THE WAREBLOG

Apple & Microsoft (not necessarily in that order!) undoubtedly have some of the best brains working in their innovation labs. It is therefore no wonder that when they go ahead and toss up concepts and perceptions of how the future of computing would be like – it is often unbelievably awesome..!!

Microsoft Office Labs showcase their prophecies in this short-n-slick clip.

THE PLOT –

Delhi-6 takes a socio-cultural-political-umpteenical take on India and the domestic situation through the eyes of an Indian – Born (and brought up) in the USA.

After R.O. Mehra’s hugely successful and awe-inspiring Rang De Basanti comes Delhi-6, full of anecdotes from our daily lives shot amidst old Delhi’s backdrop and brought to life by quite a few creditable performances.

Abhishek Bachchan is born to parents who married outside their caste and settled in the USA. After several years he returns with his ailing grandmother (Waheeda Rehman) to get a feel of where his roots lie. He immediately starts taking a liking to the place despite its shallows of logic and monopoly of faith and the culturally spun-off politics.

If not for the social messages, you can watch this one just for the director’s intent and the protagonist’s unshakable faith in the adage – Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani..!

THE CAST –

Sonam Kapoor is so wow.!

Absolutely mint fresh and almost picture perfect – no less.

The rest of the cast, including Abhishek Bachchan are very true to their roles and deliver according to the asks of the screenplay.

The two actors that stand out though are – Divya Dutta (Jalebi) & Atul Kulkarni (Gobar).

THE MUSIC –

While A.R.Rehman struck gold with Rang De Basanti – Delhi 6 is sadly a consolation prize at best.

Most songs just have a few keys of notes and pronounced background scores – so characteristic of Rehman’s songs that lack melody or magic.

Except a few occasional sounds here and there – a very forgettable album.

THE VERDICT –

A movie that has pure intentions and they alone are reason enough to sit through this one.

Not a must-watch though.

THE SCORE –

6.00 / 10.00

THE PLOT –

The movie deals with modern-day trysts of the everblue Devdas portrayed superbly by Abhay Deol. Now this has been a trend for quite some time – Abhay Deol is to be found in movies which either have a great screenplay or a tight storyline : this one carries the trend forward.

Our Devdas (DevD) falls in love with Paro and shies away from marrying her thinking about whether the same would justify his family’s social status only to find out later that his family indeed wanted him to get married to Paro. With blues filling his life, DevD takes to alcohol and customary accompaniments as his last straws only to chance upon Chanda.

What does destiny have in store for Dev? What happens to Paro? And what’s the story behind Chanda?

All these and many more answers open up gradually in this entertaining saga of DevD.

THE CAST –

Mahi Gill & Kalki Koechlin are quite natural in their portrayal of Paro & Chanda respectively.

The support cast just about sticks to it. The Brass Band – Patna Ke Presley are one of the high points of the movie.

However, Abhay Deol, without doubt, is superb and often too real than reel. This is definitely one of his better acts till date.

THE MUSIC –

All the songs in the movie are good and extremely easy to relate to the situation in the plot.

But Emosanal Atyachar definitely calls for the once-more vote.!

Amit Trivedi deserves two thumbs up for this one…Well done.!

THE VERDICT –

Let me summarize what this movie is not –

Not an Indian family movie.

Not a movie (let alone the public) every critic will find peace with.

And not a movie you should miss out in favour of an Oscar winner..!

THE SCORE –

7.50 / 10.00

THE PLOT –

The movie takes a potshot at several professionals in the Indian Film Industry even exploiting anecdotes and incidents from the yester-years.

Although seemingly slow-moving at times, debutante director Zoya Akhtar gets full marks for exploring definitive and fresh angles on taking shots and also for keeping the on-screen drama realistically subdued.

The story as such, meanders from one point to another without giving you much clue as to where it actually wants to go – but ends up at a beautiful juncture.

Don’t miss this one if you are one who admires the subtle nuances of film making.

Farhan Akhtar and Konkona Sen Sharma share the role of the protagonist and do every bit of justice to the same.

Dimple Kapadia shows her acting prowess in all flavors while Rishi Kapoor, Juhi Chawla and Sanjay Kapoor are apt in their performances.

