Desicritics Author: Kavita

Movie Review: Dhoom 2

Kavita — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 17:55:37 EST

Cast: Hrithik, Abhishek, Aishwarya, Bipasha, Uday Chopra
Directed by: Sanjay Gadhvi
Produced by: Yash Raj Films
Music by: Pritam
Lyrics: Sameer

Don't even know where to start. What mindblowing hype! What a star studded cast! How could I not go see it?

We have Hrithik, the genius con artist. Hot on his trail is the super-slick Mumbai police force consisting of Abhishek, Bipasha, and Uday. Enter police-plant Aishwarya. What follows is a series of con jobs and chases where questions like "But how...?" or "Why...?" have no meaning. Kinda like Dhoom, but far more slick, stunt-laden, and predictable. Not to mention far less melodious. Which really sucks, 'cause there's so much gyrating and grinding going on that you really want to tap your feet and hum along.

Hrithik looks good - really good. Though I did miss bad boy John Abrahim (Dhoom) every once in a while. Aishwarya looks, well... like Aishwarya always does - good. Boy, she seriously slimmed down for this flick! The bronze look worked for her most of the time. Though in some closeups towards the end, there was a noticably uneven blotchiness in her skin tone which was not too flattering. Bipasha was far more pleasing to look at - looking gorgeous and charming, pretty much all the time. Uday did good as the comic sidekick - though the contrast between the muscular body and thin voice gets rather grating.

As for Abhishek - well, he really got the short end of the stick on this one. His wardrobe seemed to consist of Munnabhai leftovers. While the other gals and guys strutted their six-packs in sleeveless open shirts and low rise jeans, he walked aroung looking like a tapori in buttoned-up flowery shirts and black thread choker. While Hrithik paid his makeup guy overtime to curl and highlight his hair just right, Abhishek's barber seemed to have gone on strike. His signature stubble grew to a full blown (and ugly) beard by the end of the movie. And don't even get me started on his playback singers! UGH! Ptuii! Who was smoking what when they picked Abhishek's background voice? Dunno y'all - our young Bachchan just did NOT ooze his rapper charm in this one - not for one second. Which is too bad, 'cause I am a fan.

Bottom line? Sure, see it. Admire the beautiful faces, sceneries, and stunts. But whatever you do, remember - leave your brain at home.

SALTAF: South Asian Literary and Theater Arts Festival - 2006

Kavita — Wed, 8 Nov 2006 00:21:35 EST

November 4, 2006 - a crisp chilly Fall morning in the US capital. A crowd of more than two-hundred slowly trickles into the Baird Auditorium where Nagesh Kukunoor's Dor is being premiered in the US. Many seem to have come with the definite intention of attending the 2006 South Asian Literary and Theater Arts Festival (SALTAF). Others looked like they had wandered down to the basement of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History out of sheer curiosity - on their way to the café, drawn into the auditorium by the colorful movie posters adorning the hallway.

SALTAF is an annual event hosted since 2000 by the Network of South Asian Professionals (NetSAP-DC), co-hosted by the Smithsonian's Asian Pacific American Program since 2004. This year was studded with several stars from the literary and film world - Nagesh Kukunoor (director: Dor, Hyderabad Blues, Iqbal), Tanuj Chopra (director: Punching at the Sun, Butterfly, Uljhan, Bade Bahiya), Kiran Desai (author: Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard, Inheritance of Loss), Devyani Saltzman (author: Shooting Water: A Memoir of Second Chances, Family, and Filmmaking), Tarun Tejpal (founder: Tehelka.com; author: Alchemy of Desire), and Samrat Upadhyay (author: The Royal Ghosts, Arresting God in Kathmandu, The Guru of Love).

While there is no specific selection criteria for authors and filmmakers invited to participate (as Terry Hong, consultant to the Smithsonian APA Program declared, even Kiran Desai was selected before she landed this year's Man Booker Prize for Fiction), the theme this year certainly seemed to be the year of progeny. Last year's US premiere of Deepa Mehta's Water was followed-up this year by her daughter Devyani Saltzman reading from her memoir Shooting Water. While Anita Desai discussed her experiences during the filming of her In Custody in 2005, her daughter Kiran Desai read excerpts from Inheritance of Loss this year.

