Bangla Cinema - My favorites over the years

This is a list of 100 of my favorite Bangla films that I have had the opportunity of seeing over the years.
I would like to recommend viewing of these very films to understand and appreciate Bangla Cinema, that has undergone much evolution.
I have consciously avoided the segregation of the films into mainstream and parallel genre. However, I have tried to see that the films which appealed to me as a viewer are also of some substantial interest in general.
I am grateful for the endeavor of my dear friend Iman Bhattacharya, without whom I wouldn't have been able to rely on memory alone.

[Aishwarya Rai in 'Chokher Baali']

1) Saare Chuattor (d:Nirmal Dey, 1953)
2) Pather Panchali (d: Satyajit Ray, 1955)
3) Aparajito (d: Satyajit Ray, 1956) 
4) Saaheb Bibi Golaam (d:Kartik Chatterjee, 1956)
5) Deep Jwele Jai (d: Asit Sen, 1957) 
6) Kaabuliwalaah (d: Tapan Sinha, 1957) 
7) Ajantrik (d:Ritwik Ghatak, 1958) 
8) Jalsaghar (d: Satyajit Ray, 1958) 
9) Paras Paathar (d: Satyajit Ray, 1958)
10) Apur Sansar (d: Satyajit Ray, 1959) 
11) Baari Theke Paaliye (d: Ritwik Ghatak, 1959) 
12) Ganga (d:Rajen Tarafdar, 1959) 
13) Meghe Dhaka Tara (d: Ritwik Ghatak, 1960) 
14) Baaishey Sraabon (d: Mrinal Sen, 1960) 
15) Debi (d: Satyajit Ray,1960) 
16) Komal Gandhar (d: Ritwik Ghatak, 1961) 
17) Saptapodi (d:Ajay Kar, 1961)
18) Teen Kanya (d: Satyajit Ray, 1961) 
19) Kanchenjungha (d: Satyajit Ray, 1962) 
20) Mahanagar (d: Satyajit Ray, 1963) 
21) Saat Paake Bandha (d: Ajay Kar, 1963) 
22) Nirjan Saikate (d: Tapan Sinha, 1963) 
23) Kaancher Swarga (d: Jaatrik, 1963) 
24) Chhaya Surjya (d:ParthaPratim Chowdhury, 1963)
25) UttarFalguni (d: Asit Sen, 1963)
26) Palatak (d: Tarun Majumdar, 1963)
27) Charulata (d: Satyajit Ray, 1964)
28) Kaapurush-O-Mahapurush (d: Satyajit Ray, 1965)
29) Abhaya-O-Srikanto (d: Haridas Bhattacharya, 1965)
30) Atithi (d: Tapan Sinha, 1965)
31) Kinu Goalar Goli (d: O. C. Ganguly, 1966)
32) Golpo Holeo Sotti (d: Tapan Sinha, 1966)
33) Naayak (d: Satyajit Ray, 1966)
34) Basonto Bilap (d: Dinen Gupta, 1967)
35) Chowringhee (d: Pinaki Mukherjee, 1968) 
36) Goopi Gayen Bagha Bayen (d: Satyajit Ray, 1968)
37) Aapanjan (d: Tapan Sinha, 1968)
38) Notun Paata (d: Dinen Gupta, 1969)
39) Nishipadmo (d: Arabinda Mukherjee, 1970)
40) Aranyer DinRatri (d: Satyajit Ray, 1970)
41) Nimantran (d: Tarun Majumdar, 1971)
42) Seemabaddha (d: Satyajit Ray, 1971)
43) Dhonnee Meye (d: Arabinda Mukherjee,1971) 
44) Choddobesi (d: Arabinda Mukherjee, 1971)
45) Maalyadaan (d: Ajay Kar, 1971)
46) Kuheli (d: Tarun Majumdar, 1971)
47) Calcutta-71 (d: Mrinal Sen, 1972)
48) Bilet Pherat (d: Chidananda Dasgupta, 1972)
49) BonPalashir Padabali (d: Uttam Kumar, 1973)
50) Ashani Sanket (d: Satyajit Ray,1973)
51) Sreeman Prithviraj (d: Tarun Majumdar, 1973)
52) Sonar Kella (d: Satyajit Ray, 1974)
53) Debi Choudhurani (d: Dinen Gupta, 1974)
54) Raja (d: Tapan Sinha, 1975)
55) Jana Aranya (d: Satyajit Ray, 1975)
56) Agniswar (d: Arabinda Mukherjee, 1975)
57) Datta (d: Ajay Kar, 1976)
58) Harmonium (d: Tapan Sinha, 1976)
59) Joy Baba Felunath (d: Satyajit Ray, 1978)
60) Dooratwa (d: Buddhadeb Dasgupta, 1978)
61) Neem Annapurna (d: Buddhadeb Dasgupta, 1979)
62) Noukodubi (d: Ajay Kar, 1979)
63) EkDin Pratidin (d: Mrinal Sen, 1979)
64) Baanchharamer Baagan (d: Tapan Sinha,1980) 
65) Daadar Kirti (d: Tarun Majumdar, 1980)
66) Hirak Rajar Deshe (d: Satyajit Ray, 1980)
67) Aakaler Sandhane (d: Mrinal Sen, 1980)
68) Kharij (d: Mrinal Sen, 1982)
69) Grihajuddha (d:Buddhadeb Dasgupta, 1982)
70) Phatikchaand (d: Sandip Ray,1983)
71) Konee (d: Saroj Dey, 1984) 
72) Ghare Baire (d: Satyajit Ray, 1984)
73) Mohonar Dikey (d: Biresh Chatterjee, 1984)
74) Bhalobasha Bhalobasha (d: Tarun Majumdar, 1985)
75) Chopper (d: Nabyendu Chatterjee, 1986)
76) Antarjali Jatra (d: Goutam Ghose, 1987)
77) Phera (d: Buddhadeb Dasgupta, 1988)
78) Sati (d: Aparna Sen, 1989) 
79) Parashuramer Kuthar (d:Nabyendu Chatterjee,1989)
80) Shakha Proshakha (d: Satyajit Ray,1990)
81) Agantuk (d: Satyajit Ray,1990)
82) Tahader Katha (d: Buddhadeb Dasgupta, 1992)
83) Hirer Aangti (d: Rituparno Ghosh, 1992)
84) Charachar (d: Buddhadeb Dasgupta, 1993)
85) Antareen (d: Mrinal Sen, 1993) 
86) Shwet Pathorer Thala (d: Prabhat Roy, 1994) 
87) Unishe April (d: Rituparno Ghosh, 1994) 
88) Yuganta (d: Aparna Sen,1995)
89) Daamu (d: Raja Sen, 1995)
90) Dahan (d: Rituparno Ghosh, 1998)
91) Baariwali (d: Rituparno Ghosh, 1999)
92) Paromitar Ekdin (d: Aparna Sen, 2000)
93) Dekha (d: Goutam Ghose, 2001) 
94) Mansur Mianr Ghoda (d: Nabyendu Chatterjee, 2001)
95) Utsab (d: Rituparno Ghosh, 2001) 
96) Chokher Baali (d: Rituparno Ghosh, 2004) 
97) Antarmahal (d: Rituparno Ghosh, 2005)
98) Dosar (d: Rituparno Ghosh, 2006)
99) Bibar (d: Subrata Sen, 2006) 
100) Herbert (d: Suman Mukherjee, 2006) 


