Never attended the Kala Ghoda festival before, so today was my first time. I attended a recital of the Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI) at Horniman Circle, on the foot of the Asiatic Library. The stage was on the Ballard Pier - Regal Cinema road and we were supposed to sit on the steps of the Asiatic Library. Traffic was diverted, obviously. The performance was supposed to start at 6.30 pm but started about 10 odd minutes later.
It started on a high note with the orchestric rendition of our national anthem. I say, the Indian national anthem is probably one of the best in the world. The tune is marvelous and it's a completely different experience when you hear it in western classical music. I noticed quite a few Indians in the orchestra which was a delight because we'd certainly like see a lot more Zubin Mehtas out there. It was supposed an hour's extravaganza but it got over in just under half an hour. They played the Palladio; a popular item on the western classical charts and also part of the De-beers commercials. Vande Mataram and Saare Jahaan se Acha were the other Indian recitations played by the orchestra. Before Vande Mataram started, the conductor said it would need no introduction and then the group started. It took me some while to recognise it. I guess the beauty of it all is not to just do new things; it's also how well you could reinvent something that's so old and already a classic and make it look like something so new that you've just invented.
But one of the highlights of the performance was this typewriter sequence. In an attempt to thank Mumbai, its people and the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival for letting it perform at the festival, the orchestra delivered a masterful performance with a guy sitting right under the nose of the conductor, writing out a thank-you note on a typewriter; the typewriter sounds (the keys, hitting the space bar, the sound of the carriage moving forward, the bell at the line of a line, carriage return, and all of that) blending in with the orchestra. At the end, the piece was over and so was letter "complete, with no spelling mistakes, ready to be handed over to the organizers", said the conductor. Very unique, you have to see this to believe it.
Overall, 30 minutes for an orchestra evening is not enough, especially if they do an encore, twice. But it was a good glimpse of what SOI is made of. An evening well-spent.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Do You Have A Dark Spot?
Quick question: If you are going for a job interview, what is more important? Flawless complexion or talent? When I was a kid, my TV told me it is the latter. Hence, the many commercials of Complan (I'm a Complan boy / I am a Complan girl), Boost (the secret of Kapil Dev's energy), Bournvita and even Dabur's Chavanrash. I watch TV these days and I get the impression that it is the perhaps not talent, but our looks that really matter the most. Nutrition commercials can still be seen, but they get dwarfed and lost amidst countless of those that are hell bent in removing every little dark spot, dullness, grey hair, white hair, split ends or whatever little thing you have on you, to ensure you are set for a good life ahead. This is today's irony.
The reality of Indian television is not just the garish TV serials. It's also the beauty / fairness / hair commercials. 10 signs of ageing, 100 signs of hair loss, 1,000 ways to beautify yourself, fairness creams, for not just women, but also men, woman lunging for creams to get ahead in the rat race, dark spots, dullness, split ends, dark circles, and that age-old classic girl-mocked-at-in-an-interview-because-she-is-dark selling line. Housewives lounging on their sofas in their living rooms telling tales to us- with as much interest as doting mothers do when they tell fairy tales to their children- about how they did not know that they were growing old and how one wrinkle here and one dark spot there actually means they are ageing. And how they suddenly felt so blessed and uplifted now that they knew! Orgasm gets a whole new meaning. I never knew what a dark spot meant till I saw these advertisements. I think I can learn more about my skin and hair on TV than any dermatologist expert can tell me.
As if the housewife tales are not enough, we are led into a swanky laboratory whose doors automatically open, robotic types people- seemingly those who do not have even one single dark spot on their pretty faces, like almost genetically manufactured- show us their diligent and painstaking process to make products that they make it sound are so good that all those who are shunned by the society because of colour, will now soon be openly accepted. They remind me of my chemistry laboratory of my school. "Keep the bell jar tightly shut or quit the lab", said Mrs Raghavan, my chemistry teacher, sternly.
I remember years back when I was a kid, my maid servant used to apply 'Fair&Lovely' almost everyday. And she was not even dark skinned, I thought she was fair.
