Monday, April 30, 2012

Movie in Chennai

Generally speaking, it is very difficult to watch movies in Chennai. For one, local movies are more popular so English / Hindi movies get taken off very quickly (if they are exhibited in the first place). Also, there is a great shortage of movie screens in the city. I can count a grand total of 3 multiplexes within reasonable city limits, so getting tickets is always going to be a challenge. But the final icing on the cake is the fact that the multiplexes do not allow one to book a lot of seats online - for some inexplicable reason, they release only a very limited inventory of seats on their online booking systems. More than once, I have found the site showing no seats available, only to find the hall half empty when I actually got there.

Not surprising therefore that the wife and I have not watched too many movies in Chennai. It was a welcome surprise for me when I managed to get seats for Vicky Donor last weekend (ok, I cheated! I booked the tickets something like 10 days in advance!).

The movie is refreshingly different from most other movies I have seen recently (and I haven't seen a whole lot for reasons mentioned above). Funny, not in a slapstick / laugh riot kind of way, but in a make you think kind of way. I particularly liked the social messaging within the movie, as well as the lead actors. The end made me smile a lot, as well as leave a lump in my throat.

If for nothing else, watch the movie for Annu Kapoor's brilliant and entirely believeable take on Dr. Chaddha from Daryaganj!

Monday, April 23, 2012

My day is made...

Recent events have forced me to stay away from the little one for 4-5 days at a stretch. I arrived today in this foreign land, without sleep and jet lagged. Straight to work from the airport, with a full day of meetings, analysis, socializing and the usual caboodle.
But all that is trivial, because I spoke to my daughter on the phone for a full 5 minutes, had a complete conversation with her. At the end, she said "I love you" for the first time ever.
It is indeed a beautiful world :-)