Trekking Through Thekkady IV: O Bison-ti…

...cont'd

The exit route was different from the one that we came in from. From where we were standing, it looked more verdant, more grassy and less forest-y. For some time, the walk was pleasant. Even spotted a tiger wasp and were promptly asked to stay away from it.

Then the woods got thicker. Our upright postures had to stoop to avoid stray twigs overhead. The ground was slushy and we had to watch our step. Sunlight, once again, made itself rare. We came to a tree which had some 20 to 25 ‘beads’ bobbing up and down. The guides told us they were dancing spiders. And then we saw their legs attached to their bodies. Long, bent and black in colour. Leveraging their bodies up and down, incessantly. The moment we went closer, there was a flourish and the spiders scampered in all directions, most of them getting into a big hole in the bark. I pointed my camera inside and used flash. The results are straight out of a creature feature.



The bison from morning (refer the second post) looked about the size of an ordinary cow from a distance. Up, close and personal, our perspective changed. At least one guide always walked ahead of us, leading the way. We had arrived at a clearing where the only vegetation was six feet high bushes. While going around one of them, our guide suddenly stopped in his tracks. He swooped low, took a couple of steps backwards and looked at us with his finger on his lips, motioning us to maintain absolute quiet. His soundless lip movements suggested that we were to witness a bison beyond the next bush. We ducked too, craning our necks to catch the creature. What I saw sent a chill down my spine. Like a huge ox, his size would be comparable to an SUV. A shiny brown coat with curved horns that would make any predator think twice before attacking. And he was standing just 10 feet away! His face was pointed away from us and we were getting a rump side view.

A photograph was becoming. But my camera was tucked away in its case on my waist, secured with Velcro. In the desolate silence of the forest, the ripping sound that Velcro makes is enough to alert any creature. And sure enough, the bison stopped grazing, turned its head and was now looking in our direction. In the mini seconds that followed, we were unsure about what it would do next. Would it charge at us? It would need just one single blow to knock all five of us off our feet and into orbit. It certainly looked keen. But then there was the sound of hooves stomping the ground, a heavy body moving through air and the bison was off into the forest, never to be seen again. All I could mange was a hazy photograph which I attach here as a testament to my failure to shoot a wild bison up close.



The trek continued silently, with us reflecting on the possibilities of what the bison could have achieved, had it decided to charge in the opposite direction. This until we came to a tree with its lower bark scratched out. It seemed so natural, we wouldn’t have noticed it if the guides wouldn’t have stopped to point it out. The scratches were the doings of a tiger that had sharpened his claws on the bark post a kill. I touched the shavings and they were fresh.



We were now, officially, traversing a wild zone with little to protect us from an attack, should there be any.

Cont'd...

Trekking Through Thekkady III: The Trekker’s Folly

...cont'd

With a few minutes to go to three, Riina, self and the missus had assembled at the starting point of the Clouds Walk. Two guides were assigned to this tour and with each accompanying a maximum of five guests, I surmised that the Forest Department estimated not more than 10 people to turn up. A woefully short number considering the Nature Walk had a sizeable participation and that too at 6 in the morning! So we waited, and waited some more. Then the guides gave up and combined the ‘groups’. So between the three of us, we had two guides to lead us.

We set out in right earnest, chatting up the guides with the standard set of questions whose answers I am sure, they can rattle off in their sleep. “How many people generally turn up for this?”, “Is this a different route from morning?”, “How much time will it take?” and most importantly, “Will we see an elephant?” We asked them everything except, “What is your name?” If they were irked by the questions, they did not show it. Instead, they patiently responded to all our insignificant queries. In fact, when it came to identifying the fauna, they were much more informed than our guide from morning. Soarer bird, common swallow, wire-tailed swallow, sunbird, dancing spiders, they knew it all.

The walk in the morning was actually a walk. But we had blissfully ignored the elucidating line below the Clouds Walk board that said it was a “trek”. Already, affected from the Nature Walk, we found it difficult to genuflect more than what we accustomed to. With each passing minute, the gap between us and the guide swelled up, so that he had to stop at regular intervals for us to catch up.

The denseness of the forest ended and we reached an opening. On the sides were barb wire fences indicating human presence in the neighborhood. It was the edge of a plantation and the fences kept stray animals at bay. At the bottom, we saw a widish hole dug into the ground. Our guide told us that it was the work of a bear who would have been scouting around for ants. And that’s when we realized for the first time that we were in mortal danger. We were roaming on terrain frequented by wild beasts that may either welcome our presence or get agitated with it. In the first instance, we could be snacked upon and in the other case we could be mauled for not toeing the line.

