Race - on a twisted highway

1) The movie starts with a rich well-to-do family; brothers involved in horse racing and betting
2) Twists start
3) Twists continue
4) Twists continue
5) Intermission
6) Twists continue
7) Cameo by Johnny Lever
8) One more twist... sigh
9) Well this twist wasn't much of a twist. I was expecting it.
10) A well executed race sequence, and yeah a twist during the race too.
11) Rest of all is fluff

Tell me why
* In one of the scenes, the same woman (in a bikini) passes behind Anil Kapoor and Sameera Reddy at least four times. What is she doing? Is she part of the conspiracy, or did a budget cut force the directors to use the same extras?

* If the story is based in South Africa, why do they still talk in Rupees? Ghar ki yaad aa gayi?

* Who wrote Anil Kapoor's cheesy jokes? Though I liked his habit of eating fruits. Sharpens the mind it seems.

* If the brothers wade in so much luxury throughout the movie, why did they have to mortgage their property in South Africa?

All in all, this movie has more twists than a bowl of noodles. But I would still recommend this movie. Why? Precisely because of these twists. You have to wonder, if not appreciate the creativity of the writer and how he managed to convince the producers of such a movie. Saif Ali is the star of this rat pack. Akshaye Khanna goes overboard is some scenes. Dalip Tahil could have been given a bigger role. Maybe a couple of twists involving him could have made for a complete package. The women are mostly candy floss but still form an integral part of the story. I have a gut feeling this movie will run well. Watch it, if for nothing else, than for dear old South Africa.

Holi hai

5 packs of Gulal: Rs 300
1 old t-shirt, 1 pair of shorts (undergarment optional): Rs 250
One bar of Lifebuoy, three sachets of shampoo: Rs 26
1 broken pair of chappals: Rs 110
Fine for messing up the hostels: Rs 250

Seeing the pearly smiles peeking between the multicoloured faces: Priceless

Today I celebrated what was one of the wildest and unruliest yet one of the most hilarious Holi ever. The days before the festival saw a campaign by the hostel authorities warning students not to play Holi inside the hostel premises. But like every years, these rules were merely on paper.

In the morning though, it seemed that the fever had not reached the campus. But gradually, one by one, shouts and screams pierced a quiet Saturday morning and it was clear that no one was to be spared today. After rubbing Gulal on each other, we turned to more 'fast' colours. As I said, no one was to be spared today and those who chose to stay inside their rooms were the people who were doused the most. Along with them their rooms also received a makeover. Unfortunately, we created a lot of mess inside the hostels for which we'll have hell to pay.

But for now, we went out in search of fresh targets. We found a small dirty pool of water and the process of dunking began. The first victims were the featherweight people in the class who could be easily lifted and carried into the water. They were asked to sit still while the others gave them a rejuvenating bath in the open air. Each one of the class members were dunked one by one.

Then started the customary dances on classic songs of Amitabh and company. But it seemed most of them were staring at the girls who were dancing by. By then, people were exhausted and ready to head back home but not before a hilarious photo session. The unofficial Kingfisher calendar of 2008 was created in a matter of half an hour. No exotic locales, no expensive make up, just pure instinct. We didn't even need a costume designer, the torn shirts themselves provided the fashion.

Now came the cleaning process. No amount of soap, whether used for human or clothes or dishes, could remove in one go the art we had painted on our faces. But I tried as much as I could and I'd say it will take me the better part of the week to remove it all out.

But I'm in no hurry. This is one colour which can stay on forever. These are times which you cherish when you pass out of college and earn big bucks. These are times which you wish could stay on forever. We know that tomorrow we'll have to answer for the mess we created in the hostels. But these are times when no amount of fine is too much.

