Kingfisher Blue 4×4 Freedom Drive

Kingfisher Blue 4×4 Freedom Drive

All the thrill started from Wednesday 11^th August when I was announced winner of “Kingfisher Blue 4×4 Freedom Drive” Contest on Facebook, an off road event organized by the Munzerabad Club in Sakleshpur and sponsored by Kingfisher.

A three day experience with all expense paid, was packed with adrenaline and adventure. An adventure never tasted and conquered. All I need was to tackle some terrain and get to know some serious mud-slush. Friday the 13^th was completed with a small photo shoot with KF blue Gypsy followed by the ride to Sakleshpur. Some odd 250Kms was covered in 7 hours form Bangalore to the land full of coffee estates along with smoky mountain slopes and streams. The weather was pleasant and everyone in the rally was praying for a rain to add more slush to the track. The Night was busy with meeting most of the entire contestant across India and Karnataka. We were also hooked with the gears and 4wheels.

Our stay was planned at the Munzerabad Club resort which was established in 1839 by British planters. This club organized “Munzerabad Arvind Off Beat Drive 2010”, in memory of one of the founder of this Off beat rally. There were about 110 4x4 vehicles that took part in this event. There were a couple of Pajeros, Boleros, one Land Cruiser, Nissan Patrol, One Land Rover, Volkswagen Touareg, Toyota’s fortuner, Ford’s Endeavour and lots of Willys, M&M jeeps and Maruti Gypsies.

Next Morning the event started with flag off @ 8 Am for the 35 Km circuit. Soon we hit the track and the dirt. With more than 150 ORV’s, the jungle track looked encroached and was thumped up with the gas. The drizzle made the ride cool and lovely, however the biggest challenge was the slush and mud as it was extremely sticky since it had been raining past weeks. The lighter vehicles like Gypsy’s and Jeeps had the advantage for not getting stuck easily with the slippery mud. Apart from some serious mud, we had to cross some slippery and wet rocky terrains, which was real adrenaline pumping fun. With almost no grip and an incline, all the 4 wheels were engaged to cross the obstacle. The thrilling brooks were also conquered with all the excitements one could have.

Soon we reached our breakfast point, an oasis amidst tea estates: Tusk and dawn Resort. DJ was playing a loud thumping music to push our tempo in the jungle. The rest was very brief with exotic body-paint dancers and some anchoring. Soon we were back on four wheels. The Route now had more wetness and mosses resulting in more leeches. We were given rubber boots to protect ourselves from mud and leeches of course. Mud plugging made all the roadies into westerners. Some vehicles were winched to make cross the slippery gateways and boulders. We crossed some wooden bridges without any railing, along with lemon grass fields. These fields were so fragrant that one was completely mesmerized. Soon we found ourselves coming down the tea estates valley to Kadumane Resort.

 

This was the end of our 7 hour long off-roading experience. This was the place for afterparty and late lunch. All the off-roaders felt awarded and they patted their own back and each other’s. The ride turned into a great party, indeed a Good time. The music was loud and echoing across the tea plantations. The wildness was energized by the Kingfisher Blues’.

Late night we reached back to Munzerabad rooms. Next morning I had a chance to witness the Independence Day parade by the children of a school nearby. I took some good pictures of Migratory birds like Egret, snakebirds and Darters, who took the shelters of Munzerabad old trees. After breakfast we packed and hit the road to Bangalore with an experience to remember.

A complete gobsmacked Experience..

Details of the contest:

Ø  Q: Answer these 2 simple questions in the comment box below:

From the Video, If you were the driver in the car, what would you do next?

Why do you believe you are driven enough to take the Kingfisher Blue Freedom drive?

Ø  Answers:

o    1. If you were the driver in the car, what would you do next?

o    A: Nothing just stomp on accelerator with all the 4 wheels on.... Let the river be crossed.

o    2. Why do you believe you are driven enough to take the Kingfisher Blue Freedom drive?

o    Because I ve already acquired the taste of freedom. All the challenges are there to take and beat. Been to highest Khardungla and to Bangalore traffic ..... Need i explain more

Ø  Verdict:

Kingfisher: The lucky winner of the Kingfisher Blue 4x4 Freedom Drive contest, walking away with an all expenses paid trip with for himself and a navigator, is Saurabh Raj Sharan! Congratulations, enjoy the treacherous challenge & get liberated with Kingfisher Blue Freedom!

References:

Ø  http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1351784525667&comments&ref=mf

Ø  http://www.kingfisherworld.com/goodtimes/index.php/2010/08/09/kingfisher-blue-freedom-what-drives-you/

Ø  http://www.kingfisherworld.com/facebook/facebook.aspx

Winner Blog here http://www.kingfisherworld.com/goodtimes/index.php/2010/08/25/kingfisher-blue-4x4-freedom-drive-the-winners-blog/ 

Peepli Life!

