When one door closes. The other is opened. But we keep staring at the closed door so long that we do not see the new one opened.. (Via a friend's status msg).. And THEN... Somebody else walks through the open door and the new one Closes too.. A...nd you end up looking like an Idiot staring at the closed door (again)..

Andhon ka Haathi!!!

Arent all of us trying to judge and describe 'others' as blind men trying to describe how an elephant looks like (or rather would like) to ourselves(and to the world)???

A thought just struck my mind and as always I decided to pen(read: type) it down. Neither is it self indulgent, Nor is it supposed to start a deep thinkin process towards self realization. And ya, It is too common sensical too.. I mean its too obvious that these things happen.. and hey, i am not claiming that i write 'thought provoking serious issue' type gyaan only.. and ya one more thing, For all of my yesteryear's DramSoc friends.. No, The post is also NOT about the play that we performed in 2001 at BITS pilani. ;-)

For eg. In the classic story which all of us would have read already. 5 Blind men are trying to describe how an elephant looks like. Somebody who feels the tail, describes him as a rope. The one who feels the stomach, describes him as a big Wall. And so on and so forth with other body parts and different interpretations and They keep fighting that the elephant ONLY is like the part as THEY(individually) describe him.

Well, I think over the years I (as all of us) have met 100s of people and most (depending on what stage of your lifecycle you meet them in) have formed an opinion about me. For some, I am a carefree, snobbish guy who wouldnt care a damn about anything or anybody. For some, I will always be a Happy go lucky, PJ King kinda guy who would just keep cracking jokes at every single moment possible. For some, I might be a senti idiot who will take everything to his heart and just cannot get over stuff and move on with life. For some, I was a dopey with shoulder length hair and a goatie (ya, even though i never took a drag everrr in my life, I was always asked.. Batla, you got some grass!!!). And for others (for obvious reasons) I am the biggest loser to have walked this planet EVERR.

My point is(and its very simple and straight foward), that I dont think ANY of us can be described as ONE individual trait. I mean, X is funny, Y is an Idiot, Z is a loser etc etc. Of all the people we have met (and i am not talkint about 5-6 'close' friends who know you in an out), we tend to spend very little time with them and then in that small amount of time we tend to make judgements and create our own 'images' (or perceptions) about those people. And try to fit people in those cilos. Similar to the elephant story, We try to just think about that person as what WE think, he or she is. (I am also a part of the same group and its human tendency coz obviously we its practically impossible to know EVERYBODY in detail and try to analyze each and every person, anyways).

Okay, Honestly I am not clear as to why i am writing the post or even if i HAVE a point, let alone put it across. i just believe that nobody is one trait. Every single person is complex and behaves differently according to the situation. So one can be funny, serious, senti, carefree all in a single day. What i only wish to convey is that, rather than just judging a person on what ever little that you know of. Do not make judgements. Do not fit a person in YOUR silo. Do not think of him/her as a unidimensional characteristic. Rather, if you like THAT part then try to just let it be or better still, explore more, learn more, and THEN formulate your opinion(if you have to have to formulate, that is). Just dont generally categorize people as funny, dumb, senti, carefree, careless, mature, immature, loving, not loving, rude, sweet, etc etc etc. KNOW a bit, then know some MORE, and THEN formulate your opinions.. Good, Bad, whatever that may be..

UP: Two Thumbs Up!!!!

Ammazing.. Cute.. The Awwww Factor.. Characters you would fall in love with.. Kick Ass Animation.. Touching Story.. Action.. Adventure.. Humour.. You say it. UP has it!! All in all.. A Kick Ass Animation movie for those Shrek, Wall-e, Monsters inc, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Ice Age Fans.. Take a bow and make way for Up.. Coz its right 'up' there at the top..

I am sure the paragraph above has given you an idea as to what this review is gonna be like. Infact i am running short of words now. And yess. It is in the same league as all the movies i mentioned above if not better.. (although shrek still takes the first place for me.. hehe..)

