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ratan-sethi
Reviews
MasterChef (2010)
If you enjoy cooking, skip this and watch Masterchef Australia
After having recently watched Season 2 of Masterchef Australia, I was excited that the US version was going to be aired. The fact that the show was a disappointment would be putting it very mildly. While the format of the Australia version was all about getting the audience excited about cooking, learning and experimenting, rooting for their favorite amateur cooks, this one left me stone cold. It almost seemed like all they wanted to do was get it over with. 8 episodes? Why even bother? The judges were annoying. As much as I love Gordon Ramsey's restaurants, I am not a fan of him on television. In the first few episodes he almost seemed to have walked out of the sets of Hell's Kitchen and walked in here. Towards the end, we saw a comparatively gentler side. As a dear friend of mine always says "Food equals Love". There's no need to scream in a cooking show. The other two judges were completely devoid of personality. On second thoughts it was a good thing that there were only 8 episodes. I couldn't have possibly sat through more.
If you haven't watched the other franchisees, maybe the show is watchable. If you have, it really is pathetic.
Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. (2007)
Feelin' good!
I was very excited about watching Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. until the reviews came out and made it sound like another mediocre Bollywood movie. Well, let me tell you my friends, the movie is anything but mediocre! In fact its one of most endearing movies I have seen in a while. All through the film I had a big smile on my face with many laugh-out-loud moments. Which may have been caused by Boman Irani's accent and twinkle in his eye, Kay Kay's (award winning) Bengali prudeness followed by the 'Sajnaji Vari Vari' jig or the oh-so-perfectly-synchronized couple with the big secret etc. The movie has its dramatic moments also that are compelling - no melodrama and no under-playing either, resulting in just the right impact.
Every story holds your interest (admittedly some more than others) and the characters are as flesh and blood as they can get. The casting is perfect resulting in believable performances. I watched the movie a second time and noticed the little things that I had missed the first time, which lead the viewer to the surprise elements. Reema Kagti's attention to detail made my respect for her direction, one notch higher. Not to forget the thumbprint of the hugely talented Farhan Akhtar.
'Honeymoon Travels' is not flawless but the flaws are few and far between and can be forgiven. Its a movie that made me believe that you don't have to have big budgets, big stars, gloss and pretentious movie makers to entertain. The most important thing is that the movie should have a soul. Great job team of Honeymoon Travels! We want more!!
Amu (2005)
Amu - seriously good cinema .....
I was initially hesitant about watching Amu because movies with a backdrop of communal riots don't sit well with me. However, I had heard good things about the film and for that reason I also did not want to miss it.
Amu is a film about a young, adopted girl on a quest to find her birth parents. Kaju, played by Konkona Sen Sharma, lives in LA and is visiting India to be with her mother's family. During her visit she is also trying to get more information about her real parents, who she knows nothing about. The journey to find out her identity has her come across the characters played by Yashpal Sharma and Ankur Khanna, who help take her to each lead and finally to a point where she discovers her history. A history that is tied to the 1984 communal riots.
Amu is also about Kaju's relationship with her mother who is trying to keep the truth from her.
Shonali Bose does a fabulous job in telling the story and keeping the viewer glued to the screen. The cast was obviously selected very carefully. Konkona is completely believable as the young NRI. Brinda Karat as the mother puts in a wonderful performance, besides looking gorgeous! Ankur Khanna is perfect as the brooding, cynical Kabir, who gets exposed to a life he is completely unfamiliar with. Yashpal Sharma makes you laugh and makes you cry. The Bengali family as well as Kabir's parents are all people most Indians would have come across.
In conclusion all I have to say is that Amu rocks! It's a movie thats been made from the heart .... don't miss it.