Friday, October 28, 2011

Ra. One

Ra. one can be described in two words. EPIC FAIL. If you have not watched it till now, please don't bother, remember you cannot get wasted time back. Don't be lured in by the huge hype, and marketing campaigns and promotions. The movie has literally nothing in it. If you have watched the Terminator, Iron man, Hancock, and The Dark Knight, you dont need to watch it.

Even the king Khan could not save this movie. Although the guy himself was brilliant as the nerd and super hero, but story had literally nothing.

Ra. One is like a mix of lot of things, humour, comedy, action but the mix has gone horribly wrong.
As a viewer you cannot feel for any of the three main leads when bad things happen to them. As a viewer, you are not intimidated by the bad guy's intentions and plots. You are not even thrilled by the way G. One goes off on his rescue missions. Even the sequences which are supposed to be comic just fall flat.. Plus there are a whole lot of things which felt quite stupid.

In super-hero movies it is highly important to have a devastatingly, menacing negetive lead.. (remember the Dark Knight?) which makes the movie interesting and thrilling but in this movie lacks that, among other things :)

Massive mistake in the otherwise glittering career of SRK. But you got to give him credit for trying it out and experimenting and coming out of his comfort zone.

BTW : If you have to watch it, do watch it in 3D, at least a couple of action sequences are worth watching.

Sunday, October 09, 2011

کاش ہم تم..... Kaash Hum Tum

کاش ہم تم
نہ یوں ملے ہوتے
جیسے اب ملے ہیں
تو شاید
شاید...
جدا جدا راہوں پر
نہ یوں چلے ہوتے
جیسے اب چلے ہیں
کاش ہم تم
کسی اور رنگ میں
کسی اور ڈھنگ میں
لہروں سے چھلکتی...  
کسی جلترنگ میں
کسی اور دیس میں
کسی اور بھیس میں
وقت کی کتاب میں
کسی اور باب میں
یا پھر
نیم وا آنکھوں میں
مچلتے سراب میں
کسی قصّہ
گوکے
قصّہ لا جواب میں
کردار بن کے ملے ہوتے
کسی مصور کے
خوبصورت شاہکار میں
رنگ بن کے گھلے ہوتے
تو شاید
شاید
آج ہجر کے
نہ سلسلے ہوتے
جدا جدا رہوں پر
نہ یوں چلے ہوتے
جیسے اب چلے ہیں
کاش ہم تم
نہ یوں ملے ہوتے
جیسے اب ملے ہیں

GR-9 Oct 2011

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Bol

So the wait is over. Bol is finally releasing here in UAE and I'll probably catch it later today. Feels really good to watch a Pakistani Movie in this foreign land again (after.. well I guess 4 years).

I have heard a lot of good things about this movie from those who have already seen it back in Pakistan. So looking forward to enjoy yet another good flick from Shoman. His debut movie was good and was a huge commercial success all over the world. The slight problem with that movie was (in my view) that it was too preachy, and tried to address far too many issues in one single go. Also, I could make out that the characters were not normal characters in movie, at times they sounded like author's mouthpieces. Certainly, subtlety is not Shoaib Mansoor's cup of tea, but this seems to be OK with most of us :)  

I expect exactly the same from his new movie too. It will be blunt and preachy. I just hope he has improved as a storyteller/director and has put together a riveting tale, adding the social message seamlessly within the story

Music of this movie has been average by his own lofty standards, but I expect the movie itself to make up for it.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Horrible Bosses

Refreshingly entertaining. Hilarious, and very well scripted. Not only this movie makes you smile and laugh throughout, but it also keeps you on the edge of your seats, as Dale, Kurt and Nick plot to bring down their horrible bosses by hiring a murder-consultant (Jamie Foxx). Pace of the movie is just right, at times it just slows down enough to create suspense (albeit a bit goofy). The cast consists of some great names and they all deliver. Senior pros i.e. Kevin Spacy, Jennifer Aniston, and Collin Farrell play abominable, wicked bosses to perfection and the lead trio of Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis also do full justice to their roles. All in all, a movie not to be missed.

