Before we start reading this, please note these 3 points
1. I am not a Salman Khan fan
2. I am not a Salman Khan hater
3. I am not an animal rights activist or a religious fundamentalist

Okay, so now that you have understood the above three things, I will now like to point out what I like about the black buck case & what I don't like
1. I like the fact that the law treats everyone equally and the god-men and celebrities are not excused due to their standing in the society
2. I like how every legal formality is being followed  (that is my assumption from the news coverage)
3. I like the way Salman Khan has always stuck to his statement that he never killed anything. So there is no jumping between statements and ambiguity at his end at least.

Now the dislikes,
1. I don't like the news channels dramatizing the entire case 24*7 for pushing on the TRPs. We get it, Salman is under trial, we don't need to see his weeping cartoon standing in a courtroom for that. Either stop doing this nonsense or get better CGI  which is at least entertaining to watch. The insensitive telecast of Sridevi's death mystery through graphics of bath tub and what not was a low for Indian media, hoping this case doesn't result in a newer low.

2. I dislike the common man and other celebrities becoming a judge just by watching the news reports which are probably doctored for TRPs or not, but who are we to certify what happened? WE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING, SO WE SHOULD NOT BECOME A JUDGE.

3. Everyone's busy blaming the laws and the use of power and stardom and the fact that he was given a quick bail just because he is a star. Well there's another perspective to it too, how come his stardom couldn't end the case which has been running for the last 20 years?  Why would anyone want a legal sword on his head for so long? Influences work and there is no argument on that but not up to the extent the media & the common man is emphasizing it to be. Salman Khan was in a prison for 2 nights, that itself is a proof of how far we have come with regards to taking our laws seriously. Not the best but yes it is a start.

4. The argument that he should be set free because of the charities he has undertaken. I don't even feel the need to explain this, it's more bizarre of a logic than a fish climbing a tree. By this people are only putting his good work in a bad light.

Though he has now bailed out of the whole scene, I wonder if this case will run through his life span. It has been going on since the last 20 years and might run another 20 years since he can appeal to the higher courts. We don't now if he really killed a black buck or not (Yes we ACTUALLY DON'T KNOW).

Now all we can do is wait for another media frenzy around the case in the month of May when the next hearing is to happen.

Certain important disclaimers before you proceed 

Point 1 - It's a personal review. Just like food, movies are very subjective. What fits my taste might end up giving you diarrhea.

Point 2 - I have hated a few scenes from the movie which someone might have surely loved, no offense to anyone; we can all exist in peace & harmony and have our own opinions.

Point 3 - I am not a Khilji supporter, I support great performances.

 . To start with, the credits at the start were really a nice gesture to ensure that the audiences know who worked their asses off on what but it was really boring to sit and read all that along with long disclaimers for over 5-8 minutes. Note that the movie starts with Khilji's clan and his story, and that's the only charming pat about the movie, Ranveer Singh's performance.
So this review is a bit late, why ? Because it took time for me to watch the movie and review it, the safety was a huge concern in the first week of "Padmaavat's" release

He takes over all his scenes effortlessly; be it the one where he is holding his blood soaked head on a spear or the scene where he dances in his own style just before his wedding or the scene where he wears the Sultan E Taj for the first time. All of them are marvelous.

 While having a powerful villain is the best way to elevate the Hero's presence, for example movies like The Dark Knight Triology or our Agneepath are the bet examples; having a powerless Hero lets one down. Allaudin Khilji essayed by Ranveer Singh is larger than life; bad, vindictive, unapologetic and a bit crazy. Maharana Rawal Ratan Singh played by Shahid Kapoor on the other hand is seen doing nothing much apart from walking hurriedly from one fort wall to another when Khilji attacks and being mesmerized by his wife's pure beauty.

Ranveer Singh stole the show completely  

Why was Shahid's performance a let down?

Deepika, the slow motion walk and the costumes

Feminists need to chill 

Why will I watch it again? 

Bollywood plots are often filled with loopholes and this fact is becoming a norm these days especially in comedy movies. Below is a list of 5 mistakes in Bollywood movies which you might have not noticed and will blow your mind.

