My 10 Favourite Non-Fiction Books

Greetings My Well wishers

I’ve written a lot on my passion for movies and also sometimes on my love for music. Other than that, I wrote on topics relevant to social issues and philosophy.

Today I’m sharing with you another passion of mine. Reading Books. Not My Academic Books.

I’ll start with my list of Non-Fiction Books that I’ve been hooked to and I’ll kept it very short and simple this time.

Unlike the Greatest Movies I’ve written about, these books are not the 10 Greatest Non-Fiction books ever written, but they are just my personal favourites. You may or may not like them. But I would love to know your pick as well.

So, Here are my 10 all time favourite Non-Fiction Books

10. Rude Food (By Vir Sanghvi)

Former Editor of “The Hindustan Times” and popular TV Show host Vir Sanghvi compiles a Delicious Collections of His Gastronomical writings on Indian and Global cuisine. The Rude Food Column appears in almost every issue of Brunch – Hindustan Times’s Pull Out Sunday Magazine. And this book is a collection of his best Rude Food Articles from 2004 to 2006.

Truly every Gourmet’s Delight.

9. Istanbul (By Orhan Pamuk)

A Transcendentally beautiful book written by Turkey’s greatest living author, Orhan Pamuk. Its Orhan’s tribute to his hometown, the Turkish capital where he was born, he grew up and still lives. His Memoirs of the city which is a melting pot of Asian & European cultures, a dethroned Ottoman Empire and the coming of age of a conservative Islamic nation plagued by communist rebellion into a Progressive Republican Power in Europe.

Never have I read writings about one’s hometown to be so poetic and seductive as Orhan Pamuk’s in Istanbul.

8. How to Stop Worrying and Start Living (By Dale Carnegie)

I’ve read the Shiv Kheras & Arindam Chaudharis and even Paula Coelhos and the Chicken Soups and who moved Cheese’s, but no Book has ever motivated me the way this Dale Carnegie masterpiece has.

If you read the entire book, theres a 1000% chance that you will be an Optimist even in the least favourable situations & most hostile environments. This Book makes you take out all the negative energies in you and makes you realise that no matter how much dark the world has become, theres still some light.

This book is strongly recommended to everyone who wants to make his/her Life Stress Free.

This book has taught me a Mantra that I’ve implemented in my life – “Forget Yourself by becoming interested in others. Everyday do a Good deed that will put a smile of joy on someone’s face.”

7. Timepass (Protima Gauri Bedi’s Autobiography)

When I first got this book, I was least interested in it. My friend Vishal was strongly recommending it but I thought, the Late Protima Gauri Bedi was not such a prolific celebrity, her life’s tale won’t be intriguing at all.

I was proved wrong, one day I casually started reading the book and I was hooked and hooked until I finished reading half the book. Legendary author Khushwant Singh was right about the book, “No one will be able to put down Timepass once he or she starts reading it.”

What kept me hooked to the book was the fact that unlike most Mumbai celebrities, Protima Bedi was Brutally Honest, Straightforward and very Candid while describing her life’s tumultuous journey. She was least Diplomatic and Politically Incorrect all the time. She had no shame talking about the men in her life, her crushes, her heartbreaks & even her sex life.

She also made us recall the fact that all the Big Stars we see on the screen are no larger than life people, but ordinary mortals like us and they too make mistakes.

6. The Argumentative Indian – Writings on Indian History Culture and Identity (By Prof. Amartya Sen)

This is the one book that makes you genuinely proud of being an Indian. Its this book that taught me why India is a Land of Endless Spirituality and Unreasoning Mysticism.

And the author of this extraordinary book is Nobel Prize winner Prof. (Dr.) Amartya Sen was no surprise to me. Its Prof. Sen’s brilliant work that proves how great India as a nation is which has taught civilization, science, arts & economics to the entire world and how rich has been India’s intellectual heritage and why Emperor Ashoka was truly the Greatest King ever to have lived on planet earth and why the Vedas and The Bhagwad Gita are the Greatest Almanacs of Knowledge & Wisdom.

5. The Tipping Point – How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference (By Malcolm Gladwell)

Most fans of Malcolm Gladwell love his recent book Blink, but I prefer The Tipping Point.

Mr. Gladwell is a Virgo like yours truly and so he comes with a God Gifted ability of analyzing things with a very optimistic, open minded and unbiased approach (Us Virgos are gifted with this). Ok no more Bragging.

No book has better explained that fact that how a small idea, message or concept and instantly spread like a virus and gain a cult following.

Gladwell also proves that if The Right (and Confident) People are involved with a project or a venture and that project/venture has been created with a noble intention, then that project/venture will go on to become an unstoppable success. And Gladwell makes the reader aware about the ingredients and what role they play for your unstoppable march to the Zenith.

4. The Age of Reform (By Richard Hofstadter)

This book will shut up each and every Anti-American in the world (Mr. Prakash Karat and his party included). Its a Pulitzer prize winning book that traces American History from the Progressive Era to the Great Depression and the New Deal. A book that is a genuine evaluation of why America, with the help of visionary & selfless reforms went on to become the richest & the most powerful superpower in the world by creating symbiotic relationships between government, education, and business and why it still is the world’s most Dominant Force.

India should learn a lesson or two from this book if it actually needs to become a superpower.

3. India After Gandhi – The History of the World’s Largest Democracy (By Ramachandra Guha)

Ramachandra Guha pens down the journey of a great nation that was raped for over 3 decades by imperialist powers and was an area of darkness when it achieved Independence. Guha narrates the journey of that wounded nation slowly growing to become the Fastest Growing Economy in the world.

The USP of the book is the perspective it is able to provide on some of the important developments in the Indian political scene in the last two decades. The rise of Hindu nationalist parties; the tendency towards decentralization evidenced in the growing strength of regional parties; the increasing importance of caste: all these trends, because of the scope and time line considered, do not come across as isolated but as part of a larger story of ebbs and surges.

In telling his stories, Guha liberally quotes and excerpts from reports, newspapers, essays of traveling journalists, and recently released archives and letters: his narrative is a deftly crafted collage.

2. The Interpretation of Dreams (Die Traumdeutung) – By Sigmund Freud

Originally written in German as “Die Traumdeutung”, the record of a process of self-analysis, the book became the foundation for a new scientific methodology, therapeutic treatment, and cultural consciousness.

This is the book that introduced us to “The Ego” and how “The Unconscious & Dream Fulfillment were co-related and how all dreams were forms of wish-fullfillment.

Many psychoanalysts have hailed this book as one of the most important contribution to psychology.

And My all-time Favourite Book is

Think. Think. Guess

1. City of Djinns (By William Dalrymple)

Many books, essays, articles, poems and blogs have been written about how Delhi (My Hometown) is such a great city. I’ve read them all, from Khushwant Singh to Indrajit Hazra to Sushmita Bose to Sadia Dehlvi to Renuka Narayan to Mayank Austin Soofi to RV Smith to Tabish Khair and even Ruchir Joshi, but all these Desis are overshadowed by the firang from Scotland – William Dalrymple.

If Shantaram was a firang’s tale of his Love for Mumbai (In fiction), William pens an account of his initial years spent in Delhi, and man he does it like a Hardcore Delhiwallah.

With this book, Dalrymple proves why Delhi truly deserves to be the Capital of India.

In this book, Dalrymple investigates the world of the first British inhabitants of the city who “went native”, the Mughals, the Tughlaqs, ending with ancient Hindu origins of the city as described in The Mahabharata. It also talks of the Emeregncy period of the 70’s and the anti-Sikh Riots of 1984. Not only that, Dalrymple talks about the Qawwalis at Hazrat Nizam-ud-din Dargah on Thursday Nights, the Hustle Bustle of Connaught Place, The Punjabi underbelly of Delhi, the Bylanes of the walled city, the Hijras and even the Prostitutes of GB Road. Dalrymple also talks about the Delhi’s swish set (The Page 3 Crowd), he explains why Bina Ramani was Delhi’s Socialite Number 1 and how Rohit Bal is Delhi’s very own Yves Saint Laurent. No one ever got know Delhi and present it better than William Dalrymple.

The book followed his established style of historical digressions, tied in with contemporary events and a multitude of anecdotes.

Well that sums up my list of Top 10 Non-Fiction Books (My Favourites that is). It would be interesting to find out if some of my Top 10 also feature in your Top 10 list.

The 10 Greatest Films of Hindi Cinema

Greetings My Well Wishers

I had vowed to write more and more on diverse topics, making the Blog as intriguing as possible.

