General Odds and Ends..
Kewl, general odds and ends - been a while since I updated this blog - since then a lot has happened. To start with:
1. India lost, hang on, got whitewashed rather unceremoniously in the test series against England, in the process losing the poisoned chalice of
no. 1 to England and moving to a more appropriate no. 3 in the test rankings. Based on current form, expect more sliding than rising from the men in blue.
2. Anna Thousand has taken the world, okay, atleast the English press reading public by storm. Whether the Jan Lokpal is a well thought out
exercise or whether I believe that holding a democratically elected government to cheap ransom through blackmail is wrong, the fact is that it has brought to the fore the fight against corruption. Or as I should put it, corruption which is not answerable is bad, as they say in a red land to our east, be corrupt but also friggin' do your job.
3. Yeddy has finally been uprooted - well, almost, instead of wife, he has a pliant man who I frankly don't remember the name off as the CM of
Karnataka.
4. And the Karnataka Film Producers Association has been at its lucid best - depending on rumours from gossip mags to crucify a girl, for no fault
of hers other than to having had her name associated with a wife beating, domestic violence prone Kannada film star. Duh! Almost there with Man-mohan Singham.. if you see what I mean. Or Baba Dramadev. Ah ok, atleast some sane people in the industry, the rajkumar brothers have condemned the ban.
Anyways, so much for the general news. Onto more interesting and potentially entertaining stuff. The last couple of weeks have been hectic, though I have been filling the ipad up with books and music and the likes. The erudite friend introduced me to the Patrick O' Brian novels - them of Aubrey and
Maturin of the Master and Commander - Far Side of the World fame. Interesting little series. Also started Terry Prachett, who is well funny, in a good kind of way. Sean Bean and his antics on HBO have kind of made me revisit the Song of Ice and Fire series, still find it depressing, still find it confusing the hell out of me, but the writing is very very good. So may revisit them, as I have it on the Ipad. Which now doubles up as my book reader and Walkman rolled into one.
One book or series which I did start, but I don't think I will last out is Alex Rutherford's Empire of the Moghul, read the first book, which is a fairly drab and dreary rendition of the life, times and death of Babur, the First amongst Equals, the founder of the Mughal dynasty in India. It, honestly, reads a bit like a stern Hindu editorial on how China is way better than India, and not like a racy action-romance novel, which is what I thought the Mughal dynasty was all about. Sterile, almost devoid any emotion, it strips Babur's life into a series of dreary episodes, even a passage which involves polo with severed Chakrak heads has been delivered with the coldness and sangfroid of the famed English butler. The writing lacks in passion, is unable to hold the reader, though simply written, the prose is lifeless and fails to move the reader. As I mentioned to a friend, my history books had more verve and excitement in them about the various battles and fights that the Mughals had. The climactic battle with Ibrahim Lodi, which resulted in the founding of the dynasty, is dealt with all the passion of a coded message from a battalion commander to his regimental HO saying all is well. In short, was quite disappointed. William Dalrymple while depressing in parts, has done a way better job with his books of the period. And I understand, again from the literate friend, that Abraham Eraly has done a good job of it. I would prefer those to Alex Rutherford.
Moving onto music, the last couple of weeks again have been spent listening to one ditty - a Kishore kumar number from the movie Paraya Dhan which goes Dil hai mera dil and so on. Picturised on a clean shaven, but fully haired Rakesh Roshan and a rather young and pretty looking Hema Malini in attire which she wouldn't have probably worn in later days. The song is all about how a great voice with lyrics can be set on the most absurd looking combination and still make it as a hit - well Hema Malini looks good, but R Roshan, is well, R Roshan.
Movies - say the last airbender - m night shyamalan's latest attempt at recreating the sixth sense magic - sadly the story though interesting is let
down by stilted acting, direction and in general a weak screenplay. The only interesting character is Cliff Curtis as the Fire King, but then Cliff Curtis manages to look interesting as that weird Colombian drug lord/terrorist in collateral damage, so we shd discount that. In general, a sad movie, not worthy of creating a franchise which is where MNS was headed towards. Talking of acronyms, M Night Shyamalan becomes MNS, which is in turn that superior political body of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.. Duh! Who could have thunk that. In any case, the LAB in the hands of a Nolan could be
a worthwhile thinking drama or in the hands of a tarantino, a exciting homage-revenge drama, in the hands of MNS it turns out to be a heavy, drab
and lifeless piece of tripe. Unfortunately, as the boy (who resembles the seal pup) had potential in indulging in self indulgent nudge nudge wink
action the way Uma Thurman did in Kill Bill. Anyways, that is another story.. happened by the climax of Chandni Choke to China and was once again
reduced to wondering how Gordon Liu could go from Pai Mei to getting beaten up by Akshay Kumar. Disgraceful..
Seeing yet another old Rakesh Roshan song - Koi Roko Na Deewane Ko from Priyatama, one wonders if his hair was painted on :-).
