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Let us not talk of box office figures. Please. There’s a khan-dani monopoly there. Let us also not talk about awards. (No offence to those deceased and alive) but there is an oh-so-predictable formula to find yash  at such events and win “ Awards of the year ”. Let's shift focus to content. Let’s talk about unforgettable cinematic moments that won’t leave us for a long long time. And when I sit back and recall, 2012 looks like a year when a handful of women made a huge amount of difference. These weren’t sporadic highlights in one stream of cinema, but a consistent display of excellence in various streams. Here are some such wow moments and the women behind them: Women of bollywood 2012: I am not only talking about actors or technicians alone. Even in terms of characters and portrayal of women this year at the movies. Be it a gutsy real-nameless Mrs Baagchi of Kahaani or a earthy Shalini Sahay in Shanghai , they have had a more meaningful presence on screen than in pre...

Is it just a coincidence that Gauri Shinde’s chose her protagonist to be an “entrepreneur” of Laddoos ? A Laddoo looks deceptively simple, but is just as difficult to make- ever running the risk that it might turn over-sweet, a little carelessness and the look might be unwelcoming.  And that’s how much thought and care Shinde puts into the movie – there is so much love, care and detailing she pours into every frame that she, like the character in her film, ensures a perfectly brilliant looking, delicious and yet not over-sweet film. No. This is not a complicated film – there is no disability at its core, there is nothing shattering about the pathos of the character, but yet, there is everything relatable about the character of the movie. Shashi (Sridevi) is your typical Indian middle-class housewife – who is made feel incompetent simply because she struggles to throw an English phrase or two at a breakfast table. Or if she insists that the English teacher speak to her in Hi...

Ek Tha Cinema K J Kartik No. I haven't seen Ek Tha Tiger, but it doesn't stop me from believing in my gut which says it will , at best, be a mediocre film, full of unbelievable stunts that the can-be-christened-rajnikant-of-bollywood Salman Khan has done with a cockiness and expression that can put even Mr Bean to shame. But how does it matter. Just like it doesn't matter what the critics have to say, to determine if the film should work or not. I cannot pin point when this started to happen - when did it stop mattering whether or not, the film is good, for it to succeed. It makes me, well, jealous! Believing in the old and almost childish school of thought of meritocracy, I have lived to believe that he who deserves, gets success. That one must excel, to be rewarded. That content matters. These recent spate of so called "100 crore club" films have me wondering, if that really means anything. RA.ONE, declared unanimously as a flop by all critics, still...

Highly inspired by Big Boss and helplessly irritated with the whole idea of reality, here is the layman guide to reality TV. Here’s presenting my version of “7 reality checks for Fake TV”.. Ooops, I mean Fake checks for reality TV. 1. The “sob” : Be it Kapil Dev or the aam aadmi, there something very magnetic about watching someone cry on TV. And what the viewers like, the channel lovvvvves… They are not as much concerned with the genre of their show, but want to ensure that there is enough “Masala” to survive in the Primetime battle. So be it singing, dance or anything else, it is oh-so-important to have at least one element of “human interest story” in that one hour. Wonder how many contestants who have participated feel that their emotions have been exploited for TRPs? 2. The “love story” of the show : ..Like any Indian Primetime show, even if it is a cooking show, can be complete with mushiness and lovvvvvve…. Out of nowhere, and obviously scripted infatuations ...

From the-flexing-biceps move in the title song, to the jump from train to another train to an overhead bridge; to the way the his boss at “Tiger Securities” introduces his credentials – within the first ten minutes of the movie, there is a sense of cockiness that one has learnt to associate with Rajnikant’s (and now Salman’s) movies. The tone is set for what you expect to be an out and out action film, with action sequences ranging from incredulous to well-choreographed to downright hilarious. Was it with “Wanted” that Salman learnt he had a untapped and unexplored Rajni Quotient within him? That combination of cheeky humor, super heroic stuntability (and looks and body that take him beyond Rajni in a way) makes him a big hit with his already mad fan base. So let’s make it clear – irrespective of what I or the critics or Salman (or even Rajnikant thinks) thinks of this film, it is bound to be a hit. The formula works for sure – even if the same formula comes from the same guy not...

Everytime I heard Munni, I would be amazed at both, the audacity with which the lyricist thought of and the lack of vocabulary with which he chose the phrase “Zandu balm” to convey what Munni becomes for her darling! The song, celebrated as one of the best item numbers in recent years, is filled with such ‘poetic’ gems – “Popat na jaane mere peeche Saifu….”; “tu atom bomb hui” to quote a few. Is this degeneration of poetry? Coming of age of slang in cinema? Or a sheer disgrace? Whatever it is, it is the reality. And it is working. Remember, there was a time when any bollywood album was not complete without the infamous mention of a choli, khatiya or takiya. History is repeating itself. Only this time, the words are shittier – literally. As someone who has taken writing seriously, I love to weigh my words even in emails. My professor told me once to imagine the expression of the reader as he or she reads what I have written. So I believe the today’s lyricsts are visualizing puking...

Although tough there were fewer albums as mentioned in the previous post about the Top 5 albums it was a broader range as far as singles went. As is the case each year, this year too there is a mix of great numbers - peppy, romantic, item et al! And 1 insightful, telling observation - One of the top five albums - Raavan doesnt have a single number that made it in the top 10 and the album that finally scored the very top spot didn't even feature in the top 5 albums. So here goes.. the Top 10 songs of 2010, as collated by the group of us! #10 I hate Luv Storys The peppy number set to foot-tapping beats and sung by first half of the Vishal-Shekhar duo, rocked the charts mainly on its catchy feel.. and perhaps the video which was highly promoted and looked like a poor replica of "Bachna Ae Haseeno". #9 Zor Ka Jhatka (Action Replay) An instant hit, this one was also the most heavily promoted number of the film and choreographed with a funky signature step. Singers Richa Shar...