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Ramadan

Wife: Is Sal Rozay Rkho Ge?
Husband: Nhi.
Wife: Aur Travi Prhoge?
Husband: Mushkil Hai.
Wife: Aur Aftari Kro ge?
Husband: Zahir hai.Kya bilkul hi kafir hojaon ?

Monday, June 27, 2011

The Eternal Night...

Posted this on FB, logging it here as well.

The eternal night
darkens yet again..
as I sink deeper..
in torrents of pain..
my esteem shattered
and pride slain..
The grue lingers..
and runs through me..
over and over again
every moment turns ugly
disastrously insane..
and insanity is redefined..
every now and again..
The disease has seeped,
deep withing me..
despair has gripped..
every inch of me..
taking me to new lows
and I can't fight it..
despite all my vows..
In the eyes of death,
my tired soul now stares...
and for the heaven-bound journey
it gradually prepares..
and just before I drift
into the welcoming oblivion
I find myself hit..
with a vivid realization..
that I, and only I, was responsible
for my own damnation...


Dedicated to a country suffering from a Terminal Illness.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Shubha and Spirituality.. a Stunning Combination..

Well what can one say.. She may not be popular with the masses.. but damn she's got a great voice.. and a complete mastery over her vocals.
And this particular song... is simply brilliant... it takes you to a totally different world altogether. Rhythmic, enchanting, deeply spiritual, punctuated with nifty electric guitar riffs and laced with her free-flowing voice. Lyrically, this song transcends the religious and social divides and takes you to an absolute spiritual crescendo..

Friday, April 08, 2011

Main to Dekhoon Ga

Grab your headphones, sit back and relax and enjoy this latest masterpiece from Strings. One of the best partriotic songs ever.. Love the eastern folk rhythm, the bass, the vocals, the simple video and above all.. the lyrics.. Hats off to Bilal Maqsood for giving words to hopes and prayers of all my countrymen

Thursday, March 24, 2011

A Graceful Exit

As the whole Cricketing World seems to be ecstatic over a Pak India Semi final clash..
I am quietly sitting here in my TV lounge, and thinking about a Champion Player who made his final exit from the World Cup today. Ricky Thomas Ponting, one of the last two survivors of the Invincible Australian Team has bowed out of the World Cup Cricket - and it is a tragic, yet I would say, a very Graceful exit.
The Champion batsman fought with valor.. like a lone warrior who gives everything to protect his land and dies fighting..
His ODI form was probably at its lowest ebb before this match, but he lifted his game for this occasion.. responded to the pressure and stood up to the challenge yet again.. like a boxer who stands back up on his feet from a near-knockout situation..
Played a real gem of an innings on a very difficult surface under not-so-favorable circumstances.. a very responsible innings.. held the australian innings together.. but he did not get the support he required.. there were not many skilled warriors by his side this time.. there was no Damien Martyn at the other end to support him.. there were just the failures of Hussey, Clarke and White at the other end.. and as Brian Charles Lara and Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar would probably confirm.. Cricket is mostly about 11 players.. and the heroics of merely 1 player seldom win matches..
Not all the tales have happy endings.. Ponting's World Cup tale has also ended in a dramatic and tragic manner, but still I guess he can hold his head high.. and leave with grace from this World Cup arena.. a grace which he so richly deserves too..