The best part about the movie is that its not a 'kid' movie. It would appeal to all age groups(i think). The movie is about a 80 year old man who wants to fulfill his dead wife's childhood dream to go to an Island and have a house there.. They keep postponing it due to finances and then the wife dies (awwwww...) So tadaaa!!! He ties 10000 balloons to his house and airlifts it to the island.. Simple.. Isnt it?? Not exactly.. Add to that a kid trying to get a 'Help Elderly' kinda badge, A rare species of bird whom the villain is trying to capture and ya.. how can i forget.. a pack of dogs who can SPEAK... yess you read it right.. SPEAK!!!

All in all an ammazing adventure and hehe.. The adventurous is spell binding.. Its thrilling and emotinal at the same time. Infact a couple of times,i myself went Awwww.. and looked for a tissue!! hehe..

Another thing worth mentioning is, that the movie doesnt have ANY star voices to boast of. And THAT in itself is an achievement.. To Take off the audience's focus from the ACTORS to the CHARACTERS.

All the characters are so ammazingly written, that you cant NOT fall in love with them. Be it the Grumpy Old Man or the sweet little talking dog or the wilderness explorer kid or even a colorful bird that CANT talk!!!

Animation obviously is amazing. And that is taken as a given anyways from a pixar movie. But what worked for me was that i dint even notice the animation in the movie. It just struck me where it should and then i dint really bother about the animaiton or technicalities. Just engrossed in the adventure.

Bottomline: Kick Ass.. Go watch it. Period

Feel-O-Meter: 8/10 ( Saving 2 for the 3D version.. coz i saw the normal one only :-( )

Catch the trailer on : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USpI6Jzl3No

15 seconds of Bliss...

I am just crazzy about the music in this particular Ad.. Everything is perfect.. From the Guitar Riff to the ammmazing vocals from Sona Mohapatra.. Not to mention the beatiful model too. hehe..

Enjoy...

When your mind is troubled and heart's got some heavy load...

All you need, is your favorite music CD and an empty Road...

Songs in Advertisements

Advertising and Music have always had a very strong association since almost ever. Its hard to imagine some of the most popular ads of all time, whether indian or international without a catchy jingle or soundtrack. Well, was just thinking about incorporating full fledged songs in advertisements rather than a jingle per se and found out that internationally although the trend is still very acceptable. In India it is just catching up now only. Just thought of sharing a couple of ads that i like (Honeslty, more than the ads i like the songs more and THUS the ads ;-D ) Do let me know of any more in case you are aware of.

Limca: May be its just my ignorance but i could only remember the Limca Ad with a full song used. Infact it has taken one step further to actually make the full music video and released on various music channels, which i think was a fabulous idea. It offer an amazing and immediate recall for the brand whenever the song is playing on music stations or channels. I think this is one opportunity which hasnt been explored much.


Bajaj Allianz: Also, worth mentioning is the Bajaj Allianz, wherein (although i am not sure if its a full fledged song or just an extended jingle but i would use 'song' herein) the song i think strikes an amazing chord. I am sure most of you would remember the song if not the brand. If extended further and made in a full fledged music video i am sure it can do wonders for the brand and break the usual 'scare' clutter for insurance companies.


Motorola: Ammmazing song. Its caled 'A Song about ping pong' by Operating Please. I just love how the collage of pictures is used along with the song beats to come out with a fabulous advertisement. Just Fab..


Puma: Yes. The song is indeed much more famous that the advertisement itself but amazing nonetheless. Its Paulo Nutini's "New Shoes"


And Last but not the least.

Rediff.com : I just find the whole concept too cute and obviously the song works for me even better. (Though i am not sure if its only an Indian Ad per se or an international version is also available) "Your love is lifting me higher" -Jackie Wilson


PS: I am a sucker for good music especially in advertisements. Do add in case you know of any!!

Friend: Pls do me a favor! Become my neighbour in farmville.. Plssss..

Batla: Noooo. i HATE that shit!! Ask anything but this!!

Friend: Fine, Then get a girlfriend and donate her to me!!

Batla: Wait, let me think about farmville again!!

Katna Zindagi ka Niyam Hai: The cellphone Story

Preface: Friend buys phone. I Fall in lov with it. Get too feely, Sell my phone before evening and buy the new feely one!! yippiieee..

