Wicked hippie writes

Faking News: The real reason why Tamil Nadu was not allowed to participate in the R-Day parade in New Delhi

2015-01-26T05:24:00.002-08:00

The below poster was present on one of the tableaux that was planned to the showcased during the Republic Day parade in New Delhi where Barack Obama was the Chief Guest.

http://www.fakingnews.firstpost.com/2015/01/the-real-reason-why-tamil-nadu-was-not-allowed-to-participate-in-the-republic-day-parade-in-delhi/

Fortunately, the organizers somehow noticed this at the last minute and managed to prevent Tamil Nadu from participating in the parade, thus averting a major diplomatic row between India and United States.

The increasing breed of online abusers in India

2014-02-23T04:14:00.001-08:00

A recent report by Internet And Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) stated that Indians are the third largest users ofinternet in the world, next only to the United States and China. Although it’s not surprising to see a country with a population of one billion people achieve this feat, this survey brings to light that the internet revolution has crept into every nook and corner of India, which is indeed a sign of positivity for a nation that’s gradually overcoming poverty, malnutrition, unemployment, corrupt governance and aiming be a global power to reckon with.

But as more and more masses jump on the internet bandwagon, they have also brought in some of their traits like sexism, narrow-mindedness, religious-chauvinism, repression of minorities and intolerance towards criticism – all of which have been an integral part of the conservative section of the Indian society.

A young woman on Twitter being abused by a troll for no apparent reason

An increasing number of Indians nowadays are taking to social-networking to express their views, share their feelings and are gradually making an impact in public life. On the other hand, politicians and businesses have gone a step ahead by employing their own social-media marketing teams. These teams aggressively promote a certain political party or an organisation on the internet, especially on Twitter. The members of such teams, most of whom are unprofessional (and uncouth), relentlessly abuse men and women who tweet against their employers or the topic that is being trended by them. They don’t debate, they don’t defend themselves, they don’t ignore either; they just go on an abusing spree with expletives targeting not just the person who disagrees with them but also their family members. Their sole motto is – “Either agree with us or stay calm, else we will abuse and suppress you to silence”.

Like in the case of a controversial godman in Rajasthan who was recently arrested for sexually-assaulting the daughter of his devotees, a group of his followers vehemently started a campaign on Twitter demanding release of the godman and accused the victim of lying. When general Twitter users expressed shock at the character-assassination the rape-victim was subjected to and protested, the marketing-team of the godman pelted them back with cuss words.

A follower of the rape-accused godman abusing those who were protesting against the crime

There is no end to online abuse in India. Racist remarks and profanities against other communities are frequently seen in the comments sections of reputed news-websites and most of these inflammatory jibes are usually ignored by the moderators of those forums. Female celebrities are constantly abused with sexual remarks on their social-networking accounts. Journalists are not spared either; a renowned TVnews reporter was abused on Twitter by an eccentric right-wing group who went on to threaten that they would hurt her children, causing her to panic. When the former editor of a reputed magazine was accused of molesting his junior colleague, his 19-year-old daughter, who had nothing to do with the incident, was attacked on Twitter and she was forced to deactivate her account.

India does have a cyber-crime law to handle cases of harassment, abuse and criminal activities on the internet, but it requires the victims to report in person at the nearest police station to file a complaint. But again, the seriousness of the police in dealing with such cases is questionable unless the complainant is a powerful person. Like in the case of two girls in Mumbai who were arrested because they posted an innocuous status on Facebook questioning the fuss created in the city after the death of a local leader. The police acted immediately based on the complaint by a local politician, raided the girls’ houses and took them into custody. They were however immediately forced to release the girls in the wake of a massive public outrage.

So how to deal with abuse on the internet?

Netizens say that the best way to deal with abuse is to just ignore it and block the abuser.

“Replying back to abusers will only encourage them to abuse more,” says an upcoming actress who is active on Twitter and claims to block at least ten “perverts” every day.

Another solution is to name and shame the abusers on the public domain. However that might not solve the purpose as most of these miscreants use fake names and keep changing their profiles frequently to avoid getting caught.

The abuse goes on...

“The police should launch an online forum for netizens to share complaints of abuse with snapshots as proof, which should then be strongly dealt with and act as a deterrent to potential abusers,” opines a YouTube celebrity.

The alarming fact is that these miscreants are only growing by the day, abusing in packs and getting away unscathed. Most of these hooligans are affiliated to political parties or powerful industrialists and they consider that association as a stamp of immunity, so they brazenly resort to abuse without the fear of getting booked. But as long as netizens continue to tolerate and ignore these abusers and the cops don’t take any action, this nuisance will continue unabated on the internet.

FIVE disturbing creative and original HORROR films

2014-02-22T06:30:00.004-08:00

No, I'm not a fan of gory, sadistic films. In fact, I'm too weak-hearted for them. But being a connoisseur of films and a student of filmmaking, I’d accidentally stumbled upon the below films whilst exploring the kind of which have broken the formulae, shattered the boundaries of artistic freedom and left a deep emotional impact on the audience. These are definitely not the sort of films you would love to watch and enjoy with family or friends on a pleasant evening, so please don't risk watching them unless you are mentally-strong and really want to study the eccentric side of filmmaking.

5. The Wild Red Riding Hood/Molina's Ferozz (2010)

Directed by Jorge Molina, this Cuban film, a bizarre adaptation of the original Grimm's Little Red Riding Hood, takes incest to an extreme, dizzying, puke-worthy heights. The story primarily focusses on four main characters in a family: a witch-like old woman, portrayed by a man, who is violent and encourages her alcoholic son to assault his wife, who later becomes a widow and lusts after her brother-in-law, who in turn lusts after the widow's carefree, underage daughter despite being her paternal uncle. Also in this dysfunctional family is a curly-haired, deranged pervert who is both an uncle and a brother to the young girl. Most of the plot deals with incest interspersed with a scene of bestiality, and all the gore is reserved for an unusual, sick climax.

This movie was reportedly pulled out of a film-festival at the last minute because the organisers felt it would upset animal-rights groups.

4. I Spit On Your Grave (2010)

The remake of a controversial classic of the same name and directed by Steven Monroe, "I Spit On Your Grave" revolves around a young female writer who, seeking some time for herself away from the busy city life, arrives at a reclusive house in a remote town only to be tortured, assaulted and left to death by a group of vicious men, including a married sheriff. The bruised victim recovers from her trauma, resurrects herself and sets out for revenge in a much more brutal fashion. Although not as gripping as the 1978 original, the remake has multiplied the gore-quotient and the revenge scenes are so gruesome that they force you to temporarily shift your eyes off the screen.

A sequel to this film, directed again by Steven Monroe, employing the same rape-and-revenge concept but with a different protagonist was released in 2013.

3. The Human Centipede (2009)

A mad doctor abducts three strangers, surgically conjoins them into what looks like a ‘centipede’ and brutalises them in this grotesque, nauseating film by Tom Six, which was reported to have triggered shockwaves among its audience during its initial screenings at various film-festivals. Claiming to be inspired by the experiments that were carried out at Nazi concentration camps during World War 2, 'The Human Centipede' indulges in the most inhuman kind of torture where the victims are left to resign as mere experimental objects in the eyes of a sadistic man.

Basking on the critical success of the first film, Tom Six went on to release a sequel in 2012 amidst much controversy. The last of the trilogy, the teaser for which is out, is expected to be released in 2014.

2. Antichrist (2010)

Narrated in chapters, this visually-stunning, award-winning horror film by avant-garde filmmaker Lars Vons Trier hovers around an anonymous couple who, upon the death of their baby in a bizarre accident at home and unable to cope with that loss, retreat to a cabin in the woods. The wife, brilliantly portrayed by Charlotte Gainsbourg, gradually slips into a depression, develops a strange aversion to being a woman and as her mental condition deteriorates, she indulges in a series of unbelievable, appalling acts of violence against her husband and then upon herself.

'Antichrist' garnered a lot of controversy for its graphic violence and misogynistic theme. Charlotte Gainsbourg, however, went on to win the Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival in 2009 for her role in this film.

1. A Serbian film (2010)

Widely considered as the most controversial and sickest film of all-time, ‘A Serbian film’ centres on the gloomy life a retired porn actor residing with his wife and a 6-year-old son. Driven by a financial crisis, the actor is compelled to sign a contract for an art-house-like film by an effeminate filmmaker.

During the filming of his latest project, the actor gradually realises he has been trapped in a snuff-film laden with drugs, murder and necrophilism and as the movie progresses, meandering from one subplot to another, the missing links are eventually connected leading to a deeply-disturbing finale that is bound to leave you utterly-shocked and depressed for quite a few days to come.

Directed by Srđan Spasojević, 'A Serbian Film' was banned in several countries upon its release due to its explicit content and unacceptable scenes of child-abuse. It also holds the reputation of being the most censored film in Britain since 1994 when an Indian film titled 'Nammavar' faced cuts.

