Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 139

Be Ghanchakkar!
28/06/2013, Mumbai

UTV produced aur RajKumar Gupta directed Ghanchakkar kahani hai ek bhulakkad chor aur uski fashionable patni ki.

Bunty aur Babli ki tarha Sanjay-Neetu peshayi chor hain, magar ab sab chod chuke hain.

Sanjay ko 35 karod ka offer aata hai aur Sanjay, retire hone se pehle, ek aakhri baar jurm ki duniya mein lauta hain.

Teen mahine baad jab Sanjay ke saathi hissa lene aate hain, tab Sanjay apni yaadash kho chukka hain.

Ab unko ko paise chahiye aur Sanjay ko yaad nahi ki usne paise kahan chupayein hain.

Film tukdo mein interesting hai - aur tukdo mein hilarious. Bank robbery sequence jahan teeno mukhwate pehankar aate hain, film ka best moment hain. Doosra shandar moment hai jab sab sab Ghajini ki baat karte hain...

Film ke characterisations/performances film ke plus hain. Emran Hashmi-Vidya Balan ke takkar ke jodi bante hai Rajesh Sharma aur Amar Kaushik.

Film ka minus, plot, story line aur repetitive information hain.

Ek samay baad, hum wohi 2 bedroom apartment ke kitchen /fishtank/ passage mein ghutan mehsoos karte hain.

Camera jab bahar bhi jaata hai toh wohi railway station/ train/ taxi/ crowded sadkein dikhata hain.

Aamir Khan ki Ghajini ke baad, ye bhi amnesia ki kahani hain – Ghajini zyada violent thi, Ghanchakkar zyada provocative hai – yaane adult viewing ke liye hain.

Chakkar ke andar chakkar hain aur ye Ghanchakkar khalli dabba zyada shor hain.

Ghanchakkar ko Big Entertainment Ratings milte hain 2.5 stars.

Bhawana Somaaya / @bhawanasomaaya

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 138

Under the Dome
27.6.2013, Mumbai

BIG CBS LOVE is all set to participate in a global television event with the launch of a brand-new show, Under the Dome. The 13-episode series, based on author Stephen King’s best-selling novel of the same name, will launch simultaneously in several countries within the week and features some of the biggest names in entertainment like Mike Vogel, Rachelle Lefevre, Colin Ford and Brit Robertson. Produced by CBS Television

Studios, in association with popular Hollywood director Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television Under the Domepremiers in India, exclusively on BIG CBS LOVE starting 28 June, 2013, every Friday at 10pm.

It tells the story of a small town that is suddenly and unexplainably sealed off from the rest of the world as an enormous transparent dome descends on it. The town’s inhabitants face issues like surviving in the postapocalyptic condition in the town like how the dome got there and how long it would take to disappear. The show brings together four of the biggest names in international entertainment - executive producers Neal Baer and Brian K Vaughan who have previously worked on shows like  Lost, ER and  Law  and Order: SVU, and director of the pilot episode Niels Arden Oplev who has also directed the original Swedish adaptation of the critically acclaimed movie Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

In India, Under the Dome will be promoted extensively using on-ground activations, digital innovations, print media and OOH bringing into play the media muscle of Reliance Broadcast Network and external media.

As BIG CBS LOVE gears for phase II of digitization, with Reliance Broadcast Network’s recently launched consumer awareness campaign ‘Choose Your Set Top Box Wisely’ campaigned across 4 metros and extended to 38 cities in DAS phase II. The campaign has been designed to empower consumers with information on digitization and will be promoted across the platforms of television, radio, cinemas, digital, outdoor, on ground and road shows.

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 137

Life is cruel
26.6.2013, Mumbai

It is more than a month since Sanjay Dutt is in jail and I have heard no outcry or anguish from anyone in the trade except for his dear friends, his producer whose release is due in a few weeks and of course his family...

It is almost a fortnight since Sooraj Panscholi has been arrested by the police as suspect in Jiah Khan’s suicide case and again, nobody has reacted violently in either defense or condemnation of Sooraj or Jiah Khan...

