Bhag Milka Bhag - Review

This movie was watched last Saturday. Didn't get time to critic it.

Movie stars Farhan Aktar as Milka Singh. Before I write about the movie, here is the brief on Milka Singh.

Milka Singh was born in Pakistan and migrated to India during the India - Pakistan partition. His family including his father, mother, brothers and sisters were killed on this trip to India. When he came to India, he settled in Delhi and went on to become a soldier in Indian Army. He underwent training and participated in 1956 Olympics. He represented India in Asian games and won medals and broke records in common wealth games. He again took part 1960 Olympics and came 4th. He was then summoned to Pakistan to play against Pakistani counter part Abdul Khaliq. He was given the honor as "Flying Sikh" by Pakistanis. He won and brought India pride. He donated all his medals to national museums.

The movie almost portrays the above story but with a lot of unwanted love affairs of the protagonist. I was expecting to see a movie like Chak de India with the preoccupations of trailers which were shown in cinema halls. But the movie turned out to be neither a love story nor a story of an athlete.

The part that captures you are the scenes of Milka's life in Pakistan. He is asked by his father to run for his life - Bhag Milka Bhag. Milka runs and saves himself but he returns. He finds a pool of blood and a pile of dead bodies - which belonged to his father, mother and other family members. He then run back and catches a train to India. He rebels in the refugee camps and involves in stealing, cheating and becomes a thug. He falls in love - twice. Trains himself in the army camps. He goes to Australia, Rome etc to take part in world class athletics. This is all the movie about. A good watch I must say if you are not prejudiced. Dont have any expectation and you'll enjoy every bit of the movie. Farhan Akthar has done a very good job and Om Prakash Mehra has created yet another magic like that of Rang De Basanti. 

ಎದೆಗಾರಿಕೆ - ಅಗ್ನಿ ಶ್ರೀಧರ್ (Edegaarike by Agni Shridhar)

ಇಂದಿರಾ ನಗರದಿಂದ ದೂರದ ಅಂಕಿತ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಪ್ರಕಾಶನ - ಬಸವನಗುಡಿಗೆ ಒಂದು ಸಂಜೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಪ್ರಯಾಣ ಶುರುವಾಗಿದ್ದು, ಅದು ಮುಗಿದದ್ದು ಸಕಲೇಶಪುರದ ಒಂದು ಫಾರಂ ಹೌಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ - ಮುತ್ತಪ್ಪ ರೈ, ಅಗ್ನಿ ಶ್ರೀಧರರ ಮತ್ತು ಆಗಸ್ಟೇ  ಕೊಲೆಯಾದ ಒಬ್ಬ ಸುಪಾರಿ ಕಿಲ್ಲರ್ ಜೊತೆ.

ಪುಸ್ತಕದ ಹೆಸರು "ಎದೆಗಾರಿಕೆ".  ಇದು ಯಾರ ಎದೆಗಾರಿಕೆ? ಯಾರು ಯಾರು ಪಾತ್ರಧಾರರು? ಯಾರು ಯಾರನ್ನು ಹೊಡೆದು ಮುಗಿಸುವವರು ಎಂದು ಎಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ವಿವರಣೆ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಓದುಗ ಎಷ್ಟು relate ಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಾನೋ ಅಸ್ಟು ರೋಮಾಂಚನಕಾರಿಯಾಗಿ ಮಜಾ ಬರುತ್ತೆ.

