Kuch khaas hai!

Since yesterday, I have been sitting and watching old commercials on youtube. Most of them bring back fond memories. Like the "one black coffee" Ericsson ad. Or the Hamara Bajaj advertisement, the dhara jalebi ad. But what took the cake ( or chocolate ;) was Cadbury's. Two really lovely ads that i had almost forgotten. Jyo and i were watching it together and i immediately had a chocolate craving. The ads were that good. Thankfully, Jyo had not yet exhausted her Cadbury's celebrations hamper and we dug into it!
These ads are so much more better than the pehli tareekh ones that are on air now. Or even the pappu pass ho gaya versions. They are simple, the joy and expressions so real, that you want to smile with the characters. So many gratifying moments captured in one ad! Especially Omung Kumar dropping the chocolate and then blowing and eating it after making sure no one's watching!


The girl dancing like no one's watching on the field and the smile on her boyfriend's face (with the nothing-can-be-done-about-this-female look!) is a treat to watch! Will truly make you want to celebrate the happiest moments of your life with chocolate! Watch the video here.
Watch the ads but with a bar of Dairy milk by your side. Chocolate is truly the ultimate indulgence!


P.S. For some reason, i was not able to upload the second video. Anybody knows if there is a restriction on the number of videos a blog post can have?

Kati Patang

I was so excited. Hrithik back on the big screen after two solid years, a very hyped movie, big budget, huge canvas. He was suave in Dhoom 2, composed and regal in Jodhaa Akbar and the guest appearance in Luck by chance left me asking for more. So my expectations from Kites that featured my favoritest actor were very high. The tickets were booked yesterday and i was going with my team in the office hours. On the first day of the release itself! I could not have been any more excited! Though there is a trip this weekend, i thought the movie would be the highlight of the week for me!
First bomb- yesterday night on TV9- that the movie will not be screened on friday due to violation of KFCC norms. It would be melodramatic to say i was shattered, but i was really sad. Today morning was spent trying to contact Fame and finding out if the movie would run. It did run and i heaved a sigh of relief. It would not last long because i then saw the review. Two and half stars. One consolation was that it was from the reviewer who gave Blue 4 stars. Pacified myself that the person is not a good critic.



If you are wondering whether all this build up is needed to give the review of the movie, err, YES, because Second bomb- there is no story to review. I could finish the entire review in one sentence that would make the movie sound bad.
Anyway, let me still do a comprehensive review without going into too much details about the story. The entire story is shown in patches of flashback. Present day Hrithik is the shabby looking guy with the stubble and limp.
First flashback in Vegas. Jai or J as he is called is a money minded guy who marries women to get them green card in return for money. This bit was already out on the net, so i did not leak any story. Since he is the gorgeous dance teacher, there is the foot tapping "Fire" dance number in this part which is the only saving grace. Kangana plays his student who is crazily in love with him. She has a fake accent, isn't too much of a dancer and doesnt get to exhibit her histrionics in a guest appearance.
He decides to pursue her for her money and falls for her would be sis-in-law Barbara Mori, who also, in turn is there for the brother's money. I could not make the hell out of how the two fell in love. A few stolen glances, a back story of how they had met previously and communication without knowing each others language! If only falling in love was so easy!! Anyway, as usual,circumstances force them to elope. The baddies- brother and daddy decide to track them down.
From here start the chase sequences. The duo get lucky all the time, all the police cars heap up one on top of another without so much as a scratch on either of them. There are bullets flying everywhere and these two never get hurt, except for one instance. At every chase, he keeps asking her to jump- into the hot air balloon, the water, another trailer and so on. Jumping is an integral part of the movie!! The chase sequences are repetitive showing the lack of imagination on the part of the scriptwriters. I am actually wondering if there was one. Anybody could have written this story.
And if you want sentiment, you have Hrithik mouthing corny dialogues like "the two of us together, with our love, we can realize our dream. I have magic in my hands, we can work, become rich and live a good life. " Who talks like this in the movies these days?!
So after so much chase and struggle and all, they come close to a happy ending. But again, fate has other things planned for this ill-destined couple.
You come back to the present from here where J seeks revenge and also looks for his lost love. At his point, whatever little inspiration the scriptwriters had is gone and they seemed to be out of options to finish off the bad guys. You begin to wonder if all of this effort and journey across borders was necessary for this kind of agony and pain.
Cut to the ending, ( cause i have nothing else to say about the movie) that was the best part of the movie to me. I did a laughing out loud when the credits started appearing. It was so bad that it seemed funny. I wont spoil it for any of you who wanna go and watch it.
What worked for me:

