Is Junooniyat watchable?...ummmmm...HELL NO!

What translates into Obsession is actually referred to as a "2016 romantic Indian Bollywood film" in Wikipedia but spend 20 minutes with the content and you will agree that there is very little the director seems to obsessed with apart from trying to stretch a story. Actually, the story is not bad but the eventual dish that is served is sprinkled with mediocre songs and poorly imagined background music and a plot let loose in such a way that you question whether this was worthy of spending your money - I did not spend any as I saw the 2016 movie on a TV channel. Pulkit Samrat isn't that bad but when the story is as fragmented as India's socio-economic policies, with nobody bothering to hold it together, you cannot blame the guy for seeming so weirdly positioned. Pulkit does not look like the leading man in the movie and still occupies considerable screen time. His pairing with Yami Gautam was spoken about by my friends and I had heard the same on FM Delhi stations but she fails miserably as a lady who would self-annihilate if she does not get her man. The music score is without an impact. The lyrics seem OK but when the vocals of singers who have not paid their dues gym-style, you cannot connect with it - that also sums-up the impact the movie made on me - just could not join the dots, leave alone walking the dotted line!

Reviewing Junooniyat for No Apparent Reason - Just Proves My Dumbass Credentials

This movie needed a cast that could portray the obsession that is love like a disease that takes over your mind. This intensity is missing, in fact, it seems to have been totally ignored. Supporting cast does not try to add humor which is good in a way but then, we could have used some breaks from Pulkit looking like Yash Raj Film hero even as he serves and protects the nation. Yami tries too hard in places to cry and force you to believe that she is a damsel who can slit her wrists if love enchanted is taken away. Does she fit the bill? Not really. Yami looks beautiful but does not convince you. Pulkit seems too restrained, as if afraid of acting too much which in turn, might expose anything he is trying to hide. His performance is passive in a way while Yami seems intent of being the enforcer. The story idles a bit too much after the first 30 minutes. There is some lost momentum regained as the marriage party-crashing cast meets the American Desi types. The closing minutes again don't rekindle that the hero and his lady yearn for each other - they seem to have given a good performance but then this alone has never really helped a movie make money, has it?

Weekend watch worthy: NO

CD watch worthy: NO

Laptop watch worthy: NO

First half watch worthy: YES

Disappointed? YES

Impressed? NO 

Can be recommended: NO

Can be forgotten: YES...please! 

Old World Zit Buster that Still Works: Mycoderm, Siloderm

Most of you might already know this – Iodine is one of the most effective topical medicines. You can use it for a wide array of skin problems including serious gnashes, scraping, tissue damage, etc. However, one utility that is seldom discussed is it useful for handling those plan-ruining zits that pop out every now and then. I have used it as an overnight application and the results are rather good. You can use it and step outside since most iodine ointments have this yellowish coloration that is quite strong. The one I use is called Cipladine and it is very easily available. You don’t need a prescription for it. Just dab it on the ugliness called pimples and leave it overnight. The next day, the inflammation would have reduced remarkably and the head of the zit might be fully mature for the ultimate pop and clean routine. Don’t use too much of this medication since it is mainly meant for wounds and not acne treatment.

Pain Lies in the Mind of the Beholder: Your Pain Can Be An Emotional Manager

This can be a bit tricky to describe and might seem absolutely non-sensible, so please bear with me for a moment. I believe in categorizing life and things that fill-up my wife to manage life. This includes pain, anxiety and grief too. I vouch for pain often being an integral part of helping us live better. I call this subtle pain and though it might seem just a memory to some of you, it plays a very active role in moderating our decisions and behavior. For instance, the subtle pain you experience every time you start a new gymming regimen reminds you that all those times you stopped, to restart again, meant that you would have to go through the initial, conditioning soreness.

Lenovo 780: Not Outperforming, Staying Loyal and Real

These are two phones that I found yesterday in my drawer. Immediately, flashbacks hit my mind. These old guys belong to an era where it was about solidity over gorilla glass, grip over RAM, aesthetics over slim, sleek profile. Like bigger, really big bodybuilders from the 90s, these not-so-smart smartphones had it all but one thing...that is? They did not evolve at the right time. The result is their premature death though Blackberry are still to be found in the hands of some folks who took a vow never to leave their faithful friend...

