Best Of 2011

So it’s a New Year!! A very Happy New Year to everyone. This is usually the time when people contemplate upon the happenings of the gone year and hence there are many best songs and best films lists floating around the net these days… Everyone has either made or is making their own list. I thought why I should lag behind…
So here are my top 10 songs of the year 2011!!
1. Kun Faya Kun (Rockstar) – A R Rahman|Javed Ali, A R Rahman, Mohit Chauhan|Irshad Kamil
2. Jo Bhi Main (Rockstar) – A R Rahman|Mohit Chauhan|Irshad Kamil
3. Saibo (Shor In The City) – Sachin Jigar|Shreya Ghoshal, Tochi Raina|Sameer, Priya Panchal
4. Darling (7 Khoon Maaf) – Vishal Bhardwaj|Usha Uthup, Rekha Bhardwaj|Gulzar
5. Sadda Haq(Rockstar) – A R Rahman|Mohit Chauhan|Irshad Kamil
6. Yun Hi(Tanu weds Manu) –Krsna|Mohit Chauhan|Rajshekhar
7. Bhare Naina (RA.One) – Vishal Shekhar|Nandini Srikar, Vishal, Shekhar|Panchhi Jalonvi
8. Dilli (No One Killed Jessica) – Amit Trivedi|Aditi Singh Sharma, Shriram Iyer, Tochi Raina|Amitabh Bhattacharya
9. Saigal Blues (Delhi Belly) – Ram Sampath|Chetan Shashital|Chetan Shashital, Ram Sampath
10. Nanhi Si Jaan (Stanley Ka Dabba) – Hitesh Sonik|Shankar Mahadevan|Amol Gupte

And now the 10 Best Movies of 2011!!
1. Stanley Ka Dabba - Amol Gupte
2. Rockstar – Imtiaz Ali
3. Shor In the City – Krishna DK and Raj Nidimoru
4. Yeh Saali Zindagi – Sudhir Mishra
5. Delhi Belly – Abhinay Deo
6. No One Killed Jessica – Rajkumar Gupta
7. Shaitan – Bejoy Nambiar
8. Zindagi na Milegi Dobara – Zoya Akhtar
9. Pyar Ka Punchnama – Luv Ranjan
10. Mujhse Fraandship Karoge – Nupur Asthana

Rockstar - Trailer "Sadda haq, aitheye rakh"

The trailer of Imtiaz Ali’s "Rockstar" is finally out. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri. And the most interesting bit – A R Rahman’s music. And we will also get to see Shammi Kapoor one last time on the big screen. Bring it on !!
The "Sadda haq, Aitheye rakh" bit in the last 40 odd sec. is to die for.... Oh You Rahman Sir.... Love It !!

"FATSO"

"Fatso" Directed By Rajat Kapoor, the movie is ready for quite some time now... but didn't gt a release... Finally Its Here.... And promises to be a Fun ride !! Am looking forward to seeing this one.....

Cat, Virus and QUentin.... All about the Last Week !!

So here I am writing a post Today, As I have nothing else to do or you one could argue that I don’t want to…. Either way it may be!! For all it is…. I am writing!! So since Last Sunday I had been feeling terrible….. Not for anything I had done But for being on the sick list!! So what does a sick guy do all week long…. Cat prep. On head I shouldn’t be asking such a ques. But sadly I did…. Then answered myself that I need to study… So I owe this sickness a week of Honest and the most concentrated Study I have ever done !! Yes its true !! Then again, everyone knows My maximum study week still could make enough time for me to catch up with some Movies !! The thing I probably love the most…. OK… after Family and friends… But still it’s an integral part of who & what I am, And that’s a sure thing now……


So to say the last week apart from all the study thing, was very special one for me from the movies aspect wouldn’t be Hyperbole. Last week was the one when I saw Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2, Inglourious Basterds, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo{the much applauded Danish film}, Aamir, The Fugitive, Source Code, Tangled, Cast away among the Ones I saw for the first time and Shaitan, Shor in the city, The Lion King, Anand, The Social Network among the ones I had already seen earlier. So that makes a Toll of 14 movies In 7 days…. And that’s too much even on my standards!!

I feel like writing a page full for each one of them as all of them are just great movies, But I’ll refrain myself today and talk primarily and briefly about Only Few of them. To start with, The Ones which has Just surprised me!! Quentin Tarantino has always been a Director the world Has admired, I personally Had heard a lot f him and Had seen quite a few Interviews of him, In which he’s talking about His movies and also By the Contemporaries and he talks with the same level of enthusiasm about them as well. Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2, Wow !! Was my first reaction….. It was avant-garde cinema!! A work of genius by the master film-maker!! He’s the one who has made blood splatter look so freaking awesome…… The Non-linear storytelling, The cinematography and most Imp. The writing, He just gets all of it right,, all of the time !! Kill Bill’s a Classic… 4/5 {both f them}.