• Hrithik- great looks, amazing dance.
• Barbara Mori- Her childlike bubbling enthusiasm is visible in many scenes. Go watch her for that.
• Ending- It is, like we say, Superr!! But on a serious note, it is a lame ending. Very dated in approach.
  

What did not:

• How the two fell in love. Even if it was love at first sight, how was it so strong that they took on the supposedly most powerful family in Vegas?
• The editors have gone snip snip on many of the vital scenes. ;) Also, the bad patchwork of scenes is only too visible.
• Hrithik's accent is very put on.
• There are no high points or whistle worthy scenes in the movie. Nothing that I'd look at my neighbor for and share a laugh (Of course, its another thing that my manager had occupied my neighboring seat! )
• Hrithik's talent has been wasted. He has a fixed number of expressions that he gives over and over again.
• Am taking back nothing from the theater- no memorable scene, no great song. There were no thrills and their chemistry was thanda. Even the high on adrenalin running away scenes were predictable. No gripping, taking you-to-edge-of-seat material.
  
• Where are the kites in the movie? There are hot air balloons only. And even if you say that kites is a metaphor for the leads who keep getting separated and meet again, its still doesn't justify naming the movie as Kites!
• Lastly, why so much hype? The next biggest grosser after 3 idiots? Sorry, NO. This Kite doesn't fly very high.

Weekend outing- Hyderabad

This post is coming a couple of weeks late due to paucity of time. And yes, you can go ahead and call me crazy to visit such a hot place in this summer. I badly needed to get away somewhere during the weekend. Considering the blistering heat everywhere, visiting some place for its natural beauty was completely ruled out. So, out of all places on the map, we circled Hyderabad and prepared to go there.
As with all trips, this one also involved extensive planning- where to go, where to eat and shop. Print outs of maps and directions were taken, places to visit were made note of, lists were drawn out for shopping- bangles, clothes, sweets for everyone back here.
Three of us set out from Bangalore by the Yeswanthpur-Kacheguda express on a friday and reached Hyderabad the next day early morning. The first thing that hit me when i stepped out was the hot wind. Despite being early morning, i could feel the heat! People would laugh and say that its because i have gotten very accustomed to the AC, but you should go to Hyderabad and you will know why i am complaining.
Since i had two close friends from PU college staying in Hyderabad, accommodation was not a problem. By about 9.30, all five of us were ready to hit the road for sight seeing.
Breakfast was at this place called Shanbag's in Panjagutta. We stuck to south indian food. I did want to try the famous pesarettu but checked myself cause i was not sure if i could stomach it.
First on our itinerary was the Salar jung museum. Took about two hours to have a quick look at the place. All of us made it in time for the famed clock to chime. But the kind of excitement it generated when i was a kid was not there this time around. It was just about any other clock ringing for me! But i could appreciate the textile designs, artifacts and paintings a lot better. Once we were done marveling at the items on display, we promptly set out for lunch. Lunch was at Kamat. A very simple yet fulfilling thali affair. The ambiance was pleasant, minimalistic and clean, nothing OTT.



Since we rented an air conditioned cab for our tour on both days, we did not feel the heat too much while travelling. At 800 bucks for 8 hours, it is the best option in a hot city like Hyderabad. But we have gulped down endless bottles of water and minute maid lemon during our journey. You can feel the body getting dehydrated when you roam, just like that glucon D ad.
Next up was the Chowmahalla palace. As the name suggests, it comprises 4 palaces. It is privately maintained and has relics and mementos from the times of the Nizam. There is the display of their clothes, furniture, crockery and wine collection. Basically, it gives you a glimpse of their royal lifestyle. The memories from there lives and times are captured in paintings and photographs. One particular queen had a striking resemblance to Madhubala and bore the brunt of the collective envy of all of us girls. Photography was prohibited inside. The entrance, the exteriors and their vintage car collection were the only places that could be photographed.

