sydbarett's Timeline

Commented on MouthShut_Official

The Responsible Way to Celebrate Diwali!

@SG21 Yeh kya haal bana rakha hai...kuch lete kyun nahin :-P

Commented on EarnesTaster's review

Imtiaz hits a Hat-trick of Sixers!
Tamasha

Incidentally, last evening I heard 'Agar Tum Saath Ho' for the first time. It is indeed 'experimental'. And successfully experimental at that. I am glad someone's trying to test the frontiers of Indian music, even if it is a tad delayed. Using multiple instruments (to say nothing of acoustic 'aids' ...like coins, cans and strings) to create 'soundscapes' rather than your usual tune, is something that requires a lot of 'music sense' and all of us know just how poor a country India is. Na Roti hai na Road, phir music sense kis jaanwar ka naam hai..... I suppose your comment 'triumph lies in its style of story-telling rather than its content' kinda sums it up well. To me its also the point of similarity between Mr Ali's storytelling and the music (talking only of Agar Tum Saath Ho. Havent listened to other tracks). Though I'm not too bothered about the 'quality' of content if the rendering is good, its 'theme' or the hackneying of a single theme does bother me a bit. More than a bit actually. Probably its something to do with whats saleable to Indians and what isnt. As for Deepika, I dont think I can ever 'warm up' to her. Not even if she were bathed in pheromone. PS - Imtiaz is back and so are you. He should make movies more often :)Read More

Commented on Emptor's review

Jai Bajrang Bali!
Bajrangi Bhaijaan

Good to know that you enjoyed the movie Vasu Sir. Your review puts across your POV quite effectively too. I also agree that many of us may be guilty of singling out Salman when the whole country is being plundered and raped without anyone as much as batting an eyelid ! I do feel however that its not... just about Salman's penalty evasion that we are talking of here. He represents all those rich and powerful who escape justice and serve as a bad example for the likes of him. In that sense his acquittal is synonymous with abject surrender of law and all those who stand for it. But for me there may be an even bigger reason to shun him and his ilk. And it has something to do with the over-the-top marketing of emotions/compassion/pathos/kindness, etc day after day and year after year in all forms of fiction/celluloid when its woefully inadequate in real Life. Anyone who exploits...nay overexploits popular sentiment repeatedly to make a quick buck kinda makes me feel very stupid and dimwitted. Even worse when the actual time/need to exhibit the compassion comes, the heart is already down with compassion fatigue :-PRead More

Commented on own review

The Pinnacle of Virtual Debris !
Facebook

@EarnesTaster - A lot of water has flown under the bridge since this review was written. Nowadays, most of the websites, especially Indian, resort to rampant data piracy to spam us. Having a mobile connection and gmail account has become an unforgivable sin. Google unkil has upstaged everyone else t...o become the largest data thief. Thankfully, these days I'm on protonmail and I haven't used Google's search engine in months. Its quite a compromise but I seem to somehow get by with a little help from Bing. But the point itself may well be moot. One cant go on changing email ids/mobile nos. every now and then. Perhaps the time is ripe for paid email services. Its already happening in West. Hopefully, someone will bring it to India too.Read More

Commented on own article

Open Letter to "Banner" Sarkaar

@EarnesTaster Thanks for comments. I did have a serial on Sab TV by the name of 'Lapataganj' wherein I used to highlight these issues :-P. Pity, it was taken off air shortly after Modiji swore in.

Commented on EarnesTaster's review

One of the Greatest Movies Ever Made
Shool

Thanks for the independence day Gift. I suspect thats what it is. I am aware of the reputation of the movie. Unfortunately for me, it was released at a time when I had completely given up watching Hindi movies (blame it on Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Dil To Paagal Hai and similar mush) so I have very little... recollection of it except the occasional scene here and there garnered from TV replays. But the detail and description in this review (to say nothing of the zeal) is that of almost epic proportions. One of the best reviews on MS in a long time. About the country, its barbarians and the devastated civic system, I am afraid, once again my cynicism will have to disappoint you. I think somewhere deep down, its that dreaded question of survival at all costs (and under all conditions nevermind how pathetic they may be) that puts paid any hopes of resurrection. We've already muscled past 1.25 billion (as I proudly discovered recently) and have sent another spine-chilling message to China - 'WE will not be out :-P'. And our government is busy banning beef and saving animals :-P One of these days, out on the streets of Kolkata, I'm gonna die of claustrophobia..... Make no mistake about it. Ours is a great country. As long as you are just passing it by.Read More

Commented on own article

Open Letter to "Banner" Sarkaar

@GEETA1963 ..sharing ? I hope you didn't mean to share this elsewhere ! I'm have a hard time dodging Mamtadi's goons. Dodging Mr Shah's will be impossible for me. I felt safe writing this blasphemous piece on MS secure in the belief that no one ever comes here :-P

Commented on own article

Open Letter to "Banner" Sarkaar

@desigal Aa gayi ? :-P Yes, these are murky waters, you never know who's waiting to nab you ! Reminds me of a great one liner - Our government may look like jokers and act like them too. But don't let that fool you. They really are jokers :-P

Commented on own article

Open Letter to "Banner" Sarkaar

@desigal Could you get the piece ? Glad if you could, since most of it was in Hindi ! Sarkar is already deciding things for us. And sadly, not only are we meekly accepting it, we aren't making fuss on it either :-(

