Second Hand

A long time ago, a certain Ayn Rand wrote an in-your-face, blatantly honest, thought provoking novel by the name of 'The Fountainhead'. In it, the protagonist, a self-proclaimed egotist, lives his life and works his profession in the only way he knew how, in his own terms. He is not open to borrowing ideas, not keen on accepting changes to his plans, and in general not in favour of most of the compromises people make to 'gel' with society. He says that every person has a brain of his own, to use on his own. A group can come up with a joint solution, but each person comes up with their own idea, using their own thought process, from which a decision is made. He says further that everyone who has ever made a great discovery or invention has not done it for others, but to get an end result to his own creative thought. From collegiate life to professional life, he is generally hated for his lack of social ethos. Infact, people are afraid of him. People are afraid of him succeeding. They are perhaps afraid that their otherwise slovenly world would suddenly have meaning, make sense. This fear can be attributed to man's general intolerance towards change. 'Let things be as they are...' is much easier to say and to do than 'Let me try something new today...' or asking the simple question 'Why?'. 'Why does it happen this way? Is this the only possible solution? Can't I come up with something better?'. When was the last time you asked those questions?
Though Ayn Rand wrote this book almost three quarters of a century ago, it is more than relevant today. If somebody at office tells you,"There is no need to think about the way you do your programs, just follow the way it's been done in the existing ones. There is a shortage of time and we can't afford experiments. There is no need for you to put new inputs into this." And to top it off, this was supposed to be my 'learning' for that day! Whatever Miss Rand wrote all those years ago, I could hear them resonating in my head that day. There is a serious shortage of independent thinking. The worse part is I'm starting to fear that I'd lose that ability myself trying to be professional. There are very few corporate organisations who give independent thinking a fair chance. Everyone else is just running the rat-race. Onward Ho!!

The Swish and FLICK

No this is not a blog on Harry Potter. This is a blog on a person who wielded the cricket willow as if it was a magic wand. The first time we see the Potter clan perform a spell at school, they are taught to move their wands in such a way that it performs, first a swish and then a flick. Watching this person bat, we also saw the 'swish' of his uncannily short back-lift and the majestically brilliant 'flick' of the stumps, between mid-wicket and mid-on, leaving the fielders as mere spectators as the ball raced to the boundary.The person being spoken about here is special, very very special. In short he is VVS, VVS Laxman. And when he batted, we were left spellbound.
Vengipurappu Venkata Sai Laxman, or VVS Laxman, as we all know him, announced his retirement on Saturday, bringing to an end a glorious 16 year long career. From the very beginning, he had to struggle to make his place in the national team, having been dropped and recalled on several occasions. His 167 against Australia at Sydney proved a point to the selectors, cementing his place in the side. And then came that fateful test match at the Eden Gardens in 2001. Faced with the might of the Aussies, who were on a 16 test match winning streak, no less, faced with the improbable task of rescuing the Test match after being forced to follow-on, he produced probably the most beautiful innings in Indian cricket history. His 281in that innings still stands as the milestone around which Indian cricket turned the corner into big game players. Two full days he reigned on that hallowed turf. Two full days of spectacular stroke play, epitomised by the flick off the stumps through mid-on, to the boundary, led to an innings which could only be described as magical. He tormented Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and the likes. And in true fairy-tale fashion, India went on to beat Australia in that match, with 7 wickets falling in the final session of play. And I was THERE. I watched the magician bat through day 3, dismissing every bowler who came in his way with sheer non-chalance of champion. The Australians came up another name for him. For them VVS stood for Very Very Special, and on this I agree with them whole-heartedly.
As his career progressed, he went on to become a third and fourth innings specialist, anchoring the innings on countless occasions. At a point it seemed almost inevitable that while wickets tumbled all around him, one could count on VVS to come up with a innings which would save and often lead us to victory. The wristy, stylish batsman lead India to numerous wins, with his capability to produce the goods overseas being his biggest asset.

The way this special player bid goodbye is another example of how icons are forgotten once they grow 'old'. Perhaps ours is the only nation where there is a retirement age in sports! This is the sad reality and this mindset doesn't seem like changing any time soon. Yes he seemed to be fading away at the end of his career. But at the end of the day, we will always remember his career as one which brought us immense joy. He was a part of the famous quartet of Indian cricket which led us to become world beaters. He is the third pillar of the four to bow out, in his own terms. He was a part of the generation which made us world beaters. Very Very Special indeed....

India celebrates it's 65th Birthday...Troubled and Hopeful

A bit delayed, but I'm here once again with this 'Freedom' special blog post...
We are 65 years old now. Modern India that is. India as a civilisation is almost 6500 years old. Yet we can only celebrate being 65! 65 years since that fateful morning when the British left our glorious land after almost two centuries of plunder and debilitating rule. 65 years since that fateful day when the foreign scourge were driven away by the tremendous efforts of our freedom fighters. And yet, today, 65 years on, the foreign scourge seem to have an indigenous counterpart. The past couple of weeks have seen brutal, almost inhuman, fighting in Assam, leading to military intervention. Irony of all ironies, it spread over the entire period where we were supposed to be celebrating being 'free'. Messages of backlash against people of Northeastern descent have been circulating throughout the country, leading to an exodus of these communities from the Southern and Western parts of the country. And now, to further cast a dubious shadow over the entire sense of 'freedom', the government has regulated that people would not be able to send more than 5 text and multimedia messages a day for the next 15 days, as they believe this has been a medium for spreading rumours regarding the riots. Further, there was violence in Mumbai when an anti-Assam protest turned violent, catching an ill prepared police force off guard. Scores dead, numerous injured and endless questions to the government are all we are left with. This is probably not the kind of Birthday celebration our nation was hoping for.
Last weekend also saw the biggest sporting spectacle in the world come to a close. And yes, we performed the best that we ever have at the Olympics. 2 silver and 4 bronze medals, 6 in all, made this the best haul India has ever achieved at the Games. A slight disappointment remained because of the inability of any of the athletes to clinch a gold medal. But things do look up. A few big guns delivering, a couple of unexpected successes and a few heartbreaks later, we returned home a triumphant bunch. In the process, Sushil Kumar became India's most successful individual Olympian ever, winning a silver medal to add to his bronze at Beijing in Wrestling. The entire medal tally of the Indian contingent is given in the following table.

