Article « Point of Reflection

Things to do

by Pallavi Baruah

Well I am glad that despite the “recession” a lot is happening in and around Bangalore.

Here are some more places you could haunt when you have the time and inclination.

Tuck into Karnataka cuisine @ The Hindu

BANGALORE: A 12-day “Karnataka Festival – A Cultural Curry” showcasing the culture, art, heritage and food of the State began at The Chancery on Lavelle Road here on Wednesday.
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The festival, on till June 14, is an effort to preserve the rich tradition and heritage of Karnataka and to promote Karnataka’s art and culture, said Subroto Banerjee, General Manager of the hotel.

He said that the food was prepared under the supervision of Chef Govindaiah, who is a native of Magadi. He has over two decades experience in preparing south Indian food and has had stints in several well-known hotels.

Some of the food at the festival includes rice roti, kori roti with chicken masala, chitranna, puliogre, fish fry, kosumbari, ragi mudde, Mysore pak and jackfruit payasam.

While the lunch is priced at Rs. 349 per head, dinner is Rs. 399, plus taxes.

If you like plays maybe you could walk into Alliance Francaise.

Kharaashein is a play by the famous film lyricist and poet Gulzar based on his poems and short stories. The play is conceptualised by Salim Arif. The language is quintessentially Gulzar, the kind that draws his fans in droves.Kharaashein means scratches. Author talks about the wounds inflicted by terrible events during 1947, then again from time to time till today. In the name of religion, killings still continue inflicting scars on the face of humanity.But in every atrocity perpetrated by religious zealots, there are human faces that brave the odd, put their own lives at risk and help people irrespective of their religion, cast and creed. Kharaashein is an emotional experience one must go through and be stirred to the depth of one’s soul. It’s the kind of play where you invest 100 minutes of your time to witness the play and the play stays with you for a long long time caressing and cajoling your finer feelings.

Contact : 08041231340 / 08041231344

Location :

Alliance Francaise de Bangalore No. 108,
Thimmaiah Road
Vasanthnagar
Bangalore

Date & Time
Date: Fri Jun 05 – Sat Jun 06
Time: 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM

Well with that, I wish you a very Happy Weekend !!
Have a good time whatever you are doing.

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Rocking and Rolling

by Pallavi Baruah

Spice Garden Resorts

Originally uploaded by Pallavi Barua.

Here is my collection of Photos from our Munnar trip. Finally uploaded it.

You can read the Travellog here.

It was a while since I have been trying to get to Munnar. Also had it booked in the New Year but could not make it.

The booking was open and I took advantage of a long weekend and planned a trip with close friends.

This place, on one hand is full of greenery but on the other hand, it was so full of tea, I felt that the whole place was carved out of its natural flora and fanua and replaced with tea plantation. The hills looked like a hand etched landscape but without the natural curves and lines.. that usually can be seen in the mountains.

It reminded me that well Assam is also tea place but well it does not have its mountains and hills shaved like in Munnar.

Well I guess that’s something I felt while coming out of Munnar. Are we not contributing to global imbalance by shaving landscapes and to boost economy.

I understand that its needed but well ALL of the hills.. it was a little too much to take. After a while, I got tired of acres and acres of tea. Sigh.

Pet Peeve.

I had to put this down while it was still living in my grey cells.
Last couple of days I have been following this seria l “Jyoti” which comes after Kitani Mohabbat Hai.

Now I lazily watch Kitani Mohabbat hai to switch off for the day. Ok I catch this once in a while for 5 minutes before surfing to another channel or taking a call.

And this takes the cake in prolonging a scene. There is this scene where the hero insults the girl misunderstanding her. Well the show must have done real research on how to insult and hit where it supposedly hurts. So 2 weeks back I thought, well ok he throws all crap at her and now what she will do.. ???

Well surprise surprise !! she does nothing. Well thats still OK.

Then I tune in the next day and the day after since I am home, sick.. And the episodes show the hero insulting the heroine in ALL ways possible, in all aspects..

Well what does the writer want to show ? that the hero is so hurt that he calls her only to throw insults at her.

