Travel: Murud-Janjira.

What do you do when you have a Safari? You jus pack your bags and hit the road.. and this tym the road led us to Murud-Janjira.



Murud-Janjira is a fort located on a island jus off the coast f the village Murud in the Raigad district f Maharashtra. It was the Siddis who built the 22-acre fort and is known for being unconquered.

It's approx 190kms from Mumbai. We started at 6:45am and reached the fort at 11:45. The road to Murud-Janjira is quite pleasant except for the last 50kms. The last 50kms comes once you cross the famous Alibaug beach. On the way, there's this infamous beach, Kashid. Kashid's beautiful with white sand which are a rare sight in India. It's less populated and considerably clean. It's less populated because people just stop at Alibaug and never venture further.

Once you cross Kashid, there comes a rural area called Murud. There are 3 villages surrounding the Fort which is surrounded by water on all 4 sides. This waters is the Arabian Sea. There's a boat service which runs from the bandar to the fort at a mere Rs.20/ person. There's one boat every 45minutes. No safety measures are followed inside the boat. So, you better take care f yourself once inside. The approx distance to the fort would be 5kms and it takes bout 15mins to reach there on the boat. Interesting thing is, you've got to change the boat to a smaller one because this big boat cannot go near the entrance. The smaller boat takes you near the entrance. There is yet another amazing feature f the Janjira. The entrance can only be seen when you're extremely near the fort. The architecture of the fort is such. Imagine the engineering at that tym. #Respect.

Once you're in the fort the boat guide gives you enough information about the fort to whet your appetite and then charges Rs.50/person as a charge for his services as a guide.

Inside the fort there is a secret tunnel which was built 70ft under the fort to reach the villages. It's closed now but one can see it's entrance. There is a 12 tonne cannon placed strategically near it's entrance. There was debate about how such a heavy cannon was carried up there. There is a Dargah inside the fort. Some broken structures constitute the center f the fort. There is a pond inside the fort. Although the fort is surrounded by all sides by sea, this pond consists f sweet water. The locals say it's a miracle and the queen used to bathe in that pond. When you climb the highest point of the fort you see a distant fort again in the middle f the sea. Rumours has it that it was built by Shivaji's son Sambhaji in order to conquer the fort but was unsuccessful. The stone with which the fort is built is so strong that in so many years it has gone in just 2 inches due to the crashing waves. There's this woman inside who provides water to the thirsty tourists for free but tourists usually leave some change behind.

The visiting tym for this fort is jus 45minutes. Hence, taking the services f the guide may actually be helpful.


P.S. - Worth visiting. Carry sunscreen and a hat because there's no shade whatsoever. Try to reach before 11: am and complete the visit before the sun becomes unbearable.


P.P.S - If you're lucky you will spot Dolphins.

movie review: Inkaar.

Cast: Arjun Rampal, Chitrangada Singh.

Director: Sudhir Mishra.

This movie is based on a very strong theme - Sexual harassment. So, what exactly is "Sexual Harassment"? According to Wikipedia, Sexual Harassment is bullying or coercion f a sexual nature or inappropriate promise f rewards in exchange f sexual favors.

The story goes like this - Rampal plays an established CEO f a very big advertising agency while Chitra, as I fondly call her, plays a fresher in that line. Rampal takes her under his wing and teaches her everything about Advertising. During this period both f 'em fall in love. This love story in broken by Chitra's jealousy over Rampal's closeness to a add model. Consequently she leaves him goes to Delhi and from there, New-york [yes, goin to New-york is always easy in movies] for 7years. 

Cut two, Chitra returns with a boyfriend and to acquire a position in the board f directors. This promotion Chitra hides from Rampal which makes him very uncomfortable. He avenges this insult. He harasses Chitra for lil things and lastly makes a sexual innuendo towards her, this however is unclear.

Chitra files a case f Sexual Harssment against Rampal. The case is studied by experts but in vain. They are unable to come to a solution and loose sleep over this case unaware that Rampal and Chitra kiss and make up in the gents washroom. [Chitra, you had made a public statement that you would never kiss on-screen, what happened to that promise?]