[The title card of 'Pather Panchali']

Comedy - in cinema, and on television

Comedy - as a genre - is far more difficult to execute in films or on television. Seldom does one come across quality comedies, and that's true for Bollywood or the world of Hindi Cinema too, which churns out comedies at the drop of a hat. Most of our comedy movies are crass, sub-standard and vulgar. It is a sad but true admission.
However, even in Hindi films, we have had some very good comic offerings in the past and the not so recent past. Here's looking at some of the grand comedies that I have enjoyed over the years, and only few ride the 'subtle humour' horse; some of these do make use of coarse and slapstick humour and some even walk the thin line between comedy & vulgarity. However, it is a fact that I would like to recommend these to all viewers who are interested in Hindi films and/or comedies:

Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958) 
Padosan (1968)
Golmaal (1979) 
Chupke Chupke (1975) 
Katha (1983) 
Angoor (1982) 
Chhoti Si Baat (1975)
Chachi 420 (1998) 
Chameli Ki Shaadi (1986) 
Hera Pheri (2000)

Half Ticket (1962) 
Shaukeen (1981) 
Andaz Apna Apna (1994) 
Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983) 
Munnabhai M.B.B.S. (2003) 
Masti (2004)
Kya Kool Hain Hum (2005) 
Mr Ya Miss (2005)
Hero No. 1 (1997)
Chashme Buddoor (1981) 
Bhuvan Shome (1969)
Khosla Ka Ghosla (2006)
Isi Ka Naam Zindagi (1992)
Duplicate (1998)
O Darling, Yeh Hai India! (1995) 
Chaalbaaz (1989) 
Manoranjan (1974)

And who can forget the silent comedy Pushpak (1988) which, though not a Bollywood product, created ripples - of laughter - all over the nation and is a favorite of comedy-lovers!


And when it comes to comedy series or sitcoms on television, the popular fare in Hindi is largely banal. But even before the inception of satellite or cable television in India, we had the good fortune of having some excellent comedy series like 'Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi', 'Dekh Bhai Dekh', and 'Idhar Udhar'. Later came some brilliant sitcoms like 'Zabaan Sambhalke', 'Mungerilaal Ke Haseen Sapne', 'Shreeman Shreemati', 'Shubh Mangal Saavdhan', 'Office Office' and 'Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai'

However, on Indian television, what has made a far greater impact in recent times are the advertisements that do become instant successes, regardless of the products or the services promoted, using the comedy genre subtly and skilfully. And the ad, or the series of ads, that come to my mind using the unique comical excesses of just one man: Aamir Khan in his multiple makeovers, using multiple regional catch-phrases, for Coca Cola.

Aamiriaana

Aamir Khan has always been distinctive. Even his harshest critics would have to agree on that for sure. He had always had a perfect Mr Clean image, till he ruffled some feathers in big bad Bollywood, and seemingly the affected or aggrieved lot included some Bid Daddies of the industry who found it extremely discomforting to be reminded of their mediocrity. The tabloids started pointing their guns at Aamir, only for their selfish interest of raking controversies, as we all know that the tabloids survive with their regular feed of filmy gossip, while Mr Aamir Khan did not oblige the gossip-mongers. It was in the latter half of the nineties that things took a major turn with the leading dailies and media-houses trying to outdo one another with a celebration of mediocrity in all fields, and with the turn of the century we also witnessed the Page3 culture and its widest ramifications in electronic and print media. Aamir Khan would more often than not be baited by the media on inconsequential matters. Like his endorsing of Coke, the cola that was accused of crossing toxicity limits; or the alleged affair with Jessica Hines, the British film journalist................ the list went on.

