Movie Review: pk

Pk has distinct Rajkumar Hirani signature – use of sweet satire. It is an art he excels in as evidenced by all his movies such as Munnabhai and 3 idiots. His characters always have unfortunately funny names (Remember Phunsukh Wangdu or Circuit). Now, we have Pk and Jaggu (Anushka) – you’ll need to watch the movie to find out her real name tho. And these characters are most loving iconoclasts you’ll ever come across.

The movie is about an alien, Pk, who literally arrives naked on mother earth on his spaceship. However, the remote of his spaceship is promptly stolen by being of earth and hereby he is left stranded on this planet (gola, as he calls it) without a way to return home. Thus, begins his exploration of seemingly weird customs of earth to get back his remote. He learns to steal clothes and money from a ‘dancing car’ (you’ll have to find that out for yourself :giggles:) , check-in Dilli thanas for shelter and then he hears that all answer to his problems lie with someone called Bhagwan  – only one who could help him. So starts his quest for God. He is baffled by customs of different religions and sure enough is soundly thrashed by all of them. Eventually, he realises, there are many Gods, and each has established a ‘company’ of its own. They are all managed by different managers who have created conflicting, confusing rules.

Enter, Anushka err Jaggu whose superstitious family devoutly prostrates before a rich, Hindu guru, Tapasvi, played by roly-poly Saurabh Shukla. Between Jaggu, Pk and Tapasvi, when they meet, it is only your guess what capers will take place.

Hirani has once again questioned social norms, this time religion and also how we value Gandhi. (I love that scene.) Atheists are complaining that why was he not brave enough to question the existence of God, but I think he was questioning only religion and not the existence of God. His mettle lies in being able to mock all religions with love. 🙂

Jhing Chik Jhing: Movie Review

Disclaimer: As always, it is sort of review. ;)

Jhing Chik Jhing is such a tongue-twister name for a movie that Best Friend had quipped, naam to thik se bol le. [At least pronounce the name right.]

Then after a moment, popped the question, what is this movie about? I knew only two things: One, Jhing Chik Jhing (JCJ) is a Marathi movie, which has bagged 7 state awards. Second, it is set in backdrop of farmer suicides – a subject very close to my heart. [I had long back watched Summer 2007, a damning and harsh movie on the subject starring Ashutosh Rana, Gul Panag and Sikander Kher. The only grouse I had with the movie, as I remember now, was: an ape-looking Sikander Kher, but the movie itself was an eye-opener.

I wondered what did JCJ have that I hadn’t seen in Summer 2007.  No, Summer 2007 is no ideal benchmark for a movie, I was simply pondering what new could be said on the subject. Turns out, JCJ is a whole new take on the subject and it is a very positive movie.]

Book Review: Watership Down

This book is said to be a celebrated British Classic. It is a tale of survival of a group of wild rabbits. These rabbits migrate from their warren (rabbit colony) in search of a safer haven. They eventually establish their own warren called Watership Down.

This book is written by Richard Adams, who first recounted this tale to his two daughters to pass time. His daughters urged him to write this book. The book was later converted into a movie, which I am told, did not work. It was also adapted into a television series.

The rabbit characters in are Watership Down lovable. They are all human-like, that is writer has anthropomorphised. It was interesting to read about a man from rabbit’s point of view. Bigwig and Hazel were my favourite characters.

Adams based his descriptions of wild rabbit behaviour on British naturalist Ronald Lockley’s book The Private Life of the Rabbit (1964). Adams has also credited Lockley in his book.

Movie Review: Ghajini

Well, I liked it. 🙂 But as Jeetendra loves to say while doling out his sometimes inane comments while judging reality dance shows, Jara namak kam tha. Only jara.

Ghajini

A to Z of My Few Favorite Movies

Lallopallo tagged me to write A-Z of my favorite movies. I could not come up with worthwhile movies for these letters: Q, X, Y and Z. I might update them later.

I had several favorites, but I have wrote what came to my mind first. That is determined by 2 things:

a) Irrespective of the time I watched the movie, it left an indelible impression on my mind due to story/character/actor

b) I have watched this wonder recently 🙂  So, forgive me, guys for being partial for I have many, many favorites 🙂

Ray of Hope for the Disabled

While reading through Reader’s Digest, I came across story of a quadriplegic (a person who has both arms and legs paralysed) Craig Cook. Though I thought it a shame that Craig’s fiance left him after he was paralysed in a car accident where his friend was driving, it was heartening to know that he could find a happy companion in Minnie, a capuchin monkey.

As I read along I realised that there are two-year training programs for these capuchin monkeys so that they can be companions to people like Craig in need. Helping Hands is the organisation that trains these capuchins and provides them as companions to the disabled. Yes, you read it companions and not pet. Here are few excerpts from this article:

When Cook applied to Helping Hands in 2001, it was illegal to have an exotic animal in a home in California. The only helper animals allowed were dogs for the visually impaired. Helping Hands went to work to have the laws changed for Cook, and in 2004, he became the first person in the state to receive a service monkey.

Movie Review: Sex and the City

Ok, I admit it is tamer and less gutsy than Sex and the City (SATC) soap episodes. The movie is about girlish vanity and their ongoing search for the perfect man in their lives. Yet movie was fun to watch. There were moments we were in splits.

This movie may not be upto all Indian tastes (I am referring to some prudish line of thoughts in my country.) It is refreshing to watch some female bonding after having a heavy dose of male bonding movies. No wonder movie theater had more of female audience. At a funny scene, women who were strangers before the movie would feel camaraderie with the one sitting next to her and in general. 🙂

Movie takes off from where last season of the SATC (6th season) ended. Girls are now 40+, with two of them settled with their beaus. Samantha is the only girl out of the four friends who has retained most of her brashness. She still tells her man non-nonchalantly, ” I love you. But I love myself more.” This could be one of the most effective dumping lines. 😛

Miranda, the corporate lawyer is as logical as she used to be. Charlotte is onto motherhood, living her favorite dream. Samantha nymphomaniac appetite has not decreased. I am not writing anything about Carrie Bradshaw, you would better find about her from the movie. You can see the familiar sight (from SATC episodes) of all four designer-clothes clad friends lamenting, gossiping around a dinner table. They still stick to each other through thick and thin. A Louis Vitton bag is still the most prized possession. Malono Blahnik and Jimmy Choos still find their way into their conversation.

The only obvious difference between SATC episodes and movie is that men are no longer easily “disposable” and girls are no longer polygamous. Yet there is much to watch for: love, hurt, friendship, labels, infidelity (yes), fears, loneliness and emotions. All in all, very watchable and laughable. 🙂

Rating: 3.5/5 (Mostly for laughter it elicits)