My Flick Picks from 2010

The year has almost come to an end and what a year it has been for movie going audiences! I certainly had a ball watching the wide array of movies that the big (and small) studios threw in our direction. But not every one of them measured up to my expectations. Some were great in bits and pieces, others were sore disappointments, while some shined like gems.

So here's the low-down on the movies that "I" feel were outstanding in the respective divisions -

Best Action Flick - The A Team

The re-imagined cult action series from the 80’s makes its debut on the big screen with a bang. With Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper, the new A-Team does a whole lotta justice to their small screen avatars. The sheer madness and insanity involved in the action sequences make this my favorite action flick of the year. And yes, "I love it when a plan comes together."

Best Visual Effects Flick - Tron Legacy


The long awaited sequel to the cult classic “TRON”, may not have the same appeal as its predecessor, but the flick scores pretty high in the visual effects and imagery department.
The updated Game Grid and its inhabitants make for some uber cool looking neo-mancers. The highlight as in the first film, is of course the light-cycle races and the Disc Battles. The flick also has some truly orgasmic background score by the techno duo Daft Punk.

Best Drama Flick - The Social Network


I have to admit, I was skeptical about the success of this one. Making a biographical flick of someone who is merely 24 didn’t really sound that interesting. Especially if that person happens to be a Geek. But David Fancier did a fantastic job narrating the story behind the youngest billionaire in the world. The background score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross elevates the brilliance of the movie exponentially.

Best Animated Flick - How To Train Your Dragon


Although I caught this gem on the small screen, the visuals of the animation were still awesome. Not to mention the characters and the overall Story were an absolute treat! The other contenders (Toy Story 3, Despicable Me and Shrek Forever After) for this category were also great, but this one stands apart for its great one-liners and numerous heartfelt moments.

Best Comedy Flick - Date Night


Featuring two of the best TV comedians, this flick may have failed to generate box office buzz, but was my favorite comedy flick of the year, beating even Due Date and Get Him To The Greek.
Both Tina Fey and Steve Carrel have had substantial background in comedy and have successful TV shows of their own. So to watch them together was to hard to pass up. The comic chemistry between Carrel and Fey is simply amazing. I would pay to watch them in another movie any time!

Best flick of the year - Inception

Original and briliant intellectual plot – Bhwaaarrm! Fantastic direction and cinematography - Bhwaaarrm! Top-notch  performances by the stellar cast - Bhwaaarrm! Stupendously Haunting background score Bhwaaarrm! Bhwaaarrm! Bhwaaarrm!

Without a doubt, this has to be the best movie of the year. The intricate plot, the plot within a plot, the back stories, the concept, it all just made this flick an absolute treat to watch. Nolan draws on his experience of working on big-budget flicks (The Prestige, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight) and weaves it ever-so skillfully with his master story telling ability (Memento, Insomnia) and brings to audiences a movie that is destined to be one of the best movies of this decade (maybe even this century).


Special Mentions
Although not covered in the categories above, there were a few other movies that do deserve a mention of their own.

Iron Man 2  
The sequel to John Favreau's rendition of Marvel's Superhero gives RDJ plenty of room to ooze his charm and wit. Not to mention a sultry Scarlett Johansson and the evil maniacal Mickey Rourke.

Due Date
Another RDJ starrer, this one was essentially a Road Trip gone wrong thanks to the shenanigans of Zach Galifianakis. Although not as hilarious as some comedies, it did tickle the funny bone now and then.

Alice In Wonderland
Tim Burton's interpretation of Lewis Carroll's classic has his signature style all over the flick, which is a GOOD thing. Add to that Johnny Depp as the mad-hatter and you have a quirky and twisted movie that makes for interesting viewing

Despicable Me
Another Steve Carrel starrer, this animated flick is rib-tickling as hell. And with a plot that would work only in the animated world, the laughs just keep on coming.

The Karate Kid
Another reboot, this one a far-cry from the original, brings my beloved Chinese action hero, Jackie Chan to the role of the mentor with the new kid on the block, Jaden Smith as the protagonist. With some awesome Kung-Fu sequences and great comic timing between the two leads, this one is definitely  worth a watch.


So there you have it, the Best of the Best from 2010 as I saw it. Feel free to leave your comment and your personal recommendations for the categories.

Same Same, But Different.

The blog has a different web-address now. The new link to all those wonderful posts of mine that you love oh-so much is http://stochastic-musings.blogspot.com

Those of you who are curious as to why the sudden change in the address. Well, let's just say the old URL (http://abhijeetgandhi.blogspot) was a tad narcissistic. And well, humility is my middle name (well actually it isn't, but you get the drift)

For the uninitiated (more like, for the D-Uh folks), here are the definitions to the words in the new URL-

So as you can see, the new URL is more in tune with the nature and content of the blog. It's all about the randomness. That and the title does make the blog sound way more pretentious!

For those who are reading this blog for the VERY first time, this post probably has zero value. Except to say that it is simply a way to add ONE more post to my list of random ones!

42

A small warning before you read this post. This particular post is the result of reading way too many Sci-Fi books and watching even more movies from the same genre. But it is about a notion that I like to entertain from time to time. So if you disagree with what's about to follow (and I am pretty sure you might), just remember, it's just one man's idea of what could be.


The movie TRON and its long awaited sequel TRON Legacy entertain a fun concept. That the ubiquitous computer houses a digital world of its own, where programs are walking talking replicas of their human creators, living in fantastic digital domiciles and travelling along grids of computer hardware.There is, in essence, a whole other form of life existing in a space no larger than a nano-centimeter (maybe even less!)


Now, what if this concept was extended to our own world. Confused? Let's say just like the human-looking programs in the TRON universe, we too are nano-scopic life-forms to another class of higher beings or creatures.


Before you completely dismiss the idea on the basis of scientific possibility and all sorts of laws and theories, consider this. 500 years ago, we were certain that the earth was at the center of the universe, 50 years ago, we were absolutely certain that the atom was the smallest particle in existence and just a few years ago we thought the Pluto was a planet. Our concept of reality and our idea of the world around us keep evolving as we evolve as a species. So, isn't it just possible that our minds probably cannot accept such radical notions simply because we cannot comprehend the enormity involved.


Douglas Adams, in his Sci-Fi comedy, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy hints at this concept when he states that our entire planet is (rather was, since the planet is disintegrated within the text of the first few pages!) in fact a giant computational matrix with the inhabitants, us, serving as integral organic computational components. If you ignore the part where he mentions that a race of super-intelligent mice had commissioned the massive-computer, the concept isn't all BS.


