Doctor Dolittle (1967)

Really loved this movie its beautiful with great scenic locales,its funny and entertaining its humane and touches your heart teaches you to treat other species that co-exist with us on this planet nicely. Rex Harrison is a Doctor who has taken up treating animals and has mastered the skill to understand their language.His songs his dialogs are awesome and inspiring especially in Court where he defends himself.His seal stealing scene is very very funny.Where a Lady Seal is pining for her Husband.He steals her from the Circus to carry her by the road to the nearest Shores.He gets some Old woman clothes and when the Horse Carriage stops tells them its my granny which is so funny passing a Seal for his sick granny.When the Carriage is stopped for a search he hides in a haystack with the seal.When the Hay stack carriage arrives at its destination and its owner goes in the house.He whispers in Horse's ear to drive off.The owner runs after the Horse but is no match.They reach the shore where he throws away the seal in the sea after kissing,that moment is so funny but still so humane.

Rex is guided by a clever talking Parrot Polynesia who says "I speak over two thousand languages, including Dodo and Unicorn. I had a classical education". When he is jailed for supposedly throwing a woman off the cliff.Polynesia organize his friends to get him free.She tells the the Police Coach horse to flee with Rex. Then talks to the other Police horses not follow.When Police comes out with the dogs Polynesia tells them to go inside.They flee in the boat named "Flounders" in search of Giant Pink Snail.Their Boat wrecks in the mid sea and they reach on a Floating Island.His adventure thus continue making this movie delightful.And then their is the gift he gets a Llama with two Heads in opposite direction.

The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956)

Its a nice movie from 1950s lots of flashbacks here looking at the military career during World War II.It is talky and takes itself very seriously.But the last hour of the movie makes it worthwhile.Gregory Peck  is great here as he always is.Jennifer Jones is the one to watch for here quite a scene stealer her role in the end makes the movie suddenly exciting.When her husband tells her he has a child from another woman she gets distraught and unable to control herself.She just run out of the house.Peck follows argues with her to comeback.She agrees annd asks him to go inside and give her some time alone to recover from this shock.When he goes inside he soon hears the Car screeching down the road.His wife has hoodwinked him and fled.She drives recklessly in this emotional upheaval.

Fredric March is good here too.Its quite an intelligent film and also teaches us to do the right thing.Never be swayed by what others say or your own greed.Dialogs are pretty good here.It was a nice movie to see but I do accept I fast forwarded here and their.

 

Mausam (2011) Review

"Mausam" needs a lot of patience on part of viewers to see it through.At least I got really restless and fidgety in the second half as to where the movie is going and how it will end.Thankfully I had taken a large combo of Popcorn and Pepsi which really gave me something to do while the whole boring proceedings went on.

Well but I have to admit I still find the movie nice.Its good and different from the movies we see now a days.Very few times now we see village life on screen so its a refreshing change.Some scenes have sweeping vistas like the train scene or the view of the river.Camerawork is really beautiful.

Shahid Kapoor in first half looks really mesmerizing as a simple village boy.His behaviour his mannerisms and his dialogs are so different from all his previous movies and he looks younger here.Think his father brought best out of him.I did not liked him much in the second half with his moustache etc.His song "Tashan Mein Rehna" is really rocking.Though music on the whole is quite poor and uninspired.Background score which can lift movie and make it ethereal is missing.Such sort of movie that tells about a decade of event needed a good a great background score which is sadly missing from the movie.Editing ,good editing which makes movie exciting for the viewers is also missing.Which is quite sad since this movie had potential to be a great movie.Direction from debutante director Pankaj Kapoor is good enough does not seem like his first movie.Some dialogs do fall flat ,good story needs good dialogs to tell it in fine way to evoke emotions of movie goers,which these flat dialogs make unnatural.

Sonam Kapoor does great too here,gets a role of a life time.She is quite natural and effortless.All the supporting cast here does great too.
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The train chase sequence here is strange.Since we have all these accidents on rise where drivers overlook signals in hurry to jump track.Quit dangerous and unsafe I hope youngsters don't start aping it.