Hrithik Roshan and Isha Sharvani are appreciable and the whole ensemble of actors and actresses are pretty much to the demand of the script.

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy again come up all trumps with this score and make you wonder if the portrayals on-screen were thought of before or were they tuned to match the scores?

With all the hoopla surrounding the Slumdog score by Rehman, folks, even this soundtrack will make you realize the fact that the Indian Music Industry is leap years ahead of ordinary scores that are getting global recognition this year.

Pyaar Ki Daastaan and Sapno Se Bhare Naina are standout numbers.

It’s not a movie every cine-goer will like – especially those who look for more twists and turns and umpteen stories in a single script.

If you long for a taste of a well made film – watch this one..!

6.50 / 10.00

My fascination with Strings, the band, dates back to my school days. Never before had I heard something so delicately simple yet so soulful. With one hits after another, they soon became a band with following spread across seas.

But, it was with this one song, titled ‘Beirut’, that they married an aspect which is of very high importance to me in my journey through time – To pause and help for a cause.

It hardly matters what you get from your fans or admirers – what matters is what you give back to the greater mass.

Faisal & Bilal – This one’s for you..!

Keep strumming..!

THE PLOT –

The movie is an adaptation of the novel by Vikas Swarup and has already shot into top slots on IMDb.

Jamaal Malik is our slumdog who treads on the finest of coincidences as he meanders his way through the questions on “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” – connecting each question he comes across to an anecdote in his life.

As he progresses further on the show, he is suspected of cheating and hence sent into police custody.

Amidst all this, he is also out to unite with his brother and lost love for a better tomorrow.

Will he beat all odds to conquer the show and redraw the landscape of his life?

It’s all there for you to find out.

THE CAST –

Dev Patel, as the grown up Jamaal Malik, is definitely the stand out performer.

Frieda Pinto and Anil Kapoor do justice to their roles. The entire arrays of actors, in fact, have put up good performances.

As for the best performances though – I would personally rate Ayush (youngest portrayal of Jamal) and Azharuddin (youngest portrayal of Salim) as the deserving ones.

THE MUSIC –

There has been a lot of talk about A.R.Rehman coming up with a score worth an Oscar nomination. In my humble opinion, neither do I have any clue what Oscars look for in a candidate nor do I subscribe to the opinion of Rehman deserving an award at all for this score.

The music seemed very stereotypical of a movie of this genre and in no ways was novel. In a nutshell, just about supporting the screenplay.

THE VERDICT –

With all the hue and cry surrounding this one – I actually found the movie pretty watchable and would definitely rate it as a film well made.

The elements are very true to a movie of this genre. Go ahead, watch this one..!

THE SCORE –

7.00 / 10.00

THE PLOT –

The movie is a remake of the Tamil movie by the same name where the main protagonist was played by Surya. The film is said to also have been ‘inspired’ by the 2000 Hollywood movie Memento directed by Christopher Nolan.

Sanjay Singhania (Aamir Khan), who is the MD of AirVoice Cellphone Company, falls in love with the bubbly aspiring model Kalpana (Asin Thottumkal) primarily out of his admiration for Kalpana’s just too excessive pro-active helpfulness towards others. However, Kalpana knows Sanjay as a common man named Sachin who is struggling to be a model/actor just like her.

All hell breaks loose in due course, again courtesy of Kalpana’s helping hand and she gets murdered in front of Sanjay’s eyes, who is also attacked severly by the goons and becomes a patient of anterograde amnesia thereafter.

Will he be able to battle all odds to secure the victory of good over evil and avenge Kalpana’s death?

It’s all there for you to find out.

THE CAST –

Having not seen either the Tamil version or the alleged English inspiration, I would say the director delivered a cross-bred movie with both Bollywood and Tamil elements.

Aamir Khan (Sanjay Singhania) & Pradeep Rawat (Ghajini Dharmatma) do justice to their roles. Asin (Kalpana) & Jiah Khan (Sunita) though are two major painpoints in the movie and are extremely passable, Asin in particular.

Aamir Khan, almost single-handedly, carries the whole film with his near-perfect portrayal of the character and shows why he is the nearest thing to perfection when it comes to acting.

