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Remaking is kinng Not a year of cataclysmic thrusts, but of subtle shifts, 2008 belonged more to makeovers than movers, writes Chetna Keer Banerjee. And how!
There are churnings and there're turnings in the life of a city. Where did year 2008 stand in the maze of milestones in its journey? Did it cast a footprint or will it just be a footnote on the sands of time? In many ways, 2008 was to the tricity what a season of remakes is to B-town. Not that it wasn't a year of some originals. Going by the common measures of how its denizens live - the way they eat, spend, make merry, or even make sherry - the year had its defining moments: In a season that belonged largely to makeovers, some originals got a complete facelift, some mere cosmetic changes. Bachna Ae Haseeno Perhaps nothing stands out as a better metaphor for the year gone by and the months to come than the remaking of the Tagore Theatre. When a landmark of a city, an emblem of its cultural consciousness, reinvents itself - a fresh skin of glass coming to encase its brick and mortar innards - it reflects the city's own mood. And it becomes idiomatic of its roadmap for growth: a preserving of its original inner core of tradition yet letting go of decaying skin to acquire a youthful visage. A symbolic spa story for ageing citadels. Desi Girl, yeh nahi Desi Girl In a year that raised a toast to showstoppers through the flick 'Fashion' it wouldn't be out of place to draw some parallels for ourselves. The tricity, in its aspiration to graduate from a waiting-in-the-wings wannabe to a showstopper among the A-list diva cities, has often tripped over infrastructural and image inadequacies, a not-so-happening night life among them. But this staid if not poor-cousin image among the sisterhood of cities it sought to shed this year by getting all dressed up for a night out. Yes, with the opening of a Night Food Street right at the doorstep of its student fraternity on the PU campus, the city got itself the Great Gastronomic Night Outing, officially. And what a momo-entous one at that! Another address that added spice to its after-hours was its very own multiplex, the Centra Mall, which brought the mall experience closer home. And this meant that the Fun Republic lost some of its public. Only, the parking woes at the Centra Mall drove home the truth: no gain without pain. Old maal returns This was more a year when the city served old wine in a new bottle rather than got more spirit. Yes, it did see some fresh spirit on its bar menus: Havana Club Anejo Blanco, Ballantine, Johnnie Walker Gold Label, Blue label King George V Edition and the like. But, pub goers saw less of launches, and more of bar relaunches, what with old timers like Hotel Mountview and Chandigarh Golf Club raising the bar, the latter quite literally, to the first floor. It was a season of cosmetic changes for our gastro getaways too. From brand it right to bland to bright, the tricity's eating haunts got on to the spice route. If Drop In-34 or Lyons-17 got facelifts, the Sukhna Lake got nutritional lift with a health cart. The slowdown didn't quite spill down to the brews, for Chandigarh got its first Costa Coffee joint too. Pappu can dance The good news for lounge lusters was that the tricity got its 'first' hard rock lounge Rock on Rio. But just as one item number doesn't a blockbuster make, so a lone music lounge doesn't the after-hours rock. Pappu needs more to Rock On. Fashion ka hai yeh jalwa Apparel wise, we could blame it on the meltdown. For, it wasn't quite a leap year for the brand presence in clothing. But we had to hand it to the city's fashionistas, for they got the first separate nail bar. There were other firsts too. Rosebys cast its first India footprint on our very own soil. Style-wise, some designers Rocky S and Manish Malhotra found the brand and fashion consciousness to be growing, with the former describing the tricity thus; "This is one of the most upcoming fashion markets of the country and people here are very much fashion conscious." Couture czar J.J. Valaya, however, cast a dissenting note: The city has yet to evolve. People don't have that much of disposable income here, and when I say that, it means high-end fashion." Plucky Oye, Oye Plucky As for a city's soul and social conscience nowhere does it manifest itself better than among its future citizens. In that sense, this year the youngistaanis, in particular, took us higher on the social responsibility quotient, whether it was showing pluck and spirit in supporting green causes by shunning paper bags or exhibiting solidarity for Mumbai or AIDS victims through candlelight vigils. 2008 belonged to the young vigil-antes. That's this year's Story Bhai. chetnabanerjee@tribunemail.com
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A loyal remake of a 2005 Tamil smash hit with the same name, Ghajini is loosely inspired from Christopher Nolan's Memento where the protagonist Sanjay Singhania (Aamir Khan) suffers from a kind of amnesia in which the memory lasts for only 15 minutes. Despite his severe handicap, he is determined to find a man named Ghajini Dharmatma (Pradeep Rawat) who's responsible for his cerebral disorder and brutal murder of his love Kalpana (Asin). For the purpose, he painstakingly prepares a roadmap, which includes detailed instructions inscribed on his body as well as on the walls of his apartment and a polaroid camera to click pictures to remember things, including his target.