A man of Aamir's integrity did not play to the galleries. But he started courting controversies - as if! His personal life was shattered, his marriage to Reena, his childhood sweetheart, collapsed. Professionally, we did see him chart new history, reach new peaks. Post-Rang De Basanti, his stature was supposedly a threat to the tabloidwallahs whom he avoided like plague. He asked to be allowed to keep his private life private. Is it too much to ask for a celebrity? I wonder.

As if turning the spotlight on his second marriage (he married his one-time assistant, Kiran Rao) or on his kids was not enough. There was a political backlash from the ultra-reactionaries of Indian politics, who bayed for his blood! His crime: He spoke in favour of the distressed and the dispossessed, and made an exhibition of solidarity for the underprivileged, cutting across political doctrines or narrow selfish divides! Attempts were made with great gusto to make the Aamir Khan starrers like 'Fanaa' and 'Taare Zameen Par' bite the dust....... but such attempts were unsuccessful! Aamir's blog that helps him connect with his audience, minus any intemediaries, have also come under the scanner very often. Just because he is candid, and does not bend backwards to pressurising of any kind, and that he stands by his convictions and righteous beliefs.

Now the overblown spat between ShahRukh Khan and Aamir is has become the latest hot issue to be banked upon by the media. Aamir Khan may be best known as Bollywood's Mr Perfectionist but of late he has been given the tag of Mr Competitive. And it all started with a rather jovial quote: "Well what can I say Shah Rukh always likes to be in the second position," Aamir has been quoted saying. Thereafter, when asked if he had a chance to interview Shah Rukh Khan what will his first question be, Aamir reportedly threw back, "Thats a tricky question. I would ask Shah Rukh how does it feel to be second after Aamir?" Is it really a grave comment on his fellow actor's calibre? I won't say so. I am sure most will agree with me on that. He would never stoopp so low to downplay others' merits. He even did not do it to his detractors, why would he do it to ShahRukh, who has been 'a good friend'?

Maybe the wind would soon blow over. Egos are as large in Bollywood as the lavish multi-crore productions themselves. And the egos are bruised too often - sometimes the burns and the bruises are carried to the grave, but mostly they heal too soon with just a clarification or two........ and as a true admirer of Aamir, I hope for the latter. Earnestly.

I am praying for the triumph of the winsome hero! Aamiriaana will surely be the winner all the way!

Happy Birthday, Aamir Khan!

Happy Birthday!!!!!!!

Aamir (born on March 14, 1965) was first introduced as a child artiste in the film Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973). However, he did not act in umpteen films like many of the child artistes are known to do. Aamir went on to become the state tennis champion for Maharashtra. Aamir also fell in love with Reena, the girl next door, in the meantime. He proposed to her the day he turned 21, and she accepted. But apparently, there was opposition since she was from a Hindu family and he, from a devout Islamic one. So, they eloped, got married and returned to their homes. Aamir's first film as solo hero was 'Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak' after which he never had to look back. He became a phenomenal success with that launchpad of a film. But from there he has come a long way too. From an actor who blossomed with youthful romances, he came of age and came into reckoning with sterling performances and has eventually evolved into a responsible maker and a creative visionary.

Filmography (courtesy http://www.imdb.com/)

Aamir Khan is that rare actor of Indian cinema who is as big a star as he is an acclaimed actor, who has garnered even international recognition. Here's looking at the films that he has acted in, given alongside each film title are the year of release, name of the character played, and alternative title (if any):

Taare Zameen Par (2007) .... Ram Shankar Nikumbh... aka Stars on Earth (International: English title)
Fanaa (2006) .... Rehan Qadri/Rehan Khan/Capt. Rajvir Singh
Rang De Basanti (2006) .... DJ / Chandrashekhar Azad... aka Paint It Yellow (International: English title)
The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey (2005) .... Sepoy Mangal Pandey... aka Mangal Pandey (India: Hindi title) ... aka Mangal Pandey: The Rising (India: English title)
Dil Chahta Hai (2001) .... Akash Malhotra... aka Do Your Thing (USA: TV title)
Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001) .... Bhuvan... aka Lagaan (India: Hindi title: short title) ... aka Land Tax (International: English title: informal literal title)
Mela (2000) .... Kishan Pyare
Mann (1999) .... Karan Dev Singh
Sarfarosh (1999) .... Ajay Singh Rathod
Earth (1998) .... Dil Navaz, the Ice Candy Man... aka 1947: Earth (India: English title: alternative title) ... aka Terre (Canada: French title)
Ghulam (1998) .... Siddharth Marathe
Ishq (1997) .... Raja... aka Romance (India: English title: literal title)
Raja Hindustani (1996) .... Raja Hindustani
Rangeela (1995) .... Munna... aka Full of Colour (USA: TV title)
Aatank Hi Aatank (1995) .... Rohan
Baazi (1995) .... Inspector Amar Damjee
Akele Hum Akele Tum (1995) .... Rohit Kumar
Andaz Apna Apna (1994) (as Aamir Khhhan) .... Amar Manohar
Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke (1993) .... Rahul Malhotra... aka We Are Travellers on the Path of Love
Parampara (1993) .... Ranvir Prithvi Singh... aka Tradition
Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992) .... Sanjaylal Sharma
Sahebzaade (1992)
Daulat Ki Jung (1992) .... Rajesh Chaudhry
Isi Ka Naam Zindagi (1992) .... Chotu
Afsana Pyar Ka (1991) .... Raj
Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin (1991) .... Raghu Jetley... aka The Heart Refuses to Listen
Dil (1990) .... Raja
Tum Mere Ho (1990) .... Shiva
Awwal Number (1990) .... Sunny... aka First Rank
Deewana Mujh Sa Nahin (1990) .... Ajay Sharma... aka Diwana Mujhsa Nahin (India: Hindi title: alternative transliteration)
Jawani Zindabad (1990) .... Shashi Sharma
Love Love Love (1989) .... Amit Verma
Raakh (1989) .... Amir Hussein
Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) .... Raj
Holi (1984) .... Madan Sharma... aka The Festival of Fire
Madhosh (1974) .... Child artist
Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973) (as Master Aamir) .... Young Ratan

