Part 2 - Bollywood movies in 2015 that made me think

Part 1 of the series can be found here. Continuing with the top movies in 2015 that made me think -

6. Bajrangi Bhaijaan - 

Second surprise of the year for me. Salman Khan movies are normally all about his charisma, his body, his dance moves and dishoom-dishoom. This movie was a refreshing change and had a good story too. If you are one of those few folks who haven't seen this movie, this is about a Hanuman-bhakt (Salman) who meets a Pakistani girl lost in Indian shores. He helps her find her family in Pakistan by going to Pakistan without a visa. What he encounters and viewing the same in the larger context of India-Pakistan troubles, forms the crux of the story. I seriously don't know why Kareena Kapoor Khan was cast in this movie as her acting talent was rarely utilized. The child actress, Harshaali Malhotra, became an instant favorite amongst movie goers and for all the right reasons. I normally don't say this, but watch this movie for 'bhaijaan'!

7. Drishyam - 

First of all, I have seen the "original" movie released in Malayalam. That was simply awesome. Till the last scene, most of the audience weren't able to join the loose threads. In that context, Bollywood's Drishyam was a carbon copy of the Malayalam movie and it had to be good as far as story was concerned. The main actor's role is critical to the movie and hence, I had my doubts when it was revealed that Ajay Devgn will reprise Mohanlal's role in the Hindi version. Ajay Devgn's persona and his recent (action) movies make it difficult to believe an out-of-shape police officer hitting a muscular Ajay Devgn and Devgn, on his part, is simply begging for mercy. But I commend the risk Devgn took and am sure it will work wonders when the award season begins. Expect a few "Best Story" awards for Drishyam and maybe a best actor award too.

8. Manjhi - The Mountain Man - 

Nawazuddin Siddiqui all the way. This is his movie. From start. To end. If you want to see genuine acting talent, look no further. The guy may look small for a typical Bollywood actor, but don't be fooled by his physical stature. He is one of the best there is, in the industry. Manjhi further cements his position in the film industry - as one who is full of talent and can play any role with full dignity. The thing about Nawazuddin Siddiqui is that you tend to remember the character he performs and not the actor. That's the quality you need in your stars. And I haven't even started with the story of this movie! This is a must watch, and primarily for the main lead. Hope we get to see such movies in future too.

9. Talvar - 

I had seen the 1st movie made on the Aarushi Talvar case (Rahasya) which was more un-biased. I still wanted to see Talvar, primarily for Irrfan Khan. And I had no regrets. The movie is more or less on the similar lines as Rahasya. The role was tailor-made for Irrfan and he, as always, did a splendid job. In terms of relevance to actual story and keeping a balanced view on an issue that has plagued the nation, Rahasya was better. Talvar seemed to take a sympathetic and biased stand towards one side. However, in terms of acting and story-telling, Talvar was better than Rahasya.

10. Bajirao Mastani - 

Third surprise of the year. I am not a fan of Ranveer Singh. I still am not. However, he took this movie to an altogether different level by his acting and intensity. Deepika reprised the role of Mastani and did a good job at it. Priyanka did their part well, although I felt she should have got a meatier role. In a way, her acting talent was somewhat wasted in the movie. Bajirao Mastani is not the best movie of 2015 but it's one of the movies you should watch once. The sets and color combinations had Sanjay Leela Bhansali written all over it and makes it a visual appealing.

If you observe my list carefully, you will realize that 3 of the these movies have Irrfan Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui as main / side characters each. You may feel I am being biased towards these actors, but hey, their movies were great too. Let me know if you think otherwise.

Other Notable movies of 2015 that didn't make the cut but still worth a dekko (in the order of their release) - 

1. Rahasya  - similar to Talvar.

2. Shamitabh - watch it for the chemistry between Amitabh Bachchan and Dhanush.

3. Dum Laga Ke Haisha - cute love story and nice acting.

4. Dharam Sankat Mein - another movie on religion by Paresh Rawal. Not as involving as "Ohh My God".

5. Margarita with a Straw - top class acting by Kalki and Revathi, as always. 

6. Baahubali - for the special effects, one of a kind.

7. Masaan - for Sanjay Mishra's acting.

Happy New Year guys. God Bless!

Part 1 - Bollywood movies in 2015 that made me think

Welcome to another edition of top Bollywood movies of the year. This is my 5th year of publishing a post on top 10 movies in Bollywood that made me thing. Yes, 5 years! 

These are my posts on top Bollywood movies from previous years - 

2014 - Part 1 | Part 2

2013 - Part 1 | Part 2

2012 - Part 1 | Part 2

2011 - Part 1 | Part 2

2015 was a year of the "non-Khans" in my honest opinion. And by Khans, I mean the 3 Khans - Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan. No Aamir Khan movie was released (which means there can more than 1 movie scheduled next year), one super-hyped Shahrukh Khan movie was released which was apparently beaten down on social media and two Salman Khan movies were released, one of which had a story (yes, seriously).

Before I talk about the movies, one word of caution. These are the list of movies I think were worth watching. You, obviously, can chose to disagree. 

