100 years of Paramount Pictures

Paramount Pictures just completed its 100 years!

To celebrate this mammoth milestone, they asked the California based design studio DKNG, run by Dan Kuhlken and Nathan Goldman, to create a limited edition screen print featuring 100 of their most iconic movies.

I wish you could see my reaction to this. I have a thought bubble over my head – where can I buy this print?

Not for sale!

 These 24″x36″ prints are only available to Paramount employees and not available for sale. Supersad! Just makes me wish I was connected to Paramount in someway too.

Guess the movie – a gaming exercise

We love the print but can’t buy it. However, we can always take its digital version and create an interesting exercise for the movie buffs.

100 years of Paramount Pictures - the digital print - click for a bigger version

A game to guess the movie title! And there are 100 movies to choose from.

The purpose of design is not always to serve everything on a palate to consume. I call it intelligent designing. Notice how this print doesn’t giveaway the title of a movie. It informs us about a list of 100 iconic movies by Paramount. Two hints already!

Moving to a particular movie title, the next hint is through a minimal graphic about that film. The year of movie release is last in the list of hints here. Interesting?

Add a timer and possibly, a custom scorecard and all the gaming elements are in place.

From hereon, we can customize the gaming experience to our taste. We can play this in teams competing against each other. Or assign a number of verbal clues about each film to make it more fun. For instance, the male lead of this movie dies by the end whereas the female lead survives. Which movie?

Great movies! Great print!

Which movies of these do you like? How will you personalize the game?

Waiting to hear your views on this one, in the comments section below.

Pixelonomics

Don't judge a movie by its trailer

I have hurt my balls several times as a child. And as any man would know, it is painful. For the sake of illustrating my upcoming point you should also know that I have had stitches on… well… my… pen(ahem)is, and once, they’ve come off too. And this is just one incident.

Yet if someone asked me to watch the first 30 minutes of Ra.One again, or relive all the pain I have ever had, I would have to think hard about it. And then, I still think I would choose the latter.

Now, I know what you’re going to say. ‘What were you thinking?’ or ‘No wonder you’re Parsi’. Why would one willingly put themselves through SRK? WHY Ra.One?

The answer is simple.

I fell for it. The hype. The names. The advertising. The publicity. The trailer. Yes, all of it.

But the trailer? See that’s the thing. A trailer used to be a small window into what the movie was going to offer. A slit. A window. A sneak peak (too tempting to not use). And so I thought, there’d be more. But sadly, there wasn’t.

The ultimate formula!

Producers have found an easy way out. Load the trailer with all the cool stuff. The jokes, the stunts, the dialogues, the actors, the songs. Don’t leave out any cool stuff. If we can’t shove it in the trailer, then leak it on the web and blame a pirate. People will think there’s so much more in the film.

I have fallen for the trailer so often. And this isn’t just an Indian problem anymore. The trailer for Rum Diary. Johnny Depp. Another Hunter S Thompson affair. AWWWEEESOOMMMEE!

NOT.

These two movies are merely a victim of timing of this post.

I have to admit, the Ra.One VFX looked good. On par with Hollywood. And I (I know, no one gives a &^%#) think we’re ready to tell stories with VFX. Just knowing, that VFX is a technique, not a plot.

TV shows suffer from the same plight. There used to be great programming.

The classics – Udaan, Nukkad, Bharat ek Khoj, Karamchand, etc.

The comedies – Yeh jo hai zindagi, Flop Show, Waghle ki duniya, etc.  

The family drama classics – Buniyaad, Dastaan, Parampara, Tara, etc.

The tween ones – Campus, Hip Hip Hurray, Giant Robot, etc.

The popcorn stuff – Philips Top 10, Kya Scene Hai, By Demand, etc.

The adaptations – Ji Mantriji, Zabaan Sambhal Ke, etc.

Again, just a few names. There were so many more. My point was that even the mediocre stuff was good. Today, we have trash on TV.

Most reality programmes only appeal and pander to the worst in us. Soaps today seem like they’re being translated for regions. Music channels focus less on music and more on the riff raff. Our comedies today, make me cry. The 24-hour news cycle has made journalists turn into story hounds.