Charminar is about a kilometer from Chowmahalla. We made it to the top of Charminar just before the closing time. A stroll through the first floor and view from different points of the famous monument was all we could get. Golconda was hazily visible in a distance. The actual hustle-bustle of the old city of Hyderabad can be experienced at this place. You'll be blown away by the number of people flocking the bazaars and the autos that are present in the place. I thrive in crowded areas when on a trip. So i had a blast. The sheer energy that people display when they shop is amazing!



It is really sad that people have spoiled the monument by making those omnipresent X loves Y (inside a heart). There are also the marks from spitting pan. When asked whether the govt will undertake any restoration effort, the guide told us that they would want to preserve the place as a heritage site and would not take it up as of now. I seriously hope they do something about it!
A visit to Charminar is always incomplete without shopping at the chudi bazaar. Bangles of all sizes, colors and materials are available here. Whether you want simple, decent bangles or the really JHAANG, col-color ones, you can find them all here. You need at least half a day to go through all the stalls here and pick up stuff of your choice. Shortage of time ensured that we wrapped it up in 2 hours. But we made sure to get back with a load of bangles for us and friends.

Dinner was at khao galli or eat street on the banks of hussain sagar lake, along necklace road. Food is just about average and overpriced at the various stalls. But you can pay that price for the view and the atmosphere. It is crowded, there is music blasting from the speakers and on the spot contests being conducted.

As if we had not had enough to eat, we paid a visit to Karachi Bakery and bought biscuits for 900 bucks! Just as you approach the bakery, the smell of freshly baked stuff wafts around. Eat the biscuits from there and you know why there are people thronging the place everyday and why nobody buys just one box of those biscuits.

We put a end to a long eventful day with a late night ice cream at Cream Stone Ice cream parlor at Jubilee Hills. It was around 12 in the night when we got back and the moment i hit the bed, i was fast asleep!

Next day morning was busy with calculations of the money spent and who owed how much money to whom. Once we were ready, we had breakfast at Methi's. A buffet spread there had Idlis, vadas, oothappam, sandwich, fruit salad and really cool watermelon juice. At 79 a plate, it was a steal!

The rest of the day was spent on shopping- pearls, clothes, clothes and more clothes. Lunch was at Malgudi in Banjara Hills. By the time i got back in the evening, i was set back by almost 4K!! As if that was not enough, one more pit stop at the famous Pulla Reddy sweets was also on the list. Got the agra petha, soan halwa and the famed paper sweet from there. Then it was a daunting challenge to fit all the newly acquired stuff into the bags that we had. We were already late for the 7.20 train and had to literally run to make it to the station with time to spare.

Overall, it was a fun trip. Weeks of planning went into making sure that we covered all the places that we wanted to in those two days. One grouse is that most of the shopping places did not open until 12 on sunday. Left us with very little time to shop. But still, shop we did ;). As i sat there in the station, surrounded by friends, i was sure i would have had this kind of fun anywhere else also. It is the company that matters the most!
It was back to work on Monday. Again the same drill. So until the next trip, I'll slog it out at work ;).

Rain is falling

Only today morning did i read a report in the paper that the temperatures in Bangalore are going above the roof. Sunday apparently recorded a high of 37 degrees. And i was wondering how the hell would i manage at home without the cool temperatures of the workplace that i have so gotten used to!
So when I saw signs of rainfall while getting out of office, i was happy. The rain has literally been playing hide and seek for the past week or so. One is so hopeful that it will rain and the entire day gets spent without so much as cool breeze outside. Everyday, i call my mom and ask her about the weather in Mysore. And she cribs a good deal about it. Once she is done, it is my turn and i do so too. Today she excitedly called around the evening and said it was raining there. I was so hopeful and looked outside to see an overcast sky.
Looks like the rain gods have seen enough sweat on all our brows and have taken the matter into their hands. Its started raining! Ah! The smell of mud when it rains.
Complete with thunder and lightening, it looks like we are in for a rainy night. How wonderful will it be if it rains really heavily and the offices declare that the employees can all work from home that day. Or else there is a flood-like situation at the workplace! I know it is too much for a person with the office in the 10th floor to ask for ;)
Anyway, i hope it continues to rain and the temperatures come down so that we can all venture out without the fear of being burnt down in the scorching heat.
And alongside, i shall also pray that this causes no harm to the mango crop. I would not want to trade eating yummy mangoes all through the summer for anything else!

