Festiwitti #5: The Year That Was

Reflections on 2016 ?

Saw a new country, and some new animals;Heard some old music;

Lost 5 kilos and jumped into a 2013 suit;
Broke a bone;
Rode a Segway;

Lost some old friends (there’s more than one way to lose a friend!);
Made none;
Met a few more, after a 35-year gap;

Read plenty of old books, no new ones;
Set a record for the longest-held job in 11 years;

Found Vasuda Sharma on YouTube (listen to “Jaagi Jaagi Raina”);
Chanced upon Vivek Govil on Soundcloud;

Crossed 10,000 likes on Instagram;
Didn't cross 10,000 hits on the blog;

Discovered Letterboxd;
Dropped some pills and picked up some others;

Barely blogged;
Passed the 6-year no-smoking mark and forgot to celebrate;

And heard, for the first time, a bank manager say that his safe was empty.

Yes, it’s been an eventful year !

Here’s wishing all of you a wonderful Christmas and a joyous 2017.

Take #37: Arrival

While the film "Arrival" is built on an undeniably absorbing set of premises, the execution make you think longingly of Departure. 

The lighting is unnecessarily dim throughout, even in daytime; the sound is muted and spikes suddenly from time to time, and several scenes drag in a manner that reminded me repeatedly of Gravity, a film I decidedly did not enjoy. Even the presence of Amy Adams didn't help.


This one is pulling them in during its first weekend - but I'll lay long odds that there won't be a second.

Take #36: Dear Zindagi

"Dear Zindagi" is definitely not a film for everyone - but to those with whom it resonates, it is a beautiful film. 

Alia is superlative, turning in a nuanced performance, leaving you astonished that someone so young and so relatively inexperienced can essay a role with so many different layers. SRK is restrained and watchable and actually steps back to make room for the talent that unfolds in front of him. The supporting cast have all turned in sterling performances.

Gauri Shinde can certainly craft a story, and direct it to hit its target dead centre. A gifted young cinematographer who lays her inner devils to rest with the help of a hatke psychiatrist with an unconventional modus operandi: an unusual tale, unusually told; we need more such films.

I'm no connoisseur, but I thought that Alia's costume design was exceptionally good and completely in sync with her character. And the music was absolutely on point.

Perhaps I'm going overboard, but I'm ok with that: I'm an unabashed Alia fan, and this is a performance that she is going to be proud of.

And the sheer hilarity of the line: "Are you a Lebanese?"

Take #35: Kahaani 2

The hype around this film ensured that it was impossible not to come away disappointed.

What could have been a very watchable whodunit tripped a couple of times in the second half and all but fell flat.

The performances weren't particularly exceptional either, and the cinematography was fairly ordinary. Vidya Balan needed to do something remarkable to outdo her performance in the original film- and she turned out to be unequal to the task.

If you miss this one, rest assured that you haven't missed anything.

Take #31:Don't Breathe

Without giving away anything, it wouldn't be entirely untrue to say that, as a home-invasion film, this one is among the most extreme you'll find. 


Make no mistake, the tension is very real, and you'll have reason to applaud the appropriateness of the title in every minute of the 89-minute runtime of this movie. 


But I personally think that "Hard to Kill" would have been a much better name, had it not already been taken.

Don't miss this. It's an experience.

Take #34: Sully

If you remember the front page news in the Indian press one January day in 2009, and you can recall your amazement and your wonder at how such a thing could come to pass, this is not a movie you will want to miss. The unprecedented water landing by a commercial airliner and the subsequent rapid evacuation and rescue of its passengers was "the best news that New York had heard in a long time - especially where airplanes were concerned".

Clint Eastwood's taut script and unerring directorial hand, and Tom Hanks' restrained portrayal of a skilled pilot wondering whether he had made a terrible mistake, make this a remarkable 96-minute telling of a 208-second flight and a 24-minute rescue. An absolute must for pilots, Clint Eastwood fans, Tom Hanks fans, Hudson River fans, and just about everybody else.

Although "Sully" is more like a documentary than a standard disaster film, it is still one of the best-made movies I have seen this year.

Take #33: The Shallows

Speaking literally, this was undoubtedly a Lively film .

Figuratively, it was anything but, although still very skilfully crafted, for all that. Blake Lively did a commendable job (quite unrecognisable from her bimbette part in Green Lantern) and the director was a close second.

This is a two-days-in-the-life-of diary kind of survival film, and isn't for the squeamish. I personally felt that, considering the locale, the cinematographer could have done a better job of capturing the surf, the spray, the sunsets, the sand and the shark.

Blake Lively was pretty good. But I've said that already.

