All three leads (no, Bobby Deol aint a lead) ooze sexiness. And more sexiness. And boy, do Priyanka and John show of their well-toned/muscled bodies. In one of the scenes when Abhishek goes “bum?” look at Pri’s derriere, one reckons that he could have done it over and over and still meant it for Priyanka’s derriere looks that fabulous (and who’s the costume designer for such fab clothes?). John of course, wears the least clothes, and displays oodles of musckle (note: if going with your lover, make sure you both get seats at different ends – you’d both wanna enjoy the display of all that opposite sex rather exclusively)

Now that I have finished with the sexiness bit, lets talk about the other bits that I did like – moojik. And forget the current chartbusters – look at Maa ka ladla – if that aint a situational song, nothing is. And boy are the lyrics great! Loved the way all the songs are written, pictured – acted/directed, of course. Talking of cinematography – lovely. Camera just hugs the skin (tones) although in someplaces I felt it could have been better – but top notch.

The movie moves fast – and doesn’t bore one at all – not even the faux gay bits – in fact the entire movie pretty much moves without a blip and boredom – with the faux gay bits being very funny cos of the inside joke ‘tween John and Abhishek’s characters.

The only flaws? Bobby Deol, and the ending.

Everything else rocks – especially the ideas of including some Hindi film superhits in the dialogues – whodathunk! (wont give away too much though – except that I found Jhumma Chumma the funniest of ‘em)

Enjoi the movie!

For this year’s event, I’m currently not able to exact link of Fireflies Music Festival 2008.. However, found some info on www.couchsurfing.com via samasmedialab.net.. Thanks for that buddy !

The Fest:
Fireflies Festival of Music begins at 6 p.m. on 23rd Feb and will go on till 6 a.m. on Sunday.

* The fest is ‘inspired by the World Sacred Music Festival, held annually at the mystical city of Fes, in Morocco’.
* The stage is set around the base of a massive banyan-tree. A beautiful amphitheatre overlooks the stage and a lake where beautiful people are sprawled on their colorful mattresses, right under the stars, completely enchanted by the melodious sounds coming out of the banyan tree.
* The sound from the Jamo speakers and colorful lights give the 2000-strong audience a celestial psychedelic effect. It’s a night where culture meets nature, east meets west, passion meets fusion.
* The festival covers a wide range of musical genres: Baul, Qawwali, Hindustani/ Carnatic Fusion, Jazz, Folk, Sacred/ Mystical Music.

[See my fireflies music festival 2007's review for more details of the different genres on show]

Location:
Fireflies, Dinnepalya Village, Kaggalipura Post, Off Kanakarapura Road (approx. 20 kms), Bangalore: 560082

A Brief about the location:
Fireflies is about 80 acres of nature where organic farming is applied. There is a variety of trees. There are about 5 dogs on the ground but only Gaali (meaning Wind in Kannada) entertains the guest. He is a 3 yr old Labrador, a treat for dog-lovers and bitches!

Other Activities:
* tarrot reading!
* Get introduced Indian Handloom fabrics
* A Walk in the woods

Food and Beverages:
* Food will be arranged on the venue.
* Only water will be available
* bring your own beverages

Things to Bring:
* mattresses and pillows
* mosquito repellants.

Tickets:
Last year, we got it at the venue itself and if i remember correctly it was priced around 100-200, don’t remember exactly..

Disclaimer:
I haven’t found the direct source of this news. Kindly confirm from other sources or look-back for updates (if any). Course, do let me know, if you find it yourself..

Is almost typical in the kind of BULL CRAP movies one used to get in the late 80s/ early 90s.
Reality is an illusion caused by lack of alcohol – or so some wise soul said. The movie lives it up, aptly. And apparently everyone was totally floating in alcohol there.

Well, we werent on alcohol, so we had to deal with reality. And in reality, its a nice premise but utterly butterly bad execution.

A Posh restaurant is next door to a slimy residential area. Racers race on 800bhp cars that can do 200mph and try to win by taking each other out. “I dont like you. I am gonna slam you into the next barrier, and NOT be penalised for it – so am gonna win!” And from eating a burger that was just then thrown into the garbage bin, the kid gets a piece of glass into the stomach. (Of course they only use styrofoam in that canteen is a different detail altogether)

Is there anything gud about the movie? Hmm, Saif looks like he could really use some “toning down”. DUDE! You’re short, that kinda beefcake on you aint good!! Rani looks dead for a few scenes, then smiles, then looks dead.

right, we were trying to see if there’s anything gud about the movie. Its the premise. Its that you have to have masti all the time – you have to be cheerful even when things are going down. That is the only saving grace of the movie. Pity, it cant save it much though.