These fears multiply when you moving trough a forest. But that was behind us now. It was now a verdant hill we were ascending and we could see as far as the eye could see.


We paused to look back at all that we had conquered and it was an arresting view. Somewhere through the fog was a faint silhouette of what was purportedly a town in Tamil Nadu. Locals in Thekkady excitedly point out towards the Kerala – TN border as if it is the Indo-Pak LOC.


Let’s call it trekker’s folly. While climbing a hill, when you chance upon a good view, you invariably end up wasting time taking photographs, without realizing that a better photo-op awaits you. The view from the top is much more spectacular, much more complete as compared to the gigabytes that you currently using up, halfway through to the top. We committed the same faux pas. Clicking away as if there was no tomorrow only to learn than everything could also be seen from the peak, only better.

I will not attach too many pictures taken from the top because they will not do justice to the build up I have given it. Maybe the panorama mode on my camera ought to have captured the essence but I have not yet mastered that technique. A solitary cross was installed at the zenith, which was a welcome change from the makeshift temples that we see on the peak of so many accessible mountains and hills in India. Like God wants you to tire yourself out before reaching him.


Inspired by the moment, Riina sat cross-legged on the edge and went into meditation mode. Unbeknownst to her, I clicked her from behind, using the impressive range as the backdrop.


The missus and I took pictures, using various combinations of the cross, she and self. We spent around ten minutes recovering from the climb.

You know the trek has ended when you reach either a) a major water body or b) the highest point. This is where you take a break, catch your breath and eat what you may be carrying in you back pack. All fauna that you were supposed to see would have been shown to you by now. After that, it’s only a question of tracing your route back. The guides get to be a bit jumpy and rush you along. Since we were already at the top and were resting, it was natural for us to assume that it was over. But we were mistaken. The adventure had only just begun…

Cont'd...

Bee Cool

Time for some publicity. On a recent trip to Abu, happened to photograph an uncouth bee drinking water straight from the tap. I clicked at the moment a drop was about to fall off. On return, I saw rediff running a series on unusual summer pics, inviting contributions from readers. I decided to try my luck and within an hour of sending them the pic, it was already up on the website. That was quick! Which also explains why people log on to rediff first, the moment there is a rumour of any disturbance in Mumbai.

The link to the photograph is here:

http://getahead.rediff.com/slide-show/2010/may/07/slide-show-1-specials-unusual-summer-pics-reader-responses.htm

I have no idea for how long the link will remain active, so for good measure, am reproducing the photograph is all it's unedited glory.

Trekking Through Thekkady II: Of Horns and Bills

Cont’d…

The moment we crossed over to the other side, our guide picked up a dry stick lying on the ground. Though he did not say why, it was pretty clear that he intended to use it as a scythe. We on the other hand were more concerned for our cameras than our own selves.

As we moved ahead, we saw a large crater on the soft ground, a foot and a half in diameter and half a foot in depth. The guide pointed his stick at it and said ominously, “Elephant walk here last night.” This was early morning, so it was only a few hours before which the foot mark was created. It raised our expectations manifold. Maybe we were going to come face to face with a herd and getting up at an obscene hour was going to be worthwhile after all.

Further ahead, expectedly, the jungle began to get thicker. Early morning light which had created a pleasant atmosphere on the river bank found it hard to make its way through the thick foliage. Stray rays that did the surface made a beautiful pattern of a light beam through darkness.



We shifted along, admiring the myriad patterns that nature had formed. And then suddenly, our guide stopped in his tracks. Our petty small talk ceased in unison as we saw the guide look skywards. He squinted his eyes and then, slowly raised his right hand, pointing at the top of a tree. “Indian langur” he said. Sure enough, perched on top was a black langur. In one swift movement, our entire group reached for their cameras and started clicking away in tandem. Another langur sensed the commotion and came in the forefront to have his picture taken too. The light wasn’t too good and the photographs haven’t turned out too well. But they still serve as a faithful reminder.