Take #32: The Magnificent Seven

Hmm, this one is difficult. I have a few suggestions to offer - first, try not to keep either the Kurosawa classic or the Sturges remake in mind when you go for this film; second, try to cope with the fact that Denzel Washington is upstaged by Chris Pratt; third, try not to remember Eli Wallach's lines from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: "If you want to shoot, shoot; don't talk".

At 132 minutes, this movie was probably 25 minutes too long. The characters have great promise but have not been etched finely enough. The prairie landscape looked distinctly like a painted set in parts.

Sure, as a stand-alone, it's a great entertainer. But we're too complex these days to look at anything stand-alone: like financial results, it has to be consolidated; and in a consolidated view, this film fails.

Take #30: War Dogs

It often happens that the least heralded movies turn out to be the most watchable - and so it was with this one. War Dogs was sharp and witty and made some telling points about how the US Government works its arms deals. Jonah Hill was, simply, brilliant, and the rest of the cast backed him up very well indeed. The soundtrack was refreshing, too , including songs by Pink Floyd and Linda Ronstadt, among others. This film was one of the most pleasant cinematic surprises of 2016; i'm pleased that I was persuaded to see it.

Tobackoff #9 : Thank You For Not Smoking

So it’s World No Tobacco Day today (just past it for my American friends, and just about there for my Antipodean contacts), a reminder to me that I was an inveterate smoker of 40 sticks a day, and quit completely just under 6 years ago. It’s a day of reflection for me, because I dumped overnight – quite unceremoniously- a habit that had become so completely a part of me that I hadn’t been able to shed it for all of 26 years.

Not too much has changed on the smoking horizon in these 6 years. There are still teens taking up smoking, and there are more women doing it than ever before. Nearly all buildings are no-smoking zones, but all of them have designated smoking areas that are always full. As do airports. Cigarette packs still carry warnings, many of them lurid, which continue to be ignored. And, at 12 bucks a pop for the average long cigi, it’s still a very, very expensive habit to cultivate.

But believe me, the money outflow is just half the cost, if that. There’s the social ostracism – countries such as Australia, for instance, have all but outlawed smoking; there’s the change in appearance – your skin hardens and crinkles, your nails and teeth stain, your complexion darkens; there’s the long-term impact on health – smoking may or may not kill you, but it sure as hell will slow you down.

I’ve been asked very often about how I did it. I say in all honesty that I expected it to be impossible, but I realized that the impossible is just something that takes a little longer.

The seed was sown when I realized that smoking was no longer “fun” (that had indeed been the foolish starting point) – it was messy (you feel like a travelling volcano all the time), compulsive (you smoke because you don’t know what to do with your hands – is that even a reason ?) and intrusive (you need to “administer” it to yourself to kick-start certain mental and physical processes).

From then on, it was just a matter of focus. “Just one day”, I told myself, and that turned out to be fairly easy; and then it was “why not another ?” and so on. At the same time, I stayed off the standard smoking-inducers for a few days – the company of friends; smoking people; alcohol and music; tea and coffee; and so on. The pangs in the first three days were intense – but from the fourth day onwards, it was not unlike waiting for a delayed breakfast. After day ten, I was there. A month later, friends could light up in front of me without a qualm.

Like all bad habits, though, not smoking is valid only until the next time you decide to smoke. You just need to make the right decision.

Choose to quit smoking, or to not start, because you have just one life – and that life doesn’t need the tobacco.

Take #29: London Has Fallen

See this movie ONLY if you're a Gerard Butler fan, a London fan, a US Presidential fan, an action movie fan, a Ghayal Once Again fan......etc.

In short - really way, way too much of a good thing. It starts off well enough, but drops an octave of credibility every few minutes, until you're eventually left with the impression that the City of London is little more than a haven for misguided terrorists and incompetent policemen - and that it always takes just one man to bail out the President from impossible situations.

On a lighter note, don't miss the title credits at the beginning as well as the end. The names are really incredible - the screenplay, for instance, is by a guy named Creighton Rothenberger. Jeepers, that's 21 characters, even more than Alejandro Inarattu, whose movies at least win Oscars.

I hope to God we don't have a Paris Has Fallen after this. Even if Gerard Butler is producing.

Take #28: Neerja

"Neerja" is an outstanding film.

Part of that verdict arises from a long-held desire to understand the full story of that incredible act of heroism; part of it is because one's heart goes out to that achingly young life that is snuffed out with a single callous act by a soulless, animalistic being. But the rest of that opinion is entirely attributable to the genius of Ram Madhvani.