Edited : 25-Mar-2011 8:20 PM
People might hate him for his arrogance or attitude, but I am talking about his batting prowess here, not discussing any other attributes or characterisitics. I even received a comment on fb 'Cricket is a gentleman's game. True, he has great statistics to boast off but unfortunately he wasn't a gentleman' .
So what ? no one is giving him a Character Certificate here, we are talking about his on-field competitiveness. Ultimately, to win matches, you need to score runs with the bat in the field, that's what it is all about.. and that's what he was good at.. that's what should be appreciated.. and enjoyed..
Besides... with pitch digging, ball biting, spot fixing, match fixing etc. going on in the game.. it is hardly a "Gentleman's Game" now.. :-)

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Google rankings.. hmmmm

If you happen to google 'a tribute to kamran akmal', this very page comes up in top 5 rankings (at the time of writing this)..
;)

Wednesday, March 09, 2011

A "Tribute" to Kamran Akmal

A collection of sentiments (in no particular order) of my friends about the Worst Wicketkeeper in the history of Cricket, feel free to add..

"Behind every successful batsman there is ..... Kamran Akmal"

"Why didn't Taliban recruit Kamran Akmal?.... Because he would have dropped the bomb"

"What do Micheal Jackson and Kamran Akmal have in common? .... They both wear gloves for no reason"

"Kamran uckmal to Ijaz Butt, "no one remembered my mother and sister on women's day" Ijaz butt - "beta every time you dropped a catch, the whole nation was remembering them.."

"Firaun, Numrood, Sahir Lodhi, Himesh Reshamiya, Zaid Hamid,Zardari, Kamran Akmal"

"Kamran akmal's work is not done yet, he will sh*t on the pitch and then will surely run someone out.. and only then will he play an irresponsible shot and get out.." Me. (when Akmal came out to bat)

"Darwin's theory of Wicketkeeper: Akmal -> Apes -> Kirmani -> Healy -> Rashid -> Gilchrist "


"If his batting was as good as Don Bradman's,he couldn't score enough runs to make up for what he costs them with his keeping." - Ian Chappell

" Kamran akmal's fav pickup line "Can i drop u somewhere" - Cricinfo

We will fight till the last "Akmal" of our blood - Shahid Afridi

This is how Kamran Akmal's kids will learn A B C D. . A for Akmal, B for Ball, C for Catch, D for Drop !

Kamran Akmal thinks wicketkeeping means 'to let the batsman keep his wickets'

"Can we have some of those Bengalis please who pelted stones at Windies bus ? This is Kamran UCKMAL'S address: 83, Block EE, Defence, Lahore. Do as you please, first come first serve. "



Tuesday, March 01, 2011

The Interview Call..

Got a phone call from a Dubai-based recruitment company a month or so back.. They told me that they found my CV on one of the recruitment websites and shortlisted it, and that their client was interested in interviewing me for a position in their Software Development team.
I noted the relevant details i.e. date-time and interview location and hung up, telling them that I'll get back and confirm my availability in about 15 minutes...

I pondered for a while after hanging up the phone. Usually these recruiters go for updated CVS, and I had not updated my CV in last three years.. So I was a bit surprised..

Just out of curosity, I decided to google the company name in order to get some more information about the company, and the THIRD result on google result page caught my attention (actually there were plenty after that third one, first two being the company website links)

According to the details on more than one websites; the company was a scam.People had discussed and complained about it on various forums..
The company would call up potential candidates and "arrange" interviews with so-called clients. But the candidates would be asked to pay up a "Registration Fees" of 150 AED upfront, right before the interview. After this "registration process", an "interview" would take place. As you can guess, the candidate would never hear back from them..
Net-result, a loss of 15o Dhms and some valuable hours for the job-seeker..

Needless to say, I just "well-left" the opportunity.

Later, I discussed it with one of my friends, and he told me that his brother had fallen prey to the same scam some years back.

Monday, February 28, 2011

Resurrection...

This blog will "soon" be resurrected.. ah.. hmm, well let us just say that my "soon" usually means about 5-6 months as far as this blog is concerned..
So, here I am, itching to resume writing, rants and random musings on this very blog.. During this period I have actually "bookmarked" a few thoughts in my mind to blog about.. and now that I have got some time I am surely going to publish them here, before I start loosing track of them, So you can expect some posts about (in no particular order)
- Cricket World Cup 2011
- A Phony Interview Call
- Leap Of Faith
- At the Top
- Music
- Places to hangout in Abu Dhabi.. (Especially Sheesha Cafes)
- Reconnecting with School Friends
- Pakistani Passport Renewal and Visa Renewal in Abu Dhabi
- Movie reviews
- Living in an over-connected world
- Spot fixing and views of some of my friends..
- Dead Memories..
- Emptiness
I am not sure about the last two points... but let us see how things pan out, and let us kick things off..

