Zindagi in the Details

Last night the black lady pleased and escorted back home a select few contenders at the Filmfare awards and boy did she please and escort the absolutely worthy contenders... Out of them the one film I think deserved every honor and probably even more is Zindagi Na Milegi Dobaara which we all lovingly call ZNMD

I knew I loved ZNMD when I saw it... But for some reason I was not mesmerized  by it... I don't know why but I felt something was amiss... It's only when I saw it for the second time that I loved it and was absolutely mesmerized by it... I finally got the answer to what was amiss for me in ZNMD...

If you ask everyone what they loved about the film (including myself) the obvious answers would be the performances (Hrithik and Farhan specifically) the screenplay which struck the right balance between light and emotional moments, the soul stirring poetry,  BAGWATI, Mr. Dubey's rubbed on lingo, the cinematography (Promotion of Spain tourism by a few idiots) The Hrithik-Katrina lip lock (by a few bigger idiots) and primarily the fact that people could connect with this epic bromance... The scenes that stayed with them were ofcourse the tiff between Hrithik and Farhan after Farhan throws Hrithik's phone, the scenes depicting the 3 adventure sports, Farhan-Naseeruddin Shah confrontation, the Tomatina Song and the light moments throughout the film...

However the thing that worked for me even more were the little details of ZNMD and sometimes the very little details of ZNMD

Now what do I mean when I say the magic and brilliance is in the details.... Read On.... (Now it may seem a little long and a little all over the place but I'm just putting down the things I loved as they come to my mind)

Though only on voice-mail, I felt the longing in Kabir's voice when he pleads Arjun to forget about the past and come to Spain...

The title of the film which comes on "Kab take Gine hum dhadkane" still gives me goosebumps..

 Kabir's asks Imran how the flight was and he says "It flew" has me smirking everytime... In the same scene I like the way Imran subtly taunts Arjun that he recieved his 'email' after the demise of his father.... As well as the joy with which Kabir says "Yaar yakeen nahi aa raha ki him teenon ek saath hai" (An emotion I'm sure we have all felt at some point or the other)

The way Kabir asks Imran "Tu kya kar raha hai mere laptop pe?" It's not an important line but I just love how naturally Abhay Deol says it.... Similarly there are lines which are just by the way lines but seem to fit so perfectly... And somehow Abhay gets to deliver them... "Somebody please... Koi iska phone bahar phek do," "Sorry yaar maine bookings ki hui hai... Charge bhi kar chuke hai mujhe"  The lovable authority with which he says "Nooo" to Katrina when she asks if she can drive (However when Kalki asks if she can drive he lets her). Then there's the "Ha ha you're so funny and the tribute to Dharmesh Darshan's "Your are in loovveee you are in loovveee" as well as "it's nicer than the pictures also (You can only hear is voice) or just how he lets his hair down in Senorita and once even forgets a step but makes it look so believable...

As the group anchor Abhay Deol is natural to the T.....

I love the sit-down scenes in the film immensely... 4 of them in particular... The first one being when Arjun talks about his arrange marriage set-up with Kookie... Naak kaat di tune humaare group ki... Cheers!!!! 2000 pounds....Pappu fail ho gaya lekin Kookie pass ho gayi" has me in splits... Again I love the ease with which Kabir asks "Shots piye" and the sarcasm with which Arjun tells Imran "I'm sure it does" when Imran thanks him for coming for the trip. I love the fact that he's eating (Croquettes) when he says that... Feels very been there said that....

Secondly the scene where Imran gets Arjun a pink japanese school girl phone... Arjun's irritation in lines "Look at this yaar... What s wrong with him?" Chalo Arjun ko torture karte hai vacation," "Listen just keep quiet na yaar please just keep quiet" and finally dropping wine on makes me find the re-wind button everytime... 

