European Championships - Day 3

We’re into Day 3 of the Euros. Two groups have played their first set of matches. Three more games are scheduled for later today. In today’s post, I’ll recap recap the events of the past two days and provide a preview of matches of Groups C, D and E. My next post will most likely be after Group E matches are completed.

Match Reviews

Group A

France vs Romania – The hosts ride on Payet’s wonder-goal

The tone of the first half was set with Lloris saving spectacularly from Bogdan Stancu inside the first five minutes. Griezman hit the post later on in the half. Although both teams threatened, neither was able to produce the cutting edge.

France’s sustained pressure at the start of the second half was rewarded as Giroud got up in front of the goalkeeper to head home from Payet’s cross. Romania eked out a response, as Patrice Evra fouled Stancu in the box. The Romanian forward converted the penalty himself. A minute from time, Payet, the supplier for the first goal, turned scorer, launching a curled effort into the top corner. The Romanian goalkeeper had no chance. The hosts breathed a collective sigh of relief.

My Prediction: France 3-1 Romania

Final Score: France 2-1 Romania

Albania vs Switzerland – The new boys can hold their heads up high

The Xhaka brothers squared off against each other. Albania got off to a jittery start, with a mistake from goalkeeper Berisha gifting Switzerland a goal in the 5^th minute. From that point, the match was dominated by the two goalkeepers as they kept out the opposition multiple times across both halves. Berisha’s performance might have won him Man of the Match but for his early error. Albania gave a good account of themselves and showed that they would not be pushovers for the rest of the tournament.

My Prediction: Albania 0-2 Switzerland

Final Score: Albania 0-1 Switzerland

Group B

Wales vs Slovakia – Wales is not just about Bale, but he’s their absolute superstar

Arguably, the most entertaining match so far as both teams went for the jugular from the word go. Ben Davies pulled off an incredible goal-line clearance from Marek Hamsik in the opening minutes. Hamsik had got past four defenders and was almost wheeling away in celebration, when Davies foiled him. A few minutes later, Wales were ahead. Gareth Bale produced a customary dipping, swerving free-kick which fooled the goalkeeper. The scores remained the same till the half-time whistle, but not because of a dearth of chances.

The second half continued in the same vein. A sustained period of pressure led to Slovakia’s goal. Robert Mak made an incisive run into the edge of the Wales box before squaring the ball to Ondrej Duda. Duda, who had just come on as a substitute, feigned past a couple of defenders before firing into the net. Wales were looking out on their feet and the momentum was with Slovakia. A couple of substitutions for Wales freshened things up. They started keeping possession and suddenly the momentum had shifted. Hal Robson Kanu, on as a substitute, latched on to Aaron Ramsey’s pass just inside the box, sending a scuffed shot through the defender’s legs and past the goalkeeper. Wales were in dreamland. Despite more pressure from Slovakia, they held on, claiming a historic win.

My Prediction: Wales 2-1 Slovakia

Final Score: Wales 2-1 Slovakia

England vs Russia - Another case of "What could've been!"

England’s preparations for the Euros have been dissected by all and sundry. The big question ahead of this game was whether Jamie Vardy would start. Unsurprisingly, Hodgson chose not to play two strikers, going for solidity rather than attacking flair. To be fair, England dominated the match, in terms of possession and clear-cut opportunities. However, as is often the case with them, they could not capitalize. Russia were happy to sit back and break up England attacks. In the second half, Akinfeev pulled off an impossible save from Rooney, keeping the game level. The breakthrough finally came for England with a well taken free kick by Eric Dier. The senior players showed confidence in his ability, stepping away before the kick was taken. Dier curled it into the far post. This was evidence of the bright young talent that the team had at their disposal. However, and with a lot of people expecting it, they let their lead slip in injury time. A looping cross was met by Vasili Berezutski, who looped his own header over Joe Hart. England’s streak of never winning the first game of any European Championship remained intact.

My Prediction: England 1-1 Russia

Final Score: England 1-1 Russia

Match Previews

Group C

Poland vs Northern Ireland

The Poles will be favourites going into this game but Northern Ireland boast a 12 match unbeaten streak heading into the Euros. It will be battle between the Polish attacking firepower up against the Northern Irish solidity.