Throughout modern history there have been numerous concepts and theories proposed by scholars and thinkers regarding the reality of our existence. Many believe that our world may in fact be part of a simulation being run in a world far greater in scale and exponentially more technologically advanced than our very own. What if this was in fact true?


I can already hear the majority (read as ALL of you!) writing this post off as a madman's rambling. To you I say, just stop thinking in terms of rationality and step beyond our "limited" knowledge of the universe (or multiverse, whichever concept you subscribe to) and think about what is being told here. Isn't there just a teeny-tiny possibility of this actually being true?


For those of you scratching your human heads over the title of this post, here's the background - 42

Movie Review - Guzaarish

After the disaster that was Saawariya, one would imagine, Sanjay Leela Bhansali would have opted for voluntary retirement. But the movie maker instead chose to make another film, Guzaarish with slightly mixed results. This one deals with the rather controversial topic of Euthanasia - mercy killing.

Hritik is Ethan,a quadriplegic former magician who after a fourteen year battle with his body has finally decided to depart the physical world. Surrounding him are an ensemble of people who have varying opinions about his decision. Sofia, his caretaker and nurse, played by the Bachchan Bahu, Aishwarya Rai; Omar, Ethan's bumbling but kind hearted magician protege, played convincingly by Aditya Roy Kapoor; Devyani, Ethan's long time friend and lawyer played by the very talented Shernaz Patel and finally Dr. Naik, Ethan's counseling physician as well as friend, played by the charismatic Suhel Seth. Appearances by others include Ash Chandler as the man responsible for the accident that put Ethan in his current state, Makrand Deshpande as Sofia's abusive husband, Rajit Kapoor as the Public prosecutor opposing Ethan's plea and the ageless beauty Nafisa Ali as Ethan's mother.

As always, Hritik gets under the skin of the character he portrays, which of course is no surprise. Aishwarya does manage to match his game in some scenes but falls flat in some. And what is with that stiff dance in the song "Udi Udi"? Shernaz and Suhel's stage background is apparent as they flawlessly portray their respective characters. Additional Kudos to Shernaz who looks absolutely stunning even without much makeup! New-comer Aditya Roy Kapoor will probably need to work on his afro if he intends to do other roles, but otherwise manages to play his part well.

Set in Goa, the movie weaves in the ethnic background quite well into the story telling and the story itself. The scenery of the holiday state have been used as picturesque backgrounds in multiple scenes. SLB is known to use visual aides to highlight specific emotions in a scene. Although very few compared to his other movies, the same technique is visible in many portions of the movie. Although these do help in the story-telling, at times it is cumbersome to interpret some of them, unless of course you are a theatre major!

I have never been a very good judge of hindi music, so it would be unfair for me to rate the gaana-bajaana of the flick. All I can say is that the lyrics have been penned with considerable thought as they do convey the underlying emotions quite effectively.

The movie has some sub-plots which felt unnecessary while some that were just left hanging. At the end I felt that the movie didn't truly convey anything of value or substance. Sure, I felt sorry for the plight of the once magnificent now quadriplegic magician which is heightened when he is unable to do trivial tasks like swatting a fly. But that's about it. There were no emotions stirred for or against the topic of euthanasia, nor was I wowed by the story of this man's petition for the said mercy-killing. And when the movie ended it felt abrupt and just overtly preachy.

All in all, the movie may not be a BLACK but it is worth a dekho for the performances from the cast, especially the protagonist.

Of Legacies and Sequels-A Tron Story

In 1982 a movie starring Jeff Bridges as a brilliant computer programmer sucked into the computer world, wowed movie going audiences with its (then considered) "cutting edge" computer graphics and cyberpunk imagery. The movie was TRON, which went on to become a cult classic.

Fast forward 28 years to 2010 when the LONG anticipated sequel to the cult classic is to be released. The movie, aptly titled TRON:Legacy takes the cyber universe from the first movie to a whole visually updated new 3-D experience.

The movie is of course yet to release. But the buzz for it began almost a year ago with a teaser trailer (a rather long one at that!) showcased at the Comic Con 2009.



To those who had no clue about the original movie, this trailer was only eye candy and simply looked "AWESOME". But fans and viewers of the original movie were instantly hooked since they saw the protagonist from the previous movie, Kevin Flynn and his coded program, Clu (Both played by the talented Jeff Bridges) in the clip. Fans realised that the sequel had some connection with the original and wasn't some lame attempt to reboot or simply cash in on the "TRON" banner. Their interest was definitely piqued.

The viral marketing continued in various media and Disney (the studio that has produced both TRON movies) was leaving no stone unturned to ensure brand recall for their cyber flick. Even their latest acquisition, Marvel comics got to play a role in the marketing, with the comic book behemoth having published a limited series comic book which served as a gap between the two TRON movies.

The latest set of trailers (the official theatrical versions) that have been released confirmed the rumors of the rather deep connection between the new movie and its retro prequel. These trailers definitely look even more wowsome and appealing than the teaser trailer and have certainly ensured that not just the fans of the original, but even noobs are hooked.

Theatrical Trailer 1



Theatrical Trailer 2



But the real question remains. Will the sequel be as big a success as the original? Despite all the positive reactions to the trailers and the story (synopsis and plot easily available at the Tron Wiki, IMDB or Wikipedia), I have my doubts about the new flick. Don't get me wrong, the new movie IS going to be absolutely amazing and will definitely wow audiences and I am going to watch the movie irrespective.
But the original movie is a cult classic and a pop culture phenomenon.

Despite a "geek" oriented plot, the movie still marveled audiences for one reason. The original movie was released in an era where computers were being considered the next big step in evolution. Everyday breakthroughs were being made in the computing world and predictions of super computers capable of running on their own (read Artificial Intelligence) were becoming a hotly debated topic. This was the same era that saw other cult classics such as Short-Circuit, War-Games, Blade Runner and The Terminator being released.

The Original Tron Movie Trailer



From a visuals perspective, the movie was ground-braking. Almost 80% of the movie is rendered through computer graphics. Not only are backgrounds and props CGI cool, but the intense (by the standards of that era) action sequences are equally spectacular. The most amazing visual of course being that of the light cycle races.

The Light Cycle Races



Another aspect that worked tremendously in the favor of the original was the analogy that the creators had drawn between the computer world and the real world. Computer programs resembled human beings, more specifically the human programmers who coded them and their characteristics were a reflection of the purpose of their function (for example an accounting program looked like wore thick glasses and was rather introvert, cool huh!). Of course this has been done to death in numerous movies since (The Matrix anyone?).

I am certain the creative folks at Disney have done their homework and have ensured that the sequel has its own set of unique aspects that will stand apart from the first movie. But there is only so much creativity in the world! Having said that, the special effects for the new movie truly look awesome and the slick new look given to the cyber universe, and the fact that the movie is being released in a brand new 3-D format, the TRON experience at the cinema halls shall be Legendary.