{Flashback: In full sepia tone}

Location: Some busy Redlight crossing
A guy knocks at my left window gesturing in a way that my car's tyre is on his foot. I open the window to know what it is.. Another guy knocks on the right. I turn right and With in a second, the left guy reaches for my mobile and runs. I look left. Gone. I look right. Gone. (I look stupid.. Yes) Red light turns Green. I come outta car. Asks a few policemen, They say yeah, we saw them running but obv u cant find them now.. poor you(You, Loser!!)!!

{Flashback 2: Still Sepia}

I buy the same phone(ya.. again.. coz i m in louuu with it).. Works pretty well and i m pretty happy despite paying twice for it!! Suddenly (although everything else seems to work) the touch screen stops working.. and i cant access ANY applications(including sms, keypad or phonebook)..

Service center 1: Wait for 1 hr and 30 minutes.
SC Guy1: "The touch screen aint working!! Gotta replace it.. Will take a week !!! (surprise.. surprise!!!)
Batla: "Cant it happen faster!!"
SC Guy1: "Nope" (Bloody Loser, you are man.. If it could, wouldnt i have told you already!!!)

Drive.. Drive.. Drive..

Service Center 2: 30 minutes wait time here.
SC Guy2: "The touch screen doesnt work. Will take one week!!" (surprise again..)
Batla : "Cant you check where the touch screen is available in delhi?? I can go and get it from there!!"
SC Guy: "Nope" (Bloody Loser, you are man.. If it could, wouldnt i have told you already!!!)

3, 5, 7,10 Days Later (The same scene on all four days)

Batla : "Have you received the part??"
SC Guy: "Nope" (Bloody Loser, you are man.. If I had, wouldnt i have told you already!!!)

{Present: Full Technicolor}

Day 12:

Service Center2
Batla: Have you received the part??
SC Guy: "Sorry, Our license to run the authorized service center has been revoked!! Cant repair your phone. Try some other service center!!!!" (In a Sadistic tone)
Batla: Ouch!!!

The Call Center
Batla: Hello, Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. WTF. WTF. WTF. What do i do now???
Phone: "Note this address and come down."

Service Center 3

SC Guy3: The touch screen Doesnt work. (Surprise.. Surprise!!).Wait for 15 minutes(Yeah.. Minutes.. Not Days!!!).
Batla: What!!!!, Are you 'Kidding'???
SC Guy3: "Nope" (Bloody Loser, you are man.. If I was, wouldnt i have told you already!!!)

(He wasnt kidding.. He was serious!!)

15 minutes later..

SC Guy: Here you go!!
Batla: Thanks.. (Tears in eyes.. Almost reaching out to kiss the guy (I am so happy that he was a surd (coz i stopped) and not a woman, otherwise i could actually have been beaten up there)).

Moral of the story: All's well that ends well and Katna zindagi ka niyam hai.

(Although it should have taken 15 minutes, in the first place but took 12 days and 15 minutes (And 2 flash backs) )

Sleep is the only thing in the world having a positive AS WELL AS negative correlation with itself!!!

Friend: Whats the most important feature in Cars these days???

Batla : Ground Clearance!!! ;-)

Quck Gun Murugan: Okay.. But Rajni is the king, i say!!!

I am sure you'd been tempted to see the movie after the promos and you should watch it once too. But make sure to keep your brains outside and go with a few friends who are the 'seeti' types and you are gonna love it. The movie has some really damn funny sequences but just the wait for those is an ordeal in itself. I very well understand that its a spoof and its supposed to be tacky, but i guess it was too spoofy and no dhinchak rajni ishtyle which i was lookin forward to.

As far as the goods are concerned, it is refreshing and 'different' from the usual masala flick and has its own place in the sun. Some of the jokes are damn funny and would make you rolling in your seats. But as i said, they are too far and few. The plot in itself is very novel and the 'idea' seems to generate a lot of interest but i guess the problem would be that the movie doesnt have a repeat value. Performance wise, QGM stands out and but Nobody else. And he cant keep the movie on his shoulders all the time.