1. Sholay 

While the entire Ramgarh is shown facing the problem of no electricity, Dharmendra's character Veeru is shown drunk and on a water tank. Water tank's run on water pumps and needs electricity supply, so all we can guess is that the people of Ramgarh climbed to the top of the so called tanki and removed water themselves ?

2. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai

It's my all time favorite movie but it has a major loophole in it's plot. Rani Mukherji leaves 8 letters for her daughter to read until she is 8 years old, 1 letter for every year, okay? Now think about it. Rani Mukherji's character Tina expected her 1 year daughter to start reading? Who was that first 2-3 letters for exactly? And did her daughter even read them?

3. Baahubali 2

4. Pyaar Toh Hona Hi Tha

5. Aashiqui 2 

I never thought I will ever like a Salman Khan action movie. The over the top action sequences, the shirt buttons popping out as the hero flexes his muscles, the one punch 10 men down scenes and a whole lot of South Indian movie inspired action is what Salman Khan's usual action flicks are layered with. But Tiger Zinda Hai is an exception.

Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif nail it in Tiger Zinda Hai

Tiger Zinda Hai is different from all other Salman action movies

Tiger Zinda Hai has no over the top action sequences and no illogical punches, everything is in its place as it should be. Unlike other movies where Salman Khan's heroines get to only dance , be merry and be an object of affection, Tiger Zinda Hai gives the female lead a real character to enact which kicks ass as good as Tiger does.

Katrina Kaif steals the second half 

Katrina Kaif's character Zoya is a full fledged character, she doesn't start dancing mid way or mouth pyaar se dar lagta hai dialogues. Instead she saves her husband Tiger in situations where he reaches a dead end, she is the saviour and not the one waiting to be saved and that's the best part about Tiger Zinda Hai.

The story is very well written and performances are justified 

On the story front, the movie is far superior to any of Salman's previous action flick. There is reasoning and explanation for every twist and every action and things don't start happening because the hero wants to show off his muscle. The screenplay is crisp and keep you engaged with a new hook point being planted at every 15 minutes. The first half is good but the second half steals the show completely. Katrina Kaif's action sequence reminds you of Angelina Jolie's action sequence from Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Salt and is beyond excellence. She definitely should do more action flicks. When a story like this which has less characters which have fully developed character graphs is made, it is important that every character has something noteworthy to offer. Every character in the movie has been developed beautifully and that makes them connect to the audiences without any hassle. The script has no songs apart from the romantic number which is too embedded in a non disturbing manner so the pace is maintained throughout the film. The dialogues are noot heavy and use day to day conversational words which makes the movie way more better than other action flicks.

The surprise element of the movie is Paresh Rawal's character and one has to watch the movie to enjoy his performance. It was great to watch him after a long time. His timing is impeccable.

The villain is as good as the hero 

The only thing they could have done away with was mentioning the name of the movie through dialogues, at times it took away the seriousness of the scene. The supporting cast is superlative and overall the film is an amazing entertainer. The look and feel of Syria is so well shot that you forget that you are watching a Hindi movie. Sajjad Delafrooz's performance as the commander in chief of the terrorist organization is so real that it is scary, his eyes portray more emotions than his words do. 

Image source : i.vimeocdn.com

Bajirao Mastani and Devdas had faced trouble as well

Deepika Padukone's "Padmavati" seems to be in trouble

"Ghoomar" made way for new problems

History and cast, a deadly mix for the movie "Padmavati"

"Vidya Balan" as a brand stands for meaningful, simple and close to heart emotional yet entertaining performer. "Tumhari Sulu" has all of it, be it humor or be it simple life moments showcased beautifully on screen, the movie really succeeds in connecting the audience to the unpretentious Sulochana's life story.

Tumhari Sulu has Hrishikesh Mukherjee cinema feel to it

Suresh Triveni's direction reminds of the legend Hrishikesh Mukherjee style of cinema i.e simple, homely and lively characters which elevate the entire script. The casting takes the cake in this one as there are limited characters and one wrong move at the casting table could have made this movie an okay watch. Manav Kaul as Ashok Dubey is absolute treat and as natural as an actor can get. Vidya Balan as Sulochana Dubey a housewife who lets no opportunity to do something out of he routine and win is a perfect fit.