 This is probably the first time Hrithik is playing a normal regular guy compared to his larger than life roles and you realize once again that he is GOD.... Priceless expressions throughout.... His restlessness before the deep sea diving rubs on... The way he says "Thank You" to Katrina when she assures him he will be fine is touching....  Even in the second half when the focus slightly shifts to Imran and Kabir's problems Hrithik manages to make a mark in every scene... Whether its the "Chalo" (Love the added touch of the yawn) when Imran asks to take a detour and go visit Salman Habib, whether he adds fuel to fire when Natasha stops Imran from misbehaving in the dinner scene, or coaxing Imran to talk Kabir out of his problem (Whispers "I think we should talk to him.... What the fu..") or the "Arre baat mat kar yaaar (When Kalki is about to meet up with an accident) or the "Zindagi mein kabhi rules follow kiye hai kameene"...  "Dude tu kya kar raha hai?" (When Farhan asks Nuria if he can enter the shower) or the subsequent "Ohhhhh kkkkk..." (When Nuria lets him in) or the "Corrrect" when Imran says Kabir's behaviour changes around Natasha and the "Kaisa besharam aadmi hai tu" when Imran doesn't wish to interfere in Kabir and Natasha's problems....to "It's true" (Referingt to "Sab likha hua hai")

Then there's the scene with Laila after the first diving lesson... Again one of my favourite scenes.... I love everything about it.... Hrithik's expressions when he says "1000 crores" (Valuation of Natasha's father's hotel). the "hmmm" when Katrina asks him if he has a girlfriend....his laugh and raising of eyebrows when Katrina says she wants Farhan to get her a drink.... and when he refuses a drink saying no I'm ok... are some of the best I have ever seen.... Ofcourse Farhan's "Meri body ke alawa tum zindagi se kya chahti ho" is the funny line of the scene.... I also love how Hrithik and Katrina observe each other throughout the scene... 

It's a Hrithik which we saw for the first time and a Hrithik we want to see much more of him....

Then ofcourse is the brilliant dinner scene Buñol in the second half... Natasha's bitchy sarcastic "Wowwwww" when Laila says she's going to Morroco... Imran telling the waiter to get some "the red the wines" and Kabir forcibly telling him "Imran mat kar"  and Imran going "Sheeee" and eventually "Very the sorry" is hahahahahahahaahah....

Infact the entire Kalki portion is hilarious....I really feel she deseved the best supporting actress awards.... On paper the role would seem insignificant and not meaty enough but just the way she has handled her part has made her one of the main highlights of the film for me (Just like I felt for Kareena's portrayal as Poo in K3g).... The sarcastic bitchy "Wowww,"' the chameleon trait in the scene when she angrily throws Bagwati and then sweetly accepts Imran's dinner invitation only cause "main nahi chahti tumhaare dost mujhe chudhail samjhe" to "Kuch reh gaya kya peeche" when Katrina comes to kiss Hrithik.... to her singing "I'm a rock-chick in a hard rock woooorrrllddd.... to just her walking from the field to the car with Bagwati in her hands.... Kalki's performance is infectious...

Utterly infectious is 'The Talented Mr. Akhtar.' I mean I could just write a blog on his one liners from the film.... "Cheque bhijwa dena" (After he makes his best man speech in the beginning), "Natasha ka purse bechte hai," " You remember (Feels elated him when Katrina calls him Majnu) "Driver  Buñol... Aur Laila ji... Kushal Mangal donon suitcase mein," "Chudail Alert." Kaisi baat kar rahi ho Natasha... Disturbance aur tum," "Ha... Aur woh flight miss ho jaane ka bhi toh darr hai," "Ohh ho... Tujhpe gaye hai mere jokes" "Kripya karkais" or his pretence of reading a book when Arjun tries to talk to Kabir and the pretence of saying "Ha woh bahut sweet hai" when Kabir turns to him for reassurance... Or the scene after Senorita... (Yep another sit down scene) where they are all pretty high... Hrithik brilliantly says "You me and asshole" and Farhan says "Where's asshole" is the best reaction in the entire scene. (I feel he is unmatchable in these "pretty high" scenes. The scene in Luck by Chance, which I consider a remarkable film and a screenplay text book, where he fights with his friend Abhi for mocking at his pictures is still fresh in my mind)

