The Indian in the Jurrasic Park

This has been published in The Hans India - A reputed daily in Telangana!

Irrfan Khan dons a significant role as Simon Masrani in the epic movie, Jurassic World, the fourth sequel of Jurassic Park, which opened to rave reviews and saccharine sounds of cash registers ringing. The movie raked in a huge moolah which makes one blink: a whopping 208.8 million dollars in the first week of its North American opening, surpassing collections of two recent movies ‘Avengers’ and ‘Fast and Furious 7’.

Irrfan Khan emerged as the dark horse since he boasts of a significant screen presence unlike other Hollywood roles, which most often put Indian actors in blink-and-you-miss roles. Irrfan Khan, though not strictly a legendary actor this side of globe, yet, appeals to overseas audiences, in a way no other Bollywood actor has appealed. It definitely is heartening to realize that he played a pivotal role in a series that many would die to be a part of. And that too, of a noteworthy standing.

The saga of Indians chartering foreign waters isn’t new either. Earlier, several Indians took to Hollywood roles. Vijay Amritraj, the illustrious tennis star, featured on the Hollywood silver screen way back in 1980s. One can catch him in the James Bond flick ‘Octopussy’ featuring Roger Moore. Where he is Bond’s sidekick, who drives a classy-looking auto. You don’t for a moment think he is weedy on his acting skills, instead you find him decorous, lighting up scenes with his lively screen presence.

Another famous Indian who made girls swoon with his straight out of the Mills & Boon looks ‘Tall, dark, Handsome’ was Kabir Bedi. He has been offered many a role in Hollywood movies, but what truly comes to fore is his role in the flick ‘Octopussy’. He is basically a villain in the movie, but this part of the world he is looked upon as a hero for having chartered Hollywood waters early and for making a mark.

Naseeruddin Shah, a multifaceted and prominent actor, made his Hollywood presence in the flick, ‘The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen’.  Where he effortlessly stepped into the shoes of ‘Captain Nemo’ of ‘Nautilus’. Pitched alongside globally renowned Hollywood star, Sean Connery, the movie was quite an attention-grabber. Although he acted in several English movies, this flick puts him directly under the gleam of spotlight.

Following closely on the heels of a similar success is Anil Kapoor, who acted in ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ and ‘Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol’ and won critical acclaim for his skills. Especially his role in ‘Ghost Protocol’, where he dons the role of a millionaire playboy, made audiences wonder who this nonchalant, terrific actor is. 

Of course, how could one miss out on Amitabh Bachanchan’s Hollywood debut - ‘The Great Gatsby’? Breaking the mold, Amitabh has starred in the movie as Meyer Wolfsheim, a shady Jew who acts as a father figure to the mysterious Jay Gatsby, whose role is aptly filled in by the fabulously renowned actor - Leonardo DiCaprio.  Amitabh dons this minor but significant role with a panache that is akin to none. 

However, when it simmers down to steady credible performance, Irrfan Khan grabs the limelight. Or else, which other Indian actor has been a part of English movies that consistently proved to be massive hits? Be it the ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ or ‘The Namesake’ or ‘Life of PI’ or ‘The Amazing Spider Man’, Irrfan Khan has been hogging the spotlight for his extraordinary performance. Hollywood directors too seem to favour him since he comes across as a sane actor who can deliver goods without being overly pompous or a nervous wreck. No wonder his hands are full with international projects. Currently, he is shooting for Dan Brown’s ‘Inferno’ in Budapest.

Reflecting on the success of Jurassic World, Irrfan Khan, in one his interviews to ‘The Hollywood Reporter’ said, “When the first Jurassic Park came out, I barely had the money to see it, and now I'm playing a part.”  Undoubtedly, the actor has come a long way! 

 

 

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Where Guitars Speak. And Men Stay Silent.

 

Oh! How I love freedom. To roam the roads. To watch movies. To play guitar. To paint. To read books. To spend time with friends. To travel to distant locations. Pretty much everything that gives me a high. Precisely why I find it damn boring to work a 9-5 routine. Though several agencies offered me decent money to stay full-time, my restless spirit denies money in exchange for freedom. It’s part-time work or no work. ‘My way or the highway’ attitude which, I know, sounds little edgy and reckless…but that’s me! So when I catch these guys jamming the guitar aka flamenco style…as the streets reverberate with sounds of intoxication called music… as they let their hair down and make the hair on our napes stand up…they, I find, are richer than many of us.  For, following one’s dreams is far more important than being just another cog in the wheel. And I can’t help but see two of them playing one of a tune…’My way or highway’. Barcelona, you truly beckon me! 