So many in Uttrakhand are dead and so many are on the verge of dying but not a single industrialist or minister have sent his private helicopter in search of the victims…

The rich and famous are busy with pressures. All the politicians care for are the votes and all the film fraternity is concerned with are the collection figures. That’s how cruel life is.

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 136

Rain, romance & melody 

25.6.2013, Mumbai

Romance in Hindi films is synonymous with rain sequences. Much before the item numbers dawned into our entertainment business, rain songs were the only ticket to erotica moments in films. Not all of them were explicitly sensual but they reflected a longing, an admission of desire and therefore all these songs were special. We remember some of these numbers for the extra-ordinary lyrics and melody and some for the song situations and choreography.

How can we forget the spirited Aishwarya Rai dancing to ‘barso re megha…’ in 'Guru',  Kareena Kapoor drenched in the shower singing to Rahul Bose in 'Chameli' and before that Madhoo jumping in the paddy fields singing ‘Dil hai chotasa…’ in 'Roja'..?

If ‘Pyar hua iqrar hua…’ with Nargis and Raj Kapoor shot under a windblown umbrella in 'Shri 420' is the anthem for monsoon songs in Hindi films, Aamir Khan and Gracy Singh dancing to ‘Kaale megha kale megha…’ in 'Lagaan' is a song of hope and ‘Badal yun garajta hai ..’ in 'Betaab' a song of reunion where childhood friends Amrita Singh and Sunny Deol meet after a long separation.

The poet always had a new expression for these rain songs depending on the situation and character and the filmmaker combined with choreographer and musician turned these moments magical.

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 135

Needed, Superman in Uttrakhand
24.6.2013, Mumbai

Finally, I watched the much talked about 'Man of Steel' and only because my niece was keen that we see the film together. After ages I visited the dome IMAX Theatre in Wadala. I remember attending the inauguration of the grand premise more than a decade ago when we were treated to a 10 minute film on Taj Mahal starring Aishwarya Rai. After that I have attended many premiers and film festivals including the annual FICCI conference headed by late Yash Chopra.

Walking down the gallery seat and post film the steep staircase to the exit I realised for the first time how senior unfriendly are most of our theatres. IMAX is an impossible exercise for the weak and the disabled and I’m not sure if I would want to sit in the uncomfortable couch seat the next time I’m in the same theatre.

The film does not live up to the hype and there is nothing to appreciate except the production values, the packaging, presentation and the technology. Wearing 3D glasses is a torture and paying 600 rupees per ticket is a crime.

All I could think of while watching Superman was that if only he could fly to Uttarakhand and help all the victims, then 600 rupees and the 3D glasses will be forgiven.

Will you go and save them Superman or at least rob the helicopters of the Richie Rich and send them to save the surviving victims?

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 134

Raanjhanaa disappoints

21/06/2013, Mumbai

Krishika Lulla produced - Anand Rai directed Ranjhana mein Banaras ke Hindu Pandit Kundan ko - pehli nazar mein Zoya se pyaar ho jata hai.

Zoya ke valid usko Aligarh padhai ke liye bhej dete hain aur 9 saal baad jab Zoya ghar laut-ti hai, toh uski duniya badal gayi hai!

Magar Kundan ki duniya ab bhi Zoya hai...

Film ek umang se shuru hoti hai aur hume Holi ke rang, barsaati ki patangein, tang sadkon ki bhagti cyclein aur gol gappe ke swaad mein bandh leti hai.

Yehi utsah Delhi university campus aur krantikari student’s mein nazar aata hai. Film ka first half ek raftaar se bhagti train ki tarha aapko jakkad leta hai. Phir achanak, galat signal ki wajah se, kahani focus kho deti hai.

Sabse pehle – film taiyy nahi kar pati ki ye kahani pyaar ki hai / nafrat ki hai/ badley ki hai /dharam ki hai/ politics ki hai ya pashchatap ki?