Sulu will make you laugh & rejoice

The character Sulu has many layers and that's what makes her believable, because real life people are multi dimensional and have millions of layers of emotions running through them. Sulu as people lovingly call her is happy and content with her life, she is not sobbing about anything. Being a RJ isn't her dream and there's no bullshit of a regressive husband not supporting his wife plot either, that's what makes the script come alive.


The first half will really make you laugh, there are bits of laughter spread throughout the film and none of them feel forced. The funny scenes take you back to your own memories because those very things are either the ones you yourself have done or craved to do, that's a sign of a great film maker and Suresh Triveni succeeds at that.

The music is awesome with Sridevi's "Hawa Hawai" recreated in the most decent manner and "Ban Ja Tu Meri Rani" integrated beautifully in the story line. Cinematic subtle representations like the pigeon flying out of the house and then coming back are noteworthy too as they are beautifully placed in the scenes where required.

While I still feel the climax could have been better explained; being away from the ghisa pita love triangles and action maar dhaad, the movie is a refreshing watch indeed.

8 out of 10 for this one...

While they all are excellent on their own, the gang of super heroes went a little wobbly this time around. Justice League 2017 consisting of Batman, Superman, Flash, Wonderwoman, Aquaman and Cyborg entertains yet disappoints at many levels, so much so that I dozed off for a while just before the interval. Green Lantern is left out from this movie for some strange reason, may be he will be the one thing to look forward too if there's a Justice League 2.

Justice League Review - The Superheroes Unite

Steppenwolf is a unsteady villain

To start with, Steppenwolf is tall, huge and mammoth villain all the super heroes have united to fight. All superhero movie fans know that the one thing that sets super heroes apart from humans is their super power and their control over human emotions. The trend recently has been trying to destroy this very fact, this has lead to belittling of their super powers and their charm as super human beings.

Apart from this, the story line makes the villain powerful and powerless at its whim and fancy. Steppenwolf is wild and evil but the whole alien evasion thing is so done to death that it ended up reminding about movies like Independence Day and the likes.

Superman's comeback doesn't excite

The highlight of the movie was Superman's comeback, but that ended up making Batman look powerless, what is the point of being a superhero if you yourself can't save the world. The whole scene where Batman decides to make Superman come back is so badly written that it makes Batman look  helpless. Wonderwoman on the other hand shines throughout the movie, be it her dialogues or her action, she steals the show every time.

Cyborg looks helpless in his own ways, though his character develops as the movie proceeds. While the CGI is patchy and rushed at some places, overall the CGI is pretty awesomely done. Flash can develop as an amazing character in the future movies and have a struggle of his own if developed in a right way.

Script wise the movie is loosely tied together, Aquaman is almost wasted and could have been introduced in a better way and could have had better depth of character. The invasion sequence is too vaguely written, it doesn't have the punch to scare the audiences that the world is actually coming to an end.

Overall Justice League is not a bad watch, go watch if you are fan of superhero flicks and love good visuals; there's nothing much apart from that.

Well we all have our favorite movies and the ones we hate the most. Being a movie buff I stay away from initial word of mouth and watch the movie myself before judging it, so you will find some obvious ones too here in the list.
Below is a list of 5 (there are many more but I am sticking to the top 5 for now) Bollywood movies I have hated the most.

1. Gajgamini 

3. Fitoor 

4. Players 

5. Sultan

Okay so the other day I caught up with an Aunty after a long long time and while we were talking about the world and the workload it keeps pushing on to us, there was Ironman beating up the bad guys on TV.

" What is this? I don't understand the kind of movies that are made today" exclaimed the grey haired epitome of innocence 

" Aunty that's Ironman, he has unstoppable power, he had his heart replaced by an reactor" I tried to simplify too much

"Oh, reactor? What is reactor?" Aunty asked trying to show interest in my madness. I on the other hand was surprised that I didn't know what in the hell a reactor exactly was, all I knew about it was it was an awesome looking circle which was illuminated & provided Ironman his life source. As a girl I think knowing & being interested in it is an achievement in itself.

Ironman - The Indian Explanation (Image source: Flickr, chris Doornbos avengers-iron-man)

"It's like his power, just like we have main switches, Ironman has arc reactor; he will die if we remove his arc reactor. It's all science fiction aunty, isme kuch bhi ho sakta hai" I tried my best this time to sound intellectual.