Event	Athlete	Medal
Men's 25m Rapid Fire Pistol	Vijay Kumar	Silver
Men's 66kg Freestyle Wrestling	Sushil Kumar	Silver
Women's Badminton	Saina Nehwal	Bronze
Women's 51kg Boxing	M.C. Mary Kom Hmangte	Bronze
Men's 10m Air Rifle	Gagan Narang	Bronze
Men's 60kg Freestyle Wrestling	Yogeshwar Dutt	Bronze

There is however one lingering thought on my mind. In the 116 year history of the Olympics, we, as a nation, have won just 26 medals. counting the 2 won by Norman Pritchard at the 1900 Games. In a nation having more population than almost the whole of Europe, that is a worrying figure. Even post Independence, in the 17 Olympic Games that have followed, we have managed 21 medals. There needs to be serious overhaul in the way Olympic sports are looked upon in India. The trend is changing, thanks mostly to the individuals who have brought glory to our nation. But more needs to be done in the way of sponsorship and infrastructure to get us anywhere close to what we should be achieving at the Olympics.
Sport is something which takes us away to a positive place. Achievement in sport is something everyone feels proud about, no matter how much a person claims to not be sporty. It galvanises a nation. it brings nations together. It transcends all boundaries in its true form. There have been promising signs at this Olympics for Indian sport. Rio 2016 should see further improvements. I would love see them double the medal tally again. Till then, signing off from this 'Olympic' world...

Many falls before this Rise...

Christopher Nolan has made us wait for 4 long years before he presented the last edition of his Batman trilogy to us. And not without reason too. Heath Ledger blew us away with his portrayal of 'The Joker' in the previous film, a performance that won't be forgotten anytime, even though the man himself is no longer with us. Nolan probably wanted to have enough time between the 2 movies so as to minimise any comparisons with the previous edition, no matter how difficult a task that may be.This time around, there is no singular path-breaking performance, there are no wicked smiles which attract you to the anti-hero, but the hero himself is brought to 'light' with so much darkness, that the line seems to be blurred between good and evil. The characters in the movie constantly mould and remould themselves to become a part of the circumstances surrounding them. The entire first half seemed like a giant connect-the-dots game, with hundreds of dots spread over an area not much bigger than a notebook page. It does take some concentration to connect all the pieces. And if the sound system of the theater decides to go low volume during the dialogues, then it gets quite confusing. Don't get me started there!
The movie begins with Gotham's 'White Knight', the Late Harvey Dent being remembered on the 8th year of his passing. What follows is a whirlwind of activity, where a host of new characters are introduced, old lies are exposed, old friendships are tested, a servant's love comes agonizingly to the forefront, and one man's resolve to fight a city's battles is again tested. Having given up his cape that same day 8 years ago, Bruce Wayne is once again faced with the conundrum of choosing either his well-being or his city in a time of massive crisis. No prizes for guessing which one he chooses. But even Batman himself may have bitten off more than he can chew this time around. He is faced with a brutal enemy, hardened in a torturous prison, and trained by the same man who was once Bruce Wayne's trainer. There are a lot of references to the previous two movies of the trilogy, so a little bit of a revision would do you no harm. It would probably take you the entire first half and a bit more to figure out who's who. Once that is done with, the pace really picks up in the second half as Gotham City comes under the control of Bane, Batman's nemesis in this movie. The scene in the football stadium where the attacker runs to the end-zone, all the while the entire playing surface gets blown to bits is amazing. Pity it was already shown in the trailers. For me this was probably the scene of the film.

It takes Batman more than one attempt to get the better of his nemesis this time around. Not without help though. The absolutely stunning Anne Hathaway plays a stylish and slippery Catwoman, portraying both the spoil as well as muse for Batman. She steals the show when acts the role of a helpless woman trapped in the crossfire. That happens at the beginning of the movie. By the end, she is as willing to get rid of Bane as Batman, and together they form an unlikely, but not too surprising team. Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine are back as Alfred and Lucius Fox. The scene where Alfred leaves Wayne mansion, bidding an emotional farewell to Bruce is touching. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a spunky, 'hotheaded' police officer, who is probably the only one in the entire movie who doesn't have any gray shades. He portrays the role well and comes off as genuine. Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon, a man saddled by the lies he is forced to keep alive about his former colleague, Harvey Dent. Marion Cotillard plays Miranda, the President of Wayne Enterprises, after Bruce's misfortune, and it is her character which will answer most of your questions. Christian Bale in the role of Bruce Wayne and his alter ego, Batman, doesn't do much different from the previous movies, but doesn't do too badly either. Here in fact he is more in the spotlight than the previous movie, where The Joker stole most of the spotlight.
All in all, a compact second half makes this film worthy of a watch. It does get a bit confusing at times. A second watch would probably clear out most of the details. In my opinion, this is not as compelling as the previous movie, but it is definitely not one to miss, especially if you are a fan of the 'Dark Knight'.

The Olympics

It's almost here. Just 12 more days to go for the biggest sporting extravaganza that man has created. For a sports buff like me, it doesn't get any bigger or better than this! The very spirit of the Olympics stands for achievement, for an unending passion to stand in front of the world as a representative of your country, the will to fight on in the times of the severest crises and come out victorious.

I remember returning back home as fast as I could from college the day of the opening ceremony of the last Olympics. That was 4 years ago. The memories from those Games still linger. The sight of Usain Bolt thumping his chest as he crossed the line, winning the 100 meters gold and with it creating a new world record is something I will never forget(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F14EaVEDyUs). The delight on the face of Michael Phelps as he won his 8th gold medal, creating a new world record for the most gold medals at the same Games. The roar of an entire nation as Abhinav Bindra grabbed the gold in the 10 meters Air Rifle event, becoming the first individual gold medalist from our country. The Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing, which played host to the event, was a sight to behold in itself. It was one of the most unique stadiums in Olympic history.