It's That Time of the Year Again.......!!!!!

It is that time of the year again...... the time to celebrate the best films - as the Oscars are given out - essentially it is the muscle flexing of Hollywood, but for us movie-buffs it is also a chance to see some of the acclaimed films that might not have been seen in theaters had it not been for the promotional mechanism going great guns worldwide.

Unlike previous years, here in Kolkata, the lure of big Hollywood releases has dwindled in a major way. Many of the biggies have been biting the dust at the multiplexes of Kolkata in the recent times.
There are many factors - the principal amongst being is the erosion of single screen clout in niche pockets. The multiplex-going audience watches the latest Hollywood blockbusters many months before their big screen release in Kolkata, and hence people can hardly be expected to queue up for the ones that do get released at long last. The distributor chains are thus reluctant to release or promote English-language films in Kolkata. And the trend and culture of watching good English-language films at the theaters is on the wane. Unless a franchise film like 'Spiderman' or 'Harry Potter', with a cross-market appeal, is released, we Kolkatans have to look forward to watching good films on Home VCDs and DVDs only!
I feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to watch some of the Oscar favorites in February, the Oscar-month, itself!

And here's the report card: 'Atonement' is the one that I enjoyed most. It is a profound period love story that resonated every which way. 'Michael Clayton' is remarkably poised in its anti-Capitalist stance; very humane, very brave, and very eloquent. 'Eastern Promises' is a shocker of a film for more reasons than one; however, it isn't as effective as Cronenberg's earlier indictment of Americana ('A History of Violence'), but immensely watchable (strictly 'not for all') for the gritty depiction of brute force. 'No Country For Old Men' - which won the top honors at the 80the Oscar Awards - has been a huge letdown for me, I would have liked the film better had not been so grossly overrated; the Coen Brothers have made far better films in the past that are less indulgent and less pretentious, 'Fargo' being the very best. There was yet another surprise, and this one was pleasant, in the form of the Disney offering called 'Enchanted'; nominated for the beautiful songs, which keep ringing in one's ears long after the end credits have scrolled, it is a treat for the entire family. The tongue-in-cheek allusions to the classic fairy tales being firmly planted, the joyous celebration of romance in 'Enchanted' is very very infectious (as the sweet chipmunk Pip seems to be pointing out in the picture on top), to say the least.

'No Country For Old Men'

Sean Penn

Sean Penn

Sean Penn is a terrific actor. He has enigmatic presence. Over the years I have seen him evolve as an actor of the finest calibre, in a whole range of Hollywood films. Inspite of being a top-notch star, he has dared to act in experimental films, and sometimes he has been in the non-Hollywood International projects too.

[Date of birth 17 August 1960 Birth place Santa Monica, California.] Birth name Sean Justin Penn. Height 5' 8.25 " (173 cm)
Sean Justin Penn launched his acting career in 1981. His performance in 'The Falcon & the Snowman', 'The Casualties of War', 'Dead Man Walking', ‘I am Sam’, 'Mystic River' and '21 Grams' are all considered phenomenal. In the early nineties, he started his career as a director. Sean Penn is also an active on various political and social causes. In 2002, Penn placed an ad in the Washington post asking President George W Bush to end the cycle of violence. He later went on various social causes to Iraq and Iran. He also did a documentary on the 9/11 bombing in New York. Having a very strong political, acting and Directing career, Sean Penn has risen among many to prove his abilities in various ways to the American public. Till date he has been awarded many prestigious awards including the Best Actor Oscar (picture on top) and Golden Globe awards, for his stunning performances.