"Oh means ye apne Shaktimaan jaisa hai jo kuch bhi kar leta tha and duniya ko pata nai tha ki Gangadhar ki Shaktimaan hai. Yeh Sci Fi hua na, Dinosaurs bhi hote haina and they have so much of action. Ironman mein bhi Dinosaurs hai kya? Does he fight Dinosaurs? In our times action meant Dharmendra, simpler times you see. Aajkal ki real life mein bhi complications itne badh gaye hai toh filmon mein bhi badhenge hi, simple cheezon ka zamana gaya" Aunty exclaimed with a tinge of sadness.

"Aur ye Ironman ki shaadi hogayi hai?" Aunty asked while forgetting the sadness she had just felt.

The song Ye duniya ye duniya pittal di, Baby Doll mein sone di started playing in my head in a loop.

" No no no Ironman mein Dinosaurs nahi hai, woh alag movies hai aunty sab Dinosaurs usme hote hai. And he isn't married, his sole aim is to safeguard his nation & this planet, usko pyaar ke liye waqt hi nahi hai aunty." I almost fainted thinking about Dinosaur & Ironman in one movie.

" Oh accha accha, waise bhi apne Salman ki bhi kahaan huyi hai, Salman bhi ban sakta hai means Ironman. Also Ironman is like our PM Modi, desh ka bhala karne ke liye unhone bhi toh kitne balidaan diye hai. I think we should call this Ironman here & make him our Military ka ambassador jaise Amitji the Gujarat ke...Aur Dinosaurs aur Ironman saath mein kyu nahi aate ek movie mein, Ironman darta hai dinosaurs se? "

Aunty was now sipping on the tea & Ironman was still fighting the villains in the movie, I was just thankful that it was Ironman the movie & not Avengers, imagine my plight in explaining Hulk.

"No aunty woh apni movies mein jaise Shahrukh Salman aur Amir teeno ek movie mein nahi aate waise hi Dinosaurs aur Ironman ek movie mein nahi aate.... And actually Bollywood movies are still simple, just the plots have moved to multimillionare characters, aam admi ki kahaani koi nahi banata like Hrishikesh Mukherjee used to make. Sci Fi is Hollywood's rozi roti, just like musicals & love stories are ours."

And while I was trying to explain & make sense out of all that I knew, the Captain America trailer started playing on TV; it was the next movie. Aunty looked at me, I looked at her and before I could say anything she said,
"Ye lo, Ironman ka bhai bhi agaya, Captain America; maine toh bola hi tha military ke liye perfect hai ye log"
The tea session ended with me realizing that you can't explain everything you like & that Sci Fi as a genre becomes a comedy once you try to explain it to someone.

So we all have heard about ghosts and we all are quite familiar with the concept of religion. Now the fact that startled me the other day was how we as humans have successfully limited the existence of ghosts (which is a debatable topic in itself) to religion.

We affix religion to ghosts too, kind of funny and dumb at the same time. Let me explain !

We as Indians have been a race of vibrancy and variety, so when it comes to ghosts, we have made sure we keep them distinguished by their religious dress up and godly chants. While for some a lady in a white saree is what defines a ghost, for some others a devil with red eyes who is Satan's child and afraid of the holy cross a ghost !

So do you see the fact now that we as humans have made ghosts follow religions ! Ghosts, ghosts who according to the people who believe in their existence can anything they want to do; the same ghost apparently doesn't have the freedom to dress differently or for that matter chant differently than what humans do. Funny right ?

Does that mean one does not get to do what they want to even after they become a ghost? Why a saree ? Why not a cocktail dress or for that matter a suited up sleak James Bond kind of cool guy ? Because our religions have never described ghosts to us in normal settings... Ghosts have always been described in the religion as an antagonist to the godly figures, so they still follow the religious fashion of thoughts but are just against the good things. It is also interesting to note that NO ONE os us has ever met a person who has really seen or felt a spirit, but we all have had heard stories from friends and friends of friends about some other friend's friend experiencing or seeing a spirit and its reckless behavior. STRANGE

Think about it.
When was the first time you ever heard about a ghost ? Probably in your childhood when a older friend told you a spooky ghost story of a man with ulte pair or a white saaree clad lady who stops cars on highways and then they all disappear to nowhere or tales of a woman (again clad in a white saree) crying endlessly in or around a historical ruin. The stories get stuck to you and then some of us fall for them and the domino effect begins. More ghosts in white saaree are created, more mad women entering other's bodies for creating a reckless fear are created and the whole insanity just doesn't stop. The ghosts if they are any must really be laughing on our IQ levels for sure.