Without further delay, these are the top 10 movies (listed in the order of their release) that actually made me think - 

1. Baby - 

Every once in a while, Akshay Kumar comes out of his funny-simpleton roles and delivers a baby (sic). Why am I making this statement? Because his last two movies before "Baby" were "Entertainment" and "The Shaukeens" which were released last year Last year also had a much acclaimed movie "Holiday". This year, it's "Baby". Despite what the name of the movie suggests, the story is about a secret mission and how the Indian forces get hold of the terrorist perpetrators. The movie is a bold statement and something which can be termed as fictional and cannot happen in real life. Akshay Kumar is simply great in "Baby" and is strongly supported by other actors in the movie. And by the way, this movie is from the same director (Neeraj Pandey) who gave us "A Wednesday" and "Special Chabbis". Any reason not to watch the movie? I don't find any. 

2. Badlapur - 

Dark. Very dark. Brutal. That's how I should define this movie. I feel this is Varun Dhawan's best. Huma Qureshi did justice to her role. But, Nawazuddin Siddiqui took the cake! Its a revenge story of a hero (Varun Dhawan) whose family died when the villain (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) was running away with the loot. But as the movie unfolds, the audience is forced to change the perspective of their hero and villain and eventually, you tend to realize that the villain lost the battle but won the war and the actor, despite winning the battle, lost everything in the process. This movie is by far the best from Sriram Raghavan's stable.

3. Qissa - 

Few facts first. Qissa is technically a Punjabi film, although it has been perceived / promoted as a Bollywood film. Second, it belongs to parallel cinema genre. Third, it's a tale where you have to believe certain things that are not scientifically correct. Why watch this movie, you may ask. Because of all the reasons above, I say. Qissa is a master-piece in its own right. It's a tale of a Punjabi guy (played by Irrfan Khan) who wants a son to carry forward his legacy. When the fourth child born is also a girl, he decides to raise the child as a guy. Irrfan is shown as a guy who is desperate to raise his daughter as a son, who beats his daughters for having a fight with his 'son', who marries his 'son' off to a girl. Everything he does is illogical yet his portrayal makes you feel he is right to do what he is doing. That's what top actors do, they make you feel that wrong is actually not wrong enough. Qissa exceeds all expectation you have of parallel cinema. A word of caution, if you are not a fan of parallel cinema, stay away. If you are, don't miss this movie.

4. NH10 - 

First genuine surprise movie of 2015 for me. When you have a actor who is also a producer, I feel the movie will be about the actor marketing himself / herself. Anushka Sharma is the main lead and also the producer of NH10. The trailors proved the aforementioned feeling I had. But I was wrong. The movie was pure acting and not about producer promoting herself. Yes, she was the main lead and there was no popular actor cast alongside her. But she singlehandedly delivered. One of those movies where acting, story and dialogues were top-class. And yes, women-centric movies work in India. 

5. Piku - 

Another women centric movie that worked. You have to commend Deepika Padukone for acting alongside stalwarts like Amitabh Bachchan and Irrfan Khan. Piku is the name of Deepika Padukone's character who has a dad with constipation problems. The movie is a sweet and funny take on dad-daughter relationship with constipatio providing the humor. And no, its not toilet humor which is why the movie is classy. Piku is easily the best light-hearted movie of 2015. You have to watch Piku, if you haven't. You have to watch Piku again, if you have watched it before. Must watch. 

As always, there are 5 more movies that make this list. You can read about them by clicking here.

Did The Joker kill Heath Ledger?

Rhetoric question, you may ask. Did I hear someone say "absurd"? You may even take offense to it. That’s exactly the way I felt when I heard about a new documentary titled “Heath Ledger: Too Young to Die”.

I am a big fan of the Batman trilogy. I am a fan of Christopher Nolan. And a huge fan of “The Joker” character from “The Dark Knight”. Joker is the only reason why I love watching the movie again and again. Heath Ledger took the character to a level where, I felt, that Joker was the real hero rather than Batman. His presence lit up the screen and his next move was always a surprise / shock. The dialogue delivery, the make-up, the laugh and other expressions made The Dark Knight a must watch – many times! And the fact that we didn’t see the actual death of the character prompted me to believe that Nolan will bring him back in the 3rd edition “The Dark Knight Rises”. However, that was not to be; primarily, for reasons well known to all of us.

In one of the interviews in 2007, Heath Ledger said the following about his role and the preparation involved – “It's a combination of reading all the comic books I could that were relevant to the script and then just closing my eyes and meditating on it. I sat around in a hotel room in London for about a month, locked myself away, formed a little diary and experimented with voices - it was important to try to find a somewhat iconic voice and laugh. I ended up landing more in the realm of a psychopath - someone with very little to no conscience towards his acts. He's just an absolute sociopath, a cold-blooded, mass-murdering clown.”

Now, we have a German documentary (yet to be released) that claims to reveal the details of the diary maintained by Heath Ledger. They claim the details in the diary are shocking and, perhaps, have a link with his eventual untimely death. Heath Ledger’s father is also part of this documentary which, some may believe, gives the documentary a certain amount of credibility.

From what I can gather, the documentary is totally based on two aspects of Heath Ledger’s life – 

1. A diary maintained by Heath Ledger while he was preparing for his role as Joker. He was living inside a hotel room in London for almost a month trying to get into the much-acclaimed character. He practised with various voices, conceptualizing and interpreting the comic strips and developed that iconic laugh. All this has been jotted down on his diary with pictures etc. 
2. Heath’s health Issue: If you read about his health issues on Wikipedia, you will realize that he had sleeping issues and would usually fall back on medications. The autopsy report also suggests the same as the possible cause of his death. 

