Monday, October 10, 2005

Weekend Hungama

This weekend was a marathon weekend of three movies. Three movies coupled with shopping and dining out makes Janani a tired girl! :-)

The first one (for which I had to resort to blackmail and other related stuff to convince my friends to accompany me) was Madagascar. I am a sucker for these animated movies and I loved this one too. The storyline is about a bunch of animals from New York Zoo who land up in Madagascar inardvently. The bunch of penguins with their motto of "Cute and cuddly" are the show stealers. They are wickedly comic and pity weren't shown more through the movie. King Julian of Madagascar(a kind of monkey or marmoset I figure) with his very Indian voice and very catchy song was also a treat to watch. Though this movie can't ever join the ranks of Finding Nemo or Shrek, it is definitely worth a watch and I bet you'll come out of the theatre singing "I like to move it move it" :-)

The second and the best movie of the three was Iqbal. It is the story of a deaf and dumb veillage boy's dream to play cricket for India and the movie is just about that. The best part of the movie is the characterization. All the characters are etched out very realistically without any cliches. Iqbal's enthusiasm and cheer is the mainstay of the movie. Iqbal's sister who supports her brother through everything has done a good job. The other smaller characters like Iqbal's father and mother are also potrayed well and stick in our mind long after the movie. Naseeruddin Shah has done excellently well what comes naturally to him. He is very convincing as both the village drunk and the dedicated coach. The background track is soothing and the song aashaein is very hummable and pleasant. Overall a refreshing movie which reinforces the idea that Nagesh Kukunoor's movie is definitely worth a watch.

We ended our orgy with Salaam Namaste. After reading the reviews and watching the trailers, I was convinced that it was going to be bad and utterly bad at that. It was a no-brainer all right, but to my surprise it turned out to be a a little entertaining too. But I think it is high time Zinta stops screeching on screen in an attempt to be cute. Saif is portrayed as a metrosexual and that was a pleasant surprise that Bollywood has chosen to shed the macho hero image and chose to show Saif as a chef who is obsessively clean. The concept of the both living in is supposed to be radical, but it's actually pathetic considering they decide that based on one day of partying together. And it is bad enough that movies are copied from Hollywood hits, but this movie actually borrows entire scenes from FRIENDS! But the movie seemed to move at a good pace and Australia has been pictured most beautifully. And hell even I will move in with a guy if I can live in a house like that - near the sea, with an open air patio and the huge French windows and all.

We trudged home after convincing the folks at Prasads that we really aren't coming back for another movie! :-)

22 comments:

totti said...

tried to watch iqbal but the print was bad. We are unlucky souls who are robbed of simple pleasures like watching hindi/gult/tam movies at a theatre next to your house :p

back in india, after the exams/weekend we used to go for this movie fest! three shows back to back! satyam and devi complex.
bonus : the haggling with auto guys :)

Jinguchakka said...

Three movies! Super-cool!
Turning your blog into a matrimonial or what! A love story, followed by a story about the guy any girl (a disclaimer to boot) likes to marry. Finally you talk about conditions under which you'd accept a live-in relationship!! Way too much for hints! Mr.Sundarrajan! Where are you! Aren't you reading this blog? lol

Anonymous said...

3 movies in 2 days ... Was that enough ?

June-An said...

I like to move it move it!!! I watched that on Sunday! Hilarious! and the small baby LEMUR!!! The one sent as guinea pig! and who innocently says with such enthusiasm that he wanna be a steak!

Rohan Kumar said...

Hmmm movie marathon Madagascar appealed to the kid in you, Iqbal shows the audience appreciative of good cinema and the chick flickish Salam Namaste also seems to have found its target audience in you. With an audience like you around i wonder how these film makers even manage to churn out flops :)

janani said...

@totti - You are in US right? I thought Indian Americans are the lucky souls who get to watch Indian movies despite staying so far away from India! :-)

Satyam, Devi and Melody rule! :-) I visited these 3 when I went home a few weeks back, but unfortunately no tickets for any movie. :-( Have caught a lot of movies in Udhayam complex too.