His chemistry with Bagwati, his emotional scene with Nuria when she doesn't understand what he is saying but tells him it will all be fine and his epic scene with Naseeruddin Shah I won't talk about since much has already been said... All I can say.... I love and that Farhan Akhtar is not a Jack but a Master of All (Like me, he's birthday falls on the 9th of Jan....So we are simply the best)

A mention of a moment in the film right before the Paint it Red Song.... Katrina is urging everyone to hurry up and says the bell boy will take their luggage and Hrithik says "Mera laptop." Such a small moment... Something which probably would be edited out but something that just adds so much more to Arjun's stuck-up nature and workaholic attitude.... Even Kabir's mother's birthday cake is shaped in the form of Bag (Got the idea for my mom's cake from here) which gives an idea that she is probably fond of bags.... It's these things and even more when I was talking about the very little details of ZNMD.....

A quick mention of the background score toh banta hai boss.... The theme music of the film,  the music during the deep sea diving and sky diving scenes and the Hrithik-Katrina theme music still linger in my ears...

It was these details that made me realize the sheer magic of ZNMD and the sheer brilliance of ZOYA AKHTAR who has turned this film into an all time favorite and turned herself into an all time inspiration for me.... If this is what she can do with her second film, I can't wait to see how beautifully her entire filmography is going to transpire onto celluloid.....

Revisiting an Oldie....

Welll this has to be my most spontaneous blog yet... I mean to think of it I didn't know I'm going to blog at all today... All I was going to do was watch Hugo and divide the rest of my day between 2 of my scripts (Which is why I'm probably using the courier font... For those who don't know... a script is usually written in that font)

So anyway watching Hugo I have reserved for the evening since that's the time I can't usually get myself to write and also because that's the time Mom can't come up with an excuse to yell and shout at me for not eating lunch, not having a bath and not letting Sanjay (My trusted soldier) clean the floor under the chair on which I sit... I don't think even the dust likes to come and settle under my chair cause mom has turned into a towing van. The dust has not even parked itself for about a minute that the towing van comes with BBC (Broom, Bucket and Colin)...Colin is the newest member in our family and Sanjay and Colin the new Jai Veeru respectively.... And mom as Basanti is perfect casting... She loves Colin and is at logggerheads with Sanjay even before he comes to work every morning...

Hence Hugo and Martin Scorsese have to wait... So that leaves me with my 2 scripts which doesn't seem like a good option... I mean how can I, when the construction of the 'Raichand Mansion' is happening next door and isntead of my thoughts I can hear thakk thakk and kach kach (Latter is not that much of a problem... Since I have gotten used to Mom and Sanjay's daily ritual... Infact I have got quite accustomed to hearing my thoughts with the kach kach)

However with the 3 D's (Dedication, Determination and Devotion... I love using this line by the way) I have decided to concentrate on my scripts...

So the first thing I do is think about the current one I'm working on with my friend Shachi and which has been the sole focal point of my life over the past year... A new thought regarding the script has come to my mind and I feel extremely charged about it, though I need to do discuss it in detail with Shachi and a certian Mr. R who apparently has no time for me... The idea is in my head all I need is waqt....

With what I want to do with the script already in the processing stage in my head, I move onto revisiting an oldie.... Love and All That...

Love and All That for those who know and those who don't was my first writing experience ever and my first work experience ever... I had just finished college and a certain Miss S entrusted me with job of putting her celluloid dream on paper.... And for this I thank her with all my heart... I mean I didn't know what was eventually going to happen to the script but all I knew was that I found my calling (And even got paid for it)

So I met Miss S who is know Mrs. S yesterday for a 3rd script which seems to be completely up her alley but somehow or should I say but ofcourse the discussion went back to Love and All That and its possible potential and evident potholes (The length being of prime importance... I mean what was I think when I wrote a 201 page draft... I wish someone sat next to my hand with a pair of scissors...) Anyway we decided and discussed that I revisit the script and try to bring out the true potential and and fill up the potholes in the script...

