Oscar Predictions ...............

Hate it or love it, the underdog is on top.........
I think SDM will win 7/10 nominated categories !!!

Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Director: Danny Boyle
Best Actor in a Leading Role: 50-50 between Sean Penn & Mickey Rourke
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Kate Winslet
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Heath Ledger
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Penelope Cruz
Best Original Score : AR Rahman
Best Original Song : Jai Ho

*** Do not miss it to watch on Feb 22nd ......... Adiós .........

New Jersey To New Zealand ..........

Did you like the new jersey by Nike ??
My honest first reaction was......

Is it Sahara for India or India for Sahara ........?
Come on we all know Money Talks ........ Another faux pas by BCCI .......

Goodluck to Team India on their new jersey to New Zealand tour starting next week ....... finally after 6 long years !!!

2009 - Can It Get Worse Than Great Depression ??

We are about to witness a painful summer for Wall Street, nothing different from previous summers ........

Leveraged buyouts are responsible for this current scenario.....It is a very dangerous trend that has played its part in causing increasing defaults of companies and non-performing assets of banks going up..............

What will happen in the next six months is not known. Having read of recession & depression in the books....... Now I feel we are living in actual history..........

Nevertheless, we cannot lose hope as I am sure we are not at the end of a tunnel yet........ or is Mayan doomsday prophecy on its way ??

Bankruptcy of Ideas ??

Mutalik follows Indian Culture. He does not wear Chaddi which campaigners are sending him...... Lol .... Jokes apart........

Pink Chaddi is western in design and culture.What is the use of sending this ? You think he will get the right message ? Come on ...... Wake up !! Get some better ideas ....... Now do not tell me we need bailout plans for Ideas ......... I am sure we have many in store....

By the way who is this Mutalik, what is his background, qualification, experience and family background.........Does he have children? If yes I feel pity for them to have such a narrow minded, hypocrite father. Cut the crap ...... Enjoy Feb 14th ' 09 ........

Happy Valentines Day !!! Have a great weekend .......... Ciao :)

Ideal Valentine Couple......... Countdown Begins !!

Good Morning My Dear Valentine .......
What makes you think I am the one ?
As you know the "World" to me has be nothing more than fun ...........

To make it simple America is calling Iraq its valentine for all the good reasons....... I am still not sure how many of you got it ?? ....... Hmmmmmm ............

Luck by Chance .............. Impressed !!!

This review is by one of my close friend Pavan .........
Has amazing knowledge about movies around the world ..... A to Z ...... You name them !! His take on LBC ...........

LBC was far far better than Rock On.. LBC is one of the best Hindi screen plays off late.. I was so amazed by each and every frame and was hoping that you would write a review of the movie in ur blog so that I cud comment in detail about it.. I badly wanted to write abt it.. I had been to the movie with 8 others and everybody hated the movie saying it was too slow & boring.........

I cud totally understand why they felt so.. But even though I had read here and there that its a slow movie, I felt it was one of the gripping movies I've watched recently.. The screen play and dialogues were amazing...
Hats off to Javed Saab for writing such witty dialogues.. .. Sheer pleasure.. !
The cameos by all the stars were so apt..Mac Mohan [ His character kaalia is popular, but he had just one dialogue in the entire movie 'Sholay' ] to SRK [ Who is known to be close to all his pre stardom friends and GF(gauri) ] to Aamir khan..who goes to the director after every shot and reviews it... I feel one should be crazy abt movies and film industry to actually follow and enjoy this movie..

The more you watch it the more gems u unearth and will enjoy it more.. That's the reason I said Cinema Paradisoooo.. [ which truly celebrated cinema ].. Akhtars are on bunch of talented ppl.. Bow to all of them.. I was really impressed with the credit rolls at the beginning where they showed all those ppl behind the 'scenes'.. Very thoughtful and apt ! I felt bad that such a movie was not appreciated by the larger audience.. But if you notice Esp in India.. the greatest movies have been great duds at Box office.. I force myself to stop at this point.. :).. !

Definitely a movie which you come out of the theater and wait for the DVD release... !!

The Pink Panther 2 ........ Mohawk-ish Hairdo Works ??

Aish on PP2 red carpet , definitely deserves some appreciation........

I know it is easy to criticize, but why always ???

Yes, some of our actors are pretentious and plastic because they are Indian but try to pass themselves off as Beverly Hills wannabes. That is where they are exposed and get artificial.........
So ?? ........ Its high time we do some homework on appreciation........ I am biased here ..... ;-)

I am not sure about the movie faring well ..... But for me Mohawk-Aish hairdo works !!!

Congratulations Sania Mirza And Mahesh Bhupathi ...........

In Unity is Strength, and in Strength lies all the power to overcome failure and to be Blessed with Success ..........