But it wasn’t over. The guide pointed at another shadowy figure on another branch. “Giant squirrel” he labeled it. For those of us who only think of the squirrel as a palm sized, squeaky little thing, The Giant Malabar Squirrel comes across as a shocker. Think of it as a full sized mongoose that climbs trees, only bigger. It could easily have passed off as a third langur if the guide hadn’t pointed it out. This time, the wows were more audible and the cameras even more active.



I had mentioned in my earlier post about the knee length socks that we were wearing. Now was when realized how indispensable they were. Our shoes were covered with two to three leaches each. Strict instructions from the guide were to not pluck them with our bare hands but to push them away with sticks and twigs. The trouble was that no sooner would you push one and walk further, that another one would take the earlier one’s place. These leeches are virtually invisible on the forest floor. Neither are they particularly mobile. Yet, with great precision and regularity, they hop onto your moving feet.



We were nearing a water body when the air rang out with a distinctive tok-tok sound. We looked questioningly at our guide and sure enough he gave an eloquent reply. “Hornbill” said he. This was it, I thought. For years I have been watching the hornbill on the logo of the Bombay Natural History Society, but I have never seen one in real life. Not even in captivity. So I, and the rest too, craned the neck upwards and spread out in different directions, trying to envelope the tree from which the sound was emanating. We looked some and we looked some more, but the hornbill was not to be seen. Maybe I’ll blog about it the day I actually see one, but for now, I’ll have to live just with memories of its call.

“Over here, bison, quickly” was the anguished shout from a distance. Our guide had walked up to the water body and was pointing towards the other bank which was obscured from our view. We made a dash in his direction, but were late by seconds as the bison who had come to the lake for a sip had already exited. Second consecutive miss! The Nature Walk wasn’t turning out as expected. There were a few egrets and cormorants on the edge of the water. But having, missed the main show, we were in no mood to click them. This was also a resting point, so we loitered around a bit. To make matters worse, the hornbill could still be heard but sighting was impossible.

And then it happened! Without warning a bison made his way through the woods on the other side and lowered his neck for a drink in full view. Our cameras were already in overdrive when another one followed suit. So now, we had a pair drinking out of the lake for us to capture on memory cards. I do not even remember how many photographs I took. The trouble with these cameras is that you miss out on watching the action with you naked eyes. But one bison stuck around for as long as we would want him to. In fact when he left, he also heralded our exit.



On the way out, the egrets and cormorants suddenly seemed photogenic.

We walked alongside the bank for a while till it was time for us to venture back into the jungle. But before that, there was another sighting we were to chance upon. A family of otters was swimming away from us. Obviously none too happy with our company. I thought they would get close so that I could take a better look, but they had other plans.



After almost two and a half hours after we had left, we reached the same place where we had started out. With the entire day before us, we discussed out plan of action. Having not seen any elephant was a bit of a disappointment, and we were ready for another trip at 3 o’clock called The Clouds Walk. The Bengali couple said there wanted to indulge in some shopping and Kathakali, viewing that is. Riina said she would prefer the outing and we departed with promises to reconvene at the stipulated time.

Cont’d...

The Road Away from the Oscars 2010: Good Choices, OK Show

For a moment I thought the Oscars are going to the way they did when Titanic won a decade ago. Award every award in sight to the James Cameron film. But better sense prevailed and Avatar won in just 3 categories. The Hurt Locker tally sits at double this number and deservedly show.

First, a comment on the hosts. I expected fireworks with Alec Baldwin and old hand Steve Martin doing the honours. I did not get them. Good writing ensures that the host ekes out some laughs at the very least, but I want more. Bring back Billy Crystal I say. No one since his departure has been able to replicate his success.

This time the Academy did away with performances by nominees for Best Original Song. A change for the better. After A. R. Rahman’s boring act last year, I can imagine most TV audiences taking that much needed comfort break during this segment. Instead, there were awesome dances to usher in nominees for Background Score (if I remember correctly). I was transfixed the way I was when while seeing The Hurt Locker.

Optional categories like Honorary Oscar were absent, yet the show overshot its deadline. So much so that Tom Hanks just walked in and announced the winner for Best Picture! While on Tom Hanks, maybe Hollywood has another actor of repute which the Academy can bring in to present the Oscar for some top category. Hanks making an appearance is a given now.

My biggest disappoint was Up in the Air not winning anything. If nothing else, the Adapted Screenplay Oscar was it’s for the taking. Precious won when all it deserved was Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Mo’nique who won in this category revived memories of Hattie McDaniel, the first black to win an Oscar. Too late I say. It no longer matters what your colour is when you receive the statuette. That “moment” has already been milled dry by Halle Berry. This was the year to hail a woman winning for Best Director.

