Have had better weekends

A bad weekend for me, healthwise. Friday night started feeling the beginings of a severe cough and cold. By the time I got up on Saturday afternoon (yes, afternoons are mornings for me on weekends), I was coughing real bad. Thought its a temporary thing and ignored it. Managed to worsen it by having a chilled beer at a friends place in Orlando on my way to watch Guru. Kept tossing and turning in bed saturday night, as I just could not stop coughing. And on Sunday my 'sour throat' had gone so bad, that it was painful to swallow anything solid. Had to remain on a liquid diet all day. Included in that was drinking warm water, which I swear to god is the worst tasting thing to drink. Finally gave in, got some cough syrup which made me so drowsy that I went to bed at 11.
As if this was not enough, the Patriots lost in the AFC champs game to Manning and the Colts. Yes, Brady-Bellichick lost a playoff game!! Well, thats it for the Pats this season.
Also watched the Mani Ratnam movie 'Guru' on saturday. Must say this, Mani Ratnam's movies almost always carry a social messege, this one did too. Only this time, i thought it was more 'anti-social' than 'social'. In a nutshell, an attempt is made to justify all the hook-or-by-crooks and one-way-or-the-others involved in the rags to riches story of an Indian businessman. Agreed, as a movie, its as good as you would expect from Mani. Dont really agree with its messege though. But, thats my opinion entirely.

But there was indeed some silver lining on the otherwise dark cloud that was this past weekend for me. India won a cricket game at last. Beat the West Indies although not real convincing in the end, but was good enough that they won. Another good news on the personal/professional front might be round the corner. Not ready to reveal that just yet...

O Bannerjee Saab, Aapne to kamaal kar diya jee!!

Confused by the title? I am sure you are. I am talking about, in my opinion, one of the best movies released last year.
Its called Khosla Ka Ghosla. The deep rooted dilliwalla accent used in the movie and the name of its director (Dibankar Bannerjee) is the basis of the title of this post.

Not often in the age of these so called "big movies" do we get to see such genuinely content driven movies. All the characters in the movie are so lifelike and believable that you sometimes wonder why do we need flying superheroes in movies. This is not a review of the movie, for that you can visit indiafm or any other desi movie site, just randon thoughts about it.

The first thing that strikes me is the language used. The accent and the tone is very very typical dilliwalla. Being a dilliwalla for 25 years myself, you can take my word for it. Starting with the O at the begining of each sentence and the jee at the end, going onto the quintessential sardarji using the well known expletive in many of his lines to the witty and cunning owner of A-One Agency ( there is one by this name is every neighborhood in Delhi). It is just totally lifelike, makes me feel like back home again.

Even the characters demeanours are so well enacted, so natural. The major characters in the movie strike you with their towering presence. Boman Irani as the property dealer, Anupam Kher as the typical middle class man with big dreams, and Pravin Dabas as the son who wants to escape.

But here is where many people will disagree with me. There were these minor, hardly noticable characters in the movie which struck me as more typical dilli. Anyone who has been to Delhi to buy property or in fact even gone to buy anything for that matter, is bound to encounter someone very very simillar to the middle man "propty" dealer shown in the movie, Vijender. The way he sucks up to Khurana and the way he dupes poor Mr. Khosla is a classic portrayal of middlemanship, so prevalent in Delhi.

If the middle man was terific, the ever nodding lackey to Khurana, called Munjal in the movie was absolutely awesome. So real is the way they have shown the guy's behaviour that it reminds me of so many such people I met when travelling with my Dad to his clients sometimes. The way he always has a cellphone in his hand, the way he refers to everyone as "Sir jee", the way he handles the situation in the police station, its just totally life like.

But the character that steals the show for me, albeit being in a minor, somewhat insignificant role is the good for nothing elder son of Mr. Khosla, Bunty Khosla. Credit should go to Ranvir Shorey for pulling off this role in the way he has, and continuing on with his awesome comic form last year with Pyaar Ke Side Effects and some others.

Of course there were many other positives in the movie which made me label it the best of 2006. But from my point of view, stuff that made me so nostalgic was the best. As my younger brother aptly put it when reccomending this movie to me "the best portrayal of Delhi on cinema thus far".

But after all, you all know as well as I do, the awards and addulations for the best movie and all that are all going to go a certain 4 hour, never ending crying contest between SRK, Rani and Preity and co. (read KANK). Why?? because Indian movie goers dont want to see what actually happens around them on screen, they want to see their fantasies painted on screen.

Who cares about awards anyways, as long as we get to watch these well made, life like movies..

and yes, whoever thought of the name "Chironji Lal Khosla" ought to be given special applause.. (you will know when you watch the movie)

Please go watch this if you have'nt yet.Highly Recommended.