The Coffee Post

Posting a fun message shared by a dear friend of mine. It's dedicated to all the coffee-lovers.
The kind of coffee we love to drink actually says a lot about us.
Here, take a look: 
The Espresso-lovers are friendly and adaptive.
Those who like Double Espresso are practical & hardworking.
Those who like Triple Espresso are enthusiastic but obsessive.
The Latte-lovers are reflective but often indecisive. In a world of unknowns, they like the safe pick.
The Macchiato fans are, essentially, traditional and reserved.
Those who love the Americano coffee are calm and conscientious.
The Mocha-lovers are basically fun loving and creative people.
Cappuccino is the flavor favored by the warm-hearted but obvious folks.
Iced-coffee is the fond favorite of those who are assertive and outspoken.
The Frappuccino-lovers are the happy and energetic kind.
Coffee-to-go is definitely the one for the serious and focused.

She said... she said...

Be the music in the streets, she said...
walk a poem, sing out-of-tune, make strangers turn, shake the norm, rattle the mundane....
I couldn't follow all her words;
being the 'feet on the ground, mind in the sky' guy that I am...
no, we couldn't roll together even...
so what! I salute her spirit and her spunk.
.... Remembering a special someone on this day.
End-note:
Some of the best conversations I have are with the ghosts (not in the literal sense though) of people that have slipped for good from my life.

Alert

User discretion alert:
The anonymity of social networking might be psychologically disturbing for some people,
viz. those suffering from bipolar syndrome.

Bengaluru days, Bengaluru nights

Crazy is as crazy does...
Listening. Singing. Humming.
"kuchh hai junoon sa kuchh paagalpan hai sau baatein karta yeh buddhu sa mann hai"
[dollops of passion
and some madness too
my silly stupid heart
voices umpteen things for you]

Art

There is no right or wrong
when it comes to making art.
Making sure that you have fun
is the most important part.
Splash a little paint,
draw a little line.
Just make sure that you have fun
each and every time.
- Mickey Mouse
(courtesy: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse)

Fools' Day

For some, it is April Fools' Day...
for others, it's just life - unfortunately, their entire life has been a joke.

To Get Real

In the corporate world, it is essential to surround ourselves with the best possible people for maximizing goal realization. So should it be in our personal lives.
If history is any guide, we should give this idea a serious consideration.
Life puts us face-to-face with rigorous review processes... we're compelled to look back and question if we've invested in faulty relationships all through. The answers aren't supposed to provide us with relief or comfort, but give us a much needed jolt to get real.

Modern Times

On February 5, 1936, "Modern Times', one of the finest films by Charlie Chaplin, was released.
The satire of the Machine Age is about a worker driven insane by his job.

Feasting on Films

Aaj khaane mein kya hai?
Me: Cinema, and cinema, and...
cinema...
with cinema! :>
Do not disturb. I'm feasting on films.

Happy Birthday, Justin Timberlake

"What goes around
goes around
goes around...
comes all the way back around"
Happy Birthday, Justin Timberlake!

Happy birthday, Sherlock!

January is the month when British author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created Sherlock Holmes, in 1854. 'His Last Bow', the final Holmes story described him as a man of 60.

Scream fantasy

My Scream Fantasy:
It's the morning of 1st Jan...
I come out into the streets screaming, "It's NEW YEAR! It's a NEW ME!" and then
I unzip my skin face mask and reveal...
I'm an alien!

Top Ten Films 2015

Best films seen by me this year (be it on the big screen or on home video/telly) are:

1. Nebraska (2013) 
2. Whiplash (2014) 
3. The Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014) 
4. Masaan (2015) 
5. Labour of Love (Asha Jaoar Majhe) (2014/15) 
6. Margarita with a Straw (2014/15) 
7. Mr Turner (2014) 
8. Ex Machina (2015) 
9. The Science of Sleep (2006) 
10. Hunterrr (2015) 

London-like Kolkata

Many keep asking me why I have stopped writing about Kolkata. Well, Kolkata has been my Love and one doesn't feel like writing about her unless there is some affirmative thoughts. Of late, she has been the cause of concern, there has been a certain hopelessness and frustrating disquiet about her which kept me silent. She has been the butt of jokes ever since it had been announced that she was going to become 'our London' some years back. It was a tall demand according to some, and an unhealthy, unfair one according to most.
As far as civic amenities are concerned, we still fall behind many of the preferred metropolitan cities. However, the effort is on, to smarten up and to provide Kolkatans with some of the much needed facilities. One such proposed London-like facility excites me. It's the promise of an integrated transport card, in a bid to encourage commuting by public transport and to thereby ease congestion on the city streets. The proposed Kolkata Transport Card would be on the lines of London's Oyster card, and it will be valid on all mass transport modes: private and state buses, trams, ferries and the metro-rail. The transport department has already started working on the integrated fare management and ticketing system. Let's look forward to this in the year 2016.