But a You Tube Video compelled me to write this piece on Cinema Appreciation, something I was trying to avoid for some time. Sorry Adit & Shankar, I’d promised you that I’ll take on more & more diverse topics, but don’t worry, all my upcoming topics will be NOT related to movies.

I was just watching a Video on one of my favourite TV shows – “The Green Hornet”, when I came across this video in the related videos section. The Video was titled, “The greatest Indian movies ever made”.

After watching the 3 minute long Video, I was left with mixed feelings. Feelings of Amusement, Absurdity & the feeling of being Pissed Off.

Well, the movies in the video were touted as the Greatest Indian Movies ever made. This was absurd. Because all the movies listed over there were Hindi Movies. And not surprisingly, all those Hindi Movies were post 1990 Releases.

It was clear that the Creator of that Video was some Dumb Ass Teenage Punjabi or Gujrati NRI brat for whom Indian cinema means only Bollywood. (Not to offend my Punjabi & Gujrati friends, but these two are the only communities along with Tamil & Malyaalis who constitute majority of the Indian Diaspora, and unlike the Tamil and Malyaali communities, the Punju & Gujju N.R.Is watch only Hindi films)

I’m sure that ignorant fool had no idea about the Regional Cinema of India. Its a well known fact that some of India’s best films have come from Bengali Cinema. Who can forget Satyajit Ray’s Apu Trilogy highlighted by the internationally acclaimed “Pather Panchali“. Or Mrinal Sen’s epic Bhuvan Shome. Or Rituparno Ghosh’s work of art. “Chokher Bali“.

Not just Benagli cinema, we’ve had Brilliant Films from other parts of the country. From Maharashtra we’ve had the Masterpiece “Shwaas“.

From Tamil Cinema we’ve had the heart & soul touching Kamal Hassan starrer , SR Singeetham directed Apporva Sahodarargal, which was later dubbed in Hindi as Appu Raja.

Another Kamal – Singeetham product was the Silent movie “Pushpak” (Perhaps the only movie made in the 80’s that had no Spoken Dialogues).

Kamal Hassan later gave a performance of the lifetime in “Indian” where he starred as a 70 year old former freedom fighter who fights corruption in Modern Day India, even if it means to Kill his son for a corruption free nation, he does it.

I’m not a fan of Rajnikanth’s movies. I find most of them way over the top. But I simply loved his “Thalpathi” (Dalpati in Hindi), that was Directed by Mani Ratnam and was arguably the best Gangster movie ever made in India (Not Ram Gopal Verma’s Staya, Company or Sarkar)

And the there was Malyaalam cinema’s finest, “Manichithrathazhu”. Bollywood ruined a great film by re-making it into Bhool Bhulaiya, which was complete Bullshit when compared to the original.

And Punjabi Cinema gave us “Jee Aayan Nu“, a tale of unconditional love across 2 continents.

I feel I’m deviating from the subject, let me stick to the topic.

The teenage NRI Dumb Ass who had uploaded that video about India’s Greatest Movies had not seen any regional movies. He/she also had not seen any Pre-1990s Hindi Movies. All I wanna say, such unqualified people should have no right to put Non-sense Videos like that on You Tube, as they don’t have any idea about Indian or for that matter Hindi Cinema.

And look at the movies he/she had put as top 10 movies of Indian cinema – Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Main Hoo Na, Veer Zaara, Devdas, Lagaan, Dil Chahta Hai, Hey Ram, Swades, Dil Se & Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayengae (DDLJ).

Agreed, Lagaan, Dil Se, Swades, Hey Ram (To some extent) and Dil Chahta Hai were great films. But films like Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Main Hoo Na, Veer Zaara, Devdas & DDLJ don’t qualify as Great Films or Best Films of Indian or Hindi Cinema.

DDLJ was ok, but Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Main Hoo Na, Veer Zaara & Devdas were all Pure Crap.

I’m sure like most NRIs, this dumbass was also a moronic Shah Rukh Khan fan, and when u are a Shah Rukh Khan fan, you either are Gay, or Blind, or a Retard or you have no idea of what Good Entertaining Cinema means.

As I’m on of the very rare viewers of Hindi Cinema who totally detests Melodrama and Lavish Musical Films, instead appreciates quality cinema. And I’ve seen enough of Western, Asian & Hindi Cinema (Both old school, 70s & the New Bollywood Crap) so my idea of quality cinema is better than most. I present to you my list of the Finest and the Greatest Films of Hindi Cinema (That after watching Hindi movies of every era)

And its been not an easy job, as I’d to shortlist 10 deserving Masterpieces from a long list of Cinematic Gems.

To prove that I’ve done extensive research, I’m mentioning the names of all the movies that were all Masterpieces but could not make the top 10 cut.

Honorable Mentions – Mother India (1957), Khosla Ka Ghosla (2006), Saaransh (1984), Andaaz Apna Apna (1994), Johnny Gaddaar (2007), Deewaar (1975), Gol Maal (1979), Buddha Mil Gaya (1971), Angoor (1982), Johnny Mera Naam (1970), Mission Kashmir (2000), Jewel Thief (1967), Kaante (2002), Sadhu Aur Shaitaan (1968), Kunwara Baap (1974), Pyar Kiye Jaa (1966), Kabul Express (2006), Hera Pheri (2000), Lagaan (2001), Raakh (1989), Naam (1986), Anthony Kaun Hai (2006), Gumnaam (1965), Muqaddar Ka Sikander (1978), Baazi (1951), Parwana (1971), Namak Haram (1973), 3 Deewarein – 3 Walls (2003), Black Friday (2007), Dil Dosti Etc (2007), Iqbal (2005), Lakhon Mein Ek (1971), C.I.D (1965), Company (2002), Abhimaan (1973), Do Bigha Zameen (1953), Satyakam (1969), Arjun (1985), Zanjeer (1973), Don (1978), Kaala Patthar (1979), Chupke Chupke (1975), No Smoking (2007), Baat Ban Jaye (1986).

So, Here are, in my opinion, the 10 Greatest Movies of Hindi Cinema -

10. Munna Bhai MBBS -

Starring - Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi, Sunil Dutt, Gracy Singh, Booman Irani, Kurush Deboo and Jimmy Shergill

Directed By - Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Year Released – 2003

Slightly inspired by the Robin Williams starer Patch Adams, Munna Bhai MBBS was truly one of the most Unadulterated comedies of Hindi Cinema. Instead of being set in the UK, USA or Switzerland, the movie was set in a Medical College in India. The Cast members wore simple clothes rather than flashy designer outfits. There was hardly any Cheap Vulgar joke in the movie, unlike comedy films such as No Entry, Masti & Kya Cool Hain Hum that followed this movie.

The best thing about the movie was that it was purely entertaining and not Preachy like its sequel Lage Raho Munnabhai (which I didn’t like much). The chemistry between the GUNDA turned Medical student Sanjay Dutt and his right hand man Circuit – Arshad Warsi was absolutely perfect. We also got to discover a gifted natural actor in the form of Booman Irani as the eccentric Dr. Asthana. Kurish Deboo was hilarious as Dr. Rustum. And this was also Veteran Thespian, Late Sunil Dutt’s last film.

However I’m still annoyed with the movies Director Mr. Rajkumar Hirani, coz after the movie had ended and even after the sequel Lage Raho Munnabhai had ended, there were 2 very difficult questions from this movie that still remain unanswered. Those question are: -

Q-1. Agar Casualty ward ke baahar koi marr raha ho, to usse form bharna zaroori hai? - Asked by Munnabhai.

Q-2. What is the Procedure to change the room? - Asked by Swami.

Hope Mr. Rajkumar Hirani answers these questions in the 3rd Film, Munnabhai Chale America.

9. Naya Daur -

Starring – Dilip Kumar, Vyjayanthimala, Ajit, Leela Chitnis & Jeevan

Directed By – B.R. Chopra. Year Released – 1957

Naya Daur is a story of a young village man who wants to challenge the onslaught of machines in his daily life by building a new road in his village. B.R. Chopra has beautifully portrayed this story of the triumph of the human spirit when pitted against seemingly insurmountable odds.

The films had Unforgettable songs – Saathi Haath Badhaana (The Anthem for Teamwork), Maang Ke Saath Tumhaara Maine Maang Liya Sansaar and the Patriotic Band favourite song – Yeh Desh Hai Veer Javaano Ka Albelo Ka Mastano Ka.

The lead stars – Dilip Kumar, Ajit & Vyjayanthimala gave terrific performances.

The Movies theme -no matter how much technology advances, Manpower always wins – was Simply AMAZING.

