2 months and 4 days... Ha - now thats a hell lot of a time to update one's blog (more so when it has such a huge fan following :P)

But now that i m here (courtesy RJ), its time for some serious talk:

During the last few months (to be more precise after the release of Dev D), I have become a huge fan of 'Anurag Kashyap' - the Bollywood director. I simply adore his movies - it started with Dev D, followed by Black Friday and then finally Gulaal. I have also enjoyed 'Main Khuda' song from his movie Paanch (which unfortunately was not released in India & I dont know why :-(). So if any of you guys, somehow manage to get hold of it: plzzzzzzzzz let me know (& i will treat you with whatever you like!!). My future plans also include watching 'No Smoking' again (it was an OHT for me first time around - but i had a feeling that this is also a great movie). Well the only other movie to get me this OHT effect earlier was Memento, which happens to be my all-time favourite movie. So you never know...

Now coming to the point: Dev D vs Gulaal
But why this comparison you may ask? Well its triggered by one comment of my dear friend RJ (which had my head rolling like Abhay Deol in Dev D - Believe me!!). So lets do it:

1. The First Half:

Dev D - When the first half finished, I said WOWWWWW (the last movie which made me do so was Nolan's masterpiece - the dark knight!). Mind-blowing acting, coupled by a gripping storyline, tripled by a dizzying music. It was a feeling similar to my 'first tequila shot'. I was on a high, a real HIGH! The only thing i feared was that in the second half, the movie can only go down............

Gulaal - If i was Tequilaised by Dev D, then I was Blender's Pride(ed) by Gulaal (which happens to be my ultimate hangover till date, ask my dear flatmate). Yes, it had overtaken Dev D in the first half (even if it was by a whisker).

And what was the reason for this: Bold dialogues???
YES, they were one of the many reasons, not because no other movie had such a huge dosage of this censored stuff before, but because it gave the movie the REALITY that it portrayed. When in Rajasthan Rajputana, this is exactly how they talk (one of my friend from this place confirms it). And kudos for AK, for bringing this out in open like the way only he can :-)

Someone said: "Very gripless, senseless music"???
Well everyone is entitled for his/her opinion. But to me, it was almost the biggest LIE in the world (yes RJ - this really hurt)! For, i have not seen more sensible music in any movie which gels so well with the storyline, the characters, the whole setting up of the movie and which grips you right till the end..!! I honestly feel that AK has also mastered this art of giving the ultimate Movie-Music como to us - everytime without fail..!!!

Someone also said: "KK Menon is not even 1 percent of what he truly is"???
Now such a comment i think is good enough to trigger an India-Pakistan war :P
KK is undoubtedly one of the finest actors of our generation, and his Gulaal exploits again re-establish this fact. "Mrityunjay singh" role in Gulaal was made for KK. And thanks AK for choosing the best man for the job again!

2. The Second Half:

Dev D - Ah, my worst fears did not come true in the second half (thank GOD!). Dev D, Paaro and Chanda continued with their mesmerizing performances right till the end, giving the movie a well-deserved cult status. The Dev D effect was so overwhelming that whatever i saw for the next couple of weeks seemed utterly drab and forgetful. Never ever had a movie made me feel like this.............

Gulaal - My worst fears came true here :-(
The second half (though good) was unable to match the dizzying heights of the first half. The reason for that was "Dileep Singh" sudden transition from a scared piece of shit to almost terminator status. That in spite of being supremely exciting, was a touch unrealistic. Moreover, the movie somehow lost its plot towards the end as well. However having said that, the "Raanaji" song with its current political overtones and the amazing dialogues of "Prithvi Bana" (Piyush Mishra) throughout the movie were a sheer delight!

3. The Final Verdict

Somebody said: "DevD 5, Gulal 2.5" (on a 5-point scale)!!
The only person in this world that may just agree with this assessment is Nikhit Kazmi (the Times of India movie review authority). His ratings were: "DevD 5, Gulaal 3".