The life of a servant in India (An open letter to all those criticizing Devyani Khobragade)

2013-12-22T14:34:00.001-08:00

Dear Americans (and people in the rest of the world),

Like any other Indian, I'm extremely upset at the treatment meted out to our beloved diplomat Devyani Khobragade. Strip-searching and humiliating a woman for a crime as silly as underpaying a maid (which is not even recognised as an offence in India) sounds seriously ludicrous. You may justify her arrest saying your police officers have simply followed the rules of the land but we are shocked beyond belief that you are actually lending your support to the maid in this entire incident. Do you know what it is like to be a maid in India?

Here are a few facts about Indian servants that you may not be aware of.

1. Being a servant is the lowest ranking and most despicable profession in India.

2. Indians are either too busy or extremely lazy. As a result they employ a servant at home to sweep the floor with a broom, mop it (sometimes with a wet cloth by kneeling down on all fours), draw a Rangoli/weird designs with white chalk on the floor of the patio, clean furniture, wash stinky utensils (without protective gloves), wash and dry clothes, clean bathrooms and toilets (again without gloves), cook food, look after babies, attend to elderly people, water plants, provide body-massages and sometimes to just sit alongside and listen patiently to the employer’s incessant gibberish on a daily basis.

3. There is no 'labour law' in India, so servants are forced to overwork and usually underpaid (about 8$ to 15$ a month, sometimes even less, despite working for all seven days a week).

4. Although it's illegal to employ children as labourers, many households in Indian towns prefer employing minors as servants because they believe children work harder when compared to adults, demand less money and could easily be manipulated. And the employers brazenly justify their act by claiming they are providing these children a source of livelihood.

5. Servants in India are so poor that they wear worn-out, soiled and torn clothes. They potter around with no footwear. Their kids are often spotted half-naked in front of their homes, often doddering into the way of passing vehicles on the roads.

6. During a conversation with their employers, servants usually stand or sit on the floor. But they dare not sit on the same level as their employers.

7. Whenever there is any leftover food at the employer's house and the homemakers don't have the heart to dispose of it but not sure if the food is fit for consumption, they then offer it to their servants.

8. Most employers are unprofessional and aggressive. They often verbally (sometimes physically) assault their servants. There are also several cases of maids being sexually-assaulted by their employers, but these incidents are usually trivialized and swept under the carpet. A renowned Bollywood actor has also been in the news for raping his maid.

Servants are the least-respected beings in a typical Indian society. I therefore urge you Americans to change your mind after reading these facts and stop supporting that disloyal, wayward maid Sangeetha Richard. After all she would have experienced a far better treatment in the United States at the hands of Devyani Khobragade than she was used to in India.

Tags: #Sarcasm #Thoo #Shame #India #Servants

Image copyright: Reuters and http://mariouana.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/indian-home-maid-servant-naukrani-funny-cartoon.jpg

Delhi teen creates ripples in Wiltshire County Cricket League

2013-12-15T08:51:00.003-08:00

Indian cricketers are infamous for floundering in bouncy, swinging conditions while touring abroad. The short-pitched delivery has always posed a problem to even the best of batsmen from the sub-continent. Putting all such speculations to rest, 19-year-old Aakarshit Gomel from Delhi, playing his first tournament in the UK as an overseas player for Purton, pulled, hooked and drove some quality bowlers with ease as he amassed a whopping 1150 runs (4 centuries and 7 half-centuries) with the bat at an incredible average of 143.73 and also gathered 44 wickets with his off-spin. The young cricketer's feats helped his club top the table in Division 1 of Wiltshire County Cricket League and qualify for the West of England Premier League.

Akki (as his teammates call him), during the course of his terrific 3-month stint, broke a two-decade record of most runs in a season in the history of the league (the previous record was 1026 runs by Nishant Bodloi) and also set a new benchmark for the highest individual score (153*). In the bowling charts, he stands second in the list of most wickets in the tournament for the current season.

This ambitious cricketer from India gets candid in this freewheeling interview.

Tell us about your family

My dad is a government servant and mom is a homemaker. I have a younger sister.

And your schooling?

I studied until Grade 4 in Kendra Vidyalaya, Delhi. My dad then got transferred to Mumbai and my family had to relocate with him. I spent three years in IES Modern English school, Dadar and then from Grade 7 to 10^th in Don Bosco high school, Martunga. I did my 11th in GN Khalsa and 12th in Podar.

How good were you at studies?

I scored 81% in Grade 10.

That's great! Then how did cricket come into the picture?

I began to love this sport from the age of six. When I was eight, during a summer camp in Delhi, Ramakant Achrekar (Sachin Tendulkar's former coach), spotted me and advised my dad that if I were trained properly, I would be good enough to play at the high-level. From that day onwards, my parents and coaches took my game more seriously and invested lot of time and effort in making me a better cricketer.

Interesting. So who are your favorite cricketers?

Sachin, Virat, Rahane to name a few.

And who is your role model?

Sachin.

So what's your most satisfying moment in your cricketing career so far?

I hit my first double-hundred (250) last year against Tamil Nadu in the Cooch Behar trophy in Mumbai. I was then playing for Mumbai under-19 team.

What’s your favourite shot?

The straight drive.

Who are your present coaches?

Praveen Amre, Padmakar Shivalkar and Sandesh Kawle

The most important thing in any sport is fitness. What's your fitness mantra?

Eat whatever you like, in limited quantities. But make sure you train hard.

Well-said. Would you mind sharing your diet with us?

I believe in having 5-6 small meals a day. In the morning, I consume sprouts and a glass of milk. An hour later, I eat chappatis with sabji. For lunch, I have a bowl of vegetable salad and some protein-rich dish. I schedule some time for eating nuts and fruits between lunch and snacks. In the evening, I drink glass of banana milk-shake and have some light snacks before heading for the gym. It's again chapattis with vegetables for dinner. Once a week, I have rice.

How long do you train?

2 hours in the gym and 3 hours practising cricket everyday.

Do you have any posters in your room?

No posters in my room.

Okay, tell us about your experience in England. Did you feel jittery during your first match?

That was my first overseas contract and also my first trip to England. Before my first match, I did feel a bit nervous. My new teammates, captain and coach were very friendly and accommodating; they helped me ease off the pressure. I scored 82* against Malmesbury Cricket Club on their home ground. That knock gave me some confidence and I carried on that form into the next game.

How different are the grounds in England from India?

The surface of the ground is bit soft and the grass is regularly cut whereas in India, the surface is hard and could injure cricketers. The weather was very good. I enjoyed the English summer.

So would you want to tour England again?

I would definitely love to come again

Now that you've had a golden run here at England, what's the plan now?

I want to go back home, perform well in the domestic circuit and get selected for under-25 Delhi team. The ultimate aim is to don Team India's shirt and play for the country.

How about your domestic record in India?

I have played about 55 matches for states and scored close to 4000 runs, averaging around 40. My domestic record helped me bag an offer in England.

What other sports do you watch apart from cricket?

Tennis.

And who's your favourite player in tennis?

Roger Federer.

Favourite cuisine?

Chinese

How do you destress yourself?

I unwind myself by listening to music. Also I try to sleep well at night so that I could wake up relaxed and refreshed the next morning.

Do you like travelling?

Of course, yes. I want to visit the entire world.

Any place in particular?

(Thinks for a while) Las Vegas

Are you religious?

Yes, a little bit. For me, everything happens for a reason

Who is your favourite actor?

Ranbir Kapoor

Your favourite night spot in Delhi?

Stay at home...safe (smiles)

Hobbies?

I read biographies, especially non-fiction. I liked Yuvraj Singh’s “Test of my life”.

On a personal note, what's your idea of a dream date?

(Giggles) I'm not really a romantic person. Well, an ideal date would be like watching a feel-good film followed by a candle-light dinner in a nice restaurant.

Thanks for spending time with us. We wish you all the best for your future.

Thanks J

Disgraceful religious fanatics (Free-verse)

2013-12-07T06:11:00.000-08:00

Why preach and impose your faith on non-believers
And attempt to convert gullible, helpless people
By force or bribe without a pang of shame
As if you are trading with your God!

Why vandalise property belonging to followers of other religions
For the mere reason that they offer prayers to someone who you don't recognise

Why slaughter innocent men & rape hapless women in front of their children

For the only fault that they were born in a community different to yours

Religion is a set of principles
To lead a peaceful, dignified life
Free from hatred and anger, greed and desire, suffering and sins

By hurting those who don't believe in your faith

By treading a path of pain and destruction, violence and discrimination

You are certainly not following the instructions of your God

But the Devil himself

If there really exists a phase called afterlife

Where they measure the goodness and badness of humans during their tenure on Earth

And hand rewards and punishments, like the scriptures say

Then such disgraceful fanatics that incite hatred and commit atrocities

In the name of religion and under the guise of righteousness
Should be forced to rot in hell.

