total timepass...

There is enough being said and written about all that happened 25 years ago... There is nothing I can write that can express even a percent of the kind of frustration and exasperation we all feel reading about this tragedy! The list of questions are endless.. This was a nice site I read about which was able to put into words what I could only feel... Some excerpts from the article above.. " Why was Warren Anderson, the chief of Union Carbide, given the chief minister's own aircraft to leave India, just four days after the leak and with a charge of 304A against him when he was simply out on bail? On the same day flew out of the country, never to be brought to trial. Also, why did the government accept the Supreme Court settlement with Union Carbide for just 470 million dollars - money not enough to compensate even a fraction of its victims? Why did the Digvijay Singh government allow Carbide to return the land with tonnes of toxic waste sill on it, when the...

Saw a hindi comedy play called 'Jhooth Bole Kauwa Kaante' a couple of weeks back and quite a different (if not great) experience it was. Thankfully it was not another case of dysfunctional Indian families which most plays in Mumbai love to portray! This play actually looked like some of the 'natak' that used to come on Doordarshan in the late eighties, at least thats what it reminded me of:). The story is of a couple who are going through a financial crisis when they find an aunt's will, according to which the wife will get a large sum of money if the couple divorces. And then the comedy ensues:). There are multiple characters in the play, the couple, an uncle, the servant, 3 tenants, a friend plus boss and a couple of other smaller characters. The acting was enjoyable, though some characters overacted. The servant was a laugh riot with his weird accent, as well as the husband who acted well as the hen pecked spouse being forced to act out a divorce by his wife. ...

With the football World Cup dominating most conversations nowadays, a not so regular football watcher like me also ends up being aware of what's happening and interested in the titbits of what is happening in South Africa... A name which people like me also can recognise is Maradona, what may be the only player whose name people like us knew. Its nice to see him in action now, even if on the sidelines of the field rather than on it!! Here is a nice article on what he is upto in South Africa:)

This is a new mode of advertising that Virgin Mobile has used, possibly for the first time? Introducing ads on the net rather than showing them on TV. Found these quite funny to watch actually, fans of different IPL teams talking to each other on the phone trying to crack jokes on the other team. The jokes are mostly PJs, a lot of them have a tinge of truth too though! The swearing at the end of each phone call could have been avoided, but still good fun.. Watch them (Given below are the ads in three parts)... Indian Panga League Part 1 Indian Panga League Part 2 Indian Panga League Part 3

Psych is a comedy TV show that is still running in the US (it just finished its fifth series recently). The protagonist of the show is Sean Spencer, who claims to be a 'psychic' but who actually is just a great observer and manages to figure out things about people and events just based on his observational skills. This is the basis of the TV show, where Sean uses his 'psychic' (observational) skills to solve cases for the Santa Barbara Police Department where he is temporarily hired for some tough cases. The other cast of the show includes Gus, Sean's best friend and partner. He is really really funny! The chemistry between him and Sean is really fun to watch, him as the hesitating reasonable guy, with Sean being the completely irrational and impulsive other half. They both are a great team, with Sean's antics being completely unacceptable and over the top (but very very funny) and Gus trying to control him. Sean's dad was a cop and is the reason Sean is su...

2010 has not been a great year for movies, there is just a dearth of good movies.. and all the big starrers have come out to be a disappointment. Kites before this and Rajneeti, not at all upto the mark given the huge star cast. The movie has everyone, Ranbir, Katrina, Nana, Bajpai, Ajay, Arjun Rampal, Naseer and so on. Of these, Ranbir is the central character with Nana, Arjun and Ajay also with major roles. The storyline of the movie encompasses an election campaign, dotted with murders, blackmail, betrayals, underhanded dealings, caste politics and everything else we already associate with politics. Anything and everything is acceptable as long as it is done for power. Innocent people turn into scheming politicians if required. And I guess that's what this movie is all about. Surprisingly, the characters have been given their due, each given a decently meaty role. Acting was mostly good. Nana is still on the top with his effortless acting and surprisingly, Arjun Rampal has r...

Prince of Persia is a Disney film portraying events in mythical Persia centuries ago and is based on the videogame of the same name. It is a fantasy genre film and the high point of the movie are its absolutely mindblowing graphics. The story is a typical royal tale of kings and brothers and murders and intrigue and myths and action and romance. Dastan, the prince of Persia is wrongly accused of murdering his father just after he and his brother attack and win the holy city of Alamut. Tamina, the princess of Alamut and Dastan are on their own trying to clear Dastan's name, as well as restore back to Alamut what was rightly its. On the way, they have many adventures, meet bandits and make friends, get attacked but saved and of course discover and get betrayed on the way too. Its a roller coaster ride and a fun one on that. Acting is good, story is average. The whole focus of the movie is on the visuals, which appeal to me, so I don't mind:). The fort and palace set...

According to the rules (as I would understand them), a movie before being released in India needs to be cleared by the Censor Board, and thereafter it can be released in India with the relevant certificate. However, in the last couple of years, parallel rules have surfaced, these movies need to be cleared by Shiv Sena, MNS and now the Congress? All I want to know is who are these people to censor what the people get to see? Who gave them the rights to control this? Biographies are written and biographical movies are made sometimes with and sometimes without the approval of the person depicted. Is that wrong? And frankly, if the person does not support such a writing/movie, it will not be treated as an biography, what is the problem with this? Update: Saw the movie Rajneeti, other than the similar way of dressing and walking between Katrina and Sonia, there was not much common in their stories. Wonder why such a huge noise was made by Congress about her character.

Its not a new quote am sure, but still worth mulling I would say..... Kabir’s quote on life and death... 'Jab hum is jag ko aaye, hum roye aur sab hasen.... ... aisa kyon na ho ki is jag se jab jaaye, toh hum hasen aur sab roye...' Inspiration to live a full and happy life?:)

First of all, youtube is aweeeeeesomeee! Hats off to this invention or whatever you may want to call it! Once the tribute is over, let me start off with the topic of this post:). Some days back I saw some deleted scenes from Hindi movies, which never made it to the silver screen. The ones from my favorite movies were fun, as sometimes it even gives a new angle or an added look to the story. Like 'Rang de Basanti', 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai', 'Lagaan', 'Jodha Akbar', 'Chak De', 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' and so on.. But my favorite I guess would always remain the scenes from Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. They so add some more to the story; why Amrish Puri was as angry and bitter always; how once Raj tries to make Simran jealous:) ; how he almost gives up on Amrish Puri:) and so on... Watch it , if you are a DDLJ fan:)

Broken Images is a short one-hour (and one-act) play with only one actor, Shabana Azmi. She has a double role though; one is the novelist, Manjula who is in a TV studio talking about her book written in English, while the other 'role' is her again (her alter-ego?) on the TV screen talking to Manjula and questioning her. The events of her life slowly open, as the alter-ego questions, discusses, argues and talks to Manjula, slowly and slowly bringing out facts about her own life, her sister on who's life the book is based, the events leading to her sister's death, the relationship between her sister and her husband, the breaking of her marriage and the eventual publishing of the book. Frankly, I found it another of those 'dysfunctional Indian families with multiple skeletons in their cupboards' kind of story which Indian play writers love to portray. An event gets all these skeletons out of the closet and everything thereafter changes. ... The actin...