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.