Greatbong is no Stephen King, but shines nevertheless

Its been some time since I read anything as disgusting as this book. Its however also been some time since I read something as spine chilling as this. This is pretty much a one line review of 'The Mine' by Arnab Ray, known to the Indian Blogosphere as 'greatbong.'

The book is shameless about its sexual imagination, immature in its ability to handle language, conversations and mood and yet somehow it manages to hold on the reader through a heart thumping page turner. The success of the book lies in its all out tenacity to bring out the worst of our inhibitions, hidden deep inside us right on to the surface - which also happens to be its plot in the first place.

The strength of the book is its setting, cliched as it may get, the mine in 'the mine' goes a far way in establishing its prime mood. In the shining, Stephen King's brilliantly written horror novel (later adopted by Stanley Kubrick with Jack Nicholson in the lead) a family of three is in a lonely Hotel far away from society and what kills them are not the monsters of the Hotel but the monsters that reside within them. The theme here is similar and brought out very well.

While most of the characters utter lines that are out of place and childish, the author compensates for these with thrills and revelations that just about make sure that the page is turned. Like the epilogue, which is unnecessary yet brutal - the book too is a series of events that make one question why they are reading the book in the first place, yet making them complete it almost as if going through the motions.

For the Indian Writer, Ray has opened new avenues that will hopefully be explored more and further.

The Mine - Tough to read, tougher to put down. 

The Greatest Return in all of Entertainment?

Some of these Hindu Gods can surprise us with fairly weird and psychedelic stories of their lives. It is an underrated trait. Mythology is an underused art form. India is missing out on a truckload of very interesting subplots to engine their dying script industry.It is not surprising though, that the best use of Mythology in Indian Cinema is often found in the works of one hell of an atheist - Kamal Haasan. While many of his references to the holy have been interpreted as immature digs, most are works of ingenious analogies to the stories that we've grown up praying to.

The Guardian deity of the plateau down south found a face and a voice to tell his story in Virumandi. Ram lost his wife and went on a quest to destroy the world in Hey Ram. Murugan takes an avatar too with both his wives in Kaadala  Kaadala. In Guna, a Siva, dark and not blue skinned is dancing in all his vigour waiting for his Abirami . Siva resurfaces in one of his more somber moods in well, Anbe - Sivam. To kind of sum it up, Dasavatharam happened. Coming to look at it, Dasavatharam is more of a statement than a word. It is a picture of the omnipotent all pervading strength and flourish that the almighty inspires in his believers. To believers of acting, the attempt from Kamal was to the same effect.

The question would have come up in someone's mind, and I am guessing it would have been KS Ravikumar, "What is grander than Dasavatharam?" While Dasavatharam is like a collectors edition of everything that Lord Vishnu could transform himself into to save the world, something like a panoramic photograph, this word, Vishwaroopam is one-single shot of all the consuming phenomena that Vishnu is made out to be in mythology. The idea is therefore is to expect nothing short of Kamal Haasan's best possible output in all of his cinema career. The very thought is intellectually orgasmic. Chennai, India and I hear a town in the French Riviera is all geared up for what surely is the greatest return in ALL of entertainment!

A movie which can be seen only on the big screen

A movie made at a staggering half a billion dollars and promised amazing, never seen before visuals – you actually not know what to expect from this flick. I was blank as well, as I walked in to the theater wearing dark glasses thinking whether it was going to be a film that was just going to show graphics and graphics only and flush the story and narration down the sewer?

Anything could happen, I told myself to stave of any sort of disappointment, but coming from James Cameroon, I convinced myself that it would have a decent enough story and amazing visuals. Just like Terminator and Titanic – Both of them which had a pretty interesting story and even more appealing visuals and effects. Avatar reminds us about another great film Matrix that hit the screens 10 years back, probably when James Cameroon went to the floors with this film. Two bodies – one mind. Human Genome mixed with those of the humanoids of Pandora and so…. Well you kind of understand it even though you are sweating at the mention of few biological utterances. Our hero has Equivalent pandorian which he can control with his mind. His mission is to gain the natives of Pandora’s trust and negotiate deals with them for re locating them so that human’s can extract the precious stone worth 20 million Dollars. All hell breaks loose as the human’s led by a head strong major launch an offensive against their village that is on top of a tree. The tree (Their Village) is brought down and is smashed. The natives decide to take revenge. This makes the entire chunk of the visually appealing climax.

This review would have probably put you off if you are a cinephile, but it’s not for nothing that JC has taken 10 years for making this movie. 6 legged horses, giant jurrassic inspired reptiles, floating mountains tropical rain forests, inter connected trees (I mean, the humanoids have a personal connection with all the living beings, through their mind!), huge elephant- Rhino like creatures and jumbo machines of the humans- It has everything. The matrix hang over is seen in some of the weapons as well, Remember saving the city scene in matrix 2 where huge robotic machines operated by a single operator with huge machine guns? You see them here as well.