Autos are Chennai's speciality. They laugh in your faces if you even mention the meter. Standard rule, knock 20% off of whatever they demand. :-)

@jinguchakka - Ewwww! I seriously am going to stop writing stories! :-) I had always wanted to rewrite the ending of Alaipayude and the love story is the nearest I can come to doing that. And my next post is my attempt at fiction. And believe me, that house they show in the movie is worth doing anything. :-)
Mr Sundarrajan is happily residing in Chennai, paavam avara eduku disturb pananum. :-)

@mukund - My next attempt is 3 movies back to back on the same day. :-)

@fadia - Ooooh yes! How could I miss that. :-)

@rohan - Hey c'mon I feel that Madagascar appeals to kids and adults. I enjoyed the movie as much as the kid sitting in the row behind me who kept kicking my chair and pulling my hair! :-) You watch it and tell me if you don't like it! :-) And yeah Salaam Namaste was bad, but you know it wasn't that bad. Seriously! :-) Yeah maybe it is kinda chick flickish, but since I am a girl I am entitled to watch it, like it and blog about it! :-)

Anonymous said...

well..tats g8! i hv seen none of these 3 movies u hv written abt..hehe! i prefer roaming abt n hanging out at places with pl than sit in a movie thetere! somehow tat seems better fun 4 me:)...last weekend i went to t nagr shoping in the morn, the cave in satyam in the afty, a friend's b'day party in nungambakkam(evening), for dinner to dhaba xpress in anna nager...all tat in one day...:):)

Point 5 said...

I havent watched any of these movies, though I have heard "Madagascar" is cool...even if its half as funny as Shrek....it shld be fun...

Meanwhile, Prasads has a cool website :)

totti said...

Hey, it just struck me yesterday. Were your characters in the last post based on anbi and remo from anniyan? with the sricharanam and all that stuff ??

Jinguchakka said...

Oh! Please don't stop your love stories. After all, I love reading your blog. So ignore my attempts to pull your leg.

Eroteme said...

Madagascar is a fun movie. Watched it first day first show. Can't miss 'em!! :-D Iqbal was nice too, but these movies with a climax ending (esp. the sports oriented ones) are getting a little predictable... I don't think I would be caught dead watching SN! :-o Cool weekend...

janani said...

@harini - You seem to have had a rocking weekend. :-)
I went to these movies with my roommates. Since I hang out with them all the time, it doesn't matter where we go. :-)

@point 5 - Then I certainly recommend Madagascar, you will like it. :-)

Prasads is a coool multiplex. :-) One of the best places to be in Hyd. God knows what we would have done without it! :-)

@totti - Nah! Now that you mention it, yeah maybe it does seem similar. :-( I hated that Remo character though, with his "Nandy dandy candy" dialogues.

@jinguchakka - More mushy tales coming right ahead! :-)

@eroteme - Maybe Iqbal was predictable, but I would have hated it if it had ended any other way. I loved the fact that the romance angle was missing. And I loved the way the movie was taken. And SN wasn't all that bad. :-)

Anonymous said...

hey still watchin cartoon flicks ??? havent grown up yet huh !

janani said...

@harish - Heyyy good to see you here! :-)
Oooh yes I still looovveee cartoons. :-) Cartoons aren't meant for just kids you know! :-)

Dinesh Babuji said...

Pity, I havent watched either of the 3 as yet. Have compiled a long list of movies I have missed in past 6 mnths. Animated movies are sure to die for...ice age, monsters inc, Mr incredible, shrek 1&2, finsing nemo, robots, brother bear..i can go on and on.

hotICE said...

ij've seen 4 movies back to back on a saturday when I was utterly bored and jobless..

good post.. enjoyed reading it

janani said...

@dinesh - After all the digs about cartoons, it sure is nice to meet another animation lover. :-)

@hotice - Four movies??? In the same theatre? :-) I feel better now. :-)

MA said...

So is it quality control or are you bored of writing ?

littlecow said...

if you are a sucker for cartoons, i assume you are a fan of creative sketching also - check out the short movie 'Ryan' (off the web and all of 13 minutes long).

when you are not watching cartoons, stretch your mind and challenge yourself by visiting my puzzle blog at xyfactor.blogspot.com... cheers!

Jinguchakka said...

Wait for one more week! And we can observe one month of no posting!

Rohan Kumar said...

O fellow blogger where art thou
? :)

totti said...

When does the slumber get over? :p