My Prediction: Poland 2-1 Northern Ireland

Germany vs Ukraine

Even with a handful of injuries, Germany should be too strong for the sprightly Ukraine team. Never one to get off to a flier in big tournaments, it would be interesting to see if the underdogs can take advantage of some early German tentativeness.

My Prediction: Germany 2-1 Ukraine

Group D

Turkey vs Croatia

I’ve heard a lot of good things about Croatia, but personally I think they’ll fall short here to the Turkish guile. This should be an open and exciting encounter, and is perhaps the first match where I’m not totally sure of my own prediction.

My Prediction: Turkey 1-0 Croatia

Spain vs Czech Republic

After suffering the horrendous loss to Georgia in their last friendly before the Euros, Spain will be looking to get themselves sorted out in this match. Although the Czechs are a talented unit, I don’t see them having enough to get past the defending champions.

My Prediction: Spain 2-0 Czech Republic

Group E

Republic of Ireland vs Sweden

I think there is only one man who will leave his stamp on this game and that is the mighty Zlatan. Having missed out on the last World Cup, he would be itching to make a positive impact in this tournament. At 34, this could well be his last. The Irish are struggling with their inner demons ever since they’ve qualified and the outburst from Roy Keane will not have helped their mental set-up.

My Prediction: Republic of Ireland 0-1 Sweden

Belgium vs Italy

The match of this gameweek could either be an entertaining spectacle or be reduced to a dull affair. I don’t think there is much of a chance of this game taking the middle path. Either way, I’m predicting a scoring draw here. The Belgians have not been gelling well and will find it hard to break down the sturdy Italian defense.

My Prediction: Belgium 1-1 Italy

That’s it for this post. See you again in a couple of days.

European Championships - Preview

After a long and grueling club football season, footballers look forward to a nice long break in the summer, spending time with their families, going on holidays and lazing around their mansions. The ones looking for new clubs work with their agents on wheeling and dealing for a switch. However, this summer, starting tonight, for 552 footballers, there won’t be any lazy days for the next 30 odd days. The European Championships kick off at 12:30 AM IST on 11^th June (10^th June in Europe) and this is the first entry of my blog post on it. I plan to post as regularly as possible about the tournament till its climax. Hoping everyone will enjoy reading it.

France is still recovering from the horrors of the terrorist attack it suffered last year. There is a lingering feeling of uncertainty as citizens get ready to play host to what is the country’s biggest footballing event since they hosted the 1998 World Cup. The country has extremely fond memories of that tournament, having won it. This time again, they’ll be one of the top favourites, boasting some incredible talents in their squad. Through this post I will present my point of view of how I think the tournament will pan out, the teams I believe are the favourites, the dark-horses and the top players to watch out for.

Favourites

France

One cannot look past the hosts as being the favourites. They have an extremely strong squad, even with injuries and exile for a couple of top players. The absence of Benzema and Valbuena is unlikely to be felt as the new generation of Griezman and Pogba are ready to take up their mantle. The home fans are split in their opinion about Giroud, but his recent scoring record is tremendous. These three are sure to start and will be complemented by the brilliant Dmitri Payet and the impeccable N’Golo Kante, a solid defense and other exciting youngsters like Kingley Coman and Samuel Umtiti, France should go deep into this tournament. Anything less than a semi-final appearance for them will be considered a failure.

Key Players: Antoine Griezman, Paul Pogba, Dmitri Payet, N’Golo Kante

Germany



It’s a big tournament. How can Germany not be one of the favourites? It is really remarkable how they keep themselves at the top of the sport year after year after year. The team is not first-choice, with the like of Reus and Gundogan missing out again with injury. Recently, Antonio Rudiger also had to withdraw. Mats Hummels and Bastian Schweinsteiger are not fully fit but have travelled with the squad. Despite missing these key men, Germany still possess the verve and passion to go all the way. Their strength lies in ruthless pressing and super-smooth counter attacking. Injuries have made the defense short on options but if Joachim Loew can get Hummels back fit, a lot of his headaches will be gone. Their group should not be very tough to get through, with only Poland likely to cause some problems. They too should be looking at going into the final week of the tournament.