Add 2 and 2 together and you get a probable conspiracy theory, which is what, I think, has been highlighted in the documentary. Personally, I don’t want to believe the documentary, especially the emotional side of me. If the sacrifice for making an iconic, epic, memorable and once-in-a-lifetime character was one's own life, I would have been content with the “scarecrow” and “Bane” type of villains (no offence to these characters) for Batman trilogy with Heath Ledger alive and kicking. If the documentary starts making sense, then Heath has literally sacrificed everything, even his own life, for his role as The Joker. 

I will sign out using one of Joker's most memorable quotes -

Long live ‘The Joker’. Long live Heath Ledger. His legacy lives on, with / without documentary.

Part 2 - Bollywood movies in 2014 that made me think

Part 1 of the series can be found here. Continuing with the top movies in 2014 that made me think - 

6. Filmistaan

Filmistaan was ready in 2012. After successful screening in various film festivals in 2012 and 2013, it was theatrically released in 2014. This movie also won a national award in 2012 for best Hindi film. Filmistaan is an India-Pakistan unity film. A film “shooter” from India is mistakenly kidnapped by some Pakistanis, who are shooters of a different kind. This leads the Indian guy to mingle with the Pakistani folks and learn that both India and Pakistan love the same things – movies and cricket. Later on, his newly found Pakistani friends help him escape Pakistan and reach India. Sharib Hamshi, actor, is awesome in this movie. His expressions are one of the main reasons you have to watch this movie.

7. Holiday

Every once in a while, comes an Akshay Kumar movie which you have to sit and take notice. Last year, it was Special 26. This year, it’s Holiday, a movie on sleeping cells. I know many will not subscribe to my thoughts in regards to having this movie in my list. Although Special 26 was class apart, this one takes the cake as far as Akshay Kumar is concerned. This is an out-and-out Akshay Kumar film with a meaning and purpose. Support cast are included just for support. Action sequences will excite some. Fighting for national security will excite some more. Whether you like Akshay Kumar or not, you should think twice before giving this one a miss.

8. Mary Kom

I guess every year there will be a movie on sports star. We already had Paan Singh Tomar, then on Milkha Singh and now it’s Mary Kom. In my opinion, Priyanka Chopra was apt for this role. Mary Kom has been one of our stalwarts in the field of Boxing. But spotlight on Cricketers and the lack of Boxing events on a regular basis meant she was sidelined for most of her career. A book and a movie on Mary Kom is the least we can do to repay her. Priyanka Chopra as Mary Kom put in her sincerest attempt and will be the leading contender for Best actor (female). 

9. Haider

In my opinion, Haider is the best Bollywood movie released in 2014. Vishal Bharadwaj is a master of story-telling. He did it with Maqbool and Omkara. Haider is as good as the other two and with Haider, Vishal Bharadwaj has adapted a trio of Shakespeare’s best. Haider, as with the other two movies, has Bharadwaj’s own twists and turns to make it an original. Haider has multiple sub-plots which make the climax debatable – in a good way. The actors in the movie are character actors and have done their roles wonderfully well. Tabu, KK and Irfan Khan do complete justice to their roles. But this movie belongs to Shahid Kapur. I will be surprised if he is not a serious contender for Best Actor (Male) and the movie in the best movie category. Although we all know the top honors go to the mainstream commercial actors and their mindless commercial movies.

10. PK

And finally we end with PK. A movie that took almost 5 years in the making has all the ingredients to be successful – Aamir Khan, duo of Rajkumar Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra, a novel concept and brilliantly done teaser campaigns. First things first, conceptually this movie is better than Aamir Khan’s last money grosser – Dhoom 3. This movie addresses one area where we need a mirror to change our blind habits. And to an extent, it is working. It is on its way to be one of the most successful films of 2014 – financially and critically. I have not seen a Bollywood film that has polarized the masses the way PK has, unfortunately I might add. But for all the criticism surrounding the movie, it has made its place among the echelons of Bollywood films in 2014. Yes, the 2nd half doesn’t live up to the 1st one and I felt the love angle overshadowed the godman angle. But overall, its definitely worth a watch! Watch it for Aamir Khan.

Notable omissions – 

1. Highway

2. Mardaani

3. Rang Rasiya

4. Ugly (only because I haven’t seen it yet)

My top Bollywood movies from previous years – 

2011 – Part 1 | Part 2

2012 – Part 1 | Part 2

2013 – Part 1 | Part 2

PS: All images are movie posters released by respective movies for promotional purposes.

Part 1 - Bollywood movies in 2014 that made me think

Another year passed by. Arguably, a successful year for Bollywood in general. Many movies, albeit mindless and heartless, made a lot of money. Bollywood biggies released their movies to much fanfare. Shahrukh Khan had a “Happy New Year” released on Diwali. Salman Khan had a “Jai Ho” and a “Kick” while Aamir Khan had “PK”. Ajay Devgn established himself as an action star with “Singham Returns” and “Action Jackson” though with mixed success. A lot was expected from Pyaar ke Side Effects sequel, but I think its fair to say it didn’t live up to the expectations. Thanks to wikipedia, I came to know that a lot of movies with weird titles were released in 2014 – Babloo Happy Hai, W, Dishkiyaoon, Kuku Mathur Ki Jhand Ho Gayi, 6-5=2, Golu Aur Pappu. Interesting, isn’t it?

Anyways, there were some that mattered. Some movies were different from others. Something was different in a good way. It was maybe the concept, story, characters, actors or the director who made a difference to the end product. Some of the movies may not have worked commercially, but there was something that worked and can be explored in the future.

