Barber not for watching Bar-ber

A story set on a stereotype Bollywood plot, it takes Bollywood masala one step beyond. Even though it’s a Priyadarshan product, it is clearly visible that the director hardly had any say in front of the King….

Set in an old village in UP – ‘BudBuda’ it carries multiple variations of Billu, the Hajaam and his friendship with a Superstar, who is hopelessly honest but does fall into the trap of lying now and then……. Well I’ll not bore you… So here is what I reckoned of the movie….

Full on acting by Irrfan khan and total publicity stunt for the other khan ‘The King Khan’. Yes, that is what Billu Barber err, I mean Billu is all about.

Movie was full on drama to the hardest core with all kinds of mix n match. It really exploits the brilliances of Rajpal Yadav, Irrfan Khan and ofcourse the two kids, they were just brilliant. Though I felt it was more of a career highlighter of Shahrukh. Movie has clippings from all his past hits and it carries posters of some of his really old movies which infact makes you realize how long he has been around. All said the movie hardly had any thing worth seeing and now when I sit down to write I hardly feel there is anything we can talk about. And guess what, I watched the movie twice. Yes, you are right, I survived it twice and it was not because of the movie or for any one in it. It was more for the love of my friends, couldn’t really disappoint anyone.

Still there were some things worth noticing in the movie and I think I can list them as under:

Points for which movie may be given a try:
1. Billu’s sincerity and love for what he does and his fear that his friend may not remember him anymore now.
2. Rajpal Yadav’s acting; he’s too good and just keeps on coming up with streaks of brilliance every time he is on screen even if there is no scope for that.
3. Friendship angle – it really defines what friendship means and that we don’t forget friends till the end of life even if we are rich or poor (and I actually almost sobbed the first time i watched it).
4. Dance and songs, even though worthlessly inserted in the movie was a welcome change to the at times boring and clueless progression of the movie.
5. Guest House Manager was probably the coolest and funniest part of the movie.
6. And Oh yes the Sexy dressing of Lara, even though Billu struggles to meet the family’s ends meet and Lara is shown mending the roof of their house through out the movie, she still manages to wear deep neck and low cut and almost backless blouses. To keep it simple her dressing is HOT.

Mani’s Recommendation: One time watch, please do not go second time even if you love your friends….!!!! :-)

Teri Tasveer

Teri tasveer ko aankhon mein basakar sote hain

teri awaaz ko kaano mein bharkar jagte hain

tere khayaalon ko saanson mein samaakar rahte hain

hum to tujhe apni duniya ka sartaaj banakar jeete hain...

pyaar se haath jo thama hamara khusiyon ka gulista mil gaya

nigah bhar ke dekha hume to roop ye nikhar gaya

mohabbat yoon bhar di hamari raahon me ke phool hi phool khil gaye

apna hume jo bana liya to lakhon diye jal gaye

karam hai yeh apka ke hume bahaaron ki duniyaa mil gayi

aap kya aaye humaari zindagi me

hume nayi zindagi mil gayi

1 ke daam me 2!!!

Wow! What the #&%@!!! But must say true value for money, after all where on earth would you get to watch two movies for the price of one? Looks like the ‘Buy One Get One’ syndrome has finally caught up with Bollywood too. Well okay let me explain – With the latest Bolly flick ‘GHAJINI’, one gets the feeling that one is actually watching two movies at one go with one being an Aamir-Asin Starred – ‘Ghajini-Fanaa’

and the other an Aamir- ‘cannot act’ Jiah Khan starred – ‘Ghajini-Gulam’. Yup, I am not kidding, this is exactly what I felt mid-way through the movie as it constantly kept swapping from one plot to another with help of utility characters which were there just to shift the movie from one to the other. It was like I was at a multiplex and kept changing screens to watch two movies at the same time! As once there would be the cute and bubbly Asin romancing Aamir and then very next moment it was the ‘blonde’ Jiah with Aamir! It simply was difficult to keep track of who is who, once the movie started!