Stay away from this one, go listen to some pep talk, or something like that.

Its raining bands in bangalore and this time its one of the greatest rock & roll bands of all times, Aerosmith.

Yes its true, though earlier there was news that Aerosmith would be performing in Mumbai. It appears now that they will be performing in namma bengaluru at palace grounds on June 2, 2007.

Still, don’t believe me.. Check out the link: http://www.aerosmith.com/tour.cfm

Aeroforceone.com, the official fan club site also says “STATUS: Please Note VENUE and CITY CHANGE”

I don’t think you wanna miss this thing !!

UPDATE:

www.ticketpro.in says tickets will be available from May 10, 2007

Tickets are priced at Rs. 1200 & Rs. 1800 (Rs. 300 more than the Iron Maiden concert)

Apparently tickets can be bought online at https://shop.ticketpro.in/event_detail.asp?evnt=37 (i’m yet to try it)

Latest Update:

Tickets available in select Nokia, Planet M, Reliance Web World, Baskin Robins, Opus outlets..

[Image above: Tala Vadya, Percussion Band]

The Fireflies Festival of Sacred Music was held on Saturday (April 14, 2007) at the Fireflies Ashram, off Kanakapura road in Bangalore. It was earlier called as Bhoomi Jathre and this is the fifth year that the festival was being organized. The theme for this year is “Business and social/ecological responsibility.”

My experience at this event follows:

I got a forwarded email about this event and was recommended as a must see by my friend Subhash, who had been there for the previous edition in 2006. However, our only plan after watching the movie namesake was to enjoy a 18 km drive on Kanakapura road and hang out at the fireflies centre for an hour or so. So, we reached the place at around 9 pm. By the way, this event was from 6 pm (sunset) to 6 am (sunrise), which demanded a night out. However, we stuck around till 2 am and believe me, it was totally worth it..

The ambiance for this all-night event was just amazing. The stage was built around a huge banyan tree, below which the various bands performed. The audience (about 500 of them) were seated on concrete amphitheater like seats and comfortably looked down on the bands. I could see that few people had come prepared with shawls and even pillows for the night out.

The first musical event we saw was the “Tala Vadya” percussion group. I am not much of a classical musical expert, but that did not stop me from enjoying the different rhythms and thallas played by the musicians playing on different percussion instruments like mridangam, tabla, gatam, percussion pad etc..

[Video above: Tala Vadya (Karnataka College of Percussion)]

Next, was a performance by Clio Karabelia on the harp. Her hand and finger movement on the harp strings looked quite complicated and I appreciate her talent for the same. But, there was something wrong with this fusion performance, my views:

• The sitar and tabla was more dominant and audible
• She had some trouble tuning the harp (which we were told is a complicated process, because of the size and number of strings)
• She singing the hindu hymns honestly wasn’t working

[Image and Video above: Clio Karabelia (French Harpist), accompanied by Indian classical Music (Sitar and Tabla)]

Just when we wanted to leave, we heard about the next performance by the Jazz revival band. Leaving, No way !! What can I say, you had to be there to have enjoy the moment, which transported you to some other world..

[Image and Video above: Dr. Thomas Chandy with his group - Jazz Revival]

The next event of dollu kunita (drum dance in kannada) was definitely the highlight of the night, in terms of energy and sheer excitement it brought among the crowd watching. Later even after the event was over on stage, the crowd joined the drummers and danced like crazy to the beats of this dance form from Karnataka.. hats-off to the troupe member’s talent and stamina (to dance and perform continuously for an hour or so)

[Image and Video above: Dollu Kunita, watch for the building tempo of the drum beats and exhilarating dance movements in this video]

Other performances were to follow, like the famed oikyotaan, but it was time to go.. I will be there next year, prepared and ready with a better camera..

Fireflies music festival 2006:

• photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jace/sets/72057594103824468/
• review: http://aravind-krishnaswamy.blogspot.com/2006/04/fireflies-festival-of-sacred-music.html
• The Hindu: http://www.hindu.com/2006/03/31/stories/2006033100510200.htm

A war – 300 men versus a million. No hoper, right?

But then, that would be under normal circumstances, in a normal movie. And in this movie isn’t by any stretch of imagination, normal. Cliched at times, maybe. Biased, yes. Political, yes. But in the end, good entertainment.

This is a movie where the Victor goes back home to lick his wounds – and quite thankful that he didn’t have to take more mauling.