Dossra, sabhi characters (sivaye Abhay Deol), mein character contradiction hai. Zoya Kundan ko dost manti hai aur uska istimaal bhi karti hai.

Kundan barbadi ka ailaan karta hai aur dushman ki bhi madad karta hai.

Writer Himanshu Sharma bewajah ki gaaliyon ko ahmiyat dete hai aur, aham sawalon ke jawab nahi dete.

Bindiya yaane Swara Bhaskar zalil hone ke bawajood Kundan ko kyon pyaar karti hai? Aspatal se gayab hone ke baad Zoya ka pariwar Zoya ko kyon nahi khojta?

Film ke kirdar,screenplay, rishtey, iraade aur sandesh sabhi mein jhol hai.

Sabhi characters jasbaadon mein uljhe hue hai, magar koi bhi humare dil ko nahi chhute

Sonam Kapoor, khubsurat aur zindadil hai Dhaanush role ke liye sahi hai magar aap ka dil sirf Abhay Deol jeet ta hai.

Ranjhana ko Big Entertainment ratings milte hai 2.5 stars.

Bhawana Somaaya / @bhawanasomaaya

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 133

Jail Diary xiv

18.6.2013. Mumbai

It is amazing how a change in nature brings a change in temperament. It has been raining all night and lying on his mat Sanjay recalls their old home in Pali Hill. Every monsoon the bungalow would be leaking from everywhere and dad would instruct the staff to keep buckets under leaking roofs. It was a strange sight to see so many coloured buckets all around the house but after a while the family got used to it.

A few years ago when Sanjay and his sisters moved into their newly done apartment it took them a while to accept that their home would never need colorful buckets during monsoon because care had been taken to never face adversities again.

Sanjau learnt from his family that his well wishers were sending him sacred threads, taabiz, lucky charms, mata ki chunri to cast away all negative energy from his life, that Manyata has cleared a room to store all these memories so that he can visit them when he returns home.

Sanjay sighs; he has completed a month in the prison today and to think that he has still three years to go seems like a lifetime…

(To be continued)

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 132

Jail Diary XIII

18.6.2013. Mumbai

The skyline is gloomy but the ground beneath his feet in the cell feels cool after the first showers of rain. Sanjay thinks about his first born Trishala and wonders what time of the day it must be in New York now.  He smiles when he thinks about how maturely she had reacted to the news of his going to jail again. No questions, no tears, just long pauses over the telephone. Sanjay was surprised how alert she was to his situation and accepted without arguments when he explained that he did not wish her to come to Bombay. Trishala understood that if her father wanted her to refrain visiting him there must be a reason and watching all the commotion on the street that noon, she understood why.

The last time Manyata was here, she informed him that Trishala had posted a very mature blog admitting that she was foolish to fantasize a career in films. Trishala wrote that she was glad that she had grown out of that stage and today as the older sister, felt responsible for her twin siblings in the absence of their dad.

(To be continued)

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 131

Remembering Chandrakat Bakshi 
17.6.2013, Mumbai

On Sunday the legendary writer of Gujarati stage returned to spotlight when director Manoj Shah brought him alive on Prithvi Theatre with an autobiographical monologue aptly titled Hu, Chandrakant Bakshi... Produced by Ideas Unlimited the play recounts the life and times of the prolific writer who lived life 70 mm.

Those who knew him and those who read him were familiar with his zest and passion, controversies and contradictions.

Manoj Shan encapsulates Bakshi’s eventful life and unfolds drama without judgment. Bakshi was a great storyteller, a compulsive writer of books and columns published in various newspapers over the decades.

His dear ones often asked Bakshi how he would like to be remembered…As a professor who loved his students, as the author who connected with his readers, as the sheriff of Mumbai or as a family man embroiled in domesticity...?

It seems that Bakshi would have liked to be remembered as little of everything, but most important as a man who celebrated life… flirted with politics… argued about religion…engaged in literature… worried about history…!