The film opens well with a shattered dream and rousing track from the talented stable of Indian Ocean.

The village of Mukhya Pradesh was captured in the real delight and its sorrow. A remorseful sadness of Farmer’s plight was made humorous, just to have a silent impact near the credit roll. The Indian satire by NDTV journalist Anusha Rizvi’s first directional debut without Aamir Khan’s production would not have hit the bull’s eye, but it’s a well timed with screenplay. Camera was held in the darkest village neatly.The screenplay was harsh and real with no sugarcoating.

Raghuvir Yadav’s funny deliveries and the far-cry were marvelous. He is one actor still close to Earth and Theatre. A nice choice of theater artists in this movie was the first score and a sure win. Small laughter and small dialogues’ made the first half chirpy and interesting.

Malaika Shenoy as TV anchor did not do justice to a well educated, smart and confident women, however the punch line was delivered with an impact-“You are in the wrong profession” when referring to the ethical and emotions dilemma related to the job of a journalist.

Shalini Vatsa as Dhaniya was amazingly good and humorous, she was always great with the humor time and a expression well held.

Farukh Jaffer as Amma was the best in the lot, she got all the best dialogues and did full justice to a bed ridden irritate rustic approach.

Finally, Manikpuri -the silent scapegoat of the tragedian satire. Makeup and Hairs were well justified with his subtle laughter of innocence.

Inspired by Premchand’s Godan and the suicidal statistics of farmer’s suicide in India have a message in the end. There was a silent tribute to Hori and Dhaniya by giving the characters name from Munshi’s story of Indian peasant. Hori’s death was the turning point of the movie, which ended in Priyadarshan’s style of ending the movie with all the characters in a confused run. Movie lacked the content and flow by repeating the media craziness behind the TRP’s. It’s hard to make believe that people are taken so easily, even in remote villages. Bureaucrats and the media were also shown completely in low tastes.

Laal Bahudur (Literallly: Strong Red) had a mystery behind it and when it was revealed it was not red at all but green. It was a real delight to see the government take on announcing Yojnas— Laal Bahadur, Jawahar nivas, Annapurna and above all Nattha card.

All the actors did their part, not to mention the only star- Naseeruddin Shah; He was too polished and smart with an American seed company as state agriculture minister. His attire and accent didn’t suit the agriculture industry.

This movie had a collection of best songs and folks. “Chola Mati Ke Ram- Tanvir” by a MP folk singer Siwar was brilliant. Mehngai Dayan by Raghuveer Yadav was equally good, and with good rustic lyrics. Then we had the maestro Zindagi Se Darte Ho and Desh mera by Indian Ocean, with nice fusion of folk and rock.

By the way do you remember American Classics “Meet john Doe” and the media carnival in “Ace in the Hole”. I hope Rizvi should have taken more examples from the real India than simply showing the mad rush of Media and a suicidal man. The subtle character of the Hori, the man who digs and sells some Earth for mere Rs 15 was more impactful.

Could have been a well deserved debut.

2 stars for a very good casting, very good selection of songs, and a brilliant screenplay.
The artistic capture of the dug well by Hori, depicts the silver lining of a dark cloud , as the well had started showing signs of some water body beneath it.

Clueless Aisha Tentwali

One thing this movie teaches youà to Avoid L’Oreal. And it’s the Eye mascara to be very specific.

Jane Austen died for the fourth time today (Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Clueless). Thanks to Kapoors...

Sonam kapoor is still a kid and that’s too daddy’s kid. His freakiness will surely make your head go wag. The fashion statements and the svelte looked so fragile on her thin frame that it gave Size Zero a competition. The Always-Open-wide-Smiling-Mouth was such a distress that one could bang one’s head onto the theatre’s wall.

New face- Amrita Puri played a nice middle class Shefali with a naïve, gullible character, and believe me she looked more beautiful than fashionable AISHA.

Thanks to the guys for the rescue…

Randhir gambhir was humorous but expressionless as he was a MTV Bakra himself. Looks like Abhay Deol is left unjustified with not so complicated act... unconventional hero in a fashion "chick-flick". Nice choice but a misfit......He was there just to throw some punch line after reading too many read-between-the-lines dialogues.

Some sexy River rafting shots were taken,the designer shorts and dresses looks pretty on Lisa Hayden.It was good that she didn't have much to say in the movie. Upper-class shopping and lifestyle was captured well.

some nice lines---

Aisha-”you will never know a girl.”

Arjun-“I just know women”

Rajshree Ojha seems lost in delhi holding Gucci bags, Luis Vitton Suitcase, Dior Perfume, Chanel’s Perfume, D&G belts, Elle,……. His Close-ups were so out of focus that you paid more attention to bad screenplays. An inspiration from Kjo’s KKHH didn’t help him much.

