A cool catch

Recently, I have caught some cool flicks on video,
I know 'cool' is a much abused word, it is so randomly
used today to mean a bizarre range of things......
yet it can often fit as an apt qualifier when one has to
group an otherwise disparate but appealing group
of objects, and, here, I am using the term for the very
same reason...... it's a wide range of films, it's an
impressive array nonetheless. Each of these films has entertained
me, and I am sure it would entertain all cine-buffs, in
different ways though. They represent our times, as the makers
have made them in recent times; even when they represent
different periods from history, they have contemporary
treatment, and ethos. Some these films provoke, make us question;
some of these touch just our hearts, our souls, with some
kind of magical power. Whatever be the genre, each of these films
strikes a chord with the viewer and engages him to appreciate
life as such.
I hope my readers will join in, to pour their views
on some or all of these films. Here they are:

360 (2011)

Bel Ami (2012)

The Conspirator (2010)

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2011)

Womb (2010) 

Hanna (2011) 

Detention (2011)

Margaret (2011)

The Raven (2012)

The Hunger Games (2012) 

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

Donkey Punch (2008)

A journey.... a dream..... a revolution

Satyamev Jayate has become the television series responsible for changing not only the history of Indian television, but also bringing about changes amidst us, and in our selves. A reality series need not be scoffed at henceforth, not if it has the best intentions to usher positive social change, not even if it is aired on Sunday mornings in the slot which used to be referred to as the graveyard shift.
Aamir Khan has not just made a television series, he has helped us Indians envision a dream. Countless Indians have embarked on a journey that promises not to end with the culmination of the show (the series - many are already calling it the Season 1, expecting a Season 2 very soon - has just concluded a fortnight back), rather Aamir himself has said that it is the very beginning of the journey. Miles to go in the direction of total upliftment, equity and progress; the hurdles are too many, but the will to tackle them all has received a huge impetus. We are all passionate about our country, about the dream to make India a nation to be truly proud of; it would be a feat for us all to see the tears wiped off for good, to have teeming millions smiling for a better today and a promising tomorrow.
I would say that the show has revolutionized Indian television. I had been hugely apprehensive of the impact that the uniquely formatted show could have. So what if the show had a powerhouse anchor like Aamir Khan who was having his TV debut...... who expected masses to be awakened from their slumber to sit up and take note of the serious problems confronted by the citizens across the length and breadth of the country! I am pleasantly surprised to see the landmark response and the appeal generated by the same. People have not only been moved, charged by the vigor to harbinger positive changes, but opinions have been mobilized like never before! Unprecedented success has been garnered by the series, for which one must recognize the contribution of (apart from Aamir himself, the key-figure) the production house (Aamir Khan Productions Pvt. Ltd.), its entire team, especially the fabulous and in-depth research carried out by the research team, and, of course, the vision and perseverance of director Satyajit Bhatkal.

May the journey continue, may the dream reach fruition in the best possible way, may this revolution to make India a better nation in every way gain momentum each day - that is what I pray as we celebrate the 65th Independence Day of India.

Coffee coffee

They say, a lot can happen over a cup of coffee.
I concur..... and I would also like to add that even 
a cup of coffee can make love happen!

Coffee coffee...... here's some fresh coffee for two!!

When Size Does Not Matter.........

The size or the length or the duration of the film has nothing to do with the impact it can have. It is a known and proven fact. And once again it has been reiterated by the short films that I have had the chance to view in the last few weeks. It has been a truly enriching experience and I must thank TV5 for the opportunity it has given the viewers by showcasing some of the brilliant short films in French, subtitled in English for the non-French speaking viewers, like me.
The films that have mesmerized me, bowled me over, are:
Transparence
I Was a Child of Holocaust Survivors
The Trenches (La tranchée)
Margaux's Incredible Journey (L'incroyable voyage de Margaux)
La tête froide

Most of the films were thought provoking and dealt with complex themes or issues, but all of them were engrossing to the core. I recommend them for all my film-buff friends. I am sure the films will delight you for whatever reasons.

'Cocktail' fever!

It's the COCKTAIL fever!!!!!