Key Players: Thomas Mueller, Mesut Ozil, Toni Kroos, Jerome Boateng

Spain

Spain went 11 games unbeaten before losing to minnows Georgia, ranked 131 places below them, in their last friendly leading up to this tournament. The two-time defending champions will be looking to create history, becoming the first team to win 4 European Championships and also the first team to win it 3 times in a row. Their lack of options in attack is highlighted by the selection of 35 year old Aritz Aduriz, albeit after an excellent season with Bilbao, for his first ever international tournament. No Torres and no Villa mean the forward line has an unrecognizable look. A lot of goal scoring responsibility will fall on the young but able shoulders of Alvaro Morata. In midfield, Xavi’s retirement and Xabi Alonso’ absence means the new members have huge shoes to fill. Whoever is called on the play needs to be absolutely perfect to reach the duo’s lofty standards. The defense is their strongest suit this time, but the players, especially, Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique, the favoured center back pairing, need to put their club rivalries aside. Otherwise this can really blow up in their faces. Tough to call how far they’ll go but Del Bosque guile and experience at the top level could see them reach the semi-finals too.

Key Players: Andreas Iniesta, Alvaro Morata, Sergio Ramos, David Silva

Dark Horses

Poland



Boasting perhaps the best forward in Europe at the moment in the form of Robert Lewandowski, Poland go into this tournament with their best squad in a long time. Many of Poland’s squad have plied/ply their trade in the German Bundesliga, so they’ll be well versed with the German way of playing. Their game against their neighbours is likely to decide the outcome of the group. Given the squad, on their day, Poland is capable of pulling off wins against more fancied opponents. Expecting them to go to the quarter-finals, or even the semi-finals, if the draw favours them.

Key Players: Robert Lewandowski, Grzegorz Krychowiak, Jakub Błaszczykowski, Łukasz Piszczek

Wales



The talk before the tournament about Wales revolves around one man, Gareth Bale. The hype is justified, even more so when he pulls on the national jersey. Recently, a famous journalist commented that he turns into a ‘dragon’ when playing for Wales, and there was not an ounce of exaggeration in that statement. However, concentrating only on Bale will be a mistake for their opponents. Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen are capable enough to influence a game on their own. Ramsey has been in good form coming into the tournament and this is an excellent opportunity for him to showcase his talent on the world stage. Joe Allen is loved by all it seems, with captain Ashley Williams declaring that the team have a ‘Joe Allen Appreciation Day’ at least once a week. Although said in jest, such eventshelp in building togetherness among team-mates and Wales look like a team with strong bonds among everyone. Chris Coleman has done an excellent job getting them so far, and it remains to be seen how far they can go in the tournament proper. Personally, I think they’ll top their group, despite England’s presence, and should get to the Quarter Finals.

Key Players: Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey, Joe Allen, Ashley Williams

Portugal



It seems strange projecting Portugal as dark horses. They’ve been among the favourites for almost every tournament for the past decade and boast the best player in Europe in their squad. The problem in the past few tournaments has been the over-reliance on Ronaldo. The others seem to put their hands up when it comes to taking responsibility in big tournaments. This attitude seems to have changed recently. The team performed well without Ronaldo in the build up to the Euros. More players seem to be taking the initiative in pulling the weight of the team. If they do get their act together, given that they have Ronaldo and a young talented squad, they can upset a few apple-carts along the way. The experience and cool head of Carvalho in the heart of the defense will be an important cog in their machine. Hopefully they can stay away from the rough football they tend to get into sometimes and let the flair take over. There is huge potential for success in this team.

Key Players: Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Moutinho, Ricardo Quaresma, Ricardo Carvalho

My Predictions

Group Stage

TEAM A	SCORE		TEAM B
France	3	1	Romania
Albania	0	2	Switzerland
Wales	2	1	Slovakia
England	1	1	Russia
Turkey	1	0	Croatia
Poland	2	1	Northern Ireland
Germany	2	1	Ukraine
Spain	2	0	Czech Republic
Rep. of Ireland	0	1	Sweden
Belgium	1	1	Italy
Austria	2	0	Hungary
Portugal	1	1	Iceland
Russia	1	2	Slovakia
Romania	0	2	Switzerland
France	3	0	Albania
England	0	1	Wales
Ukraine	0	1	Northern Ireland
Germany	1	1	Poland
Italy	2	1	Sweden
Czech Republic	2	1	Croatia
Spain	1	1	Turkey
Belgium	2	1	Rep. of Ireland
Iceland	2	0	Hungary
Portugal	2	1	Austria
Romania	2	0	Albania
Switzerland	1	1	France
Russia	1	2	Wales
Slovakia	1	2	England
Ukraine	0	2	Poland
Northern Ireland	0	3	Germany
Czech Republic	2	1	Turkey
Croatia	0	2	Spain
Iceland	1	1	Austria
Hungary	0	2	Portugal
Italy	1	1	Rep. of Ireland
Sweden	2	1	Belgium

See you at the opening ceremony!!