Following are some of the movies released in 2014 in the order of their theatrical release –

1. Dedh IshqiyaImagine a movie having star performers like Naseeruddin Shah, Madhuri Dixit and Arshad Warsi. Imagine a movie with a strong story. Imagine a movie which is of the “Ishqiya” brand. Imagine a movie associated with Vishal Bharadwaj. This had to work, isn’t it? And it did. What a way it was to start year 2014! Characters were developed with selfish desires and how they go after their own needs made this movie worth a watch. Although, I must admit that Ishqiya was much better and more unpredictable than this one.

2. Queen
Kangana Ranaut was getting stereotyped as a single character actor – who is good as a drunkard, but hardly anything beyond. With Queen, she proved her critics wrong. Queen has fast-tracked Kangana as one of the mainstream actress who is not only beautiful but can also deliver a power-packed performance. The elan in which she portrays the character of a fearful person in an alien country to somewho who’s comfortable with herself is worth applauding. Lisa Haydon and Rajkummar Rao are fine in their support roles. This is sure to be one of the best movies of 2014 but will have stern competition from Mary Kom and Haider.

3. Ankhon Dekhi
The Rajat Kapoor gang (of the Bheja Fry fame) is back and this time they have made a movie that’s hilariously heart-warming. It’s a story of a 50-something year old man, Sanjay Mishra, who has a simple life and can only believe something when he sees it. Directing a movie with no “mainstream” actors is always risky and the movie / concept should be strong enough to guide the film. The film has a nice story, narrated in a wonderful way and has strong performances to back it up. I love it when this gang comes up with a new movie which is always different and is worth all the accolades on a shoe-string budget. Some movies don’t need money, lead actors and marketing to succeed, heart is enough it its in the right place. Ankhon Dekhi is one such film.

4. Hawaa Hawaai
This was the Iqbal of 2014, a movie of hope and achievement despite hardships. The father and son are awesome in this movie (Amol Gupte is the director and son Partho, an actor). Their last move together – Stanley ka Dabba – was wonderful too. The friendship angle in this movie reminds you of your childhood friends and everything we all went through to support each other in spite of hurdles. If you like Iqbal type movies, this one is a must watch.

5. Citylights

This is a simple story of a guy coming to Mumbai to realize his dreams. And his dream is to earn a living to feed his family. That’s where the simplicity of this movie ends. This movie touches upon the pressures of living in a metro and the circumstantial and unlawful decisions made to survive and eventually the consequences. The songs are heart-warming too. This is one of those movies which will make your tear glands work more than anticipated. CityLights is a bold attempt by Hansal Mehta who won a national award for “Shahid” last year. 

There are five more movies in the list. You can read about them by clicking here.

PK debate - arguments and counter-arguments

PK was expected to be the most talked about, much awaited movie of 2014. Now that its released, we can safely say it lived up to its expectations. Despite releasing on 19th Dec, it still is the most talked about movie – for different reasons altogether. 

(Spoiler Alert) - For those not in-the-know of things happening around them, “PK” is a movie of an alien landing on Earth but losing his remote to return home. In his search for finding the remote, he tries learning the behavior and culture of the people around him. That’s when he realizes that only God can help him find his remote. He starts searching for God but meets people from various religions and confronts godmen and religious beliefs in the process. Post confronting the belief system, he wins back his remote and returns home. That's all about PK in a nutshell.

Any film that provokes debate (healthy, I might add) is a good movie. PK has polarized the Indian movie watching audience like few other movies have in the past. Significant number of people wants to boycott the movie and equally compelling are those who feel the movie actually makes a lot of sense. Some of the arguments for boycotting PK and my counter-arguments – 

• PK is an anti-Hindu movie. PK has various scenes that hurt Hindu sentiments. The scene with Lord Shiva’s character was in bad taste. The movie attacks the belief system of Hindus, especially those who travel long distances on bare foot to visit and pray in a temple when PK argues that God is everywhere. It states that religion is becoming a business in India with little investment and huge returns even on the first day. The movie safely left other religions aside when they are also in the same boat. 
  Counter-argument: First of all, PK is not an anti-religion movie. It’s not attacking any religion. It is satirically addressing the belief system prevalent in every religion. There is a scene where PK brings coconut to Church and breaks it in front of the holy altar. PK then brings wine to mosque. The final debate between PK and Godman is a healthy one with both putting their best foot forward (while I personally feel the movie failed to grab the potential of a healthy final debate). I think all of us agree that there are selfless as well as selfish godmen, the former a diminishing lot and the latter increasing in number. I don’t see anything wrong in attacking the latter lot. And by the way, every religion has these two types of godmen.
• The release of PK is wrongly timed. A certain section of India is boiling over forced conversions in various parts of the country. Rates are being quoted for converting from one religion to the other. For all the “unity in diversity” strength we as Indians have, this comes as a big blooper for our constitution. During these times, releasing a movie that attacks religion was uncalled for. 
  Counter-argument: Fair argument. It’s wrongly times. But I don’t think it’s the movie’s fault. A lot of background preparations go into making a movie. Even the date of release plays a big role in the success of the movie. Dec 2014 had only one big budget movie releasing and it was “PK”. Pre-poning was not an option at all as no one can predict the forced conversion scenario. Postponing a movie will result in the movie losing out on a huge revenue base (holiday season). 
• Ohh My God (OMG) was better in addressing the concept. 
  Counter-argument: No counter-arguments here. I completely agree. Although I feel these two movies should not be compared as PK turned out to be PK’s personal story of finding the remote to return to his home. Religion was just a sub-plot PK encountered in his search for remote. If PK is raking negativity, OMG should have had a nationwide ban!
• PK got its funding from Dubai and ISI. 
  Counter-argument: Let’s not even debate this as no one apart from his “source” knows the facts. No facts, no argument and hence, no counter-argument.