One thing is for sure, this TRON fan is certain to catch the sequel when it hits the big screens in December. And even if you haven't seen the first movie, do catch this one. Who knows, you may be inspired to catch the original after watching it!

END OF LINE

Going The Distance

Long distance relationship. Three words that almost always spell doom for couples. And who can blame them. Apart from the geographical and time differences, there are just so many other variables that come in between the doting couple.


Almost all long distance relationships are the result of career decisions. Better job prospects, higher education or long term assignments are the most common causes for couples to live in different cities, states, countries or continents. And its a valid one at that. These are the career choices that help secure a better future for the couple (Assuming the couple was serious about a future to begin with).


Apart from the fact that the couple is geographically split, many other things start changing as well. The routines are the first to alter. The time you spent together in person is of course spent trying to stay in touch or perhaps altogether replaced by increased involvement in some other facet of your life. Your friends and acquaintances change as well, which most of the time may also mean meeting new partners who seem to have none of the flaws you find in your existing one. But perhaps the most damning thing to ever transpire is that you do not miss your significant other at all!


Keeping in touch is of course the key. Today, staying in touch isn't a challenge at all. Email, IM, facebook, twitter, flickr, the list of available online options is endless. You could let your significant other stay in touch with every single aspect of your life, virtually. But that's the keyword here, "Virtual". At the end of the day, we are flesh and bone and despite all the "updates" we get about our partner, we still long for the "Real" touch. We need that passionate hug at the end of the day, that shoulder to rest our tired head, those sensuous lips to kiss. There are some things that just can't be replaced.


So how do couples survive this spatial and temporal separation for prolonged periods of time? If you're already married, well things maybe simpler. You could argue that your partner is waiting for you back home, faithfully. But temptation doesn't shy away from married souls. In fact, infidelity is perhaps the most common outcome of long distance married couples. And after a certain period of time, it just becomes difficult to hold on to the hope of being together sometime in the future. The void may be replaced by something else, or worse, someONE else. It just isn't worth waiting anymore and people move on.


So are all couples involved in long distance relations doomed? The answer is as complex as it is simple. You asked the question and YOU are the answer. A relationship, shouldn't require any additional effort. It flows, just like a river. Sure, you're bound to hit a few boulders along the route, but your resilience and persistence will eventually prevail and you will meet the ocean.


This may sound sugar-coated, but in fact, the reality is, it's not. What it is, is a reminder that relationships last if you want them to. So go ahead, make that call to your significant other and let them know that the distance is just temporary, the love, however, is forever.

"Absence diminishes small loves and increases great ones, as the wind blows out the candle and blows up the bonfire." 

~ Francois de la Rouchefoucauld

3 Reasons Why The Nexus One Is NOT a Failure.

The Nexus One

Google latest attempt at penetrating the mobile phone market was met with dismay with the final Nexus One phone being sold from it's web store in May. There are varying opinions as to why the "superphone" did not last the so called 'Phone Wars'. Obviously the phone has already been labelled a failure and branded as another Google mistake. However, as a user of the said device and an a rather avid technophile, it is my opinion that the Nexus One is indeed a success story in its own right. Here's why -


The Face of Android
Every major mobile app has three distinct flavors; an iPhone (or iTouch) version, a Blackberry version and an Android version. Now the first two are pretty easy to spot. I mean there is only one iPhone model out there! And the Blackberry, well yeah, its pretty easy spot those as well. But there are so many phones running the Android OS, it gets difficult to choose one as a poster boy. That changed with the launch of Nexus One. The over the top launch of the Google Superphone gave the "Robot-powered" mobile OS platform a distinctive face. Almost every app website will sport the image of the Nexus One next to the Android version link. The N1 has become the new face of the Android OS.



Set The Bar for future Smartphones
The Nexus One is truly THE smartphone. Look under the hood and you'll see the true genius behind the beauty. A 1GHz processor, state of the art AMOLED screen, noise cancellation microphone and a dozen other features that were still just concepts for some phones, the N1 raised the bar for future smartphones. Now almost every smartphone launched in the market shares similar technical specifications.

Gave Android A Boost
Let's face it. The Android OS wasn't exactly the most popular or the most favored mobile OS platform for quite some time. With the anticipation and hype attached with the launch of the Nexus One, the Android OS began getting a lot more recognition. In the months following its launch, many new devices were launched from the stables of htc, Samsung and Sony Ericcson that sported different flavors of the Google powered mobile OS. It's latest avatar, the FroYo solidified its stand as the mobile OS of choice for many. The evolution of the Android OS in the coming months promises to be even better.




It's sad that the device didn't get the recognition that it truly deserved. But like I said, even in its passing, the 'superphone' has managed to up the ante for mobile devices across the entire spectrum. For the time being, this blogger is proud to be one of the few lucky consumers who owns this little piece of History in his hands and is more than satisfied by it.

For further reading about the Google smartphone, look up the Wikipedia link.

The Ring

It had been over a year since Abhishek saw his girl friend, Divya. They were college sweethearts. They's been together for over seven years now. But neither had told their families about the other.

He was away from home on account of work. He had left their hometown of Bombay to secure a better paying job in Singapore. The decision was one that they both accepted grudgingly. But it was one that would secure their financial futures, they thought.

Although they didn't realize it, the separation took its toll on their relationship. At first they kept in touch via frequent phone calls and web chats. But time differences and work caused their daily interactions to reduce to weekly ones until finally it became a monthly affair. It had been over two months since they last spoke to each other.

But all that wasn’t going to matter today. Today Abhishek was going to give a fantastic surprise to the love of his life. He had flown in from Singapore to Bombay to be with Divya to celebrate the anniversary of the day he gave her an engagement ring, professing his undying love to her. It wasn’t a very extravagant one. He was a lowly engineer. He couldnt’t afford anything more than a single diamond ring. It had cost him two months salary, but it was a modest wedding band.

His plan was simple, walk up to her apartment with a bouquet of red roses and see the look on Divya’s face as she saw him at the doorway. It was a simple plan. But he knew it would be one that would sweep her off her feet.

He rang the door bell and waited with baited breath. He was anxious as well. The door opened and he saw Divya. She was even more beautiful than he last remembered. Divya seemed distressed on seeing him. Abhishek hadn’t expected this look but was delighted to see her anyway. He extended his arms to give her the bouquet. She extended her’s to accept it grudgingly.

That’s when Abhishek noticed it. Her ring finger sported a Solitaire ring. A bright and shiny single piece diamond sat atop a pure platinum band. That wasn’t the ring he had given her. It was another. Divya’s parents had gotten her engaged to be married to another.

