The brain cannot work as you fail to comprehend why it happened.
His tall figure of walking towards,
laughing, joking and chiding you for silly mistakes,
It’s hard to come to terms with this grim reality.
You curse everyone,
the advanced medical facilities that failed to save him,
destiny and God!
Till we meet again.
Dear friends,
Bhaiya (elder cousin) passed away today. I was shell shocked on hearing his sudden demise. I couldn’t comprehend what was happening and faith is visibly shaken. I grew up in front of him and he has always been so proud. Remember last time, I met Sudhir Bhaiya he proudly showed his wife articles I wrote in the magazine, saying ‘See Vishal’s name.’ There are so many memories associated with Bhaiya. It’s a terrible Monday and perhaps, the worse day in my life this year. Always ready to give and selfless, he made differences in the lives of people. When Dad passed away, Bhaiya funded the final year of my Master’s degree I was reading in Mumbai. In today’s times, people don’t do it for their own siblings. I can never repay this gratitude. You see someone that nothing wrong can ever happen to them for they are always brave and gives you the confidence, the next day they are gone. I cannot fathom this situation, so far from reality for you know when things are bad, be it a health ailment, you go to him-He is an eminent Doctor in London-he gives you the confidence that makes every single worry disappear out of thin air. I will write about him for I have lots to tell, some day, on the blog.
Pray for his soul people and may he rest in peace in his new journey. Your wishes needed for the family.
Journalist Bhupendra Chaubey is a sorry tale misogynist but he showed what a product of fine art he turned into by getting an aphrodisiac, kinda mental orgasm by his over emphasis on the word sex. A three letter word he was so obsessed equating it to Sunny Leone in his ill researched, botched up and shoddy interview. You know the story right, it fell flat on his face.
How this shoddy piece of journalism emboldened by Chaubey whose sole aim was to put down Sunny Leone for 19 minutes boomeranged on his face! I am no fan of Sunny Leone. I don’t google her like millions nor I go gung ho when her movies are released. But, have to give her credit for her poise, dignity for standing tall in the interview and she came with flying colors. A blockbuster worth more than 100 crores clubs.
Sunny Leone is not shy in calling herself an entertainer and rightly so, when her movies are lapped by thousands or her pictures googled by millions. She has a past like most of us do but what touches us is how she owns it. Plenty of guts, she has, for there are very few who would not discard it. Respect to her when quizzed on porn movies she acted in the past, “I was never molested or abused.” The former ‘Porn Queen’ said it loud and clear that she never claimed of being haunted by her past. She emerged as the real winner in this interview designed to strip her dignity as a star and more so, as a human being. There are so many things we can learn from the lady.
Was Chaubey getting a mental ejaculation with his over emphasis on words like porn, sex or corrupting Indian minds and accusing Sunny of being a threat to women. Read it, you’ll get it: The danger of having her as ‘brand ambassador of new India’. Oh! seriously Mr Chaubey! Who said she is the brand ambassador? A homework badly done with ingrained prejudice against someone who is working hard and makes me wonder what was the agenda of the journalist. It’s a blot to journalism and this guy doesn’t honor the noble professional at all. Shameful or disgusting would be a misnomer to describe this guy. It’s such a perverse attitude. Does the guy marvel at porn in private? Or, he has become some moral authority! I wouldn’t mind Arnab Goswami at all when faced with Chaubey. How I wish of having a vote button.
The guy, throughout the interview, felt airy smugness. Â Poor fella! He was beaten at his own game by Sunny Leone who stood her ground with self respect. Brave would be an understatement. She was being herself and didn’t freak out by trading insults. That’s the mark of a respectful person. A strong willed woman who slapped the guy her own way, ‘I don’t want your husbands and I have no reason to hate you. I don’t get frazzled by negativity.” It’s quite something, Mr Chaubey or you are too plain stupid to realize that you lost your face.
It doesn’t calm the enthusiasm of Chaubey hitting below the belt and showing his knowledge about lowering of fine arts and repeating the word ‘regret’ for being a porn star. He doesn’t stop here and oft repeats the word ‘item girl’. How he shows his ever expanding vocabulary. Mind you! He turns into an expert, quantifying the direct relationship between Sunny Leone and porn viewing in India. The porn industry will be very happy in having him as a consultant on how to make it sell. And, he brings Aamir Khan into picture to make it the Baap of all interviews. He was so deft at the subject and boasting on doing the homework that he was clueless on Sunny Leone career span in the industry.
What’s wrong in being an entertainer in the industry? I ask myself. One may or may not endorse someone’s choice which is perfectly fine but such kind of ingrained sexism and acting like some messiah of public morality reeks of ludicrousness and fucked up morality. The guy completely lost it and kept on harping unabashedly where the sole aim of the interview was to put the actor down. Hats off Sunny Leone for conducting herself with so much dignity and for sure, she has earned herself more admirers by standing her ground. She nailed it when she asked, “Do you want me to walk out? That’s power and respect. Insults doesn’t need to be traded with insult or shouting. Sunny Leone taught us an important lesson.
