mira nair had always remained a personal favourite.so when "namesake" hit theaters,i just had to drop in-if not for mira,for kal penn atleast!!!and i can tell you just as well,i am filled..i have had my share and might go back to watch it a second time with anybody willing to finance the entire trip(popcorns,soda,transport et al)
i donot intend to burst the bubble for all those who havent watched the movie yet.i wont, therefore,delve into details.but i can tell you this much.donot expect a word by word translation of the book on celluloid.you will be hugely let down if you do.besides,deciphering a fat novel within a two hour slot can be a humongous task considering the sentiments mira had to cling on to.and if you are cringing your nose hearing irrfan khan and tabu do (in)justice to bangla,let me just tell you,they do a better job than shahrukh and aishwarya-anyday.
mira has been extremely subtle and implicit in dealing with the sensitivity of the theme.she captures the quintessential bangali sentiments of characters abroad and back home with adequate elaan.gogol's transformation from being the american born confused desi to the son who is trying hard to connect with the innate sentiments of his dead father,has been gradual.but it jars you nonetheless!
the actors donot need exclusive appraisal.they all capture you in their own little ways.
not really the movie you forget on your way back home.

"sudin ashbe bole ora agun jalay/ar hajar hajar manush morey jay..."

i am appalled by the state of affairs.i wish it was all a ghastly nightmare that never came true...

okay.i was asked NOT to post this blog(read,persistently forbidden).
but ive never been the goody goody girl who listens to people and resists the overwhelming urge to bitch.
lets face it.im typical.and bitch i will!!!
James performed at O.A.T today.there was an amazing footfall and you could see "dudes" sporting bandanas and 'iron maiden' tshirts flanked by bimbettes wearing excessive make up and a lot of other stuff im sure i know nothing about.
but thats hardly my point here.apparently the whole fanfare and frenzy would give anybody an idea about how 'beeg' this whole event was.being essentially curious we decided to check it out.having heard "na jaane koi,kaisi hain ye zindagani.." before,I,personally had a grudge against this guy.but i decided to go nonetheless.
and although the crowd swayed,cheered,hooted and smoked up in turns,the performance left me appalled!
i mean,that was one of the shittiest performances ive watched till date barring inferno's(who,allegedly, paid to get onstage and was literally dragged down later!) and that goes to say volumes about the aura that has been woven all around this phenomena called "James".
and though i do admit,i am a layman when it comes to music i still demand that the stuff i heard was crass.the lyrics was weird and in some places insanely funny not to mention that i was rolling my eyes through the major portion of the concert.
but what was spectacular was the audience reaction.the crowd loved it and they made it evident in more ways than one.
im not one who jumps to conclusions but im telling you this,the kolkatans have heard better stuff than this.the reason why i call the whole thingie appalling is precisely because of this.if the crowd really knows its music and is indeed spoilt for choice(which they are-there are a good many bands lurking here and there and they are way better than this.i swear!)then why the jaw dropping footfall?
the fact that James suddenly made it big after that one song in a hit-shit
bolly flick,isnt all that you need to judge his potential.
my friends,who also happen to be veterans in music and seriously 'know their stuff' asked me to study his stage presence and singing prowess which,if you ask me,hugely comprised a lot of unnecessary head banging and brow raising gyrations.
but then,thats what is "kewl these days' and the crowd predictably followed suit.

im convinced that i might as well be sued if this blog ends up in the hands of serious James fanatics.but well,ive always called spade a spade and this blog wasnt intended to hurt anybodys feelings or impose any of my ideas onto any one of you.

shit happens.
and no one knows that more than me.not exactly in the mood for divulging details,but just that.still insanely freaked and flabbergasted with whatever happenned.VERY!

and i still cant fathom why on earth she was wearing that heavily embellished tiny skirt with that black ornate top.i bet that's one of her brother's atrocious creations.
pheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew!

and dada knows Orpheus!!!i mean why????why on earth ORPHEUS???
i knew the world's a small place but had no idea how miniscule it is!i think i know now!or maybe i am in for a bigger surprise.
way things are heading, i wont be dropping my jaw if someone tells me that i'm related to Oprah Winfrey.or Lalu Prasad,or that matter.
you cant faze me anymore.ive pulled up my socks.bring it on!

i love the Ben and Jerry's store.
they make the most lip smacking and creamy choco mousse ever.
i will have another one today.

got hold of this amazing book in the fair.
its called "Branded" and its by a 30 something Alissa Quart.im reading it right now and ive just got one word for it.incredulous.nothing more nothing less.ive barely read through it,but i can tell its going to be intriguing as i unravel it.and trust me, my instincts do not go wrong.this is hot stuff indeed.
not exactly your fiction paper back.this one is about how the evils of consumerism are manipulating the mindset of the whole generation-Y,brainwashing them into buying branded stuff("this is what you need to build the right kinda attitude"...poooh!)and making sure they suck up to that one brand and swear by it.
its intriguing,man.and as the story unfolds you realise how you too must have fallen prey to this and chances are that we still are.
the book is divided into sub sections and also throws light on those kids and tweens who having realised the havoc this consumerism is wreaking has shunned from succumbing to any kind of brand affinity.and have started an unbranding movement whereby they're trying to encourage more youngsters to refrain from this branding.
and its funny,you know.because ive seen people go gaga over a brand and shell out a couple of thousands just to get into that pair of sneakers or denims for that matter.and ive seen them go ballistic when they dont get what they are looking for.heck1ive probably done it myself.who am i kidding!!!and its funnier precisely because you get to identify yourselves and also your fellow mates.it seems as though Quart was writing about you.and that can be freakish.
and when the realisation does sink in,i guess a lot of things are going to change around us.