8. Padosan -

Starring – Sunil Dutt, Saira Banu, Kishore Kumar, Om Prakash, Agha, Mohd. Mukri, Keshto Mukherjee & above all Mehmood

Directed By – Jyoti Swaroop. Year Released – 1968

In the heart of this simplest and gentlest and the most hilarious of tales, lays comedy in its purest form. Never has there been any Comedy in the history of Indian Cinema, and there never will be a comedy, which makes you Laugh no matter how many times you watch it, and whenever you watch this film, you watch this with the same amount of excitement as you watched it the last time.

The Movie had an ensemble cast with Sunil Dutt as a naive and stupid Bhola, a former Brahmachari turned lover boy, obsessed with his sexy neighbor Bindu (Saira Banu). To woo her, he uses the help of his Singer friend, Kishore Kumar (Brilliant). He also has fellow comical genuises Mohammed Mukri and Keshto Mukherjee for company. There are also other comedians, Om Prakash & Agha who provide quiet many laughs.

But its with the entry of Mehmood, as the South Indian Music instructor (Masterji) who steals the show from everyone. Watch his crazy antics in the song “Ek Chatur Naar Kare Singhaar“. And also the sequence when in the song “Kehna Hai Kehna Hai”, where Saira Banu discovers that its not Sunil Dutt whose singing, but only lip syncing while Kishore Kumar was actually singing all the time. And who can forget the Kishore Kumar created Slang – Bangru.

This is perhaps the only Hindi film that has not even a Single Dull moment in it, and its a comedy that will make you laugh like a Hyena no matter how many times you watch it.

7. Sholay -

Starring – Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Jaya Bhaduri, Amjad Khan, Satyan Kappu, A.K. Hangal, Mac Mohan, Jagdeep & Asrani

Directed By – Ramesh Sippy. Year Released – 1975

Many of you must be wondering, why have I ranked Sholay not so high in the list. Most lovers of Hindi Cinema consider Sholay as the greatest Indian/Hindi Film ever made.

Agreed, Sholay was a cult masterpiece, but not Path Breaking Cinema by any means.

For the length of the film was too long testing the viewers patience, it went into flashbacks time and again, the story moved at a lethargic & sluggish pace, there were just too many characters in the film and Dharmendra overacted in most parts of the film.

On top of that, this Film was Billed as a Curry Western, or what we call a Desi Cowboy Flick. The script was not at all original. It was a KHICHADI made of ingredients from “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly”, “The Seven Samurai”, “How the West was won” & “The Last Race”.

But hold on, in spite of its share of flaws, SHOLAY was a cult film that has had a cult following for the past 3 decades and will continue to be loved by future generations.

Reason – Well the Primary reason for Sholay’s success were its Dialogues, its biggest Asset. In the Seven Decade history of Indian Cinema, there has been no other Hindi Film whose Dialogues became extremely popular catchphrases. Even today, all the street kids mouth Dialogues like “Arre Oh Sambha Kitne Aadmi the”, “Yeh Haath Humko Deede Thakur, “Tumhaara Naam Kya hai Basanti”, “Jab Tak Tere Per Chalenge Iski Saanse Chalenge”, “Itna Sannata Kyun Hai Bhai” , “Tumne Ek Maara Tha, Hum Chaar Maarenge” & “Main Ek Ek Ko Chun Chun Ke Maaronga”.

And Sholay also gave Indian Cinema its funniest caricatures – From Asrani’s “Angrezon ke Zamaane Ke Jailer” to Jagdeep’s “Soorma Bhopali” and also Satyan Kappu’s “Ramlal“.

Sholay didn’t belong to Dharmender or Amitabh Bachchan, (the Former Hammed & the latter was underutilised). Sholay was a complete Sanjeev Kumar & Amjadh Khan show. In fact whenever we today talk about Sholay, its names like Thakur and Gabbar that come to our mind first and not Jai-Veeru.

The world would be a poorer place without films like Sholay, not only because of the almost arrogant instantaneous and total suspension of disbelief it demands from its audiences, but because of the honesty and sheer power of that demand. You go to a boxing match to see two boxers fight it out, not to see them playing chess in the middle of the ring!

Sholay will always be an incredible and shining example of purity, because it was the purest attempt made to entertain, with absolutely no quarters even considered for critical acclaim from the so called pundits of cinema.

Its no wonder why My Dad and people of his generation saw this Movie at least 7-8 times in the Theaters when it was released back in 1975.

6. Haasil -

Starring – Jimmy Shergill, Irfan Khan, Hrishitaa Bhat, Ashutosh Rana, Sudhir Pandey, Sharat Saxena, Tinu Anand & Rajpal Yadav.

Directed By – Tigmanshu Dhulia. Year Released – 2003

Haasil continues to be the Most Underrated & Under-appreciated Movie, not just of Hindi Cinema, but entire Indian Cinema. I lament the fact that the careless youth of today doesn’t remember this Masterpiece. As I’ve said before, if we do a survey in any Metro or Mini-Metro of India, 9 out of 10 people would certainly NOT have seen it, and in fact 5 out of 10 people would not be even aware of the fact that such a film was ever made. And the reason for that is- simple No Khan (Discount Irrfan), Kapoor, Bachchan, Dutt or Deol in the Film and no Chamma Chamma, Chaiya Chaiya or Mahi Ve kind of song.

Haasil is a simple tale of the ugly world of Student Politics set in the Semi-Urban Allahabad. The Hero here doesn’t sport Six pack Abs, and the heroine doesn’t run around in a Bikini on Brazilian Beaches nor wears Chiffon Sarees in Switzerland. So we know why people gave it a miss.

The film shows us the reality. The film has done what it can do though, to stand up and be counted, and that is to achieve a level of brilliance in film making experienced only few times a decade, or sometimes in a lifetime.. A film where technique serves the film and not the other way round, where the film making isn’t rigid in its adherence to one style but a multitude of tricks to draw us into itself.

Irrfan Khan makes Rannvijay Singh the meanest villain in Hindi Cinema, even Gabbar dwarfs in front of him. The change in the protagonist Jimmy Shergill’s thought process, from the peace loving, to the extremist, to the Betrayed and finally as the Rebel is depicted wonderfully. Kudos to Mr. Dhulia for that.

I’ve seen great films vanish before my eyes, and I think a film can only do so much as far as writing its own fate is concerned. The rest is left to us, to recognize it, to grab its feet and place it on our shoulders and give it a ride of its life. If ever a film deserved that, it is this little overwhelming gem here, and I sure do hope to contribute my little bit in promoting it. Maybe even shout on rooftops. I hope my praise for the movie on My Blog will get it noticed.

5. Kagaz Ke Phool -

Starring - Guru Dutt, Waheeda Rehman, Veena Verma, Johnny Walker, Mehmood, Kumari Naaz & Mahesh Kaul

Directed By – Guru Dutt. Year Released – 1959

Guru Dutt as a Director was way ahead of his times. He talked about Issues like Divorce & children’s custody in the times of Joint Families. Thats why most of his Masterpieces went over the regressive audience’s heads.

There is a vast difference between being emotionally inert and being emotionally hollow. Kaagaz Ke Phool is hollow. An emotional hollowness that engulfs us, holding us captive along with these tragic characters. I say captive because I so desperately wanted them to make things up, but our nature and the choices it sometimes leads us to make often renders the tragedy inevitable. There is a great deal of silence in the film; most of these moments between the protagonist Suresh Sinha (Guru Dutt), his muse Shanti (Waheeda Rehman) and his wife Veena (Veena Verma).

Guru Dutt’s melancholic masterpiece, and India’s first cinemascope film, weds visionary and often breathtaking cinematography to an archetypal but anachronistic storyline. I recommend the film nonetheless, not in least because it is seemingly incomprehensible but because it is beyond that. It is an experience; the mood is low key, the atmosphere surreal. We might never be on the same page but it is always engrossing. And that is nothing short of an achievement. I would recommend it to people who aren’t seeking just entertainment but look forward to debate and discussion not only over the film’s theme but the filming process in general.

4. Dil Chahta Hai -

Starring - Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Dimple Kapadia, Priety Zinta, Sonali Kulkarni, Suchitra Pillai-Malik, Ayub Khan, Suhasini Mulay, Rakesh Pandey & Rajat Kapoor

Directed By – Farhan Akhtar. Year Released – 2001

Dil Chahta Hai till date has been the Coolest film made in Hindi Cinema. The Urban Youth greeted it with an almost messianic fervor when it was released.

Shouted The Indian Express, “Finally, a film that the youth of this country can unabashedly embrace!”

