August 7, 2009
Reality is funny. Reality is even funnier if it happens to someone else and you get to watch. To be honest, I didn’t know we had so much reality amongst us until I flipped the channel one day and I was transported to this whole new world. It was kind of surreal if you know what I mean.
Reality is traditional. A lady just chose her groom on a reality show last week. It’s so nice to see the return of traditional values in society. You must remember that swayamvars were how the ladies got hitched back in the good old days. It is very admirable of the TV guys to finally give tradition its due. I’ve always said that tradition is where it’s at nowadays. Modern thought is so last century.
Reality is noble. There’s a reality show that’s taken it upon itself to lift our society from the dredges of immorality that it has slipped into. Yes, I’m talking about the show where people are hooked up to a lie detector and are rewarded for being truthful. You know what – it moved me. I mean here’s one show that our children can learn good moral values from. How else would they learn that telling the whole world that you cheated on your wife can be a rewarding experience(worth at least 100k)? The truth can now literally set you free, of your family and friends that is, none of whom would come near you after they come to know what you really think of them. But who needs those ingrates when truth is on your side? Not you, no way!
Reality is educational. For example, I chanced upon this great show named toadies(or something similar, I forget), which is like a fountain of knowledge that just doesn’t stop giving. I learnt one of life’s biggest lessons right here – stay away from bald guys. It’s clear that they can somehow control the minds of impressionable youth and make them do whatever they want. And worst of all, they seem to have discovered how to replicate. But that’s not all, this show also teaches you valuable skills. After watching just a couple of shows, my three year old nephew had learnt five new grown up words. It would have taken him years to pick those up without their help. He has also developed some very useful lip reading skills which he puts to good use by explaining to me what the contestants are talking about(it’s not always audible over the bleeps you know).
So get real and embrace these fine specimens of television programming. After all, there’s no escaping reality.
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Humour | Tagged: Humour, TV | 
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Posted by anuj m
December 26, 2008
Just came back from a screening of Ghajini. I must say that I expected a bit more from an Aamir Khan movie. It’s not that the movie was bad, it just that its execution wasn’t any different from the other attempts in this genre.
The acting by Aamir and the leading lady Asin is definitely top-notch. Asin in particular manages portray the role of a chirpy, kind-hearted romantic excellently. This helps make the few comic bits in the movie fun. Jiah Khan is not very convincing and her accent and dialogue delivery let her down a bit. The villain with his inexplicable Punjabi-South Indian accent doesn’t do the role complete justice. You do end up truly despising him, but its more because of the story rather than his performance. Maybe, Aamir’s character should have been pitted against a mightier foe(taking a leaf from the Superhero flicks) to add a new dimension to the retelling of the story.
The plot is pretty much the same as the Tamil version (which itself is loosely based on Christopher Nolan’s ‘Memento’). The problem with the storyline is that it is extremely predictable and formulaic. I haven’t seen the Tamil version, but I could still guess the direction the story would take at a lot of junctions, especially at the climax of the movie. I expected a few plots twists, purely because Aamir Khan was involved, but they weren’t to be found. Also, I was surprised at the numerous plot loopholes that were overlooked or ignored by the writers.
The thing to watch out for, apart from Asin and Aamir’s performances, is the brilliant cinematography. The special effects are top quality and haven’t been overdone and some of the scenes are good enough to frame. I’m pretty sure there’s going to be a Ghajini themed art show(if there hasn’t been one already) in the near future.
The musical score by Rehman, is surprisingly(the man is immensely talented), displeasing to the ears. It is evident that he’s tried to do something different here but it doesn’t really work. The background score is not bad though. The song sequences are picturised well, but are blatantly forced and just don’t fit within the narrative.
All in all, its a nice predictable action-thriller which will keep you engaged for its duration. A bit predictable, but better than the usual fare that’s dished out by the industry. Worth a watch.
Please read this to help the needy with a free click.
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Bollywood, Entertainment, Movies, Review, Uncategorized | Tagged: Aamir Khan, Asin, Bollywood, Entertainment, Ghajini, Movie Review, Review | 
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Posted by anuj m
December 23, 2008
It’s that time of the year again – the time everyone makes ‘Best of the year’ lists. I thought I would make mine with a small change though – the items on my my list won’t necessary have released in 2008, they would be things that ‘I’ have come across this year.