And, the man after whom the movie is named – Mr. Ghajini Dharmattma is almost no where to be seen till the climax of this three and a half hour madness (looks like the director thought that the name is enough!).

Oh! And I almost forgot the action part! Well how can I do that? After all the movie is about Sanjay’s revenge for the death of his beloved and surprisingly no one except the hero has any weapons through out the movie and even he has it just for the heck of having one (looks like cost cutting here too..... :-P)! Seriously, action is the most entertaining part of the movie for an instance – when Sanjay punches a goon, he is shown lying flat on his stomach with his head turned 180° (What made it funnier was the fact that Jayee sitting in the next chair, buried her face in her palms and was making creaky noises and kept saying “I can’t watch this any more”).

Definitely one of the worst of Aamir, the movie is a mindless torture even for the kung-fu loving southerners, who enjoy the high flying actions sequences of Allu Arjun and Rajnikanth.

However, there was a good part of the movie that Sarit brought to light later. It was the fact that we watched the movie at a theatre which was next to our place and so we could just quietly slip in to our rooms once the mindless torture was over and we didn’t have to take a bus home after the movie at 1.30 a.m. in the night.

Mani’s Recommendations for:

People looking for entertainment: Don’t watch it!

People looking for Value for money: Can try it (u get two movies for the price of one)

People looking for Comic action: May try it!

People wanting mindless gross comedy and action: It’s a MUST watch!

khuda Jaane

Kaise kahe aapse ki dil mein kaisa uufaan uthta hai
jab aap aankhon ke saamne hote hai
baatein to hum aapse karte hain
par lagta hai jaise khuda se mulakat karte hain...

Panaah

Unko dil me panaah di humne yeh soch kar ke woh dil me baithe hain

par kambakht kisko thi khabar ke woh hi hamara dil jalane ka intezaam kiye baithe hain...

Time to Change

With the latest slap on the face of every Indian, I wonder if we are ever going to realize the fact that these are not just attacks on India or humanity or mankind. This is a strong and blunt WAKE UP call given to us by our not-so-friendly neighbour.

I do not intend to mean that we go around changing everything and everybody as there is hardly anything that we can do to change the World, our Country, Society, Community or even our families, for that matter. However, we are highly capable of changing ourselves. And, if we do, I am sure, we will all be able to agree that the world would be a lot better place to live in.

Yes, we have to stop being hypocrites. We have to stop being biased. We have to stop discriminating based on one's Nationality, Region, Religion, Caste, Language, Food and all that divides India.

Even, as I write, I know it is very difficult and not all can be achieved. Still, I am up for it and am trying to change myself. I hope to find you alongside me.

Ishq hai hume aapse

Dil me basi aapki yaadein bekaraar karti hai

Honth chup hai par aankhein sab bayaan karti hai

Ishq hai hume aapse, yeh dunia janti hai

par na jaane kyu aap hi humse anjaan banti hain...

Doorie

banke ehsaas dhadkan ke paas rehte ho,
banke tasveer aankhon me baste ho,
aaj poochna hai ek sawaal tumse,
door ho kar,
kya tum bhi udaas hote ho?

Testing Times

Recession: Outcome of lavish and over the budget expenditure, mixed with casual approach of common man and corporate houses.

Companies, in order to woo skilled employees, provided huge perks and facilities like food, transport, free accommodation, etc. In turn, the employees took things for granted and mis-utilized the liberties given to them causing wastage of money and resources. Over period of
time, it has resulted in increasing costs and mounting losses as due to high prices, companies are unable to achieve their targets. This has led to the financial crisis and now companies are feeling the crunch and the necessity to cut down on expenses and are resorting to all kinds of activities including forced attrition and lay-offs.

It can safely be said that the present financial crisis and recession across the globe is a result of Mismanagement of resources at all levels.