Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Zach Galifianakis, Michelle Monoghan, Jamie Foxx

Director: Todd Phillips

It is difficult to keep your audience on a laugh riot through the length of the movie, however ‘The Hangover’ Director, Todd Phillips, brings us yet another raucous, formulaic comedy, but this time with an improvisational feel and a two-time academy award nominated actor. 

Due Date, starring Robert Downey Jr and The Hangover’s Zach Galifianakis is structured as your standard comic road-movie. But it’s the terrific chemistry between the leads and the steady stream of dirty jokes that makes it so watchable, despite how familiar the movie feels. The movie tracks the four-day journey of Peter Highman (Robert Downey Jr.), a stress induced rage filled architecht, as he attempts to make his way home for the birth of his first child. After being forcefully ejected from an aircraft due to an argument over the use of the words “bomb” and “terrorist” on planes, he is left with little other choice than to embark on a cross-country road trip with the very man responsible for said removal, Ethan Tremblay (Zack Galifianakis).

The journey lurches from one outrageous mishap to another. These include a detour to acquire Ethan’s ‘medical marijuana’ from the home of a drug-dealer, a violent encounter with a handicapped bank clerk, a road-accident caused due to Ethan falling asleep at the wheel, and a daring escape from the Mexican border patrol.

For what it is, DUE DATE succeeds in providing a healthy dose of laughs. It’s an easy movie to enjoy if you just sit back shut your brain off and not take too seriously. At times it evokes several déjà vu moments but is different enough from Phillips’ previous films to justify its existence.

There’s more to the film than just this crude humor. In fact, it’s peppered with sentimental touches in the scenes where these mismatched co-passengers find themselves slowly becoming friends.

I give this movie 3 & ½ stars and would definitely recommend to watch it for the actors and the hilarious dialogues that grips you through the movie.

Dabangg - Movie Review

Film: Dabangg

Rating: 4 ½

Banners: Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision Ltd, Arbaaz Khan Productions
Cast: Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Arbaaz Khan, Sonu Sood, Vinod Khanna, Dimple Kapadia, Mahesh Manjrekar, Om Puri, Anupam Kher, Tinu Anand, Mahie Gill, Amitosh Nagpal, Malaika Arora
Music: Sajid- Wajid, Lalit Pandit
Cinematography: Mahesh Limaye
Director: Abhinav Kashyap
Producers: Dhillin Mehta, Arbaaz Khan, Malaika Arora
Release Date: September 10, 2010

For all Salman fans who went gaga over his film “WANTED”, this Eid, the actor has managed to grab the eyeballs of not only his existing fan base but also for those who were previously not his followers & now are counted as his devotees. #PostDABANGGfever

Dabangg means “fearless” and the character of a tough yet corrupt police officer Chulbul Pandey is convincingly played by Salman Dabangg Khan. The movie comes from the era of the 80’s where the protagonist fights the bad to be called the HERO. But in this movie the character fights the evil to get their moneys not only to build his locker balance but also helps the poor. Calling himself Robinhood Pandey of village Lalganj, Salman in his rustic style gives powerful action sequences, woos the village girl Rajjo (Sonakshi Sinha) and fights the dubious Cheddi Singh (Sonu Sood) and does everything to entertain the viewers with a dash of Masala!

Set in Uttar Pradesh, Chulbul has had a bitter childhood. His father passed away when he was very young, after which his mother [Dimple Kapadia] married Prajapati Pandey [Vinod Khanna]. Together, they had a son Makhanchan [Arbaaz Khan]. Each character fits well in the script but overall the thunder is stolen by Salman Khan. This is one of his best performances till date that has floored the audience with his drama and conviction.  

 

DABANGG is special for two more reasons: S. Vijayan's stunts and Sajid-Wajid's music, with an additional song by Lalit Pandit. Talking of action scenes, Salman's introduction at the start and the fight-to-finish in the climax will send the masses in frenzy. To state that the action scenes are outstanding, especially the fight in the finale, would be an understatement. In the finale fight, when Salman's shirt tears apart and the rippling muscles and the bare-chest fight ensues, mark my words, it will lead to chaos at mass-dominated centres, especially at single screens. The climax will be one of the prime reasons for repeat viewing, for sure.

It's difficult to accommodate music in an action film, but Sajid-Wajid come up with a melodious score. The title track, 'Tere Mast Mast Do Nain' and 'Munni' [composed by Lalit Pandit] are the icing on the cake. 

Thumbs up for Salman Khan and I give this movie 4&1/2 stars.

Balis in Jungleland

Travel bug bites me again and this time it was the calling of the jungle…We (Me, My husband and mom) set off to Jim Corbett to leave our footprints behind. Stayed at a lovely resort called JIM’S JUNGLE RETREAT- A beautiful resort in the wilds which was only a barbed wire away from the dense Corbett forest.