According to me: "Dev D: 5/5, Gulaal 4.5/5"
And thats not only my egoist verdict. That is the verdict of movie buffs nation-wide. If you are not satisfied, all you have to do is check IMDb: As i blog, the current ratings there are: "Dev D 8.7/10, Gulaal 8.7/10". OR check the movie reviews of 'The Hindu' OR just check on google, and i assure you that you will say: Bingo! :-)

4. The Best Lines

Dev D - Tauba Tera Jalwa, Tauba Tera Pyaar, Tera Emosional Attayachar...

Gulaal - Is Mulak Ne Har Shaks Ko Jo Kaam Tha Saupan, Har Shaks Ne Us Kaam Ki Maachis Laga Ke Chhod Di...


All said & done - the central figure behind all that was discussed here is the mercurial director AK..!! You can find all the details about him on wikipedia.
His next venture will be "Mumbai Cutting", which is still under production. As i write this post sitting in Mumbai, how i am looking forward to this next master-piece..!!!

Disclaimer: All the views expressed in this post are not only mine but of 99% of the movie buffs allover India (Dont worry, I have done a survey to arrive at this figure). You have the right to disagree with these views. I would really love constructive/destructive comments on this post!

Ideally, this post should have been titled: "I DID IT" (a sequel to my one-year old post I could/should/would have...). And ideally, it should have been about my CAT'09 wonders (please dont kill me for bringing this CAT word again in my post! Well to be frank, I just love it :P)

But then ideally, 9 January 2009 should have been an auspicious occassion for me rather than a so-so day. And ideally, I should have cracked CAT inside-out!

But this is an un-deal world. For otherwise, rather than writing this post at 8pm on a Friday with a weekend beckoning, I would have been talking to my very gorgeous girl-friend and making plans for the weekend :P

But huh.. not everything goes as planned in this un-ideal world. So the verdict is "NO IIM CALLS" (for the third-year running...) Ideally you would think that I would be thinking of innovative ways of committing sucide after such a remark. But guys as I told you before this is indeed an un-ideal world!

For rather being highly disappointed (almost in a coma) after all this, i am alive and kicking. Well "almost-99" (or 98.91 :))is not exactly a very bad effort. And if all goes well I should be greeted with calls from some fine colleges...

So un-ideally speaking, I am gearing up for the next thing on my agenda now - Converting these futuristic calls, because that according to me is closer to reality than ideality. Yes i sincerely beleive to be amongst the best when the topic in discussion is GD/PI/case-studies and all that blah blah... (now thats some confidence... lolz :D)

Hmmm... so I should be giving you the GOOD news pretty soon guys... Stay tuned!

Hey dont move to the top-right of the window just as yet, few more things left...
On the movie-front, 2009 has started in an almost perfect manner!
If its Ghajini in bollywood, then its Australia in Hollywood calling all the shots!
Two excellent movies to kick-start the new year for me...

And a quick glance towards whats in store, makes me really excited:

Come 23rd January, and "Slumdog Millionaire" hits the Indian screens after overwhelming one and all worldwide. Leave aside the movie, A.R.Rahman's heart-warming music which is both edgy and bolly-style at the same time has won me over already. The Golden Globe was just the icing on the cake. Kudos Rahman!!

And then comes "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button": a serious contender to the OSCAR dreams of Slumdog! Another movie i just can't wait to watch!

Un-ideally speaking this new year brings new hopes for me...

Staying realistic and looking forward!

Will be back here soon (and sometimes i dont lie & this is a truth :D)

Sayonara..............

Why has there been no blog updates from your side??

This curious question posed by my office colleague, made me think and as you can see now - write! thanks man :-)

well the reasons are many (of this unblogging streak):
1. Not much interesting has been happening in my life these days.
2. I did not very well in CAT, third year running (maybe my last go at this national hobby).
3. I suddenly seem to have lost interest in the fairer sex (not because i watched dostana guys!). Still thinking why...
4. Will 'the pursuit of MONEYness ever end'? This tricky question is bothering me a bit more these days!

And even if you take away these reasons: Should I be writing about the terrorised Mumbai - the unwavering indifference of the politicians about this grave national problem, the shocking remarks of the Maharashtra CM etc. etc.?
Or about Delhi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Bangalore.............
Will anyone listen???