Lenovo 780: Not Outperforming, Staying Loyal and Real

‘Keep it Real’…they often say when trying to humble down a person. I am from the same line of thought. I like doing things in a simpler, uncluttered manner. I was never in the favor of buying a touchscreen phone. I still vouch for my two BlackBerrys. I love their keypad and the easier typing makes life so easy. However, not having a touch surface mobile phone also means looking like the odd one in a room full of people quick to pass judgments. I did little homework but bought something that promised a longer battery life, a sturdier exterior and a reasonably updated interface. The Lenovo 780 filled this small list of criteria. The phone isn’t great by any standards. However, it does not have any discernible flaw either. The Android interface is undemanding to use, the battery life is extremely good and the built can withstand my rough handling.

My Blackberry: End of an Era 

Sadly, like most good things in life, the good old BlackBerry with is typing-patronizing keypad seems to be on its way out. Every other day, there is some news about the company being overtaken or worse, being merged or sold in a way where only the technologies owned by BlackBerry developers would be retained but not the designing element. I have always adored the BlackBerry’s keypad being a heavy typer. I love the feeling of surety and absolute conviction delivered by these handsets. In fact, I wonder what choices people like me have in today’s world? I mean, folks who prefer full QWERTY keypads instead of those touchy-touchy huge screens.

Breathing Deep: the Simplest Way to Calm Yourself

Call this Anxiety Management in a jiffy but yes it is true and comes without the fear of side-effects or addiction fears - the things we associate with conventional and modern prescription drugs for anxiety, IBS, depression, obsessive thinking...



Personal Anxiety Management Experiences

I have to confess that I am an anxious soul. I don’t get flustered easily but a sense of uneasiness often overcomes me. I have tried anti-anxiety medications too. Called anxiolytics, these medications are supposed to slow down the release of chemicals that induce a sense of anxiousness. However, I didn’t find these to be too helpful. What has helped is a very simple change I have made to my everyday existence—breathing in a more relaxed manner.

Read about Anxiety Management in the Easiest Way: No Meds, Just Pinch Yourself

Browsing the web, I realized that most of us don’t breathe right. When anxious, this problem worsens as we breathe even more shallowly. I decoded this pattern in my daily life too. Every time I got into an over-thinking mode, my breathing was laboured. I would inhale air in huge bouts and gasps. The consistent smooth breathing pattern was missing. According to researchers, shallow breathing is both a result and cause of anxiety.

Read about Defeating Anxiety Using the Exhale Quick & Strong Approach - It Works!!

It starts when you feel anxious and it also stimulates anxiety symptoms like headaches, acidity or that burning feeling in the stomach. I have put a simple practice into motion. Whenever I feel overworked or getting restless, I shun my work for a minute and start breathing deeper, drawing in more air and exhaling it slowly. The idea is to make your breathing more relaxed. The results are better than depending upon Valium or Prozac.

To take this discussion further, you might want to read about my anxiety management approach during Mornings

LIARS: So Pulled Back Hair is About Minimal Styling?

This realization came up in the most unexpected manner. I have been cleaning my D drive, knowing it is home to documents and files that wouldn’t do justice even to a dustbin. I was going through an images folder and came across my winter pics. I was wearing a cap that was slightly pulled back. As I zoomed in, it seemed that my face appeared tauter than it actually is. A few more images and I realized the reason – the tight cap had pulled back my forehead and skin around the eyebrows, creating the much-adored effect.

How did I make the connection?
You must have read about my morning schedule on this blog. Well, it includes surfing through the physical newspaper. Obviously, being a guy, I pause involuntarily when pages of exotic models and female celebrities show up. Today, I saw a model wearing her hair tightly pulled back. I joined the dots with my morning realization and concluded that the pulled back hair isn’t a fashion statement as such. It is more of a concealer, an illusion that women indulge in to pull back their skin and instantly lift their facial muscles to look younger.

Something similar is done in Forehead Lift or Eyebrow Lift. The surgeon makes small incisions to pull up the facial skin and pins it to a higher point. The excess skin is cut off and the entire face loses about a decade of ageing. This is something I have seen on many women, especially those above the 35+ age bracket and this trick actually helps to flatten the facial skin, making it more regular, tightening-up any frown lines or those troughs around the eyebrows and scowling marks. By now, you must also be getting a drift of why I lose friends when I share my observations…

Why this sudden global fascination with Brown?