As far as predictions go, I got 8 on 10 right. And learned a valuable lesson. Never blindly make assumptions without actually weighing all nominees in a particular category. I was confident about White Ribbon winning for Best Foreign Language Film. Next year, I may not want to predict for that category at all.

The Road to the Oscars: The Predictions

For some it is a sport played once a year. Trying to predict who will walk away with the golden man. The Oscars provide a
level playing field by striking a fair balance between predictability and upsets. This makes sticking your neck out all the
more fun.

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Now I haven't seen all the films nominated in this category, but yet, its easy to predict that the winner will be
White Ribbon. No other film has created a buzz like this one.

Best Animated Film of the Year
The only film nomiated in this category and for Best Picture is Up. Directors of the other films need not even show up, let
alone prepare acceptance speeches.

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
Its a tough call between Precious and Up in the Air. While my vote goes to the latter, both need to be feted elsewhere as
they will not be wining Best Picture. I am guessing it will be Up in the Air. Precious has other categories where it stands
a better chance.

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
On any other day, this award should belong to Quentin Tarantino. But his year he is likely to be pipped to the post by Mark
Boal for The Hurt Locker, and deservedly so.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
This award has Mo'Nique written all over it. She is absolutely fabulous as the abusive mother of Precious. Compare her
performance with others nominated in this category and you know they stand no chance.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Mo'Nique's male counterpart would be Christoph Waltz. His acceptance speech though will have to be shorter than the dialogue
that he has been given in Inglorious Basterds.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
She has won almost all other major awards this year, so the Oscar should be hers for the taking. Experts also give Meryl
Steep an outside chance. But she has won enough already. I wish though that Gabourey Sidibe were to win this won. This may
just be the upset of the evening.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
The trouble with Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart is that whether he is drunk or not, his acting remains the same. Without variation.
Yet, becasue the OScar loves to felicitate old timers, this is going to be his day. By that same logic, it could also have
been Morgan Freeman. It would have made better sense too, but he has won before. Colin Firth, sadly, I haven't seen yet. But
Jeremy Renner and George Clooney will have to wait some more, good though they were. I feel Clooney deserves it this time.
He will win one day, but why not make that day today?

Best Achievement in Directing
Right, so its just between Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker and James Cameron for Avatar. Cameron having served as the
king of this world before will have to make way for Bigelow. As the Academy always likes to do something new each time, this
will be the first instance of a woman winning for Best Director. It will be written about lovingly by the press, just as
Halle Berry winning for Best Actress was made out to be a big deal. But all said and done, if there has to be a first, I cannot
find a better contender.

Best Motion Picture of the Year
I have been racking my head for days over this one. I want The Hurt Locker to win. But then what about the millions spent on
Avatar. Will the Academy choose a middle path by awarding Best Director to Locker and Best Picture to Avatar. Possible. It was
idiotic enough to expand the Best Picture category to include 10 films this year when the world knows that its a two horse
race. I think I'll use some wierd logic here. Avatar will already have won enough on the technical front. So for the final
hurrah for the evening, it will be The Hurt Locker. Cameron can console himself by claiming that his film won the maximum
awards for the evening.

The Road to the Oscars 2010: The Contenders

The Oscar awards are best enjoyed when you have seen all, or at least most of the films nominated.
That way you can make informed choices yourself, lamenting good performances that will not be feted and discussing
bad ones that will be. I present here a recce of major films nominated this year. Some deserving, others just filling up
the numbers.

Avatar
First I saw it in 2D, then I saw it in 3D, but still could not see it. Just what is it that is making the world go
gaga over this film? As a spectacle, it sweeps you off your feet and deservingly will sweep all the technical awards
this year. But as a film, its pedestrian. A group of greedy humans inhibit a fictional planet in search of untold of riches.
But there are some who are there for research. In the end it’s a battle between good and evil. Script wise, Avatar has
nothing you haven’t seen before, only this time you are watching it in 3D.

The Hurt Locker
I’ll make no bones about it, The Hurt Locker is my favourite amongst all other nominees. It follows a bomb diffuser in
Iraq as he goes about his job, throwing the rule book away. To call it taut would be an understatement. Everytime the
tension reached a crescendo, I winced. For two hours, I was transported inside the war zone. And all this without 3D!