THE MUSIC –

Like any other A.R.Rehman album, again, not all scores are hummable or come with prolonged shelf life. Guzaarish and Kaise Mujhe Tum are the better scores. On a personal note, Lattoo was a pretty refreshing number. On the whole, an average album.

THE VERDICT –

The movie is definitely worth a watch although some action sequences are not advisable for children (note to the parents). If not for anything, Aamir Khan is reason enough to watch this one.

THE SCORE –

6.00 / 10.00

THE PLOT –

The story is set in modern day Punjab (India), more specifically in Amritsar.

Surinder Sahni (Shahrukh Khan), who works for Punjab Power, gets married to Taani (Anushka Sharma) in very Bollywood-like circumstances. The simple and soft spoken Surinder is then told by Taani that she wouldn’t be able to love Surinder all her life.

Enter Raj Kapoor (Shahrukh Khan), who takes Taani out of her shell and brings fresh colors into her life.

Will Taani choose Raj’s love over Surinder’s dedication?

It’s all there for you to find out.

THE CAST –

Aditya Chopra comes back after almost eight years with this directorial venture and with a surprisingly small budget and starcast.

Shahrukh Khan, Anushka Sharma and Vinay Pathak are perhaps the only full-time characters in the plot.

As for their acts, they all come up trumps. Anushka Sharma is exceptional on debut (much better than Asin in Ghajini – as will shortly be reviewed) and Shahrukh Khan is superb in his portrayal of Surinder Sahni, a character very much like yester year’s Amol Paleker –kind-of-roles.

THE MUSIC –

Very hummable and in-sync music by Salim-Suleiman. The duo seem to have started off from where they left off in Chak De India. They do not disappoint with any of the scores and come up trumps in the overall score. Tujhme Rab Dikhta Hai and Haule Haule have already become very popular on the charts. Dance Pe Chance was pretty apt for the sequences. However, Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte was the ace of the album and full justice to the song was done while shooting the same. Almost time that folks like the much-over-hyped A.R.Rehman took a leaf out of their notebook.

THE VERDICT –

A family movie plus an entertainer with that feel-good touch. If you have loved SRK over the years, you will not be disappointed with this one. On hindsight, I did ‘review’ this one in the fullest sense – yes, saw it twice on the big screen before writing this.

THE SCORE –

8.00 / 10.00  (Revised)

AND…THE SONG –

NOTE : I have not written this; I received it from one of my friends.

An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God, The Almighty. He asks one of his new students to stand and…..

Prof: So you believe in God?
Student: Absolutely, sir.

Prof: Is God good?
Student: Sure.

Prof: Is God all-powerful?
Student: Yes.

Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn’t. How is this God good then? Hmm?
Student is silent.

Prof: You can’t answer, can you?
Let’s start again, young fellow. Is God good?
Student: Yes.

Prof: Is Satan good?
Student: No.

Prof: Where does Satan come from?
Student: From…God…

Prof: That’s right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?
Student: Yes.

Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn’t it? And God did make everything. Correct?
Student: Yes.

Prof:
Student does not answer.

Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don’t they?
Student: Yes, sir.

Prof: So, who created them?
Student has no answer.

Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son…Have you ever seen God?
Student: No, sir.

Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?
Student: No, sir.

Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?
Student: No, sir. I’m afraid I haven’t.

Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?
Student: Yes.

Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn’t exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.

Prof: Yes Faith. And that is the problem science has.

Now the student said can I ask something to you Professor.

Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?
Prof: Yes.

Student: And is there such a thing as cold?
Prof: Yes.

Student: No sir. There isn’t.

(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don’t have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can’t go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.
(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)

Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?
Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn’t darkness?

Student: You’re wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something.
You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light… But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and its called darkness, isn’t it? In reality, darkness isn’t. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn’t you?
Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?

Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.
Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?

Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can’t even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)

Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?

(The class is in uproar.)

Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor’s brain?

(The class breaks out into laughter.)

Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor’s brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable.)

Prof: I guess you’ll have to take them on faith, son.
Student: That is it sir… The link between man & god is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving & alive. .

This is a true story, and the student was none other than

DR. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam , Former President of India