Movie Review: 'Madras Cafe' is a lacklustre documentary about Rajiv Gandhi's assassination

2013-08-23T10:17:00.001-07:00

The producer-director duo of John Abraham-Shoojit Sircar are back after 'Vicky Donor', this time they haven't made a typical Bollywood film; 'Madras Cafe' has no exaggerated fights, no item songs - no songs at all in the first place, no romantic sequences (oh yeah, there is one but it's inconsequential to the storyline) and ends with an unusual climax. There have been films in the past that have employed a realistic concept and executed it with aplomb like 'A Wednesday', 'No one killed Jessica', 'Aamir', etc, but 'Madras Cafe', despite having a novel plot, doesn't keep you intrigued except for the last half-an-hour.

The film opens with Vikram (John Abraham), sporting long, unkempt hair and an overgrown beard, confessing to a Father in a church that he still rues his failure to prevent an assassination. As he narrates his story, we are introduced to a clean-shaven, dapper Vikram, a RAW agent who is enlisted by the Indian government to travel to Sri Lanka and convince the LTF chief, Anna Baskaran (portrayed by Ajay Rathnam, the character refers to Prabhakaran, the slain head of LTTE), to give up arms and join politics. En route, he meets Jaya (Nargis Fakhri) on a boat; she is an international reporter who eventually goes on to interview Anna himself. As the film progresses, Vikram realises there is a traitor in his team who is leaking confidential information to the LTF. Meanwhile the LTF devise intricate plans to assassinate the ex-PM of India (refers to Rajiv Gandhi).

The first half is dull; the film increases its pace in the second half, dons the mantle of a political thriller, but the last few minutes are again lackadaisical and the ending doesn't leave any impact on the audience.

John Abraham continues from where he left in 'Force'; he is near-perfect as a RAW Agent but falters in emotional scenes. Nargis Fakhri once again disappoints; she acts like a puppet with absolutely no expressions. Rashi Khanna as John Abraham's wife has less screen-time and does what is expected of her. Background music by Shantanu Moitra blends well with the storyline. Editing by Chandrashekhar and Prajapati is top-notch and on par with Hollywood films.

'Madras Cafe', despite its flaws, should be watched once for its novel plot and execution. My rating is 2.5 stars out of 5.

Movie Review: 'Chennai Express' is ridiculous and unoriginal

2013-08-08T17:03:00.000-07:00

Tamil Nadu is in a remote corner of the world. There is, however, a train-connectivity to that place, but the train is almost like a spaceship, because one you step into it, you can never get out until you reach your destination. Also it's very common for people in Tamil Nadu to stop a train by pulling the chain whenever it passes by their village so that they can disembark. The indigenous people in that state are very weird; the men have bizarre hairstyles, apply vermillion on their foreheads and spend most of their time sharpening knives by the roadside. Moreover they are all warmongers and look for the silliest reason to fight. And once you are inside Tamil Nadu, you will lose contact with rest of the world, so you are doomed. This is what you learn by watching ‘Chennai Express’, directed by Rohit Shetty, starring Shahrukh Khan and Deepika Padukone (whose name appears first in the credits).

The film starts as a narrative by 40-year-old Rahul (Shahrukh Khan, looking fresh and vigorous) as he sets about to Rameshwaram from Mumbai to merge his dead grandpa's ashes in the sea. Under hilarious circumstances in which he makes a parody of his old films, Rahul bumps into Meenamma (Deepika Padukone in a half-saree) who is chased by some overweight goons. In a funny Antakshari sequence, she tells him she is being abducted and taken to her hometown where her dad (Satyaraj, wasted in his role) is planning to forcibly marry her to a tall, muscular Tangaballi (Nikitin Dheer, who wears only one shirt throughout the film). Rahul somehow gets entangled in her entourage and is led all the way to a village in Tamil Nadu leading to a series of comical situations and eventually a predictable, old-fashioned climax.

Several scenes in Chennai Express have been lifted from other successful films in regional languages. The iconic scene in the super-hit Telugu film ‘Okkadu’ in which the hero places a knife across the heroine's neck and then escapes with her in a car while pushing the villain into a puddle has been blatantly copied in this film. Also the scene in Tamil film Muthu in which a secret chit by lovers is accidentally passed onto the wrong hands leading to many people unwittingly meeting at the same spot has also been lifted in Chennai Express. And the climax is the biggest rip-off; you would have seen it a hundred times before.

Shahrukh Khan tries too hard and ends up overacting in most of the scenes. Deepika Padukone's Tamil makes you cringe; her Hindi is equally worse; no girl from Tamil Nadu speaks in such ludicrous accent. The villain’s Tamil is flawed as well. The rest of the cast are dummies, they have nothing to do apart from getting introduced as someone related to Rahul or Meenamma.

The plot of Chennai Express is banal but the screenplay is racy and doesn't have a moment of boredom. The art direction is excellent and deserves a special mention, so is the cinematography by Dudley. The ‘Titli’ song is beautifully picturised, but otherwise the music and background score by Vishal-Shekhar is mediocre.

Chennai Express, despite having a flawed storyline and making an unnecessary mockery and incorrect portrayal of Tamilians, does have some genuinely funny moments, is entertaining in parts and a one-time watch. But it's sad that a global-icon and a well-respected actor like Shahrukh Khan (also the producer of this film) has resorted to cheap histrionics and a clichéd plot in his latest venture.

My rating is 2.5 stars out of 5.

Movie Review: 'The Wolverine' is a disappointing Japanese drama in English (Might contain spoilers)

2013-07-25T15:26:00.003-07:00

X-men: First Class (2011) set the bar of the franchise really high. It also raised the expectations of the next film in the series. Sadly 'The Wolverine', directed by James Mangold and based on the Marvel comics character of the same name, brings the franchise a few notches down by employing a clichéd storyline and some occasional twists to keep the viewers on their seats.

The film begins in 1945 during the time of Second World War. Logan alias Wolverine (Hugh Jackman reprising his character), who is imprisoned by the Japanese army in a dungeon, is freed by a young soldier named Yashida (Ken Yamamura) as the other prisoners flee for safety upon witnessing US helicopters hovering around the island. The few remaining soldiers, unable to escape, attempt a hara-kiri to evade capture. But Logan saves Yashida from killing himself and also from the subsequent the nuclear explosion. The lone soldier survives with a minor scar to his face as the world around him perishes. Logan, who is immortal, leaves the place and wanders aimlessly for decades across snow-clad mountains growing long hair and beard as he tries to get over his dead girlfriend Jean Grey (Famke Janssen).

A red-haired Japanese girl (Rila Fukoshima) with a funny-looking fringe and an annoying English accent tracks Logan down and leads him to Tokyo to the mansion of the soldier who Nogan had rescued in the beginning of the film. Yashida is now exceedingly rich but too old and on his death-bed. He thanks Logan and proposes a strange deal which Logan refuses. Yashida passes away and his young grand-daughter Mariko (Tao Okamato) is attacked by some masked assailants during the funeral. Wolverine rescues her as they both escape to a remote cottage in the border of the country. He is shirtless most of the time, she is young and tender, it rains endlessly outside, so you know what to expect! Meanwhile her naïve Japanese boyfriend makes plans for them to be together oblivious to the fact that she was falling for Logan.

As you began to sense that you are watching a routine love-story, the storyline takes a twist as if to remind the audience that they are watching an action film. The climax will instantly remind you of other films with a similar ending.

The background score by Marco Beltrami is a huge letdown (comparing with the other X-men films). Editing by Michael McCusker is slick and the cinematography by Amir Mokri is pretty decent. The fight-sequence on a speeding bullet train in Tokyo is brilliantly shot.

The only saving grace of 'The Wolverine' is Hugh Jackman. The 44-year-old Australian actor looks fab with his chiselled body and gets into the skin of the titular role. Japanese actress Tao Okamato bears no expressions on her face as she utters her lines. The rest of the Japanese cast are okay although most of them look alike apart from the red-head and the lead actress.

On the whole, 'The Wolverine' disappoints in its 1 hour 50 minute run-time. Moreover, the film has nothing to justify its 3D effects.

My rating is 2.5 stars out of 5.

Movie Review: Lootera is a sluggish, arthouse kind of film, overhyped by critics

2013-07-06T13:55:00.001-07:00

When asked, "How is Lootera?", several respondents made an expression of astonishment and disbelief as if they have witnessed a miracle. I then opened some leading news-sites and was taken aback on seeing it rated four stars, one eccentric reviewer even gave it five as if it was the best film ever made in Bollywood. My curiosity got the better of me; so I headed to watch what they called "a painting on the celluloid".