Where is the stuff that challenges us?

Where is the stuff that inspires us?

Where is the stuff that makes us ‘feel’?

Where is the stuff that makes us think?

Is it just the audience to blame?

Give us options; let us choose. As an audience, we are seeking out international content, not because ‘we’re too cool for Indian shows’. It’s because there aren’t many good Indian shows, sadly.

Movies and TV shows, like A Wednesday, Dewarists, Do Dooni Chaar, Torrents (although, this is a property), show that we are looking for, am sorry, craving good content. And there is nothing wrong with it being in Hindi. It just needs to be GOOD. Yes, there are various interpretations of good. But there isn’t a single person (man, woman, husband, housewife, guy or girl), who proudly admits to watching to a soap or reality show. There’s always a caveat.

Try it. Ask someone, “Why are you watching this?” The answer will mostly come with a justification. ‘It’s not an everyday thing.’ ‘Only when I get the time.’ ‘It’s only on in the background.’ ‘No, am only following this season’.

So, why are we allowing ourselves to be judged only the morning after? How about an e-hunger strike for good programming, a la Anna Hazare?

Pixelonomics

Sensational Superstars of Bollywood - Rajesh Khanna

His popularity soared when there was little film journalism and no PR machinery

In times of Rajini Mania, when Amitabh Bachchan has charted new highs with KBC4 and SRK has even the Germans going gaga over him, the question of who is the biggest of them all remains as ever.

But long before fans erected temples and exchanged the now famous Rajini jokes, and the Bollywood media had split to pen paeans on Big B and SRK’s genius, there was a superstardom of a different kind.

It was when Rajesh Khanna rose to glory. And when he did, back in the late Sixties, the media’s penetration into the glam world was negligible. There was no PR machinery going full throttle with press coverage and advertisements. And the fan clubs were restricted to sporadic offline gatherings. Incredible as it was, Kaka’s spectacular ascent resulted by word of mouth.

The hysteria he created swept across ages, gender and genres. His movies ran to full houses and his following swelled each passing day. Be it his distinct sartorial sense, his dialogue delivery or his mannerisms, Rajesh Khanna was a pioneer in many sense. It wouldn’t be wrong to call him the complete superstar.

The pin up boy

Khanna’s gentle looks, disarming smile and that famous tilt of the head did wonders for his female following. And with Kishore Kumar’s dreamy voice for playback, this was just what the doctor ordered. With the sensuous Roop Tera Mastana, enthralling Pyaar Deewana Hota Hai and the timeless O Mere Dil Ke Chain Rajesh Khanna, became — and remains — the King of Romance.

Anecdotes about the Kaka hysteria abound. Movie magazine once reported in the 1990s how disappointed his female fans were when Rajesh Khanna married Dimple Kapadia. One girl even named her pup after Dimple and would kick her.

Style Guru

If Kaka made women go weak in their knees, he made men imitate his distinct style. Be it the Gorkha topi from Aradhana (1969) or the round collared short guru kurtas or the mufflers, Khanna was a fashion icon in his own sense. The experiments with his looks — the smart defence officer avatar in Aradhana, the brooding persona in Do Raaste (1969) or the dhoti-clad Bengali babu in Amar Prem (1972) — they were all loved by the audience.

Stardom supernova

Rajesh Khanna debuted in the year 1964 with Chetan Anand’s critically acclaimed Aakhri Khat and it was three years later, in 1969, that he hit the jackpot. The dream run that began with Aradhana continued with Do Raaste, Kati Patang (1971), Anand (1971), Amar Prem (1972), Daag (1973), Aap Ki Kasam (1974) and Roti (1974).