But let me tell you... Revisiting a script is far tougher than actually writing one... Your heart melts when you press the delete button to erase all that you once felt was of utmost importance but have finally realized is bull crap... But still your heart melts since the bull and it's crap are both yours in this case...

The only thing that I'm really excited and happy about is the removal of one inconsequential track of the film.... I was convinced about its removal from the inception but coudn't convince Miss S to do so... However yesterday Mrs. S asked me to completely do away with it and that's the first thing that I did this morning...

But now comes the difficult part... Of cutting, chopping perhaps adding or completely renovating the entire script... For the fist four days it seems impossible cause you feel that those 201 pages have been written in stone... However from the 5th day you realize that nothing is actually written in stone and even if it is... It can always be re-chiseled...

And that's precisely what I plan to do...

Revisiting an oldie can be a daunting task but at the same time it challenges you to overcome your attachment to it and look at it subjectively.... And this one specially comes along with a feeling a nostalgia since it was the very first time someone instilled her confidence in my writing skills (Which I never knew I had or probably still don't know I have) and paid me for that 201 page word document even when I didn't know that there was something called as Final Draft... 

I don't know man.....

Ummmmm...... Aaaahhhhh.... It's been 2 days and I still don't know what to blog about.... Bloggers Block on it its way??? I hope not....

I don't know what I want to blog about..... Do I want to blog about the celebrated and heart-wrenching biopic on Edith Piaf,  La Vie en Rose (French for Life in Pink.... The translation's for all my friends none of whom know French... Well Radhika does but what the hell she doesn't read my blogs) I could probably show off here and say "Ha.... I know French." But then a blog is too small a place for me to show off.... I need to write a whole book on that.... So anyway I think I shouldn't blog about La Vie en Rose and the new love of my life Marion Cotillard.... Cause neither have my friends watched the film (I'm sure they haven't even heard of it) nor do they know French (Like repeating that) They probably don't know who Marion Cottilard is (Leonardo Di Caprio's wife in Inception guys.... Now I know you got it)

I'm sure my friends are fuming and saying to themselves.... There was a time he didn't know who Meryl Streep was and hadn't even heard of Devil Wears Prada or Pretty Woman and here he is ranting about a French biopic and Marion Cotillard....

So then what do I blog about.... I don't know if I want to blog about the new woman in my life... Victoria Grayson (Thank my ambassador for introducing me to her)  who is the Queen Bee of the Hamptons in the new show Revenge.... Now draw the connection to my BB status "I like Revenge." What did you guys think I'm a sadist? Ofcourse not.... I would only choose to be one if the only other option to be was that of masochist.... Anyway that's one thing I definitely don't want to blog about...

So then what should I blog about? About A Streetcar named Desire... Nah... Maybe some other time...

I don't know if I want to blog about my premature birthday party ( I mean my birthday is on the 9th of Jan and we had the party on the 21st of Jan so that's 354 days in advance) Well the theme of the party was 'Pimps and Whores.' An idea that thrilled us in the discussion stages but seemed to have fizzled out on the D Day... When and how the Pimps and Whores Party turned into a Pajama Party I have no clue... The only thing I know that the transition was extremely comfortable... I could have blogged about the party but I don't think my friends (Who don't understand French) would approve of it.... So I rather not say anything about it and rather not make any more fun of them or they won't read my blogs.... Which actually means that no one will forcibly read my blogs.... So ya I rather shut up...

I don't even know if I should blog about Agneepath which I saw last night (And I'm talking about the Hrithik Roshan one which is yet to release.... Wow another opposturnity to show off.... And I think I just spelt opportunity wrong) at a special screening and spoil everybody's fun.... I'll just say it's a blockbuster in the making and Hrithik Roshan is God!!!