Then comes Inglourious Basterds, The latest offering By Quentin, And again Classic Dialogues, The explicit writing, The Genius of some Scenes that Just Stand Apart, Art direction And Cinematography !! All is Right On the money…… To make a WW II based movie as Exciting as he has is achievement in itself !! He brings many of his trademark touches to this one!! But the show stealer here is Christopher Waltz…. Playing Col. Hans Landa, Hez menacing with a sardonic smile and literally steals every scene he’s in !! A classic all the way….. Masand Said while Reviewing Basterds that “no one puts the fun into filmmaking quite like Tarantino does.” I agree!! … 4/5 for sure !!


The Girl with the Dragon tattoo is a movie that made a lot of buzz In Film festivals all across the Globe. I personally came to know of it when David Fincher decided to make it for the English Audience himself. It is a captivating piece of cinema to to say the least. It is a very well crafted, thought provoking thriller…… A must-watch !! 4/5

So this all about it for today…. I am done here.. Feeling sleepy as well… So Goodnight !!

It's Raining Trailers and how !!

So After India's momentous World Cup Win, and IPL somehow not generating as much waves as it was used to, audiences are back to their staunch companion, THE MOVIES. And since the Final, New Trailers are coming out almost Everyday !! So here I am sharing with everyone the trailers of movies that I am most looking forward to in near future.


First Look : Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Shagird
The first look of Dhulia’s Shagird has been released. It stars Nana Patekar, Mohil Ahlawat and the genius Anurag Kashyap.



Theatrical trailer of Y Films’ Luv Ka The End
The first film of YRF’s new banner Y Films. It starrs Shraddha Kapoor and has been directed by Bumpy (Remember Roadies?)



First Look : Chalo Dilli (Theatrical Trailer)
Chalo Dilli is directed by Sashant Shah ( Dasvidaniya) and stars Lara Dutta and Vinay Pathank. It is also the first producetion of Bheegi Basanti, the banner of Lara Dutta. And it’s written by Arshad Syed ( Dasvidaniya, again).




Always Kabhi Kabhi (Theatrical Trailer)
Always Kabhi Kabhi (Interesting title), marks the directorial debut of Roshan Abbas. It’s produced by Red Chillies and so Shah Rukh Khan is there in the trailer too.




First Look : Onir’s I Am (Trailer)
I AM is about people with fractured lives held together by unbroken dreams.It stars Juhi Chawla, Manisha Koirala, Nandita Das, Rahul Bose, Sanjay Suri, Purab Kohli, Abhimanyu Singh, Arjun Mathur, Shernaz Patel, Radhika Apte, Anurag Basu and Anurag Kashyap.



Ragini MMS -Theatrical Promo

Amol Gupte's Stanley Ka Dabba !!

First Look : Stanley Ka Dabba (Trailer & official synopsis)

Amole Gupte, the writer and creative director of Taare Zameen Par, is ready with his directorial debut titled Stanley Ka Dabba. The film is distributed by Fox Star India. Amole has not only written and directed it but has also composed one of the songs, written the lyrics and has acted in it. It also stars Divya Dutta and Divya Jagdale.

Here’s the first trailer of the film…



And here’s the official synopsis..

Imagine this boy in your mind’s eye. He arrives in school much before any of his classmates to drum away his blues on empty benches. He stuffs himself with water instead of the nutritious food that his schoolmates relish during the lunch break. He covers up for his lack of social rank with the finesse of the most seasoned diplomat. Who is this child? What is he like? Why is he anything like he is? Wouldn’t you like to know? Meet Stanley, the protagonist of the much awaited ‘Stanley Ka Dabba

‘Stanley Ka Dabba’ is the latest offering from the insightful writer-director, Amole Gupte that throws light on the everyday life of a school going child. The character, Stanley, tugs at your heartstrings with his indomitable spirit, while warding off the hostile world he is surrounded by at all times, everywhere. The film reveals how this is child-soldier, rises above his choking real life situation on the way setting a template for all whiners to learn from, even emulate.

Like most others his ilk, Stanley loves to be amongst friends and win the appreciation of his peers and colleagues. He uses his sparkling wit and innocent wisdom to impress everyone he touches. At times spinning-a-yarn amongst friends about his mother’s flight, while on occasion conjuring some heartfelt poetry to impress the lovely English teacher, Rosy Miss (Divya Dutta). There are though teachers like the pungent Science Madam, Ms Iyer (Divya Jagdale) whose rigid beliefs smother Stanley’s innovative science experiment with all the contempt at her disposal. Then there is the gluttonous Hindi master, Verma Sir (Amole Gupte) who emerges as the catalyst in helping the boys bond for Stanley’s dignity and rightful place in the school.