Aamir Khan proved with this film why he’s the Most versatile actor in India today, as he dabbles all kinds of emotions here. Saif Ali Khan finally silenced his critics by proving, he can act. And we all came to know what a Mind-Blowing and Intense cum minimalist actor Akshaye Khaana can be.

The plot, ah that is one thing of real marvel here. Male Bonding was a subject untouched in Hindi Cinema.

The first word that comes to my mind while I intend to describe this movie is Efficiency. There have been few movies that so effortlessly make you laugh & cry at the same time, get you acquainted with such rich characters and pull a fast one on you. Endlessly inventive, this is not one of those films that are just that. It explores the psychology of being a 21st Century Urban Upper-Middle Class Straight Guy.

And hardly has there been any Hindi Movie in the past Decade whose each and every song became a youth anthem.

3. Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro -

Starring - Naseer-ud-din Shah, Ravi Baswani, Satish Shah, Om Puri, Pankaj Kapoor, Neena Gupta, Satish Kaushik, Deepak Qazir and Bhakti Bharve

Directed By – Kundan Shah. Year Released – 1983

Truly a timeless cult classic. It is undoubtedly the most remarkable political satire ever made in Hindi Cinema.

This is what we call a “Black Comedy”. The movie exhibits a superb sense of comic timing and wit in each and every frame. To unmask the face of corruption, Director Kundan Shah has used the humour quite brilliantly. Especially the last scene where all the actors appear on stage in different characters of Mahabharatha is absolutely brilliant.

Also, a scene where drunken Om Puri (as Ahuja) comes across the dead body (Satish Shah) in a coffin and then tows it away is absolutely hilarious.

And who can forget the famous Catchphrase from the Movie – Thoda Khao, Thoda Pheeko.

Combining the entertaining elements with the philosophical undertones, this is as smart as movies can come. Consistently funny but brutally intense in that unique Kundan Shah sort of way.

The performances, ah, that is a no-brainer. You put talent as rich as , Naseer-ud-din Shah, Om Puri, Pankaj Kapoor, Om Puri, Satish Shah & Satish Kaushik in one room and you wonder about the performances. Of course this is one of the finest ensemble performances, right in the league of another ensemble masterpieces, like The Departed, Magnolia, Ocean’s Eleven, The Usual Suspects, The Untouchables and even Glengarry Glen Ross.

2. Anand -

Starring - Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Sumita Sanyal, Ramesh Deo, Asit Sen, Lalita Pawar, Durga Khote & Dara Singh

Directed By – Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Year Released – 1971

What a privilege to have been witness to such a wonderful motion picture. A cinematic triumph so tender, so gentle yet so powerful. This is the rarest of cinema; this is the reason why a motion picture is such an important medium of art, maybe the most important medium of art.

I’m at a loss of words to describe it. I cannot explain in simple words how such an economic work can be so breathtakingly beautiful and powerful at the same time. That was Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s magic. He was the Rebel filmmaker of his time. When all other Directors made mindless larger than life films where The Hero & the Heroin ran around tress and wept like babies, Hrishikesh Mukherjee made films that had simple themes, characters we could relate to and the whole movie had a Middle Class set up, something thats extinct in today’s movies.

It is a work of great intelligence and subtle intensity, every frame greatly observant of the varying moods. I’m at a loss of words at describing how affected I was by this movie at the moment, but all I can say is this is one of the finest motion pictures I have seen. ANAND represents cinema at its finest, at its peak- accessible to the lowest commonest denominator yet compromising nowhere on quality. I just cannot stress enough how wonderfully gentle and beautiful this movie was, and such a wonderful character study.

Rajesh Khanna so effectively captures the easy going personality of the protagonist Anand Saigal. Part of it owes to his previous effort at playing the same man in the film SAFAR but we would know him more from movies like Aradhana and Amar Prem. This film also marks the arrival of Amitabh Bachchan, and he’s fantastic as Dr. Bhaskar Banerjee. Dara Singh is also excellent in a sweet cameo as a Pahalwaan.

I strongly Pooh-Pooh Karan Johar & Nikhil Adavani for stealing Anand’s plot, and making a Trashy & Crappy Kal Ho Na Ho which was not even 0.0000000000000001% close to Anand.

And the Greatest Film of Indian Cinema is.

Think, think. Guess

1. Guide

Starring - Dev Anand (Performance of a Life Time), Waheeda Rehman, Leela Chitnis, Anwar Hussain, Gajanan Jagridar, Krishan Dhawan, Rashid Khan & Kishore Sahu

Directed By – Vijay “Goldie” Anand. Year Released – 1965

Movies will come and go in Indian Hindi Cinema. We will have Masterpieces like Sholay, Dil Chahta Hai, Haasil & Anand and Duds like Devdas, Om Shanti Om, Tashan and Dhoom 2.

There may have been movies like Lagaan, Mother India, Mughal -e-Azam, Pyaasa, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun or Dilwaale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge that won mass popularity.

But after watching all kinds of movies, I say without hesitation, there has Never Ever been a Movie made in Bollywood that leaves its image on your mind, the way Guide does. Period. Guide is the film, that on repeated viewings grows on you. And its perhaps the only Hindi Film that I’ve been obsessed with.

I’ve watched tons of Hollywood, European & Asian movies, but Guide scores over most of them.

Guide is an impeccable work of art, not simply a movie. I see it as an epic, a lifetime achievement for all those who were a part of it. The reason for that is because its based on visionary author R.K Narayan’s novel called THE GUIDE. The Novel itself was way ahead of it times, Written in the 1940’s, it talked about Extra Maritial Affair and Live-in Relationship and how the Media makes a Demi-God out of a Common Man.

GUIDE is the story of an average Joe called Raju. He’s a tour Guide and a big time extrovert. He is not rich, he’s not exactly a good human being, he’s not always successful,he’s loved by some and hated by many, he’s poor but soon becomes wealthy, he takes on gambling, smoking & drinking and he forges a signature and lands up in jail.

But its after his release from the Prison, the story goes to another level. Some innocent uneducated villagers mistake him for a saint and start treating him like a God. He takes advantage of it, but nonetheless works for the welfare of the village people. But suddenly theres a Drought, people are dying of Starvation and Raju gets trapped, he has to offer prayers and fast for 12 consecutive days so that it rains in the village. Raju tries to run away, but then is stuck with the Dilemma about Villagers will loose all the faith in him and his own survival.

Can there be a story as rich as this one.

The performance by the cast is brilliant. It is in fact a tribute to the genius of Vijay “Goldie” Anand. I have always maintained that it is up to the director to extract a performance from his actors and the latter are just set-pieces in his hands. Vijay Anand was always in control of his actors. Many great directors including Martin Scorsese & Tim Burton give a lot more freedom to their actors. But Vijay Anand’s actors are always his tools. He extracts the exact precise expressions from his actors to drive home his point.

And so, Dev Anand gives the Performance of a lifetime. And Waheeda Rehman matches Dev Anand in every scene with equal competence.

And the music of the film, I don’t think there has ever been any Hindi Film with Music as DIVINE and MEGA MELODIOUS as that of the Guide. Songs like Tere Mere Sapne, Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai, Gaate Rahe Mere Dil, Din Dhal Jaaye and above all Yahaan Kaun Hai Tere Musafir are the Finest musical compositions in the history of Indian cinema. No other Hindi Film has ever had each & every of its song to be a Pure Gem. This proves why S.D. Burman was India’s best Composer. Period.

And special mention is to be made of the camera work by Fali Mistry. The camera in the entire movie is one character moving among these individuals. It is always an instrument to convey as to what the character is feeling right from the intense Dev Anand’s debate between the Saint and the Devil inside him to the Shots of the Rajasthani palaces in the song “Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai”. Seldom have I seen camerawork so brilliant that you understand the heart and plight of the character.

I would bet that you are going to be seduced by this movie and will watch this movie again and again, just like most of my friends did.

So that was my List of Hindi Cinema’s 10 Greatest Films. Lets see how much you agree with it. It took me 7 hours to compose this Piece.

Intellectuals and Pseudo-Intellectuals

Greetings My Well Wishers

Thanks for your response to “Believe The Hype”. I hope you guys like this Refreshing New Blogsite of mine. I guess it will take time to grow & become a popular blogsite, and I’m sure the Day I become more Popular than Aamir Khan, that Day both my Blogsites will attract Larger number of Comments than Mr. Khan’s Blogsite.

(Although I regard Mr. Aamir Khan as a truly multi-talented person & one of the Few Talented Actors among Bollywood’s Showpiece Heros)

My Good Friend & Brother Shankar Ranganathan (To whom this Blog is Dedicated to) told me that I was writing too much on Cinema Appreciation & Cricket Bashing and I needed to write on Diverse topics.