The end is terrible. They could have made it better. You could watch this one once. Rampal, Chitra - get some acting lessons. [Chitra, sorrie darling but fact is fact - you can't act.]

P.S. Chitra, you're hot.

movie review: Student of the year.

Cast: Alia Bhat, Sidharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan.


Director: Karan Johar.

New comers. Young blood. Chest. Biceps. 6-pack abs. Money. Fame. Fast cars. Rich fat father. Son f rich father wants to be a rockstar. Poor boy. Wants to be rich, famous lyk the rich son's fat father. Rich boy and poor boy become enemies. Pretty girl, girlfriend f rich boy. Short skirts. Bitching. Reindeer games. Posh skool, best in the country. Gay principal. Student f the year trophey. Competition. Rich boy and poor boy become best friends. Pretty girl falls in love with poor boy. Rich boy and poor boy fight. Poor boy helps rich boy win the trophy. Skool ends. Pretty girl marries poor boy. Gay-Principal falls ill. Calls these fools. Rich boy is now a big singer. Poor boy is an investment banker. Chest, Biceps, 6-pack abs still present. Pretty girl hugs rockstar. Investment banker gets angry. Fight. Pretty girl watches. Fight ends. Rockstar and Investment banker hug each other. End of the movie.

P.S. - DO NOT WATCH.

P.P.S - Karan Johar, why dont u go jump in the lake?

movie review: Chakravyuh

Cast: Arjun Rampal, Abhay Deol, Om Puri, Esha Gupta.

Director: Prakash Jha

Tough storylyn. This movie is made on a very sensitive topic, the Naxals.

Rampal plays the cop who is posted in Nanded to finish off the Naxals. Esha plays his wife + associate cop. LOL, ryt.. I noe. Abhay Deol plays a stubborn friend then an estranged friend and then a back stabbing bastard. Om Puri plays a Naxal advisor. Manoj Bajpai plays the Naxal leader.

Rampal plants Deol in the Naxal gang as a rat. But, as Deol stays among 'em he realizes that there's more to Naxals that what meets the eye. He explains this Rampal and asks him to withdraw from Nanded. Rampal refuses to withdraw. Now, it's Rampal versus Deol. The cops & the Naxals go for a toss. Esha Gupta was not required, they could have managed without her. Bajpai's talent got wasted. Rampal looks tough as a cop. Deol is at his best.

P.S.  you could watch this one over a cheese-popcorn.

movie review: Vicky Donor.

Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Yami Gautam, Annu Kapoor.

Director: Shoojit Sircar

The movie starts with Ayushmann, Vicky Arora being a happy-go-lucky-guy, having an affair with his hot neighbour. Vicky's mother pestering him to earn money but not doing a job. Vicky goes to a bank one fine day to open an account where he encounters Yami, Ashima Roy for the first tym & immediately falls for her.

 Meanwhile, fertility expert Annu Kapoor, Dr. Chadda finds out that Vicky is a carrier of healthy sperms judging by the fact that his grandfather became a father the 19th tym at the age of 78. Dr. Chadda talks Vicky into donating his sperms for the needy. Vicky is reluctant in the beginning but agrees later.

On the other side, Vicky & Ashima get closer & eventually get married. Ashima finds out that Vicky was a sperm donor before & after they got married. She gets mad because Vicky hid this thing from her. She leaves him & stays with her father. Later, Dr.Chadda enlightens Ashima about the good work that Vicky has done by helping the needy couples get a child.

The twist in the story comes when they find out that Ashima cannot conceive ever. They later adopt a child which was born from Vicky's donated sperm to a couple who died in an accident later.

Ayushmann is awesome in the movie. Natural, I'd say. Annu Kapoor is excellent as always. Yami is very good looking. Ayushmann's neighbour is hot.

A tinge f Bengali made the movie even more spicier.

