Lage Raho !!!

From Docs Reviews to Film Reviews, I am doing it all. There is a common theme to these two as well. I hate reading docs and I hate reading/viewing anything Gandhi. However, the latest movie LRM (Lage Raho Munnabhai) brings out, expresses (so-called) Gandhian principles in a manner the local-tapori would understand, that I had to like it.

[Note : One thing I have never understood in my life, why are "Truthfulness, Honesty, Sincerity etc" termed as "Gandhian Principles". Don't our parents teach us the same things, nor is it that he invented them. They have been there for ages, but I guess the love our hopeless people have for the name "Gandhi" says it all.]

However it is noteworthy to note that a person like me who practically hates everything that is "Gandhi" loved the movie "Lage Raho Munnabhai" to death. IMHO its is the next best movie to DCH in the last 5 years or so.It is a great movie, cool dialogs, standout performances by Arshad Warsi as Circuit, Dilip Prabhawalkar as "Gandhi" supported by a nice starcast. Vidya Balan looks gorgeous and her Million Watt smile itself is worth the money spent. Sanjay Dutt gives his 36" biceps quite a rest and so does Boman Irani to his funny bone. The romance between a 65+ couple is captured so brilliantly, I actually wanted to be 65 and widowed for a while. Yes, Sameer Mainkar does have hope after all ;)

Through all the laughs that reverberate in the cinema halls, it later dawns that it is quite a serious movie which makes us think and yet tickles us at the correct places. The handling of the delicate/serious subjects in the movie is so subtle, it almost brings the viewer to the Hrishikesh Mukherjee era. The director (Hirani or someone) deserves all the kudos that he is receiving to bring out such kind of a movie, which could have easily bombed had it been over-done. Make it a point to see the film and take your parents/beloved ones along as it is a must-see-for-all-ages.

Passing Thoughts:
Would Sanjay Dutt after all his own preaching in the film confess/tell the truth in connection with the Mumbai Blasts of '93.
Great Irony : Pseudo-activist-secularist Shabana Azmi wins the "International Gandhi Peace Prize" around the same time LRM is released.

12 Days of utter Bliss

Spent the last 12 Days Sleeping, Lying, Blabbering, Drooling, Drooping and the like.

I am back to work today from a 12-day hiatus that actually included 5 trips to PSPL. Who can simply remain separated from their spouse for long anyways ? ;)

Starting from Anant Chaturdashi till yesterday I had some of the best moments since being here. 12 days of bliss (notwithstanding the fact that I had my mid-year appraisal) were spent sleeping, lying (down) - alone, eating and what not. No execution, no meetings, no TestPlan/Test Case updates, almost seemed "Summer of 69"

Promises to a friend of contributing one blog per day were evaporated in thin air. Some of it due to commitments to some other friends/relatives but most of it due to sheer "what the heck" and "who reads it anyway" attitude.

Two days were utterly lost in blaze of MidTerm Appraisal and now the oh-so-common "You dumb piece of s$#t, worth for nothing" remarks that have been so much trite in my Reports. First Day I said the same stuff to people I was suppose to appraise/evaluate (Untrue) and the Second Day, I heard the music (VeryTrue). Over the last two and half years or so, I have learnt to suitably take these in my stride and move ahead and would do so again this time.

However, there was some good news as we were handed our New Compensation package letters from the company. To be very true, it was somewhat needed, but the amounts handed over to people far surpass from simply ridiculous to plain ludicrous (unfortunately I was not one of them being a "worth nothing, lump of crap"). Eye-Popping, Jaw-Dropping, Heart-Stopping numbers that some of received from would certainly be taking its toll on the company's profit at year-end, but for now No Cribbing / No Quitting for most.

Watched one great movie "Lage Raho Munnabhai", and more on this later on the site. But till then, if you haven't watched the same, do so at this very moment.

Went for "Bowling at 3D-Destination" followed by dinner at "Mirchi Cola" (Expensive for the petaaD public) and awesome restaurant on MG Road as part of our Product Release party. I haven't got a clue how/why I was invited considering my limited/ohh-so-little contribution, but yeah.., enjoy the moment..

Till the next pieces of my stupid articles are published, Ciao.

Appendix:
Trite = Hackneyed = Commonplace
Ludicrous = PrePosterous = Absurd
petaaD (marathi) = drunkard (english) = bewaDa (hindi)
Summer of 69 = Famous Song by Bryan Adams (and not by the Eagles as mentioned earlier)