I, for one, believe the movie has raked up unnecessary debate for various reasons, some of which are mentioned above. Personally, I was not too pleased with the ending, the love angle to be precise. The director kept the debate open without any credible conclusion. Maybe it was the director’s way to avoid controversy or maybe the director intended the movie to be based only on PK, the character, rather than religious belief angle.

India has always accepted diversity and diverse opinions. If someone likes a movie, watch it again or promote it by word-of-mouth or simply enjoy and move on. If someone doesn’t like a movie, please don’t watch. If you are having a counter-argument, have a healthy debate through lawful means. Vandalizing property is not justified under any circumstances. If at all anything, calls for banning the movie is proving counter-productive as the curiosity of people who haven’t watched the movie only increases. PK will only stand to gain financially.

Why "PK" has to deliver now?

Movies are usually promoted in multiple ways. A 150 second official trailer is one of them. A trailer is (normally) supposed to inform the moviegoer what a movie contains, a brief storyline, some punching dialogues, a song that’s among the chartbusters. These 150-odd seconds should attract the viewer to watch the movie when it’s released - a crucial moment of truth for the movie. Having a popular actor or successful director or sequel to a successful movie has its own pull factor. For example, a Salman Khan / Shahrukh Khan movie will be watched by his loyalists irrespective of the trailer / songs / storyline etc. Director Rohit Shetty ensures his movie is full of entertainment and car chases. A Dhoom series will be watched despite what you think of it.

Once in a while comes a movie that goes against the norms of movie promotion. So much so that the movie will be released in a few days’ time and we still don’t know for sure what this movie is all about. I am, of course, talking about “PK”. The movie posters don’t reveal much. The movie trailer is more intriguing than the posters. These touch-points confuse more than convince. We have no idea of the story, no idea of the genre, hardly any concrete information on key characters. Initially, there were rumours that “PK” is about god-men and then about Aamir Khan’s character as an alien. 

“PK” team has gone for teaser campaigns to promote their product. The beauty about teaser campaign is that it will keep on testing the viewers, make them think. Maybe PK will be the name of Aamir Khan’s character, we don’t know for sure. Aamir Khan’s character appears to be very curious about everything that’s happening around him (Ranchordas from 3 Idiots, anyone?). He goes against the society norms, wears almost comical outfits. We already have many theories regarding “PK” based on the poster background, Aamir Khan’s attire, his wide open eyes, his exposed ears, the transistor et al. People are talking and now it has reached a stage that they want to watch what the movie is all about. Curiosity kills the cat, they say. And till now, “PK” has succeeded to do what they wanted. 

But teaser campaigns are a double edged sword. It’s a high risk, high reward game. The teasers will involve viewers like no other promotional channels. But the climax has to live up to the teasers. And the team, led by Rajkumar Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra, knows that this is a huge gamble. And that’s where the problem lies with “PK”. The critical success / failure depends on the climax now, which is the movie itself. The climax should be at least as good as, if not better than, the promotions. And even if it’s slightly less exciting, the same people who are talking about it and are part of the viral marketing campaign, will go against you. 

After all the intrigue, “PK” now has to deliver and deliver big. A product of Rajkumar Hirani, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Aamir Khan is bound to be financially successful, but these are the same people who also vouch by critical acclaim and that’s what should matter more than money. I am an Aamir Khan fan and I expect this to be an epic, but don’t count on me. I am the same guy who thought Aamir Khan will bring his unique and smart touch to the Dhoom series and I obviously messed up my prediction last year. 

“PK” will mint money for sure, but can it sustain and bring in more people than anticipated remains to be seen. The promotions have ensured that this could either be a “3 Idiots” or a “Dhoom 3”.

Decoding Future

Even wondered what the future looks like? Barely 20 years back, there wasn’t a device we knew that can call people physically far away from us. Now, that device is very much a necessity in our lives – smartphones. Smartphones have perforated through different classes in the society, irrespective of the economic status one has. Televisions have improved from a CRT to a plasma to an LCD to an LED and now what – a true HD? There was a huge gap between a desktop PC and a smartphone few years back, which is now crowded with ultra-thin laptops, palmtops, PDAs, Tablets and even large screen smartphones!

So, what’s next now? Can we have a smartphone that’s smart enough to decipher our mood using some signals that pass from our fingers to the phones when we touch the device and react accordingly? Just for discussions’ sake, imagine you are frustrated and you decide to fiddle with your smartphone, your smartphone senses it and suggests that you need to freshen up or else you can mess up your day by taking fighting with someone you care for or do something professionally that you will live to regret for the rest of your lives. Or imagine you are super-excited, your smartphones picks up your mood and suggest that you use your social media apps to share your happiness with your social world. 

Smartphones have advanced to such a level that it can analyse your health status accurately. I don’t think we are far away from a situation where your smartphone can act like your true friend in more ways than one. The problem comes when we take this “relationship” too far (something that I explored in this post). Recently, I watched two movies that address and explore similar ideas. I watched “Lucy” (review – movie’s OK, nothing great though) and “Transcendence” (review – movie’s OK, better than Lucy, worth watching once). 

