Monday, September 3, 2012

Ladies vs. Ricky Behl: Unfair review

The official banner for LVRB
Ladies vs. Ricky Behl was as good as Band Baaja Baarat. Why then would majority of reviewers diss this film as a dud. Yes, the chemistry between Anushka and Ranvir was not as obvious as it was in BBB. But then, the thing about LVRB is that most of the actors get a LOT of footage (it can be argued that there just wasn't enough time for the chemistry to grow as it did in BBB). So while Ranveer is the clear 'hero' of the film, there is no real heroine. The other three ladies--Parineeti Chopra (very nice), Dipannita Sharma (nicely done), and Aditi Sharma (good) have tremendous screen time and all three have made the most of it.

So why is it that most reviews were negative or just meh? I believe it the Bollywood Brats & Parents Lobby. This consists of some talented and some not talented star kids and their over protective/ambitious star parents putting (pleasurable) pressure on these bikau critics and buying bad reviews for somebody like Ranveer Singh because he is just too much of a threat. The guy says he wanted to be a star since he was a kid and I believe him -- he has it all decent looks, a great body, and above all -- tremendous acting talent. He is a Bombay dude who plays a Delhi guy so convincingly that he had a hard time convincing people that he was born and lives in Mumbai. The poor guy does not seem to have a film release in 2012 but he has three coming up in 2013. No matter how much pressure this BPPL lobby puts on him, I'm pretty sure he is going to bounce right back.

A few words about the ladies then --
Anushka Sharma
Anushka has a good future for her but she needs to step out of the sort of similar roles that she seems to be picking up -- her role as Shruti Kakkar in BBB was a more aggressive and city-bred version of Tani Sahni she played in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. The role in LVRB was somewhere in between. But the girl has got scope. She also needs to take care of her weight. She is not yet anorexic but is just about a kilo or so from it -- she looked the best in RNBDJ -- she had a butt to envy then.
Parineeti Chopra
Parineeti Chopra has the potential to become a force to reckon with in Bollywood. However, this Ambala lass too needs to get out of doing only one kind of roles fast. LVRB's Dolly could have wandered into Ishaqzaade and nobody would have noticed. She is going to be starring next in Maneesh Sharma's next (director of BBB, LVRB). Let's hope he shows us another great side of her.

Dipannita Sharma -- I'm not sure she will pursue roles eagerly (she is married to an industrialist) but she does have scope. I can say the same about Aditi Sharma (I have liked her in most of her ads).
Dipannita Sharma
Aditi Sharma







Friday, August 31, 2012

Childbirth in Indian nursing homes: Inhuman and degrading

For most women in India, the process of giving birth is degrading, inhuman, and cruel -- especially when they give birth in nursing homes. It sounds weird that a home birth should be better, but it is true.

Even today, a lot of women in rural India opt for childbirth at home and I believe they are happier. They are surrounded by women who wipe their brow, massage their backs, and give succor and encouragement in whatever way possible. They are not surrounded by coldhearted disillusioned nurses and doctors who treat them like a piece of meat -- or worse -- as if they have sinned (they are known to make comments like "oh I am sure you enjoyed the sex, now enjoy the pain too).

The nurses are a breed in themselves. From the minute they take you into the labour room, they treat you with utter disdain. They will shove an enema down your arse like they would do to a buffalo. They shave your privates with little regard to your delicate parts. They ask you to clamber on to the labour table and offer no assistance when you have to use a footstool to get there. They don't let you walk around even if you feel like. They do not let you sit up while pushing or even while you are cramping up. They will not hold your hand or offer one kind word when you are in the middle of the worst pain of your life.

Most doctors in India will not offer you pain management.

Most likely your gynecologist will enter the labour room only after the head of the child is visible (if it is a natural delivery). Most will give you pitocin even if you are having regular contractions just to 'finish the damned thing.' Most will give you an episiotomy even if you don't need one for the same reason.