Let Evil Triumph - Raavan, Movie Review

Think of Mani Ratnam and you think of fine cinema. Almost unanimously, the director will receive praise for his celluloid masterpieces. Unfortunately his latest piece of art has attracted anything but praises. Ratnam’s modern interpretation of one of the most enigmatic and despised villains in India’s mythological history, Raavan, has been panned by the critics and the masses alike.

So, why do I choose to post a review of a movie that has been already deemed as a box-office failure. Simple, because I disagree with the opinions of these “connoisseurs” of fine cinema. Also, as a twitter acquaintance so eloquently put it, because I have fine taste!

Raavan, obviously, is the telling of the Ramayana from a different point of view, that of the antagonist. The movie focusses on the abduction of Ragini (our Sita portrayed by a rather composed Mrs. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) by the “Raavan” of the region, Beera (portrayed by Abhishek Bachchan), an outlaw who seems to be a Robin Hood to some while the Devil to most. Ram is none other than Ragini’s husband Dev Pratap (portrayed by southern star Vikram), a SP who has been in pursuit of the villanous Beera since long.

Beera’s motive behind the abduction is not made clear till much later in the movie, which, in my view, adds to the mystery of the story-telling. As the story unfolds, the underlying plot begins to come into focus. Once the motive behind Beera's actions was revealed, I found myself rooting for the evil to win this battle for a change.

An aspect of the movie that truly enthralled me was the reversal in the roles of the two primary characters of this modern Ramayana. For those who have seen and read the Ramayana, to them Rama is the personification of absolute and pristine Good, while Ravana is exact opposite.
This interpretation, although a great way to sell morals to young minds, is a rather one-dimensional approach to the two personalities. Ratnam’s interpretation provides a more layered and realistic persona to these two. Dev Pratap’s almost ruthless dedication to apprehend his villain makes him less than noble on multiple occasions. His passion almost borders on villainy. Conversely, Beera’s purpose, his motive to commit these crimes, renders him a hero in the eyes of many.
Sacrifice, forgiveness and selflesness, traits that are associated with heroes are not exhibited by the modern Rama. On the contrary, in this story, Ravana exhibits them and then some!

Visually, the movie is SPECTACULAR. Sivan is truly the master craftsmen as he wields his weapon in the jungles of India. So masterful is his cinematography that the locations themselves become integral characters in the telling of the tale. As an amateur photographer, I found multiple frames simply breathtaking and inspiring. Despite being shot primarily in the wild jungle, there is not one shot that appears mundane or vile.

Rahman has had better soundtracks to his credit, but his compositions for Raavan would certainly rank in his top 10 works of al time. The lyrics to some of the some songs may seem downright absurd, but convey the on-screen emotions beautifully. My personal favorites are the track Beera and Behne De.

In terms of performances, Perhaps Bachchan Jr. did go overboard in certain scenes as he attempted to portray a schizophrenic character with both noble and villainous intentions. But there are certain scenes that simply resonated with his emotion. Aishwarya, to me seemed a tad loud at times (but then I find most women quite loud!), but managed to hold her ground and provided justice to her character. The modern day Rama as portrayed by Southern star Vikram,looking like a walking advertisement for aviator sunglasses, nails his character just right. Coming off as the supposed hero with all the flaws of a mortal being, Vikram did his part in getting the audience to hate him just a tad.

It is sad, that the movie was written off almost instantly and became the target of negative reviews. Perhaps the expectations were raised higher than usual considering the cast and crew. But even with all the hype, the movie does deliver in many departments. Technically the movie is flawless. In my view, Raavan is a movie worth watching, not on the idiot box, but in its full grandeur on the big screen.

So there you have it, my sincere take on Raavan. The movie may not be what most of you expected, but it sure makes for a great cinematic experience. My only regret was not catching this movie earlier and posting a review to counter the over zealous panning by the mass and social media.

Do yourself a favor, go catch this movie before it vanishes from the cinemas. You may just thank me later.

IndiBlogger Singapore Meet

As I pen this post, two things are running through my mind. First, this was truly a memorable evening with the very first IndiBlogger meet off Indian soil being a success. The second, ten other fellow bloggers are going to do a MUCH better job of writing about this evening than me!

So I began thinking (and at 3:00 AM, that's NOT an easy task!), and it struck me, KISS. no not the act of locking lips (and much more in some cultures!). I was referring to the acronym, Keep It Simple Stupid. So here goes.

The evening in question was being planed for almost two weeks (or was it three?). Being a blog meet virgin, I was naturally anxious. And the proposed agenda of the evening did little to ease my jitters. With a formal introduction round, a powerpoint presentation (well a Keynote one in my case!) and a showcase of some form of entertaining talent the meet was beginning to sound like a Mr. Universe Contest.

But my anticipation overpowered my anxiousness. The idea of connecting with diverse people who shared the same passion for blogging as I do, was simply irresistible! And so I began counting down the days to the fateful encounter.

The day of the meet, I chose to go prepared and even risked reaching late to the office that day as I spent time preparing my "Blog Meet Kit". Don't get intimidated. The so called "kit" was simply my camera and my Mac (yes I could've said laptop, but Mac sounds so much more cooler!). The decision to take the camera was an obvious one. Taking the Mac was to showcase my other talents, sketching and photography, which would've been difficult to exhibit without a display medium.

I had done very little reading on the works of the people I was to meet that evening, which is to say that I had simply read the titles of their blogs! Nonetheless, I was certain that their respective blogs must've been great reads.

So we now move to the actual meet itself. Having arrived just a shade after the designated rendezvous time, I was delightfully surprised to find that almost half the attendees were already present. This was a great sign, since it meant that the other bloggers were as eager to attend this meet as I.

Having only interacted with these people via the Internet, meeting the real people was surreal. It almost felt like going on a blind date, except that unlike the date, here there would be written accounts of the evening floating in cyberspace for thousands, if not millions, to read!

I could sense that almost everyone was a little jittery. But we all loosened up pretty quick. Informal introductions were underway as we waited for the remaining names on the roster to show up.

As formal introductions began, I began what I do best, taking pictures. Which did not mean that I wasn't interested in the bloggers' stories. But from experience I know that the best shots are the natural ones. And what better time to find someone in a more natural pose than when they're trying to break the ice with a set of strangers!

With just one short of the confirmed list of attendees, the meet was definitely a success.
I was impressed with the diversity in not only the backgrounds of the people present, but also the contents of their blogs. As each person at the table described his or her motivation and inspiration for being a blogger, I was enamored.