Up in the Air
George Clooney has one of the most un-envious job in the world, that of firing people. That he does that with so much
conviction and panache, is the product of great acting, script and direction. It will be a shame if this film comes away
from the awards, empty handed.

Precious
For many, this is the best film of the year. A barely literate, overweight, single mother at 16, Precious is pregnant
with her second child fathered by her father and her mother hates her for that. Now weigh down upon each word of the
previous sentence and realize how messed up her life is. True to life performances, bring alive this movie, in a way
you’ll thank your stars this isn’t happening to you.

Inglorious Basterds
To call it a Quentin Tarantino movie is like saying it all. You know what to expect. A Jew hunter on one side has
to match wits a bunch of eponymous Nazi killers. Christoph Waltz is the scene stealer as the Jew hunter who moves
from genial banter to cold blooded execution in a matter of minutes.

A Serious Man
If it wasn’t for the abrupt ending, this would have been a near perfect movie. A tale about a dysfunctional Jew family,
there is an undercurrent of an impending event in the film. You know something big is going to happen, and you await
it with bated breath. Devoid of any major stars unlike the Coen Brothers’ earlier, Burn After Reading,
it still packs a solid punch.

District 9
Just when you thought, movies about aliens have seen their last run, Neill Blomkamp gives it a fresh twist.
A colony of aliens on earth is treated much the same way as blacks were once upon a time. Though the end gets a
bit sentimental, the action is some of the best we have seen this year.

Up
Frankly, I have seen animated films that are much better than Up. The Lion King, Kung Fu Panda and The Incredibles,
just to name a few. An ageing man fulfils his deceased wife's wish by levitating his house using baloons and
transporting it to a mythical place. Up is more poignant than funny.

An Education
A prodigal teenager, Carey Mulligan is seduced by a mature man and she goes along for the ride, throwing away an education
at Oxford. But the lessons she learns on this trip are more valuable than what books will ever teach her. Its a
well made film that somewhat loses it towards the end. But Mulligan does full justice to her character.

Crazy Heart
At first I thought I'll like this film, but as it progressed, it started boring me, and by the time it ended, I was
exasperated. A washed up country singer is looking for gigs and love but finds solace in alcohol. Even Jeff Bridges'
much lauded performance did not impress me.

Invictus
It's diffuicult to understand why this film hasn't been nominated for Best Picture. I genuinely feel the time has
come when they reserve a slot in top category each year for a Clint Eastwood film. Morgan Freeman is superb as ever as
Nelson Mandela who uses rugby, largely thought to be a white man's game, to bring about reconciliation. He may not look like
Mandela but there is none other who could have portrayed him better.

The Blind Side
If it wasn't based on a true story, it would have been unbelievable. A high class socialite takes a huge coloured
boy under her roof and under her wing, guiding him to football glory. Sandra Bullock acts just like she does in all her
films, but suddenly it seems like time to recognise her talent.

Julie & Julia
Somehow, films about food never go completley wrong. Meryl Streep is an American in France who writes a book on French
cooking. Years later, Amy Adams sets out to recreate all her recipes in a span of one year and documents her
experiences on a blog. Its good wholesome fun.

The Messenger
If Clooney plays a person in Up in the Air who fires people, Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster in this film are soldiers
assigned to inform families about the death of their sons/husbands/fathers in action. Harrelson is a play it by the rules
kind of opearator, and Foster the more humane of the two. This wonderful premise is never fully explored and ultimately
we are left with a few good sketches but not one good film.

White Ribbon
Tragedy after tragedy strikes a small German village and no one knows who is responsible. The film is set in a time
frame just before World War I and seems to be made back then too. The only reason you suffer it is because of the curiosity
that goes with a whodunnit. You'll be in for a surprise towards the end.

Trekking Through Thekkady I: Fellowship of the Raft

I’ll begin from the beginning. I can jump in much later into the tale but an atmosphere will have to be created. Without presenting the background, the climax may not hold much impact. This also means that the narration will have to be broken up into parts, not that it matters. So here goes…

For tourists visiting Kerala, Thekkady is a must visit destination. The Periyar Sanctuary that adjoins it offers a wonderful opportunity for nature enthusiasts to explore the wild. Although, called a tiger reserve, tigers are scarce and scarcely seen. The main show are actually the herds of elephants that roam the forests. Spotting them is also not guaranteed, but statistically speaking, the chances are brighter.