What explains my love for animals

I have always been excited, as a small child, while visiting zoos. Seeing all those animals in one place was a treat to me. I used to just gaze at them prancing around peacefully. Sometimes I would feed them, sometimes touch their furry skin. But it broke my heart to see them confined to pens and cages. It made them all the more inaccessible for a person who wanted to know more about these creatures. I was constantly amazed by the diversity of the fauna which God has created.

And when I got selected here it was like a delightful dream which came true. The campus is a heaven for someone like me. There are endless acres of flora and fauna which one can discover at one's own leisure. I prefer the night when there is calm, and a certain chill in the air. That is partly the reason why I volunteered for the night patrol. It is aimed at protecting deer from stray dogs that roam around in the campus at night.

I still remember that night when I found a small deer with its head stuck in some thorny branches beside the lake road. It was struggling and in the process scratching itself against the thorns. I went up to the deer and slowly and carefully held the branches apart so that I could put it out of its misery. The dogs would have otherwise done their deed.

My friends sometimes say that I'm weird because I show so much interest towards animals. Are there so few humans around that you want to spend so much time around animals? Sometimes they crack ugly jokes. But I ignore them. These creatures of God have no one to help them. They are my weak spot. It is in my blood to be so interested in animals. You see, after all, I am a werewolf. And tonight is a full moon.

Shahrukh Khan

I never imagined that I would devote a post on my blog to Shahrukh Khan. Many people love his movies but I'm one of those people who don't particularly like his acting, especially in movies like Om Shanti Om, Main Hoon Na, Mohabbatein. For me, my 100 bucks is better spent on books or food than watching such a movie in the theatre. But when you consider the reason for his selection of roles and the way he acts, it boils out to something very simple. He does it for the masses. People love him not what he does, but how he does it, for the intensity and the goofiness he puts in in some of the characters he portrays. While that has become, for him, a restriction of sorts, he is considered one of the most bankable stars in the Hindi film industry today.

One of the few movies in which I liked his acting, Swades, didn't do well at the box-office. This means that, Shahrukh Khan the actor and Shahrukh Khan the entertainer are totally two different persons. And one has to take precedence over the other. Further, people are likely to idolize one of these two persons.

Another reason why I like Shahrukh the person is evident in two documentaries I've seen about him. One is the Revealed series on CNN, and the other is a documentary by BBC(?) The man has had big wild dreams. In one of the documentaries, he says, as a young boy he wanted to own the city. But after all these years, it seems that the city owns him. In many aspects he is right. But what's more the city (and the country) loves him. Watching Shahrukh Khan's life story is more inspiring than watching one of his movies. The way he brought himself to Mumbai from Delhi, the way he struggled doing TV serials, the way he risked his career by taking on negative roles in his early days shows more about his calibre then his roles as Raj or Dev Saran. Watching what inspires the person who inspires a million hearts is more worthwhile than watching, frankly, most of his movies.


Some people reach a position in life for which they have given their all. And when they reach it, they have the right to be proud about it. They have the right to call themselves the King. And today Shahrukh Khan, without the backing of a filmi family, has reached that position solely on the basis of his hard-work and passion.

These boots were meant for walking

Did I write about my plan to walk my way to good health? I think not. So here goes nothing. Last quarter (=semester/2) I had decided to start a health plan according to which I was supposed to go for a walk every morning in the IIT Madras stadium. The plan was mildly to moderately successful. Out of about 60 days, I managed to go walking for a grand total of 1 day. Impressive.

Now I've decided to renew that plan. The study load is expected to be less at least for a week now. And I feel if I get through this one week, I think I'll become regular at walking daily. Today was my first day, or rather my second (cumulatively speaking). I walked for around 5(?) rounds. It all reminded me of the good old days in Ahmedabad where my friend and I used to go walking daily in ATIRA. After a couple of rounds of the joggers' park, a cup of lemon juice and I felt ready to take on the world.

And for some reason, after the tiring walk, the sight of the grand campus of IIM Ahmedabad opposite the road used to rejuvenate me. Sigh. Things could have been so much different.