Set in a village called Manekpur in 1953, during a time when Indian government had enacted the 'Zamindar Abolition Act' to seize excess properties from rich landlords and spread it over to the poor, 'Lootera' begins by introducing a Zaminder (Barun Chanda) and his only daughter Pakhi (Sonakshi Sinha) who is a hopeless romantic, a wannabe writer and an ashthma patient. Into their lives arrives a young archealogist Varun Srivastav (Ranveer Singh) accompanied by his friend Dev claiming they have been sent by the government to excavate the area around a temple that holds a 300-year-old deity of Shri Krishna. A naive Pakhi falls for Varun and they spend time with each other painting trees and leaves wherever they go.

As the title insinuates, Varun is no archaeologist and he has arrived into the town with a mission. The plot unravels at a sluggish pace and as you are about to slip into a slumber, a dramatic background score by Amit Trivedi brings your attention back to the screen as the story takes an expected twist moments before the interval.

The second-half opens in the picturesque Dalhousie where Pakhi lives with a housemaid Shyama in a cottage writing novels. She tries hard to forget her past, but the man who broke her heart accidentally bumps into her yet again.

Inspired by 'The Last Leaf', a short story by O'Henry and directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, the main problem with 'Lootera' is that it's painstakingly slow and a tad boring at times. The cinematography by Mahendra Shetty is impeccable during the day sequences but pathetic during the scene in which Pakhi suffers an asthma attack inside her car and again in the opening scene in Dalhousie in which Pakhi tears apart her written notes and flungs them on the floor. Score by Amit Trivedi is excellent and keeps the story alive. Editing by Dipika Kalra is top-notch.

Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha compliment each other in terms of their performance and share a good onscreen chemistry. There is nothing much to write about their costumes; he wears plain cotton shirts with a similar trouser and she sports simple sarees during the entire course of the film.

Lootera is no masterpiece; it's just different from the routine Bollywood stuff we see. Like an art-house film, the camera is directed at the actor's face for a prolonged period of time, their silence is given more prominence than dialogues and every minute detail is exaggerated. But we need to appreciate the producers, Ekta Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap, for making an attempt to bring such unconventional films to the audience.

I'm going with 3 stars out of 5.

Movie Review: 'World War Z' tests your patience, especially when can almost predict the climax

2013-06-23T06:24:00.001-07:00

A man with a disfigured face and awkward gait attacks and kills someone. Now the victim who is supposed to lie dead suddenly stands up and starts behaving as bizarrely as his attacker, infecting others in the same style. What's the first thing that comes to your mind on witnessing this? Even a school-kid would confidently say aloud, 'Hey, it's a zombie'. But Brad Pitt's Gerry doesn't know who these people are as he runs for dear life with his family on a chaos-ridden Philadelphia road. Ironically he is the same man upon whom the entire world relies to save them from the apocalypse.

Marc Forster’s World War Z, adapted from a 2006 novel of the same name by Max Brooks, tries too hard to be different from other zombie films of the past and instead looks like a documentary with special-effects thrown in here and there. After the first attack in Philadelphia, the film saunters on at a dull pace with some unimpressive camera work in the indoor sequences. Gerry ensures that his family is safe at a quarantined area controlled by the US military aboard a ship and then sets out on a mission to trace down the origin of the virus.

With a team comprising of a doctor, pilot and few soldiers, Gerry heads in a special aircraft to South Korea where he loses most of his colleagues to zombies. From there, he descends on Jerusalem, the scenes in which form the best part of the film as people are ruthlessly attacked by the walking dead and the virus spreads at an exponential rate. Amidst this slaughter, Gerry manages to find a way out of the country accompanied by Segen (Daniella Kertesz), a young female Israeli soldier with a shaven-head, who assists him in the rest of his activities. There is also some brief talk about India making you wonder whether Brad Pitt would travel to the Asian subcontinent and fight zombies running berserk on the busy streets of Mumbai. But he has other plans.

The climax is almost predictable and you don't experience the slightest feeling of nervousness even as the hero encounters about eighty blood-thirsty groaning zombies in Wales.

Brad Pitt does what is expected of him. The rest of the cast neither have much screen-time nor a chance to display their acting prowess. The background score during the title credits repeats at regular intervals throughout the film and again during the end credits as if music director Marco Beltrami had no other tune to play.

Barring the zombie-attack scenes that are realistically portrayed, World War Z doesn't live up to the hype. Marc Forster, the director of marvellous films like ‘Finding Neverland’ and ‘Stranger than fiction’, disappoints in his latest venture.

My rating is 2 stars out of 5.

Movie Review: Dhanush deserves yet another national award for Raanjhanaa

2013-06-22T06:19:00.001-07:00

A while ago I asked a friend, "So what does it take for someone to be a successful hero in Bollywood?"

"Good complexion, attractive looks, well-toned muscles preferably with a six-pack, ability to mouth monologues with confidence, perform action sequences and perhaps some style quotient," she replied.

"Then what about acting?" I shot back.

She grew silent as I continued, "Where are we seeing the acting, the kind of which will draw the audience towards the character regardless of how the performer looks? The kind of which will make them smile, cry, cringe, angry and experience a plethora of emotions. The kind of which will make them sit up and clap in awe as the end-credits roll. And the kind of which will make them discuss about the film even hours after they are out of the theatre."

Well, my friend's silence made sense. There are hardly any films driven by pure, raw acting in Bollywood these days. Raanjhanaa, directed by Aanand.L.Rai, comes close to that category. The film’s main protagonist and national-award winner Dhanush, making his Hindi debut, devoid of the attributes of a typical Bollywood hero, magnificently steers the film from start to finish with a stellar performance enhanced by a stimulating score from A.R.Rahman that you can't resist yourself from clapping at the climax as the 'Tum Tak, Tum Tak' song resonates loudly in the background.

Raanjhanaa, dedicated to Lord Mahadev and Ganga by the filmmaker, opens with a bleeding Kundan (Dhanush) being driven in an ambulance along brightly-lit roads of Delhi. As he narrates his story, we are transported to the lively, colourful land of Benaras captured beautifully by cinematographers Natarajan Subramaniam and Vishal Sinha. A young Kundan from a Tamil-Brahmin family falls in love with a Muslim girl in his neighbourhood. As he turns older, his love intensifies along with him only to be reciprocated with a series of slaps by a grown-up, pretty Zoya (Sonam Kapoor). However she reveals that his consistency has impressed her and agrees to meet Kundan by the Ghats after he lies to her that he's a Muslim by name Rizwan. But on their first date, she notices the white holy-thread across his chest and then instantly dumps him, not before handing him yet another slap. After an incident of wrist-slashing and subsequent emotional-blackmailing, Kundan wins her but Zoya's family, upon learning about their daughter's love-affair, get apprehensive and send her out to Aligarh.

Zoya returns to Benaras after 8 years; her priorities have changed now and she is in love with her colleague and student-politician Jasjeet (Abhay Deol). But Kundan, resisting advances from his female-friend Bindiya (Swara Baskar), is still in love with Zoya and dreams of marrying her. What follows is an unexpected twist, sudden change in the plot and a massive shift in the backdrop leading to a poignant ending.

Raanjhanaa has its share of flaws. Some scenes lack logic, the second half stumbles a bit, but each time you began to slightly sense a moment of boredom, an interesting scene springs up like JNU students debating about how to deal with a thief or Kundan speaking in Tamil to convince an inspector at a protest-venue and later narrating how gullible people are because they were listening to an uncouth person like him.

Swara Baskar deserves a special mention for her performance as Bindiya. Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub as Murari is hilarious. Sonam Kapoor has taken a giant leap in acting from her Delhi 6 days. Abhay Deol in his extended cameo is impressive, but he doesn't resemble a college student. The show, however, belongs to Dhanush. He cracks witty one-liners, dances with glee, exudes boyish charm as a school-goer, displays maturity as a political party worker, runs frantically with a dreaded expression, weeps in heartbreak and even pukes in disbelief, all while persistently being in love with Zoya. The actor despite learning Hindi just months before the shooting doesn't stutter in his diction and utters his lines with ease.

Raanjhanaa is something that we don't get to see in Bollywood often; it's a must-watch and Dhanush deserves yet another national award for his brilliant performance.

My rating is 4 stars out of 5

Movie Review: 'Man of Steel' is an average plot with extraordinary execution

2013-06-15T09:03:00.002-07:00

1. When Zod, the nefarious military general of Krypton says he wants to destroy planet Earth, he means only America. Because other countries are inconsequential! Or do they even exist?

2. Clark Kent doesn't even attempt to save his adoptive father who runs to his car to pull out his dog during a hurricane and eventually dies. Strangely his adoptive mom doesn't even urge her son to save her husband, although she is well-aware that Clark possesses super-human capabilities.

3. Whenever Lois Lane is in trouble, Clark Kent appears from nowhere and dramatically rescues her. But he really doesn't care about doing the same to thousands of others fleeing from collapsing skyscrapers and meteor-like attacks. Oh, he has saved that act for the climax, right?

