Thursday, February 18, 2010

India win thriller against SA and retain No. 1 position

Hurray!!!!!! You bet I am delighted. This was test cricket at it's best. Congratulations to team India for a splendid show and for retaining the No. 1 spot.

Ofcourse, SA supporters can argue that SA was a better team overall in this series.Well, probably they are right. But India's performance in the second match was nothing short of brilliant. MSD & Co. came back superbly after the defeat in Nagpur. Being one down in the series and the no. 1 position at stake there was enormous pressure to deliver and boy did they!!

It all started with the incredible bowling performance in the post tea session on the first day by Sharma, Khan and Bhajji. Then the magical  Sehwag - Sachin and Laxman-Dhoni partnerships to take the match out of SA reach. Finally Bhajji, Mishra bowled superbly on the final day.

Yes, can't help but  feel sorry for  Hashim Amla in particular. Few batting performances have been as heroic, or as tragic. His unbeaten knock in the second innings will be remembered for a long time.




Monday, February 15, 2010

My name is Khan : Review

Saw MNIK over the weekend. Good performances, nice message and though some portions in the film are really lousy (the second half drags and the climax was ultimately disappointing), it's still worth watching once.

What's it all about?
Directed by Karan Johar, MNIK is essentially a love story starring his favourites SRK and Kajol. SRK plays Rizwan Khan, who suffers from Asperger’s syndrome and Kajol plays the role of a Hindu single mom Mandira. They meet, fall in love and get married. Life for them is a happy ride, as Mandira’s son also bonds well with Rizwan, until 9/11 happens. The tragic events that ensue, deliver a personal blow and takes Rizwan on a journey to meet the US President in an attempt to win back his love and give the message that all muslims are not terrorists.

What I liked
SRK gives a terrific performance as he not just acts but becomes Rizwan Khan. The restraint and subtlety in his performance, reminds one of Chak De. Ironically, even in that movie he portrayed the role of a Muslim which makes u wonder if playing the role of a wronged / misunderstood Muslim brings out the best in him. Kajol is splendid as usual. She looks like a million bucks and acts as only she can. The famous SRK – Kajol chemistry dazzles the screen and makes their scenes together a delight to watch. The remaining starcast comprising of Zarina Wahab (Rizwan’s mom), Jimmy Shergill (brother), Tanay Chheda (young Rizwan) , Yuvaan Makar (Mandira's son) give good support and make it worth watching even when the script falters a few times. Karan Johar’s direction is praiseworthy as he tackles an unusual subject with great flair.

What I didn't like
The script seems to run out of ideas in the second half. The flood scene looks contrived and forced as a result and doesn’t even make emotional sense. Similarly, the climax when Rizwan meets the US President is a tad disappointing.

Finally, is it worth seeing?
MNIK remains watchable thanks to the great performances of it’s two leads and Karan Johar’s direction.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Thackeray - SRK spat

Shiv Sena’s usual "dadagiri", Bachchan’s typical "jee huzoori", Rahul’s refreshing "train musafari" all that and more showed up in the recent Shah Rukh Khan and Shiv Sena standoff . The only redeeming quality of the entire circus was that SRK stood his ground and did not buckle under Shiv Sena's threats. I just wish we had more of his kind in this city.

Back to blogging

I’ve started blogging again and hoping to be more regular this time around, enough so that my propensity for expressing myself anonymously is satisfied :)