The films of the actor, which I have seen:

The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004)

21 Grams (2003)
Mystic River (2003)

I Am Sam (2001)
Before Night Falls [Antes que anochezca - Spanish title] (2000)
The Thin Red Line (1998)

The Game (1997)

U Turn (1997)

She's So Lovely (1997)

Dead Man Walking (1995)

Carlito's Way (1993)

State of Grace (1990)

We're No Angels (1989

Casualties of War (1989)

Colors (1988)

Shanghai Surprise (1986)
The Falcon and the Snowman (1985)

Taps (1981)

[Filmography links - Courtesy: www.imdb.com]

Fool For Love

Here's a collection of my ten all time favorite love songs from the movie (in English) soundtracks:

Love Is All Around - Wet Wet Wet; OST- Four Weddings & a Funeral

When You Say Nothing At All - Ronan Keating; OST- NottingHill

Mrs Robinson - Simon & Garfunkel; OST-The Graduate

My Favorite Things - Julie Andrews; OST- The Sound Of Music

My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion; OST- Titanic

Now and Forever - Richard Marx; OST- The Getaway

I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston; OST- The Bodyguard

Everything I Do, I Do It For You - Bryan Adams; OST- Robinhood:Prince of Thieves

Unchained Melody - Righteous Brothers; OST- Ghost

The Time Of My Life - Bill Madley & Jennifer Warnes; OST- Dirty Dancing

The MANY FACES of Becks, the Ace Footballer

DAVID BECKHAM made his debut for England at the age of 21 on Sept. 1, 1996, in a World Cup qualifier against Moldova. England won that game 3-0 and Beckham became a fixture in the national team setup for the rest of the year. Since then there has been no looking back for this ace footballer, who happens to be a personal favorite of mine. He is one of the most recognizable sports-celebrities in the world and, more importantly, one of best soccer players in the game today.

In 1997, he made nine appearances as England won its World Cup qualifying group to book a place at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. He was soon selected for England's World Cup squad and made his France '98 debut in the team's second game against Romania, coming off the bench in a 2-1 loss. He was inserted into the starting lineup for England's final group game against Colombia and he scored his first-ever goal for his country, in his 17th appearance, with a curling freekick in the 29th minute, giving England a 2-0 lead and eventual victory. The way he could bend the ball made him a legend, almost overnight! In the following year, Beckham was instrumental in helping England qualify for the 2000 European Championships.

Becks was in the lineup for 10 of England's 11 games in 2000, including all three games in Euro 2000 and the country's first qualifier for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. In England's second game at Euro 2000, Beckham helped set up Alan Shearer for the game's only goal as England beat Germany in a major tournament for the first time since the 1966 World Cup Final. In the final game of the year, a friendly against Italy in Turin, Beckham was named the National Team captain for the first time.

He maintained his title as captain, appearing in and starting all 10 of England's games, including six World Cup qualifiers. He scored five goals on the year, but none are more famous than the one he scored on October 6 at Old Trafford. Trailing Greece 2-1, despite assisting on a Teddy Sheringham goal earlier in the game, and needing at least a draw to book a spot in the World Cup, Beckham famously scored on a second half stoppage time freekick, sending his country back to the World Cup!

Beckham had displayed his ace playing skills all through, since he first joined manchester United as a trainee and made the club proud right from the time he signed his first professional contract in 1993. And in 2002-03, his final year at Manchester United, Beckham helped claim a sixth Premiership title as United overtook Arsenal to win the title. Beckham scored 11 goals, including one in his final game with the club, in 52 games that season and was rewarded for his efforts throughout his career with an OBE from the Queen on June 13, 2003. However, Beckham headed for Spain in the summer, as United sold the midfielder in a high gain(approximately amounting to $40 million) transfer to Real Madrid.

Beckham began his first season in Spain in sensational form. Till 2006-07, he had appeared in about 100 odd games, scoring many a time and ably assisting his teammates at all times. He scored off of a freekick in a 2-1 win away to Real Sociedad on 2/10, his first game for the club after announcing his decision to sign with L.A. Galaxy. However, he suffered a knee injury three weeks later and was ruled out for a month. David Beckham caused an international uproar, unparalleled in the history of Major League Soccer, when he signed with the Galaxy on January 11, 2007. A former captain of the English National Team and a veteran of three FIFA World Cups (1998, 2002, 2006), Beckham's capacity and stamina is unsurpassed in the world.

Becks has made it into the news often for all the wrong reasons....... be it the tabloid spreads glorifying his lifestyle, his marriage and highs & lows of romancing with Victoria, an ex-member of Spice Girls, a British pop girl-band. His flaunting of the myriad hairstyles, sexy makeovers and sometimes his rather candid sex-talk has made him a sensation all over the world.

With his chiseled features and Colgate smile, and rubbing shoulders with the likes of Tom Cruise, one would have thought that David Beckham was soon to remodel himself for the silver screen – but cameo appearances in the 'Goal' trilogy suggest he should spend his spare time in Hollywood taking acting lessons! The French film 'Astérix aux jeux olympiques' is the first feature film where david has a role playing someone other than himself; Beckham has just a small part, alongside Zidane.

Both Victoria and David Beckham have been seen sporting a host of tattoos, the inscrption of Victoria's name in Devanagari on David's forearm being the most famous. In 2002 Beckham was hailed as the ultimate metrosexual and has been described as such by scores of other articles since.

David and Victoria have three sons: Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz. Despite moving to Los Angeles, Beckham has expressed no personal interest in pursuit of acting roles, saying he is too 'stiff', but maybe one of his sons will make to the screen in the future, who knows! And England should look forward to the football skills of Beck's sons too, one of them must surely make Becks proud if he inherits his mastery over the ball.

Beckham's work as a Goodwill Ambassador for the

international humanitarian agency UNICEF is also commendable. A long-standing supporter of UNICEF, David Beckham was introduced to UNICEF at Manchester United. The club has raised over £1.2 million for the organisation through the United for UNICEF partnership. Beckham joins a number of high profile Ambassadors including Harry Belafonte, Sir Roger Moore, Mia Farrow, Susan Sarandon, Jemima Khan, Robbie Williams and Ewan McGregor all of whom continue to give up their time and energy to raise funds and awareness on behalf of the world’s children. This year itself Becks has been in strife-torn Sierra Leone, where about one in every four children dies before reaching their fifth birthday, which is both shocking and tragic. Saving these children’s lives is a top priority for UNICEF – and as an Ambassador, he hopes to draw attention to this issue across the world.