A predictable end of a freaky fashion show.

Qualifies only for negative stars.

PS: All my views expressed here are my personal views. Please do not consider it to be neutral. 

Deception at Thirteenth Floor

Inception- A brilliant story and more brilliantly shot.

Christopher Nolan had this idea from the time of Matrix and The 13^th floor and Dark city. They were based in the principles that the world around you might not be real. The Virtual world had some great examples of Labyrinths and Penrose stairs, limbo city which were very aesthetically shot.

Sharing dreams, stealing ideas from dreams and more difficult- planting an idea was a real rollercoaster.

The story was tightly wounded with loose ends which were tied again. The first half will keep your mind at a fast pace deciphering Nolan’s idea about Dreams inside dreams inside dreams. The level of dreams were designed and grafted in a way that it looked real. However Second half nearing end was little stretched out. The extra extended level and their time dimensions were not mapped as correctly as it should be. Memento’s Director had a clear set marked this time that the audiences are smarter this time.

The Mombasa chase sequence was hand held but was impactful. The Matrix style of discussion about architecting dreams between Cobb and Ariadnae had some great camera graphics and was composed to bite nails. Cobb as lucid dreamer, the very first time he woke, after falling in water was critically too good and had no holes. The Zero gravity fight at second level Dream was a cult sequence, though second’s to Neo’s bullets in Matrix.

From Deception to Inception of Dreams inside your minds was the plot of Heist to become the world’s great Energy Company looked just satisfactory. The Employer of Cobb for the Last Job was not in clear, as Saito who Met Leo in the last scene was less convincing. When Saito said:-“You remind me of someone... a man I met in a half-remembered dream. He was possessed of some radical notions.” made an impact and the flashback movie became quite linear.

Performance by Leonardo and Ellen Page was satisfactory, but Marion Cotillard as Mal was more convincing. She looked stunning and played a great spoilsport for Cobb’s guilt inside his own dreams.Michael Caine and Joseph Gordon-Levitt performance was a stealer from Leonardo D Caprio.

Nolan added a new dimension to the imagination. It was a mind boggling movie after Matrix and The 13^th Floor. An event that is a beginning; a first part or stage of subsequent events is not only inception; But an Abrupt end which was very predictable from the beginning of the movie; proved Nolan’s too literate and logical debate over virtuality. The Scene was cut when the top begins to wobble, leaving something for our dreams.

2 and Half Stars for Nolan’s Original dream and Reality.

 

Only Salt

Only Salt, No Pepper, No Masala – Bland.

Salt is no Bond. And Angelina Jolie never said- “My name is Salt, Evelyn Salt”.

Jolie’s tasteless profile with skeleton hanging out of her skinny body needed just more than mere Salt.

Once the director of ‘The Bone Collector’ and ‘Clear and present Danger’ has lost his touch with Tom Clancy and took a dive with Ian Fleming.

This absurd action movie was all about a Spy (With no Meat and definitely no Underwear), Jumping from one truck to another truck to another truck without a broken bone, sweat or expression.

The Russian plot was taken from some old graveyard and then a sex-change operation was carried out to convert Tom cruise into Angelina Jolie. Plot had many holes, but when did action movies had.

When same Phillip Noyce (The Saint, Patriot Games) directed Jolie in ‘The Bone Collector’, I could not resist her lips and rounded chicks. The plot and the actors made you grab your chair till the end with all the turns and twists. but Salt’s vengeance was predictable.

A good blend of Jason Bourne, Ethan hunt and James bond need more than just Salt.

You will wonder how easy it looks to kill a Russian President and then Mr. President of United States.

You will again wonder where she carried all her Bazookas.

You will wonder how she passed the Whitehouse security wearing a bulletproof.

You will wonder when US secret agents used handcuffs whose hinges are connected with a long chain, long enough to hang someone till death.

You will wonder how sanitary pad can be used instead of Band-Aids.

You will wonder how a Spider’s poison can kill you only for 2 days.

You will wonder why you wasted your precious time.

You will wonder.

PS:It didn’t qualify for any Stars.

Mani Ratnam ki Aag………… oops RAAVAN.

Well, A wonderful camera along with some world class frame captures, Thanks to Santosh Sivan. He held the camera with very subtle and slow movements during the jungle he dreamt. The same camera went eerie during the fight scenes and dances, proving that directorial ventures are not the same for Sivan.

You can compare the body capture of Aishwarya and the jungle during cinematography was similar to Kareena in Asoka. When the camera and elements are both in motion for prolong time, you not only feel headache but a burning question why? Why? Ravan proposed to Sita and accepted his guilt rotating. And above all why Santosh was rotating? Dark Gloomy filled with Multani mitti and turmeric faces was shot perfectly, but I hope they should be shot still to make them as Art.