Of Fridays and travel

I travel home from Bangalore almost every weekend. Work gets over around 4.30 and my train to Mysore is at 6.15. Plenty of time, one would think. But not when i work in Whitefield and need to travel as far as Majestic to board the train. And i can't just say leaving early for the day and escape from the office early every friday.

So every friday evening turns out to be a running race of sorts. Run from the office to catch the 335E to Majestic. Then run from the bus stand to the station and then all the way till the first or second compartment in the front to get to my seat.

In case i am taking the 335E, i need to leave early, since it takes a roundabout route and goes through all the office areas in Whitefield and then through the choked Old airport road. So i decided to take an alternate route one weekend. Took a bus from tin factory bound to Majestic. And what road would he end up taking? The old madras road- Ulsoor route. Metro work+ Offices along the route= big traffic jams. Result- I could not catch the train that weekend.

So for the past couple of weeks, i have been coming back by office cab to my place and taking an auto from there to Majestic. Worked out fine till now. The auto guy is pre-warned that the train is at 6.15 and that he needs to rush. Costs me around 90 bucks but they make sure i am there on time.

Last weekend, the auto driver, a frail looking ajja assured me that he could make it to the station with plenty of time to spare. I looked no further and jumped into the auto. As my luck(good or bad?) would have it, there was a big jam near the cantonment road and at the same time the auto's gear wire got cut! Without any other option, i paid the guy, got out and navigated through the jam to find another auto. I just said railway station, like i normally do and sat down. It did not occur to me that i should have said main station, coz the auto fellow started going towards cantonment station. When i said Bangalore station, he refused to go there and asked me to get down. I gave him a bad look but that was all i could do! Another search for an auto ensued and luckily i found one. The guy went zzuii-zzuii and cut across traffic and went through all kinds of short cuts. I kept my eyes shut and kept praying because he was actually driving horribly rashly and i did not want to stop him. He made sure that i reached the station right on time. From there, i ran like i was running for my life. And caught the train successfully.

Every weekend is the same story. I get lectured by the auto people to leave half an hour earlier to escape the weekend traffic. (If only my manager understood that!) And pray on the way every time that i should be able to catch the train. And when i find the train , still on platform 6 when i climb out of the subway, i say a silent thank you to god and rush towards my compartment. All of this effort is worth the smile on my Dad's face when he is in his spot at the Mysore station to pick me up and the joy in my mom's voice when i call her and tell her that i have reached and would be home for dinner in a few minutes. Any outsider seeing this should think i have been gone for ages! ;)

Go green!!

The Copenhagen summit, global warming, changing climatic conditions have all been in the news for a while now and we all do the talk talk part about how the environment is going to dumps. And also crib about water shortage, incessant power cuts and rising temperatures. How many of us actually take a step further to inculcate habits into our life that would help our environment? It was when I was watching the NDTV greenathon that I thought harder about it.

Living in a city life Bangalore with matchbox like apartments, it would be too much to ask everyone to plant a tree and bring the greenery back to the city. But there are things that we could do on a daily basis, which if each and every one of us incorporated into our lives would go a long way in saving Mother Nature.

First thing would be to get rid of plastic bags. They clog drains, remain in the soil for a hundred years and harm the environment in every possible way. I use plastic bags in my house only to dispose of garbage. It is a necessary evil. Otherwise, I carry my own bag whenever I go out. Start saying no to plastic bags at your local grocery store and encourage the store owner to sell cloth bags which the customers can reuse for their shopping. Or else, pick up these really trendy bags from jute cottage and turn up hep for that shopping trip. Better still, get yourself a backpack that can hold possibly everything from your shopping trip and keep dumping stuff as you when you buy them into your bag. That’s what I do. I have an array of bags for different purposes.