With skilful use of lighting (mostly dim, in keeping with the mood of the film) and camerawork (you sometimes feel that a handheld camera is being used), and with some brilliant editing, enabling several stories to be seamlessly told at once, the director virtually transports you into the interior of the plane and straps you to your seat.

A number of reviews have been quite unkind to Sonam, but I am forced to disagree. In a role that was largely about body language rather than speech, she hasn't done badly at all - and the resemblance of her screen character to the original heroine is actually quite remarkable. The film leans strongly on her, and she proves equal to the task. Like her last release (reviewed elsewhere in this blog) Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, but for vastly different reasons, this film will be good for Sonam's morale, her filmography and her future.


Shabana Azmi was a jewel, as always. The scene-stealer, however (and this is strictly my opinion) was the person who played the role of the rebellious terrorist, the primary villain, (I didn't get the actor's name, unfortunately) - his demoniac hatred was so tangible that, at times, it seemed to jump out of the screen and grab you by the throat.

"Neerja" is a story that needed to be told, and is a movie that should have been made long ago. There are few who could have made it better. Go see it.

Take #27: Airlift

Historical background and patriotic fervour apart, what made this film memorable for me were the restrained and sensitive performances from Akshay Kumar and Nimrat Kaur.

We have seen glimpses of a major talent in Nimrat, with "The Lunchbox"; this film reaffirms the fact that she is someone to watch out for. Her portrayal of a businessman's wife - used to living in luxury, flung into adverse circumstances, watching, with increasing bewilderment, her husband's transformation from a sybarite to a patriot, and then offering him her unstinting support - is both subtle and strongly effective.


Akshay, refreshingly, seemed very comfortable in an action-free serious role, which should earn him an award nomination or two. This khiladi clearly has a few things up his sleeve that we haven't seen yet.

The script was tight, the characters well-etched, the cinematography skilful (there were several haunting shots), the music (by Amaal Malik and Ankit Tiwari) absolutely on point. This is a well-made film, go watch it

Take #26: Wazir

Passionate, poignant, powerful.


Simply put, a gritty, short-and-bittersweet film with excellent performances from both Farhan Akhtar and Amitabh Bachchan. These two are good together and should appear in another film someday.


 I have read a string of reviews - some maintain that the film was carried by Bachchan, others that it was Farhan's show. Neither, really - a crisp script from Vidhu Vinod Chopra and taut direction by Bejoy Nambiar ensured that the pace never flagged and you were almost disappointed when you realised that you had reached the last five minutes of the movie.


Great music, interesting cameos, stark cinematography and Aditi Rao Hydari's 
wide, wounded eyes.... this is an unusual film. If only Mr Bachchan's makeup had been a little less Bhootnath and a little more Black.

Take #25: "Arshinagar" (Bengali) - a film by Aparna Sen

The charm of seeing an Aparna Sen film lies principally in the fact that she is a director who dares to be always different; with the result that the viewer rarely comes away disappointed.

And so it is with Arshinagar. The film is a love story between Rawno and Julie, set in the backdrop of a slum named Arshinagar which is set to be overrun by constructors who are bidding for a flyover and the development of the surrounding real estate.

An ordinary love story ? Of course it is. Inspired by Romeo & Juliet ? Certainly, there is also a wee sprinkling of Grease (the T birds and the Pink Ladies), although I doubt that the director intended that.

What makes this movie different is its execution. It is an opera rather than a film, and so skilfully created that you sometimes feel you are watching it live -like a play- rather than in digital form. The editing, lighting and camerawork all contribute to giving the atmosphere its feel; the background score is excellent and absolutely on point, the vocals superlative. Yes, the vocals : the entire dialogue of the film is in rhyme, like Vikram Seth's "The Golden Gate"; rhyme which is occasionally punctutated by song. The effect is extraordinary, since each line is emoted differently and the poetic effect is subtle.

The performances were all effective- the ubiquitous Dev, a menacing Jissu Sengupta, a rustic Swagata Mukherjee, Rupa Ganguly, even the very young Rittika Sen.

Alas, the Kolkata moviegoer is not impressed - the hall was more than half empty, and more than one person left halfway through the film - which is really a pity: versatility is just one of Aparna Sen's many middle names, and we need more filmmakers with her vision, her imagination and her canvas.

Arshinagar is, in its own way, a unique work of cinematic craft. The Kolkata film critics and the film buffs are split down the middle in their opinion of this. You'll either love this movie, or hate it: go see it if you dare.

Take #24: Bajirao Mastani

A couple of people reminded me that I need to write this review: to be honest, the reason this is late is that I was quite lost as to what to write.

Oh, don't mistake me - I liked the film, but I would put it largely in the time-pass genre, only a notch or two above "Ram-Leela"- and that is undoubtedly not the rank that Sanjay Leela Bhansali would want from his pet project.

