Hugo

Hugo is yet another masterpiece from one of the greatest directors Martin Scorsese. This time around, he has created a movie which will be loved by all ages alike. In the recent times, the term '3D' has always been a promotional gig for the movies, but Scorsese has really made '3D' mean something. All through the movie, it is always like watching the happenings over the shoulders of the actors. The camera angles and usage were excellent and the movie's opening scene is a proof of that. Beyond the technical marvels, to pitch a movie based on Georges Melies and still not make it look like a documentary is an act of genius.   The later half of the movie is almost a snapshot of Georges's life after world war I, but still the screenplay was interesting and intriguing that you don't realize the tangent on the story line. The music from Hans Zimmer accentuates the movie's overall experiance and Ben Kingsley's acting stood out. Every support act in the movie has been carved to perfection and Zimmer's OST breathes life into the sequences involving no dialogues. If you ask me, it is a 'not-to-be-missed' movie and definitely needs to be experienced in the bigger screen.

SOS Tugga!

Note: This was an post i wrote in 2005 after Australia's epic loss against the English in 2005 Ashes. In my opinion this post still makes sense today.

Every Indian cricket fan knows what Kolkota ’01 means! History created, Epic rewritten. Laxman belted Aussies giving Indians the first taste of success in that unforgettable series, nor can we ignore Harbhajan’s magical off spins or Dravid’s stand with laxman. But digging further into the match one heroic act got lost amidst all these success stories. Towards the end of day one on this test Aussies were still struggling to break Harbhajan’s spin maze, reeling at 291 for the loss of eight wickets. There was one man waging a lone battle with number 29 reading against his name in the score books. Known as ‘Tugga’ to his team mates. Stephen Rodger Waugh was stranded at one end with Gillespie to support. The critics and the cricket so called experts predicted Aussies final score to 310. But this man showed his real character exemplifying temperament and experience at the Eden Gardens. He scored a century with a tail ender to support him and resurrected his pride temporarily by guiding Aussies to a respectable 445.

Four years later, Aussies struggling to retain their(?) Ashes at Old Trafford. Aussies are celebrating a draw. Something unheard of for a cricket fan irrespective of the continent he ails from. Batting disaster! Not a century being scored by the Aussie batsman except for their captain in the final innings. Aussie temperament and character is being tested out there in the middle by the English bowlers. The need for a batsman who can stay in the crease and attack at the same time is immediate requirement. The very mention of such a batsman kind reminds us of SR Waugh. A batsman who built the Australian team with his success. Ruthless aggression was the only term known to the Aussies under his captaincy. They conquered everything in this world under him. He intimidated the opposition by his nonchalant demeanor. The man they miss most currently is their former captain.

One another good example Waugh’s temperament is his double century at Sabina Park with his twin brother facing the likes of Walsh and Ambrose. On a wicket like WACA the twins showed laudable temperament and character.

It s high time the Aussies realize the need of the hour. There is no more Tugga to stick around while the other blokes play their aggressive cricket. A lot more maturity is to be shown on the field. A more responsible innings is expected from at least one of them. Ricky Ponting’s 156 in Old Trafford is one such example. But a lot more is required from each one of the batsman in the coming two tests to retain ashes. The English team is not similar to the one faced in 2001 or 1997. They are a lot more matured and talented set of bowlers who can snatch the game from the opposition in one session. The Aussies are made to work for each and every run of theirs. A more meticulous and intelligent batting is expected from them.

Aussies were compared to the highly raw West Indian team under Clive Lloyd. They miss their favorite leader. They clearly lack the inspiration. They are a shadow of their former giant image.

Sherlock Holmes - movie

Finally watched the movie Sherlock Holmes after two years. The movie was something I wanted to watch for a very long time and couldn't do it till last weekend. I have always been a big fan of Doyle's Holmes series from my college days, thanks to my friend Koi. The movie was really impressive, one for its plot and second, the portrayal of 1890s London was really awesome and excellent, it did really transport the viewer to that era. The aura around Moriarty was maintained till the end and was a nice build up towards the upcoming sequel. The sequence involving Holmes, Watson and Watson's fiancee was well executed and of course a tribute Doyle's writing to involve wit in every possible situation.

