Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Finally after almost an year, I held some book and completed reading it. Even if it is not a huge book, I'm happy. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid". I remember when I bought it - only 3-4 days before my sister's wedding. I had gone to buy golden sandals (:-|) which had taken a long long time.. Shopping is actually a lengthy business especially when you are looking for perfection. My sister's wedding made me do all that I had never done before. And the most significant example is shopping clothes and accessories. Fed up of buying this boring stuff and without thinking of the huge list of other pending tasks, I literally ran into Crossword and bought this book.

By the name, definitely it's a book for kids. But I enjoyed reading it. Sometimes I feel kids' books/movies are way mature than adults'. The imagination that kids show is highly fascinating! And Jeff Kenny has done nice job to express such imagination; through words and through cartoons. Some pages remind us of our childhood. How seriously we'd take our mistakes! As if we have become criminal now and are going to be sentenced. How creative we'd become sometimes! We'd even plan to start our own business, join NGOs, help people, improve the surrounding and to do all such bumper activities. Looking back, it looks so kiddish! But is it? :)

I'll recommend this book to everyone who hasn't spent childhood in books.

Players

Players is Abbas-Mustan's try to create something different than Bollywood's typical style and he has definitely succeeded. The plot, the actions, frequent change in angles, the tricks and the technical touch made this movie riveting. I had liked his Race too, but this was definitely better. Abhishek, Bobby, Bipasha and mainly Neil; all have done justice to their acting. Sonam could have been better. But her stunts were nice. I felt she is suitable for this character more than the romantic ones. For a change, I liked Johny Lever too.

The rating to the movie would have increased if it was faster. In the first half the robbery part and the fighting scene between Abhishek and Neil were extremely slow. Later the movie caught the required pace though. The agility of the Hollywood characters make their movies impressive. If Bollywood actors and directors work more on this point, then their movies will also have the same standard. Also, I didn't find the need of dramatic emotional scenes in this kind of movie.

In spite of these negative points, movie makes you grounded to the seat for all 3 hours. So, a must watch!

Rating = 3.5 stars.

दिवस असे की कोणी माझा नाही अन मी कोणाचा नाही

प्रश्नांचे हे एकसंधसे तुकडे
त्यावर नाचे मनीचे अबलक घोडे
या घोड्याला लगाम शोधत आहे
पण मजला गवसत नाही

दिवस असे की कोणी माझा नाही
अन मी कोणाचा नाही

The Atlas of Universe

There's a Sale going on in Landmark bookstore. I bought few books from there at nice discount. Most of the books are full of pictures which are usually expensive. One of them is "The Atlas of Universe". It has pictures and information about all heavenly bodies like planets, asteroids, comets, nebulas etc. Their pictures are mind-boggling.

At the start, the book describes the planets in our Solar System. Each planet represents something. For example, Mercury is the Messenger of Greek Gods, Neptune is of Water. I haven't read the book "Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus". But from this Atlas, I know how that book's name must have come. Venus represents the Greek Goddess of Love whereas Mars represents the Greek God of Wars. The funnier part is that Venus is the hottest planet of our solar system. :D It's not that I completely agree with the name of the book "Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus", but it's the general perception or rather, the perception generalized.

A thing about Bombayites I could realize again - mutual understanding.

That girl in Yellow Boots

A story of a British girl Ruth and her journey to find her hardly known Indian father in India. Nicely, the film portrays her urge to find her father, the profession she has to choose to earn money, her boyfriend's nuisance and her patience towards it, paternal love she gets from a stranger who turns to assume more than required rights on her, her struggle to find her father and then in the end, her reaction when she meets him. Movie has nice plot, nice direction and awesome roles played by the actors. I'll give 4 stars to it.

Kalki is amazing. It's her only second movie that I've watched and looks like I'm going to watch her other movies too. I couldn’t believe that this patient and smart Ruth is the same possessive and fastidious rich girl in ZNMD. I'll give 5 stars for her acting.

Movie has shown four different important characters. First is, of course, Ruth herself. She has perfect control on her emotions. She never looked helpless even though she succumbed to her boyfriend's nuisance, his forceful and demanding nature and also to his enemies. Second character is her boyfriend who is exactly opposite. Even though Ruth sacrifices a lot to bring him out of his problem, it's he who is helpless and not Ruth. He has no control on his emotions and hence doesn't get hold of her too. The third character was Naseeruddin Shah's. He is the stranger who gives Ruth his fatherly love and is away from the dirty values of the world. In spite of being a good human being, he cannot avoid the Indian mentality of assuming unnecessary rights on people we love. Fourth character is Ruth's father. One feels sick looking at his sickness. Movie has perfectly shown his weirdness from start to end.

Sunte The Hum Yeh Zindagi
Gham Aur Khushi Ka Mel Hai
Humko Magar Aaya Nazar
Yeh Zindagi Voh Khel Hai
Koi Sab Jeete Sab Koi Haar De
Apni To Haar Hai, Yaar Mere....