Am I the odd one out ?

I love movies, something thats pretty obvious from my blog. i take watching movies and reviewing them very seriously. There have been a few times, when ive been baffled at my friends and in fact the whole countries reaction to a few movies.

Ive always wondered, how could people like this crap ?

Here are a few examples of movies released in the last 12-18 months:

1. Bheja Fry:


This was one movie that I somehow sat through expecting the next scene at least to be remotely funny. I was disappointed. While the whole theatre guffawed when Vinay Pathak said " Its ringing " for the 17th time, I thought ( in true Joey style) of tearing my arm off, so that i could have something to throw at the screen.


2.Jaane tu ya Jaane na : refer to my complete review here:



A weak script which made the characters change emotions at its fancy, this movie was another pain in the a**.

The only redeeming factor? A delightfully brooding Prateik Babbar.


3. Bhool Bhulaiyya :



This movie holds the ignominious distinction, of being the second movie ( after Gadar) that i walked out of. Please explain to me, what is so funny about Akshay Kumar saying " Goti...goti..goti...goti" ????

4. Om Shanti Om:





An engaging first half gave way to an utterly unbearable second. With a stupid script and no dramatic moments, my interest waned very fast. Why did I keep watching ? SRK.

5. Partner:



A loyal David Dhawan fan, I landed up for this one with high expectations. I must have laughed maybe 2-3 times during the entire movie. Can you explain to me the ludicrous water jet-ski-missile scene ? Or the insufferable climax when the movie just doesn't end?

And ya maybe I forgot to mention, all these 5 movies, were super-duper hits. Please please write in telling me whether you loved any/all these movies.

And no quasi-philosophical comments about everyone opinion being different please.

Thank you for not loving cricket !

For long, Ive cussed at people for not loving cricket. I mean, How can you not?? Ive publicly ridiculed them, safe with the knowledge that out of every 100 people at any social gathering, 98 would be on my side.Indians at least, I have said, should undergo a medical examination if they are found to not love this amazing game.

There were times when I used to proclaim, that I am a cricket lover first, and then a Hindu, a Brahmin etc etc...

But not after today. We were seated in the hall with some relatives who had come over for lunch. The topic veered to cricket.

" How can you not like cricket ? " I posed to my mother and aunt.

" Thank your stars we dont," she replied. "If we did, who would run the house? "


There was a minute's silence, and me and Dad looked at each other. Like she almost always is, my mom was right. I did some thinking.

If my mom was a cricket fanatic, who would cook when the match was on ? Who would serve? Who would attend to the doorbell? Who would do the countless other things that she did when me and Dad sat glued to the TV for hours...

I then proceeded to expand my thoughts beyond my family. Work Colleagues. I remember my batch mate, who wasn't interested in cricket at all. He was my OPD duty partner during internship. So many times ive asked him to stand in for me when Ive sneaked off to watch a game. Would he have let me if he was equally crazy about cricket ?

And not only me, there may be million of others who rely on the "cricket-disinterest" of thousands, to be able to watch the game in peace.

I have decided that will never berate an individual who does not like cricket.

Who knows, he/she may come in handy someday. More sooner than later , I think.

A good reason to be back...

Phew. Finally my slate is somewhat empty. Im sitting at my computer at 7:30 in the evening, without a deadline to beat. I dont remember this happening for a long long time.

Why didn't I blog for almost a month and a half? I was busy , yes. But frankly, I didn't feel like writing about anything.

Today, I do.

There is a joy in meeting veterans, be it of any kind. That joy is multiplied many times over, when it is a veteran from your own field. My father, passed his BDS examination in 1970, when most of you reading this weren't even born.In the entire dental fraternity of Pune, I don't know a single person who is senior to my father. Soon after passing out, he joined Dr. Ram Kale, a leading dentist at that time, to learn some handy practical tips.

Today, 38 years later I was destined to meet the very man my father learnt the tricks of the trade from. It is the hallmark of great men, to be modest. I don't know how they achieve it. I find myself bragging to every junior I can find.

Dr. Ram Kale came across as an extremely soft spoken person and he was kind enough to talk to me for almost an hour. He is 72 now, and only practices for an hour or so a day. During the conversation, a few interesting snippets came to light:

- He said my Grandfather,(noted literary writer and freedom activist G.V. Behere once called him for a dental appointment. He expected my Grandfather to be clad in pyjamas and wearing a Gandhi-topi, but he was shocked to see a tall fair handsome man wearing a shirt flashier than yours truly and puffing away at a cigarette.They became great friends since, enjoying many a drink and dinner together.


- He told me he had constructed my grandmothers first set of dentures, asking for her photograph with teeth so that he could try and replicate the facial form. In those days ! Awesome !

_ He remembered coming to the opening of my fathers first clinic on Tilak road, and after hearing this i realized i didnt know anyone alive (other than my mom) who was present there that day !

- He said my father had asked him whether he should take up the Short Service Commission in the Army , and how he had advised my father against doing so.

I heard all this spellbound. And while leaving I just had to touch his feet. "Please don't ", he said.

I said , "You are one of the very few people, to whom my own father would have done the same thing as I did," I replied.

Thankfully, he accepted the explanation.