There were certain situations in the movie, which in my opinion were not Doyle like and more cinematic, like Holmes trying to be more comical for no reason. Nowhere in the novels/short stories is Holmes ever made to look silly, he has always been a man of reason behind every action of his. I also missed the exchanges between Holmes and Watson where Holmes would make Watson do the deduction and then confront him with the missing facts, these situations were really something everyone looks forward to in the short stories. Also, the prominence given to Irene Adler as Holmes's love interest is also something I didn't like, as it is not loyal to the story line and also the character of Holmes. But these were minor quirks considering the fact that watching Sherlock Holmes on the big screen was exciting enough to ignore these fallacies.

Another major boost the movie was in the form of background score from Hans Zimmer. The usage of violin in those scores really underlines the fact how much a violin can convey the sombre mood more than any other instrument, but again I am just a ignorant music listening novice. The music was really an integral part in making the movie an excellent watch and once again proves what a great composer we have in the form of Hans Zimmer.

FDI in retail sector

After partially opening up the retail sector to FDI (upto 49% ownership along with an Indian firm as a joint venture) few years back amidst heavy opposition, India is now looking to let the retailers to start their independent investments (upto 51% ownership under their name) on Indian soil. This is a huge move considering Walmart and Tesco have been waiting on the sidelines for a really long time. To an average consumer like me, what will this translate to?

1. A huge increase in the investment on the retail sector and all the mom - pop store will go out of business very soon.
2. A very refined and efficient supply chain will be put into place. All these companies will help the Indian retailers learn more about supply chain management on a larger scale. Indian dont have a single stop store at the national level that we can boast about, so this will lead to a big players like Bharati, Reliance compete or do a joint venture with these retail behemoths (we already have Bharati - Walmart ventures operating in India under Bharati's storefront)
3. The farmers who will directly supply to these giants will stand to gain, considering the fact all the middle men will run out of business. This could potentially also reduce the price on the products, but only marginally. This also opens up a new problem, all these farmers without proper representation will also get exploited and end up without a choice.
4. Consumers will also stand to gain, with wide selection  and single shop points. They will also be spoilt for choice. 
5. All these big players will want big real estate to set shop which are currently available only in the outskirts of any city. This will drive the real estate price of those areas northwards and there by making a dream of owning a house still a dream for the middle class.
6. Increased job opportunities for the unemployed youth.

It is all quite exciting and interesting, at the same time, it has also made me skeptical to the point that, we never know what is in store until we really experience. There is an interesting article about Walmart's foray into the Chinese market which more or less mirrors what you can expect from these retail giants in India. But it needs to be taken with a pinch of salt as China is light years ahead in industrialization and agro progress, not without problems though. If we are to believe the rumors, it is an interesting development on the retail front in India, this could potentially change the face of Indian Retail, which only time can answer.

Bravo!

The second test between India and West Indies went down the scripted path and everything was as predicted. The only aberration was West Indies's second innings, no one gave Windies a chance on the third day when they followed on, but they did show some character in the second innings at the top order. Out of all this, Darren Bravo's innings stood out! He couldn't be any more Lara like, he was so Lara like, be it playing a cover drive or straight drive or cut shot, every stroke of his was modelled after Lara's style of batting. Beyond the similarities, Darren Bravo showed his gut and instincts, he proved that he is ready to grind his innings out when the situation demanded. He didn't restrict himself, he played his natural game and he countered spin effectively using his feet. After a really long time, there is some genuine hope in the West Indies team in the form of Darren Bravo, it really makes the game interesting to watch. A great talent being put to test is always an amazing contest to follow and Bravo has just started. He has got to go a long way to prove he is not just a Lara's batting look alike, but also that he is new saviour 'Lara' the West Indies team desperately needs.