“Lucy” explored the situation where we utilize more than the estimated 10% of our brain. There are theories that say we can be closer to the Almighty once we start utilizing more than, say, 80%, of our brain. These are theories though and are given based on certain assumptions / postulation. Movie shows a person can multitask at the rate of knots, control other people the way they want to or even (hold thy breath) travel across time and be a living testimony of the theory of evolution! Yeah they stretched it too far. But then, did they?

I saw “Transcendence” primarily for Johnny Depp and Christopher Nolan (producer). The movie has 2 areas which can either fascinate you or intimidate you NOT to watch the movie. One – uploading the conscience of a person onto a system and two – rapid regeneration of human organs and if I stretch it a little bit more, regeneration of a dead human! The movie smartly shows technology healing humans almost immediately, giving sight to a blind person, resurrection of the dead (ring any bells? clue – Bible). Man almost became God in this movie. Too stretched without rational reasoning, I feel. You start by supporting the research on artificial intelligence and end up going against the same. I, for one, don’t want man to take God’s place. 

But can all this really be a possibility in about 100+ years’ time? Technology is changing from being a boon to a bane. Technology has provided us with an efficient and a cost-effective way to provide electricity to all corners of the world – nuclear technology. But the same has provided us with deadly bombs that can not only kill the current generation but handicap with next generation as well! Make no mistake about it, we are in for exciting times! We will see more innovations that our previous generation but will also bear witness to more destruction.

Future is being decoded in two ways – beneficial and destructive. The side that wins this battle will decide the way forward / backward, whichever way you look at it.

Can you really fall in love with "HER"?

Disclaimer: If you have visited this page thinking that I am going to reveal everything about my past / present / secret / "what-nots" with an actual woman, gotcha! This post is about the movie "HER" and contemplating the possibilities of this scenario actually happening in real life.

Short review of the movie - "HER"

"HER" is a movie where the protagonist falls in love with an OS. Yes, I know, it sounds awkward and ridiculous. But watch the movie completely before you make a judgement. Its a futuristic movie in terms of technology. Talking to your machine while it records everything correctly with punctuation is the norm. The hero (Joaquin Phoenix, awesome) of the movie is passing through a painful divorce. One day he overhauls his existing OS (Operating System) with a new one with Artificial Intelligence. He goes ahead and discovers that the OS has a voice - male / female. He chooses the female voice. The concept of the OS is to understand the user and evolve the intellectual capability accordingly. She (since the voice is feminine) is just like a personal assistant who can help clean up everything that's remotely digital. The protagonist starts understanding the OS and vice versa and this develops into a relationship which neither can avoid. Then some cracks arise (akin to a real human relationship) and the way they sort it out and then eventually the climax (revealing it will spoil everything). I personally found the movie intense, "A" rated, emotional, sensitive and completely based on justifiable situations. Kudos to the director (Spike Jonze) to come up with a concept like this and actually making it work! The only negative aspect of the movie was the length (2+ hrs). The emotions displayed are so stretched to make this movie into a semi-art film. However, a movie worth watching.

Now the question - Can this really happen? Can you really love "HER"? Can anyone fall in love with an OS?

Your immediate answer would be a resounding "NO". This is bizarre to say the least. I agree with you, I felt the same way too. But then don't you think that a lot of things happening in this world are actually bizarre? Don't you think we are slowing moving towards anticipating such a relation to happen somewhere in this world. Isn't the technology moving towards making our gadgets more human with emotional feel? Samsung tagged one of their mobile as a phone with a "human touch" and "Life Companion". Nokia allows users to "dress up" their devices with various colors giving it a distinct persona. Even my device (Galaxy S3) knows what I am searching in Google (using Google Now app) and suggests me options based on my search. I don't even need to search on my device, I can search on my laptop or any other device in this world provided I am logged in to Google. You can call it intrusion, but you won't deny the fact that its actually a personal touch. I mean, my phone knows what I am looking for and is trying to help me out. Isn't the movie an extension to what's currently happening in this world?

We humans have a tendency to share our emotions with others - be it happy, sad, elation, nervousness etc. The "others" I mentioned are usually considered as humans / God. That someone can be a family member / friend / even a stranger. Just a walk in the park will convince you that most of us are interacting with their gadgets - listening to radio / playing games / chatting on messaging apps / talking. There's an headset always attached as if its actually a part of the human body. Now consider this - what if the device starts talking to you and helping you use the gadget better / rearrange your life better? Isn't that possible? In that case, wouldn't you be more inclined to share your feelings with the device? After all, you are always with your device 24*7 even if the same duration doesn't apply to your close ones.

The world was intended to be a place where we interact with fellow humans and share the best practices to live a happy and safe life. Then gadgets emerged primarily as a need to interact with people not physically present near us. Dependence on gadgets have increased to such a level now that we don't even need humans around us. Gadgets have actually replaced humans. That's where this movie is relevant. As much as I hate to say this, I strongly feel we are just a decade or two away from such a relationship to emerge. And when it does emerge, we will only have ourselves to blame.

Part 2 - Bollywood movies in 2013 that made me think

Part 1 of the series can be found here. Continuing with the top movies in 2013 that made me think - 

6. BA Pass - 

If you thought this movie was all sex and sleeze, you couldn’t be more wrong. After all, this is a movie that has been recognized in International Film Festivals. So, there has to be something worth watching in this movie, right? It has a great story to start with, decent acting, Delhi background and the hierarchical system described in utmost detail. Not to mention the final twist that forces the viewer to relive the story again and changes the whole perception of the movie. If you left this movie thinking it could be a ‘B’ or ‘C’ grade movie, you need to give it an opportunity to win your heart.

