Eastern Promises: a brilliant account of the Russian mafia (based in London) and their relationship with an unfortunate midwife unveils a dark and highly intense series of events that had me and T (well me atleast) spell bound. The almost gritty shades of violence merge superbly with the fragile relationships that exist within a family that is angelic on the outside but clearly the very re-incarnation of societal degradation on the inside. Viggo delivers a phenomenal performance as the driver with a twist. The ending is heart wrenching and leaves one almost begging for more. Well done.
american gangster : the latest offering from ridley scott left MUCH to be desired. A story that held a tremendous deal of promise (for storytelling purposes) along with access to arguably 2 of the most brilliant actors of our time should have had cinema-goers on the edge of their seat. Instead, we got a loosely packed hum-drum effort with bits of violence, disconnected story telling and characters who you don’t fall in love with or hate with intensity as you might expect to with a theme of this sort. What pissed me off even more was that I saw the ceiling mic (used to capture dialogues) about 4 times during the course of the movie. Just goes to show the lack of care taken in the project. Denzel is powerful but that’s almost expected now. Crowe tried but failed miserably to get my sympathies or attention as the misdirected integrity-driven cop. His philandering nature was shoved in for effect and that led me to further irritation. What is terrible though is the fact that I was really really excited about this flick. The ingredients could not have been more perfect but the dish turned out to seriously disappoint. The saying is true: when you care it shows.
Discovered a new blues artist.. Got a mailer about the one tree festival happening in Mumbai randomly, saw that Robert cray was playing. Sent an email to the organizers whining about how they never bring greats up to the capital and saw that this guy was also performing. Curiosity forced me to check out his website and a couple of his songs. 1 day later I had both of his latest albums sitting prettily on my desktop and ipod along with a burnt mp3 cd for my car. Sloe gin is quite a brilliant piece, even if Mr. Seth doesn’t quite think so : ) How much I love the internet. How much I love you.
speaking of the internet, I got a few minutes of air time on ndtv’s x factor where we discussed the recent internet downtimes taking place in india and Egypt. Friends and foes as always had a good laugh about it but like I said “great way of killing an idle Thursday evening”..I also bumped into an old old friend along with a bunch of other acquaintances which is reason enough to swing by for an interview here and there…Niel ofcourse worked very quickly post the meeting and we spent Saturday chilling in the balcony of tabula to some half-decent music. Dj Hamza has skills although I think he could better. I wonder when I’m buying myself the mixer and console 'cos I honestly think I would love to mix a set once a fortnight. Another to-do that gets added to the list. DJ Chitgo in the horizon?
Mehr was in town as well last week along with her friends from LUMS and beyond. Despite an insanely hectic week, I knew I had to meet these guys for multiple reasons. A quick round of drinks at TGIF followed by a last-minute trip to a club that turned out to be fairly shady was to be the series of events for the evening…they enjoyed themselves and the messages received on their return brought a smile to my face.
The wall read
“hey! just got back home safely.All the fatigue and coordination is so worth it.
its been a great trip to India, although I do wish we had more time!
Thanks for everything Dhruv! All my friends are in love with u : ):)”
T’s homeboy J was in town last week as well. A brilliant photographer, we took a killer trip down to chandini chowk to check out the sites and allow him a click-a-second opportunity of anything and everything that caught his fancy. Visit number 2 at the paranthe vale gali was enjoyable as we scarped down the deep fried delicacies, including a sinfully phenomenal rabri-parantha that had me and T feeling like bowling balls. Lots of walks into the by-lanes and exposure to sights and sounds that are otherwise alien to our everyday life. There’s so much out there, we sometimes forget just how lucky,unlucky or different our lives are. Me and T spoke of the day and how the evening would be spent at a swanky night club. Beautiful people and their beautiful smiles…some fake, some real- but certainly removed, for those few hours, from reality. Who’s to define reality though? Who? Lots of conversations on life, relationships and more for T; difference being that they weren’t with me and it was interesting to see her tackle the situation in a manner that was unlike her normal approach. What is stunning though is J’s brilliance at his art. I call it art because anyone who can take pictures like the one below (look carefully to understand the talent) inspires , nay demands respect. Thanks man- I’m sure we’ll be walking through a gallery displaying your work sooner then later.
Conversations of immense importance have taken precedence this last week. They will lead to decisions and these decisions will lead to consequences and journeys. I’ve always sought out new journeys and for the first time I wonder if I’ve got the legs to carry me. Time will tell. Insecurities of a certain nature crop up from time to time. Will it work? Will it happen? Will it continue as it has been? Will things change? They plague the mind…and I, like any other superhero- grin and bear it. The manner of release surprises me though. There are miles to go before there is complete and total control. the modern day meditation is dogged determination, there can be no greater concentration then a focused effort.
Kanu and Adi get married this weekend. I rejoice in their union through my presence, smiles, hugs and recollection of stories from our shared experiences. I realize that it’s a new phase. I realize a lot.
A lot of excellent elements to the routine have been ignored this past month. The sustained period at home with the creators has been a vacation of many sorts. The phenomenon returns within the next fortnight and the search for a new abode shall begin with gusto. I look forward to it. Health needs to take priority once again and the ability/time to work it all out of the system has been sorely missed. The weather changes ever so slowly and the day is not far when we speak of manic heat waves and sun-burn. I learn of a good friends’ return to the city, I learn of a friend’s disgust with her job. I celebrate the former and I try and look for solutions for the latter. Sometimes I think I should stop looking for solutions. It’s caused a bit of heart burn in the past, but as I told T..’noone I know has benefited from taking the passionate and loving side of a friend for granted”. I’ve left many by the wayside in the past…with no chance for their return. It still hurts- just a little bit though. Are expectations too high? I don’t even know what that means. Equality and balance is the secret. If I don’t feel it, I know my objectivity promises me that it doesn’t exist.
The fingers fly
The pictures form
The belief rings true
The future is you.
Don’t question
Don’t judge
Don’t wonder
I’ll live it my way
And like no other.
Good night. This has been cathartic.
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