That, is just one aspect to it. There are others – by which I do not refer to somewhat graphic references to sex (without the actual act being shown). There’s, for example the computer generated imagery, where at one point I wondered if I was actually playing Age of Empires, on the big screen. It was real, yet unreal.

The movie tries to cover many bases but for the most part delivers on two facets – sound & visual effects and well crafted fight sequences.

There’s a cursory homage paid to storytelling – and, a now usual homage to the concept of “freedom”. Our hero is apparently fighting for freedom. Immense glorification of the Spartans is one of the main themes – along with vilification of the Persians. It seems to be in the 9/11 mould – “You’re either with us or against us!”

The Spartan king is an idealist, stands for freedom, but yet pays homage to corrupt, almost paedophilic priests – and, as per the movie, “more creature and less man”. A reference to the way of the present day Church, perhaps? or Maybe not. The King shocks and awes his way into the Persian camp, with Xerxes being shown as gay (and hence the worse for it).

If George Bush Jr. were to make a movie, this should fit in well with his constituency. And his politics – except for perhaps the dig at the priestdom.

Without the politics, its mostly raw- and appealing – action. With it, is a sad, bad gimmick. The movie is a mish-mash of many things good, but doesnt make a fist of it.

Ignore the politics to enjoy the movie!

Movies these days don’t want to let you get settled into the Cinema hall before they start on you, apparently. Casino royale starts with a brilliant action sequence – a snake fighting orgy that quickly goes onto be a cat n mouse chase, with Bond ending up more than ruffling diplomatic feathers(no, not of birds).

If the makers wanted to take the focus away from the way the new Bond looks to the movie itself, then they succeed very well.

This follows with Bond breaking in, to M’s office! And getting it good for being “reckless, and letting his ego rule”. For a movie that supposedly sets the tone for the rest of the Bond movies, this one’s certainly a very good attempt at it – and succeeds most of the time.

Bond as a reckless, but suave, arrogant spy is great characterisation, if you look at the series as a whole (thanks to Star Movies for that!!). Among the best things Daniel Craig brings into the Bond franchise is the way he carries his chip on the shoulder. The makers have brought out Bond’s character fantastically well – the chip on the shoulder, his falling in love, the eventual betrayal and how that shapes his character. The unpolished arrogance that Bond as a newbie spy carries – the list goes on.

The movie is engaging no doubt. It flows seamlessly scene to scene, and keeps you rooted to the seat most of the time. The action sequences are very well choreographed and shot (although one hopes next time the camera work will be better, much better) . The only Bond girl looks rather fetchin – the eyes, oh the eyes! Oh the sounds, the cars. One gets more than their money’s worth, with all the aural pleasures of vee-12s in full throated glory.

On the whole, the best Bond movie in a decade, certainly. But one hopes that the makers wont take that as a affirmation for Daniel Craig as the new bond - or their way of dismissing previous Bond movies. Bond’s grisly, and grimy – get in the dirt – phase is nice, entertaining and is good when he’s protrayed as a new “00″ recruit, but if the makers want to go the same route later on too, it would probably not come off as well.

If you are still reading, and havent got your tickets, I’d say RUN and grab yourself tickets -this is certainly aint a bond movie one should miss! (And that is from someone who thought he’d not watch this movie because of Daniel Craig, well he stands corrected)

“Little vice, even less spice.”

That should be the tag-line for the movie. Colin Farell and Jamie Foxx are the lead stars. and Gong li is the female lead. The story is apparently based on a 1980′s TV series, of the same name. With farell and foxx playing two cops who go undercover.

The plot is very thin, and intended to be racy, which it isnt. Cops get killed. Undercover cops deployed. Cop gets involved with Gangsta’s chick, gets double-crossed. Doesnt get killed in shoot-out.

Ok, typical 1980s Hindi movie, right? Well, almost. Except the chick’s let go.

The action. A Motorboat cruise to Havana – very, very picturesque. Great cinematography. A chase in a Ferrari 360 (I think) – just about okay. Hmm, nothing much else. Unless you wanna count random acts of shooting. Some acts of playing hard-ball.

A Note to Colin Farell – changing hairstyles doesnt constituting ‘acting’ or of picking up new roles. Maybe you should get back to acting and forget about the changing style.

And Foxx to Farell “I’ll never doubt you!” Oh yea? Who’re you kidding?

Should you watch it? Yes. If you’re a jobless uncouth idiot with nothin else to do, and some cash to spare, or friends who have some cash to spare, rush to it.