All said and done, I must admit one thing though. I had a lot of dandruff in my hair. I tried many shampoos but it just did not go away. Then, I tried Garnier Fructis. And would you believe, my dandruff is gone. I have zero dandruff now. Ah, well. Such is it. What can I say!
The reality of Indian television is not just the garish TV serials. It's also the beauty / fairness / hair commercials. 10 signs of ageing, 100 signs of hair loss, 1,000 ways to beautify yourself, fairness creams, for not just women, but also men, woman lunging for creams to get ahead in the rat race, dark spots, dullness, split ends, dark circles, and that age-old classic girl-mocked-at-in-an-interview-because-she-is-dark selling line. Housewives lounging on their sofas in their living rooms telling tales to us- with as much interest as doting mothers do when they tell fairy tales to their children- about how they did not know that they were growing old and how one wrinkle here and one dark spot there actually means they are ageing. And how they suddenly felt so blessed and uplifted now that they knew! Orgasm gets a whole new meaning. I never knew what a dark spot meant till I saw these advertisements. I think I can learn more about my skin and hair on TV than any dermatologist expert can tell me.
As if the housewife tales are not enough, we are led into a swanky laboratory whose doors automatically open, robotic types people- seemingly those who do not have even one single dark spot on their pretty faces, like almost genetically manufactured- show us their diligent and painstaking process to make products that they make it sound are so good that all those who are shunned by the society because of colour, will now soon be openly accepted. They remind me of my chemistry laboratory of my school. "Keep the bell jar tightly shut or quit the lab", said Mrs Raghavan, my chemistry teacher, sternly.
I remember years back when I was a kid, my maid servant used to apply 'Fair&Lovely' almost everyday. And she was not even dark skinned, I thought she was fair.
All said and done, I must admit one thing though. I had a lot of dandruff in my hair. I tried many shampoos but it just did not go away. Then, I tried Garnier Fructis. And would you believe, my dandruff is gone. I have zero dandruff now. Ah, well. Such is it. What can I say!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Going To Poona
We normally prefer leaving for Poona early in the morning. Over the years, our schedule has pretty much been the same. No, it has become a little easier. Instead of the very early Indrayani Express that leaves Mumbai CST station at 5.45 am, we now take the Intercity at 6.45 am. I get an hour of extra sleep. I am not much of a morning person. Even getting up at 5 am makes me feel as if I have done something great and deserve an award; it is that much of an achievement. Mother India wakes up at 4 am.
Earlier, i used to go down, fetch the cab, bring it up the hill to my home, load the bags and then leave for the station. Now I call Meru or Mega cabs. These radiocabs are one of the best things to have happened to Mumbai's infrastructure, that seems to have otherwise crumbled already in most other areas. Though if you actually go to other cities, like Poona, you'll slowly appreciate what we have here.
Our Meru cab arrives right on time. We get an SMS 15 minutes earlier informing us of our driver's name, number and the car number. Then, the driver calls asking for precise directions. Over time, these drivers have now become accustomed to Mumbai's bylanes, alleys and gullies. Earlier I had to break my head explaining to them precise directions. Go straight-look for a petrol pump-shop on the right-lane next to it-leave that and take the next-get in-come in straight. Now, some prompts here and there and they get the way. The cab arrives, bags are settled in and we are on our way, speeding past Marine Drive, taking in the cool and misty morning breeze, admiring the early morning walkers and joggers and wondering how the hell these spirited people can be up and about that early.