The camaraderie between the boys comes to the fore when they thwart Verma Sir’s desperate attempts to polish off their dabbas with all the guile at their disposal. The gang makes the ‘invincible’ Verma show his true vulnerable self for once as he marches from one possible hideout to another in the school premises trying to binge upon their home made food.

Stanley, the little protagonist of Amole Gupte’s, latest film ‘Stanley Ka Dabba’ shows how, like the proverbial lotus, can one rise above all the filth around and make the world a better, beautiful place to live in.

The way he goes about bringing cheer to his colleagues and his little friends is what makes him the Stanley we all need to be in today’s day and age. Wise and sensitive, loving and mischievous: living every moment as if there is no tomorrow.

I just say All the very Best Amol.... !!!

Nolan - Man how omniscient could You be ????

Those who know me well, know how big a fan I am of this ordinary looking man with extraordinary-creative brain and talent, Christopher Johnathan James Nolan. His exceptional track record is something that sets him apart from his contemporaries. Even mavericks like Spielberg aren't known for this level of Consistency. All his work, whether it be Memento, Prestige, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight or The Latest Psychological thriller Inception, they've all been able to Outwit the audiences on the "What to Expect" parameter. His work is open to endless interpretations and discussions, and yeah I need to refrain myself now, because I can just go all day talking about this man. Well now for the purpose of this post, It is to share with you all, one of Nolan's very first work. "Doodlebug" written and directed by him, was made by him during His college days. In this short, the depths of insanity are explored by a man chasing something in his apartment with a shoe. So here it is, Enjoy !!

A must read piece On possibly the Most Important Film of Our time : Fight Club !!

Fight Club: The World According to Tyler Durden at The Rush | UGO.com

Movie Review : 127 Hours - Spectacular !!!

Story: The film is based on the real-life adventure of Aron Ralston, as documented in the book Between A Rock And A Hard Place. The extreme biker and climber met with a freak accident in 2003 when his hand got trapped under a boulder during a climbing expedition in Utah. The mountaineer spent five grueling days all by himself in this life-threatening situation before he could extricate himself and reach out for help.

Movie Review: After Slumdog Millionaire, Danny Boyle has almost become a homeboy. Everybody knows Danny. Everybody loves Danny. Everybody expects a lot from Danny. And Danny rarely disappoints !!!

It's easy to understand why. Because, like Quentin Tarantino, David Fincher, Nolan and the rest of the mavericks, Danny Boyle has evolved a film narrative that is unique, diverse and hard to replicate. Like the other indie folks, Danny too takes up an ordinary story to re-tell it in an extraordinary fashion. So, if Slumdog Millionaire re-invents the Mumbai metaphor like never before, then 127 Hours transforms the adventure/disaster story into a hard-hitting steroid shot.

At its centre is a magnificent performance from James Franco, who's alone for most of the film with just a few brief flashbacks to his family life, and some hallucinations and imaginings to get away from and intensify his existential agony. Franco's Ralston is a complex figure: resilient, thoughtful, and wryly humorous.

The genius of Boyle transforms this simple, one-dimensional human survival story into a nerve-wracking drama that never lets you leave the edge of the chair from the very first shot. So what if the film opens with Aron having harmless fun, diving and swimming with two pretty young strangers in the deserted landscape. You always know there's danger lurking behind the next boulder, because the film's stunning camera angles, crisp editing and scintillating music (A R Rahman) create an adrenalin rush right from the word Go.

127 Hours is shot with a gripping camera work(Anthony Dodd Mantle) on James Franco, which undoubtedly could make this role as one of his biggest. The movie shows the lead heading and jumping and crashing into rugged terrains, until he meets with the fateful accident. The camera not just manages to capture the astounding beauty of the area under Boyle, but also brings to life the minute feelings which Aron had felt as hours ticked into days, and he waited for freedom under desperation.

Boyle tells this claustrophobic story with such visual and dramatic zeal that in the end, it amounts to so much more than just the horror of that amputation. Indeed the image that ultimately chokes you up isn’t that of the blade slicing through flesh, but of Ralston seeing help in the end and finding his voice to call for it.

James Franco delivers a performance nothing short of spellbinding. He sheds off his regular image and becomes Ralston. In one of movie’s funniest scenes, he impersonates a radio broadcast, during which he himself does all the voices. That’s a marvelous written scene and Franco lives up to it completely.

The Oscar nominations aren't the only reason why you must not miss 127 Hours. You get to discover James Franco in a whole new light, even as Rahman showcases his international flavor, once again. But more than all this, the film is a high-spirited salute to the stubborn human spirit and a grand demonstration of courage and true grit. Chilling, thrilling and horrifying too, 127 Hours is riveting cinema.