The biggest reason for these two remakes(ed: Sholay, Don) not going to work is that unlike Sanjay L Bhansali, or Vidhu Chopra(or whoever directed Parineeta), these folks have chosen stuff that is mostly fresh in the minds of people – and that is the biggest challenge – which was why, until small B found his niche, he just couldnt do things Big B was doing/had done!

Well, Farhan Akhtar has almost proved me right – going from the previews at least. The storyline, though set outside of India, apparently, retains the same characters, and remains mostly true to the original. And Farhan Akthar has made the crucial mistake of retaining the old songs, but in their own 2006 versions.

The result? Each of the old songs sounds like a badly remixed version more suited to be produced by someone like Instant Karma, or some silly DJ, than a major bollywood movie! Main hoon don , Yeh mera dil are bad, bad copies of the original, in pure musical terms. The videos are quite rotten too.

Kareena Kappor is so much like a lifeless doll in “Yeh Mera Dil” that you wonder if the folks making it, and then retaining it, also made the campaing for the CBZ Xtreme!

In SRK’s imagery of the Don dunking champagne onto himself, its not the Don we see, but SRK of Darr, Baazigar, DDLJ. The character has been sacrificed for the star – and what a bad sacrifice it has been. Coming after SRK’s performances in recent movies like Kal Ho Na Ho, Main Hoon Na, Veer Zaara, Swades, this one is regrettable.

Then, that song.

Khaike Paan Banaraswallah is amongst the best songs to come from the 70s. Everything from the Banarasiya lingo, to the dance, the music is spot on. What we get in this movie is a remixed version that will make Kishore Kumar, Anjaan(lyricist) and KalyanJi (of Kalyanji-Anandji) turn in their graves. And the video has SRK playing an idiot wannabe.

It is such an insult to fans of the movie, and the song to be foisted upon with such utter rubbish. I just hope(against hope) it puts an end to crappy remakes of cult classics.

From www.rangashankara.org

“The festival itself is a celebration of our existence… of the selfless contributions made by so many donors to make it a reality…of the invisible friends who stand by the project and silently work everyday without any expectation of rewards or fame only because they also believe that this is an unique project that needs very special attention…of the relentless theatre that happens every evening at Ranga Shankara, of a community that has embraced the space and made it their own…

The phenomenon of a space like Ranga Shankara when placed in the community is truly fascinating a welcoming world-class theatre facility, the most affordable in India today, dedicated to theatrical performances.

Ranga Shankara is a commitment to the art of Theatre, to the social fabric of our city, state and the people. To keep utopian dreams like these running it is essential to have a real partner. We are fortunate and proud to have Hutch as that solid partner who stands by us and gives us the strength to be who we want to be. As we enter the third year of our partnership/association I really believe Hutch has displayed to the world how a Corporate sponsor can be a silent supporter of the Arts without using the art as an event that tells their customer base how magnanimous and wonderful they are.. There’s something more powerful in the art of understatement and I must say Hutch makes the effort to do so and also succeeds wonderfully.

With added pomp Hutch joins hands with us this year to bring yet another festival. This year’s festival runs between 8th and 15th Oct and features eight of the best productions of the country today. Like always, the fest is multi-lingual – it unfolds two plays in English, three in Hindi, and one each in Kannada, Bengali and Marathi.“

-Arundhati Nag

For tickets:

Ranga Shankara, J P Nagar
Sankar’s Old Madras Bank Road
Hutch Shop at Indiranagar, Seshadripuram and Koramangala

Venue:

Ranga Shankara
36/2, 8th cross,
(Next to J P Nagar Post Office)
2nd phase, J P Nagar
Bangalore 560078
Phone:26592777/26493982
Email: rsfest@rediffmail.com

Oct 8 Sun
Flowers
Language: English

Oct 9 Mon
K. L. Saigal (A Musical play in Hindi)
Language: Hindi

Oct 10 Tue
Cotton 56, Polyester 84
Language: Hindi

Oct 11 Wed
Bankubabur Bandhu & Samudrer Mouna
Language: Bengali

Oct 12 Thur
Makdachya Hati Champagne
Language: Marathi

Oct 13 Fri
Kanase Kanasu
Language: Kannada

Oct 14 Sat
Numbers in the Dark
Language: English and Hindi

Oct 15 Sun
Jameela Bai Kalaali
Language: Hindi

MORE DETAILS : http://www.rangashankara.org/rangashankara_festival_microsite/plays.html
SEE YOU THERE !!

Review of atleast one play to follow. Kindly send in yours.