Hmmm... So I think I still don't know what to blog about.... Maybe I just won't blog at all today....

TO KARAN ...FROM KARAN

DISCLAIMER:
THE FOLLOWING POST MAY BE A LITTLE LENGTHY.... DUH UHH... IT'S ABOUT KJO.....

The disclaimer ofcourse is for my all my friends (This time I'm sure all of them are smirking) who were well informed that my next blog is going to be about a man whose mention itself is enough to wake me from a slumber or to get me back to planet earth when I'm otherwise zoning (And that's often)

The man whose films, interviews, chat show, fashion shows, tweets etc etc I'm obsessed with and can guarantee to have watched, re-watched, read and re-read over and over again.... I read his latest tweet "If you want a stable relationship.... Get a horse" about 5 times.... I don't know why but I just did... I guess 'just' the OCD from my mothers OCD for Cleanliness has rubbed onto me and transpired into a OCD for KJo...

When did this obsession start...  On the 16th of October 98, when Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (Which I saw in Topiwala by the way) released? No that was just love... Love for the film and primarily for the Reel Love Legend of SRK-KAJOL (Which mesmerized me with DDLJ).... I was too young to understand then that the chemistry and electrifying performance of the duo was one of the 'major and foremost' reasons for the film's super success.... But with time I realized that the 'first and foremost' reason was the man at the helm of affairs and quite literally the helm of my current affairs- Karan Johar (And my blog ambassador would agree)... I really do believe that the neo-classic that we all lovingly call KKHH was a one man show (A line unarguably put by his father in the making of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai)

And that realization soon started turning into the obsession that I'm ranting about... It started when I first bought just the title song audio cassette of my most favorite film in the world (Hollywood can go take a Hike)... Do i need to say it? K3G..... A film which I have to this date watched a 112 times (6 times in the theatre)... And how I love Star Network for this... Not that I don't have the DVD... I have 2 of them... But still I do owe it to Star for making my Sundays so special...

I could probably write a whole blog about K3G... And my friends could vouch for it.... But more than that my mom can vouch for it... I know the screenplay and dialouges by heart.... I know the backhround music (Which makes me cry every Sunday).... It's crazy I could watch K3g on mute.... I actually narrated a huge chunk of the second half word to word with the background to my friends Nupur and Shix (Yep she's back again) when we were travelling from the latters house to the formers.

But above all the memories and Sunday cries... K3G gave me my dream.... My 70 mm dream.. Six of the biggest superstars in the same frame entrenched my belief that the movies was where I am meant to be...

So as my dreams were churning out,  my mom's were shattered... I mean with all those amazing grades in school and college (Wow I finally get a chance to blow my own trumpet) she was not wrong to believe ki uska beta doctor banega... engineer banega... Ambani banega (Tilting majorly towards Ambani by the way) All I could say to her or still say to her is ki tera beta Karan Johar banega...

So thus was born mom's grudge against Kjo... Just this morning when I told her or rather she guessed that my blog is about Kjo, she said... Had you taken Lord Ram's name as many times as you have taken Karan Johar's, the lord would have come down to earth and granted all your wishes till now... That's my mom.... Melodramatic... Just like me... And the Lord Ram bit is because she's spiritual junkie... She has only 2 loves... God... and Gucci (OCD for Bags as well).... Anyway mom stresses that Kjo owes her 5 lacs of rupees and nobody knows why.... But is the grudge actually a grudge? Uhhh I don't think so... Cause she's the first one to call me when he's on tv or in the papers (And by call I mean phone call or text message... And we live in a 1BHK appartment) She's the one who bought me 'THE MAGIC OF KARAN JOHAR' (A limited edition box comprising of the DVD's of KKHH, K3G, Kal Ho Na Ho and a dvd of the making and deleted scenes of the all his films which I have ofcourse watched a million times... Yeh bhi koi sochne ki baat hai)

