Happy Birthday, Dear Aamir!

Dear Aamir.......
This is an open letter to you.
Nothing too personal.
It's some thoughts that I want to share with all.
All of us have dreams. And many of us try to eke out a living by pursuing our dreams, and even selling dreams to millions. A few are successful in pursuing those dreams. But a fewer still are successful in selling dreams that millions don't just hold on to as ideals but also believe in the possibility of their fruition no matter how impossible that may be, judging by the parameters of reality.
You have not just successfully spun dreams on the celluloid for years, but have been a true inspiration for several more than the blind followers of a hero's antics on the big screen choosing to stay mesmerized within the darkened theaters where unreal is real all in the name of entertainment..... you have helped people sit up and take note of the hardcore realities, of the unsavory truths, and have made people genuinely charged up and energized to contribute towards positive changes in the society. You have helped people break barriers, overcome limitations and inhibitions, and continue to do so as the second season of your reality show Satyamev Jayate continues its glorious run on television.
I can't help but shun my acerbic apprehensions regarding tv-philanthropy and feel all zesty and optimistic.
May your goodness rub off on us, and may our society be blessed with more of your kind.
Here's wishing you a Very Happy Birthday!

a collage of film-stills

the many moods

'Ghajini'

an early photo-shoot

The best feeling

I know, it may sound cliched.......
I know, it would not mean much to the world that does not understand the significance of what lies in between the words, what it really feels.......
yet, I have to admit, to that 'special person' as much as to myself, that it feels the best, the very best, when I look at that person and, wonder of wonders, I see a smile so genuine, a smile that can be credited to my presence, my being in that person's life, an affirmation that's unique.

Madam Has Left the Floor!

She was addressed as 'Madam' in Tollygunge where she reigned as the screen goddess, she was the icon of Bangla cinema, she was and will remain a legend, there was none like her, and there shall be none like her.
Suchitra Sen has left for her heavenly abode, today.
I had never met the star. Like most of my generation, had seen seen her in films shown on television. Had only heard about the frenzy that she embodied in her prime. Had only learnt of the tales that kept circulating, myth-like, about her star persona, about her mood tantrums, about her being a person of many shades, many dimensions. She lived and breathed the same air as me, here, in the city of Kolkata, and she was far beyond the reach of glamour, gossip and gaiety of the tinsel town. She lived saint-like, having said goodbye to the world of films, far from the maddening public domain. We found it so hard to believe that she could really treat all the adulation, and even the speculations that kept buzzing, indifferently, as if all the glory and all the fame, was from another lifetime, as if it was all about an alter ego of hers.
My father had been a great fan of hers even as a schoolboy, and I remember telling him that I too could feel the palpable magic of hers when I watched her films from the golden era of Bangla cinema. Incidentally, my mother was her namesake (her 'real' name, not the screen name; and paired with the surname post-marriage), which I found to be amusing. My mother even had a glimpse of her from behind when she was waiting at a doctor's chamber (just as Suchitra Sen passed in a huff after consultation, the nurse whispered to my mom her identity)! Some years back, I too remember walking with a friend of mine at odd times near the late star's residence hoping to luckily (read: miraculously) catch a glimpse, as I had heard that she did come out for walks, incognito. But that was just a phase after catching up with films like 'Saptapadi' (the only film of hers that I had seen in an auditorium at a special theatrical screening for charity), 'Devdas', 'Bombai Ka Baboo', and 'Grihadaha'; soon, I came to terms with the reality, and I even found her stance laudable.
She shall always remain in my heart, just as it would be for millions of movie-lovers, across ages, across territories. Hearing of her passing away, so many tributes have pored in from all over, the social-networking sites are a testament to people's love for her. I end my post with borrowed words.... words from a dear fried of mine, Kaustav Bakshi, who says: Very few actresses could have enacted the fulfilment of the consummation of love like Suchitra Sen, who emoted every syllable of every song, in the moonlit night, her coy smile radiating the silver of the droopy moon..... her passionate outbursts for a dying lover.... her total surrender to the man of her dreams.... her gritty exuberance.... her agony of loss.... her repentance for a happy marriage gone terribly wrong.... Suchitra Sen had become the very epitome of romance, and all its associated emotions for an entire generation and thereafter. She became love, or love became her.... it's difficult to tell now.... Her demise has finally drawn the curtains on an era..... Long live Suchitra Sen!"

Pics courtesy: AnandaBazar Patrika

Films Seen in 2013: Top Ten

Which are my selections for the best films seen in 2013?
You must be wondering.
Let's see if my pick for the top ten movies this year matches yours.
Well, it's easy to guess my favorites because I have already spoken or written about them, be it here or on any of the virtual platforms for exchange of ideas, viz. Twitter, Facebook.