The scale was lavish, the detailing splendid, as we have come to expect from SLB. The music wasn't half bad, but the tunes were out of my head by the time I reached home. As regards the story, I cannot comment on historical accuracy, since our history books did not devote much more than a couple of pages to the Peshwas - and that space was devoted to their lives, not their loves. What was somewhat disappointing (for me, at 

least) in the film, were the lead performances.

Raṇveer was larger than life, as always, and has clearly put his soul into this role. He will always be one of the better actors we have today - but the manner in which he essayed the role of Baji Rao was simply not convincing enough. Deepika's transition from warrior princess to poignant paramour was extraordinary, but the fact was that she didn't have too much to do, particularly in the second half. Priyanka was soft and soulful, but she has done better.

I shall remember this film for Tanvi Azmi, whose quietly menacing performance was the biggest takeaway from the two and a half hours of screen time. This movie will most likely manage a couple of awards, I can only hope that she makes it to the list.

His magnum opus, yes; his dream project, we're told; but Bajirao Mastani cannot be Sanjay Leela Bhansali's piece de resistance - he is way too talented for that.

Do watch it, though. You may not agree with much of what I've written.

En Passant #3: A Bullet in a China Shop

Considering the number of elephants, deer and other sundry animals that are decimated

on railway tracks around the country every month, a bullet train on the ahmedabad-mumbai route can politely be referred to as an idea way ahead of its time.

And perish the thought that a dedicated, closed corridor will do the job: the Indian shortcut, like water, finds its own level, and I'm pretty certain the line would eventually be breached at various points. Stop to consider the fact that a train accident at 250 kmph is likely to leave, shall we say, a far more indelible impression than one at 110 kmph.

If we must borrow world-beating ideas -and execution capability- from the Japanese (or the Chinese), I think we should start with affordable vertical housing - or something. I don't think this country is ready for the bullet train just yet. Strictly my personal opinion.

Tobackoff #9: Won'tpower

Why is 5 years such a magical number for everyone ? Except for the seven-year-itch and the seven years of bad luck on breaking a mirror (and, if you like, the saat pheras when you get married), everyone talks in terms of 5 years.

That’s why I was made to believe that it would be a remarkable achievement indeed if I could stay away from cigarettes for five years.

Well, that “landmark” is now behind me : on 28 November 2015, I finished 5 years of of successfully having kicked the butt.

 And I know today what I have known for the past 5 years - that it's a habit that you can really go back to at any time : because you see, you are just telling yourself every day that you choose not to smoke. In other words, staying away from smoking isn’t about willpower – it’s about won’tpower. That's how you can keep your resolve steely and remain smoke-free.

Hopefully, I can bring in a tenth anniversary too. I'll drink to that (there are other bad habits to fall back on !).

En Passant #2 : The House of Rhythm

I visited Rhythm House today after a very long time.

Imagine my surprise when I saw this large rack of vinyl LP's, all imported, including such gems as "The Doors-Absolutely Live" (you can spot it in the picture). All the records were retailing at around Rs 4k, and there was even a stack of Denon turntables behind this rack.

This shop, virtually an institution, is closing down in February 2016, after nearly 70 years. All over the shop, there are big signs screaming "SALE-upto 50% off". Everywhere in the shop there were nostalgic buyers: one of them even came up to me and said, "It's really very sad. I used to come here after college and listen to music in the booths." I twinkled at the septuagenarian and said "So did I! "

I hope to go back at least once more before the shop shuts down.

However cliched this may sound, it needs to be said: thank you for the music, Rhythm House.

Take #23: Tamasha

After 'Love Aaj Kal', 'Jab We Met' and, most recently, 'Highway', we have come to expect two things from Imtiaz Ali: offbeat love stories, and a leisurely exploration of angst and the inner demons. And with this film, once again, he does not disappoint on either count.

Corsica, France. Rich girl meets hamster boy, stuck in a treadmill of his father's choosing. Much melodious music later, they part company, only to meet again four years on. But the hamster is still on the treadmill - and he actually bites! What happens thereafter comprises the absorbing second half of the story.

A gorgeous Deepika Padukone blends into the French Mediterranean as if she were born there. Ranbir puts in a compelling performance as the mediocre engineer leading a double life - one inside him, and the other on the outside. A R Rahman's music wasn't to the standard we've come to expect from him, though it was adequate enough.

This is a narrative narrated by storytellers, with numerous flashbacks and visual metaphors, and is not a script that everyone is going to like. I found it very different, and very refreshing, although Imtiaz Ali came perilously close to losing the plot once or twice.