With the explanation out of the way, I’ll begin my list with the ‘Best book I discovered this year’ category.
And the award goes to… A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. I was introduced to this brilliant read by my brother and have since recommended/gifted this to a multitude of people and they’ve ‘all’ become instant fans.
The book is an absolutely fluid guide to how the various fields of science have evolved to their current state over the years. It’s replete with fascinating anecdotes involving little known as well as the famous giants of science that helped shape science and the world as we know it. The book should earn its place on the bookshelves of any reader with ease.
It’s highly recommended, especially for children that are ticked off by the dull science texts that they’re forced to read at school.
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Best of 2008, Books, Review, Science, Uncategorized | Tagged: Best of 2008, Books, Science | 
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Posted by anuj m
June 2, 2008
There you have it, the perfect cricket final that anyone (spectators, sponsors, the BCCI, Lalit Modi et al) could have asked for. And what a deserving victory it was! The Royals, the team that was written off by everyone before the tounament even began, sneaked the cup on the final delivery.
How did a seemingly ordinary team (on paper) pull it off, and so comprehensively at that? Was it Warne’s inspirational captaincy that did it? Was it the superb allround performances by Watson, Pathan and Tanvir (to name a few) that tilted the scale in their favour? Was it the fact that the youngsters of the team lived up to the confidence that was shown in them? Was it because Rajasthan had stumbled upon the perfect Twenty20 team combination? Were their cheerleader just better at their job than the others? Maybe it was all that, and a bit of luck on the way, that was the secret of their success.
The tournament helped to unearth some great new talent for the Indians and surprisingly, for the Australians too (remember Shaun Marsh?). It also succeeded in doing something unheard of in Indian cricket – it made domestic cricket profitable. The transfers/purchase of players will add an interesting dimension to the game. Although they could have come up with better couloured caps for the best. I mean, purple and orange? Really?
Now for the obvious question, what does this mean for the 50 overs game? It’s going to be very difficult to sit through 50 ’slow’ overs after that! Maybe it’s time for Twenty20 to take its place. The fifty over game was created in seventies to make the game more ‘fun’, and it was instantly successful. For more than 38 years, the fifty over format has enthralled the cricket fans. But then along came some wiseguy who noted that nothing interesting really happened between the 15th and 40th overs. Yeah, that’s right, I’m talking about you! So maybe its time we just did away with those overs and embraced Twenty20 cricket as its successor. I for one see no point in there being two different versions of the smaller format, specially when one of them is so overwhelmingly more exciting than the other. What do you think?
Leave a Comment » | Cricket, IPL, Sports, Twenty20 | Tagged: Cricket, IPL, Rajasthan Royals, Sports, Twenty20 | Permalink
Posted by anuj m
March 22, 2008
Happy holi to everyone!!! Have a safe and fun holi.
Holi is the best time to share your happiness with the less-fortunate. So go out there and do your major good deed for the day.
Please start by clicking for free here (I am not affiliated to these sites in any way and am not going to profit from any of these clicks):
http://www.bhookh.com/ – Help feed chronically hungry Indian children
www.thehungersite.com : Click for free to and they’ll donate free food to the needy
www.thebreastcancersite.com : Click for free and they’ll donate free mammograms
www.thechildhealthsite.com: Click for free and they’ll donate free healthcare for children
www.theliteracysite.com : Click for free and they’ll donate free books to children
www.theanimalrescuesite.com: Click for free and they’ll donate food and care for animals
www.therainforestsite.com : Click for free and they’ll donate help to save our rainforests
www.freerice.com : Donates rice for every word meaning you get right – great fun!!!
www.freewebs.com/clickforcharity : This site lists websites that allow you to donate help by clicking for free
http://www.freeflour.com – Free Flour
http://www.freepoverty.com – Free Water
http://children.care2.com/
http://www.definition-of.com/
http://www.savetheworldwithmusic.com/
http://www.clickbokin.ekokoro.jp/50.html
http://www.feedsa.co.za
http://www.hungerfighters.com
http://www.hungrychildren.com
http://www.clickbokin.ekokoro.jp/floq.html
http://www.OneClickOneMeal.com
http://www.pajacyk.pl/
http://www.porloschicos.com/PorLosChicos.NET/index_english.htm
5 Comments | Help, Holi, animal rescue, breast cancer, child health, hunger, literacy, philanthropy, rainforests | Tagged: animal rescue, breast cancer, Charity, child health, Good deed, Help, Holi, hunger, literacy, philanthropy, rainforests | Permalink
Posted by anuj m
January 30, 2008
I’m going to start the restaurant review section with a twin review of two of the most popular caffeine dispensers in Bangalore.
