Minia's Mundane Musings

Wow..... Just wow... Each review about this movie is justified. This movie is an A plus on every level. The agony of the rich and powerful being blatant in their abuse of the law; the sheer bias that exists against independent women; and even  the utter chauvinism that women are subjected to.. Leave all this aside. All this is cause for loads of debate. So just leave all that aside. See this movie purely for it's cinematic value. The storyline is pure and never strays from it's path. The supporting cast is terrific. Vinod Nagpal where were you? We have missed you. A few faces from Piku are there as well. The direction is spectacular... No other word comes to mind. This a movie of international calibre and I hope it gets it's due. All the 3 girls shine in their roles. They are perfect. There are a few missteps from Taapsee Pannu, but that's just me being a nitpicker. The girl who plays Falak is a brilliant actor. Also the actor playing the vile friend gives off ev...

Body Shaming. I was accompanying a niece this weekend to a waxing session at a reputed chain of salons. And whilst she was getting her stuff done, I was literally accosted by a sales person of that salon who gave me a top to toe look and launched into a spiel about their slimming services. At this point I must interject that I am shamelessly obese and super comfortable with my size and here was this lady advising me on the rates of the various methods they had to make me look slim and trim. At the same time her colleague was advising another hapless dusky customer about why she should be interested in their skin whitening treatments. So just because I don't fit into the parameters of your body image shall you try to shame me into spending pots of money on your services? Not cool! I am a dentist and I do not keep telling people that your teeth are yellow,  get bleaching done or that your breath stinks get cleaning done. So,  I told that salesperson to keep her sales pitch...

Road Rage Have you ever experienced this? Have you ever made a rude hand gesture at another driver? Have you ever mouthed a few choice words at a driver who has been recalcitrant in your opinion? And worst come to worse have you rolled down your window and actually engaged in a war of words with a fellow roadster? If you have then join the club. I have done all of the above a few times or more. But have quickly gotten over it as did the other party and have moved on to my destination. But never ever did I ever see in my beloved Pune what I saw today!!! I am still a little shell shocked and  probably am rambling on As a result of PTSD. But today I was accosted by a young doctor just outside of my college, who was firmly convinced that I had dinged his car. So he raced alongside me and overtook me and braked in a hurry, then rushed back to my car and started abusing me. This guy was totally out of control. And then when I told him that it wasn't me but a bike who dinged him, he ...

MASAAN What do you say for a movie that is so complete and hits all the right spots?  By themselves Vikas Bahl, Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap are forces to reckon with, and when they collaborate on a project, the result is sheer magic. Masaan means the place you burn corpses – the crematorium. And it is in this unlikely place that the protagonists are placed in. the movie deals with tales of death and life thereafter.  The deaths are sudden and jolting and the sequelae of each death are not unpredictable, what matters though, is the treatment effected by the first time director Neeraj Ghaywan.  The direction is flawless and the characterizations are superb. In fact the attention to detail is just superb. The city of Varanasi wraps itself around you inexorably. I simply love it when the city becomes a part of the story. You will learn the whys and wherefores of cremation willy nilly. The male protagonist Vicky Kaushal(Deepak) is talented beyond belief. ...

DIL DHADAKNE DO The best part about being on vacation is that you can catch an early show without the clutter of the reviews. However even then I did glimpse reviews that had rated the movie 4 and 4.5. Those almost made me dig in my heels and not go for the movie. But addicted as I am, I was at the movies and this movie if I had to rate, would say 4 for the first half and a 3 for the second…. Certainly not a 4 or 4.5 overall! So Zoya Akhtar’s forte is eking out histories and back stories for her characters. Like she did in Luck by Chance and even her counterpart Reema Kagti did in Honeymoon Travels. And she does this so well here again. Also her angst against the upper crust continues in its own subtle way. The movie portrays a dysfunctional family headed by Anil Kapoor, who is busy trying to prop up his business by bartering his son. His wife is Shefali Shah who is assertive yet submissive, a trait shared by her daughter Priyanka Chopra who is stuck in a loveless marriage. The...

                                                                        BOMBAY VELVET What do I say? Does anyone remember the experience of seeing a bowl of Halwa loaded with dry fruits and piping hot, giving off steam and then you diving in with a spoon and blowing on it furiously to cool it down? Then chomping your bite only to discover that there is a bitter almond in it? Thereby ruining your entire experience? Well BV is exactly like that….. Months of anticipation, getting red hot tickets and then the bitterness. Sigh! When will these crazy experiments stop? The bitter almond in question here is the bad script, there is no other word, it is bad through and through. The loose ends aren’t tied up and the protagonists have no clue whether they are coming or going. The only fine thing is the w...

PIKU What a delight! What a treat! I had completely forgotten what it was to have a stitch in one's side from laughing.... well i was reminded by this movie and how. First and foremost the dialogue writer deserves a standing ovation! Oh My God! Each bit of repartee was priceless and had me holding my sides from laughing! The director is simply amazing. Soojit Sircar had us rolling in the aisles even with Vicky Donor, but this one is so good! And it is joining my list of often watched- lift me from the dumps movies.... Ala Chuke Chupke, Andaaz Apna Apna, Angoor, Golmaal- the ori ginal to name a few! Folks if you know any of the above mentioned, you shall know what to expect from Piku. Donot miss this one and certainly donot miss the beginning titles... it features a superb sitar composition. Deepika Padukone plays a loving daughter, whose life revolves around her Dad and her Dad is more than willing to keep her occupied. Other than this there is no perceptible storyline. ...