'ParaNorman'

Here's the Top Ten list of mine:

1. Amour (2012)
2. Prince Avalanche (2013)
3. Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)
4. Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
5. The Master (2012)
6. The Fall (2006)
7. ParaNorman (2012)
8. Ship of Theseus (2012)
9. Shabdo (2013)
10. Shahid (2013) 

It's the time to DHOOM!

"Dhoom machale dhoom machale dhoom.....!"
The lovers of the 'Dhoom' franchise have been going crazy ever since the project was announced, and the fans of Aamir Khan were too thrilled to know that the ace perfectionist had finally given his nod for the role of the anti-hero, it being obvious to all that a lot of convincing by the makers was called for.
Well, the film is finally here, the year is about to end and the makers have been screaming loud and clear that Dhoom 3 will be the movie that the loyal followers of the cult desi action series had been eagerly waiting for all this while, with its usual dose of masala, and more.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's Thanksgiving Day, and although it actually has been an American tradition for more nearly 400 hundred years, I think it has grown in appeal, if not in the exact same observance, around the world.
Here in India too people do wish each other on this day and many of us take the opportunity to pause to pause and be thankful for the bounties enjoyed. 
Some of my friends have asked me what is it that one needs to be thankful for, and my answer would be something that I had read a long time back and has stayed with me, it is: If staying alive is not something to be thankful for, I don't know what is.
Life is too short to be sitting around all glum and miserable. We may keep complaining, as much as we like, that life hasn't been fair to us, but complaining can hardly make us feel better. Can't afford to be cynical all our lives, I don't think even the grumpiest person on earth can be so!
Life fails to be perfect - that's something people would unanimously agree upon - but it never fails to catch us unawares and surprise us with its beauty. Sometimes it is the beauty of life that overwhelms, sometimes I find it heartbreaking; sometimes it's just too much to soak in, to absorb.
I have come to realize that it is not happy people who are thankful but thankful people who are happy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

'The Lone Ranger' - The Fun Western

'The Lone Ranger' is a fun Western...... now does my mentioning of it make you squirm, or raise your eyebrows? Well, you may ask, aren't the Westerns by the very definition of the genre fun to watch? Yes, and not necessarily so. I must point out, dear friends, that there are too many sub-genres - you may either not be familiar with all of them or maybe you haven't been too scrutinizing as a viewer. Those of you who might not have warmed up to the reworking of this time-tested swashbuckler, this particular big budget adventure, were probably expecting something and got something else in return. However, I watched the movie without any pre-occupation, and felt handsomely rewarded. The film pokes fun every now and then but does not fail to thrill one with the cowboy-esque stunts and edge-of-the-seat action. The silliness and the weirdness are supposed to make one chuckle and feel delighted. The presence of Johnny Depp in the film elevates the experience by many notches. Armie Hammer is the pseudo hero - likable just in parts though. Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Wilkinson, Barry Pepper, and William Fichtner eminently enrich the proceedings in this Gore Verbinski film by their individual portrayals. The CGI job and the 3D effects are neat, and the spaced out treatment given to the screenplay is what had me hooked in the first place.

Wholesome entertainment

Wholesome entertainment, unapologetic, unadulterated, absolute fun to watch..... 

'The Wolverine' 

Inspirational Fight Flicks

Here's my list of top ten inspirational fight flicks:

'Raging Bull'

'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon'

'Rocky'

'Kill Bill'

'The Karate Kid'

'Cinderella Man'

'Fight Club'

'Snatch'

'Enter the Dragon'

'Never Back Down'

1. Raging Bull (1980)
2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
3. Rocky (1976)
4. Kill Bill (Vol. 1 and 2) (2003/2004)
5. The Karate Kid (1984)
6. Cinderella Man (2005)
7. Fight Club (1999)
8. Snatch (2000)
9. Enter the Dragon (1973)
and
10. Never Back Down (2008)

Mahalaya....

Today happens to be Mahalaya....
a day that used to be much significant for me, once, largely because of my Dad. It is a landmark day for all traditional Bangalis, and my Dad was one who placed a lot of emphasis on the age-old traditions. I too happily had grown with the emotional attachment that one has for Durga Pujo and Mahalaya.... the joyance is all nostalgia now....

'Prince Avalanche'

A minimalist tale, with layered character analyses, and dollops of odd humour and genuine warmth.....
that's what the doctor ordered, perhaps, and that's why I was absolutely spellbound, thrilled beyond doubt, to have stumbled upon David Gordon Green's gem of a film:
'Prince Avalanche'.
The verdict is plain and simple: It's fabulous.
Recommended for all fellow film-buffs.