It's that time of the year.......

Yes, again it's that time of the year...... it's the time for the Oscars!

And from the long list of nominees, here are the films doing the rounds (in one or multiple categories, including the contenders for acting) that I have had the privilege of watching:
Amour 
Life of Pi 
Lincoln 
Argo 
Zero Dark Thirty 
Silver Linings Playbook 
Beasts of the Southern Wild 
Django Unchained 
Les Misérables 
Frankenweenie 
The Sessions 
The Impossible
Brave
Mirror Mirror
Anna Karenina
Skyfall
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Ted
Moonrise Kingdom
Flight 

[No copyright infringement intended. All rights as regards the pics reserved by the studios concerned.]

Kai Po Che I Freedom. Dreams. Destiny I Promo

Freedom. Dreams. Destiny. 'Kai Po Che'!!!

I am excited by the promos, and the songs, and the supposedly interesting making of the new film from Abhishek Kapoor based on the successful novel of Chetan Bhagat, named 'The 3 Mistakes of My Life'. Abhishek Kapoor had earlier struck gold with the film 'Rock On!', after having had much struggle as an actor and even as a director. Whereas Chetan Bhagat happens to be the best-selling Indian author who writes essentially about the youth and their relationships and aspirations. The film stars Sushant Singh Rajput, Amit Sadh, Raj Kumar Yadav, Amrita Puri, Manish Chawla and others. The screenplay has been penned jointly by Pubali Chaudhari, Supratik Sen, Abhishek Kapoor and Chetan Bhagat. Anay Goswamy is credited with the cinematography, and the music (the songs have become chartbusters already) has been scored by Amit Trivedi. The film has garnered a place of pride with its being screened in the World Panorama section at the Berlin Film Festival this year, and is awaiting its release worldwide this Friday.

'Damadol'

Zany, madcap comedies are the most difficult to make.
That explains why we have them so few and far between.

I have often been told by my non-Bengali friends that we are so hesitant to laugh at ourselves and that is why we have so few Bangla films that belong exclusively to the comedy genre. Well, it is a fact that we do not have as many successful comedies on the big screen to boast about, but the reasons behind which are more than the fingers on our hands. Recently, we have had some quality films that showcase our comedic sense and make one laugh with the nuanced representations. Soon, it will be time let our hair down with 'Damadol', an ensemble comedy that I am looking forward to.

In the ensemble cast are some much known faces, some much loved because of their work on television, while there are a few fresh faces as well. What encourages me most, as a viewer, is the fact that the makers these days are bouncing off fresh ideas, exploring new or less-frequently visited grounds, and the future of Bangla cinema is hopefully a lot brighter because of the same.

The plot thickens with an aspiring filmmaker Aditya trying to get financial help from PappuBhai, an underworld don with a love for cinema. Then there is Nikhil, the corporate guy wanting to get married but with the belief that he can never fall in love. There are situational complications affecting love and friendship. Ankita - an air-hostess, Ria- a young girl with strong moral values, and Tanya - the actress who is part of Aditya's film, are all dragged into this roller-coaster ride of mistaken identity and hilarious confusion.

The cast comprises Saswata Chatterjee, Samadarshi Dutta, Saheb Bhattacharya, Rajdeep Gupta, Shamaun Ahmed, Anindita, Priyanka, Gunjan, and Niharica Raizada. The film is directed by Manoj Michigan, and produced by Ajay Jhunjhunwala. The music has been composed by Gaurab Chatterjee. The cinematography has been done by Supriyo Dutta, and the film has been edited by Atish Dey Sarkar.

For all my virtual friends

Here is a  special post
for all my
virtual friends.

There have been many
who have told me that
e-friendship or virtual friendship
does not work.....
I disagree.
I believed in you
I believe in doing things
which people say I cannot do.
I am happy to have had fellow believers
in you, my e-friends!

Think you.....
Think me.....
Combine the two,
and lo.....
you get a warm hug,
a special embrace,
a jaadoo ki jhappi
(as MunnaBhai would say)
Happy loving,
my virtual friends,
know that
I love you all,
messages and mails
keep our friendship
alive......
and always will!

Raining offers for lovers

It's the month of February
and it's raining Valentine's Day offers everywhere!

I wish there were offers for renewals of vows
maybe that would prompt the on-the-verge-of-breakup couples
to renew their vows of togetherness......



I wish more and more men and women could be
cajoled to be more loving towards one another......

our world could do good with a little more loving,
we need to do away with the whole lot of hate and bitterness,
distrust and detestation that abounds.