There are few things I must do on the way to Poona. One of them is to definitely get down at Karjat station and take in the aromas of the vada-pav. If you have traveled to Poona by train and have yet not heard of the Karjat vada-pav, you're not a traveler. Freshly made vada-pavs are bought and savoured. You get around five minutes to stretch here as the two engines get attached to your train behind, to help push the train up the Khandala Ghat that begins soon after Karjat station. I could spend hours and hours on the balcony of my Fariyas hotel room that overlooks the Mumbai - Poona railway whenever I go to Lonavala. I specifically ask for a room that faces the railway lines. The train slowly emerges from the tunnels, huffing and puffing, pushed by the two engines at the rear, the sound of which echoes in the entire area. You're lying in the bed in complete pin drop silence that envelops Lonavala in the night but you can clearly hear the sounds of these two engines, every half hour. They leave the trains and then return back to Karjat to bring another one. You may call this sound or noise, I call it bliss.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Holmes Sweet Holmes
Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes does not seem to be the quintessential Sherlock you think you've grown up reading about. He doesn't wear his hat after all, appears most shabby in his upkeep and appearance, lacks hygiene, his home is like a junkyard, fights human bullfights, doesn't mind getting injured along the way and shares an uncanny relationship with his best friend and partner-in-crime (ofcourse solving, not the committing) Dr Watson and perhaps envies at the thought of losing his precious companionship without whom he cannot forsee a decent existence, to his fiance.
But scratch the surface and you slowly realise that here's exactly the Sherlock Holmes you've read about. He is meticulous in his appoach, he has a great sense of humour, deciphers 20 clues on a crime scene before you can blink of your eye, precisely deduce from where his guest has come from, did what and where, down to the last 'T'. But there is still something extra that you see in Guy Ritchie's version of Sherlock Holmes. The way the story and the camera moves, you feel you're a part of the action. Ritchie also brilliantly gives us an insight into Holmes' mind before he goes about executing his opponents, meticulously breaking blow by blow the consequences before he delivers the final punch.
Sherlock Holmes is an edge of the seat thriller that is not quite bound by a solid mystery. It is not a a great theft that is zeroed upon going through a massive pile of exciting clues and where you finally put the jigsaw puzzle, piece by piece, till you get the final picture that blows your mind away. This is not a murder mystery. Instead this is an action movie that follows the act of a devious mind, Lord Blackwood who gets arrested, convicted, put behind bars and finally hung only to resurrect once more and continue on his mission to take control of Britain, then America, followed by the rest of the world. Can Sherlock Holmes stop him or does the genius of Lord Blackwood succeed in mission terror?
Despite the odd story, Sherlock Holmes is more of a action-packed dare-devil detective solving clues to get to his journey rather than the good old-fashioned Holmes solving what seems to be almost impossible murder; one that atleast used to provide fans such as me, the ultimate excitement. Yet, I found this Holmes to be a good watch. It's a taut 2-hour masala thriller. It is exciting and thrilling. Robert Downey Jr is absolutely fantastic as Sherlock Holmes, minus ofcourse his fake and put on british accent that sometimes sounds confused between American and British. Jude Law as Dr Watson also turns in a very good performance. There's chemistry between the two and together they light up the screen. Guy Ritchie recreates old century London very well- loved the several reminders of London bridge getting constructed- the pacing of the movie is fantastic, background score by Hans Zimmer brings alive the cinematic proceedings, there's hardly a dull moment here.
K Rate: * * * *
But scratch the surface and you slowly realise that here's exactly the Sherlock Holmes you've read about. He is meticulous in his appoach, he has a great sense of humour, deciphers 20 clues on a crime scene before you can blink of your eye, precisely deduce from where his guest has come from, did what and where, down to the last 'T'. But there is still something extra that you see in Guy Ritchie's version of Sherlock Holmes. The way the story and the camera moves, you feel you're a part of the action. Ritchie also brilliantly gives us an insight into Holmes' mind before he goes about executing his opponents, meticulously breaking blow by blow the consequences before he delivers the final punch.
Sherlock Holmes is an edge of the seat thriller that is not quite bound by a solid mystery. It is not a a great theft that is zeroed upon going through a massive pile of exciting clues and where you finally put the jigsaw puzzle, piece by piece, till you get the final picture that blows your mind away. This is not a murder mystery. Instead this is an action movie that follows the act of a devious mind, Lord Blackwood who gets arrested, convicted, put behind bars and finally hung only to resurrect once more and continue on his mission to take control of Britain, then America, followed by the rest of the world. Can Sherlock Holmes stop him or does the genius of Lord Blackwood succeed in mission terror?