Our hero's attempt to ravage the 'demon' gets even tougher after the schematic bad guy destroys his instruction manuals, tattoos included. A medical student (Jiah Khan) remains his only hope to guide him to the villain. The film is directed by A.R. Murugadoss, who is a force to reckon with down South when it comes to the action-thriller genre. In Ghajini, the man, who has also penned down the screenplay, garnishes the tried and tested revenge recipe with some sassy twists. The riveting narration, which oscillates back and forth in time, keeps the momentum going, as we see the perfect portrayal of the two different facets of the protagonist's personality. But Aamir is the pivot around which Ghajini revolves. In an author-backed role, he's Bollywood's new beefcake with bulked up rippling musculature and perfect eight-pack abs. Watch him deliver a stellar performance, both as a shy, wealthy czar falling for a bubbly girl and grief-stricken lover looking for revenge. Asin makes a confident Bollywood debut and shares a decent chemistry with Aamir, while Jiah doesn't have much to show in her brief role. Rawat as club-brandishing, gold-laden Ghajini is impressive in his cruel act. Another high point of the flick is the wonderfully choreographed action scenes, which have a distinct raw appeal. The score by A. R. Rehman is melodious with Guzarish being the best number. Overall, this tense, gripping masala film packs a solid punch. mona@tribunemail.com
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"My character is very intense. It is a completely deglamourised role. The focus is not on my body but on my role in the film. Aamir was very clear that I should look like a student. So, I am a plain Jane in the film except for a song which has lots of special effects and I have been given a Jennifer Lopez kind of look," the actress said while talking about her role in the film. Jiah considers herself lucky to make a debut opposite Amitabh Bachchan and then get a role with Aamir Khan. As far as working with Aamir was concerned Jiah says he was very helpful throughout the shooting of the film. "Aamir brings in a lot of dedication and hard work in whatever he does. It was definitely a learning experience for me." "My character is always on edge in the film. Whenever I struggled with any particular scene Aamir and Murugdoss helped me," she added. Jiah is next working with Shahid Kapoor in Yahoo and a comedy with Akshay Kumar. The actress hopes next year would be good for her career in Bollywood but she has not planned anything yet for the future. "I am happy with what I am doing now. As far as future is concerned I don't believe in expectations and plans," she said. PTI
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Nothing to get animated about
Little Jumbo, aka Jaivir Singh, prefers playing chupachupi with frogs rather than hanging out with fellow hathis because they tease him about his missing father. He sets out on a voyage to know the whereabouts of his dad. The path is tough and the poor blue elephant has no option but to befriend humans to reach Rajmahal as clues indicate that his father was a shahi hathi. He finds a friend in a beautiful pink elephant cow Sonia (one really wonders why is an elephant is called Sonia - Bollywood hangover?). Jumbo learns the battle skills from Sonia's bauji, a mahavat. One fine day, he gets a chance to be inducted in King Vikram's army. Jumbo dons the royal robes and is pitted against a ferocious tusker who was also responsible for his father's death. He not only rises to the occasion and emerges victorious but also reunites with his lost mother. Don't expect The Lion King kind of grandeur here, as the storyline is not engaging enough. The voiceovers are a tremendous letdown with the lead pairs Akki and Lara Dutta failing to modulate their vocal chords to lend chirpiness to their characters. Dimple Kapadia as mother of Jumbo is equally unimpressive. It's Rajpal Yadav who manages to squeeze in some funny moments as a quirky pigeon, Dildar. The animation is average. However, little Jumbo manages to steal your heat with his cute antics. Also kids would enjoy some of the songs like Everything gonna be alright and Badhte chalo. The recruiting process of elephants in shahi sena replete with their body measurements, bhar uthao, dhakka maro competitions is interesting. The battle sequences have been plucked straight out of classics like Ramayana and Mahabharata.