I have a feeling this movie is going to run. There is nothing else in the way at the moment, and there are enough crowd-pleasers in the film to mollify the hedonistic

Take #22: SPECTRE

What probably happened was that, after the Mission Impossible and Transporter franchises caught the public's imagination, Barbara Broccoli hemmed and hawed and concluded that there was too much competition, so the Bond films needed a complete makeover.

So, just one girl at a time, not a bevy of brilliant bikini bimbettes; a look at Bond the man, rather than Bond the spy; Oscar-quality cinematography rather than merely exotic locales; anti-villains cast in villain roles - more avuncular than menacing; male singers doing the theme songs; dark, stark and broody rather than light and entertaining.

And 146 minutes long as against the standard fare of 90-120.

Sam Mendes is undoubtedly a gifted director, but getting him to do two Bond films is like asking Spielberg to do remakes of Hotel Transylvania and Kung Fu Panda. A clear case of overkill.

No thanks, Barbara. Spectre was more of an Apparition. We don't want Bond hobnobbing with Moneypenny at his house or facing bad guys whom he addressed as Uncle in his youth. We'd like the punchy one-liners back, please, along with bright sunlight and beaches and less shadows and more chases and the usual mad schemer's plot for world domination. We also want more of the nutty sidekicks like Jaws and Odd Job. And yes, we quite liked the cats.

But we're good with both Ralph Fiennes as M and Naomi Harris as Moneypenny. And the women among us are, of course, really, REALLY good with Daniel Craig in his third essay as Bond, but I fancy the men preferred Roger Moore.

Be that as it may - I'm a James Bond fan, so I went ahead and saw this movie, just as I'll see the next one. But I feel I should caution you that watching a new James Bond film is now a habit that could become very easy to break.

And oh, about that kiss: don't blink; you'll miss it.

Take #21: Crimson Peak

After "Zero Dark Thirty", "Mama" and now "Crimson Peak", I can now say with conviction that I am a Jessica Chastain fan.

This was a subtle film, with a number of chilling moments but not really of the horror genre; a film made with incredible finesse, a tribute to both the storytelling as well as the directorial skills of Guillermo del Torro.


Jessica was pure gold in her role of pure evil.


There were just 15 people in the theatre, which was unjust: but then, it is true that there are not many people who will be able to sit through a story such as this.

Take #20: Bridge of Spies

Now in its fourth week, this movie simply refuses to go away from the theatres - and there are two cogent reasons why it shouldn't : Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.

This absorbing and moving Cold War-era movie, brilliantly directed by Steven Spielberg, tells the story of an insurance lawyer-turned-negotiator (Tom Hanks in a masterfully subtle performance) who arranges a prisoner swap with a few initiatives of his own.

The cinematography is stark and haunting and the growing affinity between Hanks and the phlegmatic prisoner under his charge (a deft performance by Mark Rylance) is beautifully developed.


I haven't read anything about why this film was named the way it was - true, the final exchange takes place on a bridge, and yes, they are indeed spies, but I somehow felt that there was an oblique reference to the "Bridge of Sighs", that little bridge linking two buildings in Venice, one with the interrogation room and the other with the prison block.

Be that as it may, this is an unusual film, and deserves to be seen. If you miss it on the large screen, get hold of the DVD: you won't regret it. An absolute must for Steven Spielberg and tom Hanks fans, in any case.

Take #19: Prem Ratan Dhan Payo

After quite a while, we have another F5 (feelgood factor formula family film) from the Sooraj Barjatya stable. 

And it's not all that bad, really; there are way too many songs, true, but Himesh Reshammiya has done a fairly competent job with the music, and all the songs are short enough so that your patience occasionally strains, but does not snap. For the Bhai brigade, Salman is present in duplicate, and moreover, delivers two perfectly credible performances. Sonam has always been a princess, which came in handy for this film as all she had to do was look glossy. The villainy portions of the film are largely like Tabasco on the table when McD's is served - you can take it or leave it, won't matter either way. The sets, the locales and the cinematography were excellent in parts.

The movie hall, a large one, was completely full, and I think I spotted grandfathers as well as grandchildren - which covers the spectrum of the Rajshri Productions target audience.

In all, a spectacular comeback for Sooraj, a very rewarding year indeed for Salman and a much-needed hit (for hit this is certainly going to be) for Sonam's cinematic bio. The only unhappy segment is likely to be the tomb of Anthony Hope, the author of "The Prisoner of Zenda", on which this story is based - but then, Bollywood wasn't even born in his day.

I had no expectations from this 174-minute film, so I came away quite pleased. I think you might actually feel the same way, if you do see it. Let me know !