Hu,Chandrakt Bakshi…is a glimpse of all that and more. Written by Shishir Ramavat and enacted by Pratik Gandhi who is privileged to play the role of the distinguished writer is a journey into an era that should not be missed.

Manoj Shah who is the man behind many sensitive and thought provoking plays (my favorite is Mareez) may take a bow.

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 130

Fukrey is entertaining. Ankur Arora.. is thought provoking
14/06/2013, Mumbai

Excel Entertainment produced aur Mrighdeep Lamba directed Fukrey kahani hai chaar desperate ladkon ki.

Hunny, yaane Pulkit Samrat aur Choocha, yaane Varun Sharma school ke aakhri saal mein tuitions ke bawajood teen baar fail ho chuke hain!

Laali, yaane Manjot Singh part time gurudwara mein rehta hai aur part time pita ki dukan par.

Sab ka sapna hain ki wo jald se jald college jaye - aur ladkiyon se ishq ladaye!!

Zafar yaane Ali Fazal issi college ka graduate hai magar ab bhi college mein guitar bajate hue nazar aata hai.

Zafar musician ban na chahta hain magar ab tak koi album release nahi hua hai.

Inn charon ko milate hain ke college ke watchman - yaane Panditji aur unki kahani mein twist laati hai Bholi Punjaban yaane Richa Chadha.

Fukrey sirf Hunny, Choocha ki kahani nahi, balki hum sab ki kahani hain jab hum jawaan thhe aur college mein padhte thhe.

Delhi Belly aur Go Goa Gone ke baad ye ek aur fun filled, adventure film hai jo college ke campus ke bahar shuru hoti hai.

Film ki witty writing aur entertaining peshgi ke liye credit jaata hai film ke writer director Mrighdeep ko.

Fukrey ko Big Entertainment Ratings milte hai 3.5 stars.


**********************************************************************

Vikram Bhatt produced aur Suhail Tatari directed Ankur Arora Murder Case satya ghatna par adharit rachna hai.

Ek maa apne chotte bache ko pet mein dard ki wajah se aspatal laati hain – doctor unko hospital mein admit hone ki salah dete hai - aur do din baad unka appendix operation hota hain.

Surgery kamyaab batayi jaati hai magar kuch hi pal ke baad - complications ki wajah se, bachha operation table par hi mar jaata hain.

Iss film ka hum kai tarha se varnan kar sakte hai - ek maa ki bête ke liye vyaktigat ladai – ya phir medical world ka aitihasik expose.

Ankur Arora Murder Case pehli film hai jisme medical aur legal procedures ko itni authentically pesh kiya gaya hai.

Iss dardnaak kahani ko aur bhi dilchasp banati hain courtroom arguments aur rishton ki guthliyaan.

Doctor ki bhumika mein Kay Kaya Menon, maa ki bhumika mein Tisca Chopra aur lawyer ki bhumika mein Paoli Dam aap ka dil hilakar rakh denge.

Vikram Bhatt likhi aur Suhail Tatari directed Ankur Arora Murder Case hamare aaj ke khokle samaj ka aina hai aur humare hausle aur himmat ka pratik bhi.

Hard hitting and sensitive Ankur Arora Murder Case ko Big Entertainment Ratings milte hai 3.5 stars.

Bhawana Somaaya / @bhawanasomaaya

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 129

Do judge for yourself and value your vote

12/06/2013, Mumbai 

Real Name: Narendra Damodardas Modi

D.O.B.: 17 September 1950
 
Place of Birth: Vadnagar,Gujrat
 
Citizenship: Indian
 
Religion: Hinduism
 
Qualification for PM post: Master’s degree in Political Science from Gujrat University
 

Experience: As a teenager Modi used to run a tea stall with his brother. Volunteered to serve the soldiers in transit at railway stations in 1960s during Indo-Pak war. Social service through organizations viz., Akhil Bharathiya Vidhya Parishad, RSS etc. CM of Gujarat since 2001.

Inspiration: Swami  Vivekananda
 
Political Ideology: Cultural nationalism. Justice to all.
 