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When the city jived Unadulterated action at the party scene, new-look lounge culture and the not to be missed high-profile weddings were the high points of the year
Living up to its reputation of being the city of glamour and luxury, we had so many reasons to party this year. The loung culture got a step ahead in city with two new hangouts opening for party people. Peninsula opened in Panchkula, offering international exotic delights and top of the line lounge bar. So, we got the taste of some Spanish, Thai, Oriental cuisines along with the royal ones like Awadhi and Lucknawi. And if this was for the traditional palates then we had fun the hard way at Rock in Rio, a boutique hard rock lounge. From the dark mysterious ambience to housing the rock legends like Guns 'n' Roses, Eagles and Beatles, city rock fans got their mecca for fun. Enjoy your own music, guitar and get talli over cocktails and cognacs. Martinis for the maidens too huh! And when we were not partying, enjoying a drink or two or making new friends, we were busy talking about the ones that made news in the city. Like the high profile weddings- Kewal Dhillon's son Kanwar's and city ka Ayushmann's wedding. The two were the most talked about events and had the city's who's who on the invitees list. So, if Kewal Dhillon had dancers coming from Mumbai to perform, Ayushmann Khurana's wedding had Varun Badola dancing and sharing jokes with the guests. Call them a wee overrated they did manage to get the city talking. Talk of city party circuit getting a Star status, we had Ameesha Patel and Rocky S grooving at the Blenders Pride Party at Taj-17, JJ Valaya and Rina Dhaka reliving their school moments at the annual winter ball, Sherlyn Chopra partying wild and wicked at Voodoo (she said that she feels safe with sardars, and boy all those Punjabis went mad) and the Chandigarh Lions of ICL mixing food, music, fashion and sports at Score, even running into trouble. And that rickshaw ride for some real fun. Apart from these talked about events, the party scene remained upbeat throughout. The ladies nights saw women breaking loose and all the money and attitude, partying sans men was fun. The farmhouse party culture too was on a high and well, themes and booze galore. But just as we learnt to party hard, we were also tamed hard. Thanks to the ever-increasing numbers of bouncers, who took care. when we got punched and drunk. This year started on a high, remained high, but ended on a low note, remembering the Mumbai attacks. lifestyle@tribunemail.com
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The last dance
Now that the fog is descending upon the city and the chill is palpable, many of us are preparing to step into the New Year. Politically speaking, this could be a defining year in many ways. After all, with Obama's entry, we all have started nursing hope deep within our heart. Maybe, as he said so eloquently in his victory speech anything is possible. For those, who have been hurt and whose lives have been brutalised by terror and blindfolded by the forces of hatred we need to pray for them, for they need the strength to accept the reality that has become a part of their lives. For the children, who neither care about religion, nor about race, we need to attempt to preserve their innocence. Don't we all want to leave a better world for them? And for those, who fell out of favour with the Sensex, maybe, the New Year will bring bullish tidings. Maybe, some of them will recover their wealth by writing books like How not to invest in the market. Every year we live, we are supposed to learn. This is a good time to take stock of your learning eggs. Have we learnt not to believe what the politicians say? Have we learnt not to ride around on our two-wheelers without helmets? Have we learnt that mercury causes cancer and we cannot contract HIV from touching an afflicted person? For people, who have survived a major illness, a life altering loss or decision, a parting of ways with loved ones, a departure from the familiar world, I hope the New Year will bring them strength to accept and reconcile, new vistas of hope and success and adventure. I had a friend in college, Leila. She was a Lebanese Maronite Christian who was trained in warfare and fought in wars that eventually claimed lives of her entire family. She arrived in America as a political refugee and decided to study Political Science. Her passion, fire and grit unnerved us the homebred, fine-tuned city girls to whom her world was a distant and terrifying cry. She survived horrific emotional wounds much of which was beyond our comprehension. She scored her biggest victory when she married Nasser, a Lebanese Druze, a community she had fought bitterly in Beirut and they lived happily ever after. I thought of her after 26/11. We do have the power to change the world one brick at a time. So all you party animals when you dance your last dance of the year, dance it for love.
