Monthly Archives: December 2009

Aall izz well… with 3 idiots!

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A story about chasing your dreams…
A story about friendship…
A story about the importance of learning and not studies…
A story about chasing excellence…

I have not read the book “Five point someone by Chetan Bhagat” but this movie is loosely based on this novel and well adapted to the big screen.

The three idiots central to the film are Farhan, Raju and Rancho. The story goes in a narrative style with the voice of Farhan (R Madhavan) as he encounters on a journey with his college buddy Raju (Sharman Joshi) and Chatur (Omi Vaidya) who are on their way to meet Rancho (Aamir Khan) the free spirited and smart-ass amongst all the students.
The entire story unfolds in a flashback mode as these three friends approach their destination to meet Rancho which blends seamlessly into the story telling!
The story tells us the journey about these three friends who join the engineering college and how their attitudes change towards their careers and in turn their friendship forms the crux of the movie. The college Principal Viru Sahasrabuddhe (Boman Irani) is always at loggerheads with Rancho and the other friends. They fondly call him Virus. Pia (Kareena Kapoor) is the daughter of the principal and love eventually blossoms between her and Rancho!

I do not want to limit this post by revealing the entire plot and hence would like to tell you the highlights of the film…

This movie sure has raked enough moolah and much higher than what Ghajini did during its release. So I guess this is a declared hit.

The positives first…
Kudos to the team of Raju Hirani and Abhijat Joshi for penning some of the most memorable, witty, slapstick lines in this film.
This is truly a writer/ director’s film. Nowhere do you get to see Aamir overpowering the entire film inspite of the film revolving completely around him.
A 40+ year old pulling off a college lad is not a joke and one has to commend Aamir for easily transforming himself into this loveable Rancho with so much ease! Imagine shedding off the Ghajini six pack abs and then playing badminton continuously for 3 months to be in fit and form like a college lad is what only an Aamir can do!
With so many movies oft repeated in the same formula style ala Dil Chahata Hai, Rang De Basanti… etc, I really wondered if there’s anything more to be done with this kind of premise and with Raju Hirani holding the baton… he does it well and in full splendor!

This movie does have some awesome moments to begin with…

  • Watch the speech by Chatur… truly rocking!
  • Whenever the story revolves around Raju’s family, it is shown in B/W… watch it to know why?
  • Raju’s interview scene
  • Farhan’s discussion with his dad
  • Rancho’s first meeting with Pia (Kareena Kapoor)
  • Rancho is asked to take up a class by Viru Sahasrabuddhe
  • Raju admitted in the hospital and how Rancho brings him back to life… Simply awesome!
  • MM or Manmohan or Milli meter… leaves quite a mark!
  • First it was Jaadoo ki Jhappi in Munnabhai MBBS, Next it was Gandhigiri in Lage raho, now with Aal izz well… Raju Hirani scored a hat trick!

Yes, this film does fall into its own trap here and there…
I guess with such directorial liberties, sometimes it takes you too far…
The “Aall izz well” situations seemed too put on rather than taking it up to a certain level (Unlike the Jaado ki Jhappi or Gandhigiri in his earlier films)
Who said you can really go to any lengths with the college professors (Like peeing on their doorsteps, stealing exam papers) which goes a tad too far!
Rancho’s character ends being unidimensional and does not really show much shades. Being produced in Bollywood Rancho ends up being the quintessential hero who solves all the problems of his peers while nothing really happens to him inspite of some over-the-top situations! I guess this is a typical Bollywood problem and we still can’t do much about it! We expect our hero to rise above anything and that’s what Rancho does… and with Rancho being Aamir… You can imagine the pressure!

You don’t expect the songs to be great in a Raju Hirani film! His movies are too good to care about songs… But if they are any good then it’s just an added bonus.
Well, besides Aal izz well, there are no great songs worth humming…

I guess 3 idiots would truly end this year on a very high note. And just another feather in Aamir, Raju Hirani, Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s cap! Besides the box office status, 3 idiots still remains the best movie of this year.

Coming out of the theatre, going back home and then waking up in the morning I guess I couldn’t recollect much scenes from this film although I thoroughly enjoyed them at the theatre. I don’t know if I will watch it once again…

But you know what?

Aal izz well… is what you feel when you watch 3 idiots!

3 Idiots
My rating **** out of 5 (4 out of 5)
Director – Raju Hirani
Writers – Raju Hirani/ Abhijat Joshi
Music – Shantanu Moitra
Lyrics – Swanand Kirkire
Starring – Aamir Khan, R Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Boman Irani, Kareena Kapoor, Omi Vaidya

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The secret santa…

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When you are in the company of your friends, colleagues, neighbors with whom you expect to have a nice time any event, festival or even any day is like your day!

It’s amazing that we as humans are such a complicated lot, different from each other in terms of looks, thoughts, attitudes yet we all are so much the same.

Today is the 23rd of December, 2009.
We are just two days away from Christmas and our whole office was actually celebrating this day today.