May be the whole white saree thing emerged from our culture where widows in earlier days were urged to remain aloof and wear a white saree which kept them away from the preying eyes of men around them. May be the lady in white saree ghost was one of the mechanisms used by our ancestors to safeguard the widows who used to go into khets and the likes at night for attending the nature call or for taking care of the fields. I have no idea what the reason was and how it emerged but this is what I could guess.

For once I have started feeling bad for these ghosts, I mean what kind of a life argggh death or existence have they got ! They have become puppets of our imagination, because even outside our culture, the west associates them only with the color white. Its interesting to note that while white symbolizes purity and celebration for the westerners, Indian culture attaches death and sadness to the same color. We as humans have really gone far far ahead in ruling over a ghost's existence for sure!

 Its like having the superpowers but being made to use them to just scare humans or aid their nonsensical philosophies. The women ghosts for that matter should actually start a revolt for their fashion is highly compromised, they need to have more colorful attires now apart from the white saaree and the open shampoo ad black hair. I would have really been very very pissed if I was told what to do even after I became a ghost, I mean like then what's the whole point of becoming a ghost who has the power of vanishing and doing crazy things?

The ghosts need a life, not a religion !

My friends have known this and have even cringed on this habit, but I like to click; a lot. I never quite gave the hobby a thought until recently when a friend threw a statement at me which made me think, Why in the hell do I take so many pictures? 

Malhotra's wife. The movie showcases a perfect marriage, every feature of a perfect marriage which you can associate with a perfect marriage are given importance. Two cute girls, one of whom is Urmila Matondkar who made her debut as a child actor in this movie, a big house, a well earning husband who is an appreciated architect, a beautiful wife who keeps everything in order and is a good friend to everyone. In this perfect scenario , the second word that of Indu's friend Chanda is introduced. The character of Chanda is played by Tanuja, she is the influencer and very beautifully she represents the society which influences our actions.

So there you are, all grown up waiting for your prince charming or for that matter a perfect girl. But unfortunately the cupid seems to have turned a deaf ear to your love requests. To add to the frustration; your best friend has a partner, your brainless siblings have found someone and almost all of your school friends have settled down or are settling down while your non existent love life has become a pipping hot topic of discussion everywhere.


But even in such atrocious situation, you have not yet lost hope. You are still waiting for love, that unending feeling of butterflies in your stomach and what not.

Well as far as I think, love is becoming more and more of a distant dream in this age of too much sharing, liking and re-tweeting. I cant help but ask the cupid - Does love in its pure still really exist? And even if it does, how long does it last? And the main question is how do you find love in this crazy age where you can add anything to your online shopping cart expect true love!

Those long walks on the beach or on a cold night are substituted by hangouts in overly priced coffee houses and fast food joints. Do we really need French fries to have a conversation?

So since the old ways are kicked out , following are the ways which I think can help you find love in 2015 -

1. Have a realistic social media account - It can be on Facebook , Twitter or the likes where you can and should showcase your emotions. Because you see these days everything needs to be showcased to prove its existence , except brains! You don't have to put everything you do on the social media like I just pooped updates and bathroom selfies are a total no no if you really want to attract love.

2. Be friends with a lot of people online, irrespective of the fact that you detest them in your personal life or for that matter you have never even met them in the first place. But these are called friends and your future partner might be a common friend hiding from the cupid

3. Make sure you post amazing pictures of yourself, doing various stuff. Travelling to different places, eating cuisine, food photography etc.

4. Don't be a creep. Do not sent sex texts or messages to anyone under any pretext! That will be the end of any hope for you !

If none of the above works for you, I will advice you dump internet for a few days and meet actual people around, like it used to happen ages ago and you definitely will find one.

Because the heart finds what at times even google or internet cannot, i.e. Love!  

Image credit - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/-LOVE-love-36983825-1680-1050.jpg