ಮುಂಬೈಯಾ ಡಾನ್ ಅಂತೋನಿ ಕಾಲಿಯಾ ತನ್ನ ಕೈ ಕೆಳಗಿರುವ 'ಓರ್ವ'ನನ್ನ ಮುಗಿಸಲು ಬೆಂಗಳುರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಸುಪಾರಿ ಕೊಡುವ ಒಂದು ಘಟನೆ. ಈ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಅಗ್ನಿ ಶ್ರೀಧರ್ ಬರೆದಿರುವ ಪುಸ್ತಕದ ಹೆಸರು "ಎದೆಗಾರಿಕೆ". ನಾವು ಹೀಗೆ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಮಳಿಗೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅಡ್ಡಾ ಡುತಿರುವಾಗ ಕೈಗೆ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿತು. ಮನೆಗೆ ಬಂದು ನಮ್ಮ ಪತಿದೇವರು inauguration ಮಾಡಿದ್ರು. ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಚಿಕ್ಕದಾದ್ರಿಂದ ಅರ್ದ ಘಂಟೆಯೆಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಗಿಯುತು. ಇನ್ನು ಸರಧಿ ನನ್ನದು.  ಹಿಡಿದರೆ ಬಿಡಲಿಕ್ಕೆ ಅಗಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಓದಿ ಮುಗಿಸುವ ಹೊತ್ತಿಗೆ ಮದ್ಯೆ ರಾತ್ರಿ. ಆಗ ನಂಗೆ ಸಣ್ಣ ನಡುಕ. ಮೈ ಬೆವೆರಿದ ಹಾಗೆ ಅನುಭವ. ಕೊನೆಗೆ  ಒಂದು ಕೊಲೆ. ಮುಗಿಯಿತು ಕಥೆ.

ಮುತ್ತಪ ರೈ  ಒಂದು ಕೊಲೆಯ ಸುಪಾರಿ ತಗೊಂಡು ಬಾಂಬೆ ಇಂದ ಒಂದು ಹುಡುಗನನ್ನು ಕರಿಸ್ತಾರೆ. ಅವರ ಜೊತೆ ಅಗ್ನಿ ಶ್ರೀಧರ್ ಮತ್ತು ಇನ್ನು ಕೆಲವರು ಸಕಲೇಶಪುರಕ್ಕೆ ಹೊರಡುತಾರೆ. ಅಗ್ನಿ ಶ್ರೀಧರ್ ಗೆ ಮೊದಲು ಕೊಲೆಯಾಗುವವರು ಯಾರು ಎಂದು ತಿಲಿಯುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಬಾಂಬೆ ಇಂದ ಬಂದ ಹುಡುಗನಾನ್ನು ಕೊಲೆ ಮಾಡುವುದು ಅಂತ ತಿಳಿದ ಮೇಲೆ, ಅಗ್ನಿ ಶ್ರೀಧರ್ ಗೆ ಏನು ಮಾಡುವುದು ಎಂದು ತಿಲಿಯುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಅಗ್ನಿ ಆ ಹೊತ್ತಿಗಾಗಲೇ ಹುಡುಗನ ಸಂಗ ಬೆಳೆಸಿರುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಅವನ ಜೊತೆ ಜೀವನ ಪಾಠಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಮಾತುಕಥೆಯಾಡಿರುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಅವನನ್ನು ಕೊಲೆ ಮಾಡುವುದೆಂದರೆ ಸಾಧ್ಯವಾಗದ ವಿಷಯವೆಂದು ತಿಳಿದು ಮುತ್ತಪ ರೈ ಬಳಿ ಮಾತಾಡಲು ಮುನ್ದಗುತ್ತಾರೆ.ಈ ಮದ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಮುತ್ತಪಣ್ಣ ನ ಮೇಲೆ attack ಅಗುತ್ತದೆ.

ಕೊಲೆ ಮಾಡುವ ದಿನ ಬಂದೆ ಬರುತ್ತದೆ. ಮತ್ತುಪ ರೈ, ಅಗ್ನಿ ಶ್ರೀಧರ್ ಅನ್ನು ಆ ಹುಡುಗನ ಜೊತೆ ಕಳಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ ಕೆಲಸ ಮುಗಿಸಲು. ಕೆಲವು ಹುಡುಗರು ಹಿಂಬಾಲಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ ಹೆಣ ಹೊತ್ತು ತರಲು. ಗೊತ್ತು ಮಾಡಿದ ಸ್ಥಳ ಬಂದಾಗ ಅಗ್ನಿ ಶ್ರೀಧರ್ ಕೊಲೆ ಮಾಡಲು ತನ್ನ gun ಹಿಡಿದಾಗ ಹುಡುಗ ತನ್ನಷ್ಟಕ್ಕೆ ತಾನೇ ಸತ್ತು ಬೀಲುತ್ತಾನೆ.