Rajesh Khanna & Mumtaz

He not only tasted box office success during this time but also rendered some of his finest performances. Be it the chilling portrayal of a convict on the run (Ittefaq, 1969) or the depressed mental patient in Khamoshi (1970), Khanna managed intense roles very effectively. He was equally comfortable playing emotionally challenging characters and his work in Safar (1970), Avishkaar (1973) and Anand (1971) exemplify this. Even though he worked in close association with directors like Shakti Samanta and Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Khanna’s sweeping success at the box office was marked with collaborations with all the top filmmakers of the era like Manmohan Desai (Saccha Jhutha 1970; Roti), J Om Prakash (Aap Ki Kasam, 1974; Aakhir Kyon, 1985) and Yash Chopra (Daag, 1973). He romanced almost all the leading ladies of his time though his jodi with Sharmila Tagore and Mumtaz remains enviable till date. Called his golden period, there was just no stopping for Khanna till 1974.

Like every transient phenomenon, the stardom supernova had run its course. Failing movies, a flagging career, emergence of fresh faces slowly took the sheen off Kaka’s face. Since then, reams have been dedicated to Khanna’s dramatic downfall and his disappointing career moves.

But what stands out is his meteoric rise. The adulation he earned was pure, just like the joy he gave movie goers. The joy that will outlive his time. And to quote the parting lines from his most famous film Anand, “Anand maraa nahi, Anand marte nahin.”

Pixelonomics

The Social Network Movie Review

Let me start with the very obvious thought that had come to my mind, when I first heard about the movie. It must be a bad movie! I mean, it is awkward to imagine a movie on ‘facebook’ and ‘interesting’ in the same sentence. Well actually it works, interestingly – and at many levels.

It is definitely a movie that speaks of the current age but more on that later.

The Plotline

In 2003, Harvard University student Mark Zuckerberg creates a website called “Facemash” to rate the attractiveness of female Harvard undergraduates. The site is a runaway success, getting 22,000 hits in less than two hours and crashes Harvard’s server.

Punished with academic probation, Mark gets himself a job as the programmer for the website, Harvard Connection, initiated by Winklevoss twins. However, Mark in partnership with his friend, Eduardo, takes the idea further and launches what he calls “TheFacebook”.

With the growing popularity of The Facebook, they expand to other schools. Soon, Mark and Eduardo meet Napster co-founder Sean Parker, who suggests that they drop “The” from “TheFacebook”. Facebook shifts base to Palo Alto and gets its first investment from an Angel Investor, again through Parker’s contacts.

Andrew Garfield in the Social Network

On the face of it

It looks like a plain and uninspiring story, doesn’t it? Actually, this is more or less the story known to many of us about Facebook. And that is the reason I have purposely left a lot of key points, unsaid here. These are the points that make for a great movie viewing experience with The Social Network.

This movie sets its tone at the very outset and takes no time in coming to the point. Even the narrative structure is very smartly executed with storylines interjecting with each other from time to time. Let me state here that executing broken timelines in terms of screenplay is a very big challenge.

But Aaron Sorkin leaves no room for dull moments, adapting his screenplay from Ben Mezrich’s 2009 nonfiction book The Accidental Billionaires. His choice of dialogues is very unique. Look out for rapid-fire dialogues; they are a good showcase of Sorkin’s genius writing style. “You’re not an a***ole, you’re just trying so hard to be”.

Even though the film is about facebook, don’t expect it to have a wall post you could simply read and decipher. Like David Fincher’s previous works, “Se7en” and “Fight Club”, the focus stays on things behind the scenes. Stuff like greed, deception and friendship gets a lot of mentions. If you have followed his style of filmmaking, you would understand when I say that this film is truly a Fincher film.

The cinematography of this film is absolutely brilliant. Fincher, with his director of photography Jeff Cronenweth, captures a distinct look like his previous films. Shot using the RED one camera, the framing and lighting is simply incredible. At the same time, the focal point of every scene is kept intact. If one was to convert random frames from the movie into a photograph and enter a contest, the results are obvious.

Though the cast consists of new-comers or unknowns, the movie is an acting powerhouse. Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg deserves a special mention. Known mostly for his comic roles till now, Eisenberg excels as a cold and calculated anti-hero whose ambitions are beyond the ordinary. Andrew Garfield as his best friend and co-founder of Facebook, is very true to his sympathetic character. These are the actors to watch out for in the coming years!

Even Justin Timberlake surprises you as the bankrupt Napster founder, Sean Parker. Arnie Hammer is remarkable in double role of Winklevoss twins.

