Johnny mera naam

One of the joys of watching a less-hyped movie is the experience of being pleasantly surprised. If the movie fails to deliver, well you didn’t expect much anyway, but if it is good, then you can bask in the serendipitous glory of having discovered a good watch. So that’s what happened when I saw Johnny Gaddaar(that too on DVD!) this weekend.

Busy as I am(smirk), I never knew when this movie was released and went and briefly registered itself in my memory. Only when my brother literally ‘forced’ me to watch it this Saturday night. “It is excellent, you will be glued to your seat,” he said. Since I somewhat trust his opinion in Hindi movies, I decided to give it a go right then and there. I watched it with ‘lowered expectations’ as I had no clue whatsoever except that it stars the very good-looking grandson of legendary singer Mukesh. Ah! The joy of seeing a gripping, nail-biting thriller when all you had in mind was a typical pot-boiler.

Hats-off to the director for not resorting to a Hollywood storyline – which is the preferred and easier thing to do these days. Johnny Gaddaar excels in most departments of film-making, but I can’t get over the simple but original storyline that could have been a James Hadley Chase novel but is not! The plot is the hero of the film and the execution of the story is close to perfect. I won’t do a critique of the excellent cinematography, background score, flawless acting and kick-ass narration, as there are people better-placed than me to do that. I am no expert. But I have a sort of twisted pride in my own judgement. I consider my taste in movies very sophisticated and invincible. I won’t like something rubbish just because it gets good reviews and vice versa. I don’t even read the popular reviews anymore because the critics mostly support the clan they belong to (still haven’t gotten over the four star or was it four-and-a-half for Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gam). I simply rely on the better judgement of friends who have good phillum-sense.

In a nutshell, it is brilliant; a very good finished example of ‘how to tell a story’. A film-noir tribute to the 70s. All those references to Parwana, Vijay Anand’s movies, James Hadley Chase, Scarface, establish it clearly that here’s a director who loves movies a bit too much. What’s more, the suspense is revealed at the beginning of the film. And to then keep the what-next element alive, requires directorial panache. So bonus marks for that. I would write about the superb acting here but then the post will run into several pages. May I just say that Neil Nitin Mukesh is a true find. He totally rocks and sure has guts. It requires courage to debut in a ‘negative role’. Especially when you have chocolate faced good looks - the stuff that Bollywood launch-pad romantic flicks are made of.

What then irks me is that NNM doesn’t get half the media-hype that a Ranbir Kapoor gets(forget awards since they clearly follow a different kind of lobbying). I haven’t seen Saawariya, so no comments whatsoever on Ranbir Kapoor’s calibre(or possible lack thereof). But maybe I shouldn’t be complaining. At least NNM got half an IIFA, if that counts. (Fresh Face of the Year award, it seems!. All these award functions should get an award for coining newer categories every year to fit in everyone and please one-and-all. And the most innovative new award for creating new awards goes to..... )

Finally, thank you Neil for dragging me to watch it at gun-point. (I mean my brother not the actor!)

Disclaimer: This is not a film review. Just relentless gushing over an entertaining film from a cinema-buff who doesn’t watch so many films anymore. Kisi ko bura lage to ghar jaa ke do roti jyaada kha lena ;-)

Let me tell you a secret

It is about one of my favourite blogs. Confession: I am addicted to the Internet in a big way(and being a website subeditor doesn't help it any.) I love visiting new, unusual, sites and reading up on the net. One reason why I have been writing less and less, surfing and reading online, more. This is how, I stumbled upon this legendary blog(site?), which I am sure many are aware of. It is postsecret.blogspot.com/.

One of the most phenomenal projects, modern art in progress, innovative-beyond-belief experiments that I have come across in a long span of time. IT is so beautiful and touches such a raw nerve, that it hurts. I don't just get this affected by anything anymore. Books, music and movies used to do it for me, when I would have goose-bumps and shiver all over with the emotion of the thing(not to mention cry hopelessly in public or private). But now although I can admire a good movie or a stimulating read, it doesn't have the same impact. I am jaded.

But postsecret does it for me. Based on the ludicrously simple concept that completely anonymous people decorate a home-made postcard and portray a secret that they had never previously revealed to anyone, albeit, as beautifully and as creatively as they can. I don't know if it is the one-sentence messages crawled across the postcards or the soulful images and visuals they employ t0 make these post-cards, but it blows me away every Monday(the site is updated every Sunday) when I have a look.

Words are simply inadequate. Watch this video(though nothing compares to viewing the post-cards on the website). I want to collect the postsecret books now and maybe even post a secret some day. I am hooked.