Congrats to Sania & Mahesh for winning their maiden Grand Slam Title at the Australian Open 2009 !!!

As we know tennis does begin with love .... (Zero-Zero) ..... Now please do not start assuming for some cooked up story between them ......... ;-)

Delhi - 6 Album ............... Magnum Opus !!!

Indian films are growing up both in terms of story telling and also its music............ Delhi - 6 is a complete album..... No two minds on that !!!

You start loving the real music only when you move away from the cacophonic sounds........... There are multiple genres of music in it. There is a Qawwali, Hip-Hop, Fast Rap, Sufi music, Indian Classical etc.............

So I felt apart from just admiring his talent I think we need to learn more from AR ....... His humility and simplicity for sure is one of the traits I would like to import.........

If in the after life there is not music, we will have to import it ...... Jai Ho AR !!!

Do I Smell .............. Acqua di Giò pour Homme ?

Dallas Reunion ........... Zesty !!!

If you do not believe in ghosts, then you need to be a part of our 4th reunion in last 3 yrs in the US ......... We had great fun at Advait's 1st b'day celebration ( not sure how much will 1yr kid remember us though ) .........

I am here to trouble you all for a good reason ....... Do not worry I am here not to receive an award and give my acceptance speech ..... I am here to thank (Vineeta , Prithvi , Vaishali , Prakash) on behalf of my engg friends ....... VPVP were the hosts of the party n stay in Dallas ........

As we all know Gratitude is the memory of our heart ......... Dallas trip was special compared to the rest as we had a platform to express and to be more open to everyone like we never ever did before .......... some quick observations from our 3 day stay .........

Sriram danced like craze ...... never seen him do this before ......... good one bud :)

Uthappa expressing his love for the 1st time so spontaneous and had all the good feelings been added ....... never seen him do that as well :)

Satish was our new talking star ..... esp socialising with family members was a plus point ...... good job bhai saab ..... u were very frank in every tone !

Vijay was calm and composed and did not react rudely for our harsh comments ...... hardly get to see that from him ...... we did deserve a smack from him ....... ;-)

The girls were awesome ...... was to good to know Preethi & Shwetha ..... liked their cameo in dance ....... Preethi you are a good dancer :) ..... Shwetha you are sweet gal ....... U both added sweetness to our trip !!

My special thanks to Vaishali and Prakash for their great hospitality ......Prakash you rock man ..... never seen a BIL like u !!I do envy Sriram for that .......... Vaishali you are down to earth attitude does determine its altitude !!!

Convey our special hugs n kisses to the kidos ....... Prithvi I like your plain & simple talk ...... :)

Lastly if not for Vineeta had not invited us we would have not landed for our historic dance performance ......... ROTGL !!! Guess I did cover all ...... Also my special thanks to the shy aunt who made some good food and tea for us :) .....

Now I get my award and I walk the red carpet ........ Lol ....... We do miss the fun we had with kids(Aarnav , Ritu , Advait ) ..........

Letzzzz plan our next trip sooooooooooooooooooon .......... Till then .... Stay Well & Stay Connected !!!

A Date With History ............. 44th Inauguration !!!

Martin Luther King stated almost 40 years ago that ........... " The day will come when a man will be judged not by the colour of his skin but by the context of his character "

Why this extravagant oath taking ? Coming from a humble beginning and representing the poor and down-trodden and with the support of all, Obama could have been a role model for other politicians ........

But his advisors and followers have made him to be another ordinary leader. However, let us hope good sense prevails and Obama corrects in time to be different not only to up lift the sagging US economy but also support other economies to survive this depression and to be on the right track .......

We spend so much time arguing and if we actually think about it ...... It doesn’t only take one person to change a whole country ..... So never ever "Give Up" 

Advait's First Birthday - Jan 16th '09

My bags are packed and I am all set to join my best friend's sister's son's 1st B'day in Dallas on Jan 16th ...... Also getting to meet my Engg friends as part of our yearly reunion !

Just that among 5 of us here 2 wickets are already down and I am sure at least 2 more to go down as well in 2009.
(*** Wickets Down = Non Bachelor's !!) ........ In our lingoooooooooooooo

Having said that let me quote a famous saying ........
"Getting married is the boldest and most idealistic thing that most of us will ever do................"
I am not sure how many of you will agree with this ??

Baby boy Advait we are on our way next week to show how precious you have become on turning ONE ......... Letzzz burn the dance floor !!!

Will see you guyzzz when I get back from Dallas next week ......... Till then have a great weekend ........ Adiós ......... :)

Happy Pongal & Makara Sankranti !!!

“Ellu Bella Thindu, Olle Maathu Aadu............ ”
(Eat sesame seeds and speak only good ....)

The significance of this festive exchange is that sweetness should prevail in all the dealings throught the year ...........