4. Zod is so powerful and inhuman that he can fiercely ram into several concrete buildings and cruise out of them unscathed. But he can also be killed in the silliest of fashion.

These are the lessons one could learn from 'Man Of Steel', the latest Superman film to hit the theatres. Produced and written by Christopher Nolan, co-scripted by David S. Goyer (who also co-wrote the successful Batman trilogy) and directed by Zack Snyder (300, Sucker Punch), this screen-adaptation of DC comics character Superman is extremely rich in graphics and complimented with an excellent background score by Hans Zimmer.

The story is simple. Planet Krypton is dying and its military leader Zod(Michael Shannon) attempts a coup. At the same time, a warrior-scientist Jor-El (Russell Crowe) attends to his wife who is delivering a baby, the first biological creation in hundreds of years. As Zod is out for Codex, a skull-shaped object which contains the life of the planet, Jor-El grabs it before the general could and installs it inside the baby. The infant is then transported out of Krypton to Earth in a spaceship. The rebel soldiers are captured and imprisoned by the rulers of Krypton even as Zod vows to get hold of the baby and the Codex. The planet meanwhile implodes due to its weakening core, but everybody knows that the evil man and his cronies will remain alive until the end in order to face a duel with the grown-up Clark Kent (Henry Cavill).

The film oscillates between Clark’s childhood and the present; the moments between him and his adoptive parents (Diane Lane and Kevin Costner) are delightful to watch, especially the penultimate scene.

'Man of scenes' takes the action sequences to a different level altogether. The fights and the ensuing disaster scenes are incredible but they could have been toned down a bit towards the ending. Cinematography by Amir Mokri is good but the camera-work falters a bit in certain scenes, like the one in which Clark's adoptive dad tells him to keep his powers a secret. Editing by David Brenner is crisp.

Henry Cavill with bulging muscles is apt as Clark Kent. Amy Adams is a good actress, but the role of Lois Lane doesn’t suit her. Also there isn't much chemistry between the lead pair. The rest of the cast is adequate.

Loopholes apart, 'Man of steel' doesn't disappoint; after all it's from Christopher Nolan's stable.

My rating is 3 stars out of 5.

Movie Review: The Last Exorcism - 2 is the best example of a bad horror film

2013-06-11T16:26:00.002-07:00

Directed by Canadian Ed Gass-Donnelly and produced by Eli Roth, the man who made Cabin Fever, Hostel and also produced the first part of The Last Exorcism, this much-publicised sequel is hugely disappointing in terms of its plot and execution.

The film begins with flashes of the found-footage-genre prequel in which a fake exorcist attempts to free a farmer's teenage daughter Nell (Ashley Bell) from a demon named Abalam while a 2-member crew shoot a documentary. Thankfully the sequel follows the regular-cinema pattern although the camerawork is pretty poor.

A young couple wake up to noises in their kitchen. As they scarily tiptoe towards the inner rooms, they notice a wounded Nell lying crouched next to the fridge. She is admitted into a hospital and the doctor later takes her to his home where Nell is introduced to three other girls. Nell tries to put behind her past and lead a new life; she gets a job as a chambermaid in a lodge and falls in love with a colleague named Chris (Spencer Treat Clark). But the demon won't leave her because he/she/it is in love with her. The invisible ghost, who sometimes appears as a silhouette, stalks and feels Nell wherever she goes. The evil entity also draws Nell towards the roof of her bedroom and makes out with her while she is deep asleep. Meanwhile, people who try to get closer to Nell die in the dumbest fashion. Nell is eventually introduced to two men who perform an exorcism on her.

The exorcism lasts for barely ten minutes and doesn't justify what the title says. The climax is utterly daft and leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

Spencer's acting as Nell's boyfriend is pathetic to the core. In fact some animals in the film have acted better than him. The background score by Michael Wandmacher is forgettable and the editing, which has been taken care of by the director himself, is shabby. Cinematography by Brendan Steacy is average. The graphics are of poor quality; the only decent CGI is the appearance of dark cracks on the wall.

Despite all these flaws, Ashley Bell shines amongst the rubble and delivers a good performance as the disturbed girl who wishes to lead a normal life but cannot. This 27-year-old actress has a bright future in Hollywood.

‘The Last Exorcism 2’ is good to be given a miss.

My rating is 1 star out of 5.

P.S ‘Man of Steel’ this Friday. And ‘World War Z’ the week after.

Movie Review: ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ is flawed, clichéd and unrealistic

2013-06-02T16:08:00.006-07:00

It's no secret that Bollywood looks up to Western cinema for inspiration. As they ran short of ideas, the filmmakers began to remake yesteryear blockbusters by casting new actors and making minor changes in the script to suit modern audience. And now the latest trend seems to be: write down a list of successful films, pick out the best scenes from them, connect those frames in such a way that they make sense, then re-enact them with different actors and release it as a new film. Like ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’.

Produced by Karan Johar and directed by Ayan Mukherji (who made ‘Wake up Sid’), ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ is so clichéd that almost every frame, every scene reminds you of some film or the another. Even the characters are unoriginal; they bear a striking resemblance to Preity Zinta's Naina from ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’, Kajol's Anjali from ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hain’, Sana Saeed's Tanya from ‘Student of the Year’ and many others from Karan Johar films.

Three friends, a vivacious Kabir alias Bunny (Ranbir Kapoor), tomboyish Aditi (Kalki Koechlin) and gambling-addict Avi (Aditya Roy Kapur), embark on a trip to Manali. At the railway station, Bunny bumps into a nerdy medical student Naina Talwar (Deepika Padukone) who he realises had been his classmate at school. She joins the tour with 25 strangers because she wants to take a break from her studies. But she bizarrely finds time to skim through her books at the camp-site and hotel room while her friends are carousing. Naina is eventually transformed by an effervescent Bunny who helps her get rid of her inhibitions.

The first-half looks like ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ with a desi backdrop. Even the Tomatino song hasn't been spared. The scene in which Bunny and Naina stand hand-in-hand atop the peak of a mountain as female voices chime softly in the background is perhaps the best moment in the film. Had “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani” ended at this juncture, the film could have been a masterpiece. But unfortunately it doesn't.

The four friends separate after the tour. They meet after 8 long years as they attend Aditi's marriage. Bunny is now a famous international journalist and Naina is a successful doctor, and strangely she is still single (can you believe it?), so is he. And everyone knows what happens next! The second-half drags endlessly for a prolonged period of time leading to a clichéd ending much to the relief of the audience in my theatre who walked out muttering, 'Thank God, the film has ended'.

Ranbir Kapoor flirts, dances and expresses his emotions with utmost ease; he has all the traits of a future superstar. Deepika Padukone and Kalki Koechlin do justice to their roles. One wonders why Aditya Roy Kapur shakes his head with every dialogue he utters! Madhuri Dixit still looks young and dances with aplomb in her item-song. The songs and background score by Pritam are average and cinematography by Manikandan is okay.

'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani' may strike gold at the box office, but you can't really applaud an unoriginal, unrealistic and clichéd concept.

My rating is 2 stars out of 5.

P.S Yeah, I know I should have posted this on Friday. Sorry for the delay.

Movie Review: Hangover-3 is a big letdown; has nothing to do with its title

2013-05-23T15:23:00.000-07:00

Four friends go out partying, overdose on alcohol, pass out and eventually wake up at a strange location in an awkward situation with no idea of what they had gone through and how they arrived at the place. Moreover one of them is missing. So they go about retracing their steps leading to a laugh-riot all the way with an interesting twist in the climax. This was the plot of the previous two Hangover films. And if you walk into the theatre expecting a similar storyline, you are bound to be left deceived and disappointed. Because Hangover-3, directed by Todd Phillips, veers away from its theme and meanders aimlessly with the same characters evoking very few moments of laughter.

The titles roll down with a dramatic background score with scenes of a berserk inmates running amok in a prison in Bangkok as Chow (Ken Jeong) escapes through the underground drainage system. The film cuts to New York where an excited, child-like Alan Garner(Zach Galifianakis) drives a car drinking a beer and humming a song with a giraffe on the rear, attracting the attention of other vehicles in the expressway. Little does he realise that there is a low over-bridge ahead of him and the giraffe meets an ugly fate resulting in a chain of accidents on the road. Alan is confronted by his irate father in his house who reminds his son that he is 42-years-old and still living with his parents without an iota of shame. But Alan nonchalantly plugs in his headphones and listens to his favourite song oblivious to the fact that his dad has just suffered a heart attack and collapsed to the floor in the background.

Post the funeral, Phil (a dapper Bradley Cooper), dentist Stu (Ed Helms) and Doug (Justin Bartha) visit Alan’s place and convince him to accompany them to Arizona. They plan to introduce Alan to a woman and try to reform him. The Wolfpack then set about in their car when they are intercepted by some masked criminals, abducted and taken to a deserted place where they are introduced to a Mexican mafia-lord named Marshall (John Goodman). He seizes Doug and asks the other men to find and bring him Chow if they want their friend alive. So the trio then try to track down Chow in order to save Doug.