Yes, I am stating this unashamedly
the entire nation,
rather the GenNow of this nation,
the multiplex frequenting guys and gals,
are in the grip of the frenzy generated
by this latest Bollywood romcom.
Never has a romcom, a typical chickflick material,
has captured the fancy of such a large number of people.

I myself was apprehensive when I came across reams of
newsprint devoted to the expectations that the trade circles
had been trumpeting after the promos started airing.
I definitely liked the songs, the catchy-peppy-zingy numbers,
and the visuals too, but did not expect fireworks as such in the movie. 
Bollywood is known to blow up humongous bubbles out of
nothingness....... and then the bubble bursts.
But watching the movie was simply pleasurable.
Yes, the material was flimsy, the old-wine-in-a-new-bottle
tag is very much applicable, but the three protagonists,
played by Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, and Diana Penty
won me over.......... I was charmed..........
I have to give a big thumbs up to the screenplay and dialogues,
and to the chemistry that they've managed to pull off.
Saif has done similar portrayals in films like 'Hum Tum', 'Salaam Namaste',
'Love Aaj Kal', and 'Kal Ho Naa Ho' already, but he has invested
a great deal of energy to reach new heights of urbane cool.
Diana Penty is oven-fresh sweet, and looks too good to take
my eyes off her. Despite being the proverbial  non-actress,
she fits the role of the docile, shy girl perfectly.
Deepika Padukone is the one who has been making
the audiences go crazy and is even triggering repeat viewings.
She has given a near flawless performance, and is likely to
get talked about and toasted in the days to come.
'Cocktail' is also enriched by a zany support from
the cast-members Dimple Kapadia and Boman Irani.
Randeep Hooda doesn't have much to do, and is a waste.
My last word: If you are not too pissed off watching romcoms,
and are willing to forget that Homi Adajania is the director of this flick
(his quirky sensibility from 'Being Cyrus' almost gone amiss),
you'll actually enjoy this breezy flick, the tedium in the second half
notwithstanding; go for it, preferably with friends for company.

Happy Friday the 13th!

Today is Friday the 13th. 
There are several beliefs, better termed superstitions, that bog people and make them skeptical about this date/day. There are several theories about their origins as well. I came to know just today that there is a specific term for the fear o0f Friday the 13th....... it's called triskaidekaphobia or paraskevidekatriaphobia....... quite a tongue twister the latter one!
I had seen the cult slasher movie 'Friday the 13th' years ago, and I just remember it for some of the genuinely chilling scenes of blood and gore, and for a very young Kevin Bacon who starred in it.
Happy Friday the 13th! No need to feel the shivers in the extremes.
Just enjoy the goofiness of the slasher flicks or the horror fest by means of umpteen specials on telly........ and do not feel spooked, come what may!

Image courtesy: Google images

Andrew Garfield - in 'Boy A'

Andrew Garfield is the talk of the town right now as he plays Spider-Man, the much loved superhero in the new Spider-Man film, a whole new franchise that supposedly varies to a great extent from the earlier films that has Tobey Maguire in the lead. I am yet to see the new film, 'The Amazing Spider-Man', but I have very recently seen an early film starring Andrew Garfield, 'Boy A', and have been in awe of this actor. The film is rather grim and intense. Andrew Garfield plays a young man who is released from the juvenile prison to which he had been sent at the age of ten, after being convicted of assisting in the murder of a twelve year old girl. Filmed in 2007, the subject had supposedly attracted a lot of attention, and the poignant depiction and the performances were hailed by many. 

However, I had no idea, and though I had already seen Andrew Garfield in movies like 'Lions for Lambs', 'The Other Boleyn Girl', and 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus', and his much impressive turn in 'The Social Network', I was unaware of this gem of a film. I found 'Boy A' to be emotionally disturbing, because of the material (it is based on the acclaimed novel by Jonathan Trigell) and at the same time handsomely rewarding on account of Garfield's luminous portrayal of the quite, shy and nervous youth who desperately seeks a second chance in life. His performance is so understated, and he seems so at ease, donning this difficult role, that it is impossible not be affected by the same. His vulnerability brought a lump to my throat and even after the end credits had rolled on, I was chewing on the words spoken by Garfield's character. 