The story lacks the gripping power of Ramayana, and you can go buy yourself cheese popcorn without adding any further doubts. Valmiki must be cursing Acharya and Mani for this poor adaptation of Ramayana mixed with Maoist. Please expect The mighty Ravana (a great scholar and a capable ruler) as a Hideous Maoist. The Movie opened with a scene from Dantewada massacre and a brilliant casting. Soon the slow motion and weak story prevailed the first half and destroyed it completely.

Weak story was never expected from a director of Mani’s Calibre. Well, Well Well…. Every masterpiece comes with a patch and surely this is the weakest Daub of Mani Ratnam’s career. Ravan’s motives were well justified in a truly gripping scene were Priyamani played a very suitable role. Ravi kisen played the role of Kumbhkaran in a very rustic way. The dialogues were very north but he was holding South style banana leaves for his gastronomic delights. Needless to say that Govinda did justice to Hanuman, but he was not given good dialogues.  Overall the Dialogues were too dramatic and filmi.

Now coming to Junior AB, well he is still a junior and ruined most of the passionate frames with madness. There is always a fine line between Madness and passion. Aishwarya delivered the “Bak..bak.. “Dialogues better than him in the end of the movie. However she carried her Eyeliner throughout the jungle, Mani overlooked the makeup artist’s overdo. Her bruises were very flimsy and never gave an impact (not even with her expression). She was shot brilliantly and her eyes are having gossamer touch.

When you go wrong, you go wrong… Action and choreography was ruined to extremes. The jump scenes were repeated many times. Shyam Kaushal and Peter Hein made use of too many ropes. However last fight scene was shot aesthetically. Even AR Rahman could not do justice to nicely penned lyrics. The last song was heavy with lyrical delights but was overshadowed by light outs. No comments on overhyped south star Vikram. It’s not his fault; he was trying harder when sharing screen space with Aishwarya.

The plot mixes the ethical conflicts equally but failed to deliver into a well said story. When you take a plot from Good vs. Evil and you cannot describe the King from the Demon, you land up watching a King-size disappointment.

Altogether, RGV ki Aag was better than Mani Ratnam Ka Raavan.

1/5 Star is for Santosh Sivan cinematography.

Refrences:

Critical reception

http://saish746.blogspot.com/p/m.html

God-Political-Father

How can you mess a greatest epic with the greatest novel. If you want to witness that mess--watch Raajneeti.

The movie revolves around two sub-families killing each other and talking through media for the chair of CM. All the drama started with a heart attack and the half brothers started the deadly Mahabarat.

This long movie was no good as the endings were known and the Goldclass seats were too comfortable. This combination was also not good, to sit you throughout. This is one of the Jha’s worst story line with the weakest dialogues. Surprisingly RGV’s adaptation was more grasping and full of expressions.

The protagonist’s choice was expressionless yet thoughtful which was not captured by the rolling camera. Kaif was the chosen girl unlike Sarkar and she messed it up whole time.

Unnecessary kissing and Intimate scenes spoiled the rhythm, with each one night stand turning into a pregnancy. Jha is not great in Romance and female portraits. Apharan, Damul, Parinati and Gangajal are his best and they are no comparison to the newest politically incorrect.

Ajay Devgan was wasted like a side kick to flashy Manoj bajpayi. The story was weakened further by so many killings followed too easily to the same family. The slap by the police officer will make you remember Godfather I, but soon the comparison with Young Al pacino and Young Ranbir will bring you back. Arjun As sunny was not furious and from the intelligent lot. Every killings and hired murders were done so directly that it didn’t go down well. The Gay man, who betrayed on his soul party, just to protect his gayness, will actually make you think about the story writer missing the punch. The Gay partner was murdered like a horse in his sleeping bed. A bad copy. Not expected from Prakash Jha. And to add, I did not see Naseer and Nana stealing a single frame.

Two parties game in the movie is unusual in the Indian Politics, Shruti seth as the bait was even worse and didn’t explain anything. The changing game of the reverse was too repeated that it became mundane. No longer was the thrill held.

Somehow Ranbir’s coldness was depicted well, but Jha tried hard to explain the motive behind it, which was not at all needed. The only thing I liked in the movie was the thought full smoke. Ranbir definitely smokes better than Ajay (in Gangajal). Atleast he held the cigarettes better than the expressions.

However Arjun, Ranbir and kaif should go back to Akhtar’s,Chopra and Johars.

The worst part of the movie was the Kaif’s speech at the end of the movie. Thank god it was her’s first speech and thankfully the last.

Half stars for the cigarettes ashes…..