Although Bradley Cooper’s name is the first to the appear in the credits, Zach Galifianakis is given more prominence than the other characters and he is the only saving grace of the film. But even he sometimes becomes too monotonous and repetitive that you feel you've had enough of him. Ken Jeong as Chow is eccentric, nasty and deranged, some of his antics make you cringe. Had there been no blink-and-miss nudity in the ending and usage of profanities by Chow, the movie would have been rated PG. The cinematography is average and the background score doesn’t leave a lasting impression.

Marketed as the ‘epic finale’, Hangover-3 has nothing to do with its title and leaves fans of the franchise highly disappointed. There are no parties, no awkward moments, no craziness and not many funny moments either.

My rating is 1 star out of 5.

Movie Review: ‘Epic’ is one of the finest animation films ever made

2013-05-19T09:55:00.002-07:00

How does it feel when you step into a theatre doubtfully to watch an animation film that is rated just 6.7 on IMDB, recline on your cushioned-chair wondering whether you have made the right choice and then be blown away by a 100-minute visual spectacle that’s so amazing that you walk out smiling and humming the background score even after reaching home?! That’s Epic, the latest animation film from Blue Sky Studios and directed by Chris Wedge (he won an Oscar in 1999 for 7-minute animation film called Bunny).

‘Epic’ starts with a teenage-girl Mary Katherine (voice by Amanda Seyfried), who likes to be called M.K, being dropped by a taxi-driver at a secluded house in a forest to spend some time with her estranged scientist-father, who spends all his time with zoom cameras and sound devices doing some bizarre investigation. He tells M.K that there are some tiny people in the woods who have a kingdom of their own and act as guardians of all the flora around them. Meanwhile, there really exist tiny people called the Leafmen; colourful flowers move, leaves speak, birds act a chariots to warriors, and they are all led by a beautiful queen who is accompanied by a loyal commander Ronin (voice by Colin Farrell). And along with them are a good-for-nothing handsome guy named Nod, a humorous slug and a snail. On the other side of the forest, in a dark world, live a huge army of evil creatures called ‘Borkans’ spearheaded by a vicious, menacing Mandrake who is hell-bent on destroying the greenery and turn everything into smoke.

M.K becomes increasingly exasperated at her father’s deep devotion to his research; she gets repeatedly ignored, starts doubting his sanity and hence decides to move out of the house leaving behind a note. Almost at the same time, the green-queen holds a grand ceremony in which Mandrake and his evil army attack and fatally-wound her as she flees. The queen lands in front of a startled M.K and hands the teenager a flower before breathing her last; that flower holds the life of the forest, and M.K suddenly shrinks, becomes tiny and one of them. As most of the greenery is destroyed by Mandrake and his army; the hapless residents gather at the queen’s place pleading for help. There is only one solution to bring the forest back to life. And that forms the crux of the film.

Epic is a familiar story of good versus evil narrated in an interesting fashion. The scenes between the tiny, demure Mary Katherine and a nonchalant Nod are a delight to watch, so are the father-daughter sequences. The background music by Danny Elfman (a regular of Tim Burton’s films) completely transports the viewer into a wonderful world woven with spectacular tiny men, women and creatures amidst the stunning beauty of the forest. The war scenes between Leafmen and Borkans bear a slight resemblance to Avatar, only that a bit of humour is added into the proceedings in the form of Nod. The climax is apt and heart-warming.

With its intriguing storyline, lovable characters, uplifting music and excellent cinematography, Epic is one of the finest animation films ever made.

My rating is 4 stars out of 5.

P.S Is anybody reading my movie-reviews?

Movie Review: 'The Great Gatsby' is an old-fashioned love story; glitzy and colourful

2013-05-16T15:40:00.002-07:00

A boy falls for a girl. They part ways. He returns after five years, rich and powerful. And realises that she is married. They meet each other. He confesses to her that he still loves her. The girl is now torn between her husband and her lover. She is unable to decide what she wants in her life. Every time the lovers meet, they turn emotional, even the people around them turn emotional; the scene is further exaggerated by close-up shots of their facial expressions accompanied by a haunting musical score. Does it ring a bell? How many such plots haven't we watched in Bollywood (even in regional languages)! That's the premise of 'The Great Gatsby'.

Adapted from a 1925 novel of the same name and directed by Baz Luhrmann (who had previously directed 'Australia'), 'The Great Gatsby' begins with a writer named Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) who arrives in 1920 New York for the first time and resides next to the mansion of someone named Gatsby. His neighbour is so high-profile that everyone in the town chants his name saying Gatsby is a prince, Gatsby is a warrior, Gatsby was a spy, Gatsby owns the city, and Nick's curiosity keeps increasing because he hasn't seen Gatsby yet. He, one day, gets an invitation to attend a party hosted at Gatsby's place and is shocked to witness that the entire New York is invited; people from all classes throng the mansion and party wildly, except the host who just enjoys seeing other happy. About 20 minutes into the movie, Leonardo Di Caprio makes his appearance revealing himself as J. Gatsby.

As the writer interacts with Gatsby, he learns of the man's deep sorrows that he has hidden beneath his smiling face. Gatsby is a loner; he reveals he owes his life to a girl called Daisy (Carey Mulligan) for whom he had built the mansion, for whom he had bought all the expensive things in the world and for whom he had dedicated his life for. He requests the writer to help him meet Daisy who is married to a philanderer named Tom, and Nick obliges. The lovers meet. And what happens next? Go watch the film.

Every frame in ‘The Great Gatsby’ is enhanced with rich colours and the camera keeps panning and tracking the characters throughout the film. At times, the plot appears a tad stretched and boring, but the background music by Craig Armstrong and cinematography (Simon Duggan) make up for it.

Leonardo Di Caprio is brilliant as J.Gatsby. Carey Mulligan's character should have been named Dizzy instead of Daisy; she behaves like a drug-addict all through the film. Her husband Tom, enacted by Joel Edgerton, plays his part to perfection. Nick Carraway, portrayed by Tobey Maguire, who starts the film as his narrative, delivers a fine performance. Amitabh Bachchan makes his Hollywood debut through this film; he plays a gambler named Meyer who Di Caprio introduces as his friend. However Bachchan’s role has nothing great to write about; he lasts only for a few minutes never to reappear again.

On the whole, 'The Great Gatsby' is only for those who like some old-fashioned, music-dominated romance.

My rating is 2 and half stars out of 5.

SHOCKING! On an average, 23 women are killed and 270 are harassed for dowry in India EVERYDAY.

2013-05-12T15:18:00.005-07:00

Why change your surname after marriage? Why move in to your in-laws house?

On May 10 2013, three men set a woman ablaze in Jamnagar, Gujarat after she failed to extract dowry from her parents' home. Three days before that, a pregnant lady in Delhi was strangled to death by her unemployed husband for dowry. A week ago, a man in Shimla beat his wife to death and buried her in his garden with the help of his parents because she couldn't fulfil his demand for dowry.

Delhi, believed to be the most cosmopolitan city in India, recorded a whopping 2,677 complaints of domestic violence on the "Women in Distress" helpline between the period February-April 2013, according to Daily Mail. Also 26 women were killed & 200 women were tortured for dowry in the capital during this 3-month period.

The Indian government hasn't made public the crime statistics for 2012 yet, but the data released for the last 6 years until 2011 by 'National Crime Records Bureau' strongly indicates that dowry-related crimes and domestic violence are spiralling upwards in the country. Between the period 2006-2011, dowry deaths have increased by 13.2% and cruelty by in-laws rose by a massive 57%, despite dowry harassment being a non-bailable offence under Section 498(A) in India.

These statistics only include the cases that have been reported at police stations; the real figure could be exceedingly high considering the fact that most women in India don't report a harassment unless it's extremely severe. Also in the reported dowry-harassment cases, the police do not register a FIR immediately. They counsel the two parties and try to make them reach a compromise, failing to do which, they file a complaint and make subsequent arrests.

Society's attitude towards women needs to change

The root cause of this problem is our patriarchal society and strong adherence to age-old beliefs. Impoverished couples in India prefer a male-child over a girl because they believe a boy would be house-bound, carry their legacy forward, fetch them a bride with a hefty dowry and would take care them during their final days. And they consider a girl-child as a burden because they have to amass a lot of money for her marriage after which she would eventually leave them, settle down in her husband's house with a new surname and serve her in-laws. Families in India have taken this concept for granted. And that's the main reason behind the steep rise in cases of female foeticide and infanticide across the country.