As the evening progressed, discussions swerved from related topics such as the choice of blogging medium, attracting readers, coming up with catchy captions to absolutely random stuff like favorite movies, the world cup and Beauty products!
Conversations led us to realise that the world was even smaller than we had originally perceived as it turned out that most of us were living examples of the six degrees of separation.

Einstein's theory reared its ugly head as we realized that the two hour long meet was coming to a conclusion too soon! It was obvious that no-one wanted the meet to end anytime soon, but commitments to family and friends (and the fact that the restaurant manager was eyeing us suspiciously!) forced us to call it an evening.

As we parted ways, there was a sense of disappointment. But also a sense of happiness, since now I had made new friends, friends who shared my passion for writing.

The IndiBlogger meet in many ways was more than about just meeting fellow bloggers. To me it was more about understanding why we do, what we do. They were mothers, students, consultants, techies and perhaps even stand up comedians, but at the core, they were individuals who were passionate about writing. Their passion for writing was what truly defined their characters, their inner persona. For me the evening was truly a memorable one and I sincerely hope that the IndiBlogger gang here in Singapore continues to meet and interact.

On a more personal note, the bloggers meet helped me answer the question, Why do we blog? We blog not only because we like to, but because we like it when what we blog is liked by others. It's about the appreciation. The comments, the re tweets,  the Facebook "Like" button clicks is what drives us bloggers to go to extra-ordinary lengths to write "that" one post.

Here's hoping that the Singapore IndiBlogger gang stay connected and meet up more often.

Pleasure and a Privilege to have made your acquaintance fellow bloggers.

The First Time

Abhishek was nervous. And rightly so. It was his first day in a new school. The anxiety levels were through the roof. His previous school was one that focussed on the kindergarten levels and hence had fewer classes and in turn fewer students. But his new school was one that moulded minds right from kindergarten to the metric levels. The building, the classrooms, the people all seemed gigantic to the six year old.

He just couldn't let go of his mother's wrist. With each step that he took towards the school gates, his grip got firmer. His mother could sense the fear in Abhishek and knew that it was only natural. She was scared too, but hid her true feelings and put up a brave face for her second born. She knew if Abhishek saw her in a vulnerable state, he would never be able to let go off her hand.

It was almost 8'o clock, time for the school day to officially begin. Parents would have to now take leave of their children and hand them over to the school for the remainder of the day. Abhishek knew that the comfort of his mother's hand was soon going to slip away and that he would be on his own in this huge maze.

She was holding her father's hand. Her eyes had a sense of anticipation. An unmistakable smile beamed on her face. Rutuja was anything but scared. On the contrary her excitement was hard for her to contain. Her enthusiasm was contagious.

His first look left him puzzled. Abhishek couldn't believe someone could look so beautiful! Suddenly his fear seemed to have vanished into thin air. He no longer had anxiety or doubt in his mind. His grip over his mother's wrist begin to loosen. Sensing this his mother looked at him and then looked at what had caught her son's attention. As she saw Rutuja, she couldn't help but smile. Her son was smitten and that too by such a sweet looking girl. She almost giggled at the thought of her little tiger going all weak in the knees for this little angel.

She finally let go his hand and watched as Abhishek inched towards the fair maiden. Suddenly Abhishek froze in his steps, turned around and ran back to his mohter and tugged at her sleeve, signaling her to bend down so that he could talk to her. As she obliged, Abhishek asked her

"Mommy, is that girl an angel?"

Abhishek's mother almost guffawed at her son's question. She whispered back in his ear,

"If she is, she is the most beautiful one I've ever seen son. Why don't you go and talk to her?"

As Abhishek started walking towards the little angel, he felt a sudden knot in his stomach. He couldn't quite tell what this new feeling was. But no matter how alien this new emotion felt, for some reason, he did not want it to go away.

Abhishek, the six year old boy, had just experienced his first crush.

A Lostie Speaks.

On October 24 2004, Oceanic flight 815 to Los Angeles crashed somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. The survivors of that fateful aircraft found themselves on an mysterious island that would challenge their faith and transform their destinies. On May 23 2010, we witnessed the final chapter in the saga of the Flight 815 survivors.


Yes, I am talking about the hit show LOST. After six years of mystery, mythology, thrills, and numerous twists and turns, the saga of the survivors of flight 815 came to a final conclusion. It's been almost a fortnight since the series came to an end and I am still trying to get to terms with that fact that there are no more new episodes of LOST!


Attempting to explain the story of LOST in mere words, that too the words of an amateur writer would be nothing short of blasphemy. There are numerous online resources that would do an exponentially better job at that. No this is not a synopsis of the show, nor is it a glimpse in to the show’s story. What it is, is an honest and heartfelt reaction of a viewer who went from an intrigued viewer to a disinterested one and finally went on to become an ardent devotee of the series.


The show ran for six seasons and had quite a story to tell with each passing season. Although the main story arc changed somewhat in the latter two seasons, each season formed a unique mini story arc of its own. With every passing season, a new dimension to the LOST saga was discovered. And each season finale cliffhanger literally left the viewing audience thirsting for more.


I'll admit that my interest in the show waned after the first season. I wrote it off as just another wannabe thriller drama series that would go nowhere. What made me change my mind I still cannot recollect, but rest assured, I am glad I did revisit the missed seasons and was fully caught up with the show when I began watching the fifth season. I didn’t even wait for the official telecast in my home country. I had found numerous online resources that let me watch the latest episodes almost the same day as the US telecast.


There are many things about the show that have captivated me over the seasons. Chief among them was the constant tussle between the concept of free will and destiny. These concepts were personified time and again by not just the show’s story-line, but also the protagonists, Jack Shepherd and John Locke.


The show gave many memorable characters that have already found a place in pop-culture. My personal favorite is Desmond Hume. Although he wasn’t the lead of the series in the conventional sense, his character was an instrumental one in the shows final season story line. But frankly, almost every character in the show has evoked strong emotions, be it a happy one or one that is filled with sorrow. Very few shows fictional characters are capable of such feats.


Although many fans, including myself, felt that the series finale left a lot to be desired, there was a sense of closure for the most part. The characters that we had come to know and love over the past six years had finally found their true destinies. But there was SO much more that could have been done with some of the characters. Certain story-lines were left hanging, when they were the ones that could've changed the way the show progressed.


Whatever the verdict on the finale, there is no doubt that LOST has attained cult status. It elevated from a simple series to a pop culture phenomenon. With multiple fan websites and countless forums that discussed the series, its characters, story-lines, episodes and themes to no end, LOST is nothing short of a classic, a piece of television history.


Here's the season three finale scene, one which I personally consider to be the best in the entire series and one that brought a tear to my eye. Jack's last statement in the scene is what keeps haunting me till this day.







