Dhoom III : You guessed it :)

I am fresh from a. la. Hollywood style action packed Dhoom II entertainment. I must say i enjoyed it right through. The efforts of the people behind the scene is equally matched and favoured by people on the screen. Do ensure to watch the movie in a theatre with good sound quality to enjoy the actions fully.

If you have watched the movie properly you would have already noticed the loose ends that were thrown open in the movie, possibly for building the storyline of Dhoom III. Yes you guessed it. Note the following facts,

>> Jai’s (Abhisekh Bachhan) wife is pregnant.

>> Mr A (Hrithik R) and Sunehri (Ashwariya Rai) have turned goodie goodie and are left alone to live happy.

>> Mr Ali has found his partner and was on honeymoon for six months already.

Do all these points lead to a story? If you watched a couple of bollywood movies you can easily cook up a story. I would guess Jai is destined to die in the next movie. I would also imagine the witty cop seeking the wits of mr A and his partner too, because the villain will be even stronger and deadlier. After all the story needs to match the power, voltage and possibilities that Shahrukh Khan brings.

All the deadliest ladies have played roles in either of the series. So who is left? Who else can look as glamorous, make action scenes not look funny and pull the crowd at the same time… Priyanka Chopra… none else. Lets wait n watch…

Lage Raho Munna Bhai

well well well…its a movie you dont wanna miss. I just returned from the theatre, its 0200 hrs in the night and my eyes are literally falling off. But i cant control myself. I want to write about it. I want to let people know about the movie, right now. My impression is – its a great movie and has all ingredients to be a super hit. If you watch movies for entertainment, relaxation or for learning then take it from me, you will not be disappointed.

For those who want to watch the movie, pls don’t read further. The section below talks about the movie, reveals all the secrets and have full potential to spoil your entertainment value. Paragraphs below are only for my friends who like to discuss movies but hardly have time to go and watch it. So read on pals….

Initial half an hour into the movie and i was disappointed. There was a huge expectation, mainly because of the success of its earlier version – Munna Bhai MBBS. I was expecting an out n out comedy but with different dialogues and delivery style. It seemed same initially and added to my worry. However, i soon realized it is a comedy movie indeed but with a different approach. By that time the movie had already built a story and i was getting involved. From then on time flew away and the show was over in no time.

There are quite a few surprise factors. Almost all the characters in first flick are present in this one too. Bomman Irani didn’t get enough dialogues to show his skills this time. If you are a comedy freak, glue your ears to the ‘circuit’ speaks. The message is clear this time too – Help others to help yourself. However, the message comes direct from the father of the nation. yes, Mahatma Gandhi. No, he didn’t show up for few seconds to deliver a lecture. He is present through out the movie. And still you don’t feel being lectured. that’s the beauty.

If you like imotional stuff, be sure to carry a kerchief. If you like comedy stuff, again be sure to carry a kerchief. You like multi starrers? wow…dont worry – you would get to see Aby baby and Diya Mirza too. You are a Radio Jockey(RJ)? then you must watch it. I never thought Vidya Balan can look beautiful. I had an impression that she is overhyped though i have not seen any of her movies yet. But now i feel otherwise. She has got very expressive eyes and a beautiful smile. Good acting skills as add-on makes it a deadly combination.

In a earlier blog my friend Madhu was sceptic about the movies prospects for different reasons. But i dont think that applies to this movie.

Overall, my verdict – must watch even though you don’t regularly watch movies. After the movie you will realize why i asked you to go for it. signing off!!!

Pune – a refreshing experience

Recently i had been to Pune on a official trip. I spent a week and half there, though most of the time in office. But the office was in the heart of the city and hence i got a chance to look around and get a hang of the city during weekend. Here is my report on the city.

Traffic

People in Pune say the streets are heavy on traffic. But someone coming from Bangalore or Mumbai wouldn’t agree. For me it was a easy traffic. Though there is a lot of Carbon Monoxide pollution, so u see kerchiefs and scarfs around many faces. The roads condition is pathetic, be prepared for a bumpy ride. People have good traffic manner, over stepping and forced crossings are rare.

People

People are polite, mannered and generally good. I met people ranging from autowalas, security guards, restauranters, temple priests to senior executives etc. Well i happened to bump into

Language

Mostly marathi though all of them understand and speak Hindi. You can expect English from most of them including the auto drivers . Shop and street names are in hindi and marathi(less).

Food

You get good quality north indian food. Try out some marathi specialities like ‘Vada Pav’. Drop into a sweets shop and try out few of them. Yummm..they have so many varieties and the taste is amazing…delicious… the sweet shops are usually named as “* halwai”. Drop into ‘Dagduseth Halwai’ area and you are destined for taste of your life. They have quite a few namkin items too..try out Bakarwadi.

Entertainment

The city has around 5 or 6 multiplexes including Inox. There are a few pubs and discos around too. The city is active and reasonably safe till 2am or 3 am in the morning. For tourists, there are places neighbouring Pune like Lonavala, Khandala etc. Even people looking for extreame entertainment would not be disappointed.

Travel

The city is well connected to almost all tier-1 cities in India thru road, rail and air. I didnt get a chance to go inside the railway station, but from outside is looked like a very crowded and congested area. The airport is a mess (under renovation now) and in a very isolated area – far away from the city.

Cost of living

Food is not very expensive. 10 bucks is good enough for a standard snacks break. Travel in auto costs you 6 bucks a km. Apartment rentals are below 10K for 2 BHK. Though buying property is an expensive affair, as of today 3200/- rupees per sft for apartments.

Overall it was a good experience. The city is full of youth because of the many educational institutions. I have heard Pune has the maximum number of educational institutes compared to any other city in India. Many of them have national level recognition too. If you happen to visit the place during Ganapathi Mahotsav (around Aug/Sep every year), dont miss the various Ganapatis around the city. Hire an auto and ask him to take you around one evening. You will be impressed with the light and artwork at display.

Few links for further reading/research,

>> mix of information

>> maharastra tourism

>> trip advisor

>> in n around pune

Anthony Kaun Hai

Well, that title is in Hindi (for my international readers. ). I managed to bump into a theatre and watch this flick. If you want to watch the movie and don’t want to spoil your entertainment value, please leave this review right away.

The title makes an impression of a suspense flick whereas the star cast forces you to think of a comedy one. Unfortunately, you don’t get either of them. The movie seems to be a low budget one, may be manufactured in a month or two. There are a few clips here n there with comedy value but the context of the movie doesn’t allow you to laugh much. Sanjat Dutt doesn’t have much screen presence, though Arshad Warsi rarely disappoints now a days. May be you would not like him dancing with the beauties there but you cant stop appreciating the other aspects. The sound effects and editing is mediocre and most of the times the movie fails to involve you.

But there are few things in the movie you can not avoid…The red Ferrari…Minissha Lamba (ignore her acting skills please)… and the evergreen gentleman villain – Sunjay Dutt.

Anthony Kaun Hai, IMDB Listing