Writer's Blog

It's been yo yo stress work days for me this week. And in the course of one such yo yo work day, I had to look through a collection of short clips and trailers of Disney's back to basics animation flick ' Princess and the frog'. A film that will as usual, release much later in India than international markets, just a glance through the trailers sufficed to trigger hearfelt nostalgia. I might be sticking out my neck when I write this, but I don't think we in Indian films are EVER capable of producing that quality of animation cinema. In november 2008, I had the good fortune of being offered a media junket to Disney Studios in Los Angeles to cover BOLT. Because of the studio's head honcho John Lassetter's personal involvement with the film, it was a big ticket release for them and all efforts were put out to give it the right push. And a single day's tour of Disney studios clearly established that I had never expected anything as sophisticated as thi...

So I did the unthinkable. In my corporate gulag, somewhat like vorkuta, siberia, went off during sick leave, to watch my name is khan. In theaters, gloating that I got a ticket within 5 minutes of asking, and then I realised that not too many are Really vying for the ticket!! Anyways, to cut a long story short, with a disturbing back, My Name Is khan didn't prove to be as much of any eyesore as I had thought initially. Its got a positive spirit, some fun moments, and Shahrukh Khan, surprisingly, doesnt ham to the heavens! He is in fact, quite good! Although he slips out of character now and then, by Srk standards, he keeps rizwan khan a natural, likeable, genuine character. Kajol is of course, mind blowing, as long as she doesn't start screeching. K Jo does torture us with some mama jenny and hurricane scenes, but then old habits die hard. However, I would recommend a one time watch, if nothing else, then to irk the Shiv Sena and their leaders, who should be shot dead...

It all started with a desire to do something too fast too soon. I woke up early this thursday and decided enough is enough. I MUST thin down. So what if my back is nagging with a slight pain for a few days? So , I over worked out. And while kick boxing, my back wouldnt budge even while I had aimed a kick mid air. So I crept back home. Walking a 2 minute distance in 10 min. And then started to limp over to the emergency room. At one point, I thought I would faint with pain. But I bravely refused to take pain killer injections. Now, I am grounded, for two more days. It's like school only there are no exams to prepare for! Sick and grounded is terribly boring with normal,human things to do during daylight hours. You know, being a journalist for 8 years, I can't think of much to fill my time with, and a broken back doesn't allow too much activity. So it's the comforts of the tube, and spicy fast food. I think many would agree the world wouldn't be a beautiful p...

It's been a very long break since i wrote. And i wouldn't blame  you for forgetting. But  I am back, and I swear will write more regularly. But then promises are meant to be broken I guess. I have been reeeeeelinnngggg positively under constant scrutiny of Srk. Of every word he speaks, he mentions, every tweet he writes, and also, the other big players of B town and their responses. Hazards of the job you say? Of course. But keeping an eye with a slim sized team Is taxing. I don't so much care about participating in a debate about who's right and who's not. And if Shahrukh Khan is playing this card for a film's publicity. All I would like to do, at times like this, is turn back the clock. To my childhood, in Tinsukia, Assam when I was an eager, wide eyed child. My only exposure to the rest of the world was the 7 pm regional news update in Assamese from the local DD station. And the 9 pm news on DD which updated us in a soothing drone  with the perfe...