My Favorite Books

These are some of my all-time favorite books:

Many of my favorite books are the ones I grew up with, so there is a deep sense of attachment with them. Every time I read them or just leaf through their pages, I almost bring back my childhood or my adolescence. There are some books that have shaped my psyche, that have helped me battle my crises and have guided me with a certain wisdom, they too have invariably been my favorites. And there are also, rather oddly, some classics, which I have been able to associate with a profound manner, the reason they are celebrated classics is perhaps because readers can resonate with characters' feelings and they never date, even after centuries, and I have been no exception, I too have grown fond of them. So this is a list of favorites, which a reader may find maddening, irritated to find no semblence of order or classification, but I am undone, it is yet another list of personal preferences and hence no attempt has been made to be methodical; there are books of fiction and non-fiction, books meant for children, young adults and strictly for adults. A random listing from a voracious reader who is in love with the printed word. 

Fire Child - Sally Emerson 

The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks 
Esmond in India - Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
The Turn of the Screw - Henry James
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
The Client - John Grisham
Love Story - Erich Segal
Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach
The Night Train at Deoli and Other Stories - Ruskin Bond
A Quiver Full of Arrows - Jeffrey Archer
The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Stories for Children - Oscar Wilde

Pinocchio - Carlo Collodi
A Pocketful of Rye - Agatha Christie
Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
The Swimming-Pool Library - Alan Hollinghurst
Howards End - E. M. Forster
An Immaculate Mistake: Scenes from Childhood and Beyond - Paul Bailey
New Boy - William Sutcliffe
Ice-Candy Man - Bapsi Sidhwa
The Bridges of Madison County - Robert James Waller
The Enchanted Wood - Enid Blyton
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

Goodbye, Sweet Prince.....

[A tribute to Heath Ledger, my Sweet Prince]

[A makeshift memorial in front of the New York building where Heath Ledger died on Tuesday.

Pic courtesy: Reuters]

Heath Andrew Ledger (4 April, 1979 - 22 Jan, 2008)

Yesterday, when I saw the saddening news of the 28-year-old Australian actor being found dead [on Tuesday, January 22nd], in his New York apartment, I could not control my tears.

These are the films of Heath Ledger that I have had the good fortune of seeing:

Casanova (2005)

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

The Brothers Grimm (2005)

The Order (2003)

Ned Kelly (2003)

The Four Feathers (2002)

Monster's Ball (2001)

A Knight's Tale (2001)

The Patriot (2000)

I had been keenly awaiting the release of the latest Batman film in which Heath plays the role of The Joker (pic below), the arch villain of the comic-strip based series. I also hoped that I would be able to see him in the much talked about film of 2007 I'm Not There. Here, in Kolkata, it isn't too easy for me see the latest films from around the world, but after having seen Heath in Brokeback Mountain, I instantly became an ardent admirer and sought him out in as many films I could (just 9 till date). I wish he could act in many more intense films and that he could have made himself endeared through his superlative performances. Heathy, as he was fondly called by many, was best loved for his sweet demeanour and also for his rich voice. While he stayed in Manhattan, New York, many a New Yorker had seen him display his natural affable charm which he commonly exuded, instead of a star-like aura.

His death is still shrouded in mystery, as is the case with such unfortunate exits of celebrities. Yet he will forever remain the Sweet Prince in my heart and in the hearts of millions of his admirers worldwide. Goodbye........ goodbye, Sweet Prince!

[Movie title links: www.imdb.com]

My Top Ten Favorite Films of All Time

The films that have influences me in more ways than one, are not too many. Though I have been watching a whole lot of movies, especially in the recent past.

There are some movies that I watched as a kid or as a young adult and had thought that they shall remain engraved in my psyche forever have sadly lost their charm, some have dated to a great degree and others must have seemed novel because of my immaturity and infrequent exposure, but now seem stale and unworthy of celebration. 

Yet there are some personal preferences of mine which have moved me, provoked me, challenged me and have unconsciously shaped my thoughts.

These are the movies which have stood the test of time, for me.

Some I am too fond of in an obviously biased manner, maybe the viewing experioence, the associations are too deep, and have manifold increased the inherent charm of the films.

Some such films have been featured, actually only ten of them, and the most recent viewing among them happens to be the one which I considered as the best movie seen in 2007, no wonder my distancing from that very movie hasn't been made as yet.

Others on the list are films seen much earlier, the oldest viewing happens to be the only musical in the list too!

These are the films:

[They have not been ordered according to my preferences, or chronologically, but in the order that the pics from these movies appear on this page.]

Fargo (1996)

What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)

My Own Private Idaho (1991)

Brief Encounter (1945)

The Talented Mr Ripley (1999)

Forrest Gump (1994)

Back to the Future (1985)

Trainspotting (1996)

The Sound of Music (1965)

E.T. Extra Terrestrial (1982)

Notes, Reflections, Fulminations & Hullabaloo.... Our Films in 2007

Two thousand and seven has been a good year for Indian films. Why do I think so? For one, this year has seen more of what is commonly called middle-of-the-road or alternate cinema, and quality products which had something or the other to recommend them for - on a global platform.