The film, directed by John Crowley, and starring Andrew Garfield, Peter Mullan, and Katie Lyons, is now available on home video. So, do watch it for Garfield, unless you are put off by smallish, but serious (read: brooding, and sensitive), British films.

Happy World Music Day!

Happy World Music Day (Fête de la Musique)!
It's just another day, another celebration to some, 
but to the others, it is a day that is truly special. It is a day on which the world celebrates the magical gift of music. It was conceptualized in France, way back in 1976, by the American musician Joel Cohen. The concept was to celebrate music - all night long - to mark the beginning of the summer solstice. 
Since the Eighties, the concept has caught on in a big way with a huge number of countries celebrating in their own way, regardless of the season that one might be experiencing. 
The idea is noble..... amateur and professional musicians perform on makeshift stage, often together, to promote the goal of making all genres of music accessible to the masses. 
In true sense, it has become a mass movement in not less than thirty odd nations of the world. 
Street music has its detractors too, many are averse to the idea of all-night long revelry, the loud music, and the general commotion. The noise restrictions and other norms are thus imposed at most of these open-air free concerts. However, music rules the roost. 
'Faites de la musique' (make music) is the slogan that has gained prominence. 
Music serves to unite, to build bridges between cultures, and, more than anything else, it fosters harmony, tolerance and peace.
A friend of mine echoes my sentiments in saying, "Music for me is not just a hobby, it is a passion, it is worship, and is akin to oxygen, without which survival is absurd." Many of us genuinely believe that the ones who are blessed musically (and not all are) have the power to rise above all odds, they can heal themselves as well as others. They communicate in the universal language of God. 

"Music", in the words of Leonard Bernstein, "can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable." 
I believe that our souls are enriched by music that flows eternally, in this universe of ours, in the cosmos.

'Rock of Ages' rocks!!!

Rock of Ages is over-the-top, it's the good old musical.
It has an almost brought-back-from-the-dead feel.
I said 'almost', because it is actually lovable - in a campy way.

It gives us a star to root for - Diego Bonita.

Diego Bonita and Julianne Hough make a cute fresh lead pair.
Russell Brand displays his British wackiness once again.

And, with Alec Baldwin, Brand displays a quirky chemistry.

The story - of aspiring rockers - is as old as the history of musicals.
The girl-meets-boy-in-the-big-bad-City-of-Angels tale is paper-thin.
However, the secondary characters have a lot of pizzazz.
The deliciously funny, though predictable, situations make us chuckle.
Glam rock tracks, with anthem status, make us groove.

And the icing on the cake is Tom Cruise himself.

Cruise is a topping that is worth watching the movie for.

Cruise buffs have a reason to rejoice; others: witness a revelation.
Mary J. Blige shines too, as the owner of a night club.
Paul Giamatti plays a manipulative manager called, ahem ahem, Paul.

Despite the silliness, and some ham-acts, the film worked for me.

The songs - the cover versions plus the featured classics - are heavenly.

For a popcorn munching good time at the theaters,
Rock of Ages is recommended viewing.


Cast: Tom Cruise, Diego Bonita, Julianne Hough, Catherine Zeta-Jones,
Russell Brand, Alec Baldwin, Paul Giamatti, Malin Akerman,
Mary J. Blige, and Bryan Cranston.
Director: Adam Shankman.
Original musical: Chris D'Arienzo.
Screenplay: Chris D'Arienzo, Justin Theroux, and Allan Loeb.

Fine..... Fyn....... Fi9

You might say I am anything but fine......
You might say I am hiding behind a fake expression,
but I would still say, I am fine......
I am fine with my hardships,
I am fine with my heartbreaks,
I am fine with my numbness 
that I feel as the pain hasn't resided 
for ages...... 


I am fine with my emotional baggages,
I am fine with my yearnings 
for what cannot be brought back..... 
I am fine with the new worry-lines 
that set in on my face unknowingly.....
I am fine without you, 
I am fine without my aspirations.....
I am fine without my safety-nets,
I am fine without a back-up plan.
I am fine without a clue.
Well, I am closer to fine, 
or will be, soon.


