Playing with Food

Two Sentence Story

“Playing with your food isn’t good, son.” His mother said.

“But mom, hunting food is more fun than having it!” Tiger cub replied.

Last Day

Two Sentence Story

 

After his bath, his heart started beating fast seeing the fogged-up bath room mirror which read “Today is your last day!”

 

What scared him most was that he lived alone in his apartment.

Anthariksham 9,000 KMPH (Telugu) Movie Review:

It is a welcome relief to see a movie like Anthariksham in Tollywood as most of movies made in Telugu are mindless masala movies defying logics. This movie engrossing from start to finish. Antariksham is surely a wonderful attempt in Telugu movies, which needs to be encouraged so that more such movie are made in future. The best thing about this movie is that it doesn’t go off-track.

I haven’t seen Sankalp Reddy’s first movie so far. However, directors like him are much needed to bring novelty to Tollywood. Varun Tej is a perfect fit for this role of a scientist. Who is well supported by others. Especially, Rahman whom I liked in Dhuruvangal Pathinaaru (D-16).

Mihira, an Indian satellite which is dysfunctional, is on the course of destroying the entire communication system in the world. Now, its creator, Dev(Varun Tej) along with three other astronauts needs to fix it going to outer space.

Well, there are some minus points in this one too, like Varun Tej going missing in outer space and coming back from nowhere. A satellite traveling at 9000 KMPH docking at the International Space Station with pinpoint precision. Scenes like these look a bit too far-fetched, but comparing to Balakrishna movies, it seems nothing.

My rating is 4/5

 

Anjaan-Rural Myths (TV Series) Review

The series is set in various rural parts of India. It is not only engrossing but scary as well, with creepy BGM, hooting of owls, etc. It is well crafted and made. I wish they continue this series as season 2 on Netflix. What makes this series special or peculiar is inclusion of myths from folklore, legends, etc from rural India.

It just shows that there is so much potential in exploring the mythical tales of India. The best thing about this series is that every episode is set in each corner of India like Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Assam, Kashmir, Jharkhand etc. Acting is well done which gives a feeling of believability. VFX and effects appear natural and not overly done.

What makes it interesting is the development of characters and the changing scenarios. Evil exists in darkness and sometimes in light as well. The stories have been not only well written, also well adpated to the small screen.

Also this seems to be one of the best Indian series on Netflix. Give it a try and I am sure that you won’t be dissappointed.

I would rate it 4.5.5 for the wonderful effort by the team.

 

 

 

Aladdin (English) Movie Review

I had been listening to the romantic song “A Whole New World” and it had been one of my fav songs in english for a long time now. Also I had been seeing the Aladdin series on television while I was a kid, and liked it. The tale of magic lamp and Genie inpsired me.

I never knew that the late Robin Williams had lent his voice for Genie in this movie. He just makes the genie character hilarious. This is one movie which a whole family could enjoy together. The story has everything in it to make it memorable : Love, Magic, comedy, and a wonderful adventure. Also it is a good musical with nice songs as well.

Also ‘Aladdin’ happens to be one of the best tales from the Arabian Nights and definitely one of my favourite Disney movies. Jafar comes across as smart and menacing villian.The storyline starts off with Jafar (the villain) trying to find the Magic Lamp which will give him three wishes. Jafar finds the Cave of Wonders, in which the lamp is hidden. However, the cave won’t let just anybody in. The only person who can enter the cave is a “street rat” named Aladdin. Meanwhile, Aladdin is stealing a loaf of bread and running away from the guards. Jafar orders Aladdin’s capture and then helps him escape to steal the lamp.  Aladdin manages to survive and release the Genie (Robin Williams). He promises to grant Genie his freedom with his third wish.

Finally, it is a fight between the evil Jafar and street smart Aladdin.

My rating is 4/5.

 

Zero (Hindi) Movie Review

This movie is more about dreams which may be small, big or even extragavant like in this movie for that matter. It even skips logic at many places, for one thing, I have never come across any man who can make the stars to fall from the sky by counting 10 to Zero. It seemed far fetched than Bauua Singh reaching America along with his best friend. I started wondering getting Visa to America is so easy. As if taking a flight from Bangalore to Mumbai. Anyways, anything is possible in our Bollywood.

If you set aside all of the above things I have mentioned, the movie is not as bad as critics are trashing it. I agree that you may like it or dislike it, and there is no middle ground for a SRK movie. SRK’s last movie was so bad even for his fan, I had to fast forward to climax. However, I genuinely liked this one from start to finish.  Though Merut to Mumbai to America to Mars seemed far fetched at times, this short coming was covered with wonderful performance by SRK as Bauua Singh, also the movie belonged to Anushka and Kaif. Not to forget his best buddy Mohammed Zeeshan Ayub, who is a wonderful find for this movie. Likewise, Tigmanshu Dhulia who is superb as Bauua Singh’s father and ditto for Seeba Chaddha who plays his mother.

I agree that first half of the movie is filled with humour and second half becomes serious. Well, that is how most movies are like. If you like comedy movies then you can stick to comedies. And then too much of something isn’t good, right? I didn’t feel that second half was lengthy or dragged. It seemed all right to me. Well, the NSAR and preparation to Mars could have been too much for many, but it seemed alright to me.