Despite the odd story, Sherlock Holmes is more of a action-packed dare-devil detective solving clues to get to his journey rather than the good old-fashioned Holmes solving what seems to be almost impossible murder; one that atleast used to provide fans such as me, the ultimate excitement. Yet, I found this Holmes to be a good watch. It's a taut 2-hour masala thriller. It is exciting and thrilling. Robert Downey Jr is absolutely fantastic as Sherlock Holmes, minus ofcourse his fake and put on british accent that sometimes sounds confused between American and British. Jude Law as Dr Watson also turns in a very good performance. There's chemistry between the two and together they light up the screen. Guy Ritchie recreates old century London very well- loved the several reminders of London bridge getting constructed- the pacing of the movie is fantastic, background score by Hans Zimmer brings alive the cinematic proceedings, there's hardly a dull moment here.
K Rate: * * * *
Sunday, January 10, 2010
3idiots: Good, not great
I found 3 idiots to be good, not great or phenomenal or anything spectacularly out of this world, as it's collections and all those gushing reviews and feedbacks I came across. I am okay with films that revolve around social message and when it's made in an entertaining way- one that challenges your conscience like, say, Rang De Basanti- it works. 3 idiots also took a social message- the mess our education system makes out of us, our over-ambitious parents and their expectations from us, competition that leads us to take extreme measures in some cases like suicides, making wrong choices, and so on- and tried to tell us in an entertaining way.
It's problem was that it tried too hard. It was like as if someone thought of a social message and then thought to make a movie out of it. Social message will touch the public's raw nerve and entertainment will make it easier for them to digest. Scene after scene, it threw at us its central message, almost every aspect of hostel life was thrown at us, every answer to every problem lay in engineering-curriculum-told-in-a-fun-way type, student suicides, ragging, hostel life and so on. Scenes like child birth on a T.T. table, Rancho's lecture baazi and preachings were just too much or too far-fetched and so was the one of the paralytic man sandwiched on a motorcycle. And also, all that ronaa-dhonaa. I don't think grown-up, hostel guys would cry at the drop of their hat. And what is up with all that peeing? I bet I have not seen so much peeing since 'East is East' many years ago.
Now for the good parts. The performances were awesome. The troika of Aamir, Madhavan and Sharman Joshi were fabulous and they fit their roles to the T. Aamir as usual was flawless. Boman Irani- though not in the same league as his Dr Asthana's role in Munnabhai- was great as the lisping professor. Loved the balatkar speech, Omi Vaidya's (Chatur / Silencer) narration was flawless and so was Boman Irani's reaction of complete helplessness and volcanic frustration, as also Omi's overall performance. Omi's comic timing was perfect and kudos to the casting team of 3 idiots for this great find.
All said and done, the message of 3 idiots was good. And please, it does NOT inspire ragging or suicides. But it does tell us that we need to follow our heart and passion and not the smell of crisp currency when it comes to pursue our ambition. Because if you like what you do, success will automatically follow.
K-Rate: * * * *
It's problem was that it tried too hard. It was like as if someone thought of a social message and then thought to make a movie out of it. Social message will touch the public's raw nerve and entertainment will make it easier for them to digest. Scene after scene, it threw at us its central message, almost every aspect of hostel life was thrown at us, every answer to every problem lay in engineering-curriculum-told-in-a-fun-way type, student suicides, ragging, hostel life and so on. Scenes like child birth on a T.T. table, Rancho's lecture baazi and preachings were just too much or too far-fetched and so was the one of the paralytic man sandwiched on a motorcycle. And also, all that ronaa-dhonaa. I don't think grown-up, hostel guys would cry at the drop of their hat. And what is up with all that peeing? I bet I have not seen so much peeing since 'East is East' many years ago.