 

The Urban Fusion of Lingo

This has been published in The Hans India - A reputed daily in Telangana!

It is believed that approximately 4,000 or more new words are added to dictionary every year. What is truly incomprehensible is that Shakespeare alone contributed nearly 2,000 new words during his hey days.

Nonetheless, with most of our lives lived on internet, and lifestyles changing at the drop of a hat, there’s a dearth for neologism that best expresses contemporary thoughts and situations. Sensing this dearth, the urbandictionary.com, has come up with a gamut of thought-provoking words for new age living. Of course, all of them may not be appealing but some of them are truly worth giving a thought to.

Strictly speaking, these words are nothing but mashing of two dissimilar words together to create a new one. Such as, Shopaholic, Brunch, infotainment, Edutainment, etc. Killer combos that drive home the point succinctly. Known also as portmanteau words, a few of these are making the rounds on Internet as ‘24+ brilliant words we should add to the dictionary’. And guess what?! They are being lapped up by the ‘Generation Z’ for their ‘spot on’ impact. Well, here’s a list of ten for clearer perspective! 

‘Textpectation’. The word actually means ‘anticipation felt when waiting for a response to a text’. How many times have you anxiously waited for that text message from your boss or colleagues or girlfriend or boyfriend?! If you are unable to express this feeling, ‘Textpectation’ comes to your rescue.

Chairdrobe – don’t tell us you don’t get this?!  You must have left your clothes on the chair until it bundled up to be mountainous? Well, ‘Chairdrobe’ means exactly that:  ‘piling clothes on in the place of a closet or dresser.

‘Cellfish’ is another smart analogy to describe a person who is constantly chatting on the mobile, causing irritation to friends and those around. If you are not aware of anyone who is ‘Cellfish’, maybe you should pose the question to yourself?

Youinverse is a word that closely rides on the same wave as above. This means that a person has knowledge of only him or himself; their universe consists only of them. Have you a friend who lives in his own universe?  Well, you got a new word to introduce him to the world to.

Nonversation, means a completely worthless conversation; small talk. Sometimes, you have this vague feeling that the whole discussion was pointless – a total waste of time. Then, what you had was a ‘Nonversation’

Errorist means someone who repeatedly makes mistakes.  Sort of a substitute for the word clumsy but in a more impactful manner. Though the word may sound obnoxious, it does possess a certain energy. Know anybody who is an Errorist?

Hiberdating is when a person ignores their friends in favour of a boyfriend/ girlfriend. Nobody admits it, but every youngster does it. Well, you got the right word to describe friends who show cold shoulder when they are around their loved ones.

Internesting – the cocoon of blankets and pillows you gather around yourself whilst spending long periods of time on Internet. Many may outwardly deny it, but are inwardly guilty of this indulgence. Internesting is a world of its own.

Destinesia – when you get to where you were intending to go, but forget why you were going there in the first place. Sounds unbelievable?! But it does happen to travelers. They reach a particular place for a reason but are later dumbfounded as to why they have come there in the first place.

Carcolepsy – a condition where a passenger falls asleep as soon as the car starts moving. With many employees working in call centres, dozing off in the cars while on way to work or home comes naturally. To describe this phenomenon, Carcolepsy is the right word.

With the world shrinking into a global village and lifestyles evolving in a way nobody had ever imagined, need for vocabulary that could keep pace with changing times cannot not be ruled out. Thanks to creative individuals who keep inventing innovative words to make our lives cozy, colourful and temerarious. 

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http://epaper.thehansindia.com/521007/SUNDAY-HANS/14-Jun-2015#page/7/2 

Unlocking the Love!

An article I wrote for The Hans India - a reputed daily in Telangana

When Shakespeare wrote ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’ he probably envisaged the day when ‘Love Locks’ on the bridge ‘Pont des Arts’ in France would forcibly be removed, causing agony to many a love bird. However, he wrote ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’ as a comedy, but, this one, is a tragedy of sorts for the love stricken.

For years, tourists across the world have been attaching ‘Love Locks’ with emotional messages to bridges in France as symbolic acts of love. A few cupid-stricken lovers even went a step ahead and threw the key afterwards into the river below sealing the deal. The sentiment, though a ban on Love Locks on ‘Ponts de Arts’ stands good, still remains rife and the practice isn’t easy to stifle overnight.

In fact, a few allege that there are in excess of million ‘Love Locks’ on 11 other heritage sites in Paris, including a few on reputed Eiffel Tower itself. If ever a drive to clean up the city takes place, it needs to get to the bottom of the issue – like the bottom of river Seine too, where alone exist more than a million keys.