Extra doses

• David Fincher was under contract to keep this movie’s running time close to two hours. For the same, he asked his actors to deliver their dialogues at a faster pace.
• Two unrelated actors were chosen for the role of Winklevoss twins. However, in the movie, we only see Arnie Hammer. This is because Arnie Hammer was shot speaking the lines of both the brothers and interlaced using CGI.

Conclusion

I think it is a great irony that the creator of the ultimate social networking platform lost acceptance from everyone that once befriended him. It is rightly said that greed sees nothing else. And when it does, being at the top becomes all the more lonely. With so many youngsters turning entrepreneurs, this should prove to be a significant film.

Ambitions and aspirations make for a good economy but relationships make for a great society.

Pixelonomics

Anjaana Anjaani: Movie Review

First things first, it’s not a sequel to Inception!

The makers didn’t promise any path breaking cinema here. Infact, as I see it, the promos promised nothing, to an extent I felt that one might enter a cinema hall with no expectations at all. It is supposed to be a romantic comedy!

The plotline

Taking clue from the recent US stock market crash, the story takes off on a fairly bitter note. With a huge loan to repay and countless questions to answer, Akash (Ranbir Kapoor) decides to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge. Here he runs into Kiara (Priyanka Chopra), who is also wishing to end her life, owing to a failed relationship. Numerous attempts to end their lives later, they choose to believe that something is not letting them die. Eventually, they decide to fulfil their unfinished wishes in the coming days and end their lives on the New Year’s Eve.

Siddharth Anand (Salaam Namaste, Ta ra rum pum, Bachna ae haseeno) has always been at an ease with rom-coms. However this time, he has gone ahead with a plot that many would think twice before attempting. In bare words, Anjaana Anjaani is a film that starts with suicide attempts, with just two main characters and has no sub plots to talk of. Let us try naming one Bollywood commercial outing that has dared to do that, can we?

Finally, does the film work? Of course, it does. Even with such a seemingly negative plot base, not once do you feel depressed through the film. This attempt needs to be lauded, not only for being gutsy enough, but for making it equally entertaining and refreshing.

This film does take time to grow on you, for two prime reasons.  First, given the fact that it is a romantic film, it doesn’t have a stereotypical start. Second, the story unfolds at its own relaxed pace. One thing that will hit you instantly, in a nice way, is the electrifying chemistry between the lead pair. Even with the worst of the scenes, with no great dialogues, that very chemistry will make you smile.

For instance the car theft scene had nothing great about it, but Ranbir and Priyanka kept it lively no matter what. Or notice their first encounter on the bridge. You can’t help but giggle everytime Priyanka throws her line! The sea and the stripping sequence in the second half of the movie is sure to have everyone in splits. The graph of interesting moments keeps varying from scene to scene, probably as it does in real life.

At no point of time in the movie, does the movie touch an extreme. No loud lectures, no depressing interjections. It displays subtle emotions all through, with smile coming back to your face, every now and then.

Mamta Anand, with help from her husband (Siddharth), has managed to sketch a decent screenplay. Dialogues are fantastic and witty, where required. It is Siddharth Anand’s excellent direction that takes the film to new heights. He is well supported and complimented by the DoP (Ravi K. Chandran). The locations of America (New York, San Francisco and Las Vegas) have a slick look throughout. Visual appeal adds a lot to the freshness of this film. With arrival of winter, costumes should set new trends.

Vishal-Shekhar have done a terrific job once again. Music is another highlight of the film. “Tu na jaane aas paas hai khuda” is a brilliantly composed track. Background score by Salim-Sulaiman adds to the romantic quotient of the film all through.

Ranbir and Priyanka, as I said before, are in terrific form this time! The beauty of an actor is to underplay his character effectively whenever required and Ranbir does the same. Every major moment in the film clearly shows his arrogance and confusion as Akash. This can easily be counted as one of the best performances of Priyanka Chopra. Her emotional outbursts and exuberance have just the right blend required for this character. Surprisingly, even Zayed Khan does a pleasant job. Character actors were decent.