Wish you all Happy Pongal & Makara Sankranti !!!

Have a great year ahead and Stay Blessed .................

The Curious Case of Rahul Viswanath .............

This morning I was listening to this song by a Scottish band Travis .......... "Why does it always rain on me?" . Then had few quick curious questions in my mind as to .............

• Why was I born on Feb 28th ? Even though it was leap year,why not Feb 29th ?
• Why did I never have siblings ?
• Why did I get into engineering even though I wanted to be a journalist ?
• Why did I not take up dance or theatre serious even though I won many accolades ?
• Why did I move away from Bangalore - London - Chicago ?

I am sure we all have questions which are all left unanswered ? Then I felt the song lyrics should have been more like ....... "It does rain on everyone not only Me......"

Is Life Too Short For The Wrong Job ??

I always feel that Life is never too short for right or wrong jobs .....As there are no menial jobs in this world and I think we have people with menial attitudes !!

Ramalinga Raju ..... New IT Villain ???

It is true that most IT bosses are into corrupt practices.....

Krish Gopalakrishnan of Infosys was once caught while selling his stocks.
That was a criminal act and yet nothing happened??
NRM and Infosys have always maintained their share prices by manipulation of their revenues and guidance !!!

But how can the Ambanis be spared ?? ..... from Dhirubhai then his sons get away with far worse .......... there are other big n small time players .............

If all these guys can get away and even be glorified, then why not Raju ?
Like my Infy friend (Sorry can't take his name ) rightly mentioned in this Economy-Driven world...... All are "Opportunists"............
Business is what matters at the end of the day.... Hmmmmm ......... Maybe !

Is it their bread n costly butter which makes them do this ?? ....... Expected !!!

Valkyrie ......... Avoid It !!!

Valkyrie transforms World War II into a kid's adventure .......... Tom Cruise's character, Claus von Stauffenberg, is off-putting and not just because he's a German with a pronounced American accent.

He plays a rebel German officer trying to assassinate Adolf Hitler. It's slickly executed, handsomely acted for the most part and utterly easy to forget ........

Please avoid, if you did not then Please forget !!! I think an attempt to assassinate Hitler is not expected to be shown so goosey .............

India Wins Miss Tourism International - Manasvi Mamgai ..............

What Makes Me Blog ???

I have friends with blogs specifically dedicated to technology, politics, music, photography and public relations, and yet I am not so focused, probably because I’m passionate about too many things in Life............

Perhaps the question should be, why did I even start? Ever since I have got started, I am hooked ........
To be honest, I write for my friends n family. I try to provide them a quality publication because I respect them, and in turn I hope to earn their respect !!

I'm far too egotistical and obsessed with the idea that my life is a movie starring myself called ......... "Its not the World , Its Me" ........

Mr. President Elect ........... Please Take Your Seat

The worst slump of the modern era has entered a New Year in the hope that the incoming president Barack Obama will do wonders.

Kennedy once said "Ask not what your country can do for you..." Change ?? If you want to make enemies, try to change something....
Everyone has been naming him The Messiah.... The Magician.... Authentic Jesus.... The Saviour !! But for me he is just "Barack Hussein Obama " ..............

Mr. President Elect good luck at your office......... Jan 20th is not too far to be changed !

'09 Prophecies ............... HNY !!!

Welcome Back !! HNY my friends ....... I am really not sure how many of you will agree with self-fulfilling prophecy ?

I believe it confirms its own 'Accuracy' ..........

A close friend of mine (Sriram Pooskor) even did ask when I mentioned that I am writing about 2009 Prophecies ....... "So you gonna write about Oscar , Flimfare , Miss India ? "

Hmmmmm on a serious note he made write this one............ What say bud ??

1. Rahul's wedding bells will be heard in 2009 ..... Errrrrrr .... I meant Rahul Gandhi marrying his Spanish girlfriend.
2. Illegal immigrants in the US can get their green cards faster than the Legal Desi's checking their current status every single day ..............
   
3. Aishwarya n Abhishek to have their first baby in 2009 ..... would bet to overtake Jolie n Pitt soon ..............
4. BJP will not form the government in '09 ..... Congress to seek vote of confidence similar to Bush's aftermath of 9/11 .......... 26/11 works !!
   
5. Barack Obama will take all the credit for US - Iran war in 2009 .......
6. Roger Federer will regain his No 1 spot ......... that was easy I guess ??
7. Yahoooooooooooo would want to be sold but not to Microsoft .......
8. The world will not end by 2012 (Mayan Doomsday Prophecy)... I will be alive till I get to see Pakistan become the SUPER POWER .....
   
9. Slumdog Millionaire will be nominated in more than 5 Oscar categories ...... I could not resist on this one ............ Adiós !!!
   