P.S.  A brilliantly made movie. Wonderful concept. Cheers to the writer. Must watch.

movie review: Last Night.

Cast: Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington, Eva Mendes

Director: Massy Tadjedin

This is a story of a married couple Keira & Sam.

Keira accuses her husband, Sam of being attracted to his co-worker, Eva. This happens a night before Sam has to go to Philadelphia with Eva on a business trip. In the morning Keira realizes her fault & writes a note to Sam saying that she might have over-reacted.

Sam leaves for Philadelphia. Meanwhile, Keira meets her ex-boyfriend, Guillaume from Paris in New-york. Keira & Guillaume spend the evening together & also the night. Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, Sam finds it very difficult to resist the temptation that Eva offers him.

In the end, Sam sleeps with Eva & Keira with Alex.


Sam guilty as hell leaves his business trip, returns to New-your, hugs Keira & tells her that he loves her.



P.S. do two wrongs make a right?

movie review: Players.

Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Bipasha Basu, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Sonam Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Aftab Shivdasani, Sikhander Kher, Omi Vaidya, Johnny Lever, Vinod Khanna.


Director: Abbas Mustan



A copy of Italian Job. The difference is terrible acting, extra characters, 2.5hrs & a lil twist.



Abhishek walks around lyk a cool cat. Bipasha exposes cuz she does not know anything else. Sonam has always been stupid & hasn't changed this tym too. Neil was okay. Omi was irritating. Aftab does a blink-and-you-miss cameo. Bobby Deol.. who? Johnny Lever is no longer funny. Vinod Khanna should have retired. They say, it's always best to go out when you're on the top. Sikhander Kher, ah almost forgot.. yeah, he was there too.


Crowded, ryt?




P.S. While Italian Job was classic, Players is stupid.

movie review: Ek main aur ekk tu.

Cast: Imran Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Boman Irani, Ratna Pathak Shah, ram Kapoor.



Director: Shakun Batra



Stupid movie. "Perfectly average" - a new concept taught in the movie. You-would-not-expect kinda ending.






P.S. Google the concept. Let a friend tell u the ending but, but, but.. DO NOT watch.

movie review: Force.

Cast: John Abraham, Genelia D'souza, Vidyut Jamwal.



Director: Nishikant Kamat


Force is not a mindless action movie. It has loads f action but it also has
substance.




John, ok you have taken some heavy duty steroids, but awesome size man. Vidyut,
good-lean physique. Geneila, borrow some steroids from John & get big, please.




John, a narcotics officer fights the drug terror in the country with 4 f his trusted
men. Debutant Vidyut plays, Vishnu with ease. Grim look & sly smile works for him.




The direction is superb. Good action, lil brutal thou'. The chase scene direction
including John & Vidyut was amazing. Thumbs-up for the dialogues. But the bike scene
was totally fake. How can a person lift a 150Kg bike? Even if has lifted how could he
throw it? When thrown, how does it travel straight as an arrow? No gravity, eh?





I do not agree with the casting much. Preity Zinta could have been used. You needed
someone cute then why not Zinta, man? Genelia looks lyk a tiny sparrow in front f
John. Isn't the actress supposed to complement the actor? Monish Bhel playing John's
junior looked lame. Raj Babar sucked.





John tries to b cute. Man, you've already crossed the size for being cute. Genelia is
already cute then why try to me more cute by over-acting?




Lastly, the song, Khwabon mein, sucks.






P.S. only if John could act..

movie review : Not a Love Story.

Cast: Mahi Gill, Deepak Dobriyal, Ajay Gehi.



Director: Ram Gopal Verma


Struggling model-casting couch-says no-struggle continues-finally gets a break-falls for the director who gives her a break-director stays overnight @Models' place-suspicious boyfriend-kills the director-dumps the body-missing report filed-police questions-model found guilty-police tortures-model confesses-boyfriend caught-verdict still awaited..

A normal looking film but based on a real story of Neeraj Grover killing my the Kannada actress Maria Susairaj and her boyfriend Jerome Mathew.