ಈಗ ಅಗ್ನಿ ಶ್ರೀಧರ್ ಗೆ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಕೆಲಸ ಅಂದರೆ ಅ ಹುಡುಗನ ಪ್ರೇಯಸಿಗೆ ವಿಷಯ ತಿಳಿಸುವುದು. ಅವಳಿಗೆ ಫೋನ್ ಮಾಡಿ ಮೂರು ದಿನದ ಹಿಂದೆ ಆಕ್ಸಿಡೆಂಟ್ ಆಗಿದೆ ಹಾಗು ಅದರಲ್ಲಿ ಹುಡುಗ ಸತ್ತಿದ್ದಾನೆ ಎಂದು ಹೇಳುವಾಗ ಅಗ್ನಿ ಶ್ರೀಧರ್ ಮೈಯೆಲ್ಲಾ ನಡುಗುತ್ತಗೆ.

The book is an awesome depiction of courage, valor, guilt and love. This is one of the books eligible to go the list of books that must be read at least once before dying. The book is made in to movie in 2013 with the same title. It stars Atul Kulkarni and Aaditya. Atul plays Agni Shreedhar and he amazing in the role. It has become almost like - when you hear Agni Shreedhar, you imagine Atul Kulkarni.

The movie is also equally good as the book. A very good piece of work in sandalwood and Agni Shreedhar is as usual awesome with the book. 

Ghanchakkar - Review

The movie has Emraan Hashmi and Vidya Balan in lead. The pair manages to amuse you with the light heart comedy. No laugh riot but the comedy sinks in you for a long and you find it hard to digest.

The plot is about Emraan being the habitual bank robber and he is contacted by Pandit and Ibris for a bank robbery contract. Sanjay(Emraan) and Neetu(Vidya) decides to take this up as the final assignment and settle for life with the bank looted money. The robbery takes place well with three men (Ibris, Pandit and Sanju) each covering faces with the masks of Amithab Bachan, Vinod Khanna and one other. They put the money in a suitcase and disperse on the agreement that they meet after 3 months to settle shares of money.
Sanju meets with an accident on the way home carrying the suitcase. He is diagnosed with partial memory loss and after 3 months when Pandit and Ibris contact him, he is in no clue of the money he carried. Neither Neetu knows where the money is kept. So Pandit and Ibris kidnap Neetu, come stay with them - do every possible thing to remind Sanju of the money but in vein. Sanju seeks 1 week time to get the money but on the 7th day, when Sanju still clueless, Pnadit and Ibris take Neetu and go to subway train. Sanju meets them there only to find that he has forgotten who Neetu is. They are met with Chota Chetan who is pressing for the money from Pandit and Ibris. When he finds they have failed to get money from Sanju, he kills both Ibris and Pandit. Chota Chetan  also shoots at Neetu and sanju and leaves the train. At that moment Sanju's mother calls him and tells about the suitcase that he left with her 3 months ago. Neetu listens to this and is happy that she's found money and Sanju is alive. She also realises that Chota Chetan is dead due to a fork and banana which Sanju carried from his home to kill the gangsters.

The movie overall fares well on the dining scenes of the Sanju's house and except that there isn't much to watch out for. 

Singam -2 Review

I happened to watch this movie last weekend and it turned out to be the best mass movie I have watched ever. Surya is the MAN. He is the hero and he is all you get to see in the movie.

The plot is continuation of Singham -1 where a petty police inspector from a village make it big in the city sacking a state minister. In this movie, he is directly and secretly appointed as the SI of Tuticorn, a city of Tamil Nadu. He is to deal with arms mafia and drug mafia cultured by local goons. He gets hold of the goons and also a international wanted drug dealer danny.