Tamasha

Imtiaz Ali, despite being a mainstream filmmaker, always makes films that are interesting to watch, that always move us with the moments of subtlety and poignance, and there's always a certain heartfelt honesty in the portrayal of human relationships. He seems to borrow heavily from his own experiences and I think this fact itself translates into bringing the narrative to life. The complex nuances certainly do not appeal to everyone, nonetheless his films manage to win hearts simply by virtue of their power, the profound effect they have on us. His latest, 'Tamasha', is thus no exception. It charmed me as much as his 'Rockstar', maybe a little more. Actually, I was mesmerized by his narration. The story was just an excuse, the intriguing narration held the key to a genuinely fulfilling experience. The message of breaking free of the exasperating, life-sucking monotony emerged loud and clear.
The characters of Ved and Tara have been so lovingly breathed life into by the lead players - Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone - that it is impossible not to be drawn towards them. The splendidly sizzling chemistry that these actors have between them actually worked wonders for the script. Ravi Varman's cinematography, A.R. Rahman's music, Irshad Kamil's lyrics - all added to this celebration of life as a stage where we enact our bits as mere players... and the story continues.

TeeVee izzzz in!

The year 2015 has been all about binge-watching! Last year, I didn't even know such a term existed when it came to watching television.
Television has suddenly come of age in our country thanks to many a contemporary international television series becoming a rage on the internet. People, largely the youth, not only watched them online but kept discussing them on the social media, spreading the good word. Our English language entertainment channels couldn't be far behind, could they? They needed some catching up to do. Thus, they first came up with the premium HD channels, and subsequently, to compete with each other - and particularly to compete with a new entrant on the scene that promised a wide bouquet of hit shows from the U.S. as well as the U.K. - throwing at us some quality content (albeit heavily censored) even across the non-premium channels became the new norm.
Indeed I have bitten the bait. I have practically fallen hook-line-and-sinker for many of the shows aired this year, or are currently being aired. I have watched some of them in their downloaded format, courtesy some generous friends of mine, after I developed a strong liking for them just as the tv runs began.
These favorites of mine include 'Mr Robot' (which I've written about earlier, here), 'Downton Abbey', 'American Horror Story: Hotel', 'Gotham', 'Broadchurch' (a still from the series featured with this post), 'Sherlock', 'Limitless', 'Ray Donovan', 'The Honourable Woman' and 'Orange is the New Black'.

Merry Christmas!

It's the season of good cheer. Christmas is here. And Christmas has always felt special for me. There have been fond associations since childhood.
These days, I feel there is a greater read to celebrate the spirit of sacrifice and selflessness, and of sharing our joys with others, especially those who are less fortunate than us. The festival has a profound significance that extends beyond religion, beyond one's chosen faith. In the same true spirit of Christmas, let us pray for peace, let us pray for brotherhood and tolerance.

Merry Christmas!
(pic courtesy: Aamir Khan)

Mister Robot

Television is having some exciting content right now and Mister Robot is right at the top of my preferred programmes in the fictional category.
'Mr. Robot' is undoubtedly the best series on television in recent times not only in the suspenseful/dramatic genre, but across all genres. It has a brilliant premise, and a wonderful cast.
Mind you, it's wickedly scary, and deliciouly thought-provoking
- all at once!

Cinema cinema

It's ironical that cinema, globally, is facing a crisis of sorts, as it is being challenged in many different ways in the present age, and yet cinemagoers are getting diverse options when it comes to the fare that is offered, the range hasn't been more variant....
cinema - of the qualitative kind - entertains and how!
Would just like to mention two films that I recently enjoyed viewing, at the same multiplex... they are 'Nirbashito' and 'Minions'... they couldn't have been more different, but both made my 'visit to the cinema' worthwhile.

My heart beats for Pluto!

Zoya Akhtar's 'Dil Dhadakne Do' wouldn't have been half as interesting had it not been for Aamir Khan.
And his lines penned by Javed Akhtar.
Aamir voices the lovable mastiff Pluto.
Pluto Mehra is the sutradhaar, and the voice of reason, he knows the swanky Mehras' follies and foibles and yet he loves them unconditionally.