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Tarot
Talk ARIES: You draw The World. You will have a progressive year though you will be required to put in lots of effort and struggle before you achieve anything. The beginning of the year sees you signing fresh contracts, or starting a new job, which has the potential to grow rapidly during the next couple of months. Married couples will travel frequently to their favourite holiday destinations. A successful phase is foreseen in foreign lands. Those of you who are keen on losing weight will achieve remarkable results. Overall, you can look forward to another year of positive results. Lucky days : Monday and Thursday. TAURUS: The King of Cups brings you honour and maturity. You'll have a series of achievements. Don't point your fingers at others before you have all the facts. September will be especially important for the development on the professional front. Legal matters may not elicit a favourable response in November and December. Meditation and yoga will be ideal for spiritual as well as physical benefits. In short, you have an exciting year ahead. Lucky days: Sunday and Friday GEMINI: Three of Wands representing Trinity brings success. Consider other's wishes and desires and share your resources with them. Early, February brings a pleasant surprise as some major responsibilities are lifted from you. April brings overtures from others regarding financial assistance. The year-end restores balance in your life enabling you to have the kind of life you want now instead of having to wait some years for that to happen. Lucky days: Monday, Tuesday and Saturday CANCER: You draw the Hermit, which means the first couple of months will keep you rather busy. There will be influx of money during the latter part of the year that will set you thinking of branching out in diverse field of activity and will have several supporters to finance their venture. Home and personal life is happy and you will make it a point to spend most of your time at home with family and loved ones. The married ones will be happy with their mate and those planning for a family will beget a child this year. Lucky days: Tuesday and Saturday LEO: Your draw The Moon, which brings a Karmic situation in this year. You will scale greater heights in your career and achieve financial affluence hitherto only dreamed of. The period between June 15 to August 27 is bit tough and you are advised to work hard. Expenses are like previous year, still more than the comfort level. Major changes around the month of October will make your life even more comfortable. The married people will share good understanding and rapport with their mate. Lucky days: Thursday, Friday VIRGO: The Nine Cups indicates full of light lotus blossoms. You will be in situations having a touch of grace as if well-intentioned people and good fortune is a godsend. Professionally, you could be in seventh heaven but a feeling of dissatisfaction with your own efforts creeps in. Projects started before May 27 will be completed in record time. People with health problems need to be cautious in July and August. Major changes should not be planned in the end of the year. Lucky days: Sunday and Thursday LIBRA: The Justice card shows you winning legal cases. Those want to pursue higher education overseas will get admissions in prestigious universities. Financial situation will be not only satisfactory, but you will register surplus growth. The employed may consider setting up of their enterprise. Health would be a matter of concern, and preventive medication should not be ignored at any cost. Overall, you have a rather eventful year ahead. Lucky days: Monday, Saturday SCORPIO: Your card the Nine of Swords shows the year opens on a positive note. Financially things look much better. You will benefit from financial transactions and speculations. Students will achieve high grades and remarkable academic success if they put little efforts. Romance and new alliances look likely for those unattached. You are most likely to acquire new property or purchase or change vehicle towards the middle of the year. Lucky days: Monday, Wednesday and Friday SAGITTARIUS: The Moon says this should be a year you