The problem is presence of too many 'buts'.. Nice idea But not great execution. Good performance by QGM but others. Decent Script but technically a dud. Good one liners but too few o them.. An idea which could have made it BIG but ended up being just another spoof ..

Infact i toh had imagined a few sequels even before the movie. QGM as a brand. He could have been a cult. The character which could have had repeat value. More like the Jauhar Mehmood series during yesteryears.. But was disappointed. My heart bleeds to write that its such an amazing opportunity wasted.

There were so many 'could haves' there. I mean just imagine Rajni and all his antics. I just wished that there were many more crazy fight sequences. I mean the stuff where you throw a blade in the air and shoot a bullet bang in the middle, the blade snaps, and there are three dead bodies.. THAT kinda stuff, i just wish the director had been just a tad bit more creative and not only dependent on the character but situations too!!
Technically, Treatment toh tacky hona hi tha. but i guess thoda zada ho gya. Production quality was more like a serial or channel V's any other reality show.

Overall: Its such a brilliang idea and character but feel nahi aayi yaar.. I just wish that the next instalment is better (or as i always say, Less worse)

Feel-O-Meter : 5/10

PS: I wish Good, Bad and the Idly rocks.. :-)

Aagey se Right: Wasted Effort!

I just feel so bad when you take actors like Shreyas and Kay Kay Menon, a kinda funny idea but still manage to screw the movie. The funny part is that it takes an almost not known actor like Vijay Maurya to provide fresh air during an otherwise boring and stupid affair. For me, HE and a few dialogues just save the sinking ship. Ignore the stupid antics and watch it once for some really kick ass performance from him.

Plot toh i am sure everybody already knows, Its about a cop who keeps losing his guns and in (trying to be) funny circumstances, keeps getting into trouble and Still manages to come out as a winner through sheer luck! On paper, i thought it was a kick ass plot. I mean kinda mr magoo and pink panther or even a bit of mr bean i guess.

We could have had a series of movies based on the character. The funny cop who keeps getting into all sorts of trouble but always comes out clean and is rechristened as a 'supercop'(with full superman attire too). An Opportunity wasted. There was soo much scope if they had only taken this one character and built the entire plot.. but nahi. masala bhi to daalna hai.. He added a stupid reporter, a bar girl, a terrorist falling in love, a crazy police commissioner, and a mallu cateringwallah cum gangster(who incidentally is the only performance worth mentioning)

Performancewise, As already mentioned, Vijay Maurya stands out. HE just picks the movie everytime its falling. I mean he is just too funny man. His dialogue delivery, body language, is just so awwsome. I just fell in love with the character. There is one scene where he teaches kay kay to walk in a 'cool' style and how to call an 'item'.. That is just Kick Ass... Rest all are pretty average.. Even kay kay and shreyas!!!

One thing worth mentioning are the dialogues. Script weak hai but dialogues amazing. There was one dialogue which went 'Ibtida e lafda hai.. locha hai kya.. dimag ka dahi horela hai.. etc etc'. Kick ass man.. I was rolling on the floor laughing and half the hall was looking at me and my friend was getting embarassed. I am sure she is not gonna watch another movie with me so i would need somebody else to watch such stupid movie with me.. help!!!

Also, the sequences where vijay is teaching tapori language to kay kay are just so sexy but the wait for those is too long and the other sub plots are nothing less of frustrating and irritating!

Technically, Nothing at all. Infact a couple of sequences were so blurred as if the cinematographer forgot to adjust focus only. Music ekdum bandal. Gaane bilkull bakwaas.

Overall: Go for vijay maurya and some crazzzzy dialogues. One time watch to banta hai if you are bored and there are no other movies to watch.

Feel-O-Meter: 6/10 (out of which 4 are for vijay maurya)

Lose Anything and Back You Can Get... Lose and Its Gone Forever, Its called Self Respect!!!

Life is like a staircase.. To move up, you need to leave the first step and move on to the next one!!

Kya Karein Iss Kaminey Dill ka e Ghalib.. Sab Befikri hai.. Bas Kambakht Kaabu Mein Nahi!!!