References to Babri Demolition,Kargil and Trade Tower Attacks is quite fleeting and I feel more coverage to them or getting those archival footage could have made this movie better.At least Naseeruddin Shah his eminent colleague did it better in his 2006 directorial debut "Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota: What If...? ".Quite thrilling sequence of plane hitting trade tower from inside a Tower Cabin.Kargil scenes seem really lousy and toy like or child like.

But at least Gujrat riots are done well just a grim reminder to naive citizens that what happened their should never be forgotten.The ending scenes do remind of Dharmendra's "BlackMail" where couple hide to escape from dangerous people.The whole movie seems reminiscent of Rajendra Kumar's "Aas Ka Panchchi" which has the same sweeping story pattern and which was much better then this.I was really glad when the movie ended its 3 Hours long.People keep saying it is inspired from Tom Cruise's TopGun which I have not seen.But the first half to me is really refreshing and Original.So I would still recommend to people to go and see it for Shahid,for the beautiful vistas and endearing supporting cast.

And no resemblance here to Gulzar's Mausam (1975) which definitely had a thousand times better music.

Bouncers beat up Children in Fun Multiplex

A Lady professor went with her family to watch "Mausam" at Fun Mall.When her children went out to buy refreshments during intermission they were beaten up by Bouncers.One of the child even broke his head.The parents were too beaten up when they came to save their children.

प्रोफेसर व परिवार पर बाउंसरों का हमला

Story Update : Monday, September 26, 2011    2:07 AM

लखनऊ। फन रिपब्लिक मॉल में रविवार की रात बाउंसर व उसके साथियों ने ‘ऑडी’ में जमकर तांडव किया। बाउंसरों ने ‘मौसम’ फिल्म देखने गए महिला प्रोफेसर, उनके पति व उनके दो बच्चों की लाठियों से जमकर पिटाई की। आधे घंटे चले बवाल में कोई व्यक्ति मदद के लिए आगे नहीं आया। बवाल से ‘ऑडी’ के लॉन में हड़कंप मच गया। दरअसल, इंटरवल में प्रोफेसर के बच्चे स्नैक्स स्टॉल पर खाने-पीने का सामान लेने आए थे। आर्डर का सामान किसी और को देने पर बच्चों की सेल्समैन से कहासुनी हो गई। विवाद बढ़ने पर बाउंसरों ने प्रोफेसर से अभद्रता की और बच्चों की पिटाई कर दी। पीड़ित महिला प्रोफेसर ने गोमतीनगर में थाने में मैनेजर, दो बांउसर समेत कई लोगों के खिलाफ मामला दर्ज कराया है। पुलिस फन मॉल के दो लोगों को थाने लाकर पूछताछ कर रही है। राजधानी के एक डिग्री कॉलेज में अंगेजी विभागाध्यक्ष डॉ ममता मिश्र (काल्पनिक नाम) अपने प्रोफेसर पति व दो बच्चों के साथ फन रिपब्लिक मॉल में ‘मौसम’ फिल्म का ईवनिंग शो देखने गईं थीं। डॉ. ममता के मुताबिक इंटरवल में उनके दो बच्चे स्नैक्स स्टॉल पर कोल्ड ड्रिंक व बर्गर लेने गए। लेकिन भीड़ की वजह से सेल्समैन ने बच्चों का आर्डर किसी और को दे दिया। बच्चों ने विरोध किया तो सेल्समैन शोर मचाकर उसे फटकारने लगा। शोर सुनकर ‘ऑडी’ के बाउंसर भी आ धमके। बाउंसर सेल्समैन को समझाने के बजाए बच्चों पर गरम हो गए। जब बच्चों ने उनका कर्तव्य याद दिलाया तो वह उनकी पिटाई करने लगे। थोड़ी देर में ‘ऑडी’ का लॉन जंग का मैदान बन गया। बाउंसरों व सिक्योरिटी गार्डों ने मिलकर दोनों की लाठियों से जमकर पीटा। देर तक बच्चों के वापस न आने पर प्रोफेसर पति भी ‘ऑडी’ के बाहर आ गए। बच्चों को पिटता देख वह उनके बचाव के लिए दौड़े। लेकिन नशे में चूर बाउंसरों ने उनकी भी पिटाई कर दी। पीछे से प्रोफेसर डॉ ममता भी आ गईं। बाउंसरों ने उनके साथ भी अभ्रदता की और मारापीटा। ये मारपीट का सिलसिला करीब आधे घंटे चला लेकिन लॉन में मौजूद कोई व्यक्ति प्रोफेसर परिवार को बचाने आगे नहीं आया। मारपीट से लॉन में अफरा-तफरी का माहौल बन गया। दहशतजदा लोग कुछ बोलने को तैयार नहीं थे। मारपीट एक बच्चे का सिर फट गया और दूसरे के चेहरे पर सूजन है। पुलिस ने घायल बच्चों का मेडिकल कराया।