[Pic courtesy: 'Frankenweenie']

Ani and Bonnie: Talking KKR, SRK and Didi

Talking point: Kolkata Knight Riders winning the IPL trophy and 
thereafter being honored by the CM of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee. 
Questions thrown up: Was it worth the hoopla by the government? 
Was it a case of Didi hijacking the show? 
Was it a case of an ambitious politician hitching on for selfish mileage? 
Was it a drainage of funds?
Was it a case of mutual back-slapping for ulterior gains?
Was the IPL victory blown out of proportion?
Was KKR's feat more an SRK feat?
Did the event expose West Bengal's Governor's blatant bias?
I wanted to have an overview of the controversy myself
and hence who else to talk it over with but my buddy Bonnie?
Here are the excerpts of our candid conversation:
Bonnie: I would say that the questions need to be asked. They are very much relevant because we need to find out if our state has really been suffering from an intellectual bankruptcy as evident from the manner in which a large section of the so called intelligent citizens choose to dance to the tunes of a piper who is at best a megalomaniac, and if our fears prove right, is an outright fascist dictator.
Ani: Isn't it also a case of unnecessary flak for an over-enthusiastic leader who simply chooses to do things her own way, swayed more by emotions than anything else?
Bonnie: Well, one in as powerful position as hers is required to tone down what you may put lightly as an overdose of emotions or enthusiasm. Did she really need to host two major events of felicitation for SRK's team, one in front of the Writer's Building and then the main event at Eden Gardens?
Ani: But you cannot deny the mass frenzy, the hysteria...... can you? People were overwhelmed by the long anticipated victory and the throng of masses to greet the players both along the route in which the team bus travelled and at Eden Gardens itself said it all.......
Bonnie: But, how could the CM see in it a victory of epic proportions? She said that it was Bengal's victory..... that it was like winning the world! Why deny that KKR is a private team...... the felicitation was just an excuse for Mamata Banerjee to hog the limelight....... the way she strutted the stadium or the way she wielded complete control - or at least tried to - is the flamboyance that we are all so used to by now, but it was a revelation for the entire nation, wasn't it? Undoubtedly, it is us Bengalis who would be lampooned yet again!
Ani: I wasn't so sure that the 'Purple Pride' was synonymous with Bangla and Bangalis while the IPL was in full swing, but after the victory, and more so after the riotous circus today, Bangalis are basking in the pride alright.......
Bonnie: You see, that was in the very scheme of things...... one surely would overlook the major lapses of the 'green' party's governance and would not even mind giving the 'supremo' a benefit of doubt, the purple-green combo would be tinting the glasses of the opiate alright.
Ani: I would like to leave the inferences and the final say to all the readers........ plus, time will reflect the arguments and counter arguments best........ remember, he (or she) laughs the loudest who laughs last!
There's no endnote in politics, or in sports. The game's always on.

Tagore Forever

Tagore rules our hearts.
Tagore remains ever significant,
ever relevant.

Like any other typical Bangali, I have lived, breathed,
romanticized, and experienced Tagore,
however, we all do it in our own way,
we discover him in various stages of our life,
uniquely, and yet universally.
Rabindranath Tagore, (or, as we better refer to
the bard as our very own Robi Thakur),
was born on May 7, 1861 (however, we celebrate hi birthday in the traditional way, based on the Bangla calendar or almanac - whereby it is the 25th day of Baisakh - Pnochise Boisakh),
and died on August 7, 1941 (like his birthday tradition we observe it on 22nd day of Shravan - Baishey Srabon).