The Filmfare Awards came and went last week but I missed the action for the simple reason that there are too much of them. Name the various awards show, you get them. I feel the uniqueness and inherent charm is missing. Going back in time when Filmfare Awards was the stuff dreams were made of. Read on why I loved the Filmfare Awards that was!!
It was a worldly affair. Gud ole romance turning into heavenly bliss. The days of yore as we would anxiously wait for days to watch the Filmfare Awards, nestled with the family on the old black-and-white TV set. It gave me goose bumps and was dying every second with excitement to watch our stars perform and receiving awards. It was the days much before Satellite TV entered our lives.
The Filmfare Awards was a grand and unique affair for there was only one award, moviegoers looked up to and unlike today, where we have lost count on the bevy of bodies awarding actors, singers and film makers. The black lady was unique in her own way and everyone wooed her for a year to cuddle her shape.
I remember how I couldn’t buckle my mind at school and chided by teachers for not concentrating on the blackboard. The culprit? Filmfare Awards that would be aired live on TV. I was terribly anxious as if the TV would break down or mysteriously disappear in the sky. And, I waited for 8 pm to watch the awards. There was no Twitter or Facebook to congratulate our stars. I was a good boy on D-Day lapping the food like a homeless kid.
It were the days when there was no superficiality and one would imagine what it would be like to touch the stars or nurturing the dream of one day standing on the podium to perform or receive an award. Dreams, no matter how ludicrous, were allowed with Filmfare Awards. There was a mystery about our stars, intriguing they were for they couldn’t be touched. A tale of Greek demi God and Godesses. Amitabh’s poise, Madhuri, Juhi Chawla or Aishwarya Rai’s ubiquitous charm. There was something about them for we couldn’t reach out to them. It gave us goose bumps. The Gods of cinema enthralling us and one could feel choked out emotions, hands shaking as they performed and bagged awards.
It was a yearly affair and missing on them means moments of gloom and doom where our world almost crashed. Â I was stunned watching the glitz and the treat of watching our stars live, popping out of the silver screen was unparalleled. Do they really look like that in real life! Can I shake the hands of Bachchan, AK, Shah Rukh, Salman or touch Madhuri, Juhi or Sridevi? What would I tell them if ever they pop out of the TV screen? It was their aura, charisma and sheer magnetism that drew us to them. Still remember Amitabh winning for Hum and he walked in his trademark, white shirt, black suit and shoes, waving to the crowd sitting at the back. The time he shared his Filmfare best actor award with Aamir and Sanjay Dutt. We were taught that humility pays and it adds charm to our favorite star. After all, why the need to do that! The young child in me failed to understand that and wondered whether he took the black lady home that night. Or, the joy of winning made him gone bonkers.
There were moments during the award night that stayed with many of us. The wardrobe malfunction when a heroine I had a solid crush one was subjected to and the screen went black as if you are being shot at gun point. I froze and emphatized with the heroine. After all, what she must be going through and scathing criticism she would be subjected to in tabloids and sensational magazines the next day. Or, the sheer disappointment of not seeing your favorite bagging the awards and you stayed put past midnight, watching with the hope of seeing them win. What a sore loser the fan boy in me became, ending up in hating the winners?!
My filmfare moments! There are many. AB winning the Superstar of the Millenium Award dressed in a funky colorful outfit and introduced by Manoj Bajpai, speaking in Shuddh Hindi. Moods and moments. What a great evening! As Bachchan name announced, the audience stood in reverence as the original sound track of Don was played. Manoj speaking his heart out on his hero worship for Bachchan and repeated the same in his own unique style, introducing Hema Malini as ‘Sundarta ki Devi’ for her Lifetime Achievement Award.
It was in 2000, the decade when cinema changed with moving times that somehow robbed the joy of Filmfare Award being a unique affair. Soon, there were several awards that fell like water melons or ripe mangoes from the tree. The uniqueness of Filmfare Awards was challenged. While some would say, the more the merrier, I feel the uniqueness of awards lost its sheen and charm where everything is available like hot Vada on social media like Twitter and Facebook. Some stars bagged awards just for the heck of it for gracefully performing, may be! Awards were specially conferred for good friends. It robbed the joy of waiting for one single award function that would make us revel at the stars in the sky.
The mystery of our stars were lost, somehow, a bit like the Tweets they send to us. As fans, we love our stars to be clouded in mystery and Filmfare awards of the earlier days, did the trick for us. Call me old fashioned but love my stars being out of reach in the sky and that they cannot be touched. They were extraordinary and perhaps, they still are!