Should i write about India's 5-0 triumph over England (to cap the Aussie demolition), or the timely/untimely Kumble/Ganguly retirement issue?

Well, if there was anything i would have liked to write about, it was "Dasvidaniya". Loved this movie inside-out :-)

My 10 things to do:

1. Make my life interesting enough
2. Move over CAT, there are better things in life than cracking it
3. Re-generate my lost interest in MISS UNDERSTANDING
4. Money is not everything, but it sure is many things :), so let the pursuit continue...
5. If i can't make the politicians to do something, why not try doing a little myself, to make my world atleast a safer place!
6. Eat Cricket, Sleep Cricket..!! Not exactly this, but keep following the gentleman's game, and not think much about the gentlemen gone!

That makes it 6! What more...........

7. Watch hell lot of movies (or should i say continue watching them!!) Saw 5, Burn After Reading etc. Bring them on :)
8. Celebrate life@EVS
9. Celebrate life@house no. 20
10. Stay HAPPY :D

Not a bad-list i guess guys!

P.S. What's your 10 things to do?

The hunger has returned to this CAT aspirant...
It never really left!

We dream - All of us do. A 10-year old schoolboy dreams of a 'Very Good/Excellent' remark from his teacher; A 12th standard science student dreams of making it to an IIT; A final year engineering students dreams of a good job; A beggar dreams of having sufficient food/shelter and clothing; Parents dream of their children success; A movie director of an OSCAR nomination/win and so on...

Similarly, We - the occupants of House No. 20 (Mr.H, P, V, J, D, RG and RK) also have multiple dreams. Some fulfilled but most of them not quite! Being different personalities, we also differ in our goals and our means to achieve them. However, among these dreams unlimited - there is one which is close to everyone's heart. Well you got it wrong this time - because if you answered CAT (misguided by the first line here), its WRONG! Because what I am referring to is something else - the unending search for the fairer sex :)

Yes, its the same old thing - again & yet again! Even after a year long of persistent efforts, nothing much has changed - Alas!

Mr. H is an exception ofcourse, but then the ladyluck had smiled on him long before he decided to oblige our flat with his estemeed presence. The rest six are still in a 'state of deprievation'! However, few of them have indeed covered some ground for sure!
Q. Will Mr.H crack CAT or FMS this time for his galfriend.. errrr.. i mean for himself? ;-)

Mr. P is the leader of the race in every sense - mocks have started clicking for him and so are the ladies, the good news may not be very far away now. Atleast, all of us are banking on him to break the jinx. Dont disappoint us buddy :)
Q. Which MBA will Mr. P be doing first - Master of Business Administration or Marriage Before Anything?

Mr. V never puts a whole-hearted effort unfortunately. Actually, he is too busy with other important things in his life. Planning his life for one and Reading 'The Hindustan Times' for another. Hey but many thanks dude for making me situp and blog again!
Q. Will Mr. V ever give the much-needed attention to the opposite sex or to Hindu or TOI? Or whether he will continue planning his and others life?

Mr. D deserves to have this dream converted into a reality - everyone agrees to this school of thought. But for those mental-blocks of this most-qualified engineer here, he has also failed (atleast till now). But then he does not give a heck to it either! He used to do so before though (and a lot of thought to this :)). These days he is also Wi-Fied to the net connection, helping Mr. J out.
Q. Simply put - Why doesnot Mr.D have a galfriend yet? Why and more why's? Or is this engineer, biker, comp-guy etc. looking to turn-it-on this november?

Mr. RK is the latest addition to our flat. With an ever-widening smile on his face, this IIT-K dude is preparing for CFA second time - all geared up to crack it big-time! As for the quintessential dream - he is mostly seeking tips from Mr. P and Mr. J to make some headway. Lets see how far you can go man - you may win where others have lost!
Q. When is the next time Mr. RK getting bumps from his loving flat-mates? Dont worry people - he simply loves this gift from his friends (time and again!) :)