In the words of my favorite character Desmond,

"See you in another life brother."

Follow Me!

So you’ve got yourself a twitter account, but are still struggling with followers. How is it that geek you went to high school with has hundreds of followers and countless retweets and you’ve got squat!
Well there are a few unspoken rules that us tweeps “follow” when it comes to following and tweeting someone back.

Where To Begin?
Firstly, get the basics right. Upload a display pic to your twitter account. That goes double for the men! And please no random pictures of nature or celebrities (unless you’re the said celebrity!). People are more comfortable with tweeps with faces, even if they aren’t much to look at! So take a picture of your best side and upload.
Fill out your profile. When you meet someone for the first time, do you simply expect that someone to start talking to you? No, you need an ice-breaker, something that lets them get (and more importantly gets you as well) comfortable and relaxed. Throw in some random gyaan, some quirky one-liner or simply write something about yourself. But please don’t copy paste some stupid Muhawra!
Location, Location, location. As in real estate, this fundamental principle applies to your Bio as well. You don't need to get real specific with the latitudes and longitudes, but a simple City or Country name sure helps tweeps to engage in relevant conversation with you.

I Have An Identity!
OKay so your Bio is respectable, you have your best picture uploaded and people can see what city has the misfortune of calling you its inhabitant. But that doesn’t mean you’re all set to get a huge following, unless you are @sachin_rt!
Nope twitter is all about engaging with other tweeps. Follow interesting tweeps and reply or retweet their tweets. Since following on twitter is far simpler than on facebook, finding and following new tweeps wont be an issue. And if the tweep you’re following hasn’t blocked you, you’re free to reply or retweet that person.
Don't lose heart if someome you followed doesnt follow you back instantly. Give it time, let the tweep see your tweets, your retweets and build a realionship. Lets face it, you don't go to second base on the first date, do you!
Another thing to remember is that when you begin following someone new, Tweet about it with a mention of the said tweep. If there was a specific reason you chose to follow that someone, state that as well for a more meaningful tweet. 9 times out of 10, these tweets guarantee an automatic follow.

I Wanna Tweet Now...
For god’s sake, unless you’re stuck in some twister or being roasted by the sun, do NOT tweet about the weather everyday! Once in a blue moon, when the weather IS pleasant, go ahead tweet about it, but don’t be twitter’s unsponsored weather channel!
Tweeting about current topics is a big Yes. After all, many news flashes spread across twitter before they hit the mainstream news channels. So go ahead be the next Woodward and Bernstein!
I find twitter a great way to relieve stress. So if you’re pissed, angry or simply mind-fcuked, go ahead tweet that emotion and let it soar in cyberspace. Trust me, these are the tweets that grab the most attention. So you’ll benefit with your grief!

Finally, remember its not just about the quantity, its ALSO about quality. No use getting 1000 followers if more than 30 percent are bots/spammers/internet marketers. Engage with real tweeps and you’ll have plenty to tweet about.

I’ve been on twitter for over a year now, but really started using it about 8-9 months ago. Following these simple rules I’ve had the pleasure of befriending many interesting and insightful tweeps. And I’m sure will continue to do so in the future.

Like a fellow tweep once tweeted -

Facebook is filled with people you knew in high school

Twitter is filled with people you wished you knew in high school

This post is part of the Twitter Critter series. Click to read other related posts.

Apocalypse Now?

No this is not a retro review of the Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen starrer epic flick. Neither is this a sneak peek at the next X-Men production. It is simply a reflection of the events that have transpired over the last few months around us.

In the last quarter alone we had more major earthquakes than we had in the past decade! Massive Heat waves across the globe have rendered numerous unwell and caused sizable fatalities. Conversely severe chills have also spared few. Torrential and untimely rains have ravaged crops, beasts and man. Sandstorms are posing threats in many parts of the globe!

I dont know about you, but these seem like clippings from a doomsday prophecy. Perhaps we are not there yet, but we must take these abnormal climatic conditions as forewarnings. Climate Change is a reality and it IS happening and will continue to transpire unless we take the necessary steps to slow down the effects.

Climate Change policies are always a matter of political debate when brought up. However, the reaction to this issue seldom is productive. Governments around the world act as though paralyzed on this one topic. Yeah lets spend billions of dollars on procuring the latest in military and defense systems, but if we need to spend a fraction of that on climate change policies and all of sudden the powers that be make a puppy dogged face and act as though there isn’t enough moolah.

I am not one to believe in prophecies of doomsday or stories of Armageddon and Judgment Day. But yes, what is happening around us, to our planet and in effect us, is a tell-tale sign of our neglect and apathy towards our true mother, Mother Earth - Gaia. This Mother’s Day, let’s remember to be kind to Gaia and do our bit as good sons and daughters.

Be gentle with her, for hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!

All About Eve

The Book of Genesis of The Bible, states that the first man and woman created by God, were Adam & Eve. Blessed were these immortal creations and they led a happy and free life in the garden of Eden. Their only restriction, never to eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. But the couple succumbed to temptation.

The temptation came first to Eve, the woman, who managed to persuade her male companion. For their sin, the two were banished from the Heavens and cursed with hard labor and pain. Some believe, that the punishment for this Original Sin should be borne by all of Eve's daughters and her daughter's daughters and so on. Meaning, the woman is to be given no importance and should be subjected to all kinds of hardships.

Ask any woman and you're bound to get a long list of the various physical traumas they endure throughout their mortal lives. But the sons of Adam, i.e. the men decided that was not enough punishment for the women folk. So it came to be that the woman in almost every civilization was to be given no post of any importance and be subjected to humiliation and inferiority complex time and again. Thus began the mental trauma that every daughter of Eve has been enduring since times immemorial.

Some of you may argue that this is all in the past. After all, today's woman walks shoulder to shoulder with her fellow man, excels in almost every profession, industry, endeavor as much as any man and has thus come a long way since the days of the Bible. Are you certain?

Take something as trivial as arranged marriages in the Indian society. Although now a crime, the groom's family still insists on some form of 'dowry' from the bride to be and her family. Why? Well after all, the groom is a man, the bread-winner, the king of the castle. This despite the fact that the bride in question is as educated, well-read and probably has the same salary as the groom in question. But still, her gender has already decided her importance in her in-laws house-hold.

India and many other nations in this part of the hemisphere consider the birth of a girl-child a liability. To the extent that until recently female infanticide was an epidemic and governments were forced to take drastic actions to curb this practice. And if you're thinking this is a belief in rural parts, you'd be surprised! Most urban families staunchly believe that a male child is a must to carry on the family name.