But how did this all begin?! Well, it all simmers down to a movie. A 2006 Italian adult novel-turned-movie created this practice in Rome. A couple of die-hard lovers hit the road to France and fanned the flames of this ritual in 2008. The trend spread like wildfire. Today, it is believed that  most of France’s sites have ‘Love Locks’.

However, there are many who oppose this practice as it possess a genuine threat.  in 2014, there was even a bid to discourage visitors and lovers (mostly they are one and the same) from indulging in this practice. Instead of attaching ‘Love Locks’ to bridges and other sites, they were asked to take selfies. But the attempt miserably flopped. Ironically, ‘Love Locks’ proved a huge hit. Since then, the practice became more rampant with a threat of it spreading to other European countries too.

Till recently, ‘Pont des Arts’ has had over 700,000 locks which is roughly  the weight of 20 elephants. Phew! Pretty hard on the bridge, right?. Owing to this burgeoning weight,  a section of the ‘Pont Des Arts’ gave away. Raising eyebrows and serious concerns over safety of tourists. That was the last straw! The city of Paris too had enough of these love birds being a burden on their heritage sites. The authorities  decided to take prompt action to  replace ‘Love Locks’ on ‘Pont Des Arts’.

These ‘memoirs of love’ will finally  be replaced with something less harmful and more appealing to tourists, ensuring safety for everyone. Of course, this also brings to mind another of Shakespeare’s play: ‘All’s well that ends well’.

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A splash of color. A taste of life. A dash at being myself.

The inclination to trail in the footsteps of M.F.Husain has long been there. Unfortunately, for years, I splurged time doing nothing of significance. But the passion to indulge in at least one oil painting has been hovering on my head like the sword of …whatever the guy’s name is.

But the zillion dollar question remained: who would guide me into using paints. It was a baffling mind scramble. All sorts of questions popped inside my head. How much of linseed oil? What brushes to purchase? Where to get the canvas? Which ones are better: acrylics or oils?  Eventually, what do I do with all the paintings I would draw?!

Fortuitously, technology opened doors. While I was looking for answers, enlightenment portal, ‘YouTube’ beamed me to some remote place - a maestro’s chamber perhaps. He explained the artist’s role with regard oils and canvas - explicitly.  Afterwards, I was beamed back. There was a difference before and after this transmuting teleportation, I travelled as greenhorn returned as enlightened Buddha (That's got nothing to do with clothing, mind you!).

In other words, I was like Bradley Cooper taking the ‘Pill of enlightenment’ and getting a crystal-clarity on what sequentially needs to be done. Suddenly, everything fell into place like a gigantic Jigsaw puzzle.  I grasped I could wield brushes the same way a karate black belt holder would use a ‘Nunchaku’.

The African couple - my initial painting proved a super blooper. But, my guru, Brian Tracy whispered. ‘Don’t worry it’s your first. Learn from it’. A sudden change in perception topsy-turvied my discernment. I realized colors were original, but strokes needed to be sleeker. So, I began working on them. Brush contamination was a major challenge, but I overcame it with a smart move - by buying new ones.

Soon, I was doing lots of paintings. Though some of them were like what-the-hell-I-worked-on kinds, the others totally surprised me. Surprised me because they were blank for a long time. ‘Artist’s block’ a friend explained to me later. I was down with paints all around me except on the canvas. This went on for days.

To get rid of this block. I walked couple of blocks every day. Visited art exhibitions. Turned to YouTube. This time, they turned me away like an unwanted friend. Nevertheless, persistence is a good ally and I triumphed over this ‘Artist’s block’ by  initially drawing blocks, then graduating to squares and eventually sticking to circles.

Once I mastered these nuances, painting indeed became a delightful indulgence. Except, the parts, where oils stuck to clothes and colours wouldn’t leave my hands for days. But, on the other hand, painting did add colour to my life!

Today, I have paintings that could go under the hammer. Well, maybe not. However, on second thoughts,  they can go into a gallery as an exhibition. That’s precisely what I strategize to do.

A few enquiries revealed that you need at least 25 paintings to hold an exhibition…and I have done about 3 and half. So, here’s hoping my paintings will make it to the gallery by 2050. Wish me luck. I so badly need it. ;)

 

All Hail The Governator!

An article I wrote for Hans India - a reputed daily in Telangana.