My Life, My Story, My Direction - Tamasha Review

Having read the mixed reviews, I didn't know what to expect when I went to watch Tamasha. The reviews ranged from ones lavish in their praise to ones sour in their scorn.

The movie opens with my favourite scene - two actors on stage of a play - which operates as the introduction to the main story. From early on it is quite evident that this movie revolves around Ved, the character played by Ranbir Kapoor. He is enamoured by the world of stories and fairy-tales. Growing up in Shimla, he listens with rapturous attention to the local story-teller, attends Shakespearan plays and constantly makes his own fables as a part of his daily routine. The reality-check comes in the form of his societally correct father, who imposes on him to study engineering (we've all heard this story in India). He proclaims he doesn't understand Math, and that his passion lies in story-telling. However, his admission to an engineering college has already been taken care of and there is no turning back now.

Ved's life transitions from following his father's orders at home to following his boss' at office. He is the product manager in his firm, but far from being independent. He is considered sensible, polite, hard-working and 'good', traits he has worked very hard to nurture. The scenes showing his everyday existence, the repetitiveness and the monotony, capture the drudgery of corporate life quite well. All this, is now what he is.

In the midst of all this, he finds time to visit Corsica for a week. We have all seen the trailers and know whom he meets there. He meets Tara, played with grace and aplomb by Deepika Padukone. He helps her out when she is in a tight spot and that's how they get together. But only for a week! They promise to hide their true identities from each other and never to meet again after departing this small French island. They speak to each other in cheesy Bollywood dialogues and make up impromptu situations to explain their next moves. It's a bit stretched in parts but one must sit back and enjoy their chemistry. Deepika looks stunning in this part of the movie. Ranbir plays the affable joker, but some of his lines are over the top. They leave each other earlier than scheduled, with an 'off-limits' parting gift from Tara to Ved.

But alas, the heart understands no boundaries set by logic and rationale. Tara ends up falling in love with the stranger she met on vacation. After a very long time, she finally tracks him down. But, soon, she discovers that the person she'd met on the island is not the same person she finds back home. The stranger on Corsica was impulsive, this man is bound by societal norms. The stranger on Corsica was adventurous, the only adventure this man back home has is their daily dinner at a restaurant. She eventually tells him her feelings, but that's when the problems start. She is vehemently shunted away from Ved's life to wallow in her own grief, We lose track of her character for some time as the narrative goes back to the main character.

Ved, suddenly shaken out of his pretences by Tara, starts to 'act up'. There are times in the day when he goes back to behaving the way he did in Corsica. The problem is that this is not Corsica. And his behaviour gets him into a lot of trouble. Unemployed, lost in love, and hopelessly lost in life, he goes back to his home-town of Shimla, seeking out the old storyteller. The old man is now bordering on craziness. On being asked the 'story' of his own future by Ved, the old man first speaks of a rather gruesome end, He then goes on to say something which Ved takes to heart. This is where he starts writing his own story, this is where he starts directing his own course and this is where he starts leading the life of his choice.

One can say that Deepika's character, Tara, really was the 'Tara', or guiding star, in Ved's life. The movie captures the grief of a 'mediocre common man', stuck in the wrong profession, very well. There are certain scenes where you connect with the actors thinking that this situation could have arisen in your own life. Deepika's role is essentially that of a supporting one, but she brings immense presence to the screen. She has surely come of age in the past eighteen months or so. Ranbir, on his part, is intended to be the star of the show, and he pulls off most of his role accurately. The fumbling, angry boyfriend, the obedient, subservient employee, the rebellious, hurtful, free spirited story-teller, he plays these aspects of his character appreciatively. The music does well to fill up the background, but I don't think this is one of Rahman's more memorable albums. It's decent.