Just watch the way he is holding his bat and helmet, if you cut the face out, any one would say it is Lara! Now see the picture of the Master himself.

Crazy day eh?

The second day of the first test between Australia and SA was absolute mayhem.

1. 23 wickets were lost on a single day
2. Aussies were 21/9 at one stage, only to stagger back to 47
3. Proteas were bundled for 96 in their first innings
4. 9 DRS reviews requested

The entire day was so surreal and the television channels were spared the work of having a specific highlights package for the day. Bowlers had a field day and did I mention two catches dropped in the Aussie innings. For once, bowlers dominated the entire day and showcased why test cricket is still interesting and can never be matched by any other form of cricket.

In this chaos, two specifics of cricket stood out, Clarke's batting for his 151 in his first innings and Dale Steyn's bowling during the entire test match. Clarke's innings should be bracketed along with one of the finest knocks played in test cricket under adverse conditions, it was a pleasure to seem him bat with ease when the accomplished and best batsmen around him found it tough to even survive. It so reminded me of the vintage 'tugga' innings we usually see when the chips are down, the only difference was the elegance involved with clarke's batting which was usually missing in Tugga or Border's batting. On the other end it was Dale Steyn spitting venom with the cricket ball, the contest between Steyn and Clarke was excellent and was a pure exhibition of test cricket. Without arguments, Dale Steyn should be the best pace bowler amongst the current crop of fast bowlers, the control, speed and swing was great and he surely makes bowling an enjoyable watch. If a test cricket between Aussies and Proteas can end within 2.5 days, imagine how the second test is going to be fought, it is going to be hard cricket with both teams capable of making fighting comebacks.

Is Rahul ready?

I came across an interesting article which ran through the grooming of Rahul Gandhi to become the next leader in the congress. Though short, it did have some deep insights on how the situation around the young Gandhi is. With Sonia ready to pass the mantle, is Rahul really ready to take over the leadership of the biggest political party in India? In my opinion, the time is ripe for Rahul Gandhi to take this role and showcase his abilities to the public. Any major issue threatening the government, in the recent times, Rahul Gandhi has always been part of the core committee that looks into resolving the issue and if I were to believe the media articles, I don't think he did have a great say in the way the solution was arrived amongst the bigwigs like Pranab, Azad, PC etc. But as always, we can never conclude from the bits and pieces we hear as news from the media. There has never been any concrete evidence on how Rahul Gandhi would approach a situation and to the Indian public, he has always been a mystery.

The upcoming UP battle in 2012 could be a barometer for what Congress can achieve under Rahul Gandhi. His thoughts and his works with the farmers in UP were impressive and if that were to be taken as a trailer of things to come under his leadership, in my opinion, he would infuse a different perspective into leading a nation. From my observations, he seems to be a very honest and humble leader, but most times he portrays himself to be a reluctant leader than a eager one. His responses on controversial issues and questions seems forced and rhetoric, it doesn't provide any insight into his methods to handle hot topics.

Of all the time he has spent so far in his public life, a concern remains on why he doesn't take any cabinet ministry and show what he is made of. The public, though very eager to see a young leader at the top are at the same time wary of what Rahul is capable of, no where in his position as the most powerful politician in India has Rahul taken leadership of a specific ministry and improve its image amongst the public. If you ask me, this was an opportunity lost for Gandhi, he could have scored brownie points with the Indian public had he proved his worth and come 2014, the election results would have been a no brainer.

The eternal question still remains, is Rahul Gandhi ready to take up where his father had left? Will he be the new India's leader?  I think only time can answer that, but at the same time, I am eager to see how Congress embraces itself into the next generation of leaders. I somehow feel, Priyanka, though in the sidelines will have a great role to play in the coming years, be it guiding her brother or taking up the leadership baton from her mother.