Response to  Terrorism: “Terrorism is worse than a war. A terrorist has no rules. A terrorist
decides when, how, where and whom to kill. India has lost more people in
terror attacks than in its wars.” - Narendra Modi
 
Style of Governance: Minimum Government, Maximum Governance.
 
Speech: Excellent Orator in Hindi and Gujrathi
 
Achievements: Uninterrupted electricity in Gujarat, Industrial development in Gujarat, Gutkca ban in Gujarat.

Gujarat remains a peaceful place and role model for India.

If terrorism, corruption and poverty are the main problems that our nation is facing, who should take the blame for it squarely? 

Indians judge yourself and decide who should be your PM in 2014.

If you agree you can forward as many as you can to see a bright and prosperous Bharat.

Jai Hind.

Bhawana Somaaya / @bhawanasomaaya

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 128

Creating characters
10.2013, Mumbai

I was meeting up somebody at the Costa Coffee near my home and discovered that the lady on the neighboring table was Indian's first prosthetic makeup artist, Ritoo Jenjani. Ritoo told me that she was responsible for the transformation of Goddess Pravati into Goddess Kali in the teleserial 'Devon Ke Dev Mahadev'.  Jenjani first worked with Kamal Haasan during 'Vishwaroopam' followed by the 'Rise of the Zombie' with Luke Kenny. Ever since Jenjani has been in the limelight and was invited by Rakesh Roshan for 'Krrish 3' but unfortunately Jenjani was on a sabbatical for her pregnancy.  She has no regrets and says that the appreciation she received for her work in Mahadev is more than satisfactory, “Creating the Maa kaali look was not easy, I had to create the prosthetic tongue, skull mala, skirt made of bones, demon head, prosthetic hands and full body painting for the Kali avataar. I did a lot of research and then the final look was created. It is interesting how cinema and television is waking up to new expressions and experiments. Until recently prosthetics was associated only to horror movies but today perceptions have altered drastically. My job is to make the actor resemble the character and if I can make my audience forget the actor and involve him with the character then my goal is established.”

Bhawana Somaaya / @bhawanasomaaya

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 127

Farewell Jiah

10.6. 12, Mumbai

The more I read about Jiah Khan, the beautiful face in 'Nishabd',  the more distressed I feel. Watching so many people from filmdom accompany her in her last voyage, I wondered if Jiah would have taken the drastic step had she known so many people believed in her. It is very unfortunate what happened and what is tragic is that it could have so easily been avoided. I cannot even begin to imagine what her mother Rabbiya is going through at the moment. The family has complained to the police that she had a bruised jaw at the time of her death and suspect she was beaten up. Jiah’s sister has shared excerpts of her last letter to a publication and its content is very disturbing. She says she is leaving because she is broken inside, that she lost herself in loving for she was tortured every day and has no residue of self esteem, confidence, ambition or happiness.

So sad, so very sad, you have us speechless Jiah. May you find peace wherever you are!

Bhawana Somaaya / @bhawanasomaaya

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya- Day 126

'YPD 2': Not magical enough!
07/06/2013, Mumbai

Dharmendra produced aur Sangeeth Sivan directed Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 ko dekhne ke pehle darshakon ko kuch baatein batana zaroori hai.

No 1: Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 film ka nahi – film ke title ka sequel hai, isliye darshak -story, plot ya presentation mein comparisons na kare.

No 2:  Ye characters ka prerogative hain, ki wo apne naam aur past ko apni marzi se badal de. Isliye Gajoder Singh yaane Bobby Deol iss baar Prem bane hai. Sunny Deol jo peechli  baar, Vancouver mein ek bache ka baap thhe, iss baar New York mein ishq lada rahe hain.

No 3: Ye writer ka prerogative hain,  ki uske paas story ho na ho, wo duniya bhar ke tricks, purane gaane aur purane kisson ki guthliyon mein aapko uljhkar rakhenge.