His famous works include Gitanjali, The Crescent Moon, Fruit Gathering, Lover's Gift, and The Gardener. The prolific creative genius that he was, he wrote umpteen poems, and songs, and stories, novels, plays and essays, and a lot more. Further, his paintings keep enthralling us.
Recently, I have been listening a lot of Rabindrasangeet, and unlike my earlier penchant for the age-old gems sung by thespians like Suchitra Mitra, Kanika Bandyopadhyay, Shantideb Ghosh, Subinoy Roy, Hemanta Mukhopadhyay, Chinmay Chattopadhyay, Debabrata Biswas, and Sumitra Sen (to name just a few of my all-time favorites), I am very much liking the host of contemporary singers, young and energetic, and inspired very much by the traditionalists, yet not in the least hesitant to experiment in a healthy way.
And these young singers' (well, they are not in the same age group, but they have been getting the youth brigade to warm up to Rabindrasangeet, that they surely have in common) efforts I choose to laud and celebrate, and I would very much like to recommend their renditions to my fellow enthusiasts.
Here they are, selected solely on the basis of personal preference of mine (my readers are requested to add their favorites to the list):
Jayashree Dasgupta
Srabani Sen
Srikanto Acharya
Swagatalakshmi Dasgupta
Kamalini Mukherjee
Shreya GuhaThakurta
Manoj Murali Nair
Manisha Murali Nair
Samantak Sinha

Somlata Acharyya Chowdhury
Parama Banerjee
Aniruddha 'Sasha' Ghoshal
Sounak Chattopadhyay
Lopamudra Mitra
Upali Chattopadhyay
and 
Jayati Chakraborty

Endnote: Mention must be made of Bikram Singh (Vikram Singh Khangura) the eminent singer (son of yet another Rabindrasangeet exponent Mohan Singh Khangura) who met with an untimely death in 2009, at the age of 36.

The songs of Tagore sung by Bikram Singh, often without any musical accompaniment, has had many young convertees who have found in his soulful expressions a certain rootedness to bond with. His songs have definitely opened the flooodgates of possibilities to make Rabindrasangeet accessible to all, by sheer emphasis on the songs' true spirit sans gimmicks of any kind.

Happy Birthday, Iman!

Keep rocking, Iman!

Here's wishing you a very happy birthday!
Make music, make some noise......

Log on to Iman's cool website for more info
on this upcoming rockstar,
this volcano of a talent 
who makes you sit up and listen...... 
http://www.imansen.com
I wish him all the best
for his future endeavors....... 
may he strike the right chords, always;

may he connect profoundly with his listeners.
pics courtesy: Iman Sen; Calcutta Blues

A summer of discontent and dissent

I find the weather not only dreadful because it has warmed up badly 
but also because of the extreme discomfort it has been resulting in.

Kolkata has been missing out on the green cover to a greater extent this year as several construction projects are underway. 

And, on the personal front, I too am having a hard time, 
battling the challenges, physically and mentally. 

Although I am desperately trying to project an 'everything's cool' image.

A dear friend of mine asked me today: Why can't I be half as nice as interesting?

Well, that shows that my facade hasn't worn off...... hahaha.

I confess, I have been suffering a host of summer allergies of late. 

Plus, having to brave the heat in afternoons, have found me tweeting my woes.

As if the perspiration and dehydration weren't enough to irk us, there is an additional woe on account of the rising prices. Prices of consumer-durables and essential items are sky-rocketing each day!

Worse still, Kolkata - rather, the entire state of West Bengal - has been witnessing a summer of dissent what with the obnoxious political climate, many of the new government's (about to be a year-old soon) promises having been proved false, and some of the apprehensions about the leadership and the functioning having come true.

Remembering Ray

There was cinema before Ray, and cinema after.
Satyajit Ray is that big a milestone for filmmakers, and filmlovers in this part of the world.
As long as cinema will be there, retaining the very essence of what it has been revered by connoisseurs for, all over the world, Ray and his films, and his thoughts therein shall be relevant.

Today, and till late last night, I eagerly lapped up the Bangla version of his treasure-trove of a book, on the making of his very first film, 'My Years With Apu'. The Bangla version is called 'Apur Panchali'. It is a must read for all enthusiasts of cinema.

Shabdabaaji

Shubho Nabobarsho!~ Choddosho Unish!!!~
Launching today......
a brand new Bangla website!!!!!
It's called Shabdabaaji

[Bangla sobder khela - nishiddho noy , emon ek dhoroner SHABDABAAJI - jante hole , khelte hobe!!]