So the missus and I booked ourselves for a nature walk at 6 in the morning. A word here for those planning a trek through Periyar. The hotel where you stay will have “tie-ups” with private operators who will guide you on these expeditions. If you book through them, the rates will purportedly be lower. Believe none of this hogwash. It is not only costly but also not the real deal. Instead, the Forest Department has an office at the centrally located Ambadi Junction with a list of all their programmes and corresponding rates put up. Nothing can be more transparent.

A recent unfortunate capsizing had put brakes on safaris in boats. So all active safaris were safaris on foot. This itself was a unique experience. Generally, jungles have pre-decided routes on which cars ply, hoping for animals to cross their path. Walking on foot meant that we would be walking on paths created by animals!

We were there at 6 in the morning for the nature walk and lost no time in finding other people who would group with us. One was a genial early-middle aged couple from Kolkatta with a peculiar sense of humour. When asked how many Gujaratis were there in his home town, his reply was, “Too many”. The fifth person in the group, and I hope she is reading this, was Riina, a freelance journalist from Estonia in North Europe, as she unfailingly added. We were given huge, knee-length canvas coloured socks to be worn over our socks. For protection from leeches. They abound in the forest and eagerly latch on to anything that moves.

Periyar lake, minutes before dawn is a sight to behold. A thick mist settles on the surface bringing to mind the Deep Purple song. Chirping birds have just started rolling out for the day, ruffling their features, warming their bodies for the flight that lies ahead. The edge of the lake is indistinct and the forest on the other, uncivilized side is only a big green blob.



By the time we managed to get our raft to cross the lake, the first rays of the sun had hit this part of earth and what was mysterious seconds ago was clearly visible. Visible only and not penetrable for the eyes. The vegetation was so dense, it was impossible to make out what the inside had in store for us.

Cont’d…

The Best 10 Films of Bollywood: 2009

While the world is compiling a Best of the Decade list, I think I’ll stick to a regular yearly roster. Because the decade gets over next year and releasing a premature list means excluding a few gems that we may or may not see in 2010.

Before you scroll down to the bottom of the page to find out which film tops this year’s Bollywood sweepstakes, I’ll reveal the suspense here itself. There isn’t a single film I could find worthy of being called the ‘Best Film of the Year’. So I have kept the top spot vacant. I present only nine films ranging from the 2nd best to the 10th best in ascending order.

We often see disclaimers mentioning how views expressed in the article are those of the author alone and are not necessarily subscribed to by the publication. I’d pretty much say the same thing for this piece. Big films like Kaminay and Love, Aaj Kal don’t merit a mention because I didn’t find them to be good enough. And a few niche films are in unmindful of their box office gains.
A couple of films that just missed out on tie-breakers: Luck-By-Chance, an impressive debut for Zoya Akhtar (to say nothing of Farhan) and Blue (don’t ask me why, I am allowed one indulgence).

#10: Paa
Maybe it is because we are so used to seeing Amitabh Bachchan with his trademark beard and a full shock of hair. Maybe it is because we are so used to hearing his baritone. Or maybe because it simply was a good performance. Whatever it was, Amitabh had us hooked as the progeria patient. The film could have been better, but even as such it deserves a mention.

#9: Kurbaan
Is it coincidence that Yashraj and Dharma Productions have released two films in the same year on the same theme? A Muslim infiltrates a terrorist group on the cusp of a major operation. While I didn’t care much for New York, Kurbaan impressed me with its restraint. It never got tacky or preachy unlike most film of this type. One of the many triumphant directorial debuts of the year.

#8: Dev.D
It may not have been entirely successful, yet Dev.D ought to be remembered as a landmark film. Anurag Kashyap, takes on a story that has already been filmed to death in Indian cinema and adds an edgy feel to it. A constant background score, psychedelic colours and a hero that not only hits the bottle but also snorts coke. That’s when he is not smoking. The end was a bit too pat and seemed like a desperate attempt to veer away from what the audience is expecting. Yet the overall impact was palpable.

#7: 3 Idiots
The most popular film of the year, it wasn’t without its shortcomings. But no one can deny its immense entertainment value. A few years ago, it was Shah Rukh Khan and Diwali that went hand in hand. Now it’s Christmas and an Aamir Khan release that have become synonymous. A few months from now, expect the team behind this film to line up at all and sundry award functions.