No 4: Ye producer ka prerogative hain ki wo apni film dil se banaye, dimag se banaye ya phir sirf paise se!  Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 paise se banayi film hain, jo props se bharpur hai:

Ismein Helicopter hai, Gorrila hai , Mercedes  hai, Mansions hai aur sabse badi baat Paghdi hai...

Iske alava film mein zabardast supporting cast hain, khupsurat ladkiyan hain aur shaandaar locations hai...

Matlab, sab kuch hain, sivay - ek kahani aur logic ke!

Afsos ki Dharmendra ka anubhav, Bobby Deol ka josh aur Sunny Deol ke dhai kilo ka haath milkar bhi humara manoranjan nahi kar pata.

Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 - ko – theatre mein takiye aur blanket ke saath - Big Entertainment Ratings milte hai 2 stars.

Bhawana Somaaya / @bhawanasomaaya

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 125

Jail Diary Day XII
6.6.13, Mumbai

Sanjay wakes up in the morning to discover that he has no task for the day. After a day of cutting paper files seated in his cell in Barrack III it seems the authorities are rethinking about what task to assign the actor. Sanjay asks jail authorities to assign him hard labour because without any work it is difficult to pass the day and even more difficult to get sleep at night but his request is turned down because they have been warned about threat to his security and cannot take the risk of letting him mingle with other inmates outside his cell.

Sanjay feels desolate and wonders what task they will assign him. He hopes he it is not about weaving chairs again because even the last time when he was so much younger was very strenuous and this time it will be a greater strain on his eyes.

Sanjay lies on his mattress staring at the ceiling wondering how he is going to endure this difficult phase of his life, day after day, week after week…!

Bhawana Somaaya / @bhawanasomaaya

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 124

Be Hindi, write Hindi
5.6.13, Mumbai

I have a letter from a stranger in Canada drawing my attention to an important facet about Hindi films. He says that while it is norm all over the world that a film is presented in the script of the language of the film only Hindi films don’t write title credits in Hindi script. They used to in the olden days but not any longer and this makes a poor impression when Indian films travel around the world and to festivals.

He says Hindi films have more of Urdu and English words than Hindi and recounts the story of a family friend, a teenager with Indian father and British mother. She was keen to learn Hindi and watched over 100 movies but was still confused about which words is Hindi, which is Punjabi and which is Urdu. She didn’t know what Hindi script looked like written and had the credits been in Hindi script she would have been familiar with the alphabets…

Film Writers Association are you reading this and can something be done about this?

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 123

Jail Diary: Day XI

04.6.13, Mumbai

It is 1pm at PVR Theatre Juhu where the media is invited for an introduction with the cast of 'Policegiri'. As   we enter the auditorium we are presented a police cap as a memento. Soon Dutt’s family comprising sister Priya Dutt and brother-in-law Kumar Gaurav arrive and take seat in the first row. Producer T.P.Agarwal talks about the making of the film. He says “Sanjay loved the original Sammy and asked me to purchase the rights for making the film in Hindi. When I did he was as excited as a child to start shooting immediately and it was his passion that made him complete in a record time. Now all I pray is that he is proud of the final product and comes back soon, so that we can work on another film again.” The director, the choreographer and Sanjay’s co-star Prachi Desai are all very emotional about Sanjay and feel that their collective prayers will bring him back early to them. So are Kumar Gaurav and Priya Dutt. They wish the team super success for the film and leave the auditorium quietly.

(To be continued)

Bhawana Somaaya / @bhawanasomaaya

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 122

Jail Diary: Day X
03.06.13, Mumbai

Sanjay is making paper files thinking about his sister Priya’s visit to prison yesterday. She looked weighed down and it is understandable because she has not had any rest since months. Sanjay understands that it is not easy for her to travel to Pune everyday to meet him and yet she makes the effort only to be able to spend 20 minutes in each other’s company.  Sanjay is hungry and wonders what his restaurateur friend will send for lunch today.  It is strange but he never spared any thought on food when he was outside prison. It is probably because he knew that Manyata would serve him what he likes or maybe he deliberately thinks about food now so as a reason to focus on something else besides his loved ones.