The body getting chopped to pieces is shown nicely in the film. This movie shows us that how nice, normal looking people can be extremely brutal when required. The Rangeela track in the background helps.




I love the end where Mahi & Deepak kiss & don't let each other go. That speaks volumes of the love that was there between 'em.



If the camera would have rotated & revolved a bit less that I wouldn't have had a headache by the end of the movie. Mahi Gill should have acted better. Gehi still speaks in a silly like the way he did in Ghoom.



P.S. worth a watch.


Moral: You can love someone very deeply & yet do things which could hurt 'em.

movie review: The Japanese Wife.

Cast: Rahul Bose, Raima Sen, Chigusa Takaku




Director: Aparna Sen.


Love, in it's purest form.





P.S. must watch.

movie review: Kuch Love Jaisa.

Cast:Rahul Bose, Shefali Chhaya, Neetu Chandra, Sumeet Raghavan.



Director:Barnali Ray Shukla

The title sounded silly to me but since it had Rahul Bose & Shefali Chhaya in it, I thought it would'nt be. I was so wrong.




Beginning:
Shefali & Sumeet play husband & wife in the film. Rahul is a wanted gangster although it is never shown what crimes he did actually commit or may be they showed, I must have dozed off by then. Sumeet is shown as bored with Shefali after 4yrs f marriage & 2 children, work is wife n all bull crap. Shefali gets pissed on the 29th Feb, which happens to be her birthday & Sumeet forgets to wish her. To avenge this she heads out to a mall, shops, dolls up, buys a new red car, goes to a coffee shop, smokes, chats up with a stranger [Rahul Bose] & leaves to spend the day with him. Rahul says he's a detective or something & Shefali believes it & goes around chasing any guy in a yellow tight t-shirt. How dumb!




In-between:
I dozed off.





End:
When I got up, some 20Min's were remaining. There was Shefali's birthday celebration party. Next scene in the washroom, Shefali is asking her school-goin daughter whether she's in love or not & whether did she have sex, yet. Damn, mother's ask these kinda stuff?



The films starts off well. Appears promising but loses control after the 30Min's & drifts someplace else. And Rahul, dude the bhai-language rilly dosent suit you.



To the director - You should not waste a talent lyk Rahul Bose & Shefali Chhaya.



P.S. Silly.

movie review: Happy ThankYouMorePlease.

Cast:Malin Akerman, Josh Radnor, Kate Mara, Zoe Kazan, Pablo Schreiber, Tony Hale



Director:Josh Radnor



The title "Happy ThankYouMorePlease" is a lil annoying but the film isn't. You might actually want more when the film reaches its end.




The film is about a 20-something writer, Radnor who lives a bachelor life & meets a lil black boy, Rasheen who is seperated from his family since six years on a subway while going for work. Radnor adopts Rasheen illegally. Malin Akerman, plays Radnor's hairless (due to a condition) friend. Kate Mara plays Radnor's love interest. Kate is an aspiring singer & waitress. Tony Hale plays Malin's over-friendly friend at workplace.




A beautiful man-child relationship is shown between Radnor. Radnor tries several times to give away the child to police or the child-service but the boy refuses to leave him. Eventually the boy blends into his lyf. Whilst leaving with him Radnor discovers that the Rasheen has immense talent with a pencil & a paper & so, encourages him.




The title is well explained by Malin in a scene with Tony where she states that she usually says "more please" with a "thank-you" cuz thanking somebody is done when something good has happened with you & she'd lyk more such opportunities.




A brilliant cast to go with a good story.





Moral f the story: Adulthood is not about waiting for the right answers to get the life you want, but simply stumbling ahead and figuring them out in the process.

movie review: Game.

Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Sarah Jane Dias, Gauhar Khan, Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher.



Director: Abhinay Deo

The title song f the movie goes like this: it's a game.. it's a game. I shud've stopped watchin there & then.

movie review : Black Swan.

Cast: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis.