This time around, this sporting spectacle is being hosted by London, with Great Britain playing host to the world for 2 weeks. Excitement is already abuzz with the Games nearing its opening ceremony. All the controversy from the Dow Chemicals sponsorship, the organization responsible for the horrendous Bhopal gas tragedy, will be left behind as the world tunes in to stories of triumph and ultimate joy. Once again, swimming, gymnastics and athletics willbe the marquee events, with the men's 100 meters sprint drawing the biggest attention.

Indian interests lie in sports like archery, shooting, badminton, tennis, boxing, wrestling and perennially hockey. The Indians women's recurve archery team is ranked number 1 in the world and go into this Olympics with a lot of hopes riding on them. There's Vijender Singh, who as well as being the highest ranked boxer in his class, is also a defending Bronze medalist from Beijing. M.C. Mary Kom, a five time World Champion would be a firm favourite in the women's boxing event, the only new event this time around. Sushil Kumar, another Bronze medalist in Beijing, would be looking to live up to his top ranking in his wrestling weight class. Then there are a host of shooters looking to add to the tally of 2 medals won in the past 2 Olympics, one in Beijing and one in Athens in 2004. India's golden girl of badminton. Saina Nehwal would be looking to improve on her quarter final appearance last time around. All has not been well with the tennis team over the past month or so, but I hope they can leave their differences aside when they take to the courts representing our country. Indian hockey has left behind its glorious past, and it would probably be too much to expect any medal from them this time around. A good showing at the Games would do their confidence a world of good.

 
  
 
 
 

27th July, mark that date on your calendars, as athletes from more than 200 nations start to compete for the biggest prize in sport, an Olympic gold medal. Personally,I cannot wait for it to start.

Its good to be Blogging again...

I'm back!! Almost 2 months have passed since I last sat down to write something in this blog. There have been quite a lot to write about, but somehow the intent didn't get converted into the action. But now that I'm here again, I intend to make up for the short sabbatical.

First of all, a very Happy Birthday to Mr. Sourav Ganguly. Call it co-incidence, but as it turns out I picked today to restart writing my blog, a lot like how he re-scripted the fortunes of the Indian cricket team. I am not comparing myself to him, I don't have the audacity (:-P). Just a reference to the co-incidence. A humble request Sir, please please please stop the producers from releasing your upcoming movie. I'm sorry to say, but it is rather shameful to watch you 'act' in such a movie. I'd much rather know you for your fighting spirit and winning mentality on the pitch than such low-grade publicity stunts. The Test match victory over Australia and the Natwest series final win over England, both with you as the captain, are the 2 best and most memorable cricket matches I have seen. Please do not let that image be spoiled by one misguided attempt at experimentation. Many many happy returns of the day Sir.

Coming to my life over the past couple months...well for one thing, it's certainly been different. First experiences of more than a single something. Phone calls have increased but the number of people at the other end has decreased. Well mostly the phone calls are being made to a particular number. Friends have become displaced, friendships have not. The change being is that face to face meetings have changed to ones involving a computer or a mobile. Work life is on in full swing, with not much 'Me' time left in the rest of the day. Bus rides to and from work are the best part of the day, with a 9 hour wait, often times longer, in the middle. A lot of work, with not much play, play time mostly being restricted to one involving a computer screen and a gamepad. Hope I don't become a dull boy!

This month sees the mother of all sporting events lined up to start - The Olympics, in London, England. This year itself has been a feast for all sports lovers. Even today is a very busy sporting day with the Wimbledon men's singles final as well the British Formula 1 Grand Prix lined up. Plus, the Tour de France is on. Roger Federer in the final of Wimbledon again, up against Andy Murray. The smart money is on Federer. My money is on Federer. I'm smart you see!!

Promise to keep writing more. A good Sunday lined up. Some plans made as well. Later...

We were wrong all along...My Football Season Review

Haven't we always been told that money can't buy us success? Haven't we been imprinted with the idea that hard work and dedication are the keys to success in the long run. That team work and self improvement will bring us sweeter rewards than what all the money in the world can buy. Looking at the various football leagues around the world, we may have been deceived all this while!
Alright, so maybe I'm being a bit harsh to the teams who've spent the cash and b(r)ought in the trophies. After all you need more a collection of good players to win trophies. You do need to play as a team, and go beyond individual glory to achieve success.

Second time lucky, thanks mostly to the Drog. Europe turns Blue
From before the match yesterday, there seemed to be a feeling at the back of people's minds that this perhaps was the year Chelsea would reign over Europe. As the match progressed, one could not help but feel that the title already had Chelsea's name written on it. The appaling misses, the goal scored from an offside position, the decision to bring off Muller after he had scored, Ribery's injury and Robben's poor penalty all seemed to be pointing towards a Chelsea win. And true to the omens, they came up trumps at the end of the penalty shootout, beating Bayern 4-3, despite Manuel Neuer saving the first kick. But credit should be put mostly on Didier Drogba's broad shoulders for the incredile header 2 minutes from time, as well as coolly slotting away the last penalty to seal the deal.

 

England is painted Blue again, but a lighter shade
For a couple of seasons now, Manchester City have displayed the financial might other clubs can only dream off in England. They won the FA Cup last year, which at the time, and correctly in hindsight, was pipped to be the start of a successful spell for the club. To be honest, they were excellent for most of the season. A little slip-up at the fag end of the season almost took the trophy back to the the Red half of Manchester. But a stunning comeback in injury time against QPR in the final match of the season gave City their first trophy for 44 years.
Of the other two Cups played in England, Chelsea outdid Liverpool in the final of the FA Cup, with another Didier Drogba special at Wembley. Liverpool had earlier squeezes past Cardiff in the final of the League Cup, via penalties no less.



The Royals are Kings again in Spain
Real means royal in Spanish, and nobody could stop Jose Mourinho and his band of merry men from lifting their first Spanish League in 4 years. Led by an incredible Cristiano Ronaldo, and ably supported by the likes of 20 goal men Karim Benzema and Higuain, assist specialist Mesut Ozil, Di Maria, Ramos, Carvalho and others, they romped to a comfortable win in their national league, beating Barcelona along the way to drive home the point. The Spanish Cup final is yet to be played though. Barcelona versus Athletic Bilbao coming up next weekend.