How I remember that I save every single penny in the 90s  to catch all the drama of Amitabh Bachchan, SRK, Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya posing with the black lady on the cover of Filmfare. I preserved the magazines like treasure. And, today, we have everything about the great night online. I love cinema and the stars that way! No tweet or Facebook status can take that joy of old days away from the heart. It was sheer magic.
Filmfare Awards led us to discover the best host in Shah Rukh Khan and his combo with Saif Ali Khan. Hope such moments never wean with time. Seeing my favorite stars performing during those unique Filmfare Award moments secretly nurtured the dream in me to become an actor. I dreamt of performing one day at Filmfare Awards and receiving the Black lady. Filmfare Award  was the only one made dream possible, of becoming an actor and director.
Ah! Those moments of watching Madhuri performing to Dola re Dola, Aishwarya to Kajra re, Amitabh-Rani double whammy for Black and Anil Kapoor-Madhuri taking the pie for Beta. And, with comperes striving to be as funny and howlarious as much as they can. Some of them like SRK are natural while other fail miserably. The halcyon days were simple and therein lies the beauty.
Today, you name it, you get it! Awards all over the place and I am not surprised if tomorrow, there will be Twitter or Facebook Awards for films. It, somehow, takes away that magic. But, all is not lost! Filmfare Awards remain Filmfare and both fans, stars crave for it. Perhaps, Filmfare Awards need to reinvent itself to better those days when it teamed up with Manikchand for it was really the stuffs heaven are made of.
Kavya flashed her million dollar smile for the cameras closing on her. She walked with elegance and poise, stopped for the shutterbugs causing a commotion, desperate for a shot to grace their glossy covers. Dressed in a black dress and wore her braid plait, they were enamored by her new look and she only could don a different avatar to make them go weak on their knees. The day was special for she took them for a ride. She sat at home, munching on Maggi noodles and laughing at herself on TV. After all, she is enjoying her freedom of being a simple girl at home, something her fame took away from her.
Image credit: Google
A pair of gold sandals worth million almost hit her on the head. “Will you stop this drama? I cannot be you,” her look alike fumbled.
Kavya put a wicked smile, “Babe! I am paying you in gold. You would never make this filthy money for the rest of your life.”
“I am tired of playing this game of fame. When the hell are you going to free me and my child?”
“The game has just began. Just be Me!! Your child is in safe hands.”
Kavya locked her look alike inside and sneaked inside her car in the middle of the night, faraway from the Paparazzi to an unknown destination with the latter’s daughter. Her new alike has no chance for she will make headlines news. After all, who will believe the poor girl? Kavya will remote control her from an undisclosed destination and after all, the daughter is her pawn.
Tap! Tap!! Sounds familiar like the childhood days of scampering on a type writer in motion! After all, it was the first day of the year and dying to surprise my blog readers-cum-followers with this story. I tell myself, it gonna be bang on coz it’s a take on movies of the 70s and 80s! Funny fiction and crazy one liners to provoke a laughing riot.
I know! I know! I can do it the right way. It just need the edge and fun quotient on the tale of two lost brothers. Nopes! I am not spilling the beans. Woe betide me!! Writing 600 something words, I normally pat myself on the back. We, writers, need this ego and folks, loving the story. I was already imagining its completion and hitting the publish button to soak in my glory. Ahem! Ahem! Tale of anti-climax! Mentally fucked.
Nah! It’s not happening, yaa! I run the risk of being labelled an unfunny asshole. My eyes furtively search for misplaced sheets and notebook in an attempt to jot situations and one liners. Mental blockage. I save the draft and move away from writing to watch Pyar ka Punchnama 2. Still, no ideas flowing. It’s nerve wracking.
Been a fortnight plus, I dunno what hit me to churn the impossible. Hell breaking loose. I cannot let this draft being lost in translation like the rebel 2000 plus story still rotting on the wordpress draft for six years. Mind you! I intend to rewrite both stories. There are days like that, I reason with the soul. Just hate it when the ideas are stuck like that. And, I think this tale of two brothers lost somewhere is a kick ass idea and has no right to be abandoned like a wretched soul by ruthless parents.
Time! Time! It’s such a bitch when every planned schedule is gone for a toss. Tomorrow never comes with writing this story and make it quirky, humorous to make readers laugh their lungs out. It’s a challenge. But, who will make the mind understand! Where art thou, ideas!! The crazy me must be hiding somewhere behind AIB Bakchod. How I envy those guys with their amazing script!
It’s one helluva tragic tale with stories dragging and dragging like that. Perhaps, I should wear my torn jeans that I promised to discard this year to get into the mood and forcefully put my cloak of craziness in a silly attempt to be funny. Where the mind is without fear, I am tempted to read the Bard’s poem again for ideas fail us when we cease to be fearless. You know what the inspiration right with the tale of two brothers? Amitabh Bachchan, Nirupa Roy, Raakhee Gulzar and Shashi Kapoor plus Mogambo Khush hua. I tell you, my life in fiction is summed up pretty much like our movies…mere do anmol ratan, ek hai pen aur ek hai lap top. Dimaag ki baati gul ho gaya.