All in all, 127 Hours is one of the year's most powerful and moving films. DON’t MISS IT!!!!

Vishal Bharadwaj talks about 7 Khoon Maaf and his career till now. A Must Read !!!

“My biggest fear? I won’t be able to make the film that I want to make'

Dats a Home Run Vishal !!!!

If there was one music director who has rarely (if ever) let me down, that would have to be Vishal Bhardwaj. I’ll even go so far as to say that I look forward to his music more than even A.R. Rahman’s these days. Now, I know that many of you will scream or look with tilted eyebrow at me for making that statement, but read me out first. Let’s take a look at Vishal’s album list. “Ishqiya”, “Kaminey”, “Haal-E-Dil”, “U,Me Aur Hum”, “No Smoking”, “Omkara”, “The Blue Umbrella”, and “Maachis”. All these albums show us dat here is a composer who is truly able to create a fusion of classical Indian music with modern music in a way that creates something new. Now, the talented composer/director is back with his latest, “7 Khoon Maaf” featuring lyrics by his frequent partner, the legendary Gulzar sahib, the expectations are, if moderately said, are humongous .

The album starts off with the already hit and super-catchy “Darling” which marks the return of Usha Uthup to behind the mike and also Vishal’s wife and Super talented Rekha Bhardwaj. Both the lead singers have been towards a unexplored territory in this song and given the song an undeniable endearing quality. To top it Gulzar have written some crackling lyrics….. {khadim ko dil pe to ikhtiyar karne do…… WOW !!}. Winner all the way !!

Second to come is “Bekaraan”, a typical Vishal number, very close to his last outing behind the mike “kaminey”… what a song that was !! Anyways “bekaraan” has a different feel altogether about it, a soft romantic track with again superb lyrics by Gulzar sahib. Nice track but not sure how many will love it, Strictly for Vishal fans.

Third to arrive is “O’mama”. A song which you’ll either fall in love with or will completely refuse. Rendered with vocals by one of my fav. Singer KK, the song is a heavy rock number. An interesting attempt where KK shows his expertise yet again. He has sung this song with such style and attitude, you wish to hear him perform live in front of you. A song with a classic rock feel, this is surely a track to help show off your speaker and amplifiers to your neighbors.

Fourth track of the album is undoubtedly the best track of the album and my fav. too “Awaara”. The song starts with a very simple sound but has a dark and grim feel about it. Master Saleem has a Rahat fateh ali khan tone to his voice that has resonates in such a manner that you end up in an different world altogether. And Gulzaar sahab k to kya kahne janaab……… beautiful lyrics !! Take a bow Vishal Ji, You’ve outdone yourself with this one !!

Suresh Wadkar has been a constant feature in most of Vishal Bharadwaj's albums and this time he sings the fifth track “Tere liye”. An unlikely choice, but this song is more about the beautiful poetry in lyrics than the vocal. Neither bad nor brilliant.

Sixth song of the soundtrack is “Dil dil hai”, an out-and-out rock offering, sung by Suraj Jagan. This is for fans of Hard-Rock with all that screaming and Head –banging stuff. Awesome lyrics….{sau jannato ke kabil hai,…ye doobton ka sahil hai,….ye jahilon ka jahil hai.. …,}.Interesting track but surely not for all !!!

The seventh and final original track on the album is the dark disturbing “Yeshu” sung by Rekha Bhardwaj. A devotional track that isn’t bad by any means but doesn’t have a repeat value.Hear it if you must !!

The album is rounded off with “Doosri Darling”. Rekha Bhardwaj gets a second chance to shine. If the Original belonged to Usha Uthup, this one surely has her name written all over it. A nice re-imagining, but I would still prefer the original over this one.

The album ends up with “O’mama acoustic”. Instead of the rock-n-roll of the original track, this time we are offered KK accompanied solely with by an acoustic guitar. It’s soulful and surely worthy of multiple hears, to appreciate how good KK sounds unplugged.

All in all, “7 Khoon Maaf” is another strong album to add to Vishal Bhardwaj’s already impressive list of soundtracks. It’s one of those rare albums that something for everyone. A sure delight for music-lovers.
Best tracks – Awaara, Darling, O’mama(acoustic), Tere liye

Sort Of A Intro !!!

I think it’s been long overdue on my part to start writing about things that I love and things that I hate or even to share my view on certain topics that I feel a need to say about. First of all a big HEY!! to all the people out there who’ll read this. I’ll be reviewing movies, music albums, trailers, celeb’s tweets. And also time to time I’ll be also sharing with you my views on current topics. I feel I am a loser in million aspects but at the same I also know that am winner for billion reasons. I know the last line was uncalled for, but just felt like saying......

Ank is here !

Hey folks ! Dis is my 1st post nd basically to let u knw dat m here !