won't be forgetting easily. During the coming year, you are less likely to tolerate being confined in any way - mentally, emotionally or physically. Freedom could become something of major importance to you. Those of you in a long-term relationship may begin a positive new phase, while others may decide that the restrictions being encountered merit a complete break in their relationship. Long distance travel, legal matters and educational pursuits are positively accented during June to November. Lucky days: Sunday and Friday CAPRICORN: The Priestess infuses a gracious influence in your life. You are assured rapid growth in your business and there is a strong likelihood of expansion of work. The married people will share a good rapport with their mate and will enjoy a happy and healthy relationship. There will be several occasions when you will travel on brief holidays. Some of you are likely to face a few problems with staff or labour during the period March to September. This phase is also a bit tricky when you will feel the urge to speculate and even make profits initially. Lucky days: Monday and Wednesday AQUARIUS: You draw the Ten of Pentacles. This year promises to be excellent for financial gains and career growth. Few new opportunities bring new confidence and enthusiasm into you. Proper time and efforts would be essential to reap career goals. Do not be outspoken and reveal your future plans to others. Unexpected gains will put you into a comfortable position. Your health will be good and you will be full of vitality throughout this year. Lucky days: Friday and Saturday. PISCES: Your card The Sword represents light and clarity. You can look forward to a year of progress and prosperity. The more ambitious you are the more success and glory comes your way. The months May, June, September and October will test your ingenuity when you are confronted with tricky situations. You will certainly come out of the difficult patch at that period, but only after a little suffering. The employed will make rapid progress in their career. It is quite understandable that accolades they receive raise their expectations for a major promotion. Lucky days: Wednesday and Sunday.
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Let's
face it. It takes a lion's heart to name your film after its villain.
Hollywood, specially Bond movies - Dr No, Goldfinger, The Man With The
Golden Gun - may have attempted it successfully, but it's a feat
unheard of in the mainstream Hindi cinema. Of late, Bollywood has been
focusing on characters' grey shades, with no real heroes or villains
tumbling out of the creative closet. But Ghajini brings the baddie
back in vogue and creates a diabolical villain who is an unscrupulous
devil, mean and ruthless and is being desperately hunted by an iron-fisted
hero who wants to avenge his sweetheart's death.
A
cop gets hold of his diary and we are sent into a flashback where we see a
romance blossoming between super rich business magnate Sanjay and the
chirpy girl-next-door and wannabe model Kalpana, who mistakes him for an
ordinary mortal. But our girl, whose heart bleeds for the poor and
underprivileged, runs into trouble when she accidentally blows the lid off
an organ-trading and prostitution racket operated by burly goon Ghajini,
who batters her to death.
Jiah plays a curious medical student, who
gets involved in Sanjay Singhania's (Aamir) life in Ghajini after
studying his 'interesting case' file.
The
head honchos of Percept Picture Company would be scratching their heads
for having paid a whopping remuneration (Rs 9 crore according to trade
insiders) to Bollywood's new lucky mascot Akshay Kumar to lend his voice
to their animation flick Jumbo. For, Akki's voice, both as narrator
and the lead tusker in the film, fails to crank up the excitement. Add to
it a mundane story, which aggravates viewers' woes.
Now, whosoever thought Chandigarh was a dead city where the dark falls as soon as the clock strikes 10, can chew their words and swallow them hard. It's not just a quiet city anymore, in fact, it's thumping wild on nightlife and party culture. And the year got us quite into a partying mood with theme parties, ladies night outs and hard rock lounge.