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Showing posts from February, 2006

24 hours in Goa

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A day visit to any city goes without realizing when it started and got over. This did not happen with Goa. 24 hours in Goa with new locations let me decipher new facets of Goa that I had not experienced earlier. This was not my first visit to Goa but one I made after 3 years. This gave me chance to realize the change in these years. One thing that struck, Goa does not subscribe to an apt phrase ‘some things never change’. Goa has changed and for the better. Roads seemed immaculate, with white shoulder lines clearly marked. Dabolim airport has been spruced up but still looks woefully inadequate to handle tourist inflow. The outside gate of the airport is about the same size as that of porch of any hotel. Familiar cacophony of cars can stupefy most foreigners who have flocked to Goa seeing pictures of beaches. When I arrived, humidity was overpowering and so was the heat. Chaos was everywhere and amidst all that , this goan guy was holding soft drink and wet towel for his european client

would india pak cricket be the same ?

“Look at what he is doing!” mom screamed at the sight of her small kid and beseeched her husband to intervene. Dad rushed out of his seat to his kid “drop it, that’s not ours…. ... throw it .. throw it” Small kid who was engrossed all by himself now became adamant with the fear of relinquishing his possession that he had managed to secure. His son’s defiance was now embarrassing Sardar dad. After all, his patriotic credibility was at stake. Being Sardar, fiercely loyalty came naturally to him. Saradar was exasperated and started snatching the annoying possession from his son’s hand. Kid started showing his tantrums by clinging to what he was holding. When Sardar realized that people all around him were having a hearty laugh. He was relieved and let his small son continue with his prized possession. The prized possession was a Pakistani flag that his son managed to retrieve where India Pakistan match was progressing. This incident happened at India Pakistan match played in Muscat in 199

Rang de basanti - an excellent cinematic package

After Mangal Pandey, I became cautious of watching any movie that is hyped either through publicity campaigns or through staged controversies. When Rang de Basanti was released, I was bit skeptical to watch this movie in a theater until I did not notice widespread condemnation of this movie in media. I abstained from reading reviews either but the comments heard from Dubai FM DJ tempted me to take a chance with this movie. I did so y’day evening and was not disappointed. Not being disappointed would connote a negative compliment. I enjoyed this movie and amazed in a manner story is nurtured and presented. Often I tend to judge a movie based on pre conceived expectations that set in my mindset. These often come from the reputation of producer, director, and main actors. In this movie, all I was vaguely aware that it is a movie with Amir Khan at center stage with shades of political jingoism. When this movie began, I was wondering if this was an attempt to combine ‘Dil Chahta Hain’ in co

real life hero of swades

Ashutosh Gowarikar’s protagonist Mohan Bhargava arrived in India last year after being 12 years in USA to light a bulb in a remote village. The character was fictional but derived from few real life men who gave up their satisfying career, comfortable lifestyle in western world to make a visible difference by application of their skills to their country. After seeing the movie, comments ranged from ‘Highly improbable story’ to ‘who wouldn’t come back to India if you find lithesome, gorgeous woman in countryside’. Some of them did term the act as ‘inspirational’ and some consigned as a senseless desperation act smitten by patriotism only to rue the decision forever. One such real Mohan Bhargava arrived in India in 1975 and went onto create a top class institute that continues to benefit thousands of poor Indians and hundreds of Africans who had given their hope to live a healthy life after losing both Kidneys. This man is Prof. H. L. Trivedi – a renowned transplant physician and now Dir