Final Words

Amazing music, superb performances and impressive direction: it is a terrific new-age romantic flick, with freshness and simplicity in abundance.

Entertainment: 4/5

Technical: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

P.S. This movie has an amazing message subtly infused. Try noticing and make use of it. Cheers!

Pixelonomics

Bollywood item numbers: from Monica to Munni

Introduction

If the term item number was a fashion label, it would have been the one whose distinction has moved from haute couture to prêt-à-porter. What began and remained the exclusive domain of a select few for years has now turned into a regular fare for every Bolly babe — stars and starlets alike.

Making a gradual progression from cabarets, kothaas, discos and now almost everywhere — even a train top — item numbers have become an essential part of Bollywood.

An item number, in its earliest avatar, wasn’t endorsed by leading ladies. Only vamps or dancers making special appearances graced these tracks until a decade or two ago. The first major dancing star was Cuckoo who ruled the cabaret scene in the Forties and Fifties.

Maybe because of the era’s social dynamics — or perhaps it was a novelty that filmmakers introduced an unconventional face —this petite Anglo-Indian danced her way into Bombay filmdom. Cuckoo’s vivacious demeanour and lusty moves were completely in sync with the playful dance numbers she starred in — cabaret, club and party. Be it enticing a sloshed Prem Nath in that mesmeric dance sequence in Aan (1952) or prettily pirouetting to Kabhi Haar Kabhi Jeet in Shabistan (1951), she had her moves for all occasions.

Cuckoo’s mantle was taken up by her protégé, Helen, who went on to become the undisputed tsarina of cabaret. The very affable Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu (Howrah Bridge, 1958) was Helen’s highroad to Bollywood. An instant crowd puller, a Helen sequence in a movie guaranteed full house – a phenomenon unseen for any vamp preceding or succeeding her.

Helen, An instant crowd puller

And then came Helen

If transformation was an art, Helen perfected it. She could be the sexy siren calling for her lover in Piya Tu Ab Toh aaja (Caravan, 1971), the avenging angel in Yeh Mera Dil (Don, 1978) or the gorgeous gypsy queen shimmying unabashedly to Mehbooba in Sholay (1975) — all with equal ease.

With her seductive semblance and alluring adaa, Helen played high on male fancy. Her performances filled the fantasy void that the pristine leading ladies of that era could have never attempted. Dressed in a deep-cut blouse and Koli fisherwoman-styled low waist sari, she enticed men sitting in a ratty bar (Mungda, in Inkaar, 1977) with as much élan as she did the cigar smoking firangs with her embellished eyes, fanciful feathers and sequined skin-tight dress in Aa Jaane Jaan in Intequam (1969). Never shy to experiment, Helen’s dramatic eye makeup, flashy ensembles and outlandish props accentuated the feel of her songs.

Helen’s songs gave Bollywood a real taste of hedonism, and Bindu and Aruna Irani’s tracks took it to the next level. With a shocking sartorial sense and candour to match, Bindu was the temptress waiting to unleash. Remember her tantalising act in Mera Naam Shabnam Hai (Kati Patang, 1970) where she teased and agonised the film’s heroine Asha Parekh? Or how she heaved, pouted and purred at a brooding Amitabh Bachchan in the riveting Dil Jalon Ka Dil Jalaa Ke (Zanjeer, 1973). Don’t forget the Arabian Nights style seduction song Aa Ke Dard Jawaan Hai (Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye). Mona Darling was indeed a tigress on the prowl.

Coming to Aruna Irani, her ivory skin and hourglass figure made her the fragile femme fatale of the Seventies. Gliding like a dream through the silky notes of Main Shayar Toh Nahin (Bobby, 1973), Aruna exuded elfin exuberance. Mujraa and qawaalli being her specialty, the action of these dance numbers soon shifted to kothaas. Kathak infused with Irani’s coquettish charm resulted in perfect recipes like Sham-e-furqat Ka Dhal Gayaa (Sanyasi), Kahin Se Koi (Bhoola Bhatka, 1976) and of course the all-time remix fav, Thoda Resham Lagtaa Hai (Jyoti, 1969).