And he is right, this is not just a Movie Lovers or Anti-Cricket Blog, so lets make it as Diverse as possible.

So today I present a Topic of a New Genre (ha ha Blogs are also getting typecast into Genres). This topic was in my mind for sometime & I wanted to write it earliest of all, but I guess as Shankar told me, I was too in love with Movies & Disliking Cricket. Thanks Shankar. You really are a Treasure of a Friend. I need guys like you to make me better than the best. And not 2 forget my other Great Friends (Rony, Adit, Rahul, Bhanu, Silvan & Aditya). Hell let me Dedicate this Blog to all of them.

So here goes, My Take on Intellectuals & Pseudo-Intellectuals.

Now all of us know who intellectuals are. Those who think positive & constructive, those who are optimists, those who are Capable of so many things but still are God Fearing (Well most intellectuals are not athiests) & finally, intellectuals are those who use Their Brains for the Benefits of the society, or should I say use their Brains for making things better. (Now I’m not advertising Philips here)

What about Pseudo-Intellectuals.

Some of you know what their lot are. For those who don’t, Pseudo-Intellectuals are people of average intelligence who are enchanted with highly intellectual topics and discussions such as philosophy, socioeconomics, destiny of humanity, etc. Unlike a genuine academic, a pseudo-intellectual’s main reason for being interested in these topics is because it makes him feel intellectually superior to his peers. He usually despises main stream culture, accuses those who disagree with him as being ignorant (You hear that Mr. Ishan, when you said that I live a “Life of ignorance” just because I didn’t agree with you that God doesn’t exist & I also found your Criticism of Mother Teresa absurd)

Wikipedia describes that a Pseudo-Intellectual is an intellectually dishonest person. The term is often, though not always, used to describe one who regularly critiques the work of professionals, while lacking the requisite background knowledge and experience to have an informed opinion. Synonyms for this character include sophist, and in medical terms, mountebank and quack.

So here I bring to you some Intellectuals & Pseudo-Intellectuals from different walks of life.

1. Intellectual – Dr. Manmohan Singh (Present Indian PM & Former Finance Minister)

Dr. Manmohan Singh is rightly acclaimed as a thinker and a scholar. He is well regarded for his diligence and his academic approach to work, as well as his accessibility and his unassuming demeanour. Hey may be a weak Prime Minister, a puppet in the hands of Sonia Gandhi & lacks a Good Personality. But, in what was to become the turning point in the economic history of independent India, Dr. Singh spent five years between 1991 and 1996 as India’s Finance Minister. His role in ushering in a comprehensive policy of economic reforms is now recognized worldwide. He saved a then Bankrupt India by introducing Multi-National Organizations here. (Thanks to him we have McDonalds, Dominoz, Coke, LG & Samsung here in India). In the popular view of his years in India as FM, that period is inextricably associated with the persona of Dr. Singh.

Pseudo-Intellectual – Prakash Karat [Communist Part of India (Marxist) Chief]

Well Mr. Prakash Karat has got brains, no questions. But all his Life he has used his brains to constantly criticize every other Political Party, but thats what The Left Does.

But I say with full force & consciousness, that Mr. Karat is a Hypocrite. If he is so much of a Communist and a die hard Anti-West, then why does he use English as his Language of Expression, he could go with his native Malyaalam, or Hindi or even the CPM preferred Bangla (which he knows as well), the way his Godfather, Jyoti Basu does.

And why are you wearing as Suit (in d above picture which is not morphed), you hate the West Right, then why Western Apparels.

Outlook Magazine has done Undercover operation on the CPM and Found Mr. Karat & his CPM friend Sitaram Yechury sipping Coke (A US Product) at a party, another photograph featured their spokesperson Mr. Bardhan wearing Nike Shoes (Another US Product) while jogging.

I wish I had a Scanner, I’d put those Pics up here, couldn’t find them on Google (For obvious reasons)

Mr. Karat, if you are so dependent on Western Culture & Products, why Bash them.

You guys always Protest, and you’r the most vocal of them whenever India goes on to sign a Deal with any Western Country, a deal that is for India’s benefit (Like the Recent Indo-US Nuclear Deal).

But on the other hand, you are Happy & Excited whenever India signs a Deal with China & a now Miserable Russia. (Mr. Karat was shouting from the rooftops with Joy when India signed a Friendship Deal with USSR, much to the dismay of America back in 1978 )

Its people of your ilk who have turned a Glorious & Industrialized pre 80’s Calcutta into the Bandh City of today’s Kolkatta.

2. Intellectual – Lalu Prasad Yadav (India’s Present Union Railways Minister, RJD Supremo & Former Bihar Chief Minister)

Love Laluji, hate Laluji or do both, but you simply just can’t ignore him no matter how hard you try.

Lalu Yadav is a Phenomenon. After Indira Gandhi, no Politician in India has enjoyed popularity equally among the elite and the Grassroots, from Srinagar to Thiruwananthapuram and from Ahemdabad to Guwhati the way Laluji has. And not just in India, Laluji has more fans in Pakistan then their President Musharraf. Even Western Media has hailed him as India’s most recognized Politician. This shows that Laluji has lots of Charisma.

And he has reasons for being so. Never has India, in its approx 60 years of Democracy seen before a politician with such a Brilliant sense of Humour. Unlike the Right & the Left MPs whose Primary Objective in the Parliament is to fight & take potshots at each other, Laluji does a Brillaint Job by providing the house Comic Relief. (And Folks it needs Brains to make Frustrated People laugh & keep on doing it).

In a Cast Divided North India, Laluji is the only Leader, not just in his home state of Bihar, but in other states as well, who has supporters from The Brahmins, Thakurs, Dalits. From the Rich, the middle Class & the poor and among Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs & Christians. No other big North Indian Politician of today (Not even Rahul Gandhi) can ever command that much universal following.

Ok, he has been labeled with charges of corruption, he is been infamous because of his involvement in the 1997 Fodder Scam, but then tell me how many Politicians of today in any country are SAINTS.

And I won’t get into detail about his contribution to make the Indian Railways more Reliable & Efficient hence making it India’s most Profitable Organization for the last 4 years. All the Scholars at IIM, and even at Harvard Univ. for his contribution to the Indian Railways have hailed him as “The Management Guru” despite him not being an MBA.

Pseudo-Intellectual – Bal Thackeray (Shiv Sena Supremo)

Not to offend Shiv Sainiks any further, I’ll address Mr. Thackeray as Balasaheb (The way most of Mumbai does)

Balasaheb is the Best Success story to come out of Regionalism & Communality Politics. He was just a Cartoonist. But he rose to power playing the Regional game. He cashed in on the Marathi Manoos issue & protested against TATA’s for hiring too many Parsis (TATA’s are also Parsis) and not giving opportunities to Marathis. He used his Marathi Gimmick to command power among the Marathi masses & become big. And he succeeded at that.

Over the years, his Faction was first against The Gujratis being too prosperous in Mumbai. Then they targetted South Indians, telling them they don’t belong in Bombay.

In the 90’s they went against the Muslims & their Faction was instrumental in creating the 93 Mumbai Hindu-Muslim riots that triggered off after the serial blasts.

Now Balasaheb & his nephew Raj, are targeting & even tormenting the North Indian Immigrants for making Mumbai dirty.

In between, Balasaheb & his company have been Against Valentine’s Day & all other things that are “Against Indian Culture“. And also they have made Bombay (which its still called Bombay by the majority) to be officially re-christened as Mumbai. If People in Delhi are ok with it being called Delhi & not Shajahanabad or Indraprastha, then whats the problem if Bombay continues to be called Bombay as it was being called for 4 centuries.

Balasaheb, I know you have brains, only if you Utilized them in your life for Constructive purposes.

3. Intellectual – Sir Salman Rushdie (Celebrated Author of Fiction & Non-Fiction, Columnist & also acted in few flicks)

I’m not calling him Sir just like that. After all, he recently received a well deserved Knighthood from the Queen of England, Elizabeth II.

Salman Rushdie’s great grasp of the human tragicomedy –its dimensions, its absurdities and horrors coupled with his style of Magical Realism–has made him one of the most intelligent fiction writers in the English language. His writing is Simple, but of course very pleasurable.

Salman Rushdie, whose also my Guru, is undoubtedly among the Top 5 Greatest Authors in the history of English Literature (after William Shakespeare, Sir Arthur Connon Doyle, PG Woodhouse & Charles Dickens) No matter how many failed marraiges or “FATWAS” he has had, his Greatness & Intellect can’t be questioned.

