Diwali Blues

There's something really depressing about going to office on Diwali. More so when you're the only guy in office barring the security guard snoring outside. But as the saying goes, you gotta do what you gotta do. Hope you guys had more fun. Happy Diwali anyway.

Track your Pics

Came across this website called Tracking Shot that automates interesting montages with photos and music. Upload your favourite still pics and music and Voila! - an instant movie is ready.

Check out my first creation (that of my IIMC days) here. It took me just 5 minutes after the painstaking task of uploading selected pics.

It's not problem free - you cannot completely control the slideshow - and mine is obviously too fast. But then it's the thought that counts. Right?

As one classmate put it, the montage brought "tears into her eyes". I presume they were tears of joy at this blast from the past. Go ahead and try making your own movies with photos and music.

Indian football gets a canine twist

Perhaps the only highlight of last evening's Asian Cup qualifying match in Bangalore was the mangy mutt who rushed to provide succour to the losing Indian side.

Play was held up for some minutes as the friendly canine gambolled around the field giving some respite to our beleaguered football players.

But the dog offered its four paws in vain. Bob Houghton's boys put up a brave front, especially in the second half, but Ryuji Bando struck twice to give holders Japan a well-deserved 3-0 victory.

Bhaichung Bhutia had even more reason to be unhappy. On Wednesday, the Indian Football Association suspended him for the remaining three matches of the Kolkata Premier League. The former skipper is also being fined Rs 50,000. His crime - showing dissent during a domestic league match in September.

Moral: Every dog has its day but Indian football's only canine fan would be better off watching cricket.

My first podcast - finally!

Yes, today I officially became a podcaster. Check out this podcast link for the previous post.


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You can subscribe to the Tony Tharakan podcast here

This Way, That Way

The other day I was waiting for someone to pick me up from Statesman House. It wasn't too long a wait - only 30 minutes or so - but six persons came and asked me for directions.

Of course, my knowledge of the capital city is famous for its limitations and these people had the misfortune to bump into me. But I guess in this case it wasn't entirely my fault.

They didn't want to go to Greater Kailash, India Gate or Noida. In fact, one of them wanted directions to go to 'Jheel' wherever that is. When I pleaded ignorance to knowing where Jheel or Jawahar Nagar or Anand Vihar was or how to get there, I was given some pretty (or rather un-pretty) withering looks.


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Just when I was about to give up and commit suicide, the sixth country bumpkin showed up and asked for directions to the British Council.

Finally! A place that I know like the back of my hand. I gave the perplexed stranger precise instructions to get there, secure in the knowledge that I was not useless after all - that I had been stationed there by Destiny for this precise purpose. To guide this hapless creature to his destination.

I looked up to the sky and smiled - a pretty big smile. And wished fervently that no more country bumpkins may cross my path again.

Why Superman never takes the Lift

Why Jay should win the Turner Prize

Delhi swings to the 95 FM beat

It's been only a month since 95 FM was test-launched in Delhi by a firm called Clear Media. And this new radio station has already created a buzz for its non-stop hits sans pesky ads and tiresome RJs. You heard that right - no ads for XYZ home loans, no RJs who just don't know when to stop jabbering. Just plain ol' music.

Have no idea how long this state of bliss will last. Et tu will have to succumb to the pressures of commercialism. Till then, am making the best of the situation and answering that inevitable query - "Are you 95ing tonite?"

Btw, this is not the first blog post on 95 FM. On August 7, blog diva eM had this to say about the new Mirchi for Delhiites -

Ooh, a brand new radio station that I love (95 fm, whose is it? what is it? why are they playing such excellent music?) is doing wonders for my ego. Wonders.

A couple or more of similar radio stations and I will give up my cassettes and CDs. Wotsay?

Update:
Aren't you addicted to Hit 95 FM yet?

KANK is no KA(LA)NK

Bloggers have trashed Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna and Jabberwock's review especially says it all.

But I actually liked KANK. So kill me.

Maybe I am partial to the Karan Johar genre of escapist NRI cinema. Maybe I just love three hours of big stars, fabulous songs and designer outfits. Er...maybe I just have a teeny-weeny crush on Preity Zinta.

Abhishek Bachchan was particularly impressive as Rani's charming boy-husband and also effortlessly matched Daddy Bachchan's charisma in the Rock and Roll song sequence. Watch out SRK, the Junior B might just steal your thunder.

Preity had a similar amount of screen time but pales in comparison to the Bachchan duo and Chandigarh (l)ass Kirron Kher.

But the film could have done with some better editing in the second half. It was a tad too long with little comic relief. Who wants to watch a cynical SRK and Rani cry their heart out when they could have more of happy-go-lucky Abhishek and pretty Preity instead.

(Warning: Spoilers follow)

However, KANK's ending made up for all its shortcomings. Audiences had a sneaking suspicion Johar would play safe and make the love-struck couple return to their spouses. But as the 200-minute epic draws to a close, the director boldly flings aside the dictates of conventional cinema.

Lovers SRK and Rani finally end up together albeit after a three-year "punishment" for their "original sin" - making merry in bed while their spouses Abhishek and Preity are dancing away to Where's the party.

KANK (pronounced like BANK not SKUNK) has even forced Chidanand Rajghatta to sit up and take notice in his TOI column(though for NRI-related reasons)

Word from box-office gurus in America is that KANK raked in USD 1.4 million over the weekend, beating the previous record of USD 1 million set in 2001 by Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, a similarly syrupy, low-brow, KJo effort

Which means Karan Johar is doing something right. Let me just tell audiences and critics alike - KANK may not be a Schindler's List but it's certainly no KA(LA)NK either.

Osian's Cinefan: Some afterthoughts

There's something to be said for officially reporting on a film festival. You can shush the pesky security guard with your snazzy media card and flash your Nokia 8210 in a no-mobile zone. Not to speak of the umpteen opportunities to get up, close and personal with the likes of Konkona Sen Sharma.

But I would rather be a 'regular' guy. The kind of person who waits patiently in line for a chance to get acquainted with the best of cinema. The kind of person who spends hours lounging in the hallowed interiors of Siri Fort Auditorium. The kind of person who...well, you get the idea.

The 8th Osian's-Cinefan film festival in New Delhi last month was no different. But with the added attraction of a plethora of premieres this time around.

I would have loved to laze around on the steps, taking in a surfeit of Asian cinema from dawn to dusk. But since I was 'covering' the film festival, I spent time balancing office shifts with press conferences and one-on-ones with the glitterati (or should I say the arty).

And lost out on the film-watching marathon.

But it wasn't a total loss. I did manage to catch 4.5 films in between. Among them was Naseer's directorial debut Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota - a film that managed to pack the auditorium like never before.

The others were NRI director Varun Khanna's American Blend, newbie filmmaker Ben Rekhi's LA thriller Waterborne and the Bangladeshi film Ontarjatra (Homeland).

And what of the film that I left midway? The festival's closing film - Jafar Panahi's much-feted Offside. No, I wasn't bored. I had to file the closing ceremony and awards story in record time. Sigh! The travails of a news agency journalist.

Among other highlights - Rituparno Ghosh speaking on why making a black-n-white Dosar was an experiment he was loath to repeat and of course Saudi Arabia's first ever feature film. Director Izidore Musallam was optimistic that Keif Alhal would be a trendsetter in the conservative Kingdom.

Guys I would like to switch places with

Jai Arjun aka Jabberwock and Nikhil Pahwa aka Mixed Bag. They seem to have spent forever at the film fest.