THIS GOES ON FOR 2 WEEKS

GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH ( yeah and I just tune in to find out if the insulting session is over but NO)

And finally when teh session is over, the hero supposedly kills the heroine.. and then Flash Forward to Jail.. ARGHHHHHHHHHH

METHINKS Rakhi Sawant Show is going to be more interesting than this.. Buhahahaha !!!

I am better off with FRIENDS anyday….

WHO writes all this ??? and also gets paid for it. GAAAHHH

On a different Note

n77442998712_3877 So well, I think my next favorite haunt is going to be KYRA theatre. Just saw the promos in my office and went and checked the site.

Location:
2001 Katti-ma Center, 100ft Rd, Indiranagar (Above Adidas Showroom)
Bangalore City, India

Also saw that Raghu Dixit’s band also played here.. Awesome..!!!

Seems there is lot happening there this month.. My kind of scene..

20th : Rajeev and the Rebels Uncovered.

21st : Lound and plugged : India’s hottest alternative rock band THEM CLONES live.

22nd Anjan Dutta : Meet and share moments with him up and close , special screening of his flim Bowbarracks forever.

22nd 9pm For the First time, Them Clones goes unplugged. Watch

23rd Dial M for Macbeth : an amazing play

24th : Watch the IPL finals on a 372 inch screen, with Syed Kirmani , and where for commentary, its over to you. Happy hours got happier

26th-28th : Madras Players present : Midnight hotel ” a comedy thirller , played to packed houses around the country, now in Bangalore for the first time

30th-31st : Punctuate! A dance theatre : definately MUST see.
… more coming up

If you have the time and like the Blues, check out Rudy Wallang and his group. ( clicking on this link will give you a preview to their music as well) I have become a fan of this group.

The group’s vocalist Tipriti croons really well.

They are from Shillong and this group comes out with real cool stuff. They have their shows in Blue Frog, Mumbai. Did ask him if he would pass by Bangalore.. but not yet he says..

So am keeping my fingers crossed that he passes us by and treats us to his rocking music..

Cuisine Cuisine

Check this out, my Assamese friends.. I long for home

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Good old days

by Pallavi Baruah

Of melting all the used candles and making new ones.. at the cost of getting a real good spanking from Mom. – Aged 12.
Of stealing and having Amul Milk Powder in bowls – Aged (8 to 14)
Of talking non stop over the phone and giggling unendingly for no reason at all… Aged 13 onwards.
Of doing Math while listening to my neighbor practice drums. Aged - All through my time in Shillong.
Of watching the tall pine trees sway to the rhythm of the howling wind in the month of February. – All through my time in Shillong.
Of secretly attending rock shows with school buddies. – School time in Shillong
Of cheering the basketball team and hopping with joy at the interschool win.. yayyyy… East or West, my school was the best.. – School time in Shillong
Of eating sweet and sour tamarinds.. while walking back from school. – School time in Shillong
Of blasting loud rock and swinging to it.. – All through my time in Shillong.
Of sitting at the mountain top and watching the rain come by.. Aged – 18
Of fests and fetes and inter-school science competition and checking out the opposite sex.. Oooh the excitement of it.. hahahah – Aged 13
Of school picnics in the outskirts – Aged 13-14
Of reading Photoromance secretly in school. Aged 13
Of attending Maths tution of an eccentric but lovable Maths tutor and having a really good time – Aged 14- 15
Of being petrified at singing in front of an audience – Aged 12
Of being involved in skits and dream of becoming a famous playwright or something.. – Aged 13
Of losing friends to drugs and accidents.. Beautiful Rossana I remember you. – Aged 13
Of watching helplessly as friends killed friends.. brothers killed brothers.. and chaos reigning. – Aged 14-15
Of watching a beautiful and peaceful Shillong turn into a vengeful and violent battleground – Aged 15
Of never being able to let the Shillong in me go.. NOW and FOREVER