You can’t simply call Sir Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children a Very Good Fiction Book. Its beacuse Midnight’s Children is the Greatest Fiction book to have been ever written. Read it at least twice, to believe it.The Characters are your everyday average Joes. His writing is so beautiful, it makes you cry. And as you read the book, the story not only comes alive, you become a part of the story. No wonder he won the Booker Prize in 1981 for that book & later won the Booker of Bookers Prize (best Booker Prize winning Novel in 25 years) in 1993 and recently won the Prize for writing the Greatest Booker Prize winning Novel.

For he despite being a Born Muslim, had the guts to question the shortcomings of his religion for which he had to face Unbelievable Wrath from Fundamentalists & Fanatics (the Dire Consequences caused because of his controversial book Satanic Verses).

That sure had dismayed & disappointed him and also had emotionally effected him in a big way as he had to remain underground for years, but all that trauma didn’t damage his literary abilities and writing skills. He continued to write Gems after Gems, and though all those Gems were not as wonderful, as Midnight’s Children, they still have been Masterpieces in their own right. Thats the reason why his new Novel, The Enchantress of Florence is also a Bestseller Internationally. Clearly, the world doesn’t seem to have enough of Sir Rushdie. Hope he soon wins a Nobel Prize.

Pseudo-Intellectual – Sir V.S. Naipaul (Multiple Awards Winning Author)

The above is a Vintage picture of Sir VS Naipaul, he is much older than Sir Rushdie. He may have won a Nobel Prize & awarded Knighthood by the British Queen, but I regard him as one of the most Unstable & Confused Minded People on the planet (After George Bush, although Sir Naipaul’s IQ is much higher than that of Bush)

In the history of English Literature, there has been no other Author who has risen to fame due to his constant criticism & lampooning of weaker Nations, Races & communities.

Sir Naipaul represented the Group of Permanent Pessimists, who only saw Darkness & Flaws everywhere.

He was the 1st Author of Indian origin to win the Booker Prize in 1971 for his book, “In a Free State”. Yet he never spoke of his Indian roots when he won the Booker prize, or when he was awarded Knighthood in 1990 & later The Nobel Prize in 2001. For him, England has always been his only home (Though he was not born there).

Sir Naipaul has been known for his Passionate Hatred for India. He wrote Bestseller books where he described his ancestor’s India as “An Area of Darkness” & “A Land of Million Mutinies“. He referred his connection to the Carribean island of Trinidad (his Birthplace) as Unfortunate. He always believed Africa is a Dark, Regressive & Miserable place on earth. He was is support of the UK in the Falkland wars, & called the tiny Falkland Islands a Doomed Place. And not just that, he has called Islam a Curse & a Menace, Hailed the Hindu Fundamentalists of India as a Creative Force & also LIKED BJP’s decision to demolish the Babri Masjid.

And how Confused Minded he has been. After showing his Middle Finger to India for 4 Decades, he now is impressed with India’s economic Growth & calls India Progressive. And although he is still critical of Islam, his Present wife, Nadira is a Pakistani Muslim. And his Biography has revealed how “Saintly” person he has been in his personal life, tormenting & humiliating his 1st Wife Patricia Hale, which led to her death.

Clearly he is a Pseudo-Intellectual. If you are an Indian and you knew all this about him and still admire him, then all I gotta say to you as, “Get a Life Looser”.

4. Intellectual – Mr. Amitabh Bachchan (Does he require any Introduction)

He may have his share of vices. In terms of acting, he is no Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Marlon Brando, Cary Grant, Tom Hanks, Daniel Day-Lewis, Jim Carrey, Morgan Freeman or even Johnny Depp. But is there any actor in the history of Indian Cinema who has been as versatile, whose screen presence been as commanding & breathtaking, whose dialouge delivery been as immortalised and whose popularity has broken cast, ethinic, economic, religious & even international barriers, it has to be Amitabh Bachchan. Perhaps the only Indian actor to have remained an A Lister most of his lifetime (Most Actors are forgotten when they pass 50) & also the First Indian actor to charge Rs. 1 Crore per movie that too way back in the 80’s where no one even dreamed about Crores, and he got it (Well deserved)

Even if you disagree that he is India’s greatest actor, he certainly will remain India’s or for that matter South Asia’s Most Popular & adored actor. And thats the reason why he is the Only Movie Star in India whose foray into Television was not just success, but a stupendous success that cannot be repeated. The 1st Season of KBC (Kaun Banega Crorepati) broke all Television Records, the 2nd Season also did very well compared to all Rival shows of KBC. Even people in Non-Hindi speaking states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Praedsh, Orissa, West Bengal, The North-Eastern States and even people in Pakistan & Nepal religiously watched most episodes of KBC’s 1st season.

And despite his overwhelmingly successful life, the Big B continues to remaine a Humble Man. He never called Himself “The Best” or ‘The King”. He always calls himself as an Average Actor & praises Motilial, Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Sanjeev Kumar, Naseer-ud-Din Shah & Rajnikanth as India’s finest actors. Not only that, whenever he is asked that ‘Whats his Best & Worst Performance”, he intelligently Replies “Not Yet”. And not just that, when any rival actor of his takes potshots at him, Mr. Bachchan, doesn’t blow up in front of the Media, he rather calls them Friendly Jibes.

And yes his Blogs are the most Intriguing among all actors, and he has never Lampooned any actor with whom he has not or had not gotten along with.

Pseudo-Intellectual – Shatrughan Sinha (A Has-Been Movie Star)

His is the Perfect Example of Sour Grapes. An out of work, has-been movie star, who was only an Average actor, mostly doing Side Roles or Negative Roles and playing the Hero in B & C Grade Films in the 70’s, 80’s & early 90’s, inevitably got forgotten after he lost his Youth.

He tried to do TV, but failed with his Shotgun Show on Zee TV back in the mid-90s. Even his stint on The Great Indian Laughter Challenge is not gathering Good ratings. (Besides people watch Laughter Challenge only for the Stand Up Comedians & Sidhu’s laughter)

And he loves to take more & more potshots at his old rival Amitabh Bachchan, many times even personally questioning Big B’s competence.

Shatrughan laments over the fact that Critics considered him a better actor than Bachchan, still Bachchan became more popular. Shatrughan also claims, was offered all the roles initially by Yash Chopra, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Manmohan Desai & Prakash Mehra that Bachchan later went on to Immortalise and he says that he couldn’t accept those roles because of date problems, personal reasons or subjects of those movies being rubbish. See how jealous is he of The Big B’s success.

He even goes on saying that he completely overshadowed The Big B in all the movies he did with him i.e. Dostana, Kaala Patthar, Shaan & Naseeb. Isn’s it all Gross.

And these days he keeps on comparing the Bachchan family with the Kapoor family and criticizing The Big B for his connections with the Samajwadi Party.

Mr. Sinha, tell me – Are you a Saint? Haven’t you been called an incompetent BJP MP.

And if you’r such a good actor, why were you not equally successful as Dharmender who was the only actor during the Big B’s time to be as adored as him.

You have no movies nowdays, and you try to stay in news by using this Big B Bashing Gimmick.

5. Intellectual – Bono (Activist & Lead Vocalist of the Iconic Irish Rock Band U2)

Hmm,what should I say about Bono who has been rocking the music scene since 1982, If grammys are sold, Bono is the one who has the talent to buy it,22 grammys,more than any other recording artist! Not just Really Great, He & his music Are ETHEREALLY GREAT!

He has rocked each and every place on this damn planet!He has proved that Sex, Drugs, Violence & Head Banging are not the essentials of Rock N roll,and if u vouch for peace and equality, U’r reign at superstardom will continue till eternity.

Kingdoms have risen, kingdoms have been decimated, some thrones have been usurped but Bono & his band U2’s place at the helm of Rock N Roll continues to be untouched!No eyes are worthy enough to look up to that honour today!Trying to be like him is like Staring At the Sun!26 years after his first album was released, he still dishes out Multi platinum albums and sells out arenas!Bono mania lives on and will never die!

Aprt from Composing, Writing & Singing Unforgettable Music(or I should say anthems), Bono is a Widely Respected Activist for the Deprived & the underprivileged. He has raised so many funds for Africa through his Forum DATA so that Africa gets rid of Poverty, Malnutrition & AIDS. Not just that, he has been campaigning against Global Warming & Drugs and has raised his Voice on Violence against women and also the Imprisonment of Former Burmese Premier Aung San Su-Kyi. And he is also known to be Fluent in many languages, besides occasionally writing much appreaciated columns in the world’s best Newspapers.