Roads becoming worse and worse in Lucknow

Till Last year the roads that were lifeline of the city like the one between Charbagh to Hazratganj were all well maintained and pothole free.This year since the rains started these roads have deteriorated day by day which is quite surprising.Reason could be Mayawati using all resources on her pet projects.But even the jail road gets waterlogged during heavy rains,no good drainage system their.

The material that is used to build some recent roads is of quite a low quality.The roads get flaky and deteriorate pretty soon.Going back to the Station road which houses CMS Degree College,Chintels House and PCF building and other hotels and offices is in pretty bad shape.Their are numerous potholes in the road and if you are not careful and your vehicle goes across one of them it could be pratty bad for your back.If you are a daily commuter like me then you would soon have extremely painful back aches which could complicate and result in spondilytis  etc. .


Burlington Square is in quite a bad shape too which is again surprising for its nearer to Vidhan Sabha  ,is on Cantt Road and is used by millions of commuters every month.The road besides the Main square is all broken up forming a shallow long nonuniform hole.

Besides these problems flaky roads with broken up sub particles can be really dangerous for commuters.If you are to apply breaks at such places your bike is bound to skid leaving you badly injured.Some fools drop sand near roads for building purposes,it spreads than on to the road making motorcyclist fall when they go through it.And if you are in a Kite loving city like Lucknow beware of Kites floating with long threads.Their threads are pretty sharp and if they entangle around your neck they can hurt you pretty badly.Just hope administration takes notice of these roads and not leave them neglected.

Laughter and Me

How I hate scorn,
How I hate mocking people,
Of humour I don't protest,
It is hurting sentiments that I hate.

I love a good laugh,
A hearty and innocent laugh,
Bubbling from the core of heart,
Drawing us in the sea of humour.

Laughter is our Medicine,
And Laughter is our Doctor,
It is our Nurse,
And our best Friend.

We come in this world,
With tears in our eyes,
And with cries on our lips,
That man is a man,
who left the world laughing.

I love death

Depressing poem written by a suicidal acquaintance.

In the darkness of the Night,
A single tiny glimmer of light,
This is how one keeps hope alive,
This is our only weapon to fight despair.

I have a dying atmosphere about me,
Their is no will to live,
And my heart loves melancholy,
Tears adorn me like shining pearls.

A sad smile is always on my lips,
How I love Death?How I wait for it.

But just before that,
I want to donate my eyes,
My every part,if it can be used.

I was always incomplete,
And I always felt it,
If I can make others feel complete,
My heart will rest in peace.

My mind is so slow,
My heart is so soft,
A unkind word spoken,
pierces my tender heart,
A kind word spoken brings tears
of gratitude in my eyes.

A person like me is not fit to live,
The only answer to my problem is death.
O God! call me there,
Please God call me there.

Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011) Review

Imran Khan is totally lackluster here,Its strange seeing him like this after Delhi Belly.Ali Zafar is ok with easy smile and shining teeth.Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub somebody said spoke like he is from Meerut .nice little role.Parikshit Sahni is ok here in a different sort of attitude,kind of strange to cast him as an ex-military man.Kanwaljit Singh of 1987 Buniyaad and other nice movies and serials he has given us is again nice and good here with pleasant positive personality.

Katrina Kaif is again brilliant and natural here after "Zindagi na milegi dobara" .Her scooter stint with Imran may remind you of Roman Holiday starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck.She is quite like a little girl in some scenes truly enjoying herself seem very spontaneous rather than flat acting.Camera seems to love her.In the starting she may not be as good but as the movie progresses her character too blooms.Her first scene is quite funny where she serves tea to Imran who first stares blankly at her then gets really freaked out  and shocked and drops tea on his pants.Film is quite well written not stupid like recent movies.Songs just come and go.