Mr. RG - Now this gets a bit emotional. Since the time has come to bid adieu to our very own yogiraj, come october-end. After rocking EVS for over 15 months, this never-say-die guy has finally decided to call it a day. I think EVS will lose a very talented analyst, but this loss is nothing when compared to the VOID which will be made in our flat, our hearts and our minds! All those good-old memories keep coming back to me again and again. Hey no more love-lost crap now guys - Kolkata is not so far and we will always stay connected dude! :-)
Q. How many of us will join Mr. RG in the IIMs next year? (I hope all of us)

Mr. J is back to doing what he knows best - blogging! Yes, i absolutely love this thing (despite frequent bouts of unblogging). Lately, i am also trying to achieve 'dreams unlimited' with my limited capabilities. Yes, the hunger has well and truly returned now :)
Q. Will the super-seven kill Mr. J for letting the flat secrets.. errr i mean family secrets out in open?

I will be back with the answers soon! Till then:

GOD give me this courage to fulfill my dreams... to achieve my goals... and to become happy and then supremely happy with-in!!
:-)

If you have not spent the better part of your existence on earth (23+ years in my case at present) – sleeping and eating (Ah! How I wish those luxuries!!), chances are you must have had an eventful time here. And so there must have been questions that life had asked of you or even vice-versa, which painfully for you are still left unanswered. Well, at least in my case there is indeed a long-list comprising of few intriguing questions! How many of these can you answer guys? Here we go:

Ø The Office ones –

o What do you do with a vending machine, which is 24*7 “under maintenance”, so much so that even the nearby washrooms are under the same effect?

o Where do you hide on your Birthday, when you know that your face, head, neck etc. would be lovingly smeared with the cake in the evening? And which new excuse do you make to avoid the b’day treat that costs a fortune?

o Which of the following things do you give top priority when faced with an urgent situation: An email from your project manager asking for an urgent meeting to discuss one’s performance, A phone call from a distant friend who needs your help big-time, An instant message from a close friend asking for a quick 5 min. coffee break?

o How do you know whether your boss is in a good mood or not? Has it got anything to do with the way he/she speaks or interacts with you?

o In the rare case that you are able to complete your work on time, do you pretend to look busy on your PC or do you start playing games or do you ask for more work?

o What excuse do you make to a female colleague who suddenly comes at your desk when you were checking a ***Careful*** mail?

o When your cell-phone rings in the middle of a serious meeting with a cheeky ring tone, how do you react?

o How do you handle the parking guard in the basement when he tells you (in not the politest manner) that the bike parking is already full, when you are already running late for the office?

Ø The Flat ones –

o Is there anything else to talk other than office cribbing, office woes and the escalating “work-life” imbalance?

o Oh I forgot, yes there are ofcourse the pretty gals in the workplace. But what if they don’t give you a damn and most of them are committed?

o Movies, Cricket and other such blah blah blah……. Is there any end to them?

o Do you bang the doors of the bathroom (till they almost break-up), to let your flat-mate know the urgency of the matter or do you patiently wait outside for your turn (unlike hostel-times)?

Ø The Personal stuff:

o With almost everyone around you, seemingly enjoying with a good-looking girl, do you think it’s a necessity to have a girlfriend now? If YES – what are your next steps? If NO – it’s the same old story………..

o In the monotony of everyday life, do you feel the need to try something different? Even thinking about doing it is different I guess! Any ideas here?

o After almost 20 months since my first rendezvous with CAT, how do you stay motivated to finally crack it big-time? More so, when the mocks have already started mocking around with you………….

o How often do you go home or really feel that deep urge to runaway from professional life to relax at home sweet home?

o Do you dream about your screwed up future if things continue to linger on as they do today? Do you believe in these dreams? Do you constantly think about CHANGE?

o Is ‘Maybe’ the answer to most of your questions than a ‘Yes’ or a ‘No’?

Well, I think this would suffice for a start. And I assure you that this is only a small piece of the pie called ‘Unanswered questions’! These are the ones that came to my mind randomly, and hence are put in that fashion.

Frankly speaking, this was my way to finally Un-blog myself after a long time and on frequent requests of my dear friends!

Yup, its time to get back and start writing again………………….

One last question: Do you think that the Federer-era has ended and its Nadal-time now after the stunning Wimbledon final?

Questions – Unanswered?