So.... Moving on for mom and her shattered dreams, my love and admiration for Kjo begin to grow with the release of Kal Ho Na Ho... (Which I consider one of the best screenplays ever) With Koffee with Karan (All 3 seasons watched and re-watched and even visualized myself on it- both as a guest and as a host, considering they wouldnt have to change the name of the show).... I can even answer most of the rapid fire questions asked on the show) and with KANK... With Kank he opened a Pandora's Box and brought to life the defence lawyer in me who won every case when something bad about the film was said... And with the release of My Name is Khan he brought to life a fearless Mumbaikar in me (Everyone knows what I'm talking about)... Trust me that's the first and last time that happened...

It also grew with his appearance on Pooja Bedi's talk show, On Rendez-vous with Simi Garewal and even the apologetic India's most Desirable, With his show Lift Kara de, with his fashion shows, His Circuit gig and Ek Main aur Ekk tu dance on Bigg Boss and ofcourse with his Sheela ki Jawaani moves at the IIFA and will for sure continue to grow with SOTY and all his other endeavours.... The list is endless and so is the reverence

And before the blog starts seeming endless too I think I should probably stop now before the blog turns into a blogopic... But what do I do... "This post is all about loving Karan Johar"

Out of all my friends I'm sure T has been going on about how mad I am and blah blah blah... But it's ok.... I love T... I love T as much as I love Koffee...

(And that's not a spelling mistake... When it's about Kjo it's always Koffee with a K)

The first time I ever thought of blogging was when I saw Julie & Julia. A delightful little film (I hope my friend T is not smirking) which I can watch over and over again thanks to the amazing brilliance and genius of whom I consider the epitome of acting- Meryl Streep! (I mean is there any role this woman can't do, any accent she can't develop or any nuance she forgets to convey) I could write a whole blog on Meryl Streep but feel too small a person to do so...

After I saw Julie & Julia, I started toying with the idea of blogging myself. I discussed the idea with my best friend Shikha. (You'll be hearing a lot about her and all my other friends) Shix told me "Ya u shudd" and I got all charged up and excited. But before I could even create my blog I developed a bloggers block... Maybe it was an inner voice telling me "Who's going to read your blog when you don't read blogs yourself." So me being me, I succumbed  to my inner voice like I always do, and decided against the idea of blogging and use my writing skills (I hope I actually have them) only for things that could get me something in return. And by return I ofcourse mean money, fame, credit etc. I haven't got any of it yet but what the hell... IT'S JUST ROUND THE CORNER!!

Since my world is just round the corner, I have all the time in the world to kill... So what do I do... I watch films, tv series, mini-series etc etc.... With the Golden Globes out and the Oscars on their way can you blame me!! Ofcourse in between movies and series I do stalk my friends on facebook and a select few celebs on twitter. (Mainly Karan Johar.... And everyone knows why)

Another person I stalk on twitter is Ryan! Someone who I have met about 6-7 times in the last year and someone I keep hounding with my text messages every second day. While stalking or should I say 'following' Ryan on twitter on the 16th of Jan, I stumbled upon his new year resolution- His Blog: Ry, Ladle & A ticket.  As I read his blog, I felt inspired.... Why and How that is between him and me... Apart from the inspiration I also realized or re-realized how much fun blogging can be if you don't follow the dictats of how and what to blog.... So after reading four of his blogs, my inner voice told me "You should blog too." Once again I told Shix " I think I want to start blogging" and she once again said "U Shudd"

So here I am... And so is Ryan, Julie & Julia...

What to expect from this blog? I myself don't know... Stuff about movies, music, memories, my friends & fly, Karan Johar ofcourse (Don't be surprised if my next blog is about him)....

Basically everything and anything that I love and hate and everything and anything I wish to share, quickly before my Blogger's Block resurfaces .....