All in all, I have to say that the message of Tamasha is one that everyone should listen to. Following others' orders will eventually lead one to stagnation and frustration. Sometimes it just needs a chance encounter, or a few well spoken words to rekindle the fire of passion in someone's heart. It takes one moment of courage to follow that passion. This can only be followed by a lifetime of loving your 'job'.

Trad Bongs Versus Non-Trad Bongs - Bengalis from the Point of View of a Bong

“E ma, tui machh khash na!” (“Oh My God, you don’t eat fish!”). If I got a Rupee every time someone said this to me, I’d be quite rich by now. Yes, I’m a Bengali. And no, I don’t eat fish. I don’t like Rosogollas and Phuchkas either. I think a few Bengali foodies just fainted…

I heard someone say a couple of weeks ago that the dislike of fish is a fashion among Bengalis of the younger generation. Hello! Fashion? What fashion? Isn’t it my wish what I do and do not put in my mouth and attempt to digest? I don’t see you wearing a low rise jeans or a plunging neckline despite not being comfortable in it. The sweet stink that accompanies a fish has been major turn-off for me since childhood. The mere thought of putting something which smells that stinky, despite however it might smell after cooking, in my mouth is repulsive. But hey! I don’t go around stopping other people from stuffing themselves with platefuls of fish. 

So why do I have to keep explaining my gastronomical preferences to one and all. I’ve seen how you all look at other forms of meat. Not ‘chikayn’. Never ‘chikayn’. After the holy fish-gods, ‘chikayn’ is the only meat looked at as being of pure noble spirit. Nothing bad ever comes about from having excess ‘chikayn’. So KFC flourishes all over Calcutta. Ok, so the bird is safe. What about the goat? Well, there my fellow Bongo-bashis are split down the middle. Some adore it; others avoid it like the plague. Depending on which side of the fence you sit, it qualifies either as the juiciest meat you’ll ever taste or the rubberiest. And then come the other two types of meat, the ones-that-must-not-be-named; or eaten. The mere mention of those types of meat to most Bengalis is sure to get you struck off their invite list. One is dirty, the other is holy. I wonder who made those classifications. Not as if someone’s asking you to eat them raw. But again, I don’t impose. But still, they do. 

The problem, they say, is that you’re not quite Bengali unless you are able to de-bone the boniest, most foul smelling, pieces of meat with your bare hands and gulp them down, with curry covering your hands till your wrists.

Then there’s Phuchka. You should listen to my fellow Bengalis boasting about how many they ate! “Once I ate 50”, says the local aged uncle. “That’s nothing”, quips his younger fellow commuter on the bus. “I once ate 70, with extra spice”. There’s surely a Guinness world record waiting somewhere. It is said to brighten the gloomiest of moods, encourage the juiciest of conversations and make you feel excellent in general.  Must be alcohol they mix in the water, because that’s the only thing I know which has those effects. And so the model Bengali spends their lazy evenings at his local Phuchka-wala, named appropriately as Gangu, gorging on a few dozen Phuchkas, without worrying about why the same water is used in their dish as well as to wash Gangu’s hands.

When I was younger, no name struck more fear in me than the one and the only – Rabindranath Tagore. 

I’ve got to be careful not to get thrown out of this city with what I say next. Agreed, he won India’s first Nobel Prize. Agreed, he wrote a lot and a lot of good stuff too. But please, have you ever wondered who his target audience was? Was it really the 13 year old student being force fed Mr. Tagore’s works in the name of syllabus? Was that blasphemy I just committed? Well, I guess I’ll find out after I post this. Wouldn’t it be better if his works were taught without the pressure of having to sit for exams on them at the end of the term? Anyway, those are questions for another time and place. The fact that I prefer English authors to Mr. Tagore is also a problem. Is writing his name as Mr. Tagore also a problem? Not Bengali enough maybe, I don’t know. I like reading English because I had good English teachers who were able to generate my interest in the subject. It’s nothing against Bengali. Just my preference. But that’s strike 2 isn’t it?

Then there’s the country’s favourite pastime – Cricket. Or maybe it’s favourite religion? Either way. For a Bengali, before 1996, Cricket meant Sachin Tendulkar. To be fair, Cricket meant Sachin Tendulkar for the whole country back then. From 1996, Cricket meant Sachin and Mr. Bongoshontan himself, Sourav Ganguly. 