Indian films have almost always been straight-jacketed under two broad categories, mainstream cinema and parallel (sometimes strangely called 'art') cinema. I used to protest this simplistic division even as a young viewer, as the divisions are hardly tenable. The so called art- cinema movement that happened to rise amidst much fanfare and excitement surrounding the novelty of the themes and the executions, died its slow but natural death in the late Eighties, as the cliches and the formulaic approaches made the majority of such offerings stagnate in the viewers' reception or, worse still, in archives and cans!
Films, I believe, can never survive if they do not appeal to an audience, as a filmmaker must communicate with his work of art to his audience, regardless of its size. Due to the spiralling costs involved in the business of movies, it is indeed a lucrative proposition to attract as many eye-balls as possible, and, in the present context, in as little time. The business pragmatism may well be so, yet it is unthinkable to hit upon a unique and foolproof scheme to achieve this. Unfortunately, our Hindi filmmakers (the largest chunk of Indian movies are made in Hindi; commonly referred to as Bollywood as they have been continually churned out by Bombay, now christened Mumbai) do not understand this. Over the years, there has been a deluge of mindless, formulaic films (unlike genre films of Hollywood) that try to repeat earlier success stories of filmed offerings, or even the theatre of the masses. Crass executions further dilute the inane plots, and hence a whole range of masala films or commercial potboilers have been thrust upon us viewers. Needless to say, the producers and distributors, coupled by corrupt financiers and the superficial, glamour-conducive star system plagued the system of filmmaking and it has been a pseudo-realistic industry, a mirage of creativity. Our stories were unreal, and so were our films.
The advent of the multiplexes, in the late Nineties, the official granting of 'industry status' to the filmmaking sector, and the willingness of the 'youngblood' makers to create films for a niche audience have given a big boost to our films. In the Twenty-first Century, the scenario looks quite promising. In an earlier post I had talked about the exciting ventures that we audience got to see in the year 2006. Last year, luckily, the trend is seen continuing. Actors like Aamir Khan and ShahRukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan are found to endorse the concept movies; they have reaped profits too, for themselves and the production/distribution houses. Films like 'Taare Zameen Par', 'ChakDe! India', 'Cheeni Kum', 'Johnny Gaddaar', 'Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd', 'Life in a ... Metro', 'Khoya Khoya Chand', 'The Blue Umbrella', 'Jab We Met', 'Black Friday' and 'Bheja Fry' have been toasted for reasons aplenty. Not that they were all perfect as finished products; they aren't so blemishless that they would be beyond the faultfinders' criticism. But they all had one thing in common - the urge to move beyond the stereotypes, in one way or the other. They all were about real people, or real situations, or way beyond the real - to etch out an appealing canvas and help us let go of our staid conventions. Hats off to the new age screenplay writers and dialogue writers (people like Jaideep Sahni and Prasoon Joshi have been bringing on a subtle but perceptible change even in the big production houses' products)! And there has never been any dearth of talent in the acting world or in the world of skilled technicians. We are finally moving beyond the ghettoed dominions of stars and starlets, the wide horizon of storytelling (which has always been our forte in the literary world) beckons, the makers now have to spread their wings and make us all take a flight!

[PostScript: Apart from the eight films noted above, there have been some other Indian films too which I loved watching....... in an earlier post I did mention The Bong Connection as the best Indian film of the year, I was really impressed by it - yet I did not mention it above because it was not made in Mumbai, and Anjan Dutt's film is both in Bengali and English as it traces the diasporic experience. Another of his engaging films was released in 2007 - 'Bow Barracks Forever!' - about the Anglo-Indian community in Kolkata, and hence filmed in Kolkta itself, has been left out as it is essentially an English language film, also I left out the diasporic films 'The Namesake', 'Loins of Punjab Presents' and 'Provoked'. Other mentionables, to a lesser degtree, were 'Anwar', 'Guru', 'No smoking', 'Manorama Six Feet Under', 'Gandhi My Father', 'Water' (which again was actually a Canadian entry at the Oscars), 'Chain Kulii Ki Main Kulii', 'Say Salaam India', 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa', 'Traffic Signal', 'Namastey London', 'Yatra', 'Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal', 'Eklavya - the Royal Guard', 'Om Shanti Om', 'Saawariya' and 'Aajaa Nachle', some of which had more flaws and warts all over them than the high points,

and the rest couldn't go the whole nine yards because of crass conventions playing out rather largely.]

Johnny Gaddar

Taare Zameen Par

The Perfect Gift

What is the perfect gift to gift someone?
Irrespective of the age of the giver, or the recipient?
Perfect?
How perfect?
It relieves tension.
It improves blood flow.
It reduces stress.
It is non-polluting.
It boosts self-esteem.
It generates goodwill.
No batteries required.
Absolutely no cost.
Non-taxable.
Silent performance.
Extremely personal.
Fully refundable.
Recommended for ages 1 (even below) to 100 and up!

The answer is: A HUG!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

I wish all my readers, and fellow bloggers, have a wonderful year ahead!
Blogging has been the most intuitive and impulsive way to express oneself, the year 2007 has reportedly seen an unthinkable rise in blogging and blog-related exchanges.
Most of the leading newspapers and journals of the world now feature regular sections on blogs from the Net.
People have been seen speaking on issues and topics, hitherto brushed off, or considered non-mainstream, or underground.
As a result of which these subjects have captured the sensibilities of the majority like never before.


