Dasvidaniya: Bittersweet slice of middle-class life

If you were expecting Vinay Pathak's latest film to be a comic caper, you are in for a surprise.

"Dasvidaniya" is a bittersweet comedy about a man diagnosed with cancer and how he spends the last three months of his life.

Heard that one before? It's a subject Bollywood has dealt with in films like "Anand" and "Kal Ho Naa Ho". The 2007 Hollywood film "The Bucket List" also had a similar storyline.

But Shashant Shah’s "Dasvidaniya" gives the plot some original twists. To read more, click here.

Help a virgin

Once upon a time there was a 25-year-old guy. Unfortunately, he was still a virgin. Desperate, he went to his only friend -- a pretty girl -- for help.

V: Can you help me, Pretty
P: On one condition
V: Name it, Pretty
P: Set up a website asking people to help you
V: Help me to do what?
P: Get more people to visit your website
V: So?
P: If you get five million hits by New Year's Eve
V: Yes
P: Then I will help you
V: Help me with my problem?
P: Yes
V: You mean it
P: Yes, but
V: But?
P: If you fail, you'll have to do anything
V: Anything?
P: Anything I want for a month
V: Done

Okay, okay so this conversation is a figment of my imagination.

But such a website does exist and the 25-year-old virgin is a long, long way from achieving his goal.

Do help him out before he becomes a slave to his pretty friend.

For Twitter feed, click here

It can't get more sexist than this

(Link via Reddit)

Ganguly takes off his shirt one last time

It wasn't the way Saurav Ganguly wanted to walk off into the sunset. A century in Nagpur, the final test of India's most successful test skipper, would have made it memorable.

But he did make it memorable and how. Read more here.

Can't mention Obama's name at school

U.S. television channel WLBT reports that that a school in Mississippi is not allowing students to mention president-elect Barack Obama's name.

"Melissa Hayes says teachers at Puckett Attendance Center told her daughters they could not talk about Obama in class or in the hallways."

I am not sure how reliable WLBT channel is and the parent quoted by it does not point to "racism" being behind the ban on mentioning Obama's name.

But I still think it's too soon to expect everybody in the world's most powerful country to accept a black president. Change can happen but it's going to take time.

I wish Obama all the best.

Start your day with a smile

I usually get irritated by forwarded emails but this pic just made my day.

The name is Bond. Black Bond

Now that Barack Obama has gone right ahead and broken the black barrier at the White House, I think it's time we have someone black playing James Bond.

Not that Daniel Craig is doing such a bad job. It's just that Ian Fleming's master spy needs to evolve with the times and be shaken, not stirred in more ways than one.

My choice -- Denzel Washington. If he declines, then Will Smith.

You might be laughing now but if Obama can be voted U.S. president, a black Bond is not that big a deal.

Or is it?

Barack Obama - seems he's India's choice too

You would have thought so too -- if you were present at Delhi's American Center on Wednesday morning.

And by the way, I voted for Obama. Click here for more.

Slideshow

Partition: A not so epic love story

Watched Partition (2007) on television. This Canadian production revolves around the love story of a Sikh man and a Muslim woman drawn together by the partition of India in 1947.

The storyline is familiar -- the Bollywood hit Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001) had an uncannily similar plot. But despite a host of accomplished actors, this Vic Sarin film is never as impressive.

Illiterate villagers mouthing dialogues in English is okay but an Indian actor in the role of Naseem (Kristin Kreuk) would have been more believable. And although Jimi Mistry as the protagonist Gian is first-class, Irrfan Khan and Vinay Pathak are wasted in their two-bit roles.

Neve Campbell plays with aplomb the role of an English lady who helps Gian search for Naseem's missing family after the riots.

This is certainly not one of those 'Pakistan is bad' propaganda movies -- director Sarin ensures there are good and bad characters on both sides of the border. But Naseem's brother Akbar (Arya Babbar) remains a stereotype.

Partition loses its bearings after a placid first half, hurtling towards a predictable and unimpressive climax. Still, it's worth a watch for its lovely cinematography.

I wasn't so sure about the trains depicted in the film -- they seemed too modern to be around 60 years ago. And the idea of a devout Sikh converting to Islam just to get across the border seemed a bit far-fetched.

RATING: **

(For other reviews of this film, click here and here )