.At PVR Phoenix a strange thing happened like in Harry Potter they had regurgitating toilets.Whole Washroom overflowing.Really weird how did that happen?

How did I failed in 11 th Class

First of all I took Math in Inter while I never liked the subject and was quite weak in it.Only because I was afraid of doing Animal Dissection in Zoology.Then secondly I never did most of my Math sums myself.My elder brother had studied in CMS RDSO and our Math Book was the same.He was one year ahead.I used to copy all answers from his Register.Found Trigonometry and Differentiation really difficult.Also our Father who taught us himself till 10 th thought I was grownup and could do my studies myself.I got poor marks in Math throughout getting 18 marks in final exams.I would have passed if I had done or tried to do all maths sums equations etc. myself.

Our Father went to get result and when he came home I was on the roof.My younger brother informed me that I had failed.I felt nothing then.But later on did find it highly uncomfortable facing my parents and friends.My father later on tried putting me in any other school but without success.So I joined the same school next year.I changed my subject took Biology and came First in most of the exams including Comparatives and sometimes second.Also getting highest marks in English manytimes.Students getting highest marks used to get certificates and monetary prize including person who came first.I passed 12 Th Board exams with 84.6 %,getting highest marks in Physics in whole College.

Heavy Downpour and Phantom Jams yesterday in Lucknow

Yesterday I was in office when heavy downpour started at 4 o' clock.It continued till 5.When I started for home I thought of gooing through Sadar flyover as water always accumulates under KKC bridge after such heavy rain.But to my dismay the sadar fly-over was jam-packed with vehicles not even showing any signs of buzzing from their place.

Then I went towards the KKC thinking may be I can make my way through all that mixture of rain and sewer water.But again I was in for a shocker that road was completely blocked filled with numerous vehicles till the KKC college itself.

I returned towards Pratibha Square which really going in reverse and is far off.Then I went to this M.G. Road and while I was at the traffic stop at the cross-section near Loreto Convent the traffic police directed traffic towards this Railway crossing near Awas Vikas offices.Else I generally go through this railway overbridge which also lead towards Sultanpur road.Well again to my horror the railway crossin gate were closed and their was heavy congestion on the road.And had to wait for Ages for trains to Pass.Even when the gates opened traffic didn't seem to move,Somehow it crawled like an Ant.Then the gates started to close again and every body hurried to cross over luckily I got on the other side.But through out the roads of Cantonment every where their was blockage.Near this St Paul Church a big tree has Fallen which again caused the traffic to move at a snail's pace.Finally I was out of Jams and reached home.

Though among all this did spotted our family friend Shashi Shekhar Singh at this railway cross-section.He was two classes behind me in School and lived nearby.We had a good time together really friendly chap.Haven't seen him for years.Here is a song which he liked and used to dance on.

Summers

 Diary contd. 1994 Summer

We were enjoying the Summer hols.No,No infact I think that we were suffering in the summer hols.I was thoroughly bored and had lately became very bad tempered.At very small matters we had began to quarrel with each other.The bad temperaments was caused by the Sun.Yes the Sun which I think is a necessary evil.It is the Sun which dries well,and drives dogs mad in high summer and this summer is the only cause of mindless and foolish quarrels.The light went of frequently and seat poured out like a waterfall.And when the light was coming the cooler was kept on which increased the humidity making the skin sticky and adding to discomfirture.Monu shouts and utters curses the whole day and his shouts and swearing and foul language can be heard till 1 kilometer away from the house.He used to curse steadily for 30 minutes whenever he began cursing.When light went of he used to curse when cooler went for repair he used to curse and when maid didn't come he used to curse,and so his whole day was spent in cursing other people and my neighbours used to curse him for the din he made and thought him as an obstruction in their sleep.

Ma and Pa Kettle (1949)

This is a very endearing and lovable series which is all about funny things that happen in Ma and Pa Kettle's home and all the mischiefs that their fifteen offspring's are up to.