1. India lost, hang on, got whitewashed rather unceremoniously in the test series against England, in the process losing the poisoned chalice of
no. 1 to England and moving to a more appropriate no. 3 in the test rankings. Based on current form, expect more sliding than rising from the men in blue.
2. Anna Thousand has taken the world, okay, atleast the English press reading public by storm. Whether the Jan Lokpal is a well thought out
exercise or whether I believe that holding a democratically elected government to cheap ransom through blackmail is wrong, the fact is that it has brought to the fore the fight against corruption. Or as I should put it, corruption which is not answerable is bad, as they say in a red land to our east, be corrupt but also friggin' do your job.
3. Yeddy has finally been uprooted - well, almost, instead of wife, he has a pliant man who I frankly don't remember the name off as the CM of
Karnataka.
4. And the Karnataka Film Producers Association has been at its lucid best - depending on rumours from gossip mags to crucify a girl, for no fault
of hers other than to having had her name associated with a wife beating, domestic violence prone Kannada film star. Duh! Almost there with Man-mohan Singham.. if you see what I mean. Or Baba Dramadev. Ah ok, atleast some sane people in the industry, the rajkumar brothers have condemned the ban.
Anyways, so much for the general news. Onto more interesting and potentially entertaining stuff. The last couple of weeks have been hectic, though I have been filling the ipad up with books and music and the likes. The erudite friend introduced me to the Patrick O' Brian novels - them of Aubrey and
Maturin of the Master and Commander - Far Side of the World fame. Interesting little series. Also started Terry Prachett, who is well funny, in a good kind of way. Sean Bean and his antics on HBO have kind of made me revisit the Song of Ice and Fire series, still find it depressing, still find it confusing the hell out of me, but the writing is very very good. So may revisit them, as I have it on the Ipad. Which now doubles up as my book reader and Walkman rolled into one.
One book or series which I did start, but I don't think I will last out is Alex Rutherford's Empire of the Moghul, read the first book, which is a fairly drab and dreary rendition of the life, times and death of Babur, the First amongst Equals, the founder of the Mughal dynasty in India. It, honestly, reads a bit like a stern Hindu editorial on how China is way better than India, and not like a racy action-romance novel, which is what I thought the Mughal dynasty was all about. Sterile, almost devoid any emotion, it strips Babur's life into a series of dreary episodes, even a passage which involves polo with severed Chakrak heads has been delivered with the coldness and sangfroid of the famed English butler. The writing lacks in passion, is unable to hold the reader, though simply written, the prose is lifeless and fails to move the reader. As I mentioned to a friend, my history books had more verve and excitement in them about the various battles and fights that the Mughals had. The climactic battle with Ibrahim Lodi, which resulted in the founding of the dynasty, is dealt with all the passion of a coded message from a battalion commander to his regimental HO saying all is well. In short, was quite disappointed. William Dalrymple while depressing in parts, has done a way better job with his books of the period. And I understand, again from the literate friend, that Abraham Eraly has done a good job of it. I would prefer those to Alex Rutherford.
Moving onto music, the last couple of weeks again have been spent listening to one ditty - a Kishore kumar number from the movie Paraya Dhan which goes Dil hai mera dil and so on. Picturised on a clean shaven, but fully haired Rakesh Roshan and a rather young and pretty looking Hema Malini in attire which she wouldn't have probably worn in later days. The song is all about how a great voice with lyrics can be set on the most absurd looking combination and still make it as a hit - well Hema Malini looks good, but R Roshan, is well, R Roshan.
Movies - say the last airbender - m night shyamalan's latest attempt at recreating the sixth sense magic - sadly the story though interesting is let
down by stilted acting, direction and in general a weak screenplay. The only interesting character is Cliff Curtis as the Fire King, but then Cliff Curtis manages to look interesting as that weird Colombian drug lord/terrorist in collateral damage, so we shd discount that. In general, a sad movie, not worthy of creating a franchise which is where MNS was headed towards. Talking of acronyms, M Night Shyamalan becomes MNS, which is in turn that superior political body of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.. Duh! Who could have thunk that. In any case, the LAB in the hands of a Nolan could be
a worthwhile thinking drama or in the hands of a tarantino, a exciting homage-revenge drama, in the hands of MNS it turns out to be a heavy, drab
and lifeless piece of tripe. Unfortunately, as the boy (who resembles the seal pup) had potential in indulging in self indulgent nudge nudge wink
action the way Uma Thurman did in Kill Bill. Anyways, that is another story.. happened by the climax of Chandni Choke to China and was once again
reduced to wondering how Gordon Liu could go from Pai Mei to getting beaten up by Akshay Kumar. Disgraceful..
Seeing yet another old Rakesh Roshan song - Koi Roko Na Deewane Ko from Priyatama, one wonders if his hair was painted on :-).
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