They cheered when he hit his famous cover-drive, groaned when he got out, defended him with their lives when he got Tendulkar run-out against New Zealand in the Champion’s Trophy final in Nairobi. Some even dared to call him greater than Sachin himself. Heresy, I say! And then there’s the fact that India has never produced a worse criminal than a certain Rahul Dravid. How they blasted him on our mighty one’s ouster. Ouch! You’d think it was murder! He came back a couple of years later, and retired a couple more years later on his own terms. They said he had been forced. They said he was the greatest. Hold on, what about the other Greatest? Surely, he wasn’t greater than God! And then KKR dumped him after three unsuccessful seasons. We became Pune-ites (for want of a better word) overnight. The discussions were mind-numbing! “It’s only a game”, I thought. They were ready to execute. The next year Pune dumped themselves out. IPL was the forbidden fruit. They missed the chance of celebrating two IPL Championship wins. They took it on the chin with stoic faces and muted applause. My fellows have exiled themselves from ‘India ka Tyouhar’ (that’s difficult to spell in English!).

The year is 2025, Yuzvendra Chahal, the captain of India walks out to the toss. Heard in Behala that afternoon, “Sourav kokhonoi batting nitona ei pitch e. Plus, eta toh day night match. Raate eto dew. Ei shob player ki kore je captain hoe ke jane. Gelo ajke.” (Sourav would never have batted first on this pitch. It’s a day-night game. Plus, the dew factor will come into play. I’m amazed at how such players become captain. We have no chance today”. I rest my case.

Okay, the traditional Bengalis are not all that bad. And no, I don't call myself or my fellow Begalis as Bongs. This post is meant to be a satirical comment from one who is a so-called non-traditional writing about his observations about the traditionals. They sure make for interesting conversation. They love their food, their literature, their history, their culture and their cricket. Also their football. Don’t get me started on the Brazil versus Argentina argument. It could go on all night! They’re some of the most passionate people you’ll ever come across. My girlfriend’s a traditional Bengali and I’ve got no complaints so far. In fact, all this makes for excellent conversation topics. And a reminder, just because I don’t share their preferences, doesn't make me any less proud of all this. It isn't fashionable to be different. Just that I am different.

2 States - The story next door!

After much pushing, shoving and an ultimatum, here I am writing my next movie review - 2 States. It's been awhile since I watched the same, but lets face it, Calcutta has been too hot to sit and think straight, much less write something cohesive and do justice to the same. Enough blabber and excuses, down to business...

At the onset I have to mention that this is the first movie adaption of any Chetan Bhagat novel which has kept exactly the same story line as the book. I have not dared to watch 'Hello', adapted from 'One Night at the Call Center', so please pardon me for the my lack of knowledge about the same (:-P). And with good reason too that it sticks to the book; this is the only novel which Bhagat got right as a complete package. Sure, '5 Point Someone' was hilarious, but this one actually had some readability in terms of language. So sticking to the book it did, and I believe Abhishek Varman, the director, did a good job of it.

The thing that strikes you most in this movie is the use of bright, almost happy colours through most of the movie. Whether it be Alia's dresses, the Holi celebrations or the ornate wedding decorations, colours seem to fly at you from every direction like a Sony Bravia or Samsung Smart TV ad. The colour scheme goes equally mellow in somber scenes. That perhaps was the best part of the cinematography.

The songs are another part of the movie that have been well used. The entire soundtrack is really peppy and sticks in your head. At no point do they become irritating or feel out of place. Shankar Ehsaan Loy has come up with another impressive album after 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag'. Its a shame they don't do more work with all the rubbish being thrown at us nowadays.

Coming to the part which impressed me the most. After watching 'Student of the Year' last year (why oh why!! sorry Soumi :-P), I had written off Alia Bhatt as just another face in the crowd. But boy! can she act. She showed her skills with 'Highway', putting in a performance to match the rugged Randeep Hooda. Here, she steals the show. It's hard to keep your eyes off her. Not that Arjun Kappor doesn't do a good job. He is Krish and plays the role of the goofy nerd smitten by Ananya well in the first part and wins your heart with the lovable Punjabi mamma's boy caught between his love and his mother in the second. But everytime Alia shows up on screen, she portrays the feisty Ananya with aplomb. The best scene of the movie is definitely the one where she convinces Arjun's screen cousin's groom to not call off the marriage, putting him in his place, before he could realise what had hit him. She delivers every emotion required of her with natural ease, much more impressively than a lot of her over-hyped contemporaries.