The series started with The Egg and I (1947) starring my favourite actress Claudette Colbert.Her Husband  Fred MacMurray buys a property in the suburbs which actually is a village with the idea of setting up a Egg Farm and earning profit from it.But all his efforts fall apart as one misfortune after another follows and Claudette Colbert's patience is umpteenth time tested.Ma and Pa Kettle are their neighbour played by MARJORIE MAIN and PERCY KILBRIDE.After this movie Ma and Pa Kettle series started which continued for 9 more movies which still delight audience with their riotous humour and crazy antics.

Marjorie Main is tall heavy built and powerful,she is the brainy and decisive one.Percy Kilbride is thin unassuming,lazy and speaks in dragging voice.Their are two Red Indians too who work on their farm.
Most remarkable is the dinner time when Ma shouts "come and get it" and all fifteen kids rush in to the dinner table.There's a old radio which change channels whenever Pa jumps on his rocking chair.Then there are those hens who keep laying eggs in unimaginable places especially in guest's hats.Once they are shown in a really modern house with all kinds of innovative gadgets beating even those new James Bond movies.They keep taking part in various contests and keep winning strange prizes.Once a convict hoodwinks them to stay in the house and look after children while they are gone.But kids prove to be too much for him.A bit of TinTin like adventure here too when a guy a asks Pa to deliver an envelope to himself in Paris but gets killed on arrival in his hotel room.Pa and Ma with their sensible friend manage to outsmart crooks.

Marjorie Main was famous for talking on the set to her dead husband! In some cases, they'd have to re-shoot scenes because she'd just start having conversations with him out of the blue! Apparently she was a very, very eccentric lady!!

Movie of this series are great family movies which you can watch again and again.

Holidays

From my Diary.

I always loved to have Holidays.But never till now I have enjoyed my Holidays fully.Short holidays are OK you can complete the work which you have shelved.But long holidays always become a torture.Their are usual clashes with my brothers and Parents.I hate them and they detest me.

Though there are some days of joy like going alone to a movie or roaming Hazratganj with Monu or going to friend's house and above all listening to songs.I try very hard to keep away from quarreling but somehow or other I get involved in them.Most of the days are like hell and I am ashamed that inspite of being big I cry so much.

For me the biggest trick to remain out of conflict is reading any Book.On last day before our winter holidays started Chandra ma'am gave me "Where Eagles Dare" to read.I found it really entertaining,description of scenery was really mesmerizing and it was so full of thrill,action and feelings of what happens next.And only yesterday the film based on that Alistair McLean's novel was coming on TNT.That was the first Alistair McLean book I read.

I found it really interesting,while watching "Mere Sapnon Ki Rani" song from 'Aradhna' the book that Sharmila Tagore is reading on train is of Alistair McLean.

Books have remained a trouble saver for me.I will stop gardening for it has indirectly ruined me.For achieving success men should never forget their moments of trouble. 

Last Summer 1994 Black Magic.

From My Diary.......

Well!,Hello ,Now I am going to relate events that occurred last summer.When my Mother returned from her brother's house ,she had a News.Well her sister-in-law Sarson was visited by Vijay Mama and he had told her the following news.

Sarson was visited by her brothers.And one of the brothers was mad indeed.They left him to her as she had promised to show him to a doctor who can cure his madness.He was shown and began to improve.But a boy of the village Pradeep got poor marks in exams who used to stand first in the class always and went mad in madness he tore pillows and ran off like a wild animal.

His family accused Sarson for his madness and said that she had transferred her brother's madness into Pradeep by Black-Magic or witch-craft.Gossipers helped in spreading the news and talked that she had taken some 'laung' or 'black-pepper' in her hand and murmured some magic words  and then threw them on the way. And it happened that Pradeep came by that way and effect was instant.He went mad..

Of course all these were lies and fools only will believe  such incredible reasoning.Pradeep however got well.But it caused rift among the families living in the village.And till now this rift had been maintained by foolish women in the village.The village which was once heaven was robbed of its happiness,also dividing the village in two uninviting parts.When 'Chote Mama' returned from Jagdishpur he said that now our Jagdishpur is not a place to visit  the two factions throw spirited substances on each other secretly to cause harm to others.