The warmth of the people at the resort, gorgeous food & prompt service lifted our holiday spirit. Tastefully designed interiors was inviting and refreshing too.

Our day started early with an adventurous jungle safari…Open jeep, friendly driver LuvKush, biting cold wind on our face…as we headed out for a bumpy ride to Jhirna and Bijrani.. Not lucky enough to experience tiger sighting..we were happy to hear interesting tales from Majid and Jas (JJR staff)about Bhola- the lazy tiger and his acts. Scrumptious meals served with jungle stories and chirpy sparrows flying over our shoulder gave us the sense of being close to the wilderness…

Being far away from the grind of the city life with no mobile connectivity for two days was a good detox for us…we spent hours chatting, lazying, spending time with no agenda … …loved every bit of these two days of my life…I was myself and loved being far away from the stress and spending every moment soaking in fresh air , listening to the birds and the beasts of the jungle, sipping lemonade by the pool, having a nice chatty evening in the machaan, having an early morning cuppa of ginger tea all by myself, looking at the birds and lying on the lazy chair.

This was one of my best holidays till date ...

Lots of love (with less sugar for a calorie free lifestyle)
Nora

Day Four!

Even if you do not really welcome them you get them on a daily basis. Whether you choose to ignore them, delete them from your system, block them, read them and laugh to yourself, they still appear in your inbox everyday...I am talking about forwarded messages which stare at your face the moment you open your mailbox. It could be jokes, funny pictures, rare pictures, secrets to happiness/success/failure, how to woo girls, how to ditch guys, hororscopes, Rakhi Sawant's Swayambar pictures etc etc...

When asked, as to why do they send these messages? What is the purpose? They say it is a way to be in touch, or a subtle way to say that I remember you every day, well is it so? To an extent, I am beginning to believe this. There are some friends who are constantly sending me mesages and emails eventhough, I have never responded to them till date...sometimes I wonder how persistent can she be?...I used to wonder, that she really has a lot of time and money sending or texting such messages to friends...

One day she stopped sending me these messages and then I realised, what has made her stop? Why isn't she sending me mails or messages? There was a sudden feeling of emptiness in my routine. Does this mean, she does not remember me anymore? It is is hard to believe that I am saying this but it is true - I had started missing those emails and messages from her. I was not intersted in her forward mails but it did get me thinking ...and I called her that day to ask if she was ok.

Friendship is such a beautiful relationship...and such instances remind me of another fwd email that I had got the other day which i completely agree..(enclosed below)

To All My Girl friends

A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day, drinking iced tea and visiting her Mother. As they talked about life, about marriage, about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter.
Don't forget your girlfriends," she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass. "They'll be more important as you get older. No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the children you'll have, you are still going to need girlfriends. Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them. And remember that "girlfriends" are not only your friends, but your sisters, your daughters, and other relatives too. You'll need other women. Women always do.

What a funny piece of advice,' the young woman thought. 'Haven't I just gotten married? Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a married woman, for goodness sake, a grownup, not a young girl who needs girlfriends! Surely my husband and the family we'll start will be all I need to make my life worthwhile!'
But she listened to her Mother; she kept contact with her girlfriends and made more each year. As the years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came to understand that her Mom really knew what she was talking about. As time and nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, girlfriends are the mainstays of her life. After 50 years of living in this world, here is what I know about girlfriends:

Girlfriends bring you chicken curry when you need help.
Girlfriends keep your children and keep your secrets.
Girlfriends give advice when you ask for it. Sometimes you take it, sometimes you don't. Girlfriends don't always tell you that you're right, but they're usually honest.
Girlfriends still love you, even when they don't agree with your choices.
Girlfriends laugh with you, and you don't need canned jokes to start the laughter.
Girlfriends pull you out of jams.
Girlfriends help you get out of bad relationships.
Girlfriends help you look for a new apartment, help you pack, and help you move.
Girlfriends will give a party for your son or daughter when they get married or have a baby, in whichever order that comes!
Girlfriends are there for you, in an instant and when the hard times come.
Girlfriends listen when you lose a job or a friend.
Girlfriends listen when your children break your heart.
Girlfriends listen when your parents' minds and bodies fail.
Girlfriends support you when the men in your life let you down.
Girlfriends help you pick up the pieces when men pack up and go.
Girlfriends rejoice at what makes you happy, and are ready to go out and kill what makes you unhappy.
Times passes.
Life happens.
Distance separates.
Children grow up.
Love waxes and wanes.
Hearts break.
Careers end.
Jobs come and go.
Parents die.
Colleagues forget favours.
Men don't call when they say they will.


BUT girlfriends are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you.
A girlfriend is never farther away than needing her can reach.