Borussia Dortmund buck the trend
Perhaps the only team to have won a high profile league this season without spending bucket loads of money would be Borussia Dortmund. They concentrated on retaining the core of their Championship winning team from last season, adding a couple of new players along the way. Having successfully beaten Bayern Munich in what turned out to be the title decider, they stamped their authority on a league which in the past decade has been largely dominated by the Bavarians. Furthermore, they beat Bayern 5-2 in the German Cup final to assert their superiority.



Back from the basement
Having been relegated and docked points in 2006 for their alleged involvement in the match fixing scandal which rocked Italian football, it was indeed a sweet victory for the Old Lady from Turin as they lifted their record 28th title, leaving behind AC Milan in what was a see-saw affair all season. Having retained most of their players despite being relegated, they finally spent a lot of money at the end of the last season to bring in a host of talented players, which paid off as they managed to win their first Serie A title in 9 years. The Italian Cup final is yet to be played with Juventus facing Napoli, coming up tonight.



Montpellier could do the unthinkable
Having spent next to nothing at the end of last season and having never given the impression of being front-runners  for the title, many have been left amazed with the rise of Montpellier to the top of the French League this time around. The final round of matches are coming up tonight, and Montpellier hold a 3 point lead over big spending PSG. They need just 1 point to seal perhaps the biggest surprise in European League football for quite some time.



Elsewhere
The traditional powerhouses have dominated most of the other leagues this year with Celtic and Ajax winning their respectively leagues this year. Porto picked up yet another Portugese League title, adding to their already sparkling trophy cabinet.

"Hi I'm a Donor, Vicky Donor"

When you see the trailer of this movie, it is quite natural to dismiss it as another over the top, in your face, sex comedy. The posters do the film no favours either. Add to it, this movie is the silver screen debut for both the lead characters. So all in all, one might go into the theaters expecting something not too subtle or gentle. But that's where this film scores. From the  first scene itself, you are taken into the crazy world of an infertility clinic, where the patients make ridiculous demands of their infertility specialist, played impeccably by Annu Kapoor. The richer the patients, the more outrageous the demands. Everything from a cricketer to a model to everything in between is asked for at the donor clinic. Seems as if this isn't a question of a child, but rather a question of the latest mobile phone being bought fresh off the shelf. Particular features only!
The film introduces Aayushman Khurana as a leading man. But we all know him don't we? After all, he won Roadies! But unlike most other Roadies winners, this boy has genuine talent. He plays Vicky Arora, a laid back, typical Punjabi boy, who works with his mother at her beauty parlour. He is an expert in every beauty treatment. But he wants to make it big. he wants to find a job of his own volition. He refuses to work with his uncle at their garment shop despite the high pay. But there is one thing he doesn't intend to do. And that is to become a Donor. Despite numerous attempts at cajoling him into the job by Dr. Chaddha(Annu Kapoor), he refuses. Eventually the lure of the money proves too great. As it turns out, he is the best donor the clinic has ever seen. He decides to go along with it, as, in the words of the good doctor, 'they' are getting wasted!
And then he meets Ashima Roy, played ably by Yaami Gautam, who I must add is the cutest looking actress around. Personal opinion people, no need for an argument ;-). The initial reluctance, the repeated visits to the bank where she works, the cold shoulder at a friend's wedding, are all finally forgotten as they fall head over heels in love with one another. Ashima for her part is an independent Begali girl, with a strong opinion and a forward outlook. Yaami Gautam carries off her part with aplomb, showing no signs of initial nerves. They manage to convince their families about their relationship and eventually get married, with a honeymoon in Calcutta!
And then, three months later, their world on cloud nine gets jerked back down to the ground. Perhaps the biggest irony that can befall a donor afflicts them. Then start the misunderstandings, the anger, the departure! Eventually, it is up to the good doctor to write them a perfect script for a perfect ending. The last scene of the film is enough to move you to tears, when finally Ashima sees the result of the work that Vicky had been doing in this not so respected profession
Yes, there is a lot of the S-word in the movie. And yes, Annu Kapoor does some weird hand gestures all through the movie. But the best part of the movie is that I laughed through almost all of it. The chemistry between Aayushman and Yaami is believable. You almost will them to have a happy ending all through the movie. And what do I say about 'Pani da Rang'? It is perhaps the sweetest song since Iktara to hit the Bollywood soundwaves. A special mention to Annu Kapoor for another superb performance as the harrowed doctor in search of a perfect donor. Special mentions also to the two ladies playing Vicky's mother and grandmother in the movie. There timing and camaraderie were commendable. And with a grandmother like that, I'd take on the world!
So keep your prejudices at home and do go watch this movie at your nearest theaters. I know I left the hall with a good feeling. It is definitely worth a watch...

Seeing a Song

I know this sounds weird. I mean, come on, songs are supposed to be heard right? Well yes and no. Just like you cannot taste food by holding your nose, in the same way, certain videos make certain songs a whole lot better. Now I don't mean the item songs when I say all this. They are meant for pure entertainment value. Not that all item songs are bad, a 'Kajra Re...' from Bunty aur Bubly is a good song in itself. But somehow they are not considered very good, just because of what they stand for.
Now, coming back to the topic, the recent song 'Pani da Rang' from Vicky Donor got me thinking. What if we just heard this song instead of watching the video as well? Would we have ever imagined the video as it is? When we hear 'Pani da Rang', the things which come to mind would normally be the rain, a river, maybe a waterfall, for the highly imaginative. But definitely not a girl being serenaded by her boyfriend, as it appears, sitting in a balcony, in the middle of a city!
This is what I want to say, a video sometimes adds so much to a song. A good video makes a song memorable. Take some examples here, would 'Iktara' have been so serene if we didn't see the waves lap up over Konkana's feet as Ranbir tried in vain to get a good picture, succeeding in the end? Would 'Hosanna' have been so sweet if we didn't see Prateik putting all his effort into impressing the girl of his dreams, Amy? Would 'Tum Ho Toh' have been so haunting without Arjun's expression as he hears his song being performed Live by Magik on the radio? Would 'Uff Teri Ada' been so darn good a dance track, and brilliant song in general without the chemistry between Farhan and Deepika?
So next time you hear a song, I'm sure you would be thinking about the video as well. It makes the experience that much better. Keep listening!