Now for the good parts. The performances were awesome. The troika of Aamir, Madhavan and Sharman Joshi were fabulous and they fit their roles to the T. Aamir as usual was flawless. Boman Irani- though not in the same league as his Dr Asthana's role in Munnabhai- was great as the lisping professor. Loved the balatkar speech, Omi Vaidya's (Chatur / Silencer) narration was flawless and so was Boman Irani's reaction of complete helplessness and volcanic frustration, as also Omi's overall performance. Omi's comic timing was perfect and kudos to the casting team of 3 idiots for this great find.
All said and done, the message of 3 idiots was good. And please, it does NOT inspire ragging or suicides. But it does tell us that we need to follow our heart and passion and not the smell of crisp currency when it comes to pursue our ambition. Because if you like what you do, success will automatically follow.
K-Rate: * * * *
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Awesome Avatar
It's been done to death with, every second person has seen, we all know what it is about, so I am just going to cut the crap and say it. I loved Avatar and it's simply breathtaking. Director, James Cameron, creates a world beyond our imagination and one that is far beyond anyone can ever expect to see. Floating mountains, dragons, flora and fauna we would never see in our dreams and much more. The move is a bit long at three hours and drags a bit in the middle, but for most parts, it's a journey you're not likely to see in a long, long time. Don't miss the beginning though, if you want to understand what the movie is all about. Hollywood special effects has just risen several notches from what we have come to know in the past few years. Fasten your seat belts.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
New Year Musings...2010
After having gone through realms and realms of what went by in 2009, the 'best and worst of 2009' in every newspaper or magazine that you open and seeing the same images, new and events that went by and whats-the-phrase..."shaped up 2009"...we're finally in the new year. This was incidentally the first Christmas, new year's eve and new year day of my nine years of professional life that I have had to report to work and work till late. There was no such thing as a year-end holiday for me this time around, let alone planning for one and then being in a limbo. The firm that I work for now does not have year-end holidays. Yet, for some strange reason, I am not cribbing. As long as we have work, we're good. Holidays can always come at a later stage, when they're well earned.
As far as 2010 is concerned, I would like to see my beloved Mumbai get some better infrastructure. This is ofcourse a wishlist and i don't expect things to move at blazing speeds this side of the world, but here's what I want to see...
- A new airport on the outskirts of Mumbai
- An airport express train that connects some key city and suburban hubs (with a city check-in) at places preferably like Nariman Point, Breach Candy, Dadar, Bandra, Ghatkopar, Thane, Andheri, Borivali, Panvel and then straight to the airport. Just the way it is in Hong Kong and soon-to-be in New Delhi. You check in your lugguage at any of these city check-in counters at any time of the day and get rid of your lugguage, then roam around the city or do whatever you want, then finally catch the airport express train in evening or night, reach the airport, show your boarding pass and board the aircraft, that's it.
- The trans-harbour link that eases the connectivity between the island city with the mainland
- Fasttrack the metro projects. And please, the world-over, metro means underground, not overground.
- Upgrade our zoo and aquarium to international standards. We Indians have not yet developed a culture of taking care of our animals and wildlife, poaching still goes on a mass scale, neighbours lock up their pets and go off to work, schools and colleges leaving their poor pets to cry the whole day in loneliness....we need to start taking care of our wildlife.
- I don't think road widening is possible. Can we think of alternatives please? I was stunned to see miles and miles of roads built underground in Washington D.C. last year, that runs beneath tall buildings and crowded areas. Of course, you need government will to do all that!
- I want to see citizens respect our cities and surroundings. It's fashionable to blame the governments for everything wrong that happens in our society, but don't we citizens have any responsibility? First class local train passengers put their feet up on seats and squat. Brand new local trains that Mumbai got recently are all RED, hell...elevators are RED. Railway stations, roads, even elevators are not spared.
- Do I really care how many points people earn in Farmville on Facebook? WTF....
- ...but Twitter sounds exciting. I might become a twitteratti in 2010.
- Last, but not the least, I want to click more pictures.
A zillion other things possible, but I have to go for my breakfast now.....More later....
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