Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

Long title but simple facts. What will prompt you to watch this movie especially when Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol, Katrina Kaif, Kalki (recent addition) are all casted in a single movie. I guess casting itself is sufficient. With this kind of casting, the first impression is set. Rest of the week will depend on its quality and on what it delivers.
ZNMD speaks about life and makes you realize the fun if you really enjoy it. Rating – 3.75/5

Story –
When a person in construction business meets an interior designer, what happens? They make a pair. Similar is the setting between Kabir (Abhay Deol) and Natasha (Kalki). Once the engagement is forecasted, Kabir wants to cherish his last days of his bachelorhood and sets on a road trip (location: Spain) along with his friends – Arjun (HR) and Imran (Farhan). So we have three middle aged men go on a three week vacation to indulge in ‘self-selected’ adventures. Each of them has the liberty to select his dream adventure and the other two will have to do it (irrespective of their likings). In due adventurous course, they realize what is life’s another perspective.

Cast – With whom should I start?
Farhan Akhtar – and not Hrithik (atleast not in ZNMD). He has the best role in the movie that of a sponty copywriter. Effortless with great versatility. He enjoys his role (gets the best lines) and you enjoy that on screen.
Hrithik Roshan – is looking clean and cool especially after his last movie. HR plays a character in the movie which lives the hectic financial world. He touches the emotional cord more than any other character in the movie. Just a wish - he should danced more. Remember! he was in Spain.
Abhay Deol – free-flowing and bindaas.
Katrina Kaif – plays the role of Laila, scuba instructor. She is attractive (we all know) and charming (wonderfully done here). Her screen space is limited here but she does full justice.
Kalki – plays the role of Natasha. I would have preferred a fresh face for this role. That might have saved some money. Nothing related to Kalki’s performance though!
Zoya Akhtar - (director and screenplay) is again very impressive. Just recalled how her first movie “Luck By Chance” (read here) presented gratitude to the film fraternity in opening credits. Awesome.

This is an era of DK Bose where families might not feel comfortable to hear it (forget about seeing the movie). Don’t miss this especially with this is kind of K Jo’s casting. Also DO NOT compare with DCH (Dil Chahta Hai). To put it into a phrase – “DCH was more boyz, ZNMD is more mature”. DCH was cult, don’t think ZNMD will reach there. Why? B’coz ZNMD connects you with its idea but somehow you don’t feel that attachment. Subjective!
Movie has superbly advertised Spain as a clean fantasy dreamland. Expect more people to learn Spanish. Expect a rise in prices of air-tickets to Spain. And let’s wait till somebody does a ZNMD the Indian way!

What works: topic, theme, thrill of bachelors-trips
What not: songs (somehow they are chartbusters level), dance (Hrithik! Expectations were higher)

SPEAKing PICtures verdict: Dekh le. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

The theme of this movie has been a self-enlightening one. It has been repetitive and released in cinemas multiple times. I would like to end here with a cult dialogue from the cult movie (Anand) with which I started my Chalo Dilli review (another movie asking you to enjoy life) –

“Babumoshai, Zindagi Badi Honi Chahiye, Lambi Nahin”

ps: I expect viewers to enjoy the saawan-season whole heartedly after watching ZNMD.

21st June 2011 – Longest day of the year 2011

21st June is generally the longest day of the year (am sure you know this). Now, incidentally, this day was also marked the starting of the orientation week for PGDM batch (2011-2013) @ IMT-G. Nice to see that from the day one, we are witnessing full utilization of natural resources (days are bigger, so more interaction, hence more presentations can be covered).Fantastic time management and scheduling.

And it did turned out to be the longest. Not at all a surprise.

The day started with formal dressing and polishing the shoes. It is mandatory in B-school to be in formals on occasions like these. 9 am sharp, we entered the IMT library.The students of PGDM batch (2011-2013) were all dazzling and ready to listen and so were the speeches.

The director’s messageon ‘IMT Vision and Future Directions’ was superbly encouraging and the Nataraja‘s ‘creation by destruction’ analogy was philosophically refreshing. Before lunch sessions included addresses by Prof. Rajat Gera, Chairperson – PGDM (F/T), whose talk had enough subtle humour to tickle the audience. There were other talks also on various topics like Code of Conduct, etc.

Post lunch, we had sessions intro from all academic departments. Marketing was interactive, Finance had humour, HR had promising questions, IT looked familiar, ESS was new, while Operations was an engineer’s delight (caution: perception can go wrong).

The best was saved for last – Address by Chief Guest (Mr. Atul Karwal). He was the first IPS officer to climb Mt. Everest. His intro seemed to one of a of an adventure genius – sky-diving, scuba-diving, mountaineering, horse-riding, black-belt @ Martial Arts, etc. His presentation was simple, powerful, inspirational, moving in parts and literally had thatkhatra (fear) factor. His presentation included lots of self-taken pics and motivating videos of persons who successfully touched the summit @ Mt. Everest. Plus the insights he gave of the climb was very imaginative. Not to leave behind the learnings, which were most important.
Apart from his experience of Everest, he also mentioned some unique adventures of his daughters (snake catching and then lizard catching to feed those snakes).He deserved a standing ovation; he got twice.

Post dinner, various committees presented themselves. PLACECOM was most popular, ALCOM gave a comfy feel, MESSCOM generated humour, IRC was unique while SIFE was something very new.

Clock has touched 12. Next day, will be covered in next article.

best quote heard over the campus on 21st June 2011 -
“Let us not play a dot ball” ~ Dr. S.K.Batra [awesome reception to this]

Cheers
Ag

ps: 21st June being the longest day of the year, also means less hours allotted to night, which means less sleep.