Call him a body-builder or an action hero or a governor, you couldn’t go wrong because he has donned each of these roles with panache. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a truly multifaceted individual, scripted his career in an inexplicable manner without resting on his laurels. Known as the ‘Austrian Oak’ for his well-sculpted body, he conquered every major title in the world of body building. Of course, had he stuck to bodybuilding alone, his fame would have gradually faded into oblivion! Conversely, his decision to enter Hollywood had thrown open doors to a sky-soaring career. 

However, if you thought his climb uphill was easy peasy, you are dead wrong. For those who aren’t aware, here are a few interesting titbits. Initially, directors were reluctant about casting Arnold as a hero. They claimed that Arnold possessed an over-built body, an incomprehensible accent and an unpronounceable name. So much so, that in one of his earlier roles in ‘Hercules in New York’, released in 1969, his entire voice was dubbed. His screen name was deliberately changed to ‘Arnold strong’. When the movie flopped, he was not offered roles for a long time. Sounds unbelievable?! Well, that’s the hard hitting truth.
But what genuinely turned the tables in Arnold’s favour was his 1982 flick ‘Conan and the Barbarian’, where he donned the role of a protagonist. The movie proved to be one of the biggest box office grossers. The colossal success instantly shot him into the élite galaxy of super stars.

Having tasted his initial success, Arnold donned various roles with élan, delivering blockbuster after blockbuster. Terminator, the sci-fi movie, released in 1984, not only made cash registers ring but took youngsters by storm with its technological genius and riveting storyline.

Commando, released in 1985, was no less in terms of action. A run-of-the-mill storyline but truckloads of action saw the movie escalate to great heights of commercial success. Audience never had trouble imagining this beefcake beat up four guys at a time or spray bullets with an oversized machine gun. In fact, this very string of Arnold’s successes, had the directors, who once claimed he didn’t possess requisite hero material, queuing up at the doorstep.

What perhaps firmly established Arnold’s position as one of the bankable Hollywood super stars was ‘Predator’? In the movie, Arnold is pitted against an alien with super human strength equipped with technologically superior weaponry. As the alien strategically picks up and eliminates his fellow army personnel one by one, the onus of defending himself against this indomitable extra-terrestrial being is what keeps the Arnold fan at the edge of the seat. A slightly weird storyline but gripping action ensures excitement proportion is on a different plateau altogether.

Arnold’s assorted movies appealed to everyone. Be it the ‘Twins’, where his twin brother overshadows his personality and often puts him in a tight spot, or the ‘Red Heat’ where Arnold, a soviet secret agent, teams up with an American agent to catch criminals, or ‘True Lies’, where he is a secret agent, but keeps his profession hidden from his wife, until a few uptight situations unravel his identity…each of these hits never failed to regale the audiences.

Besides, there are numerous other successes ‘Total Recall’, ‘Kindergarten Cop’, ‘Jingle all the Way’, ‘Raw Deal’, ‘Junior’, ‘Collateral Damage’, ‘The Running Man’, ‘Batman and Robin’…which played to packed houses. These are apart from sequels of ‘Conan The Barbarian’ and the ‘Terminator’, which in themselves are runaway successes.

In hindsight, who would have thought that a former bodybuilding champion could fill the shoes of a thorough-breed actor so inconspicuously well? Not merely acting in few movies for a brief period, but for numerous movies for four decades! No trivial chore, right!

What perhaps endears Arnold to his fans is his shrewd selection of scripts and putting his everything into the role. Arnold may not be prodigious in the genre of drama, but he is unquestionably a choice pick for action movies. In fact, he carved his own forte in the filmy domain with some of his sharp one-liners, which spiced up the high moment a wee bit more!
His trade mark one-liners, spot-on situational, such as ‘I’ll be back’ from the movie Terminator or ‘You have been erased’ from Eraser or ‘If it bleeds we can kill it’ from Predator ‘what killed the dinosaurs? The ice age.’ from Batman and Robin, ‘Consider that a divorce’ from Total Recall …. Never fail to sit pretty in ones’ minds and add charm to his acting persona.  

No wonder his superb acting and punchy dialogues won him scores of awards, including:, Golden Globe award, MTV movie award, Prime Time Emmy Award, Razzie Award and others. The awards vociferously speak of his influential and aesthetically appealing works.
The multifaceted individual, who is fondly called as ‘Governator’ (a term coined using governor and terminator), truly knows how to impress on his audiences. Of course, with the new breed of actors taking over the mantle of delivering bigger hits, the competition, one can say, is quite severe for the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis and other troupers. 

So, here’s hoping that Arnold’s 2015 releases ‘Maggie’ and ‘Terminator: Genisys’, set to release in May and June respectively, will rock the fans and audiences the world over. He truly deserves appreciation for all his unassailable achievements.

 

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