Each of these dancing queens heightened the song n’ dance routine with their unique specialty so much so that it needed only them or their kind to achieve the desired result. So every time there was a Kaisey Kat’ti Hai Raat (Gaon Hamara Shaher Tumhara, 1972), there was a Padma Khanna to seduce; or a Kalpana Iyer — dressed in blinds styled poncho, shiny hot pants and high-heeled boots — and going jiggy to an Auva Auva (Disco Dancer, 1983) under the sparking disco lights a la Saturday Night Fever.

Long before India’s economic liberalisation, it hit the sensibilities of the Indian filmmakers, actors, and, in the process, the average cinegoer. With the Eighties arrived a new breed of sirens cavorting in their boldest best. Sexy, sassy and at par with the dancing divas, this brigade has been recruiting ever since.

Parveen Babi - Shaan in 1980

When Heroines took over

The trend of heroines appearing in masaaledaar tracks that began with the likes of Zeenat Aman (Qurbani in 1980, Shalimar in 1978), Parveen Babi (Shaan in 1980, Namak Halaal in 1982) and Rekha (Jaanbaaz in 1986) was taken forward by Madhuri Dixit (Khalnayak in 1993, Shailaab in 1990), Urmila Matondkar (China Gate in 1998, Lajja in 2001), Raveena Tandon (Rakshak in 1996, Ghaath in 2000) and Sonali Bendre (Bombay, 1995) in the next generation.

In the new millennium, every major and minor actress gracing the silver screen has had a special performance — by now known as item number — in her kitty. Right from Koena Mitra to Katrina Kaif, Shilpa Shetty to Kareena Kapoor — each one of them has succumbed to the lure of an item number.

As for the performances, they come in all flavours: There’s a shocking Sexy Sexy rechristened Baby Baby, due to a controversy (Khuddar, 1994), a rustic UP Bihar Lootne (Shool, 1999), a smoky Mahi Ve (Kaante, 2002), a wild Khallas (Company, 2002), a flirty Kajraa Re (Bunty Aur Babli, 2005) and an exotic Maiyya Maiyya (Guru, 2007).

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan doing a Kajra re

Hence one doesn’t need a Bindu to swing to Beedi (Omkara, 2006) as Bipasha is right here to take care of it. For every Aruna, there is an Aishwarya. For every Padma there is a Priyanka. And for every Helen there’s a Malaika, who incidentally is the former’s step-daughter-in-law. Sure, there are item number specialists like Malaika Arora-Khan herself, Yana Gupta and Rakhi Sawant, but they haven’t been able to hold the slot exclusively.

An item number, in its early form, began like a Gharana culture — reminiscent of a specific system and style. But now it has opened up to all and sundry with the resultant focus shifting to packaging. So there is an experimental Chaiyyan Chaiyyan (Dil Se, 1998) happening on the top of a train, or a Munni Badnaam (Dabangg, 2010) with the most outlandish lyrics, or even an item boy out to woo the female audience in Dard-e-disco (Om Shanti Om, 2007). If that isn’t all, global artistes like Samantha Fox, Tata Young and Kylie Minogue, too, make sporadic entry to add a ‘new’ dimension to an item number.

Malaika Arora Khan doing the recent hit "Munni Badnaam"

Final words

Sure, there’s loads of gloss being introduced but with the sheer number taking over, the one thing that has gone missing is soul. Most of these item songs and item girls enter into the picture for no rhyme and rhythm. Agreed the songs are peppy; the energy is infectious and the girls are fabulous to look at, but very few have a timeless feel to them.

Rarely does one find a theatrical Aaj Ki Raat Koi Aane Ko Hai (Anamika, 1973) with tales interwoven to it, or the mysterious undertones of Oh Haseena Zulfon Waali (Teesri Manzil, 1966), or the looming helplessness a Husn Ke Laakhon Rang (Johnny Mera Naam, 1970) displays, when Padma Khanna performs a striptease.

Each of these dance numbers were sizzlers of the top order with the most scintillating women appearing in them — yet with a sense of reason. And that, perhaps, made all the difference.

Pixelonomics