Try and switch off the lights and fan when you don’t need them. Many a times we tend to leave the lights on despite coming out of a room. Be a little more thoughtful and remember to switch them off.

Learn to recognize the value of the water that runs in your tap. I tell you, you need to go through a day with dry taps to know it. I had the wakeup call when the overhead tank of the apartment I stay in became empty and I had to survive on water stored in buckets for almost a day. Go easy on the taps when you are using the water and maybe even try to reuse the water. Water used to clean veggies can be used to water your plants (if you have any, that is). The water from the last rinse of clothes can be used to give your vehicle that much needed wash.

I am sure that once the metro if functional, most of Bangalore is going to turn to it for transport. Until then, use the available public transport. The bus day is a good concept that the BMTC has started. I am sure that if I had my vehicle in Bangalore, I would be tempted to zip around the city on it. But let’s face the fact- with the kind of traffic and pollution in the city, it is far better to travel by Volvo- sans any tension or worry. You can switch off your mind, listen to music or even catch a few winks on the course of your travel. You also get respite from the scorching heat outside. And to top it, it is one vehicle less on the roads and that much less pollution.

This is what I have made a beginning with. If you include any of these habits or know of anything else that can be done by everyone, be sure to pass them on. It is high time we stopped complaining and took steps by ourselves to contribute to conserve the environment. After all, we do need to make sure that our future generations get to see the beauty and bounty that Mother Nature has to offer. Let it not be something that they would get to see only in the pictures taken from our expensive cameras!

Yeh Swayamvar nahin, Shaadi hai :)

So Rahul finally got his Dulhaniya. I was fortunately at home on the day of the finale and it was not something that i would miss at any cost. The very fact that there were 16755 applications( he claimed that in an interview) for the title of Mrs.Mahajan had surprised me. Its one thing to be desperate to hog the limelight for two minutes, but choosing a platform such as the Swayamwar?! God, no! I think it is the girls who made it to the last three but did not get to marry the guy are luckier coz they got the fame and recognition that they needed and did not even have to marry the guy in return! Look what happened to the ganga ke kinaare wala guy from Rakhi's swayamwar. He charmed his way into the hearts of the right people and landed himself a show on NDTV Imgine.
Coming to Rahul's swayamwar, the guy stuck to the predictions and chose the front-runner for the title as his dulhan. He did not even give the kind of build up of hesitation and indecisiveness that Rakhi did on her D-day. The varmala was given to him, he stood in front of the three brides for about a minute and bang!, garlanded the dimply Dimpy. (The girl exudes fakeness throughout! The sharmaana and batting of eyelashes is so filmy. And it seems the fact that they both celebrate their birthdays on the same day is one of the bonds of their friendship! Something as lame as that? Please! ) Headlines today took 5 seconds after the varmala moment to declare it as breaking news.
Also accompanying this news was the fact that Dimpy was under contract with Maureen Wadia of Gladrags that she would not get married for some time. Mrs. Wadia is now planning to sue. Publicity from all sides for Dimpy!
The guy has been in news for drug abuse, is umpteen number of years elder to her, does reality shows, has an irritating laugh and a bad history. I really don't see what the cause of celebration at the girl's household was! But still, celebrate they did. Now that the shaadi is over, I guess it is some respite for other TV channels that were being hit by the TRPs of RDLJ. Whatever Rahul did it for- to clean up his public image or to start afresh, he made sure to grab the eyeballs and airtime of a lot of news channels. These channels will also do follow up on their status from time to time, jobless as they are. I hope the new Mrs. Mahajan gets to stay for a while longer than the old one. :) What would be an anti climax though, would be that she remains Mrs.Mahajan only and does not get to make it big in Bollywood ;)
Also watch out for Rakhi Swayamvar part 2. She will apparently get married in a swayamvar only.