#6: Wake Up Sid
A compedium of classy acting and measured direction by debutant Ayan Mukherji. A coming-of-maturity tale of an aimless college failure who has everything money can buy. A good supporting cast can take a film beyond mediocrity. Here’s proof.

#5: Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year
You may well call Ranbir Kapoor the actor of the year. As the idealistic greenhorn in the seldom filmed world of door-to-door salesmen, he plays a sardar without making him a caricature. It is the third time this year he had us floored by bringing alive his character. It is also a third strike for director Shimit Amit.

#4: Wanted
Serious cinema lovers often dismiss Salman Khan as an actor who acts as if he is doing the audience a favour. Arrogant and totally unconcerned about getting into the skin of the character, Wanted has him playing a goonda who would epitomize his natural (in)ability. And the result is unadulterated fun, even if you aren’t a Salmanbhai fan. After a long time I found a line worth repeating, “Ek baar jo maine commitment kar di, to main apne aap ki bhi nahi sunta!”

#3: Gulaal
Gritty, gritty film on politics set in interior Rajashthan. Performances were realistic, dialogue pithy and the direction controlled. Also it had the most underrated soundtrack of the year.

#2: 99
The wittiest film of the year with smashing performances all around (except Soha Ali Khan). Even minor characters have been given droll one-liners. There have been a few attempts at cashing in on the cricket betting controversy but none as successful as this one.

The Worst 10 Films of Bollywood: 2009

The flip side of the coin. The films that created the maximum hype and hoopla before release, the films that had stars that cannot fail, the films whose makers had precedents to live up to but ultimately, the films that were major disappointments. In the order of their release dates.


Chandni Chook to Choona
After god knows how many back-to-back hits, Akshay Kumar delivered not one, two but four turkeys this year. This was the first one. He hasn’t ceased to be funny, it’s just that filmmakers don’t want to experiment with him.

Raaz: The Mystery Should Have Ended
Its music still blares from places, reminding me of how horrible this film was. It was a script of convenience, that it to say, the story took a convenient turn as and when nothing logical seemed to come forth. Hope the mystery won’t continue any further.

Delhi Sheh!
A messy attempt at making a social satire. The film got lost under some inept direction and a deluge of characters. I don’t think I can even recall any three of them. A few nice songs though.

24 X 7 Torture
Nagesh Kukunoor makes good films, but every once in a while, he slips, and he slips bad. This is one of those occasions. A film that is at once, about the paranormal, a murder mystery and a family drama. And it fails on all counts.

Kambakkht Shit
2009 saw the return of Akshay Kumar the action star. Not a good thing as it tuned out. When the selling point of your film is cameos by second rung or faded out Hollywood actors, you sort of know where the film is headed. Those who sat through the entire length deserve an Oscar for endurance.

Dim-Wit Murugun
It may be amusing as a filler on MTV, but as a full length movie, it is an test of your patience. With the hero Rajendra Prasad unable to move beyond the expression God gave him, the director ought to have aborted this film after the first few takes.

What’s Your Ni-Rashee?
Mine was Ashutosh Gowarikar. After churning out three landmark films of Indian cinema, it pains me to see him fall so hard. This film had the most irresponsible and indiscriminate use of songs seen in a long time. Chopping away half of them would at least have made the film tolerable. Priyanka might still win some award for her performance but otherwise this was a washout.

All the Worst: The Fun Ends
This was one of the more commercially successful films of the year. Maybe because it was released during the Diwali season. There can be no other explanation. Think of actors who are good at comedy and Ajay Devgan, Sanjay Dutt and Fardeen Khan don’t leap to mind.

Ajab Prem Ki Garbled Kahani
Once upon a time, Rajkumar Santoshi made a film called Andaz Apna Apna. A film that was so funny, it will make you fall off your seat even in the 20th viewing. Since then, people have wondered, why Santoshi hasn’t made another “out-and-out” comedy. Well this year he finally has, but it is so bereft of ideas, he has to pick jokes from AAA. Ranbir and the music can’t be blamed though. Go watch AAA again.

De Dana Dan (to the director)
Not since Hera Pheri have Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, Sunil Shetty (does it matter?) and Priyadarshan come together. De Dana Dan is evidence why that is a good thing. Priyadarshan’s brand of comedy is wearing thin and he needs to either abandon this genre altogether or infuse better ideas into his films. Otherwise, “Filmed by Priyadarshan” will begin to seem like an insult rather than an attraction.