Discussions and discourses are bound to open up newer and fresher approaches to conflict resolution, redressal and reconciliation. However unsavory an issue may be, only debating on the same can help open vistas for integration and eventually all possible aspects can thus be explored.

As a new blogger, I won't say that I have been able to fully reach out to all who would be potentially interested in the banter and the blabber that I have ventured to exhibit herein. Anyways, I haven't exactly been a prolific blogger, many of my readers complain. But I do try my best to treat them to my spontaneous outpourings, never mind how trivial they might be.

I had started my blogging journey with the declaration that being an out and out Kolkatan, I will keep you all posted on the developments and the city-specific events that most Kolkatans would to be too happy to carry out an animated discussion on. But, unfortunately, I have not been able to do so....... rather I consciously chose not to. The reason being my city was and still is under a spell.......a spell that is dark, deadly and dangerous. I never expected my Kolkata to witness such turmoil, such unnecessary, utterly avoidable strife as it did in the past year. Nationally, and internationally, Kolkata was continually in the news in 2007 for all the wrong reasons. It pained me. The blows suffered by the city bruised me, scarred me, I earnestly hope that, at least, they haven't maimed my psyche! I am sure I will be able to talk about the unpleasantness, the political, social and cultural blows that my city, Kolkata, dealt with - but only in the future, when I am able to distance myself a bit and offer a gainful perspective. I hope to do that soon ........ very soon....... in the near future. But before I do that I do pray for the solidarity and amity which has been the hallmark of Kolkata and its people over the ages.

Top Ten Films - 2007 (Personal Preferences)

Here is the list of the top ten films seen this year (2007), ranked in the order of preference:

1. Trainspotting 

[This 1996 British film by Danny Boyle is a cult classic; disturbing, irreverent, tragic, dramatic, violent, sensuous, repelling and, even, maddening tale of youth gone waste....... it is a trip in itself, it is sure to make each viewer high....... high on life!]

2. The Departed 

[This 2006 film directed by Martin Scorsese is in fact one of the cleverest remakes in the history of cinema; William Monahan's screenplay helps Scorsese explore all his favorite elements at their finest and subltlest. Memorable performances from a stellar cast makes the film magical.]

3. Jarhead

[This Sam Medes film, made in 2005, was a revelation for me. I never expected the director best known for that acclaimed film called American Beauty to make a war picture, and make it so perfect and even fresh, thanks must be given to the robust first hand account of an ex- marine, depicting his desert war experiences in a book that itself is acccolades-worthy material; Jake Gyllenhaal simply rocks in this film, as do Chris Cooper, Jamie Foxx and Peter Sarsgard.]

4. A Very Long Engagement

[Un long dimanche de fiançailles - subtitled as A Very Long Engagement - is a French film which moved me because of being so typically French! It may sound biased, can't help it, I was stunned by the performance of Audre Tautou who plays a young woman relentlessly searching for her fiancée, who has disappeared from the trenches of the Somme during World War One. Made in 2004, this wonderful film by Jean-Pierre Jeunet is sensitive without being maudlin.]

5. Zodiac

[2004/Dir.- David Fincher/Based on the Robert Graysmith books about the real life notorious Zodiac, a serial killer who terrorized San Francisco with a string of seemingly random murders during the 1960s and 1970s, this film is much more than a thriller dealing with a serial killer/Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr, Mark Ruffalo, Chloe Sevigny, Anthony Edwards are in the cast.]

6. My Son the Fanatic 

[Based on the Hanif Kureishi novella, this 1997 film by Udayan Prasad stars Om Puri as a Pakistani taxi-driver in a British town forming a special bond with a local prostitute, in a British town, suddenly torn apart by sectarian violence.]

7. The Bong Connection 

[Made in 2006, but released in India in 2007, this film by Anjan Dutt is based on the lives of Bengalis across the world, especially on those settled abroad. It attempts to delineate the pain and dilemma of Bengali's estranged from their places of origin.]

8. Taare Zameen Par 

[Aamir Khan's debut as a film director, this 2007 film has an endearing story that's grounded in the everyday reality of a dyslexic child's trauma, travails and triumph, as he fights to make his difficulties known and silently cries for help.]

9. Ratatouille 

[Directed by Brad Bird, co-directed by Jan Pinkava, this 2007 animation film was an absolute delight for me; It tells the story of a young rat in the French countryside who arrives in Paris, makes an unusual alliance with a restaurant's new garbage boy, and the culinary and personal adventures begin.... in the rat-hating world of humans.]

10. Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd 

[Six newly-married, diverse, honeymooning couples face marital bliss and discord, finding out more about themselves, their significant others and life in this happy-go-lucky, quirky drama directed by first-time director Reema Kagti; Anurag Kashyap's sharp dialogues and the ensemble cast's finely tuned performances add extra zing to this intelligent post-modern romantic medley of 2007.]

The Bong Connection

The Departed

My Son the Fanatic

Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd

Ratatouille

Taare Zameen Par

A Very Long Engagement

'Fur': An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus

Nicole Kidman as an actress has always intrigued me.
She has played some wonderful characters which are sure to leave a lasting impression on the viewer's mind. The most recent of her films which I had the opportunity of watching is 'Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus'.
I am still gushing from the experience of having watched it.