Some Movie Reviews …

Inscribed by Hariharan |2 remarks

Lately there have been some good movies that have been released. Lately … meaning August onwards … Just to list them (in no particular order) … A Wednesday, Jaane tu .. Ya jaane na, Bachna Ai Haseeno (some ppl may raise their eyebrows .. but lets accept it was a nice movie after all … moreover its my blog … so my word prevails), Mumbai Meri Jaan etc …

I thought I’d put down my thoughts about some of those movies and also some movies that I saw recently (but were released long back) …

A Wednesday … An absolute classic, masterpiece of a movie … Absolutely everything about the movie was good … short (1 and ½ hour), no-nonsense (no songs and all that crap), fast-paced (it will keep you on the edge of your seat for the entire movie), impeccable dialogues (eg. “We are resilient by force .. not by choice”), strong characters (Naseerji at his best … Anupamji plays the perfect “Police Commissioner” and all of the other characters) … I have seen it thrice already and each time it was as captivating as I when I saw it for the first time. I should also get an award of sorts for promoting the movie … As I have been recommending it to ppl and also making them see it (and also seeing it with them) …

Mumbai Meri Jaan was another movie based on the Jul ‘06 Mumbai bomb blasts. Compared to “A Wednesday” it was an ‘ok-ok’ movie … Somehow the characters didn’t come out clearly … Somehow I was not impressed with Maddy’s acting this time around. Seemed a bit “artificial”. The only thing that came out very strongly was Pareshji’s acting. I have to say he is one of the best actors that we have … He is able to fit into any character with such ease … “Hats off to you, Sir” … I was watching the movie and I was wondering how is the movie going to end … and I must say it was a pretty good ending that the director came up with which gave a good feel at the end of the movie.

Another movie that I saw recently (which I should have seen long back) was Shaurya. Another excellent movie … All characters in the movie were very strong. I came to know that it was an inspiration of the English movie “A few good men” … well then I have another movie that I have to see then. I was especially impressed by KK’s excellent acting … He played the role of the Senior Army Official with such perfection that one should just watch and experience. The movie is full of great dialogue deliveries (mostly by KK and some by Rahul Bose in the end). The sequence where KK scares the shit out of Rahul and then orders Rahul to have his coffee before leaving was a treat to watch. Dialogues are the key highlights of the movie and one I was especially amused was when KK scowls at one of his juniors when they use the word ‘sweat’ by saying “Only pigs sweat … Human Beings perspire”

Some more reviews after I see the Bond movie and others in the coming days …

Case for a "four day working week"

Inscribed by Hariharan |2 remarks

Until a few decades back the word “job" or profession were associated mostly with a government job, which generally is stress-less and pressure-less. In today’s situation, majority of the population is employed with multinational companies or public and private sector firms, which work under strict deadlines and targets unlike a government establishment. This has related in work related pressure and suffocations in individuals.

The only respite that an individual gets from work related stress is the two-days-weekend. During the two-days-weekend, he is able to refresh and replenish his system. It is this weekend that helps him prepare to face the five weekdays ahead of him.

In the last few years, people are getting into increased work pressure which is at an all-time-high. They work on impossible deadlines. They have to tackle unbearable workloads. There are too many things that needed to be done at once. Today the most detrimental issue faced by the common public is the danger and health problems related to work pressure. Research has proven that most heart attacks occur on a Monday morning. The reason for this is because the two-days-weekend fails to prepare us for the 5 ‘impossible’ weekdays ahead. On a Monday morning, thinking of the five days ahead of us gives such a scare that it can cause a heart attack.

The only way India can cope up with this impossible pressure is by following a four-day-working-week Model. As a part of this model, I propose that apart from the existing two-days-weekend there should be a mid-week holiday on Wednesday.

Apart from easing the work related pressures on an individual, this would also ease pressure on the poor two-days-weekend, which is struggling to refresh an individual for the five ‘gruesome’ weekdays. With this model, all that a two-days-weekend has to do is to refresh an individual for the two days ahead. The Wednesday along with the individual would take care of the next two days, before one arrives at the next weekend.

I can guarantee that this alone would bring about a significant decrease in the Monday morning heart attacks for stressed out employees, let alone the Friday night heart attack for our poor two-days-weekend.

My sincere request to companies in India is that they implement the four-day-working-week Model, if not for the health and safety concern of their employees, at least taking pity on the poor ‘overworked’ two-days-weekend.

Lot has transpired …

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And ... I don't know why I am silent ... ??? A writer's block is an excuse for laziness ... So I decided to shrug off the “writer's block” and get on with it …

The Zen Estilo has come in … She’s beautiful … I felt as if I have been driving her for years … !! Have done couple of long drives … First one was to Mahabaleshwar (again) … my in-laws also with us this time around. Was fun … with the rains and all … The weather was cold … Paisa Wasool … in short …

The second one was on our Second Marriage Anniversary to Chiplun-Guhaghar. The drive was amazing … About 250 kms one way … It was a treat to the eyes … With all the greenery one can imagine … long ghat sections … beautiful waterfalls all through the way … the beautiful Quality Resort The Riverview … the wonderful room with a view … the waterfall experience at Sawatsada Waterfall near the resort … The temples … Parshuram Temple in Chiplun … Shiva temple at Velneshwar and Ganpati temple at Hedvi … Absolute wow !! One of the best outings of my life !! Wait for the photo uploads …

Janani has learnt driving … to a large extent … She also drove about 2 hours on the way to Chiplun (including a ghat section) and couple of hours on the way back … That is quite an achievement for a person who has learnt driving a month back … She would be getting her license in the coming week.

We are planning our Diwali break to the South India … Plan to visit Cochin, Chennai and Bangalore during the 3rd week of October to 2nd of November, 2008. Looking forward to that …
And finally after a lot of “jhanjhat” for close to an year … my bike has now a Maharashtra registration number … after spending an exorbitant amount of money to buy that peace of mind while driving it in Pune. Well atleast my vehicle has earnt the title of “son of the soil” if not its owner !! :)

So as you can see … indeed a lot has transpired … :)

We welcome Zen Estilo ...

Inscribed by Hariharan |0 remarks

Yes ... We have booked a Zen Estilo and if all goes well, I will be riding it mid coming week.
Take a look at the color that we have chosen.
Will keep you all posted ..
Till then ...