I heard my father call out in the morning, “Where are my brown walking shoes?” Somehow, I got the feeling that my sub-conscience has had an overdose of brown in the recent past. However, I could not trace back this feeling to the cause. Later, sitting on the pot, I realized what it was about the colour brown that had occupied my mind. It seems that lately many of the bigger brands are fascinated by the Metallic Brown shade. Every new release, from the Samsung Galaxy 5 to the new Renault Duster and upcoming Mercedes models curated for our marketplace are being showcased in this shade. Why this sudden interest towards the Metallic Brown hue and how come this fashion sensibility seems to have emerged simultaneously across totally unrelated brands?

The Colonial Hangover: Should the British Pay for their past?

I was just reading the riots that have ravaged north African nations. Although the battles are being fought between ethnic communities, including native tribes and Islamic extremists, a thought came to my mind—most of these nations were under occupation. They were either ruled by the British or the Spanish and French. It seems that most colonized nations have a sad history to share and many of them are struggling with their freedom. Colonizing powers that occupied these lands probably didn’t think it was necessary to create a system of governance that would survive when they eventually exited. Or they believed that they would rule forever. The conclusion is that being ruled for hundreds of years can make your thinking and decision making redundant. Do you remember Uma Thurman in Kill Bill?In the first part, when Uma is in hospital, she is badly paralyzed. Her muscles have gone dead due to lying in a hospital bed for the last four years. Something similar has happened to the formerly occupied nations. They seem to have lost the sense that is required to handle freedom or create a democracy. While we can sit here and point out their mistakes, what about the colonial powers that quietly receded to their respective landscapes without taking any responsibility for handicapping their occupied territories. Is there any chance for accountability and ownership for the damage done? This mind sound somewhat over-the-top but there are undeniable studies that conclude to say that even today, many now-independent nations continue to compensate for the losses incurred in terms of a halted progress story during the colonial regime. Another fact that surfaced rather recently about the UK, the center of all things colonial, points to the brown and darker-skinned people outnumbering the real inhabitants - some sort of sweet justice that has taken a long, long time coming?

Hannibal: The TV Series, really cooking humans?

The second season of Hannibal is currently being aired by AXN. I have to confess, I have a liking for things that are gore and somewhat extreme. I loved the movie predecessor to this series, i.e. Silence of the Lambs. I think the direction was simple and thus, so brilliant. Special effects could not have made the impact that actual actors and real backgrounds did. Coming to Hannibal, the TV series was impressive in its first season.

When Deepika Padukone Betrayed Us & Then Won Us Back!

[This is from one of my earlier blogging attempts, somewhere in 2015]: 

Last night, saw the new Kellogg’s [now old since am a very poor TV viewer] advertisement again where Deepika Padukone can be seen peddling the notion that being reed-thin, being skeletal, on the verge of becoming malnutrition-ed can make you feel special since you have a teeny-weenie waistline! I was not shocked to see this advertisement since the standards for choosing brands or endorsing promotional ideas have already dipped too low to be redeemed. Can you remember King Khan said that his skin-fairness cream played a hand in his success? However, I did not expect this from Deepika.

Still have reasons to Like Deepika Padukone but Wish She had Thought Better!

Always thought of her as someone far too sensible to just abandon her senses for a bit of easy money. But then, morals, values and consideration are not part of the celebrity business, are they? As for ladies who have taken to this advertisement seriously—please understand that a thin, bony waistline doesn’t really turn on anyone. Eat healthily and smile more to “feel special”. Her penchant for staying wafer thin is very visible. Just view the party song 'Delhi Wali Girlfriend' - her waist is literally a wafer which looks very crackable and eatable BTW!

[This is from today, i.e. February 16th, 2018]: How Deepika won us back? Deepika does not have the usual body image issues despite her confessing to almost fanatical levels of anxiety and that she took medicines for the same. Recently, perhaps after the medicinal dosage, she has started to smile and laugh in a lot more convincing, organic manner. Just look at her advertisement with Siddharth Malhotra for OPPO phones - that smile towards the end of the clip is precious. In a big way, Deepika redeemed herself by opening-up about psychological issues and that we tend to ignore them or feel very hesitant in talking about them, and this could not be truer for our Bollywood stars whose life, I feel, is fueled by physical and emotional struggles no matter how rich or well placed they are in the industry.