There are accomplished roles played by Amrita Singh and Ronit Roy as Arjun's parents. The tension is palpable as the flashback scene is shown explaining Krish's current situation with his father. There is also a very good performance put in by Revati, as Alia's mother. The scene where she sings in Krish's office function brings a smile to your face.

All in all, the film is well made and the best part is that it sticks to the plot of the book. I would give 3.5 for the movie and an extra half points just for Alia.

Verdict : 4 out of 5. Well worth a watch, if you've not seen it already. Worth a second watch too with friends and/or loved ones as it never bores you.

Till next time. Cheers :-)

Seven Stages of Love...

"dilkashi, uns, mohabbat, akidat, ibadat, junoo, maut"

Attraction, Infatuation, Romance, Reverence, Worship, Obsession and... Death
This is what we learn when we go to watch Dedh Ishqiya. This and the fact that no amount of graying hairs or aging limbs can take away the acting prowess of the two powerhouses, the enchanting Madhuri Dixit and the magnificient Naseeruddin Shah. They lead the way in this movie where love, lust, deception and treachery is cleverly woven into a series of comical escapades which end with our lovable thieves back to where they begin.
This edition of the movie picks up where the last one left-off. Arshad Warsi tries to wriggle his way out of Death's grasp with cunning words and sly intelligence. What follows is an unholy re-union with his Khalu, who is on a quest to re-capture his childhood sweetheart's love. The story takes us to Mamudabad where the widowed Begum, played with her usual regal grace by Madhuri Dixt, holds a poet's congregation to chose a husband for herself. This is not what she desires, but does so to fulfill a promise she made to her late husband, the erstwhile Nawad of Mahmudabad. The poets try to outdo and out-recite each other from the moment they lay eyes on the Begum. Introducing the Begum to us is the lovely Huma Qureshi, who holds her own even in scenes with the legendary Madhuri. She portrays the role of a loyal confidant, a friend and a soul-mate to the aggrieved Begum, helping her live through her hardest days. She looks in every way as lovely as Madhuri herself, with perfect dialogue delivery and a commanding screen presence. I predict a very bright future for this actress.
This is where the story gets interesting as Naseeruddin Shah, posing as a Nawab, impresses the Begum from the outset, much to the chagrin of the local MLA, played with aplomb by Vijay Raaz. A scene where the uncle-nephew duo and the MLA and his men square off with guns pointing at each other is hilarious. The comic timing of every actor is spot-on and the audience is left in splits. I must commend the script writers here, who capture both the polished Urdu as well as the local slangs used in the film with equal capability. Nowhere does any of the lines seem out of place, nowhere does any of the verses seem exaggerated. The main twist in the film is somewhat predictable but there is another twist at the end which will leave you thumping the arm rests in the theaters.
Enough cannot be said in praise of Naseeruddin Shah. He seems to be getting better with age. From Ishqiya to Dedh Ishqiya, and everything in between, he mesmerizes with both voice and presence on screen. The first verse he recites in honour of the Begum as well as the song he sings at the poets' congregation are worth remembering. Madhuri Dixit still has the capability of stopping a million hearts with one look. She fits perfectly into the role of the aggrieved widow, matching Naseeruddin dialogue for dialogue, emotion for emotion. She displays the trials and tribulations of a single woman holding together the crumbling empire with precision. Arshad Warsi is at his hysterical and explicit best in scenes with Naseeruddin Shah and Huma Qureshi. This is a role which he fits into very well. He mixes innocence with deviousness with ease to portray a cunning but extremely loyal thief. Huma Qureshi is surely heading for big things if she continues to play such roles. After her success in Gangs of Wasseypur, this adds another feature in her slowly increasing cap of movies. The songs, as usual, by Gulzar, are worth mentioning. He has even written a rap song, sung by none other than Honey Singh! "Dil ki Misaaj' and 'Hamari Atariya', which unfortunately comes on only at the ending credits, will stick to you for some time. The direction, by Abhishek Chaubey comes without much room for improvement, with the screenplay keeping one interested all through the movie. Nowhere in the movie did I feel bored.
All in all, I would definitely recommend Dedh Ishqiya as a weekend watch, and beyond. As good as the first installment.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5