A trip to the Cha bar at the Leela Galleria on Airport Road is a very rejuvenating experience. Set among the literary atmosphere of Landmark, with internet in the air (they have free wi-fi!), the tea parties at Cha Bar can last a relaxingly long amount of time.
They have a huge variety of teas to choose from of course. Each type of tea is served its own characteristic manner (my Ceylon tea came along with a Wodehouse-ian cow-creamer full of milk). But importantly, for people who aren’t too fond of their cuppa, they have an excellent array of snacks to choose from. And yes, they serve excellent pakodas to go with the tea.
Great place to while away the leisourly hours with a cuppa in one hand and a book in the other. Recommended.
Ambience: 3.5/5 (a bit cramped for space)
Food: 4/5
Pricing: 4/5 (reasonable)
Service: 4/5
The first restaurant that I visited in Bangalore was the charming Coffee World near Eva Mall. The place is spacious and seems like a hipper version of the numerous coffee chains. When at Coffee World, follow the proven effective three step process : sit down, strech your arms and order the strawberry waffles. Absolute bliss.
They also have a tasty selection of sandwiches which come with a variety of breads (panini, brown, etc to choose from. The solitary fruit based drink I had there was nothing special but I haven’t tried enough from the liquid section to make up a mind on them.
It is definitely a great place to unwind with friends. Recommended.
Ambience: 4/5
Food: 4/5 (the waffles steal the show)
Pricing: 3.5/5 (a wee bit overpriced)
Service: 3.5/5
3 Comments | Bangalore, Food, Restaurant Reviews, Review | Tagged: Bangalore, Cha Bar, Coffee, Coffee World, Food, hangouts, restaurant review, Tea | Permalink
Posted by anuj m
January 28, 2008
Oh and by the way, this blog has moved from Mumbai to Bangalore.
This opens a lot of avenues for this blog, food-wise anyway. Bangalore is the food capital of India (that’s right) and it gives me the opportunity to regale you with tales from my dining diaries.
I like Bangalore – it has good food, good people and great traffic jams. But how is that any different from Mumbai you ask? The great thing about Bangalore is the sheer compactness of the city. In Mumbai when you want to dine out at your favourite restaurant, you plan in advance, you get home from work early, and then you pray that the traffic won’t be as bad as last weekend (which trust me, it will be). The meals don’t begin with starters here, they begin with a long commute. Enter Bangalore. The city has a large variety of cuisine to offer like Mumbai, but the fact that the city is much smaller in size, ensures that these restaurants are in close proximity to where you stay. You would find a lot of streets where numerous restaurants are huddled close together. Eating out here is hence a much more relaxing experience.
Next up, restaurant reviews!
Leave a Comment » | Bangalore, Food, Restaurant Reviews | Tagged: Bangalore, Food, restaurant review | Permalink
Posted by anuj m
September 25, 2007
What a game! It was a fitting finale to a tournament that’s succeeded in totally rejuvenating the game of cricket. Half a billion fans from the sub-continent got to see what was arguably the most topsy-turvy India-Pakistan encounter ever.