Here's the links to the songs I've just spoken about. Some of my favourites they are. Enjoy :-)

1)Iktara
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7YDpUy_AOs

2)Hosanna
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SDb7FTuHIk

3)Tum Ho Toh
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqdFu4THunA

4)Uff Teri Ada
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcaVtOHBBLo

5)Pani da Rang
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaVoWbyx-7U

What a Man can be forced to do

2 movies in 5 days. And this one didn't disappoint either.



From the first scene to the ending credits, this movie is all about 1 man, Irfan Khan, in his on-screen avatar of Paan Singh Tomar. It is like watching a 1 man infantry running through the movie and running into your hearts, the best he only can. From the first time he is introduced as the 'Bagi' - or dacoit as we would call him - to the reporter who gets the rare oppurtunity to meet him, to the end when finally he completes his 'race', Irfan Khan will enchant you with every word, every dialogue and every expression.
This is a story of a simple rustic who joins the army to fend for himself and his family. Once there, he differs himself from the crowd athleticly, seemingly enjoying the long runs out in the heat, and leaving everyone in his wake. He goes on to represent the army, becomes national champion, represents the country at the Asian Games and finally at the International Armed Forces Games, where he wins the Gold medal in front of the world. He returns back only to take retirement from the forces and return home to his waiting wife, played by an inspired Mahie Gill, and his children. A special mention here, and this might sound a bit far fetched, but Mahie Gill looks like a very young Smita Patil in the first scene where she is introduced. That in itself is quite an achievement!
The problems start once he gets back home. There are land disputes with his cousin, which ultimately changes him into the man he becomes later. He is forced to leave his village, leaving behind everything that ever belonged to him. The rest of his family also take refuge in his wife's maternal home. And then the transformation starts. From a man fighting for the country, to a man fighting against the wrongs committed against him and his next of kin. This is the story of a common man, driven to a life of lawlessness, which ultimately leads to his downfall.
There is only 1 person who runs this movie. Irfan Khan. The narration he gives while recalling the past to the reporter is said with so much emotion, the metaphors with such a touch of reality, that it will make you take notice. I've been a huge fan of his narration since he pulled off a stunner with the narration of 'Yeh Saali Zindagi'. And he doesn't disappoint here. The one-liners are worth hearing repeatedly. The conviction of a man robbed of his innocence is evident. And then he goes on to say the most important line of the movie, and I'm paraphrasing here because I don't remember exactly, "Jab desh ke lie race daur raha tha, tab kisi ne nahi pucha kaun hain. Ab ek do kya kidnapping kar li, sab Paan Singh Paan Singh kar rahe hain!"
The movie ends on a very poignant note with a message which is very close to my heart, and it should be stirring to all who enjoy sports. So go ahead and watch this movie, before this too is lost in the crowded archives of Bollywood.

The 'Mother' of all 'Kahaani'(Story)

My first visit to a movie hall since mid November. And boy! was it worth it!!



From the first scene itself, you are hit with what can only called a lot of 'Calcutta'. The city and its sights, its festival, Durga Puja, and all the sites and sounds surrounding it are captured brilliantly. And it is shown with so much reality, seen only very rarely, even in Bengali movies. As Vidya reaches the city, and is driven through it, you see it go by in a blur of sound and colour, just how an outsider would see it when they enter this bustling metropolis. As the story unfolds, you see the strength of a woman on a mission, to find her missing husband, lost in an unknown and bewildering city. You see the helpless vulnerability of a pregnant woman, seemingly on a wild goose chase a very long way from home. When the story reaches the climax, you see the resolve of a wife and mother to be, doing everything in her capability to get her life back to normal.
The story line is watertight, as watertight as I've seen in a Hindi movie in a very long time. At the end of the movie, no matter how much we tried to find some loopholes in the plot, there was none that we could put on finger on. No stone has been left unturned in making the story believable and gripping. Director Sujoy Ghosh has come up with Bollywood's answer to some of the more mind boggling movies we are used to seeing from Hollywood. I'm not sure if it would be right to talk about the movie in the same breath as 'The Departed' and 'The Usual Suspects', but it's the closest I've ever seen any Hindi movie come, except maybe 'A Wednesday'.
The movie boasts a who's who of Bengali actors with Parambrata Chatterjee and Saswata Chatterjee playing important characters. Parambrata plays a police officer who helps Vidya Balan's character in the movie. He is restrained and plays his part without much over-enthusiasm. The only downside perhaps is that he is so completely over shadowed by the Queen Bee of current day Bollywood. In every frame, in every dialogue, your attention is drawn towards the woman beside him, and perhaps it is also a complement to him, that he played the 'supporting' role so well. Saswata Chatterjee is downright scary as the LIC agent who only has one 'client', but that client doesn't ask him to help protect any lives, rather completely opposite to it. In the all too famous scene with Vidya Balan at the metro station where he pushes her onto the path of an incoming train, he is successful in scaring you with his smile, all the while shouting asking Vidya Balan's character to return back.
And then there is Vidya Balan. What do you say about someone who has won three consecutive filmfares and a National Awards in the same period? She is exemplary, stealing a march over every other of her contemporaries with this role, just like she has been doing with all of her past few roles. The expressions, the voice, the desperation of a pregnant woman caught in a dire situation she portrays with aplomb. Anything which is said in praise of her would be less. And then there is the climax, the stirring ending will make you sit up straight and take notice. Anything more I say here will just about spoil it.

Limelight...not for me please!