The movie never makes you think of the money or the time you have spent on. It is a joy to see Surya's charm. One of the interesting things is that Surya never even touches the heroin. Anushka Shetty manages to do her job ok ok style. Hansika Motwani looks too old for a school uniform. Great watch for a weekned

And the Mountains Echoed - By Khaleed Hosseini

This one more book by Khaleed Hosseini is as beautiful as the previous two books. The plot does not have one protagonist but more than five. Some are related and some irrelevant. Some are your own reflections.

The book as usual deals with Afghanistan and human bonding. This time its between a sister and brother. They live in a small village and the father trades off the girl child saying "A hand must be cut off to save the hand". The brother - Abdullah remember's his sister - Pari all his life, but the pari does not event know a brother existed.

She is adopted by a rich family in Kabul where the adoptive father falls ill and mother abandons him and takes pari to France - Her motherland. This woman - Mrs.Wahdati, the adoptive Mother of Pari is like the most beautiful woman and a talented poet. She writes on love and lust at an young age and becomes the antagonistic child of Kabul bringing dishonor to her parents.

There is a cook cum driver at the Wahdati's called Nabi who is the maternal uncle of Pari. Nabi and Pari's father disconnect from each other after Pari's adoption by the Wahdatis. When Mr. Wahdati falls sick and Mrs. Wahdati desert him, Nabi is the one who looks after Wahdati. Mr.Wahdati falls in love with Nabi. He also wills his property to Nabi. In the mean time, Nabi would have found a diary in the Wahdati's cupboard written by Mrs. Wahdati. It says "Its all about you Nabi".

Nabi is shocked by this revelation as he was secretly in love with Neelima Wahdati. He always wished Neelima would know it. Nabi, after reading this, decides to find an appropriate substitute in the house to cook and drive and go join Neelima in Paris. But he fins no one and continue to walk Wahdati in the open fields of Kabul.

On a summer morning, Mr.Wahdati is dead and Nabi is left no where. At that time, the war is intensified in kabul and a lot of foreign help and NGOs are in Kabul to help the injured and the needy. One Markos - a plastic surgeon by profession lands at-Once Wahdati's and  now Nabi's big gate. Nabi offers to rent the house for free. Markos along with a nurse - Arma live with other volunteers in the house and Nabi lives in the small outhouse in the compound.

Nabi leaves a letter to Markos to be delivered to Pari. Markos finds Neelima Wahdati - the small time poet on the web and finds her daughter Pari. Pari now is a big grown up girl dating the man her mother once dated. When Neelima dies, Pari receives a letter from a news paper which interviewed Neelima and published her story. Pari understands that "she was a pain in the ass" for Neelima. Pari's mother was never happy for Pari.

Pari marries a honest and dedicated drama teacher from a local school. She will have three children. Pari goes on to study Phd in mathematics. Her children grow up and get married and have children. In all this time, Pari is not aware that she is missing her brother.

One day Markos contacts Pari on facebook and tells about the letter that Nabi has left. Pari arranges Markos to meet her half brother Iqbal at Shadbagh. She learns that there is an elder brother - Abdullah in America who is sending iqbal money every month.

Pari contacts Abdullah's daughter - her name too Pari and meets Abdullah. But Abdullah is unable to recall his childhood. He is suffering from some kind of cancer. Junior Pari, when she was young, used to hear bed time stories from her father Abdullah. He would tell her the story of his sister Pari and at the end, he would say that he is going to take away the bad dreams and put all the good dreams to Pari's sleep. Now Abdullah is sick and he is unable to recognize the real Pari.

The younger Pari finds friendship in older Pari and is set to meet pari's family in France. In the hotel room, both of them are sleeping and younger Pari wakes up and tells a fairy tale to the older Pari that she and her brother were young again, they are lying on the grass on the mountains in the mid afternoon underneath the cool shelter of a tree - that she can see her brother's face, but not the whole of it as she is too near to the face.

Thats the end of the book. In between there are irrelevant descriptions of Markos mother, supposedly sister,  Pari's natural mother's childhood, her twin sister, some two young boys interested in property in Kabul, etc.

The book is a fine story teller. At times, one would feel frustrated - because of a lot of abandoning women, deserting, cheating etc. It surely makes you feel depressed and pensive.