For the longest time, the Catholic churches shunned the very idea of a woman priest. The same is true for the temples, mosques, synagogues of other religions. Although today women priests are becoming more common. But even with all the progress and acceptance I doubt I'll ever see a female pope in my lifetime.

Even the entertainment industry is no exception to this practice. Compare the price tags of male and female actors and a stark difference is obvious. The same is true for the life of either gender of actors. You won't find too many forty something female actors romancing young hunks, but the opposite is almost always common! As recent as last week, when the Oscars were announced, in the 82 year history of the Academy awards, Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman director to win the coveted award!

Closer home, a battle is raging to pass a bill that would guarantee the reservation of seats in the Parliament and State legislatures for women. Opponents of this have valid justifications but the fact remain that of the 539 seats in the Lok Sabha, a paltry 44 are occupied by the fairer sex. Obviously somewhere we aren't taking the steps to ensure equal opportunity.

So what is that I wish to say. Well in a nutshell, women are still treated a second-class citizens in our society. Whether or not that is correct and should anything be done is a choice I leave to you, the reader.
But just remember this the next time you try to snub a woman - the individual who carried you nine months in her womb, gave birth to you, fed you, let her personal life take a back-seat and treated you as if you were the most important person in the world, was a woman. Would you like it if she was treated as a nobody? Answer this truthfully and you'll have made your choice!

Wishing all the Eves around the world, a Happy Woman's Day!

My Name Is Gandhi And I Am Not A Politician!

King Khan's latest flick has been generating a huge buzz (no pun intended!). Even before it's release, the movie enjoyed a whole lot of media attention for various reasons. The pairing of superstars Shahrukh & Kajol after a long hiatus was the movie's calling card.

But more famous, or rather infamous was the war of words between Shahrukh and the Shiv Sena (ah yes once again the SS makes their way to my blog!). The tension between the two sides spiraled out of control and resulted in severe security measures taken by the Maharashtra State Police on the day of the release (Only to later realize that the real security was required outside a quaint bakery in Pune!).

The Movie has garnered favorable reviews from the critics (which doesn't necessarily mean that it's a GREAT movie! Read my last post for proof of that!). But what the movie has also managed is strengthen SRK's fan-following especially in the Islamic community. The question raised in the movie, as to why are all Muslims looked upon as terrorist suspects is worth debating.

Terrorism has plagued society since times immemorial. Over the ages, it has taken on many different forms. But only recently has the form been unmistakable. The 9/11 attacks painted all Muslims in the same color as the perpetrator of the said attacks. There were many factors that were to be considered when accessing the cause of the attacks. But it was Osama Bin Laden's ethnicity, his skin color and his religion became the hallmarks of terrorism in the eyes of the western world.

Overnight being a brown skinned person meant you were the bad guy. If you had a turban on your head, you were damn well going to be interrogated and treated as a terrorist suspect. The Asians who were once friends became suspicious individuals for the Caucasian community.

Even today, the stigma hasn't subsided entirely. People of Islamic Origin are still living under certain paranoia and fear. And if you've seen the videos from the infamous Guantamo Bay Prison, you wouldn't blame them either. Although it's been almost a decade since the events of 9/11, the ghosts of the past are still lingering among our present.

The movie, although not the best platform to communicate the message, still makes an honest attempt to highlight a very basic concept. They could be Khans, Khannas or even Kennedys, but generalizing an entire population based on the actions of a few is nothing short of discrimination.

My Name Is Gandhi, And I Am Not A Politician!

Kya Kiya Ishqiya?

Abhishek Chaubey's directorial debut, Ishqiya has received rave reviews in the weeks since it's release. Naturally I was keen on watching the movie, not just for the reviews, but because of the cast. With acting talents like Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi and Vidya Balan, the movie showed genuine promise. So I was very keen on catching this movie. To the extent that I was willing to watch the late show on a work day! Unfortunately, I am glad I didn't!

With a star cast that is the who's who of fine acting, Ishqiya had the potential to be one of the most critical successes of the new year. Instead, what you get is a steady momentum building up to nothing substantial.

What is perhaps the most disappointing, apart from other things, is the climax of the movie. I'm all for open endings in movies, but in Ishqiya it seems forced and doesn't really add any value to the overall plot or storyline.

Even the stellar music, which has been doing the rounds of all music stations, doesn't offer any respite. The funky number Ibn-E-Batuta is played as a background number as the opening credits roll. Seems like the music video we've been watching is either a teaser or was brutally chopped off on the editing table. However the other popular song, the soulful "Dil To Bachcha hai Ji" is beautifully rendered.

Credit should be given to the actors for their heartfelt rendition of the characters that they portray. The talent in the movie is apparent with each performer doing a bang-up job of staying true to their character. The wardrobe, language, locations and even the extra absolutely echo North-East India's rural setting of the movie

The movie does have some good humor, such as the angle of the steel tycoon KK and his twisted love story. However these moments are too few and too far from each other.

The ONLY thing that left an impression on me was the passionate kissing scene between Arshad Warsi and Vidya Balan (yea, Naseeruddin doesn't get the girl after all!). This is perhaps the most scintillating and long on screen "smooch" between lead actors in a Bollywood flick, well at least from what I recall.

What surprises me is that yet again the media has given undue praise for this flick and given it rave reviews in almost all leading newspapers. Ishqiya has been touted as the kind of movie Tarantino fans will adore. Perhaps they were referring to movies like the second volume of Kill Bill!

Fifty And Still An Infant!

Bring out the bubbly and spread the cheer all over. My previous post, marked a milestone, albeit a small one, in my blogging history. It was my 50th blog post. Yada, yada, yada is now a Golden Jubilee Blog, well at least in terms of posts!

What started as a means to echo my voice through the abyss of the cyber-space has now become a hobby, nay a passion, one which has helped me channel not only my thoughts, but also my opinions. Although I am certain not many may have read nor even heard about this tiny little speck in the infinite universe that is the Internet, it matters not. After all, we as humans are but a speck of a speck in the totality of this universe (or the multiverse, if you want to be politically correct!). Yet to each of us, our minuscule lives and their inhabitants mean the world to us. The same is true for my personal blog.

But enough of this sentimental BS! After all, its also about keeping you engaged and entertained right! Well since this being a landmark for me, I thought I'd chronicle the evolution of my blog from the amateur attempts at literature to, well, continued amateur attempts at literature!

Many probably aren't aware that the blog was originally titled Neo's Blog. Yes i confess, I am a fan of "The Matrix". In fact, there was a time when almost every cyber-space presence of mine was in some way related to the Matrix Universe.