Emancipation of women, not just in education and employment but also in their personal life, could bring down dowry-related crimes in India. Women should be allowed to retain their family-surname after marriage. A surname is a woman's only identity with her parents who have given birth to her, brought her up, educated her and got her married. Also the concept of a bride moving in to her in-laws house should be gradually done away with and married couples should be encouraged to live separately, free from their parents' intervention. These small measures, if implemented, could make a significant difference to the society's attitude towards women and eventually wipe out the notion that having a male-child is advantageous over a female.

Note: Please don’t reproduce this content.

Movie Review: The new Evil Dead is too gory

2013-04-18T15:53:00.002-07:00

"The most terrifying film you'll ever experience", warn the words upon the red-coated poster of the new Evil Dead film. Directed by debutant Fede Alvarez, the story follows the same pattern as its previous versions.

The film begins with a girl being abducted in a forest. She is carried to a cabin and bound to a wooden pillar as some creepy people standing at a corner silently watch her. A scary old woman recites something from a book and orders a man to burn the girl alive. The girl is shocked to realise that it was her father who was behind her abduction. She pleads him to spare her life and take him home while her dad pours an inflammable liquid on her. The old sorceress meanwhile urges the man not to waste any time in setting her afire. As the dad flings a matchstick on his daughter, she gets aggressive and her voice changes as she burns. It's revealed that she's actually possessed by a ghost and the only means to save her soul is to kill her.

The story then switches to the present day as four friends (two couples) gather at a secluded cabin in the woods in order to cure a drug-addict sister of one of the guys. The biggest mistake they make is carrying a curious dog with them. The animal unnecessarily sniffs around the room and reveals a basement inside which the group discover carcasses of several cats hanging from the roof and then a book on the table. It is revealed that it was the same room in which the girl at the very beginning of the film was burnt alive. One of the guys flips open the book and recites a few verses, thereby unleashing an evil from nowhere. That's it, all the hell breaks loose and Mia, the eccentric sister, is possessed by a frustrated lesbian ghost which loves to kiss and sexually assault its female victims before attempting to kill them. The ghost even calls a guy "pretty" in one of the scenes, just to confuse the audience about its orientation.

The film has nothing new to offer with it's weak, logic-less storyline apart from the usual cliched scary moments accompanied by a suddenly-loud background score. But it's very disturbing in terms of the way the killings and torture are portrayed, especially the close-up shots of chopping of body parts will make you squirm in your seat. The movie however doesn't bore you anywhere during its 90-minutes run-time.

23-year-old Jane Levy who plays the possessed girl Mia is impeccable in her acting and carries the entire film on her shoulders while the other actors just play typical victims. On the whole, Evil Dead is not that scary but too gory.

My rating: 2 and half stars out of 5

P.S An elderly lady suffered a breakdown in my theatre while watching this film and she had to be carried out by those who accompanied her. Wonder why weak-hearted people attempt to watch a horror film!

How I spent a fortune and a day's time to see a few erect stones

2013-04-15T15:14:00.002-07:00

About 86 miles from London exists a place called Stonehenge. Having a history dating back to 7000 years, Stonehenge is one of the most famous tourist sites in the UK and attracts more than a million visitors from all corners of the world every year. Stonehenge is also mentioned in UNESCO's 'World Heritage List'. These facts aroused my curiosity and I made a trip to this place to see what it was all about.

After close to three hours of travelling by train, I reached a city named Salisbury at lunch time. It started raining as I strolled about in the City Centre and forced me to rush into a store selling umbrellas. The shop-owner demanded 15£ for a tiny umbrella and added that it was of "top quality" and "genuinely manufactured in UK" (most of the stuff sold in UK are Made in China), so I purchased it.

From there, a tour operator driving a double-decker bus charged me 20£ (1700 Rs) to Stonehenge. I sat in the top floor and as the bus started moving, the driver started rendering running-commentary explaining the significance of each and every passing street and the buildings surrounding it. He added that we would see five "legendary" rivers on our way. Upon hearing that, I expected a massive water body like Ganges. As soon as he announced the approaching of the first river, all the tourists in my bus jumped up from their seats and leapt towards the glass window with their cameras. Ahem! What we saw a tiny canal flowing down the road; it resembled one of those gutters that we see in India. Four more such "rivers" passed by amidst some scenic pastures on which hordes of healthy cows and sheeps were loitering and grazing on fresh grass (they would be later slaughtered, chopped into tiny pieces, cooked and served in restaurants).

After a 20-minute drive, the bus pulled over at Stonehenge and I disembarked along with other tourists. The rain grew heavier accompanied by strong winds. I unfurled my umbrella and followed the driver as he led us to a turnstile where a man was handing visitors a cordless phone that acted as a audio-guide. Listening to the narrative on that device, I stepped into a tunnel and walked out into a large open field where I witnessed a group of erect stones arranged in a circle.

About 1 million visitors throng this place every year to see this!

"Aw! This is mind-blowing," yelled an awe-struck German female. She was so delirious that I felt she would frantically run towards the monument and hug one of those stones, but her boyfriend firmly clutched her hand pulling her backwards. She then fished out a digital camera from her handbag and started clicking pictures of those stones from various angles. I couldn't help smiling at her excitement as I recollected the far bigger, mesmerising architectural wonders back in my homeland. Maybe she would faint if she witnessed them.

"But why the f**k did they carry all those stones and put them here in this position?" said a man with Spanish accent to his friend.

And then I saw a shocking incident. A few Indians (all of them speaking Malayalam) took a lot of effort to walk twenty metres to the nearest garbage bin to dump their paper coffee-cups. Would they do the same thing had it been India?

The audio-guide I was holding close to my ear all along explained that Stonehenge was a burial ground since pre-historic times. As I listening to it, the wind began to get so ferocious that my "top quality" umbrella overturned and got ripped apart. Getting wet in the downpour, I took some pictures of those stones and withdrew from the place in less than ten minutes.

I went back to the umbrella shop to return that broken cheap-quality stuff and alas, it was shut. All stores except eateries and pubs in UK are closed by 5:30 PM sharp. Disappointed, I travelled back for 3 more hours by train to reach home ruing my disastrous trip.

I don't intend to belittle other countries, but the monuments we have in India are far ahead in terms of architectural brilliance and also have an fascinating history associated with them. Only if we properly maintain them and promote them as nicely as Western countries do!

Next article: Some statistics on why India deserves to be the number 1 tourist destination in the world.

Verbally abused using filthy language, whipped on the bum, slapped in the face and punched on the head

2013-04-10T16:15:00.000-07:00

About 10 years back, my dad enrolled me in a "tuition centre" run by a Maths lecturer who was also my uncle's friend. Dad took that big decision after I requested him to sign in my report card that showed disastrous results in the key subject.

The following evening, I returned home from school, had a shower, changed into a T-Shirt and shorts, and attended the institute which was located in the first floor of a two-storeyed building. I took off my shoes at the entrance and peeked into the room where scores of children were seated cross-legged on the floor and scribbling something in their notebooks. The moment I stepped in, all the students collectively stared in horror at my bare legs as if I was revealing something that I was not supposed to reveal. I felt highly uncomfortable as I walked ahead and then noticed that everybody there was wearing full-pants and I was the only one clad in shorts. I perched down at the last row and asked the student next to me whether it was a sacrilege to wear shorts in that place.

"Whenever the master gets angry, he pinches the students on their inner thighs," whispered the kid with a dreaded expression. "So nobody wears half-pants here."

A cold chill ran down my spine as I heard that. I felt like quickly sprinting back to my home and return to the tuition centre wearing jeans. Before I could make a move, the Maths master arrived into the room holding a long bamboo stick. I stood up to introduce myself and he greeted me with a cordial smile. He then inspected the notebooks of other students around me and started whipping them on their bums, one at a time.

As days passed, I witnessed several horrors in that den of torture. Students were verbally abused using filthy language, slapped in their faces, pummeled on their heads, pinched and battered on the areas where they had enough flesh and forced to do weird punishments like standing and bending down while having their school-bags positioned on their backs for prolonged periods of time. Broken bamboo sticks were regularly replaced with new ones.

The teacher spared me because of his proximity with my uncle who later admitted to having told his friend not to inflict any sort of violence towards me. But the other children didn't enjoy any such immunity. Some dads even encouraged the master to "discipline" their kids. The poor students, unable to convey their pain to their parents and also not having the guts to protest against the teacher, suffered in silence. One boy revealed to me that he regularly used to strip in his bathroom, hold a mirror in front of his backside and inspect the intensity of red-coloured lash marks on his derriere caused by the beatings.

"Sir, I don't know what you'll do. But I want my son to score minimum 90 in Maths this year," said an avaricious father to the master while handing over his child as the little one innocently stared up at both the adults oblivious to the horror that was in store for him.

As a part of my research while compiling this article, I recently got in touch with 10 of my then-tuition-colleagues and had a quick chat with each of them in isolation.