A house has four walls. Every wall is in itself complete. But together they make something that has a lot more meaning. But for now, let us concentrate on a single wall. Have you ever wondered how much stress falls on a single wall in holding up a house, or any free-standing structure for that matter? How much all the bricks have to work together as a unit to maintain the shape of which it is a part. Measure it and you'll be amazed. It's a wonder that buildings can stand on their own at all! Now consider the weight of expectations which fall on a cricketer in India, where cricket is more than a sport, and its players are more than demi-gods. In a country of more than 1.2 billion people, were every leading edge, every wide ball is scrutinised more than investigators at a crime scene, it is staggering to think that a player would last for 1 and a half decades, playing like he used to when he started, and remaining the perfect gentleman that he always was.



That, my friends, is the story of Rahul Sharad Dravid. A cricketer who represented the country with the verve and passion matched only by a few others. A player who brought hard work, dedication and determination to a sport, in a country which treats its players like a yo-yo, lifting them to the highest of highs one moment, and then plunging them into the deepest abyss the next. All because they won or lost a 'game'.
He made his debut at the crease on a cloudy day in the summer of 1996, at Lord's, no less, the home of the sport of cricket. But right from the start the spotlight seemed to have a way of avoiding him, running circles around his person but never settling on him. His debut score of 95 was overshadowed by the amazing debut century of a certain Prince of Calcutta, Sourav Ganguly. When he made 145 three years later at Taunton in the 1999 World Cup against Sri Lanka, he was overshadowed again by a pulverising 183 by that same guilty party. When he scored 180 against Australia in the now legen...wait for it...dary Test match at Eden Gardens (woohoo!!), a Very Very Special Laxman scored 281, which was at that time the highest score by an Indian. Not that Dravid did not get any plaudits for that innings, but again he was playing second fiddle. Even the Test match in which Dravid reached 10000 runs, Sehwag scored a record breaking triple century, blistering through the opposition bowling attack.



Not that he didn't star in any of India's wins. In the greatest Test achievement oversees(in my opinion) in the past 10 years, the win over Australia at Adelaide in 2003, Rahul Dravid played the lead role, scoring 233 in the first innings and a 70 odd not out in the second to pull India over the line, and forever engraving his name as a legend of the game.



His decision to retire came yesterday in what has to be described as typical Dravid fashion. When the spotlight was elsewhere, when he wasn't in the news, he decided to call an end to an illustrious career which reached across three decades of the calendar. I have come to expect nothing less of the great man. This is my salute to the glue which held the Indian batting line up together for 15 long years. Sad to see you go, The Wall. Thank you for the memories.

The Festival which Eludes Me

I think what would be more appropriate as the heading is 'The Festival I avoid like its the Plague'! If my memory serves me correctly, I was 14 the last time I returned home on the day of Holi looking like a Rainbow. And then it began, the scrubbing, the rinsing, the soaping, the shampooing, and yet, for some inexplicable reason, those damn colours just wouldn't come off! By the time I would give up on the task, I would end up having this pink hue all over with the darker colours still persisting on the fingers and fingernails. And then the worrying would start as to how I would save myself from the chastising which was awaiting at school the following day. And then, the following year, we stopped playing, my friends and me. That was that. And I haven't played Holi ever since.
It has gotten to the stage now that there are no more inclinations, no sudden urges to restart the old tradition. I used to hate it when people in college would try to put colour on me in the annual pre-Holi celebration. Even this year, when all others were busy colouring each other, I spent the morning like it was any other. Maybe this has something to do with the fact that most of the friends with whom I used to play Holi have moved on, moved to new places and to new avenues in life. Most of the friends I have in general have gone out of town as well. So, there isn't a lot of reasons to restart. Maybe, years from now, when I find a reason to, I'll play with colours on this festival again...
I have to say that I have made some friends recently, who, though I have known them for a very long time, having studied in school together since nursery, weren't exactly close. But now, having had the time to get to know them, I have to say that maybe all of us were a bit too judgmental in school, believing in people's reputations rather than giving them a chance to be themselves. The last couple of months have been quite well spent thanks to them, not to mention the people who have always been and will always remain close. They made my 23rd birthday last month really special :-). If you're reading this, you know who you are and I know you're smiling right now. So yeah, for making me smile that little bit more, this is to all of you.

Happy HOLI everyone...

Think twice

Before I write this blog, I want to make one thing very clear to everyone who reads this. I have absolutely no political inclinations and I definitely DO NOT support any party. On the contrary, I do not like the word 'Politics' and everything it stands for in this state and country. This is just some thoughts which I'd like to share regarding everything that's going on in our state at the moment.
I have a question to the person calling all the shots in our state at the moment, how many mistakes and verbal faux pas will it take for you to realise that statements made to the press or otherwise should be done after careful consideration and understanding all of the facts involved? Recent times have seen a spate of unfortunate, and even horrendous events, which have brought disrepute to our state and city. But the situation has been made from bad to worse by the statements made by our Leading Lady. Is it really necessary to make statements the moment a uncalled for incident occurs, without getting to the bottom of the problem first? I know, a Chief Minister is supposed to come out in the open with an explanation of how the state is approaching the problem. I can understand that it is not easy being in front of a hall full of people, journalists, who often ask difficult questions and dissect every strand of the statements made, with an almost vengeful desire to find the minutest faults. This, however, cannot be an explanation for everything that's being said every time a crisis comes to the fore.
I mean seriously, when all those babies passed away in that Malda hospital, the whole country sympathised with their families and demanded an explanation be sought from the state. And what did you reply? I'm para-phrasing here, 'They were conceived when the opposition was in power'. Do you even hear yourself speak? Do you know what these kind of statements do to your reputation? What does when a baby is conceived have to do with infant mortality?? This is probably unheard of in any part of the world!
And then, more recently, when a woman comes on national television, goes to the major newspapers, to tell her story, and a horrific one at that, you dismiss it without even bothering to let the police do the investigation. And what did that lead to? More disrepute. It has been proved that her story was in fact, fact. This has again lead to our state and your position being questioned. Why? All because you were too keen to pass the buck of responsibility from the state to one of its citizens.
Everyone keeps telling me that I should give you some time, to get things in order. But tell me, if all this had been said by someone who weren't you, would people give them the same 'time'? In the coming years, or maybe even months, I'd probably have to go out of this city and state for work or otherwise. If all this continues, how can I feel proud about where I come from? How do I represent West Bengal in the rest of the country, leave alone the world? Think about it Madam, this is no small matter...