I guess one word sums up Bono perfectly- Divine. (Another future Nobel Laureate)

Pseudo-Intellectual – Simon Cowell (Music & TV Producer and Judge on famous Reality shows)

Simon Cowell probably doesn’t have any qualifications – other than a huge talent for making pots of cash. He was just a small time Music record producer, until he hit big time with the success of his Reality Show Pop Idol in Britain which eventually crossed the Atlantic & gave birth to the Hit AMERICAN IDOL.

Now this guy has no Musical ability. He can’t sing, write lyrics or play any musical instrument, he only has the money.

But he has Exploited his stint on American Idol to the fullest, humiliating Young Aspiring singers (Even those who are actually good) with unsparingly blunt, rude, nasty & notorious comments and insults.

He also proved that he is a big Racist for his Dislike for Non-white singers. Remember, he was always running down American Idol contestant of Indian origin, Sanjay Malekar. He always said that Sanjay is an awful singer & lacks the talent.

Agreed Sanjay was not such a good singer, but Mr. Cowell vowed to run him down even when Sanjay performed well & continued to do so until Sanjay was eliminated. Mr. Cowell then commented by saying that its a huge sigh of relief to find Sanjay Malekar gone.

And not just Racist, Simon Cowell proved the fact that why Most British people Dislike Americans. On his British Pop Idol, he praised queit many contestants, but on American Idol he always criticizes & finds flaws in 99% of the singers. He hardly says anything encouraging to any American singer.

When you are not a Musician or Singer yourself, it gives you no right to make young aspiring singers with dreams in their eyes break down into an ocean of tears courtesy your rude comments.

No wonder he is often parodied in pop culture & referred as a Loudmouth Bully & Jerk by many.

6. Intellectual – Rajeev Masand (Film Critic, Formerly on Star news, now on CNN-IBN)

Over the course of years, after reading movie reviews after movie reviews, to decide which movies to watch, I’m now convinced with the fact that that “No one analyses Hindi Movies better in India, then Rajiv Masand does.”

He has been Biased sometimes, for movies like Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, Om Shanti Om, Yun Hota To Kya Hota & the recent Jodha Akbar (Probably beacuse he didn’t want to uspet his Director friends, but thatswhat most movie critics do).

But after watching his show “Now Showing” religiously for 3 years now, I’ve realised that except for the above mentioned movies, Rajeev gets his reviews RIGHT all the time, and thats what makes it a Treat to watch/read his reviews. This is what Rajeev says about his Film reviewing -

“You need to discuss a film, obsess about its pros and shortcomings, and provide the readers with your perspective on the film. This will differ between reviewers, but I feel it’s necessary to express a film’s quality as rated personally. A review is a reviewer’s opinion, and should ideally help a reader choose/avoid a film.”

Rajeev is one of the rare viewers of Indian cinema, who has Encyclopedic knowledge of World Cinema, its clear that he has watched the best of world cinema, thats the reason he can make out whats Shit, whats plain watchable & whats Entertaining Cinema.

His wit & sense of Dark Humour are his assets. I remember the day when he reviewed the Crappy movie of Sushmita Sen called “Zindagi Rocks“. This is what he said about the movie – “Do you know how it feels if you keep on continuously banging your head against a Hard Concrete wall for 3 long hours. Well watch Zindagi Rocks, and you will feel the pain in the exact magnitude“

Infact Rajeev is perhaps the only Film Critic in India today who has the balls to give many Big Buget Multi Starer Movies, a big Fat 0 (Zero).

Pseudo-Intellectuals – Raja Sen & Khalid Mohammed (Film Critics on Rediff.com & Hindustan Times respectively)

Raja Sen Khalid Mohd.

The above Mentioned Movie Reviewers call themselves no-nonsense reviewers. But if you check their movie reviews, they always take their no-nonsense behavior a little too far. See, many times they give away the climax. Seriously, I’m not kidding. The whole damn climax, right in front of your eyes. And they look pretty damn confident in giving it away. I know, they must not have liked the movie which is why the 1.5 stars. But that is not the question here. The question is about moral ethics of a responsible scribe. You would at least put a spoiler alert in there.

Producers spend millions and there is a whole crew that slogs its ass for years together to come up with a movie and they just write it off in what, 30 mins? C’mon, give us a break. I’m not sure how many people actually even read their reviews.

And if you ever follow their reviews, its been ages since they have written a positive review. They even like bashing small budget multiplex comedies like Bheja Fry. Their passion is to try & only Focus on the Loopholes in an otherwise good film.

They always find most actor’s performances Morose & Lackluster. They feel the Editing of every film was poor.

Khalid Mohammed is known to always praise Dharmender and his movies, take Potshots at Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan & even Amitabh Bachchan as his Relationship got strained with the The Big B since 2005. Khalid makes a point to run down the Big B as much as he can, being very biased all the time. (And Khalid is the same man who had written Amitabh Bachchan’s award winning & best selling Biography “To Be or Not to Be”, but that was before 2005, when he was friends with The Big B). He also has the Audacity to call most Débutante actors incompetent. I mean, come on, give them a break. Its just their 1st Movie, you can’t expect them to act like an Al Pacino, Robert Deniro or Julie Christie for d first time.

And Mr. Khalid Mohammed has made 3 Films till now (an Average Fiza & two Box Office Flops & Critical Failures as well – Tehzeeb & Silsilay). My Message for him -Now if you don’t have the talent & the brains to make a good Movie even after 3 attempts, it gives you no right to Bring Down other people’s movies.

About Raja Sen of Rediff, the less said the better. He is the one who puts Spoilers in almost every review of his. He is known to be Very Biased, as he is in favour of Shah Rukh Khan & Hrithik Roshan movies & his native Bangla (Bengali) movies. He always makes a point to trash Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan & Yash Raj Movies and also thinks each & every Hollywood movie is superior to Indian movies.

Well thats my take on some Intellectuals & Pseudo-Intellectuals. You may or may not agree with it. But I’m sure that you’r happy that I blogged on something else this time, and I will continue to do so. I’m waiting for your comments and my arms are open to receive both bouquets & brickbats.

Damn, I made it too long again, although I vowed to keep my new Blosgite with shorter blogs. I feel I really am “Not a Man of Few Words“.

Two Underrated Movies that You Must See

The following movies were no Box Office Success in their respective countries. Maybe because as they were a “Breath of Fresh Air” in today’s world of Over the top cinema, most people avoided these movies. As a result, 9 out of 10 people wouldn’t have seen them and 5 out of 10 people would not be even aware that such movies were ever made.

But these 2 precious Gems from Hollywood & India are Brilliant Cinema.

NOEL

(Cast – Robin Williams, Susan Sarandon, Paul Waker, Penelope Cruz, Marcus Thomas, Chazz Palminteri & Alan Arkin. Directed By – Chazz Palminteri)

Its a tale of Five New Yorkers coming together on Christmas Eve, seeking a miracle.

I closed my eyes for a fleeting moment to cherish this film. A film of the rarest beauty and elegance. A film so poignantly insightful of the strangeness of the bonds that flow between us.

Ok all critics of this film, let me make one thing very clear, this movie was not awful & certainly not boring.

Anyone who is a loner or who has ever been emotionally shattered & tormented or has helped a stranger can relate to this movie.

The entire cats delivers brilliant performances, especially Alan Arkin. And watch out for the Robin Williams cameo.

The perfect Christmas movie. And yes, it ends on positive note.

HAASIL

(Cast – Jimmy Shergill, Irfan Khan, Hrishitaa Bhat, Ashutosh Rana, Sudhir Pandey, Sharat Saxena, Tinu Anand & Rajpal Yadav. Directed By – Tigmanshu Dhulia)

The most Underrated Film in the history of Indian Cinema. Irrfan Khan gives a F******ly amazing performance for which he won all the popular awards. The depiction of the middle class society, family values, aspirations, class/caste barrier is very realistic. The crude behavior and aggressive lifestyle of the characters is deftly portrayed. Every aspect of the political functioning and the gang-rivalry is looked into, in detail.

The movie doesn’t feature any Expensive Sets, Designer Costumes or Exotic Foreign Location…(read more)s. Instead it takes us to the rustic world of student politics in Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh. The story & the characters are not larger than life, which makes it more intriguing.

The ending also takes us by surprise.

Any foreigner who hasn’t seen an Indian film, I recommend you start with Haasil.

So if you haven’t seen these masterpieces, go & rent them now. I wish the technology could be so advanced in today’s time that I could let you download the movie from my blogsite like I give you music, but it will take some more time.