While the crowd ebbed and flowed throughout the afternoon, the star of the day was without a doubt the young Kiran Desai. Graciously accepting kudos from well-wishers during the book signing, she entertained audience members during the reading with her experience of having her suitcase stolen on the train to Washington, DC. Disappointingly, not many in the audience had yet had the chance to read the books being discussed, so questions were superficial at best.

Films and books in the spotlight strove to highlight the lesser known social and political issues in the Indian Subcontinent and beyond - widowhood in rural India (Dor); post 9-11 racism against Indians in USA (Punching at the Sun); Indo-Nepalese tensions in West Bengal (Inheritance of Loss); political conflicts in Nepal (The Royal Ghosts). The message - the world may be flat for most. But for many, not so much.

Celebrating Womanhood During This Navratri Festival

Kavita — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 00:21:37 EDT

The nine nights of Navratri are here. It's that time of year again.

You can do what you have been doing for years. Go to the mandir, get a mauli tied on your wrist, close your eyes in front of Mata and ask her for a raise... or for a new car - a new house - whatever. Or dress in your finest, grab the daandiya sticks, and go dance the night away.

Or maybe this year you can be a little different. This year you can look into the bright steady flame and pretty kolu dolls, and decide to celebrate the true meaning of the festival. Decide to celebrate Womanhood.

Our scriptures describe the shakti within the female to be the most powerful force in the universe. This shakti has the capacity to not only create and protect, but to destroy. The Navratri festival is intended to dwell on this beautiful and fragile creation, and to celebrate Her nine forms...

1. Without a doubt, a woman's DEVOTION is always unwavering. Be she a mother, daughter, or a wife - she will give you her heart and soul, many times even at the cost of her own comfort.

2. The miracle of MOTHERHOOD - of childbearing and childbirth - is one that cannot be described in words. It is the force that created us all. It is the power that sustains the Universe.

3. Our sages have described women as the ultimate Karma Yogi. The epitome of selfless action. Educated or not, she is blessed with a depth of intuition and KNOWLEDGE that allows her family to flourish under her care. The woman seems to be capable of intuitive and spiritual knowledge that men often wander the seven seas in search of.

4. Though she may lack a man's physical strength, a woman seems to have a limitless ability to WORK. From parenting to housekeeping to maintaining a successful career, she multitasks like few men can. It is a characteristic that has not only been proven in scientific experiments, but touted in our scriptures for ages.

5. A woman's PASSION is the beat to which the entire cosmos dances. Poets have sung its praises since the beginning of time, and many a men have been driven mad by it. There is no denying this power that only a woman seems to possess.

6. It is said that behind every successful man there is a woman. It is with her support, guidance, and well wishes that PROSPERITY is showered upon all. Not just in material wealth, but peace and happiness. Few can call themselves prosperous after alienating the woman in their life.

7. The woman is capable of emotional STRENGTH that few men can match. Even the fragile Sita repelled the mighty Ravan by using a single blade of grass. There is a message there. Gentle and tender though a woman may be, you know you can count on her to be your mountain in times of distress. She has a capability to handle the ups and downs of life with a calm strength.

8. Strong, devoted, and passionate though she may be, there is no denying her SENSITIVITY. Her physical form wilts at the first sign of harsh conditions, as does her soul. How many men get hunchbacked in their old age? How many of us can deny knowing a woman that cries at another's plight - even if it is on the silver screen?

9. It is easy to acknowledge the characteristics that are beautiful and favorable in a woman. It is very easy to forget her strength when we experience her beauty and sensitivity. But push her too far - break her spirit - and she possesses a power to destroy like no man can. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. It is an aspect that we wish to see least. But its presence should never be denied. The invincible Mahishasur was crushed because he dared to wake the power. The mighty Kaurava army was reduced to nothing because of Draupadi's humiliation.

Yes, Navratri is here. It is the time of year when egos are put aside and the Truth is acknowledged - nay, celebrated. There is nothing sexist about it.

So women, revel in your strength. Men, reflect on the quiet power of the women around you - your mother, daughter, sister, or wife.

Happy Navratri everyone!