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My 10 favourite Bollywood movies

These movies may not be the best Bolllywood movies of all time, maybe even for me. But I never got around to watching too many old movies. Not that I don't like them. In fact some of them (think 70s and 80s) are better than most movies that came out in the 90s for sure and even in the first decade of this century. One name that comes to mind immediately as I think of the movies that had style back then is Qurbani. Super cool!

But back to this list. These are the movies, and in some cases directors, that I have come to love over the last 20 years I'd say. This would be my definitive starting list to recommend to non-Indian friends (yes, that includes you Ajit) if they wish to watch interesting Hindi movies. And I'm not talking Slumdog Millionaire. Let's be clear, that was a British film about India. Nothing personal, but sufficed to say at this point that it did not deserve the awards it received. And this blog is to prove my point. We have better films about India, made in India.

Film: Omkara

Director: Vishal Bharadwaj

Vishal Bharadway took Shakespeare's Othello & set it up in NE India where violence is the law of the land. This movie became a part of a series of similar adaptations Bharadwaj made, including Maqbool, which was based on Macbeth. Bharadwaj started out as a music director in Hindi films, before transitioning to make movies. He also recently made Kaminey, which imo was his tribute to the classic Bollywood "masala" movies and he made one better than one other before.

Film: Sarkar

Director: Ram Gopal Verma

Another brilliant adaptation. This one from the Godfather. Ram Gopal Verma has the same sensibility as Mario Puzo. He tries to create similar power struggles. This movie is considered to be a tribute more than an adaptation because it is quite different from the original. Verma bases his story on a very close to reality political figure in Bombay. His use of different camera angles and lighting is brilliant, but the use of the background score is a little much. Other Verma movie to watch: Satya & Company. These are about the underwold.

Film: Rang De Basanti

Director: Om Prakash Mehra

This movie draws parallels between the awakening of youth during the Indian freedom struggle and in todays time. Its a story about how a bunch of youngsters become socially active when one of their friends is killed in a fighter plane crash and the government blames it on the pilots erroneous ways rather than admitting to the fact that the plane itself was sub-standard. It draws parallel to how the youth fought for India's freedom.

Film: Wednesday

Director: Neeraj Pandey

A film on terrorism but with a difference. This one looks at how the everyday terrorist attacks affect the common man who is left helpless amidst all the violence. Short movie by Indian standards but very well paced out. There's never a dull moment in this film.

Film: Black Friday

Director: Anurag Kashyap

This was one of the darkest moments in Bombay's history. In 1992, Hindu extremists took down one of the oldest mosques in India because that was supposed to be the birth place of Ram, a Hindu deity. In retaliation the Muslim underworld planned and executed bomb blasts across Bombay that killed about 300 people and injured many more. This film is a dramatic reenactment of how some of the terrorists were caught. Anurag Kashyap does a great job of keeping you on the edge of your seat throughout this documentary of sorts. The movie is based on a book of the same name.

Film: Bombay & Roja

Director: Mani Ratnam

Bombay is about the 1993 riots in Bombay which followed the bomb blasts mentioned above. Roja is about terrorism in Kashmir and is one of the best movies about that subject. Both great movies and while you're at it, watch Dil Se also, which is on terrorisist groups in far NE corners of India.

Film: Taare Zameen Par

Director: Aamir Khan

Aamir Khan is long considered one of the best actors in India. This is his directorial debut. Its about how to deal with dyslexia. Great performances by the kid who is suffering from dyslexia and also from Aamir. Very emotional story.

Film: Waisa Bhi Hota Hai Part II

Director: Shashanka Ghosh

This movie reminds me of Lock, Stock & 2 Smoking Barrels by Guy Ritchie. Bunch of well crafted characters, some on the right side of the law, some on the wrong, all get intertwined towards the end of the movie and most die. This is not a direct copy in anyway. The base scenario is well adapted into the Bombay underworld scene. I worry about recommending this movie to anyone who does not speak Hindi, becasue many of the jokes might be lost in translation, but do let me know if you enjoy this one particularly, since it is one of my favourite movies of all time.

Film: Johnny Gaddar

Director: Sriram Raghavan

Really cool thrillers are hard to come by these days in Bollywood. Johnny Gaddar does stand out inspite of just above average performances by all the lead characters. The story is very tight and the movie ends very well. Fast paced and moreover very believable.