7. Madras Café - 

John Abraham is getting into unchartered territories (Read: Risk). He’s acting in and producing movies that are different and thereby ready to take risks in terms of revenue. This movie touches upon the issues Tamils faced in 1990's and the way in which our ex-PM was killed by a suicide bomber. What were the strategies that went into it, who did what and how were the foreigners involved? – all this and more are covered in the movie. Here’s hoping we get more hard hitting movies in 2014!

8. The Lunchbox - 

One of the best and sweetest movies ever made in India.  Very few (if not none) movies can match up to this one. Sad that this movie was not considered as India’s official entry for the Oscars! And yes, another gem from Irrfan. A simple story of 2 individuals interacting using letters kept in lunchbox. One tiny and rare mistake by the Dabbawallas and this is what we get! Irrfan, as usual, charms the audience by his tough exterior performance. Nawazuddin Siddique ably supports the protagonists and has his own little story.

9. War Chhod Na Yaar - 

A brave attempt and that’s the only reason why this movie is in my list of top 10 movies in 2013 that made me think. A war movie in India always evokes patriotism to win the battle, emotion at the loss of a key personnel and is full of bullets, bombs and mines. Now imagine comedy infused in a war movie. That’s what this movie is – India’s 1^st war comedy. Sharman Joshi and Javed Jafferi have done a commendable job. However, this is NOT a well-crafted movie, lacks continuity and has an simple and obvious end.

10. Shahid - 

The story of Shahid Azmi, the lawyer who went on defending the Indian Muslims accused for terrorist activities in India. It takes guts to make such a movie. The media, usually the entity that drives our thinking, initially forced us to believe that Shahid Azmi was protecting the culprits. This movie gave us a story from his perspective. All the real life events / terrorist activities that became popular in India are covered in this movie. The guy fought against the powerful and mighty, against the popular media perceptions and emerged victorious as long as he was alive. If you haven’t seen this, I strongly recommend this movie.

Notable omissions –

• Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola
• Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
• Inkaar
• Kai Po Che!
• Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani
• Ship of Theseus (simply because I missed it when it was released in the theaters and they haven’t released a DVD yet)
• Mickey Virus

Hoping for a Bollywood with less records breaking senseless movies and more in terms of soul and meaning! 

Part 1 - Bollywood movies in 2013 that made me think

Bollywood in the year 2013 will be known mainly for the records - 100 Cr, 200 Cr, 300 Cr et. al. And very few of those movies have been thought provoking. Yes, I agree, movies should be entertaining. But they should also lead the audience to have a alternate thought and to show the reflection of a society we live in. In that regard, Bollywood is way behind. Its not all gloom however, there were movies in the past that had adequate amount of entertainment and left us with a thought. It happened in 2011 (See this and this for my list of thought-provoking movies) and in 2012 (see this and this).

Now that I think about it, this is a hat-trick of sorts. I did the same in 2011 and then in 2012. This also means Bollywood is waking up to these kind of movies too. Here's my list for 2013 (sorted in the order of their release) - 

1. Special 26 - 

One of the best Akshay Kumar movies to have hit the theater in the recent past. This one is meaningful, has a soul and a twist in the tale. Having actors like Anupam Kher, Jimmy Shergill and Manoj Bajpai has uplifted the standards of this movie in terms of overall quality. A story of few men posing as IT staff raid and loot influential and rich people and the actual IT staff is not at all aware of this. If you haven’t seen this movie yet, you are missing something!

2. Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster Returns - 

Dark, Classy and awe-my-god-some acting. I have always felt Irrfan is one of the best actors in Bollywood and this movie is another example justifying the same. But as was the case in the 1^st movie of this series, story is the king. Jimmy Shergill and Mahie Gill carried the form and charisma from the 1^st part of the series. Soha Ali Khan is an interesting and graceful addition. If you appreciate dark comedy and movies with shades of grey, then this is a must watch.

3. Jolly LLB - 

Jolly LLB has proved beyond doubt that Arshad Warsi can be a solo actor and a successful one at that. A movie centered around justice for the poor and powerless in a world where laws are flexible for the powerful few. Boman Irani also packs in a punch with performance worth applauding. A story of a less known advocate who takes up the case and win against all odds is worth a watch!

4. Bombay Talkies - 

Bombay Talkies is an anthology movie composing of 4 different stories. Four acclaimed directors have contributed – Karan Johar, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar and Anurag Kashyap. This was the only reason that drove me to watch the movie. Four different stories for different target audiences with different tastes. A story of a married guy revealing himself as gay later on in the movie; a struggling actor trying to prove his worth to the world and more importantly to his daughter; a small Katrina Kaif fan who aspires to be a dancer and a guy from Allahabad whose father’s wish before dying is to give ‘murabba’ to his favorite actor – Amitabh Bachchan. And yes, Amitabh Bachchan appears in the movie too. All 4 stories are wonderful – my personal favorite is that of a struggling actor played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui. This guy is a genius.