-it's the brainchild of my dear friend Tonmoy, better known as MJ Roy, the popular anchor/presenter from the world of radio and television.
Shabdabaaji, literally, means word bomb or word cracker, and the pun in Bangla is with the art or skill of toying with words, having fun with the usage and guessing the right word, or parts of a word.
The site promises to be a whole lot of fun for all those who are thorough with the Bangla language and love solving word games. It promises to carry forward the joy of participation which became one of the major highlights for the FM radio station 94.3 Radio One, where Roy's programme spread its wings.
I must confess that I am myself not so skilled at solving Bangla word puzzles. But I was astonished to find so many who are adept at it. People would tune in just to compete and win prizes when the programme would be on air. Roy carried forward the concept to live events at the Book Fair (Kolkata BoiMela) garnering a super-positive response from the masses.
No wonder, last year, the United Nations declared Bangla to be the sweetest language on earth...... and it is this very sweetness that is about to be celebrated once again.

From this day onward, the auspicious Paila Baisakh, all those who are skilled in the language, and love toying with the common Bangla words, would have a new reason to rejoice.
SHABDABAAJI, the website, hopes to be big. The possibilities are immense. Now, global netizens can participate and get hooked to a new literary indulgence.
One should just love to accept the challenge that a regularly used Bangla word might pose in a somewhat changed look. A passable knowledge of common Bangla words will be enough to log in to the site for days and months.
Here, take a look, to know what it is likely to offer:

It's a novel concept indeed..... may it grow as a phenomenon.
Launch venue: Big Bazaar Family Centre, Sealdah,
Poila Baisakh, April 14, at 5pm.
Be there at the event, and,
more importantly, log on to the site for word-related fun:
http://shabdabaaji.com
Here's wishing it the very best.
And here's telling Roy, 'Kudos! Best of luck, buddy!'

Happy Birthday, Ewan!

Ewan McGregor is the birthday boy today! Hahaha.......
And here I am wishing him the very best, as I choose to gush about his greatness, the die-hard fan that I am, of this hugely talented Scottish actor.

Ewan McGregor, who turns 41 today, has acted in some of the most pathbreaking movies and has established his reputation as an actor of renown. He has bagged as much critical acclaim as popularity. His star appeal is largely because of the characters he has played on-screen, and not for his off-screen exploits which are known to provide some lesser actors an overnight popularity that is difficult to retain.

Here's a list of Ewan McGregor flicks
that I have seen till date:
Trainspotting
Emma
Brassed Off
Nightwatch
The Serpent's Kiss
A Life Less Ordinary
Little Voice
Rogue Trader
Moulin Rouge!
Black Hawk Down
Down with Love
Young Adam
Big Fish
Robots 
The Island
Stay
Stormbreaker
Miss Potter
Cassandra's Dream
Incendiary
Deception
I Love You Phillip Morris
Angels and Demons
The Men Who Stare at Goats
Amelia
The Ghost Writer
Perfect Sense
Beginners

Happy World Theatre Day!