7 th May 1998 Storm Effect

The storm has cooled the summer night.A nice cold breeze is blowing.It seems as cool as winter.I am feeling pleasantly chilly.I like cold,a slight shivering it makes me feel so fresh.Some times I remember of yesteryears,when in this type of atmosphere I used to read 'Hardy Boys','Enid Blyton's Five Find Outers series' & Three Investigators novels.Or pleasant songs would be playing in adjoining house and come floating on wind.It really seems a long time,and those are the most pleasant memories of that period.It seems as if scenes from those books has come out before my eyes.

The door curtain is moving in and out as gust of wind is rushing into the room.The night is dark with semi-moon.Slight rustling of trees and noises from far places and vehicles moving on ring road can be heard.

The whistling of night watchman's whistle can be heard.Their is a certain needly feeling in my soul.I am feeling so good so pleasant.If god want me to die.I should die in such a atmosphere.

The amount of happiness that heart feels,the mind can't express in words.

Above are three songs that still linger in memory that suit such pleasant weather.

Bodyguard (2011)

Quite a disappointment it was.My friend Karkee kept asking "when the story will begin".We went in expecting a thrilling movie at least equal to Salman's previous movies.But it was quite a bleak shadow in comparison.It was run of the mill story-telling with situations copied from "Main hoon Na" ,"Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" and even Robot.Movie seemed without purpose and story not to be found or too meek.It seemed like a B-grade movie mixed with Ekta Kapoor's soap operas.

Salman though looked good here and his action scenes are good.Kareena looks not so good and remind me of Manisha Koirala in her later years which is surprising since she looked great in Golmal 3.Raj Babbar and Asrani here reminded me of "Nikaah" ,Raj Babbar got a good role here.Their is a fat man here called Tsunami Singh who evokes much laughter and present a very weird sight when he runs shirtless.Villains here are not given much importance and are their just to take blows.This movie is treated like a serial even good songs wasted.Helicopter effect is quite childishly done where a small helicopter fitted with a camera pursues Kareena and tries to kill her.Though the bat sequence where it gets covered by a cloth and then it flies here and their girls thinking it be some spirit is better.You can see it to pass your time if you have nothing better to do.

Birthdays in September

1 st September Johnny Mack Brown
                         Gloria Estefan
                         Lachchu Maharaj

2 nd September Salma Hayek
                          Sonam
                         

3 rd September Irene Papas
                         Shakti Kapoor
                         Vivek Oberoi

4 th September Dada Bhai Naoroji
                          Rishi Kapoor
                          Beyonce Knowles
                         Mitzi Gaynor 

5 th September Darryl F. Zanuck

6 th September Rakesh Roshan
                         Yash Johar

7 th September Elia Kazan

8 th September Asha Bhosle
                         Satish Kaul

9 th September Akshay Kumar
                         Adam Sandler
                         Hugh Grant
                        Topol 

10 th September Rekha
                           Robert Wise 

11 th September 'O' Henry

12 th September Aditya Pancholi

13 th September Claudette Colbert
                           Mahima Chaudhary

14 th September G P Sippy
                            Raj Kumar Kohli
                           Hal Wallis

15 th September Prince Harry
                            Agatha Christie
                           Tommy Lee Jones

16 th September Marc Anthony

                           Lauren Bacall

17 th September Jeff MacNelly

18 th September Shabana Azmi
                            Greta Garbo

20 th September                                             Sophia Loren
                            Mahesh Bhatt
                            Patricia Collinge

21 st September H G Wells
                           Gulshan Grover
                           Kareena Kapoor

22 nd September Walter Pidgeon
                            Paul Muni 

23 rd September Mickey Rooney
                            Bruce Springsteen

24 th September F.Scott Fitzgerald

23 rd September Prem Chopra

25 th September Feroze Khan
                           Michael Douglas
                           Hansie Cronje

26 th September Chunkey Pandey
                            Dev Anand
                           T.S. Eliot
                            Archana Puran Singh

27 th September Yash Chopra
                            Bhagat Singh
                            Arthur Penn
                            Sanjay Kapoor
                            Avril Lavigne
                                 
28 th September Lata Mangeshkar
                           Gwyneth Paltrow
                           Jairaj

29 th September Greer Garson
                            Mehmood
                           Trevor Howard  

30 th September Monica Bellucci

                           Deborah Kerr