I had so desparately wanted to like Johnny Gadar. I like noir. I like thrillers. And, i liked Shiram Raghavan’s last outing on Ek Haseena Thi. I kind of liked the cast of the film - Dharam paji has been a favourite since i was a kid. and the promos looked interesting. But……….
But, the fundamental problem with Johnny Gaddar is that it is a thriller that is not thrilling. And, I actually cannot put my finger on what made the movie a less than satisfying experience. The shooting style is good, the cinematography interesting ….the editing is crisp… The music a melange of moods… the performances competent… but there is something missing. If i had to explain it in a single line it would be that the soul, the raison d’etre, of the film was missing.
So, overall though it is a well crafted movie, it is not a well crafted film.
What did i like about it… Dharmendra for one… after a long time he has had a meaty role and he has savoured it… when Sheshadri tells you that "it is not the age, it is the mileage" when putting a 50 year younger Vikram on the mat….you believe him. Of the rest Zakir Hussain rocks as Shadab, Ashwini Khalsekar is brilliant, and Vinay Pathak has fun. The problem is with the young couple…Neil Mukesh is competent, but does not have the depth to pull off a layered role. and Rimi strikes me as not really being the type for whom someone will commit murder. She is as interesting as a cold, soggy idli. The chemistry would have been so much more interesting if the woman for whom Vikram commits murder was Aswini…
The tribute to James Hadley Chase is everywhere…as is the ‘hat tip’ to thrillers like ‘Johnny Mera Naam"…. but there is a big difference. In a Chase novel you cared about what happened to the main protagonist…. here you don’t. and that is a very scary space for a thriller.
So it is worth a watch? yes…. if you don’t go in with overt expectations after reading the reviews. Otherwise, if you are seeing the film expecting the rebirth of Indian noir or Indian thrillers, you are going to be disappointed.
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The old premier taxis in mumbai are on their way out. many of them are ancient, and falling apart. their owners still drive them as though they were in a F1 race, and there was no other traffic around. Now who will get into an argument with someone who doesn’t mind their car getting bashed.
Yesterday was my mother’s birthday. We had gone to Inorbit to pick up a gift for her. Adorning the entrance was a large tribute to the father of the nation. irony, anyone ?
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says the NYT:
Without nepotism, Hillary would be running for the president of Vassar. But then, without nepotism, W. would be pumping gas in Midland — and not out of the ground.
i wounder where our leaders would be. Sonia Gandhi would be a housewife, Rajiv Gandhi a pilot, Rahul Gandhi a banker, Rahul Mahajan - behind bars, Supriya Sule a social worker……..and the list continues.
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Sphere: Related ContentOn her birthday, my favourite Lata Mangeshkar duets. She has sung with practically everyone and his cousin in her eons that she has ruled the roost of Hindi Film Music
Technorati Tags: Lata Mangeshkar, Hindi Film Music, Talat Mahmood, ‘It Happened one Night, Baiju Bawra, Naushad, Shakeel Badayuni, Mohd. Rafi, Sahir Ludhianvi, Mamta, Roshan, Majrooh, Dharmendra, Salil Choudhry, Halaku, Asha Bhonsale, Manhar, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bahduri, S.D.Burman, Raat aur Din, Neeraj, Kishore Kumar, Sanjeev Kumar & Suchitra Sen, R.D.Burman, Vinod Mehra, Rekha, Sanjay Dutt, Tina Munim, Anand Bakshi, S.D.Burman, Hema Malini, Dharmendra, Ghulami, Rajasthan, Shabbir Kumar, Laxmikant Pyarelal
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September 28th - The birthday of Lata Mangeshkar …. the woman with the golden voice.The first lady of Hindi film Music. For me, the last of the All India Radio generation , the lady and her music was a constant companion when I was growing up. Although in later years - i would think post the late 1980’s- her voice has lost much of the sweetness and melody, her body of work prior to that stands as testimony of her talent. On her birthday, I am going to take on a difficult task - the task of compiling my personal favourites sung by her. This is in no particular order of prefernce - just stuff that i enjoy listening to … the list will be divided into my favourite solo numbers & duets. Today is the list of the favourite solo numbers.
Which are yours.?
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Yesterday, was the day when most of Mumbai was out saying bye bye to Ganpati. The little home Ganpati’s had their joyous send offs. 
Accompanied by band baja, and scores of bad dancers, the Ganpati’s wove their way through the streets of Mumbai to the sea, where they will be immersed. 
Families, devotees, and just fun loving citizens turned up to have fun, mauj and masti.. on a day that has come to taken on carnival like proportions. 
And what is amazing about this festival, more than any other religious festival ….. is the tenderness and absolute love with which people observe it. IT has gone beyond rituals and rites…. and into something where ‘God’ has become a personal friend, child, ….someone for whom people have affection and fondness, not fear and compulsion. 
A word of praise for the Mumbai Traffic Police …. once again the men in Khaki, kept the traffic unjammed, ensured that no one got stuck…. and all in all the good humour and cheer was maintained. Yesterday, I was in the area between Khar & Juhu - attending a baithak ….. it took me all of 40 minutes…. that is despite seeing 52 large Ganpati’s going for immersion. Pudcha Varshi… Laukar Ya…. you are already being missed
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Everytime, my phone service provider decides to change names, the service provided to me has a major case of hiccups. In the 8 years that I have been with them, they have been Max Touch, Orange, Hutch and now Vodafone. Not that it normally bothers me - except that today their network fully went inactive on me and a couple of others that i know. I went into their website … and dead again. Finally an hour later the networks came back to life again and so did their website. Guys, you are in an extremely competitive, service industry. The market is not only price sensitive but also quality sensitive. Telling large chunks of your market that their phone can only access emergency numbers is not the best way to start out. And though I love the little pug, and would really appreciate it if my network follows me ….i get kind of pissed off, it trails me half an hour later.
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Another monday, another week.
Hope that this one is more fruitful than the last one !
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Often I don’t go to Infinity Mall, - the purpose is simple … to avoid going into Landmark and spending a fortune. Often I fail. 52 vol.2 - like 52, vol.1 - makes for compelling reading. Primarily because the characters are so incredibly strong. The story is broken into multiple journeys of heroes. The one that i found the most compelling is the story of Black Adam and his redemption. The four best writers in the comic business get together to pack another fabulous tale. Renee Montoya & the Question get to Kandhaq , Black Adam & Isis get married, The adventurers in space meet Lobo, and Ralph Dinby meets the Helmet of Fate, and Booster Gold meets his maker……. A year ago, i didn’t even know about these characters …. now i care what happens to them (Even Lobo)…I guess that is the power of good story telling.. Definitely worth buying.
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