Here is what happened to me: My water broke at home. I started having regular contractions -- every 15 minutes or so. Went to the hospital. The main gynecologist would not see me at such an early stage -- the assistant started me on pitocin even when i told her i had regular cramps. The nurses treated me exactly how I have described above. At one time I asked one of the nurses to hold my hand and she told me we don't do that. That utter humiliation plays out again and again in my mind even today. The pitocin made me cramp so violently that I delivered in 2 hours -- I had a third degree episiotomy, which has damaged my pelvic floor permanently. If I ever need to look normal down there, I need corrective surgery. My episiotomy stitches tore on the third day -- so my vagina is actually now a gaping hole.

I am so permanently psychologically scarred by the experience that I have not gone to another gynecologist to ask what can be done. I have not been able to go back to the hospital and confront the gynecologist who did this -- she is a woman. I am a total nervous wreck. I feel angry. I feel angry. And impotent.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Indian Idols: What happens to them?



Nothing much apparently. Most of these guys end up doing a lot of stage shows and singing at rich folks weddings. 

The first Indian Idol was Abhijeet Sawant. I remember how the entire country had joined in the general euphoria that Indian Idol had created, even when TVS Sa Re Ga Ma had been there for ages...probably because Indian Idol was more stylish. He has not had much success in playback singing. 
Abhijeet Sawant













Nor have these Indian Idols:
Sandeep Acharya

Prashant Tamang, although he does seem to have a decent career in films


Sourabhee Debbarma, although she apparently set a new Guinness record -- longest upside down singing 

Mynampati Sreeram Chandra -- has a reasonably successful career singing in South Indian films

Surprisingly, Antara Mitra, who was not a winner (season 2 finalist) has found some amount of success in Bollywood playback singing. She sang the semi-hit number Bheegi Si Bhaagi Si from the film Rajneeti and a handful of other reasonably okay numbers in recent films (Dil To Baccha Hai Ji, Action Replay, Golmaal 3). 

Antara Mitra
Another season 2 finalist, NC Karunya (judges' favourite) had has some success in Telgu playback singing.
NC Karunya
Monali Thakur (Season 2) is also picking up playback offers here and there. 
Monali Thakur

Meiyang Chang of season 3 has got one acting role and acts as an emcee for some programs
Meiyang Chang

With so much talent  surfacing from these reality shows, one would think that these singers will flood the playback singing scene in Bollywood. Apparently not. But more on that in my next blog....

Celebrities who have bipolar disorder

These famous biggies are bipolar

Graham Greene
Graham Greene


Jackson Pollock
Jackson Pollock


Vivien Leigh
Vivien Leigh


Sidney Sheldon

Sidney Sheldon


Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin


Jeremy Brett (the best Sherlock)
Jeremy Brett


Ted Turner
Ted Turner


Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola


Larry Flynt
Larry Flynt


Sting
Sting


Robin Williams
Robin Williams


Patricia Cornwell
Patricia Cornwell


Carrie Fisher
Carrie Fisher


Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry


Tim Burton
Tim Burton


Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Van Damme


Axl Rose
Axl Rose


Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller


Sinead O'Connor
Sinead O'Connor


Bobby Brown
Bobby Brown


Catherine Zeta-Jones

Catherine Zeta-Jones


Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse

Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan


Celebrities who use or have used LSD

Aldous Huxley
Aldous Huxley


Henry R. Luce (Time founder)
Henry R. Luce


Clare Boothe Luce (wife of Henry)
Clare Boothe Luce


Cary Grant
Cary Grant


Albert Hofmann (discovered LSD)
Albert Hofmann


Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski


Dennis Hopper
Dennis Hopper


Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson


Peter Fonda
Peter Fonda


John Lennon
John Lennon


Anne Rice
Anne Rice


Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney


Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix


Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison


Keith Richards
Keith Richards


Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren


Penelope Spheeris
Penelope Spheeris


Syd Barrett
Syd Barrett


David Gilmour
David Gilmour


Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana


Jeff Bridges
Jeff Bridges


Patti Davis
Patti Davis


Bebe Buell (Liv Tyler's mum)
Bebe Buell


Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs


Bill Gates
Bill Gates


Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Bourdain


Jerry Hall
Jerry Hall


Carrie Fisher
Carrie Fisher


Gia Carangi
Gia Carangi


Boy George
Boy George


Anthony Kiedis
Anthony Kiedis

Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino


Charlie Sheen
Charlie Sheen


Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller


Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams


Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie


Pink
Pink