Director : Darren Aronofsky


One word - Beautiful!




P.S. not for everyone.

movie review : The Mechanic.

Cast : Jason Statham, Ben Foster, Donald Sutherland, Mini Aden.




Director: Simon West



Why cant Statham do a film wherein he only has to fix cars. His obsession with machines & being a serial killer cracking skulls is way too repetitive now.




The Mechanic is lyk any other hit man movies wherein the lead dodges away bullets, kills people with no expression f guilt on his face, blows up cars & walks away like a cool cat.




A porn-like sex scene between Jason & Mini gives this film an "A" certificate. But, that's a given. Fast cars, bullets, sex all go together.




Keeping aside all the repetitiveness & criticism, if I'd make a action flick neday, I wouldn't do it without Statham as my main lead. He looks like he could kill a few people, innit?





P.S. it's a popcorn action film which would give you what you'd go expecting.

movie review : Patiala House.

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Anushka Sharma, Rishi Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, Hard Kaur, Tinu Anand, Prem Chopra



Director : Nikhil Advani
Do not watch.


There are way too many characters in the film. Rishi Kapoor acts loud. You'll yawn when Akshay comes on the screen. The racism against the Indian's in UK is over-rated. The only saving grace is the lady, Anushka Sharma., she brings lyf in the film.


P.S. An emotional boring drama in the back-drop f cricket.

movie review : Yeh Saali Zindagi.

Cast: Chitrangda Singh, Arunoday Singh, Irrfan Khan, Aditi Rao Hydari, Saurabh Shukla, Sushant Singh.


Director: Sudhir Mishra


Honestly, I went to watch this film cuz it had Chitrangda in it. No woman managed to touch my heart & rattle my brains as the way Chitra[as I fondly call her] did, ever. Period.



Yeh Saali Zindagi works in the backdrop f a gangster-ridden world but the film is primarily about burning love. The film is shot in the underbelly's f Delhi.


Irfan plays Arun, a partner at a local finance company run by Saurabh Shukla. Chitra plays, Priti, a small tym club singer. Arunoday Singh stars as a small-time gangster, Kuldeep with the lovely Aditi Rao Hydari as his wife. Sushant Singh plays a corrupt cop.



The dialogues in the film will be remembered. Irfan is fab thru'out the movie. The ease with which he delivers with a poker face is simply amazing. Arunoday is okay. Chitra doesn't deliver but she lights up the screen everytym she comes on it. If you look lyk that, there is no need to act. Bottom line.



A lot f smooches [22, someone told me], badwords give the film an "A". In spite f this, the film should be tried once. Irfan & Chitra fans go ahead, you wont b disappointed.



P.S. Chitra, I Love You!

movie review : Secretariat.

Cast: Diane Lane, John Malkovich, Scott Glenn, James Cromwell



Director: Randall Wallace



There are two stars in the film. The first is two-legged, Penny & the second is four-legged, Secretariat.




The film revolves around a horse(red stallion) named Secretariat, a father & his daughter, Penny Chenery(Diane Lane) fighting bankruptcy. It's a true story based on a woman & her horse. The film is all about good-old Christian faith.




This is film whose outcome we already know but still it manages to b special by connecting to the viewers. The movie unravels at its own pace. There are a lot f feel good moments throughout the film.




The scene involving Penny interacting with the horse is wonderful.





P.S. A film that hits all it's marks. The sight f a running horse is a beautiful thing.

movie review : 13.

Cast : Jason Statham, 50cent, Mickey Rourke, Sam Riley.




Director : Gela Babulani



A electrician steals an identity f a dead man & goes on to play "The Game". The game is where some rich bidders gamble on the lives f other men. The men are numbered. Sam plays the player with no 13 & he survives, hence the name f the movie.





The plot is weak. The end preposterous. A talent lyk Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke is abundantly wasted. 50cent plays the rich bidder, he looked lyk he wanted some money after his mansion f 14bedrooms was burgled recently. Riley, although not a known face, was very good in the movie.