5. Fukrey - 

Fukrey or “worth for nothing” is a movie about 4 friends who are just that – “worth for nothing”. In search of quick money and stability, they get into areas they never dreamt of. Talking of dreams, one of the ‘fukrey’ always has a dream which the other one funnily interprets and they go about achieving that dream! Richa Chadda is awesome as a local goon. Her dialogue delivery and screen presence is simply great. The chemistry of 4 fukrey’s is wonderful, so are the songs and the story. 

There are five more movies in this list. You can read about the remaining five here.

Part 2 - Bollywood movies in 2012 that made me think

You can read Part I of the series here. Without any further delay, let's move onto the next 4 movies that made me think.

5. Barfi! -

When the official trailer was released, I was hooked! Anurag Basu tried his hand at a love story that goes beyond language.. and failed (Read: Kites). This time he went a step further and directed a love story that goes beyond words.. and succeeded! I am not that big a fan of Bollywood love stories, but this movie was different. Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra were amazing in the movie. Barfi! was selected as India's entry to the Oscars (I have my apprehensions about it) and lost in the first round. There were criticisms that the movie has been copied from various Hollywood movies. Honestly, it doesn't matter to me at all. I won't mind watching the movie all over again.. and again..

6. OMG: Oh My God -

A very very bold topic. Atleast in India. You don't mess with the religious sentiments in India. Period. If you tread that path, forget about the movie - your own existence will be in jeopardy. A certain Paresh Rawal decided to make that bold step.. and succeeded. The film starts with due credits to the Gujarati play and the 2001 Australian movie (The man who sued God). The movie had its moments criticizing the God-men of our country and taking a totally different angle to solve the case with the Insurance company. Akshay Kumar plays the role of Shri Krishna and makes an impact as the side hero. The movie belongs totally to Paresh Rawal. The dialogues and the debates in the court-room are all class apart.

7. English Vinglish -

Sridevi's comeback movie. And what a comeback. I remember watching her movies when I was a little boy and used to compare her with Madhuri Dixit. This is the story of an Indian home-maker who is ill-treated by her own family as she cannot speak English (sounds familiar?). Situation lead her to US and she then decides to join an English learning course. Her speech in the climax was worth every penny spent on the movie! Welcome back Sridevi, today's actresses still need to learn a lot from you!

8. Talaash -

I think they didn't mention this to be a super-natural thriller anywhere in the promos (or maybe I might have missed it). But the story came as a surprise to me. I watched the movie solely for Aamir Khan. If he has selected to act in this movie, it better be good. Now, you might not agree with me on this, but I genuinely liked the movie. I can understand that the super-natural aspect was a letdown to most. Loved Rani Mukerji in a non glamorous role. Loved Kareena Kapoor in a glam role too. I also enjoyed the way all the dots were connected in the climax.

Notable Omissions

1. Gangs of Wasseypur

2. Gangs of Wasseypur II

3. Ek tha Tiger

4. Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana

5. All top grossing movies. Most were masala movies (where you hardly need to think)

Here's hoping 2013 has better movies to offer. Happy New Year everyone. God Bless.

Part 1 - Bollywood movies in 2012 that made me think

2012 was the year of remakes. You make a movie with some nominal story and lots of 'dishum-dishum' down south and it gets adapted in Bollywood. Why? There's an audience eager to leapfrog the movie into the 100 crore club. Now-a-days, even 100 crore is not big enough, it seems. It's hardcore action for hardcore cash. No take-aways, just pure entertainment. The Khans, Kumars, Kapoors and Devgns have all joined the bandwagon with some notable omissions - Aamir Khan, for example.

Since this is a post about Bollywood movies, I thought I can also do a remake of sorts! On 1st of Jan 2012, I had published a blog (Part I and Part II) on the top Bollywood movies in 2011 that made me think. It had a list of some wonderful movies that were thought-provoking and worth watching. The concept in this post remains the same but the movies are different.

1. Paan Singh Tomar -

I cannot even begin to convey how much I like this movie. I am a fan of Irrfan Khan and this movie is a testimony of this fact! Tigmanshu Dhuli (also director of Saheb, Biwi aur Gangster) has pulled the rabbit out of the hat! I have a special corner for sports-oriented movies though - be it Hollywood or Bollywood, I watch them. This was already in my list before its release and I have no regrets whatsoever. In my opinion, this movie deserved to be India's entry at the Oscars and would've won rave reviews at the global stage.

2. Kahaani -

A typical Vidya Balan film - power-packed! After a bold performance in TDP, she performed a 180 deg shift by selecting this movie. Its a story of a pregnant woman in search of her husband - or that's what we are made to think till the climax. If there were people who thought Vidya Balan succeeded only because of ample skin show, she proved them wrong once and for all with Kahaani.

3. Vicky Donor -

Who can even think of making such a movie? And who in the world would want to produce it? It was a huge risk, in my opinion - and it paid off! John Abraham deserved the inflow of cash after the movie released and why not? It had humor and class written all over it. And a strong message too. Annu Kapoor, for me, stole the show. I loved every scene when he was around. The dialogues was the icing on the cake.

4. Arjun: The Warrior Prince -

Now, I know most of you might have skipped this movie. I would've too. I know the story of Arjun and the Mahabharatha. And it was marketed as the movie for children. But it was actually much more than that. There's a suspense in the movie that is revealed right at the end, which makes the experience worthwhile. The story of the Mahabharatha is not tampered with, but the narration.. Oops, did I just spill the beans?

There are four more movies I felt deserved a lot better than what they got. Those four movies made me feel that Bollywood can be meaningful too.

Do check Part II of the series here.