Yes, I don’t celebrate Christmas like my other Christian friends but what the heck! I love Christmas and the whole thing associated with it.

Santa claus, X’mas tree, Mistletoes, Plum cakes, wine, Gifts, surprises, Stockings laden with small yet great gifts!

Last two years we have been celebrating Christmas in our offices. We all put our names in a paper and fold them neatly over 2 or 3 times. It is then dropped in a bowl. All of us do it.

Once it’s done, the person in charge comes to each one of us to pick up a name from the bowl. I picked up a name called “Rifaat” and I became his secret Santa.

I had bought a nice plaque of Malaysia during my last trip and had kept it safely inside my wardrobe and it immediately came to the rescue! I wrapped it neatly and kept it below the Christmas tree in my office just like all my other colleagues. Once we all are done with the sumptuous food, we all are supposed to take the respective gifts bearing our names.

I got a leather belt. “Nice” I thought!
Some of my other colleagues got Ipod speakers, Lamp shades, wallets, T-shirts etc etc.

So, inspite of all these dissimilarities each one of us felt happy to receive a gift from someone else! It’s not the gift that really matters, it’s the thought that really counts!

It’s amazing that you are treated to with a gift on this special day.

I wish I could give this moment of happiness to someone else soon. I don’t know who but it could be any random guy I see on the street. Maybe the street cleaners who toil day and night to keep the streets clean. Imagine, if I stop by and give him a meal and a shirt… His day is done!

Or it could be the maid in my office. I don’t know.

One thing is very sure, I am going to keep a secret gift for my son tomorrow evening under his pillow. So the next morning when he wakes up, he is sure to find a nice gift from his daddy!

Do you want to be someone’s Secret Santa?

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Lessons from a lizard

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I happened to read this on the Q & A section in Linked in which was posted by Mr. Kumar Doraiswamy

Please read along and be inspired…

This is a story that happened in Japan.

In order to renovate the house, someone in Japan breaks open the wall. Japanese houses normally have a hollow space between the wooden walls. When tearing down the walls, he found that there was a lizard stuck there because a nail from outside hammered into one of its feet.

He sees this, feels pity, and at the same time curious, as when he checked the nail, it was nailed 5 years ago when the house was first built!!!

What happened? The lizard has survived in such position for 5 years .In a dark wall partition for 5 years without moving, it is impossible and mind-boggling. Then he wondered how this lizard survived for 5 years! without moving a single step–since its foot was nailed!So he stopped his work and observed the lizard, what it has been doing, and what and how it has been eating. Later, not knowing from where it came, appears another lizard,with food in its mouth.Ah! He was stunned and touched deeply.

For the lizard that was stuck by nail, another lizard has been feeding it for the past 5 years… Imagine? It has been doing that untiringly for 5 long years, without giving up hope on its partner.

Imagine what a small creature can do that a creature blessed with a brilliant mind can’t.

Please never abandon your loved ones.

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The Santa in your life…

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Santa Claus

How often do you realize that the person you are living with, been with or even least to say… that you know is someone really special!

You realize it late or maybe only if something has happened.

When you wake up and ponder over the days gone by… like a flash of a moment, you realize “Gosh, he was all here and I didn’t even care”

Well that’s past. You have to forget them and move forward… they say!

It’s so easy to say “Let’s just forget and move ahead” but do we really move ahead without thinking about the past?

I somehow cannot fathom it!

It all keeps coming back to you only to form a full circle.

We had a Santa in our life… all our lives.

He was there all along with us and we used to have the best time ever… (Atleast this is what he used to think!) But alas he was one of the ignored lots!

You cannot be friendly with people almost five times your age!

It’s not just about a generation gap but it’s like two different worlds… Earth v/s Mars!

But this Santa was different. He was all rolled into one! Everything a kid desires from a Santa.

Gifts, goodies, company, friendship… everything used to come to us only at the right moment!

And they leave no stone unturned to live upto our fantasies.

But we are too busy chasing our dreams. Money, house, better prospects, lifestyle… it just too happens too soon and all of a sudden we are far, far away from them… who were once our Santa! We had so much to talk… so much they had to hear from us even at the cost of telling them the same thing over and again.

And what do we give back in return… Nothing!

We call it the generation gap to ease our conscience. Whereas in reality it’s only a matter of shifting our priorities! They suddenly become “Un-cool” for us!

I am sure you too would have a Santa in your life.

If he’s there with you, make him realize that you are there.

Accept, admit and keep thanking for all that he has done for you. Reciprocate back with a simple “I love you” or a mere “Thank you”. They don’t need money. They didn’t need it then to raise you… why would they need it now?

How much would it cost to spare a few minutes of your precious time?

How long does it take to just sit next to him saying so many things without even telling him anything?

If you have such a Santa in your life… Make sure to be his reindeer now…

Without him none of these stories would have come to life and none of our dreams a reality!

Merry Christmas!

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