Saturday, October 02, 2010

Saturday, September 04, 2010

This blog will soon be resurrected. Stay tuned :-)

Friday, March 19, 2010

Don't give up on me

Against all odds,
I've come this far,
I've shed my blood,
I've fought my wars,
they tell my story,
these deep,dark scars..
but looks like now..
whatever I've been through
whatever I've faced...
has taken its toll...
and here I lie now..
plagued by the pain
in sheer great agony..
my eyes are blurred
I see you though..
turning your eyes away
and just as you walk away
I muster my strength..
do you hear me say ?
"Dont turn your back...
Don't give up on me"
my breaths are shallow
my wounds are deep
but don't tell me
that my chances are low
do you forget ?
the odds I defied
despite everything..
I have survived..
I walked so proud
I did stand tall..
can't you help me ?
with this tragic fall ?
I might just not die..
while my hope is alive
all I want from you
is just another try
and your belief in me
don't turn your back
don't give up on me..

With Love..
Pakistan

Raja - March 19 2010

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Opportunities

"Our life is defined by the opportunities, even the ones we missed."



Wednesday, February 10, 2010

The Divide

My Faith is Righteous
and yours is Void
My Book is Holy,
and yours is flawed
I say my Prayers
and you do too
but yours are worthless
and mine are True
the Light is mine
and yours is Gloom
I will taste the wines
Oh, you will doom
I do not hate you
but, Can I love you ?
Can I mingle with you ?
The way, the brothers do ?
Oh maybe no
I am not allowed to..
My brothers are those
who follow my faith
and no, not you,
I do not discriminate
among people of my faith,
yet,I do so strictly...
between us and you,
and I am baffled,
by the way you dress,
the food you eat,
the things you do,
the words you recite,
all of it.. is nothing..
nothing but fallacy..
even if you do..
all the good deeds..
even if you pray..
ten times a day..
even if you keep
every one happy..
still, oh my man
you have little chance..
because there is one thing
which you do lack..
you will find out
when you rise back.
until then
we will live like this..
you and me..
till the end of time..
on either side
of this grand divide

(Raja 10-FEB-10)

Monday, January 25, 2010

Pity The Nation

Pity the nation that is full of beliefs and empty of religion.
Pity the nation that wears a cloth it does not weave,
eats a bread it does not harvest,
and drinks a wine that flows not from its own wine-press.

Pity the nation that acclaims the bully as hero,
and that deems the glittering conqueror bountiful.

Pity a nation that despises a passion in its dream,
yet submits in its awakening.

Pity the nation that raises not its voice save when it walks in a funeral,
boasts not ept among its ruins,
and will rebel not save when its neck is laid between the sword and the block.

Pity the nation whose statesman is a fox,
whose philosopher is a juggler,
and whose art is the art of patching and mimicking.

Pity the nation that welcomes its new ruler with trumpeting,
and farewells him with hooting,
only to welcome another with trumpeting again.

Pity the nation whose sages are dumb with years and whose strong men are yet in the cradle.
Pity the nation divided into fragments, each fragment deeming itself a nation.

Khalil Gibran - The Garden of the Prophet (1934)


Saturday, January 09, 2010

Bulleh Shah.

Masjid Dha Dey, Mandir Dha Dey...
Dha dey jo kuch Dhainda

Ek Banday Da, Dil Na Dhaween
Rab Oday Vich hi Rehnda

Translation

Break down the mosque, Break down the temple
Break down everything which you can ..

Just don't break anyone's heart
because God lives there ...