Music was good too. Especially, the romantic track Mera Naam..While cinematography was too good, the same can’t be said about the VFX. Bauua Singh appeared as a dwarf in some scenes and in others it seemed like miniature version. It was not consistent.

All in all, a nice movie which could be enjoyed with family. My rating is 3.5/5.

The Christmas Chronicles (English) Movie Review

The second Christmas movie which I had watched last night on Netflix starring Kurt as the Santa which I didn’t even imagine in my wildest dreams. I was expecting it to be a bad choice, but I was wrong. Kurt is perhaps most endearing Santa I have seen so far.

This movie has enough homour and warnth for kids as well as adults. Again a movie to be watch and enjoyed with the family.  The story is well written, the jokes are funny. Also one of the best X’mas movies on Santa so far.

Kurt Russell not only brings total coolness to the magic of Santa, but makes fun of Santa hoardings, even complains it doesn’t look anything close to him in person. The CGI is almost well done. The elves are cute and small. I loved their interaction which reminded me fairy tales. The reindeers were spot on and so was the sledge.  The two kids in the movie did a good job.

Well, Kurt Rusells fit the Santa almost perfectly. Well, he doesn’t like to say “Ho,ho,ho.”

My rating is 4/5. Highly recommended.

 

Angela’s Christmas (English) Movie Review

This one is beautifully animated short movie which I saw last night on Netflix which is set during Chrsitmas in Ireland in 1910’s. It is both funny and heart-warming tale of a little girl named Angela.

Nicely written by Will Collins and Damien O’Connor and well directed by Damien O’Connor. The half hour CG film is based on Frank McCourt’s only children’s book, inspired by a story his mother Angela told him as a child. McCourt won the Pulitzer Prize for his best-selling memoir, Angela’s Ashes.

This one is a wonderful animated movie to be seen with whole family, as everyone would like it. The message is sweet and simple and it speaks about loving and caring families who stand up for each other, spread the warmth and joy during the sadness.

It is really nice that such movies are still being made. I highly recommend watching this one.

My rating is 4/5.

 

Maleficent (English) Movie Review:

I had avoided this movie for a long time, not sure why? Finally, got to see it last weekend and was pleasantly surprised as I didn’t expect much from this dark tale based on the classic fairy tale ‘Sleeping Beauty’. It turned out to be a beautiful twisted tale which I ended up enjoying. Especially, the wonderful charater development of Maleficent played by Angelina Jolie, who is truly remarkable (Also co-executive producer of this classic twisted fairy tale).

Technically the movie is very well made. Haven’t seen the 3D version, but hopefully that should be good too. What the sucessfully accomplishes and which makes it remarkable is that sometime even the evil could have a slight spark of goodness somewhere hidden within. Just like one small ray of light that pierces through the pitch blackness.

This is not your regular good vs evil tale where you get rooted to good and cheer for its win in the end, Angelina Jolie delivers an amazing performance,  playing differently the previously rather one- dimensional Disney villain relate-able and more sympathetic, while also managing to look like a convincing, gorgeous, magical creature. Your heart almost goes out for her for what her character has been through and that which had turned her cold hearted and so called evil. Everyone has the two sides both good and bad just like the bright and dark sides of the Moon. Only difference is which one we allow to rule us from within.

Usually, many of the movies ruin the classic stories or books on which they are based upon. Whereas, this movie makes it better than the original story of ‘Sleeping Beauty’. It is a rare thing like this to happen and hence, this one could a classic after some years down the line. My rating is 5/5.

Still questioning myself, why the hell did I avoid it for so long?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andhadhun (Hindi) Movie Second Review:

Well, this one is sure a brilliant movie like Inception. My dear friend Ravi called me to explain the climax of this movie which is nothing but a blind man’s bluff. I was wondering how blind Ayushmann Khurrana explains the climax to Radhika Apte? Also there was no one in the spot when Tabu tries to hit him with her speeding car and the vehicle swerves away from the road and blows up because a rabbit hits the windshield while it’s trying to dodge a farmer’s bullet.

There is no way the farmer could have witnessed it from such long distance and narrated it to the blind man later. However, if you rewind the movie a little further before Akash ( Ayushmann Khurrana) moves out of India to a foreign country, you will notice that the car in which the doctor and Akash are travelling with unconscious Semi (Tabu) in the trunk of the car passes beyond a particular tree….which means Akash had agreed to the doctor’s suggestion to transplant Semi’s liver for money and got back his eyes sight with her cornea transplant. Also he got his share of money from the doctor with which he got settled in abroad.

Remember, he mentions in one scene that he doesn’t have any friends! Then if you observe when he narrates the climax to Radhika Apte the car stops near that particular tree. So entire climax is his version of story to get sympathy from Radhika Apte. Also when Radhika tells him in the end that he should have taken Tabu’s eyes after what she had done, he just stares at her as if saying ” I have done just that!” The entire thing is truly brilliant. Then did that blind rabbit really exist in the first place? The director tries to confuse the viewers by adding a rabbit walking stick to the blind man in the end. It is just like the spinning top in the climax of “Inception”. Wow! Ravi Sidula, you’re truly brilliant, my friend! Thanks for solving the puzzle of this movie’s climax.