Just the other day I wrote about cinema (well, most of my posts are on cinema, but my last post was more of a salute to the birth or evolution of cinema, thanks to the Lumière Brothers), and today happens to be World Theatre Day and here I am writing about my love affair with the stage. This has happened not by choice, trust me readers.
For most people, all over the world, theatre has been a prime form of self-expression, a source of entertainment as well as awareness and learning. For me, the exposure to theatre came late. As a child, I was only privileged to watching our school plays, and mostly I would not have an active participation in the same. Once my class-teacher had complained to my mother that while almost the entire class had been eager to audition for the play to be staged on the annual day programme, I had been reticent. Well, I was the shy guy, I hated the limelight, and could not imagine myself mouthing rehearsed dialogues on stage (although I used to regularly take part in the music concerts at the school auditorium.
The only connect with theatre used to be the airing of the plays each week on television or on radio, and some of the performances at the local soirées. But hardly that was the real deal, I was yet to wake up to the full blown magic of stagecraft.
It was in my late teens, that I fell in love with theatre, and that happened rather oddly while I started enjoying plays in the written format, as opposed to them being performed, which I hadn't been privy to. I pored over many of the contemporary plays of the American and British playwrights and even bought and studied plays written by the Indian masters like Badal Sircar, Vijay Tendulkar and Girish Karnad. Then, came the touring Shakespearean company who gave me a taste of the magic of Shakespeare's plays (till then I had not been able to enjoy any of the Shakespearean classics in their original form, unaided, and had only seen the recordings and film adaptations of some of Shakespeare's plays at the British Council and on television), and I fell for the same - hook, line, and sinker. I discovered to my amazement how madly in love with theatre was my very own city - Kolkata!
By the way, I must also mention yet another influential factor in shaping my regard for theatre. It was the privilege of witnessing the mammoth production of Peter Brook's 'The Mahabharata' - the filmed version of the stage play.
The Academy of Fine Arts, Max Mueller Bhavan, Rabindra Sadan, Sisir Mancha, Madhusudan Mancha and many such venues became my weekend haunts. I would take time out of my schedule of classes and tuitions and hop along with a few other theatre-enthusiast friends of mine to watch the latest stage productions of the theatre groups. Commercial or mainstream theatre's heydays were over by then, and the repertory companies had a tough time performing on a rotational basis at the thriving auditoriums. I shall never get over the fact that I did not get to see thespians like Shambhu Mitra, Tripti Mitra, Ajitesh Banerjee and Utpal Dutt perform live. However, the ones who regaled me were also to learn from and their performances have enriched me immensely as a viewer. I have been fortunate to watch the live performances of thespians and stalwarts like Badal Sircar, Kumar Roy, Rudraprasad Sengupta, Bibhas Chakraborty, Ashok Mukhopadhyay, Soumitra Chatterjee, Swatilekha Sengupta, Aparna Sen, Sohag Sen, Manoj Mitra, Usha Ganguly, and Saoli Mitra. Among the new-age actors and directors, Gautam Halder, Anjan Dutt, Kaushik Sen, Sohini Sengupta, and Suman Mukhopadhyay are just a handful of names who have had much influence on me. I feel privileged to have seen some of them from close quarters, honing their craft. Reminiscing about theatre, I can never forget Steven Berkoff who had come from London and had absolutely mesmerized me as he performed Shakespeare's Villains at an intimate gathering one evening.
I feel a tad guilty as lately I haven't been able to catch up with the stagings as much as I would have wanted to.
Theatre has prospered and evolved even with the apparent encroachments of consumerist culture that favours cinema and television more. Theatre's pro-active role is unique, its influence far-reaching, and its impact tremendous. The joy of performing in front of a live audience is unparalleled for an actor, and hence we see that actors who migrate to other forms return to theatre time and again. Nowadays, there is greater appreciation; there's greater exposure to world theatre as well. The number of training institutes have grown.
Across the world there are multiple specialisations to choose from at the diverse drama schools and training institutes that teach the basics of acting and stagecraft. Theatre still struggles for funding, and hopes for a better future. Ultimately, for an individual, theatre is not about a career or a profession. Theatre is a genuine passion that one can't let go whatsoever. On this day, I salute all such passionate individuals and theatre groups. Happy World Theatre Day!

First show!!! First time!!!!

On this day, in 1895, at 44 Rue de Rennes in Paris, the Lumière Brothers screened 'Workers leaving the Lumière factory' - the first piece of cinema!

I think it is apt for us to look back at the inception of cinema, as we know it now, as the entire world has been focusing a lot of recent cinematic attention on 'The Artist' and 'Hugo' - both excellent movies on their own.

I had earlier mentioned 'The Artist', in listing my Oscar favorites for the year, it celebrates silent cinema and opens the eyes of the new-age film enthusiasts to this very genre from the past. I have written about my being charmed by 'Hugo' in an exclusive piece too. Recently, I read somewhere that 'Hugo' is Martin Scorsese’s cinematic love letter to Georges Méliès, the famous French illusionist and filmmaker. I loved the befitting tag.