Commented on jmathur's review

A gripping psychological crime thriller
Anu

Looks interesting Mathursaab. Prima facie though, this appears a far more straightjacket plot compared to Silence of the Lambs. Probably because copying Silence of... in itself may be a herculean task, let alone making something just as good. Talking of genres (and as an aside), it surprises me how ...something like 'workplace stories' are a very underdeveloped (even non existent) genre. Which is kinda surprising since they provide immense scope for psychological thrillers, I would say.Read More

Commented on jmathur's review

Aawara overturned
Dharam Karam

Mathursaab, khush kitta tussi... Ki gaal dasi... I'm sold ! No more arguments on this. Aapka 'differ' karna hi mere liye kaafi hai. In celebration of this grand occasion, I surrender unequivocally and unashamedly. Let me go back and reread my comment and see if I can find out the trigger (so that I ...can henceforth use it in all my future arguments). Mathursaab, aaj to din ban gaya mera ... Chhodo sanam kahe ka gham, hanste raho, differ karte raho...Read More

Commented on jmathur's review

Aawara overturned
Dharam Karam

I vaguely remember having watched the movie years ago. The theme has been dealt with in many movies, especially during post independence era. We 'like' to believe that nurture will win over nature but fact is more often than not, it doesn't. Perhaps that's why genes are what they are - very critical... in determining character. I suppose if they were so easy to rein we wouldn't have bothered discussing them in the first place. I think what Nurture can do is put a veil over Nature. For many people that is more than enough since they are too 'lokbheeru' (main bhi thodi Hindi jaanta hoon :-P) to question it otherwise. But in moments of crisis (eg, india's population problem) the years of nurturing (conditioning as peaceloving) goes for a toss and the 'genetic survival' instinct takes over and we turn ourselves into laughing stock.Read More

Commented on chatpati's review

DRISHYAM: Worst, Worster, Worstest
Drishyam

@jmathur - that's too sad. A nation of 1.25 odd billion can't produce original ideas for 5 movies a year! I'm at a loss of words ... Arey mujhe hire karlo das paanch ideas to main hi de dunga...

Commented on own article

Of Dr 'Kamaal' and Karma !!

@Bookish LOL @ the Jeromesque quote. I'm not so sure about the ''physically straining'' part. Traveling to Shillong itself is a strenuous task (unless they hired a chopper for Dr Kalam that landed on the IIM rooftop). I agree that the idea of spending the twilight of one's life - waiting on our bed ...for the inevitable isnt so exciting to most of us. But the simple point is that with advancement in age, one may curb one's movement to appropriate levels to guard against the risk of physical injury. The photos (to say nothing of the news) clearly show Kalam to be in a bad state health wise. But again the point that I'll underline is - its not particularly about Dr Kalam (more a trigger in this case) but for all those elderly gentlemen who either out of own volition or perforce neglect things such as this.Read More

Commented on chatpati's review

DRISHYAM: Worst, Worster, Worstest
Drishyam

Ajay had to be 'cardboard'. Otherwise, 'munni badnaam ho jaati' :-P Jokes apart I agree someone should put a ban on remakes. But then again, my impression is that producers usually encourage 'legal' remakes since it helps them extend their earnings even on 'dead meat'. I would say I was pleasa...ntly surprised by the movie. I had gone expecting something similar to Singham but the fact that Ajay did not even lift his hand once (except while stopping 'Gaitonde') and that the plot was really unique in Indian context (though I have a feeling it might have been inspired by something in the West), really made the movie standout. Tabu's aggression could perhaps be justified as 'demand of the role' and except for a weak first half when the 'family bonding' harp was being overplayed, I found the movie quite taut too.Read More

Commented on GRuchirG's review

RAM is coming!!
Scion of Ikshvaku - Amish Tripathi

Ruchir Babu, how does this compare with the Banker novels ? Unlike the Shiva trilogy, this time round, Amish has something similar to contend with.

Commented on EarnesTaster's review

Rating : "Not Applicable"
Bajrangi Bhaijaan

I totally buy your argument. I haven't watched Bajrangi and will probably never watch a Salman Khan film on my own again. I had stopped going to theatres sometime ago because they didn't allow me to carry Water ! But guess what ? To say that I was in a minority would be a gross overstatement. My own... family started boycotting me and forced me to accompany them to theatres. And like Ajay Devgn and many others out there, I would do anything for my family :-P Meanwhile, welcome to the League of 'Handful of Guys' !Read More

Commented on own article

Of Dr 'Kamaal' and Karma !!

@cyrilsunil Thanks for your comments

Commented on own article

Of Dr 'Kamaal' and Karma !!

@Toothless No question of tangent. Your points are all apposite. My own knowledge about Dr Kalam is too superficial to make any meaningful comment about him. To him probably this was the best way he could have spent his last years. Much of what I wrote came from the manner of his death rather than ...the death itself. Its something I see happening around me way too often and I find myself worrying about it many a time. Probably because I'm just around the bend :-P And its always great to exchange notes on things such as these. You know most of us are so overburdened with work/life/karma (call it what you will) that we don't like thinking about these things unless pressed too far.Read More