Clash of the Titans

“Man Utd v Liverpool is the biggest game in the world – Sir Alex Ferguson”

Cliched heading, but not the event. Just over 3 hours to go for the big game today, Liverpool vs Mancehster United, at Old Trafford. The last time these two teams met in the Premier League was in October, when a whopping Half Billion people are said to have watched the event. That's 1 in every 12 people! Today, the predictions say that 900 million people will watch the match, almost double that of last time, and approximately 1 in every 7 people in the world!! Now that's what I call popularity. Perhaps the El Classico, Barcelona vs Real Madrid, in the Spanish Primera Liga, is the only other match which rivals this particular fixture in the footballing calendar.
The history between these two clubs goes back a long long way, and surprisingly, and quite unknown to most, wasn't always this choleric. The two clubs are seperated by only 40 minutes by roads, and are often considered, along with Nottingham Forrest,Leeds United and West Ham United, to be the backbone around which English football reached out to the world. Perhaps the biggest indicator of the respect that the two clubs have always shared for each other can be understood from events after the horrendous Munich air crash which wiped out nearly the entire Manchester United squad. Liverpool and Nottingham Forest were the only teams who offered the services of their reserve teams to United, to help them rebuild. As I found out from a recent status update on my friend's facebook page, there are some United supporters who still hold Liverpool in high regard for that gesture half a century ago. Truth be told, even I wasn't aware of this fact before I had read that particular update. Thanks Arghya for the enlightenement :-).
The two teams combine for 117 trophies in total. So it was quite natural that their paths would cross in many tournaments down the years. But the two League fixtures in the year are ever present, and to me, the biggest games of football in the year. The recent matches between the two teams have produced some magical moments, some astonishing scorelines, and some ugly tussles. Perhaps the immediate talk of the ugly racism row between Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra threatens to take some sheen away from the impending slobber-knocker we have on our hands.

Perhaps the match-up that'll decide the match, and no more hanky-panky please

Recent matches have seen Liverpool do the double over United in 2008-2009, including a 4-1 win over United at Old Trafford, a Dimitar Berbatov hat-trick last season, when most critics were writing the obituaries of his Manchester United career, and a Dirk Kuyt hat-trick in the reverse fixture, with a lot of help from Suarez to get there. The reverse fixture at Anfield this season ended in a 1-1 draw, with Javier Hernandez cancelling out a Steven Gerrard free-kick. The most recent match ended 2-1 in favour of Liverpool with Dirk Kuyt scoring the winner at Anfield to secure Liverpool's place in the F.A. Cup 5th round.

Which side are you on?

PROBABLE LINEUPS

       
      MANCHESTER UNITED                                                      LIVERPOOL


                   De Gea                                                                      Reina
 Rafael,Ferdinand,Evans,Evra                                  Johnson,Skrtel,Agger,Enrique
Valencia,Giggs,Carrick,Young                                      Gerrard,Spearing,Adam
          Wellbeck,Rooney                                                  Kuyt,Suarez,Bellamy


It promises to be a spectacular Saturday evening of football. I've missed the last two matches between the two teams, so there's no way I'm missing this one. Oh, and the last time I wrote about a great sporting event was the Australian Open final. That one became the longest and, in my opinion, the best Grand Slam final in history. So here's hoping my hype here doesn't jinx the match today.
And for all you Man Utd fans out there, for those 90 minutes, it's war...

Grand Slam!!

Before I go on to write anything about the year's first Grand Slam, the Australian Open, here is a big shout out to a certain 38 year old who's still making us proud, despite, as some would say, his 'old' age. Congratulations Leander Paes on another major tournament win. And congratulations on completing a career Grand Slam. There's still the mixed doubles final to come today, so thats definitely something to look forward to. At a time when the whole country is calling for the axe on a couple of other 38-39 year olds in a different sport, Paes still keeps on proving that age is simply but a number.


1. Men's tennis is in good hands
There is no doubting the quality of the top three in men's tennis. They've proved there worth time and again and still keep doing so with Nadal and Djokovic reaching the final. The chasing pack are getting closer with Murray getting closer than ever for his chance at the top. There are others like Del Potro, Tsonga and the new kid on the block Tomic waiting to take up the reigns.



2. Women's tennis has a new number 1, but it needs a couple of new stars
Congratulations to Victoria Azarenka on her first Grand Slam victory. 
But women's tennis still remains as unpredictable as ever, which though good at times, often leads to poor quality of tennis, case in point the final yesterday, where Azarenka blew Sharapova off the court! Considering that players like Serena Williams, even with all her injuries, and Kim Clijsters, after taking a couple of years off due to child birth, still often being stronger than the top ranked players in the world, it is a sign that the game is not progressing at the same pace as the men's game. The women's game needs someone, or a couple of new players, who can dominate just like the Williams-Henin rivalry in the middle of the last decade. At the moment there is too much inconsistency in women's tennis.

3.Federer still has the game,he just makes more mistakes nowadays
The great man's matches against Tomic and Del Potro were a treat to watch for Federer and tennis fans the world over. It's what you would call a 'Lesson' in tennis. And then the way he started against Nadal, I was sure he would win that match. But then he served the worst in that match in recent memory, and his trademark forehand winners deserted him on that day. He's still got the game, he just loses focus sometimes these days. Can't blame him for taking his eyes off the ball after everything he has achieved. In my humble opinion though, he's still good enough to win one if not two more Grand Slams. It's the unforced errors he needs to control.

4.Australia has new hope
Lleyton Hewitt has been the flag bearer of Australian tennis for the past decade. But there's a new kid on the block who seems ready to take on the mantle from Hewitt. He is the calm, cool-under-pressure, bordering on unemotional, Bernard Tomic. He showed in the first three rounds what he is capable of producing. And his brand of tennis is not the usual fare that's served up these. He doesn't rely on brute strength or manic running chasing down balls from Melbourne to Perth and everything in between! His game is a breath of fresh air, with slices and drop shots dished out with equal aplomb, along with a forehand which is more like a slap, it is hit so flat! Definitely someone to watch out for.