New Year's Resolutions: Eh? Never Mind ..........

Many of my pals are making some New Year's resolutions, who made big resolutions last year had trouble keeping them. Lose weight .... Gain weight ....
Quit Smoking....... Quit Drinking ..... What not ???

It wouldn't be New Year's if I didn't have regrets ..... So Chillax and make Bonhomie official now ! See you all here next year ........... Peace !

Booker Prize 2008 - The White Tiger

India & China are known for better reasons in Aravind Adiga's - The White Tiger,than for the war of so called "SUPER POWER" by 2050 ..........

The hunger of the characters in this novel is alarming & you can see why India has quickly become a challenger on the global stage.There's no room for mercy in the jungle that is Balram's India, and the more tigers he has on his side the better.

It was a memorable experience but felt more like a movie script .........Worth a Read !

Stay Blessed !!!

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again during this time.

We should be like wet cement , trying to make an impression every year which passes by .

Happy Holidays ......................

If The Shoe Doesn't Fit ........... Throw It !!!

The Woman of Substance ........................

The year 2008 truly belongs to 2 Malayali girls Parvathy Omanakuttan (1st Runner up MW 2008) & Asin Thottumkal (Bollywood Debutant of Ghajini a remake of Tamil movie ) ..........

Gods own country has set its own standard & its modesty has increased with these beauties.

A woman of substance is like a melody which haunts you day n night !

'04 '05 '06 '07 '08 ................ 2009

I am not obsessed counting my age yet !

The above count is my stay away from Bangalore , having stayed 2yrs in London and 3yrs in Chicago.

Life away from home has become a foreign language and most of the time I have mispronounced it.
I recollect a spat with my dad during my college days having challenged " I shall prove you that I can stay away from home for 5 good yrs ".
(Being the only natty child to my folkz ......................)

I have no regrets as I believe that everything happens for a reason be it good or bad and this journey since 2004 has been rewarding in moulding a character tagged "RAHUL".

Indian Idol 4 - Is It a Girl or a Boy ?

You hate it or love it , I am sure most of us do watch this talent hunt . I have been following all the seasons till date and to my surprise this II4 is a bit different from the rest due to "Girl Power" been raised quite often by the judges.

Lay back and watch to see if its going to be a Boy or a Girl this season . I think the people of India would choose a better singer irrespective of gender .

Having said that we should be our own judge as we cannot put a "stop payment" on reality check of these shows !

Test For English Team

As we all know that English are not very spiritual people , so they discovered Test Cricket to give them some idea of eternity ...........

Having lost the ODI series England team are back to play 2 tests in Chennai & Mohali .

Lets bring back the rivalry ......... Cheers guys !!!

Mr Rahul Gandhi - Safe Bet ???

Having learnt from the recent terror attacks that Politicians are like diapers , they both need to be changed regularly for similar reasons.

I frantically scratched my little grey cells to see if we can choose a better leader for our nation , I was not really surprised to find an answer "NONE" .........

My unfair & biased votes went for Mr Rahul Gandhi .
Do you think he is our Safe Bet ???
I guess we still need to smile when it hurts the most..............

Parvathy Omanakuttan - December 13, 2008

You do remind me of the super hit fast track " My Desi Girl , My Desi Girl ........ "

Parvathy think of all the beauty around you and be proud !
Wishing you good luck at the Miss World 2008 pageant Johannesburg .

Slumdog Millionaire - Destiny's Child

George Herbert once said "Destiny is always Dark". Having watched this underdog rags-to-raja saga percolates in originality and blistering spirit.

The film has a flavor as distinctive as Cinnamon tea.
I see another City of Joy being framed ...........

Its a million rupee winter blockbuster !!
Make an effort to watch .

A sure Oscar contender ....... Even though I am not a big fan of Oscar's !!!

Imraan's Tee - Speaks His Mind ???

Think While You Ink

If you have known her as "Jackie Collins" of India, so be it! Why should you want to read her critical & brutal articles ?

Having watched her independent voice for the Mumbaikars resenting the outsiders or wake up call for the Mumbaites during the terror attack she has walked her way out for the resilient Indians .

I did want to re-introduce the writer whom I respect & who inspires me the most to ink on this blog .............................. Shobhaa Dé

Please read more about her recent articles "Wake up , Mumbai ....."
" Enough is Enough " ........ "Cry , my beloved city "
http://shobhaade.blogspot.com/

My Heart Goes To Mumbai ........

Having walked the streets of Mumbai way back in 2006 before I landed here in Chicago , Its seems to me a world of its own is created with my heart going in for the civilians and the brave men who have fought a battle for themselves to survive the worst terror attack in India.

My only request for all the Indians back home not to come to NORMALCY and would want them to send a message across India that we cannot afford to FORGET or FORGIVE !!!