younger brother from the wrath of his father, but insists that Rajjo do the right thing, i.e. marry the poor girl he knocked up. Alas, Rajjo is not as Ooncha (great) as the rest of his family and finds his cowardly ways landing him in a spot he cannot get out of. It even comes close to ruining the integrity of his father and brother.

Of course all I have given here is the kernel of the story. The movie is fleshed out so beautifully, is so beautifully plotted that there are no loose ends. When there was mention of Rajjo's engagement, I wondered why should there be talk of this when the older son was yet unmarried. Right then I hear Major Chandrakant mention that his older son was engaged to a girl of his father's choice. Similarly, the background of the lonely blind Major is conveyed to us in two quick dialogues between father and son when he recounts his encounter with the enemy which left him blind and how he returned from war to find his wife dead.

The movie is shot mostly in interiors, the scene being the house of Chandrakant. It moves outside mostly with Rajjo who is the skittish one. In one telling scene, Rajjo is so pleased to recieve a transistor as a gift from his brother for his birthday, that he hugs the transistor, and dances out to the garden while listening to a lovely song (Hai re tere chanchal). It is almost as if he is the only one of the 3 who can 'stray'.

This is what I liked best about the movie, it goes beyond being just a thriller. It really gets under the skin of the characters. The father, the blind man, cannot see what his younger son is up to. He signifies moral uprightness, and blames Shri for the destruction Rajjo has caused, for keeping quiet when he should spoken up and exposed him. Shri signifies Law, the external control that society imposes upon us. He is constrained to arrest a lawbreaker, even if it is someone dear to him. Rajjo playes the troublemaker - dear to both of them - who really puts their ideals to test.

There are a total of four songs in this movie, all superlative, set to music by Chitragupt with lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri.

1. Jaag dile diwana - sung by Mohammad Rafi
2. Aaja re mere pyaar ke rahi - Lata and Mahendra Kapoor
3. Hai re tere chanchal - Lata and Mahendra Kapoor
4. Ajab teri duniya are insaan - Asha and Mahendra Kapoor (maybe, not sure)

Battle of the Hotties
Right at the outset of the movie you realise that the 3 men share an amazing chemistry. Shri and Chandrakant are constantly bantering with each other, playing Police-Major all the time, even calling each other by their titles, 'Inspector-Major' instead of 'Beta-Pitaji'. Rajnikant is fondly called Rajjo - denoting the love the older men have for their youngest, which could have been a factor in spoiling the son. The three men look absolutely hot, Ashok Kumar is blind, but keeps himself spiffy. Raj Kumar looks very trim in his police uniform and handsome. Rajjo the rake is every bit charming and lovable.

In her review, Memsaab points out how the women in the movie stay firmly in the background. Major's wife is dead and a photograph, Shri's wife is a beloved fiance and again, a photograph, Rajjo's girlfriend appears on screen but is usually veiled and makes a brief appearence. A valuable comment on her post by Raja told me that the movie was actually an acclaimed play. The filmmaker - Phani Majumdar - wisely kept the movie taut and focussed like a play which explains why major action takes place in Chandrakant's drawing room and why the dialogue is so 'descriptive'.

This movie is a hidden classic, there is hardly anything about it on IMDB and you can google up barely anything. You simply have to read Memsaabs wonderful review. I have posted the link at the last, because I wanted to keep the readers on my page. BLUSH

Before you go - the climax is absolutely edge-of-seat-biting-your-nails stuff.