We often neglect history. It's a shame. We must never fail to honour our illustrious past. The Lumière Brothers, Auguste and Louis, could not possibly fathom the ramifications of the cinematic explosion that was destined to happen, and their first screening - or rather the series of screenings which began - was not even meant for the general public (the first public screening was to take place in December that year, at the Grand Cafe on Boulevard de Capuchines, Paris), but history was made with the exposure to the filming and film viewing experience.

Movies have come a long way. Yet, they are still marvelled at. They still fill us with awe, admiration and amazement. The best of the films inspire us, educate us, enlighten us. And moving images or moving images are best interpreted, universally, as movies; they move us, emotionally. They affect us. They affect social changes even.

However, movies are now not just watched, they are consumed!

Movie-making has undergone a sea-change, or rather witnessed waves of changes, waves of revolution, one after the other. Cinema is one of the most dynamic art forms. Cinematic brilliance is honored and revered like never before.

The skeptics have foreseen death of cinema; well, it is yet to happen and is hardly foreseeable in the near future, although evolution has been the order of the day, it is the key to sustenance and survival after all.

Bhooter Bhobishyot: Plight of the Living Dead

Anik Dutta's debut Bangla feature film 'Bhooter Bhobishyot' is a delightful watch.

It is a tongue-in-cheek film about endangered ghosts of an ancient mansion.

Here, the ghosts of the age-old Choudhury Palace face the plight of getting ousted, as it is being eyed for a mall-cum-multiplex, thanks to the contemporary consumerist craze.

The crumbling mansion hosts unique specimens of the living dead, hailing from different era and from different socio-cultural backgrounds, making the colourful past come alive.

They have nowhere else to go, and apparently enjoy their stay at the derelict mansion.

Their abode lures film crew who find shooting amidst the decaying opulence lucrative.

It is an irritant for the ghostly souls - averse to the purported invasion of privacy.

They ensure that the place gets a haunted house tag and remains secluded in obscurity.

They also need to ward off the scheming villains eager to raze the building to the grounds.

I found 'Bhooter Bhobishyot' to be a thoroughly entertaining film. It does not pretend to be pseudo-intellectual, although the premise has multiple layers that will make one chuckle and relish the sardonic wit in the writing. The director deserves a pat in the back for the skilful execution of his novel concept, and the producers deserve some genuine appreciation for having braved to back a project which one would have easily relegated for the small screen, as many a novel idea are found to seek refuge only in the format of tele-films. After all, this is indeed a period of existential crisis for not just the film's ghost protagonists but also for the makers of cinema that chooses to digress from a much trodden path. Anik Dutta's film tries to blend the absurd, or the farcical, with the real. And he succeeds, mostly that is.

The ensemble cast is joy to watch. It includes (the list is really long) Parambrata Chatterjee, Sabyasachi Chakraborty, Anindita Bose, Bibhu Bhattacharya, Swastika Mukherjee, George Baker, Paran Bandyopadhyay, Samadarshi Dutta, Sumit Samaddar, Biswajit Chakraborty, Mumtaz Sorcar, Monami Ghosh, Kharaj Mukherjee, Saswata Chatterjee, Debdoot Ghosh, Srilekha Mitra and Mir. Some of the big names just have cameo appearances, yet each has contributed fairly to make their presence felt.

The teamwork of Indranil Ghosh (art direction), Abhik Mukherjee (cinematography), and ArghyaKamal Mitra (editing) has contributed immensely in creating the ambience and ethos integral to the narrative. The music (by Raja Narayan Deb) is apt and some of the situational songs are a breather (the best songs are however the zany ones featured on Samadarshi, playing Pablo-the-rocker). The spoofy takes on the constitutional inconsistencies of Bangali life, as well as the period-specific milestones that are casually referred to, have enriched the screenplay. The film could have been a crass comedy in lesser hands (although some of the innuendos could have been easily avoided) and a less nuanced tone could have marred the desired effect. I wish the film all the best, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that Bangali viewers (who do not necessarily equate a comedy with a laughathon) will love this breezy celluloid treat.