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Ghajni – Movie Review

by Pallavi Baruah

Movie Details : Thriller, released on 25th December 2008

Aamir Khan – Sanjay Singhania
Asin Thottumkal – Kalpana
Jiah Khan – Sunita
Pradeep Rawat – Ghajini
Riyaz Khan – Fawwaz

Music – A.R. Rahman
Cinematography - Ravi K. Chandran
Editing - Anthony Gonsalvez
Running time - 181 mins
Country - India
Language - Hindi

Review

This is the third remake of the story, the original being Memento and the second version being the Tamil version of Ghajini. The movie revolves round a character who has Anterograde Amnesia or Short Term Memory loss. In this version, a rich businessman sees his fiancee being murdered in front of him and as a result of this trauma during the murder which he sees in front of his eyes, his whole and sole aim is to take revenge inspite of suffering from short term memory loss. The movie is all about how the character goes about his revenge.

Where the movie wins (without any comparison to Ghajini predecessor)

The movie wins in Aamir Khan’s portrayal of his character. He is intense in his anger and in the role of a helpless victim. He goes through the different shades of characterization with beautiful overlaps and it definitely shows what focused insane anger can do and at the same time, it switches off in an instant when the memory switches off. And bringing forth that repeated intensity in his portrayal of the character was done with great aplomb. His helplessness and innocence as a character rediscovering himself is as new as a newborn infant and the nuances are very well blended. The interplay of emotions between extreme rage, helplessness and total unknowing in a matter of seconds is beautiful.

Loved the two songs, Behka ye Behka and the desert picturisation.

The other two were waste of time.

The movie also brings forth a very touching love story where you are satisfied with how it unfolds. Asin did a good job of lightening up the scene with her presence. It was humorous and soothing and one could actually understand why the actual character would fall in love with her.

Editing and Cinematography wins hands down.

Where the movie loses

When there is such a powerful characterization, the supporting roles could not do justice to his emotions. The first letdown was naming the reason for spending so much emotion on a character called Ghajini. The Tamil title Ghajini according to one web resource has been derived from the fact of Sultan Mehmud Ghazni’s continuos zeal of attacking in late 990′s on an Indian north-west region and not giving up attitude which could explain the root of the concept and the progression of the character.

And even if a character was built with the name Ghajini, the actor could not do justice to the personality of the name and the character it brings to mind. And there the movie falls a little flat.

The second letdown was unnecessary dialogues which were mouthed by the negative role. If you keep throwing “short term memory loss” after every few minutes of speaking a sentence, it does make it powerful as it could have been if it would have been mouthed at specific points in the movie. Whenever this character demeaned the main role, the audience actually burst out laughing. I dont know if this was the objective of the director/writer. To me, his presence should have been worked on to make more powerful and more impressionable.. someone who would deserve that emotion of hate and revenge.

The third letdown was have the fight scene drawn out too long and making it a tiny bit unrealistic.

The last letdown was the climax. I liked the Tamil movie’s climax as it seemed like a natural progression. Sometimes its wise not to interfere with the director’s cut and add in some lengthy course of sweetened climax when the movie demands a natural flow of bringing the concept to a close. It did not explain how the character suddenly could turn from a raging murderer to someone so docile and how he could get away from the law. In that respect, the Tamil version gives a natural conclusion and leaves the audiences with a sigh of realism.

Movie as a whole

As a package, its a worthwhile watch. The starting is quick and the middle lags a lot while it picks up the pace after intermission. There are lot of loopholes which a smart audience can pick up and actually mock when it could have been handled better.. much better.

I am really interested in watching Memento now since the actual story is so gripping.

If you have watched the Tamil version, you might be disappointed with the Hindi one. So leave your comparisons outside the theater and just go watch for Aamir Khan. Rest is all a blur..

Hope you all have a great New Year. I have a feeling that this year is going to be good..

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LOL and some zen

by Pallavi Baruah

From Midday cartoon section

Who is the next to get footage… ??

On a different note :

Like this site : http://www.hulu.com/ Its competing with YouTube for full movies and TV.

I liked reading this from Zen Habits. Was thinking of a similar post but if someone already said it well, why not just share it. Click on the image to read the post..