The most striking thing of Avatar as supposed to other films of this repute and more importantly the budget; lets say Jurrassic park or the 2012 is that - you don’t see where they have played around with graphics. Of course, you can easily find out in the case of weird creatures and all that! But, the humanoids themselves are very difficult to guess. There were dressed in blue suits or where they created in a computer. Did they shoot in a tropical rain forest or did they use a blue mat simulation? Did they construct the weird helicopters and huge machines or was it the handi work of graphic engineers? It does make an interesting exercise for the audience to guess where they have used it and where they have not! While in movies like 2012 you can actually pretty much list out scenes and say – Hey that’s graphics man!

That I think is the best thing about Avatar! The world pulled over your eyes called “Pandora” is so beautiful and dangerous that you would want to take a chance even with your life to see and marvel the beauty. Floating mountains and having a personal connection with animals with your hair and telling them what to do with our minds - Take that for Imagination!!! So, James Cameroon pretty much takes one frame for the film maker in him and gives one for the people. You have the clichés and you have the “Wow, how did he do that” instance in the same film.

On the whole, Avatar pretty much delivers what I expected out of it… A decent interesting story line and visuals I have not seen anywhere. It delivers it. It’s just right THERE. Skip the movie, if you want to kindle the cinephile in you. If you want to marvel at the technological advancement the movie has made – Go for it. You won’t be disappointed. Never see this on your computer. See it in 3- D.

Avatar - To be enjoyed only on the big screen.

Udhav Naig

What you expect is what you get!

For those who have taken a liking to vintage classics of World cinema, you would have have noticed that they are based on great books, but imagine the quality of a film if its based on a book that already reads like a bollywood potboiler. That is precisely how I would define 3 Idiots. Make no mistake, the film is - as the director pointed out is only loosely based and adequate changes are made actually cater to what we now call as the "Bollywood audience". Yet, the movie borrows its best moment from the book.

Aamir Khan (Rancho), Maddy (Farhan) and Sharman Joshi( Raju Rastogi) are 3 friends having whale of a time in college, its a typical bollywood college with strict and funnily lisping principal. The characterization of the 3 idiots and other idiots in this film is pretty much Dittoed from the book. Aamir as the brilliant, bright and erudite guy who wants to enjoy learning and keeps telling his friends the same. Maddy can easily call himself the "forced" engineer, as his love lies elsewhere in clicking pics, while Sharman is a poor young guy from the village who has an ailing mother and to be married sister Maddy and Sharman are the low graders while Aamir always manages to get the first rank- the reason he attributes to his phenomenal success are- For me engineering is passion, you guys see it as a marks...Let learning be a passion, says Mr Rancho.

Farhan and Raju follow one dream, a dream that would give a great life for Raju's family and a dream which would fill the heart of Farhan's dad with happiness.Its a dream that the 2 families share, that is to get a job. All the fun that ensues and the funny experience that 2 idiots go through is towards one dream. Aamir is not bothered about a job or even marks, he says "Excellence will bring success automatically".

The principal is pissed with Rancho's ideas, and he is almost sure that he is man behind spoiling Farhan and Raju's grades. He tries to put him in his place but every effort is thwarted and ends up in vain. Pia (Kareena Kapoor), daughter of the strict principal himself is coochie cooing with one of the idiots Rancho. They fall in love and a good enjoyable song is danced out, which I confess, I enjoyed.

Mayhem ensues when Raju is caught doing mischief outside professors house. He is asked to turn the "Approver" and Raju does not budge, so he jumps down a 3 story building and damages his arms, and brains. He gets the job; All ends well and smiles and hugs are shared- and A twist. Aamir just gets into a car and vanishes. from the college, from pia's life and from his friends life. How they find him is the question that is answered in the final segment of the film.

Although it stays loyal to the book in most of their college life, the lives of these 3 young adults change - post college. The post college story is brief in the film, but the ramifications in each of their life - post college is pretty huge. The comic instances in the book like flicking the question paper or entering the professors house are religiously followed. The principal's role, acted out with good finesse with Bomman Irani is effective, it is not just funny all the time like how it always is...especially in a comedy film.

The movie is pot boiler, but with an innovation. It does not have skimpily clad heroine, does not have terrible nasal blowing singers trying hard to create an impact. Except for the 10 minutes in the film, nothing seems forced and effortlessly falls in to place - Thanks to Chetan Bhagat. It has its pitfalls too, Seriously, I expect much more from Aamir, of course, this movie is not boring and satisfies the basic expectation, but shouldn't he pull up the gear, esp after Taare Zameen Par?

Casting seems to be a mismatch, its not a film which should have been done by Aamir khan and Maddy. Although I would excuse 40 plus Aamir in exchange for his super good acting in this comical role, I am unable to digest Maddy as an engineering student who doesn't just look like a college student any more. No where close. Sorry!

The dialogues in the film has been well written, Pre Interval speech in Shudh Hindi, brings the house down literally, although it is not pretentious but direct sexual references, it is enjoyable. nevertheless. The songs become a formality, but the duet with Kareena is enjoyable.

Aamir Khan fits the role, but for his age which shows in many places. Maddy and Sharman also do a very good job in this film with good number of laughs. A movie meant just to make you laugh, panchathanthiram style. Aamir laughs all the way again to the bank!

Udhav Naig