Film: Parineeta

Director: Pradeep Sarkar

I had to throw in at least one "typical" Bollywood movie. Melodrama, love, longing and song-n-dance. I could've put in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, which started the trend for such movies in the recent past, or even Dev D, which is a modern day adaptation of a classic tale of love and longing. Dev D btw is the Romeo & Juliet (Baz Luhrman vesion) of Bollywood. However I chose Parineeta because of the way its executed. It is over the top, but not entirely and the performances are just mildly melodramatic. I would say it's just about done, not over-done.

Watch and let me know which ones you like.

NY love affair part 1

This is about my love affair with NY city. Was over in the city for one night to bid adieu to pieyu. This city is closest I feel to home. People on the streets at all times. Noise, hustle, bustle, street food. Damn Boston & (M)assachussetts.

This time, I took in the Williamsburg experience. Super-cool. Bedford & 7th is hipster central. Started the night at My Moon. Moved to an event where Karsh Kale was supposed to play for a CD release party. Kale didn't show up but we had jaegger and tequila back to back. You only regret this in the morning always. Moved onto Redhead in the East Village. Small, friendly bar. I walked in and asked the bartender how long they would serve us drinks. It was 2 am. And I wasn't nearly ready to sleep. You gotta love a bar that replies, "Legally till 4". Ended the drinking there with a Manhattan. Final stop: Ghetto chinese food. Best. Chinese. In. The. US. Had mushroom fried rice and egg foo yong. Soo delicious. Almost like chinese food back home; chinese food with some taste and spice. Got back to my bed in Loftstel, which btw is a cheap place to stay. 50 bucks a night for a bed in Williamsburg.

Got up in the morning a little earlier than I would need to catch my bus, cause I needed to have Mamouns falafel before coming back to Boston. They ask you to add the hot sauce yourself. They aren't kidding when they say it's spicy. Ate one, took one. And back to Boston.

This post is part 1, cause I'd like to think there's gonna be many more night like these in NYC. Great friends, great food, great strangers and cool bars; what more can one ask for in one night.

Margarita Popsicles

Made some great margarita popsicles for party at 9 Bennett last night. Idea & recipe was suggested by boss' boss. Here is the recipe for disaster!! :)

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons tequila
2 tablespoons orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)
Kosher salt, for garnish

We used Patron's orange liquer and it worked fine. Will try GM next time around. And better tequila too.

If it weren't for...

So many times you wonder if one particular event's occurence or non-occurence could've changed the path of history or of your own life significantly. 

If it weren't for John Terry slipping on the wet pitch while taking the penalty, would United have won the Champions League last year?

If it weren't for the return of Steve Jobs, would Apple be where they are today?

If it weren't for Nathuram Godse, would India be any different with Gandhiji being alive longer?

If it weren't for Nadal, would Federer have won more than 14 Grand Slams by now?

If it weren't for cigarettes, would fewer people have died from cancer?

If it weren't for Babson, would I have been a different person today, or leading the same life I had in Bombay?

I don't know the answers to these questions. But once you have had the chance to look back and you see the difference in the two parallel possibilities, then which one would you choose? The one that occured or the one that didn't? 

Trader Joe’s - Strategies for innovation & growth

I just completed a class on strategies for innovation & growth with Prof Jay Rao. Here is my final deliverable. It's a short presentation describing the strategies employed by Trader Joe's (grocery stores chain) to compete in the grocery business. I was already in love with Trader Joe's for the variety of food they offered but this research makes it clear why we love Trader Joe's more explicitly. I hope. Check it out.

Trader Joe’s

View more presentations from guest4cfd1d. (tags: innovation growth)

Merrill CEO looking for $10 million bonus

Unbelievable. And the reason for such a handsome bonus request? Some believe he thinks he helped the company by getting it acquired, which saved the company. Read here. How about the fact that you took the company to the dogs, got it ripped apart and managed to sell the bones to whoever was willing to help you out. Give him $10 million and ask him to pay every shareholder whose investments in Merill have pretty much come to be nothing. And that might be their entire life's savings. How's that Mr. Thain.