The guard brings his tiffin to the cell and informs that there are talks about an order to revoke his request for home food. It is true. Yogesh Desai of Yerwada Central Jail has filed a plea before TADA Court that after the amendment in regulations in 2000 there are no provisions in the prison manual to provide such facility to convicts or under trials.

The petition does not come for hearing as the judge is on leave so it will come up again and verdict will be passed after hearing the prosecution and Dutt’s defense.

Sanjay goes back to making files and surveys the pieces of paper strewn all over the place and for the first time wonders how and when his home/ workplace has got tidied up day after day. There must be a system for his home to always look tidy and how strange that he never paused to notice it till today. Sanjay picks all the wastepaper and pushes them in a corner suddenly full of appreciation for his wife Manyata who maintains an efficient home. He wonders how much daily wages he will be paid this time.  During his last stay in the prison he earned rupees 12.50 as an unskilled worker per day and most of it was spent  purchasing eatables like biscuits and fruits from the jail canteen and even that had a ceiling of not exceeding rupees 2000 per month.

Sanjay smiles, tomorrow the promotions of his film Policegiri begins with a media conference. He prays that all goes well and the film has an uninterrupted release.

(To be continued)

Bhawana Somaaya / @bhawanasomaaya

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 121

Deepika-Ranbir delicious!
31/05/2012, Mumbai

Karan Johar produced, Ayan Mukherjee directed Ye Jawani Hai Deewani kahani hain chaar doston - Avi– Aditi- Naina aur Bunny ki.

Bunny yaane Ranbir Kapoor, sapne dekhta hai. Naina yaane Deepike Padukone, zindagi jeeti hai. Aditi yaane Kalki, bindaas dekhti hain magar sabse samajhdar hai aur Avi yaane Aditya Roy Kapoor, careless nazar aata hai magar emotional hai.

Iske pehle bhi, humne bohat saari dosti ki filmein dekhi hain. Aur dosti ki kahaniyon mein pyaar ko dabe paun aate hue mehsoos kiya hain.

Ye Jawani Hai Deewani wo saari filmon se alga hai – kyon ye sirf film nahi, ek khupsurat anubhav hai! Anubhav dosti ka– pyaar ka – rishton ka- zindagi ka- aur sabse badhkar, prakruti ka!

Director Ayan Mukherjee hume parbat ki chotti par se aasmaan dikhate hain hai, kille ke upar chadkar suryasth dikhate hai, gulal mein bhaang milakar holi ke rang udate hain, shaadi mein champagne se nehlate hai,  desh ki chotti sadkein aur pardes ki rangeen raatein ghumate hai.

Aisa lagta hain jaise purri film mein ek nasha hai aur iss nashe ke saath saath hai ek chaab jasbadon se bharra, jiska har dam ehsaas hai magar izhaar.

Humara dil bhar jaata hai magar hum rotte nahi, hum muskurate hai magar thahake lagakar haste nahi.
Film ko alag banati hai film ki bahtareen writing, Pritam ka sangit aur flawless performances. Kunal Roy Kapoor, Kalki aur Aditya Kapoor extra-ordinary hai. Cocktail ki extroverted Deepika Padukone introverted Naina ki bhumika mein sehmi hui hai aur Ranbir Kapoor Barffi se zyada meetha .

Film dekhne ki 5 vajah hai: Writer/Director Ayan Mukherjee. Deepika-Ranbir ki superchemistry. Jab wo saath aate hain toh mausam badal jaata hai aur Ranbir Kapoor- Ranbir Kapoor aur Ranbir Kapoor!
Wo ‘Badtameez dil’ hoga jo iss film ko na pasand karega jisse dekhkar sab kahenge, “Mogambo khush hua!”

Ye Jawani Hai Deewani ko Big Entertainment ratings milte hai 4 stars ke saath saath purri caast ko ek jadu ki jhappi.

Bhawana Somaaya / Twitter: @bhawanasomaaya