Match of the tournament : Djokovic vs Murray, semi-final(5 sets,almost 5 hours)
Comeback of the tournament : Tomic vs Verdasco, first round(from two sets down)
Disappointments of the tournament : Stosur's first round exit and Sharapova's tame surrender in the final
Biggest effort of the tournament : Clijsters defeating Li Na(after twisting her ankle in the first set)
Most different match of the tournament : Tomic vs Dolgopolov(filled with drop shots,all kinds of slices and everything else you don't see much these days)



The Mixed Doubles Final is on and the Men's Singles Final is from just after 2 pm today. Enjoy a great day of tennis.

CORRECTION CORRECTION CORRECTION
Everything above this point was written before the men's singles final.

Match of the tournament : Djokovic vs Nadal(without a shadow of a doubt)
Probably the best tennis match I have ever seen, Period.

A Star bids Farewell

With the glorious past of our footballing history left long behind in the pages of scrapbooks and record books, the past 25 years or so have been the worst phase of Indian football. That is pretty much all of my life and a bit more! But ever since I knew that a sport called football existed, and our country were, however disinterestedly, a part of it, there was one name which would be everyone's lips when talking about the Indian football team - Bhaichung Bhutia.
His journey started in the small town of Tinkitam in Sikkim in the foothills of the Himalayas. He represented his schools in various schools and finally landed a scholarship from SAI to take up football at the Tashi Namgyal Academy in Gangtok. His professional career started in 1993 at the age of just 16 when he signed for East Bengal. He transferred to JCT Mills, Phagwara, where he won his first Indian Football League title in 1997. He was also the top scorer in the league that year. Thus began perhaps the greatest career in Indian football in the past two decades. A career in which he became the first Indian player to play professionally in England when he joined Bury FC in 1999. He played for a little less than 18 months, but managed to score only a single goal in the period, against Chesterfield in April, 2000. He also became the first Indian footballer to play in Malaysia when he signed for Perak on a 3 month loan in 2003. Later, he also played for Selangor MK Land. Unfortunately, neither his stints in these Malaysian clubs proved fruitful. His career included spells in both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, a fact for which he received a lot of flak with the faithful from either side questioning his loyalty. He never let any of he criticism get him down, and went on to win the ASEAN Club Championship with East Bengal in 2003, perhaps his greatest achievement as a club player, also finishing as the highest scorer in the tournament and winning the 'man-of-the-match' in the final.



He has represented the country a total of 107 times, scoring 43 goals along the way. His achievements at the international level include Nehru Cups, SAFF Cups, the LG Cup win in Vietnam and the AFC Challenge Cup in 2008, which allowed them to automatically qualify for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, the premier international tournament in Asia. By his own admission, qualifying for the Asian Cup was the highlight of his career. He could only play one match in the tournament, that too as a second half substitute because of an injury prior to the tournament. Perhaps fittingly, he decided to hang up his boots after this tournament, as India were eliminated following a 4-1 loss to South Korea.



Today was his testimonial match, and being the true champion that he is, he played a significant role in inviting Bayern Munich to be our opponents. He could have asked for any opponent, scored a couple of goals himself, but he decided instead to showcase Indian football to the world, and the stars of world football right here in India. As for the match, well it was a foregone conclusion even before a ball was kicked. Bayern won 4-0 eventually. A special mention and thank you to the Bayern Munich team for playing their starting 11 in this match. They could well have opted to field a second string side, this being a friendly match. A bigger mention for Bastian Schweinsteiger and Manuel Neuer for playing the entire 90 minutes when they didn't need to. Shows the kind of respect that players have for one another.



Perhaps a fitting tribute to Bhaichung was paid in a tweet which was read out on air. It went something like, "If not anything else, Bhaichung Bhutia gave Indian football hope...". We'll stil see him playing for United Sikim, a club he founded and owns. But today was the last time he pulled on the Blue jersey of the Indian national team. Thank you Bhaichung Bhutia for all the memories...

The Year that is...

A lazy Saturday afternoon, with not much going on. I thought this would be the perfect time to write my first blog of the new year. 2012 - the year of the Apocalypse. The year when it all ends....
Hold on just a second, lets rewind. Really? It all ends this year? I sure hope not. So much left to do. So many things I haven't tried yet, so many places I haven't visited, so many people I haven't met! So I really hope the Mayans made some kind of mistake when they decided to end their calender on 21st December,2012. Not that they counted by our system, I'm sure they had no clue as to what December is or the year A.D. that they lived in. But you get the picture.
A week into the year, and there isn't much to write about. The occasional outings and frolic aside, it has been, well, boring. No project allocated in office yet, so not much work there either. It's getting a bit worrying now! Brought in the new year on a grand enough scale. House-party. We seemed to suddenly have the energy of ten year olds on their birthday. Music, dancing(I'm sure you've seen the pictures), dinner in the middle of the night, no less, and an overall sense of belonging, seemed a perfect enough way to start a brand new year. Though this also resulted in me sleeping through half the first day of the year, but one can't have everything! The rest of the week passed in cruise-control really. Reminds me of those lines in that song by Rembrandts, made famous by it's use as the title song of F.R.I.E.N.D.S., "It's like your always stuck in second gear...". From 2nd to 7th January, I really have been stuck in second gear. A higher gear shift doesn't seem to be around the corner either!
On another note, the new year has brought some definitely weird weather to our city and its surroundings. For starters, the cold weather has disappeared. Its been warm for a couple of days. It has even rained for the past couple of days! Looks like the weather is getting back at me for making fun of the winter rains in London. Also, on that note, check out the conditions in which the Wigan versus Sunderland game was played this past week. That was what I was talking about in my 'Calcutta=London...' blog post. Near zero temperatures, driving rain, half-sleeve and shorts....I am left wondering as to how the players don't end up with pneumonia!
The new year's celebrations are over for another year. Time to buckle in and hang on for the ride that is 2012. Happy New Year everyone. Better late than never :-)