total timepass...

The saga is finally over.. And a not so bad end I would say. A lot lot better than Hangover 2 for sure! On the whole though, this movie is forgettable except that its the last of the trio and so you would see it anyways just for closure. The plot is slightly different this time, there is no bachelor party to have the mix-ups. Just a criminal boss kidnapping Doug (yes, again!) for the entire movie while the wolfgang are out to get the gold back from Chow for this crime boss. What follows is a gold heist with Chow, a double crossing, the Gang chasing Chow in Vegas and the finale with the crime boss dead. There were not that many over-the-top moments in this version, just some exotic locales, some good jokes and an entertaining feel about it. The after credits scenes of course had something the other Hangovers were famous for, be sure not to miss it! But at least this episode was not a total failure like the second one. At least it was different even if not as good as the first Ha

I have wanted to see a play in the open-air theatre in Regents Park since 2006 but somehow had never managed to find tickets earlier. And so, when I was able to get last minute tickets from a colleague in office to see, 'To kill a mockingbird', at the Park, it was almost like a dream come true. And to be honest, the experience was all I had always imagined it to be.. and more..! First about the setting: the play is staged in the middle of Regents Park, in Queen Mary's Gardens. The path leading to the theatre builds up to the experience; walking through beautifully landscaped gardens, moving along the green path laced with colourful flowers on both sides. It sets the mood for a warm and fresh evening, close to nature. And then you come to the theatre, its done up so beautifully, its almost feels christmasy. Cafes and coffee stalls everywhere, decorated with lights and surrounded by a green background. And then when you enter the theatre, its also in the open. Laid out

Who is going to be the next Prime Minister of India is going to be an ongoing debate for the next one year, with continuous comparisons drawn between Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi. And it is going to be fun and colourful times; Rahul's inexperience and Modi's nonsecular credentials thrown at all of us throughout this period. With barbs and re-barbs on pages after pages, and supporting fire from all the loyal comrades. As I said, it will be fun. In between this whole process, the fact that the biggest democracy in the world is going through a vote for its next government will be lost. The government is expected to bring about change, reform and development to the country. There are many aspects of this change which need to be talked about, stressed on and promises made for (irrespective of the fact whether those are kept or not). However what will happen is that the personalities of the leaders will be the focus of the campaigns, and with whatever little airtime issues get,

For a sports illiterate like me, my knowledge about players in sports other than cricket is very limited. I know a couple of famous ones; Ussain Bolt, Phelps, Tiger Woods, Messi, Lance Armstrong... The list is not long. And of those, the only one about which I know more than their name and game they play is Lance Armstrong. I read his book, one of the rare biographies I have read and was very impressed and motivated. Maybe because have not read about people coming out of cancer and achieving as much as he did in one of the most physically challenging sports, it felt really unreal and great. His book was inspiring at many levels and I took each of his words to be true. Including his tirade against people who 'wrongfully' accused him of doping. It had to be true, how could a person going through such tough times do something as wrong as that? And then it all came crashing! I don't know why, but I felt personally let down when the truth about him came out. I had read his

Saw the movie 'Trance' by Danny Boyle recently and was not impressed. The movie is a thriller, with too many overlapping sequences that gets you confused between reality and dreams, present and the past. So what could have been another Memento or Inception turns out to be just a poor copy of it. The premise of the movie is very interesting; an art house employee steals an expensive work of art and then forgets where he hid it. Hounded by his fellow partners in crime, he uses the help of a hypnotist to delve into his mind to find where he hid the painting. What follows are a sequence of thriller chases, ego clashes, betrayals, dreams mixed with reality and so on till the final curtain on the truth opens. The climax is quite unexpected, and would have made it a great movie, except that it was lacking on clarity, Maybe if the storyline had been clearer, the movie would have been worth watching. The acting was good, the action sequences thrilling but the confusion killed it

For a long time, I have been looking for comedy plays in West End, and looks like there are not many left which I haven't seen. So when someone mentioned One man two guvnors, I booked it as soon as I could. And I wasn't disappointed; we had a great afternoon, laughing a lot and all the time trying not to fall over laughing! Its the story of a ruffian, Francis in Brighton, who gets hired by two masters (or guvnors). One is a local goon, Roscoe but actually his twin sister (Rachel); and the other master is a murderer on the run, Stanley but actually Rachel's fiance. What follows is a comedy of errors with Francis trying to serve both masters simultaneously without getting confused or letting either know about the other. Francis played by Rufus (?) is a great actor, and holds his own on stage. He is a treat to watch; confused, witty and doing all kinds of antics on the stage (like pretending to fight with himself) with such a flair that it makes you laugh all the time, wonde

The Iron Lady is no more. And parts of UK are celebrating her death! Other than being a very sad thing to do, it makes you wonder about her, what kind of a person was she; how extraordinary would she be (not necessarily good or bad) that her death brings out such kind of emotions in some people. Hearing about it led me to research her views, her actions and her decisions, to understand how can people either hate her so much or not hate her (I still haven't found people who love her yet, but think its the same as don't hate!). And so I realised how split the country is when it comes to her. On the one side, there will be a ceremonial funeral for her (something rarely accorded to politicians) and on the other side, there are street parties on her death. Just goes to show what an extraordinary woman she was! And as I learnt more about her, I realised what she stands for, is taking decisions, and bold ones at that. They might not necessarily have been all correct (this can