Journey from home to hostel…first time travelling on this route

“We will become graduate one day, said a buddy engineer who surprising did what he said, he passed his graduation with flying rainbows”. After three long years of work-ex, he is again heading to college and this time as a hosteller to0O (May God Bless!)


One day before the travel –
Bags were being searched, things were being sorted and home food was being stuffed in regularly without considering the fact that it might alter the body-mass ratio (which is vital stat when you are heading to a college). “What to take” question was searched on Google and it gave all sorts of rubbish answers. For example, a link mentioned to take books and registers (how very silly).

An IMT senior posted a long list of physical entities which sounded like abbey ab ye kaha se laaoo (from where will I get this?). Silly silly things made you pensive - where do I get Nirmasuper!! Parents are always there to help and bingo! The graduate was equipped with all essential commodities which are needed to become the MBA.

Realizing the fact that body of MBA has to be sleep proof, I deliberately continued my late night online chat with a friend discussing and debating what would have been better for me – ‘Business Leader Vs Solutions Architect”. We started with domestic and went GLOBAL and then UNIVERSAL…the speed could have easily taken us to MILKYWAY but we were finally stopped by MTNL around 4 am.

6 am I was up and 7:30 I was leavinghome. On the way, I saw my MNC office and so very glad to miss it. After having a work life, one Do0O realize the importance of going back to college. Fun @ dreams, Fun @ college, Fun @ IMT.

I entered the campus, the guard spoke fluent English and it was my official sunrise. IMT @ third time, it was (previously during physical interview @ Indo-Pak match day and fee submission). A lot of curiosity was related to hostel room. Being a day scholar throughout my life, it was something obvious. Even a three-month onsite trip was no match in front of this. I did realize that I was one of first persons to enter IMT for enrolment today.
The Audiwas full empty and chilled. It was something meant for respected people – rightfully for parents (awesome thing done). Meanwhile, the freshers were to go to second floor. The person designated there greeted me with smile and said – “to aa hi gaye”(you have finally come, bliss). Roger that sir. Coming back to college life is like restarting life. Play it.

Around 9:30 am, the auspicious ritual of form-giving started. I was the first to collect those. 4 forms (one of them printed on two sides) – total of 5 A4 sheets. My graduation has prepared me very well for this activity of form filling. But engineers are lazy and I am no exception. I forgot my CAT scorecard and payslips, etc. But thankfully the Ground Floor’s Xerox cum Printout shop was there. After achieving the submission of all forms with essential docs, SAAC and PLACECOM were next. While PLACECOM didn’t saw much footfall, SAAC was parents’ favourite. Everyone wanted to know in which room their wards will go! Managing chaos was the learning here. Also it involved major streams of management – Operations, Organizational Behaviour and IT management (courtesy – Google Docs and MS Excel).

After a pause, I was finally allotted J Lobby (should I be happy?).The feel, as one fresher said “three idiots ki aa rahi hai” (feel is like it was in 3 idiots). Hope no one tries to light the bulb this time.

Bucket, Baggage, Bed and Bhoja (load) all were then moved successfully to my room. While on my way, I saw Beds, Buckets, Simcards, etc becoming fast moving consumer goods (FMCG right!). The whole supply chain management was worth appreciating. Expecting to interact with such high quality managers soon.

My room door is opened. Articles end here.

Cheers
AG

Dialogue of the day –
“padhai ek ko karni hai, aaya poora parvaar hai” ~ someone (reacting on seeing whole family coming to see-off a prospect MBA)

Ps: first article from my first hostel room

Movie Review: Bheja Cry 2

Bheja Fry when it came had the advantage of being new. People and intelligent people (critics) started the dialogue of having low-budget-high-quality movies. Bheja Fry grossed marvellously at box office. Since then, there have been many successful products Phaas Gaye Re Obama, Tere Bin Laden, etc.

However, this one (sequel to Bheja Fry) is not like its predecessor.
Rating - 2.25/5

Story -
The original idiot (Bharat Bhushan, played by Vinay Pathak) is back as a tax officer, who wins a TV show and is awarded a cruise ticket. How can just winning the show please him? He wants pleasure (love) too he likes Minissha Lamba (TV exec). Also on the cruise liner, along with them; we have a Ajit Talwar (played by KK). He is a big business bro but fears from tax people for obvious reasons. He wants everything girl to be near him and tax officer to be away from him. He plans to topple the taxman off the ship into the ocean. But eventually ends up with him on an island to meet another two characters Amole Gupte (R Burman! No not R.D. Burman) and Suresh Menon (strict taxman). Rest continues

Cast
Vinay Pathak as the fatso goody irritating tax officer is a pleasure to watch. Not much to speak, just that he is too adorable. But he has to do diverse roles now else he will surely be stereotyped. A word of caution for him has already been mentioned in Chalo Dilli review (here).
KK Menon seeing him after a long time. The class in him is of a certain quality but the lines given to him does not match with his calibre. Better dialogues could have brought him more accolades.
Minissha Lamba not worth a Bheja Fry brand.
Amol Gupte is ok. But watch out for Suresh Menon. Like we saw Sudesh Lehri in Salman Khan starrer READY, here we have Suresh Menon in Bheja Fry 2. He is witty enough and scenes having his presence are hilarious. Professional artists have a different tough!

Bheja Fry 2 should have been written better. Also there is lack of good effective punches in this edition. The Movie says in its trailers the original idiot is back. Its a lie. The camaraderie which we saw in Bheja Fry 1 involving Vinay Pathak, Rajat Kapoor, Ranbir Shorey, etc is missing in the sequel. Infact, sequel of a movie like Bheja Fry should not have a new cast at its core.

What works: Comic scenes in parts, Glimpses of quality of the star cast
What no: weak story and dialogues

SPEAKing PICtures verdict : It's Bheja Cry instead of Bheja Fry. Miss it