So go & rent these movies.

Strongly recommended- David Devant and his Sprit Wife

The next single in the series is by a band which I know very little about. Sure, I’ve searched the internet and read some stuff, and David Devant & his Spirit Wife seem to be still active (at least up till last year).

If you’re looking at that band name and you’re thinking along the lines of Victorian vaudevillian freakshow, you’re probably not too far wrong.

A little eccentricity, without tipping over into outright silliness of course, is always welcome in the all-too-often po-faced world of indie rock.

Anyway, I’m posting about these guys mainly because I like this song, in all its rattling, organ-wheezing cheeriness.

The songs called Ginger, & is quiet good compared to the crap dished out by James Blunt & Akon.

Download: David Devant and his Spirit Wife – Ginger

You Will Like Healths’s Disco

HEALTH are a very blog-friendly band. Not just because they produce viscerally exciting records, or play slightly deranged gigs – though that should always be enough to get bloggers excited – but because it seems that not only are they happy to have their stuff promoted through blogs, they’re actually quite grateful to those blogs that have bigged them up. Which explains the ‘thanks’ list on the inside of the CD case of new album HEALTH//DISCO, even including my good self among a list of much more illustrious blogs.

HEALTH//DISCO isn’t a new album as such; it’s actually the fruits of a project (first seen here) which gathered a load of remixes, which are now presented in a full album format. The results are very impressive. Given the low-key process of putting this together, it’s no surprise that there’s a lack of current big name remixers, which is obviously a good thing because it eschews vogueishness in favour of good tunes. It’s an interesting beast all in, because although the original album was abrasive and thrilling, the remix set is much easier on the ears. It’s hardly light listening, but many of the L.A. based band’s(LA stands for Los Angles, California -U.S.A for the uninitiated) rawer edges have been smoothed out and swathed in beats and other effects, giving us an album that’s not just radically different from the original – it’s a whole new listening experience. And a very good one at that.

Download: HEALTH – Triceratops (CFCF mix)

Hope You like it.

Harry Potter and the Grown-Up Fan with Dung for Brains

The year was 2001 and I had only been 15 at the moment when I picked up the hugely overrated book, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” off the shelf. The hype was prodigious and I had started to feel kind of left behind as conversations like these cropped up consistently:

“Dude how many parts of Harry Potter have you read?”
“Er.. none?”
“Are you like kidding or what? I’ve read all four of ‘em”

Reading Harry Potter wasn’t a choice for kids back then and it isn’t even a choice for kids even today. Honestly speaking, this might actually be a good thing if one assumes that the Harry Potter novels are actually increasing children’s interest in book-reading. Realistically speaking, however, Harry Potter novels don’t contribute that much towards the reading habits of children. The attention span of most of the teenagers who read Harry Potter as their first book is usually depraved by the media-hype surrounding He-Who-Must-Be-Bought. After being done with the wizarding-world, most of them won’t even trouble themselves with reading books that aren’t mundane/controversial enough to get everyone buzzing with ballyhoo à la Da Vinci Code. Consequently, their mental-growth is indentured with that of Harry. Few years later, you’ll see them in the role of adolescents “confessing” their pedophilia love for the Hogwarts’ lot.

Harry Potter novels are good — for kids — period. Nevertheless, I had this irresistible urge to compile a list of seven paramount reasons why the Boy-Who-Lived can suck it for good and why grown-up people who think Harry Potter is thoughtful have dung for brains. Just because Rowling’s publishers crunched out the same kids’ stories in a jacket with real life photos calling them “adult versions” doesn’t mean that the novels don’t retain their puerile themes and narration (sour disappointment for anyone who was wishing for threesomes between Harry, Ron and Hermione while opting for these versions). I limited the number of reasons to seven for obviously pertinent reasons. Without further ado, here they are:

1. Every Tom and Dicky Harry: Have you ever wondered why the Harry Potter universe is so riddled with stereotypes? You have an antagonist who loves none, cares for none, is uber-1337 when considering power and has a name feared by almost everyone except the protagonist. The protagonist quite facetiously is someone who doesn’t really like all the attention but has a fame of mythic proportions in his own world; who beats the most-powerful-of-them-all wizard despite being a n00b himself time and time again and who, in any possible stretch of imagination, can’t act evil or exhibit characteristics such as narcissism, vanity or megalomania. Moreover, the protagonist isn’t money-conscious either but is somehow left with a crap-load of fortune by his parents. If you have spotted all this, pat yourself on the back. If you haven’t, try contacting Dr. Jack Kevorkian as he might be able to rid this Earth of your ignorant presence and do us all a favor.
2. Potter Mania: Millions of teenagers spent billions of hours reading and re-reading Harry Potter novels for “clues” about the future happenings during the past decade. Whether it was about Harry’s penis scar feeling itchy after seeing a Voldemort-possessed-Ginny or about a gleam of triumph in Dumbledore’s eyes after hearing Harry recall events of his encounter with Voldemort, you always had a few dozen actively-participated discussions about the future novels in any of the fan forums at a given moment. At the release of final novel, my BBC news feeds started showing quotes from the “waiting fans” and typical examples would include: “I had thought and contemplated about Harry Potter ever since I started reading the book a decade ago. What am I gonna do with my life now?” Speaking of life, Miss Harry-Pooper-Makes-Me-Wet-Junkie, how about getting one, like for real? If you do have any worthy analytical skills at all, aren’t they better honed while studying something boring like History or Political Science for example? But then, if you did have the acute quality of introspective reading, you would have realized anyway that wasting many years of your life speculating about a fictional wizard is well … quite moronic.
3. The Emo Jo: Ever since the Order of the Phoenix hype started to build up, Rowling would find reasons to mourn for “killing a very-important character which was close to her heart” and sell the story to BBC. Ironically, the story would always top the clicks everywhere and fans would start telling each other: “OMG, did you hear? JKR was crying for the death of one of the important characters. I wonder who will it be?” And then they would go an a reread-the-previous-novels spree to find clues about the one who’s going to die. Her last emo bewailing was a masterstroke, no doubt. All the news sources in the world suddenly deemed that mothers grieving the loss of their children’s lives to war and famine are somewhat less important than Rowling shedding tears over ending of the “saga”. If it wasn’t already disgusting enough, Rowling then made a comment about Charles Dickens. Explicating the fact that the latter was feeling dejected after the two-years’ authoring of the novel David Copperfield had finished; Rowling said: “To which I can only sigh, try seventeen years, Charles.” Excuse me? It just so happens that there are writers (read: Tolkien) in history who had been authoring the same story for about half-a-century but didn’t whine about cessation of the writing process at its end. It doesn’t even appear to be deliberate. Perhaps being emo is a natural outgrowth of her being a woman. Who knows?
4. Movies: Anything which was remotely appreciable about Harry Potter’s cult following was completely overshadowed by the film adoptions. The virtually inane motion pictures with crammed story-lines and acting deserving of the Golden Raspberry Awards actually managed to sell BIG with a capital B (and I and G). Not only that, but the movies also opened up a whole new dimension for hippies who preferred to waste their time by ruminating about what’s going to be included in the next movies and what’s not. I’m sorry, but my suck-o-scope has just started spinning uncontrollably.
5. Lord of the Rings comparisons: Anyone who seriously compares the two is decidedly juvenile; and I’m being empathetic enough by not calling him a retard.
6. Out of proportions universe: I don’t know about you, but I prefer fantasies that at least regard matter and mass as balanced entities. On the other hand, in the Harry Potter world, we have rooms that enlarge themselves at their inhibitors’ wishes, small pouches that can accommodate libraries and methods of traveling which allow you to disappear and appear instantly at anywhere within the country. All this made me feel really uneasy; to an extent where I expected Hermione to conjure a Disneyland anytime, Cartman style. Alright, that last point was intentionally hyperbolic, but it ain’t as far-fetched as it seems either. With the endless supply of Dei Ex Machinis that Rowling seemed to have, I couldn’t convince myself to rule out the possibility of something like that happening.
7. The Ending [Spoilers!]: As I was progressing through the last book, the darker tone and the implication of Harry’s submissive death really started to sound impressive. My hopes of a cogitative ending emphasizing the nature of sacrifice and anonymity real-life heroes die in were crushed as soon as Harry returned from the King Cross station. The epilogue became Rowling’s waterloo; as she transmuted her storyline into a soap opera where you see all the characters happily playing with their kids after 2 decades. And yeah, it was absolutely despicable.

Harry & Bush Potters

That’s all, folks!