Pass this on to all the women who help's to make your life work.


Think About It!

Day Three!

Do you sometimes feel that you have lost yourself in the shuffle of trying to meet everyone else's demands? Well, I was going through the similar syndrome off late. I realised, that I am so badly caught up in the web of my daily mundane routine, that I have forgotten to think about the world we live in, the environment that we soak in everyday, the nature , the greenery, the natural forces.

We always run to earn more money, success, power but have we ever thought that if there is no existence, what is the use of all the material comforts?

Have we ever given it a thought that each one of us is aware of "Global Warming" but we choose to ignore it and go into the silent zone!Why? because it doesn't effect us in our day to day activity. Nature dosen't knock on our door and say " hey u must plant a tree or else...you will not get fresh air" or "switch off the lights when you are not using them", "use both sides of the paper", "use recycle products", "reuse plastic bags" etc etc.

I am not trying to give a moral science lecture here, but isn't it a good enough reson that each one of us can help save life and earth from the rage of "Global Warming". It is just a matter of enlightenment and awareness about simple ways to bring down the global temperature.

To begin with... I have planted trees in my barren garden. Everyday I get up early to water them and take good care of them. I get an instant kick when I see them growing everyday and taking a new shape...! So people jagore and do something to make the world a better place to live!

Think about it!

Day Two!

With this new social virus called "blogging"that has attacked the nation from the day actors like Aamir Khan and BigB have started penning down their thoughts and interacting with public on a daily basis; I thought to myself - 'I am no less than a star and why should I shy away from being a "Social animal"??'. Infact with these social networking websites like Facebook and Orkut, each one of us behave like stars and starlets of this century! Isn't it?

How? Well if you happen to call an old school friend who is thousand miles away and its been ages that you have chatted with him; the moment he picks up the phone he smirks and says ' gurl how was your last rafting trip, seems like you had great fun. Can you organise the same for me when I am in India?'. Of course my question is - 'Did it come on today's newspaper or was it captured by sabse tez channel?? How the hell do you know whether I was sleeping or having fun in my trip?' . The answer comes - "Duh, before you can share the details with me, facebook status and photo albums of your friends does the talking". Well well, did you ever dream of such a situation? At least I did not! I could never imagine that if I sneeze the entire directory of my friends will get to know and call to ask if i am ok? Am I less than a star? I don't think so!

The idea of "getting noticed" has become very easy these days. You no longer only rely on mediums like newspapers, TV channels, radio etc. If you are talented, simple, just showcase it in a video and upload it on YouTube and circulate the link to all your friends. We certainly are progressing towards jet age where you can get results on one click of a button. The coy girl in your college who was hardly noticed during the tenure of two years is eager to share her thoughts, pictures, favourite movies, favourite books and all her likes and dislikes without even blinking these days.

There is a flip side to this as well..."you can be somebody who you aspire to be or you can showcase yourself as somebody who is absolutely different from what you are" in this virtual world of networking.

I can foresee a time when facebook sells its members' demographic details to corporates who sell soaps, detergents, toothpastes etc for a whopping amount because the founder is sitting on a goldmine of information which can be used like how. This will be the only forum which is a storehouse of millions and millions of respondents' likes, dislikes, what do they wear, what do they want to achieve, how they feel about any TV channel, vital statistics, favourite shows, favourite movies etc etc..

Think about it!

Day One!

You wait for this patiently, ...with bated breath. Have no qualms if you switch off your phone for this. You are not in trouble if you turn all ur switches to mute mode; live life on your own conditions. There are no 'to do' lists to follow; no cooking or eating on time; no garbage dumping early in the morning; personal hygiene can go and take a walk ; laptops can go to sleep and you can sleep, eat drink ,read on the bed in between your bed sheets and guess what, nobody can question you for this. Body clock can keep ticking and you can brush all these away including your stress toxins that dances in your blood everyday!

You must be wondering ...what the hell is she talking about? Can anybody take such liberty ever? Well you are right ...But my question is "Why Not???"

One Day In Your Life You Can Afford To Do All The Above ...Yes Its Difficult But it is not Impossible...It comes in every human being's live without fail but the sad part is, in this competitive age we forget this special day and consider it to be non existant in our lives. Yeah, I am taliking about "Good Ol' Sundays"- the day every school kid waits for.. as he/she does not have to get up at an unearthly hour and go to school, the day when people spend time with their loved ones, the day which used to be "picnic day", the day when the entire family sits together and have breakfast on the terrace under the sun with kids playing around them, the day when the family used to watch Ramayana and Mahabharata together followed by a late afternoon lunch and end the day with a long drive to the outskirts and have dinner in your favourite resturaunt. And then have a good night sleep before you gear up for the next day which is a Monday!

Think About it!