When asked about what they remembered from those tuition days, each of them instantly spoke about the assaults they had endured and added that they could vividly recollect those scenes even now. The trauma they experienced completely overshadowed other good memories we had shared like playing cricket, going on a picnic or watching movies. 9 out of 10 said they didn't deserve such inhuman treatment and regretted having joined that tuition centre. Among them one person conceded that those beatings had a deep psychological impact on him and gave him nightmares for several years after that painful phase.

Sadly, the situation hasn't changed in today's India. Children are still being assaulted in the pretext of "punishment" and "teaching manners". In a recent incident in West Bengal, five children aged 10-12 were tonsured, paraded in the streets and lashed with electric wires after being labelled as thieves by an angry mob even as some policemen enjoyed the scene as silent spectators.

Child abuse is one of the most underreported crimes in our country. Only the serious cases in which the kids are hospitalised after an assault are made known to the public. According to National Crime Records Bureau, 33,098 cases of crimes against children has been reported in India during the year 2011. But it could be a much bigger figure, considering the vast majority of cases that go unreported.

Psychiatrists believe violence inflicted on kids at a tender age leaves an indelible mental scar on them for the rest of their lives. The victims are also at risk of experiencing unpredictable intervals of anxiety, sinking into depression, suffering from stammer, heart problems, high blood pressure and post-traumatic stress disorder. The male victims, in some cases, develop violent tendencies as they grow up and might commit serious crimes. The physical injuries inflicted on children's fragile, youthful body parts will lead to more devastating aftereffects in the later stages of their life. Recent studies have revealed that kids exposed to physical abuse are prone to developing cancer in adulthood.

So the next time you come across an adult assaulting a child, try to intervene & explain to them the negative effects that savage act of theirs would have on the kid in the long run. Make them understand that these abuses cannot be compensated by food or money & would linger in the kid's head for a long period of time extending deep into their adulthood and overlap the other pleasant memories that they had experienced at the same age. Also remind the abusers that they have a high probability of being disrespected & despised by the same kid once he or she grows up.

The only way we can curb child abuse is by spreading awareness about the consequences of this barbaric act & it's long-term impact on both the victims & abusers .

Baseball league in America to hire Indian stone-pelters

2013-03-11T17:01:00.001-07:00

This article is also available at http://my.fakingnews.com/author/shivamail1/

Faking News: Popular activist's husband goes on hunger strike after his honeymoon plans are ignored

2013-03-07T15:55:00.004-08:00

On the occasion of International Women’s day, Faking News planned to interview popular activist Sheela Khan at her residence. Unfortunately, our intended interviewee was away when we visited her place and instead we bumped into a man sitting cross-legged on the ground in front of her building. We were surprised on realising that it was her husband, Shekhar Kashyap, and taken aback when he claimed to be on a fast-unto-death. Intrigued by his bizarre behaviour, we ended up interviewing the activist’s husband. Below are some excerpts from that freewheeling interview.

Faking News: Sir, may we know when Sheela madam will be back?

Shekhar Kashyap: Even I’m waiting to see her. In fact, I haven’t seen her for several days now.

FN (shocked): Is Sheela Khan missing?
SK (smiles): No! She is very busy. She usually leaves home before I wake up in the morning and returns late at night after I’m fast asleep.

FN: And why are you on a hunger-strike?
SK: We have been married for three months and yet to make our honeymoon trip. I tried my best to convince her to take a few days off from her activist works. But she wouldn’t budge. So this is the only option I have now.

FN: Interesting! Please could you tell us how you guys met?
SK: It was six months ago. I went to attend a friend’s wedding. He was getting hitched to a really gorgeous girl and we guys were all obviously jealous of him. Moreover, he was constantly bragging about his achievement and even ridiculed me for being single. It was then I saw Sheela for the first time in my life. She barged into the wedding venue accompanied by a group of women to protest against the marriage, alleging my friend had previously promised to marry a girl, who she brought along with her, before dumping her for another woman. Well, it was love at first sight for me. I realised there was a lot of competition for girls these days; therefore I felt I had to act quickly before someone would outsmart me. So before my friend could give an explanation, I pounced on him and beat the crap out of him in an attempt to impress Sheela. Others, including the bride and her family members, too joined me in the assault. My friend’s marriage got stalled and my story had just begun. Sheela and I dated for a while and then entered into wedlock.

FN: Interesting. So how is life after marriage?

SK (sulks): Well, there was no life after marriage. Even the day after we got married, she attended some protest saying it was important. Of course, everyday some issue or the other crops up in our country and she believes she can resolve all of them by protesting.

FN: You mean you haven’t shared any romantic moments with each other?
SK: The closest one was this incident. One morning, I was sitting in my couch and watching this bizzare news about dogs protesting against humans on the TV. It was then Sheela shouted out to me from the shower. I got really excited, quickly undressed myself and sprinted across to the bathroom door. She stopped me & clarified, “Please can you increase the TV volume? I can’t hear the news properly.”

FN: That’s sad. Is Sheela Khan so devoted to activism?
SK: Activism has taken a toll on her not just physically, but also mentally. Like one midnight, she suddenly started shouting slogans in her sleep. I jumped off my bed and lay crouched at the corner of the room staring at her in horror. At first, I thought she was possessed like Katie in ‘Paranormal Activity’ and later realised she was just stressed out. She even attempted to sleepwalk out of the house.

FN: What? She sleepwalked? What did you do then?
SK: I locked up the front door and hid the key under my pillow.

FN: Well, okay. What’s her favourite website?
SK: Change.org. She even petitioned me on that site one day for failing to put the toilet seat down.

FN: And her favourite place?
SK: Jantar Mantar. Whenever she is low or upset, I take her there. Her face instantly lights up like a Christmas tree at the mere sight of that place.

FN: Have you watched any films together?
SK: The last film we watched together was ‘Gali Gali Chor Hai’. She loved the film so much that she rated it 5-stars in a 10-page review she wrote on her blog.

FN: You both had any misunderstandings or arguments after marriage?
SK: Well, we first need to spend some quality time together in order to have a chance of having arguments.

FN: We are sorry for you, sir. Do you wish you convey any message to other women on this special day?
SK: Hello ladies. If you happen to see my wife around, please send her home. Thanks.

This article is also available at: http://my.fakingnews.com/2013/03/08/popular-activists-husband-goes-on-a-hunger-strike-after-his-honeymoon-plans-are-rebuffed/

Faking News: Misled by an incorrect news report, activist protests for a wrong reason

2013-02-25T15:49:00.002-08:00

Thiruvananthapuram: A well-known activist who was recently applauded for his active role in blowing the lid off the malpractices of several unscrupulous politicians is now being heavily criticised from all quarters for overtly supporting the group that posted on Facebook defamatory remarks against a female lawyer who spoke in defence of Congress leader P J Kurien regarding the Suryanelli rape case.

25-year-old Shekhar Nair woke up to a news report titled, “120 people arrested on charges of posting FB comments about P J Kurien”. Enraged that the police, who had leniently pursued the gang-rape case for 17 years, instantly acted on common citizens for innocuously voicing their opinion about the long-pending case on a social-networking site, Shekhar grabbed his mobile, rushed out of his house & headed straight to the police station. He mobilised a few aggressive young men on the way & encouraged them to join him in his fight for justice.

Shekhar, squatting in front of the police station with his newfound supporters, raised slogans against the cops & also threatened to set himself ablaze if the detained netizens weren’t released. It was then he received a call on his mobile from a colleague who informed Shekhar that the news-channel had corrected their report stating 120 were not arrested but merely questioned. As the latest update got disseminated, the crowd behind Shekhar gradually dwindled. Nevertheless the activist relentlessly protested, slamming the police for trying to curb free speech in the state. He even dared the cops to arrest him.

Frustrated at his outburst, police officials stormed out of the station and angrily confronted Shekhar challenging his accusation. The activist, with a tinge of nervousness, called up his colleague for help and suddenly turned numb on learning that the news channel had now interchanged a few words in their initial report and completely changed the context of their story as the new title said, “120 questioned for Facebook posts about woman lawyer who defended PJ Kurien“. The article which had initially portrayed the Facebook users as being victims of free speech now depicted them as sexists who had made offending comments against an advocate. It was too late before Shekhar realised he had been protesting for the wrong reason. The activist turned around and was shocked to witness nobody behind him; his supporters had all deserted him long back. Having no other choice, Shekhar surrendered meekly as the cops arrested and locked him up in their custody.

Other prominent activists refused to comment on this issue and have reportedly ostracised Shekhar for supporting a group of male chauvinists. There are speculations that the Kerala police are looking for a scapegoat who they can book on charges of instigating the entire posting-obscene-comments-on-Facebook episode and rapidly close the case, and with nobody coming forward to support Shekhar, he might be the first person on the cops’ list.

This article is also available at http://my.fakingnews.com/2013/02/26/misled-by-an-incorrect-news-report-activist-protests-for-a-wrong-reason/