When the Matrix-fever subsided, it was time to re-christen the venture with a more appropriate and apt title. Being a fan of the television sitcoms, I was adamant to search for a worthy title from the colossal universe of the Idiot Box. After about an hour's search, George Costanza from an episode of Seinfeld gave me the answer I was looking for. Thus was born Yada, yada, yada...

The blogging venture began with a series of reviews, movie reviews that is. My passion for watching movies with a critic's eye is very obvious from the earlier set of blog posts. To give you a number, 15 out of the total 50 posts are movie reviews.

For a while blogging took a back seat. Actually it took the very last seat in a very crowded bus! But things really started looking up in the last year. In a way 2009, has a been the year that helped me reboot the blog. And if you happen to see the count of posts, well 2009 has witnessed the maximum number, especially the last quarter.

It is only very recently (read 2009) that I began blogging about topics other than movies. This move helped me expand my scope of topics exponentially and gave me tremendous latitude in my writing style. My range of topics spread across a wide spectrum including politics, news, reviews, awareness and even nostalgia! Some may argue that not focusing on any one genre indicates a lack of focus. To them I say, well being a human you cannot truly focus only on one aspect of your life and neglect the rest. My interests like my mood vary and as such are in constant competition to be penned by me!

Prominent in my diversity of topics was the inclusion, or as some have called it, blatant promotion of social networking sites, with one in particular-twitter! The twitter-critter series was aimed at creating awareness regarding the increasing popularity and usefulness of the soc-net site. As an avid twitter user myself,I began the series to help explain the many facets of twitter including clients and third-party applications. The process of explaining the concept to the readers helped me immensely in understanding the tool myself. So I'd say it was a win-win situation for me!

Another new series that I decided to focus on is what I call the Retro-Series. Being a child of the late 80s - early 90s almost everything that formed a part of my formative years are now considered "old-school". Which made me realize that there is a whole set of people who haven't seen or heard about the things that I and many like me considered staple. This new series is an attempt to introduce those fantastic items to a whole bunch of youngsters and re-introduce them to my fellow "old-schoolmates".

Then there are always those posts that are prompted by current-events and news. 2009 saw many events unfold such as the controversial re-election of the Congress government, the acquisition of the beleaguered IT firm Satyam, the H1N1 swine flu outbreak and the anniversary of the gruesome Mumbai terror attacks. Each topic found a space in my blog in some manner and helped me express my opinions.

And finally, some posts were simply the result of random thoughts pleading to be given a shape and structure. So these posts are completely random in occurrence and are really difficult to label with any one particular tag. But these are kind of posts I hope to churn our more often in the coming months, for they are truly food for thought, well at least for me!

So there you have it. My blog in a nutshell. Fifty posts-old and still an infant!
It may not be much, but like I said, it means the world to me! Here's hoping that my passion doesn't run out on me and I continue blogging far more diverse and soulful topics in the future.

Happy Reading!

Haiti Needs You

On Tuesday, January 12th 2010, the Caribbean island of Haiti was ravaged by a 7.0 earthquake. The natural calamity has claimed numerous lives and injured countless others. Additionally scores of government structures, hospitals, schools and homes have been devastated.

The nation of Haiti is an impoverished one and as such in dire need of global aid for rehabilitation programs. Charity organizations across the globe have started several programs to facilitate aid to the tragic stricken country. These noble causes require our participation to help make the effort a success.

For most of us the most valuable resource we can donate is money. Your contribution need not be equivalent to a huge lottery amount. Remember small drops form a mighty ocean.

There are several ways and many legitimate organizations that can accept your generous contribution. A few of the most prominent organizations have been listed below -

Google's Disaster Relief Program
Red Cross
World Vision International
UNICEF
Yele Haiti
Friends Of WFP


So let's come forward and help our fellow humans in Haiti.

Of Blue Skinned Aliens and Wise Cracking Idiots!

After a very long time (read eons), I've had the pleasure of watching two really great movies back to back. Each different from the other in terms of country of origin, genre, budgets and obviously stories, but each one an absolute gem.

The first movie is the sci-fi fantasy epic, Avatar. Visionary director, James Cameron has given us cinematic masterpieces such as Aliens, Terminator, Abyss and Titanic. With Avatar, Cameron has created nothing short of history.

Avatar is not about telling a very intricate story with layered characters and numerous subplots. In fact for the most part, the story is fairly predictable. If you've seen The Last Of The Mohicans or The Last Samurai you already know the plot. So if you are expecting a phenomenal story, well don't. In Fact you've probably even read this little piece that's been doing the rounds of the Internet, which points out some interesting and funny similarities between Avatar and Pocahontas.

But what Avatar is about is an entirely new level of visual effects, no strike that, the visuals are not effects, they are the movie! The CGI in this movie is beyond words, it is unreal! But then, Cameron is known for his use of technology to tell his story. The scene in Terminator-2 Judgment Day where the T-1000 rises from the floor is probably one of the most defining moments in cinematic history!

Not only has Cameron spawned an entire planet and ecology, but also an entirely new culture, that of the Na'Vi (the alien race shown in the movie, i.e. the blue skinned folks!). The spectrum of different species that he featured in the movie were so detailed that for a moment I felt that these creatures actually exist!

Avatar is a definite must watch for the stunning new level of CGI and visual effects that Cameron has introduced. Movie visuals are not going to remain the same after this!

The other movie that made me stand up and take note (not to mention shout "Encore, Encore") was Rajkumar Hirani's latest masterpiece, 3 Idiots. Adapted from Chetan Bhagat's best-seller, Five Point Someone, the movie stars Aamir Khan, Sharman Joshi and Madhavan.

For those who have read the book (myself included),don't expect a page-by-page adaptation, as the movie is quite different, with only certain subtle similarities, that do not have a huge bearing on the main plot. (Although there are those who disagree!)

3 Idiots, like Hirani's earlier movies, tackles a social topic. But in typical Hirani-Chopra style the message is not at all preachy and is loaded with tons of humor and punch. The topic this time around is that of the educational system of the country, particularly the graduate colleges.

The brilliance of the movie lies in it's witty dialogue and an absolute stellar performance by the three lead actors, Khan has once again claimed the crown of a true actor with his effortless portrayal of a twenty something college student. In fact I had already mentioned in an earlier post that this movie would be another feather in the already crowded hat of Aamir Khan.

If you've ever gone through the ordeal of being a student in the Indian education system or know someone who has, is or will bear this ordeal, 3 Idiots is a must watch. If not, still catch it for the sheer brilliant story-telling and absolutely hilarious comedy.

So there you have it, Avatar and 3 Idiots, the two movies that helped me end 2009 on a very positive note! if you haven't already caught these movies, get your tickets and watch them on the big screen...NOW!