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Farhan Akhtar, Aditi Rao Hydari, John Abraham (special appearance), Neil Nitin Mukesh (Guest appearance) and Manav Kaul
Producers: Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Raj Kumar Hirani
Story: Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Director: Bejoy Nambiar
Rating: Four stars
A game of chess is all about making the right moves. What if your next move fails to trap your target? There is no going back in chess and perhaps, more in real life. The Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s produced Wazir and executed by Bejoy Nambiar is a thriller about chest, friendship between Danish Ali (Farhan Akhtar) and Pandit-ji (Amitabh Bachchan) united by a common destiny to avenge the enemy. Heart pounding action and engrossing narrative, Wazir notches up the thriller genre to an octane level and spinning the web, churning surprise after surprise to make it one of the most delightful and best offering in recent times. Simply breath-taking and mesmerizing.
Sizzling Quotient:
The Amitabh Bachchan-Farhan Akhtar chemistry in Wazir remains the forte of the movie and both actors complement each other with utmost ease. Amitabh Bachchan is a maven at chess and as Pandit-ji confined to the wheel chair, he is sensational and delivers an outstanding performance that will fetch him several awards this year. The raw intensity and his eyes muscle doing all the talking, Bachchan doesn’t need to wave through his hands and legs to make a powerful impact on the audience. It’s a sheer delight to watch him perform in Wazir where he calls the shots. Farhan Akhtar plays a suspended ATS officer Danish Ali who founds in Pandit-ji an ally and he is effortless in all the scenes in the movie. It’s a treat to watch him perform and he is at his natural ease, displaying angst and loyalty for his friend that will fetch him accolades. Aditi Rao Hydari doesn’t has much to prove in the movie and the coy actress puts a good act. Â In a cameo, John Abraham plays the part he is asked to in a decent manner while Neil Nitin Mukesh is fine in his one scene.
Vidhu Vinod Chopra is a master story teller and creates one of the most gripping screenplay and narrative that keeps the audience glued. The screenplay is fabulous and tight that makes Wazir one of the most entertaining thriller of the year  and credit to Bejoy Nambiar for executing the film in a heart pounding from start-to-finish. The first half is simply breath-taking and post interval, the movie takes off where it left. Very few films can do that and the narrative is not lost. The climax gives one goose bumps and doling surprise after surprise. That’s the catch about Wazir. The rippling effect is psychological and if one doesn’t follow Wazir, it takes a huge effort to get swayed back in the movie. Brilliant cinematography, sharp editing and fine technical aspects makes Wazir a winning fare for the audience.
Stand up scenes
-It’s an celluloid experience to watch Bachchan and Farhan playing chess in the middle of the night and getting swayed over Vodka, throwing light moments over Russian women. The scene is sheer delight and the frame competently captures the friendship between Big B and Farhan to make it one of the best scenes.
-The scene where Bachchan hurls a shoe on the car of the minister’s car and sitting stoic like a statue on his wheel chair is sensational. Simple expression but plain effective cum powerful. That’s acting at its best. What more can a lover of cinema asks?
-The climax where Farhan rushes to watch Bachchan leaving a video message for him leaves one spell bound by its rich execution and emotions displayed by actors. It’s a novel concept making actors interact, one sitting and the other speaking in a video message. It’s the Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s touch.
Fizzling out show:
There is a lack of chemistry between Farhan Akhtar and Aditi Rao Hydari during the romantic moments they share on screen which is a pity considering that the latter has a huge potential as an actor. Aditi has very less scenes and she should have been given more space to prove her worth. She can do wonders where she showed in the few scenes that she is not only naturally photogenic but excellent.
Director Bejoy Nambiar has brilliantly weaved Wazir, giving it the sharp edge worthy of a thriller and I’d call it the director’s cut keeping the scenes and narrative tight-cum-engaging. One can see the Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s touch, in particular, in the scene where Bachchan hurls the shoes and it reminds me of the novelty of capturing emotions that he did in Eklavya. Remember the screen that went blank! The amazing song Atrangi Yaara, sung by Amitabh Bachchan and Farhan Akhtar, Â with Vidhu making an appearance, in the end credit, is sensationally beautiful and one is hooked to it. A perfect ode to friendship.
Irrespective of Wazir’s box office collection, it doesn’t diminish the Vidhu Vinod Chopra-Bejoy Nambiar-Amitabh Bachchan-Farhan Akhtar combined effort in starting the year with a bang. If you haven’t watched Wazir, hop on for you cannot afford to miss such cinematic brilliance.
Vishal Bhidu 