There really were no losers today – both teams gave it their absolute best and anyone could have won the trophy. India eventually won it because they got their basics right – they held their catches, hit the stumps when it mattered and most of all bowled to a plan. RP Singh and Irfan Pathan’s disciplined bowling took the game away from Pakistan’s grasp. I don’t remember ever seeing the Indian bowlers rattle the stumps of so many batsmen in a single tournament. Gautam Gambhir probably played the most important innings of his career so far – a level headed 70 which helped India reach a respectable total. Pakistan bowled well and would have considered 155 a very gettable score. Imran Nazir’s blitz at the start almost took the game away from India and the direct hit from Uthappa that sent him to the pavilion changed the course of the match – and this match changed course as frequently as a drunken biker on glycerin! Every single player contributed to India’s victory – something that’s begun to happen very often in Indian cricket since the youngsters have arrived. The game was never short on drama. Just when India seemed to have got the match won, Misbah and Tanvir exploded into a flurry of sixes – four on the trot which got them within 12 runs of the Indian total with one over to go. A lot of people would consider Misbah’s shot inappropriate but no one can even come close to estimating the kind of pressure he was under. He played the shot he thought would clinch the game for Pakistan and unfortunately for him, it didn’t work out. Another day and it could have been Pakistan’s game. That’s the beauty of Twenty20 cricket – you just don’t know whose day it’s going to be.
No one thought the Indians had even a smattering of a chance to win when the tournament began. But they showed that a team could achieve when it plays together.
The Twenty20 World Cup was everything the 50 overs cup wasn’t. It didn’t go on for eternity, it was unpredictable, and most of all – it was lip-smacking, slog-sweeping, stump-smashing, nail-biting fun! New heroes were made, new strokes were invented, new field placements were discovered, but most importantly a new zing was injected into the game. The format is here to stay and so are the thousands of new spectators it has attracted to the sport.
2 Comments | Cricket, Entertainment, India, World Cup | Tagged: Cricket, India, India vs Pakistan, Twenty20, Twenty20 World Cup | Permalink
Posted by anuj m
August 19, 2007
Here’s a short story that I wrote a little while ago. Do tell me how you like it:
“Non-intelligent life-forms should not be allowed to exist. They take up too much of our precious resources. My invention will take care of them.”
“But doctor, what will the animal welfare organizations say?” said the assistant.
“Who cares?”
“Plants aren’t too intelligent, are they? And we need them to maintain the atmosphere. They’ll go too!”
“I’ve excluded all plant-forms. They shouldn’t be affected…what’s that noise?”
“It’s the press, along with the evangelists, student organizations, environmentalists and all the other people you’ve angered with your invention.”
“I’m surprised that the head of the state isn’t here to stop me himself.”
“Not many people in the government believe that your invention could actually work. Most of them think you are crazy.”
“Thank god for that. Tell those people outside to get lost…what the heck was that?”
The brittle front door crumbled under the strain and the unruly mob marched its way into the laboratory.
“Destroy the evil machine!” “Animals are humans too!” “Put the doctor behind bars!” chanted the mob.
“What is the matter with you people?” the doctor tried to get himself heard above the din.
The cameras flashed wildly as a tall, bearded man with a tattoo of a dolphin on his arm, stepped out of the pack. He seemed to have appointed himself the speaker for the mob. “Now look here! We will not let you wipe out the so called ‘non-intelligent’ forms of life. We humans do not own the Earth. You scientist types think you know it all…”
He was supported with screams of ‘Yea!” and “You tell him” all around.
“Furthermore,” the guy added, visibly strengthened by the mob’s backing, “we have obtained an injunction from the court to stop you.”
The assistant looked over the papers handed to him. “They seem to be in order.” he told the doctor, in a voice that betrayed his relief.
“All right. I won’t carry out the procedure.” the doctor said without emotion.
Loud cheers resounded across the entire room.
“What if he turns it on after we’ve gone?” someone argued, dampening the mood instantly.
“It must be destroyed.” suggested the leader.
“Destroy the machine! Smash it!” the mob cried, as it made its way towards the machine.
“I’m sorry Doctor.” The helper tried to ease his employer’s pain.
“Don’t be. The idiots don’t know that I was ready for such an eventuality. As soon as they attack the machine, it will automatically go into emergency mode and execute the procedure. Any moment now, there will be a whole new world.”
“Are you sure you’re doing the right thing, doctor?” The assistant was worried now.
“I’m positive. There’s no room for them.”
There was a blinding POOF as the machine responded to the crowd’s onslaught.
The dogs were surprised to see that the humans had left the plants and computers behind.
Leave a Comment » | Writing | Permalink
Posted by anuj m
