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!
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.
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.
From motion to emotion... the whole lot actually; constipation is not just a condition, it's a motif and a metaphor in the film 'Piku'. And unless one is a constipated person, emotionally, that is, in other words, a completely stuck-up individual, averse to life itself, one cannot but appreciate the film that embodies the journey of life through a layered narrative.
'Piku' is definitely Shoojit Sircar's best film till date.
And the toast of the movie is none other than Deepika Padukone, in the title role. The film belongs to her!
And, if course, a big round of applause for Juhi Chaturvedi, the screenplay-writer. Amitabh Bachchan, Irrfan Khan, Moushumi Chatterjee, Raghubir Yadav, Jisshu Sengupta are also in the cast and each deserve a special mention, as do a few others. 'Piku' is a feat as it is universally relatable and addresses a reality clothed in subtleties, despite the idiosyncrasies typified by the Bongs.
When darkness descends,
Let me feel the comfort of your presence;
Let me not recall the nights of dreading the unknown,
Dreading the days that would follow
To engulf me in a greater darkness...
Your limitless - a breeze that wafts in
and makes me feel secure.
Warm, tender, assuring...
Your touch is sensed amidst the stillness of the night,
You call my name -
it has that familiar ring to it;
I know,
you still do.
And oft I choose sleeplessness
Just to reawaken my numb senses,
To make the most of this darkness.
Good morning...
morning messages are great mood uplifters for me, and there's nothing like a morning smiley that boosts our morale, so here's a treat for my readers, virtual... but you may try it out for real, for all your loved ones (strictly for the egg-lovers though).
Margarita with a Straw is not just a film, it's an experience..... an humbling experience.
Gorging on Holi sweets.... the gujiyas, which are special north-Indian delicacies and which I haven't had the privilege of having earlier.
It is one film that has been in the news for all kinds of reasons, right from the word go. The concept itself is one that makes us sit up and take note. The 'period' film, based in Bombay (that's how the city was known to the world in the Sixties, not as Mumbai), where a boxer and a jazz singer face the bitter truth that the city can hardly offer them love or hope - that they've been desperately seeking - hasn't been easy to make. From the casting, to the execution, the post-production and now the much-delayed release, a whole gamut of hassles have had to be fought. But Anurag Kashyap is someone who isn't expected to give up on his dreams.
Now, that the teaser poster is out, our appetite is whetted all the more. Here's wishing the team of 'Bombay Velvet' ( the cast includes Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Karan Johar, Raveena Tandon and Kay Kay Menon) the very best.
I wish to be pampered like someone's darling cat, someone who is spoilt with all the attention and care. Silly me!
Best films seen by me this year (be it on the big screen or on home video/telly) are:
1. Boyhood (2014)
2. Ankhon Dekhi (2014)
3. Blue Jasmine (2013)
4. Miss Lovely (2012)
5. The Mudge Boy (2002)
6. Gravity (2013)
7. Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
8. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
9. Finding Fanny (2014)
10. The Man in the Moon (1991)
'Khoobsurat', the 2014 film is a delight. Yes, it is what's often called a chick-flick... yes, it's too much of a candy floss concoction without the characters or the situations making much sense... and, no, the reference to the Rekha starrer of the same name from the Eighties was not at all necessary. But, for the entire family that's on the lookout for a clean, hilarious romance at the nearest multiplex, this film is just the recommended fare.
