Tuesday, January 27, 2004
An extended weekend which was marred by some events that I'd not care to go to here.
Completed (the Hilary route ) of THE EVE-R-EST HOTEL. A story well told. Not really cut out for a bestseller and I doubt that it was too. ( I was nonplussed by the perceived similarity to a serial called DOOSRA KEWAL. )The changing months metaphor was well-etched and acrried through well and the back-to-the-origin kinda ending made it a wistful and poignant book.
Picked up AYN RAND's " the Anti-Industrial Revolution"--one of a cornucopic series of tomes that are merrily perched in the confines of the library here--waxes eloquent on the solecisms of the Free Speech Movement--the whys and the wherefores, even stuff like who was attracted to it, right now it seems like a Varsity saga with no clear rationales emerging.
The Sunday papers were full of the usual banalities and platitudes--a couple of good articles asking some basic ( and hence unanswered) questions like Why are we a Republic ??What is there to celebrate etc
Caught a couple of movies on the telly--Hungama --a Priyadarshin film, and The Legend of Bhagat Singh, by the underrated Rajkumar Santoshi ( TOI's phrase, not mine ! )
Hungama was not a rip-roaring comedy but some inspired characters, in the one played by Rajpal Singh ( some classic Wodehousian touches there ) . On the whole , too many characters and not enough situational comedy. The Dhoots got a raw deal though--why does the system have som many problems so soon.
TLOBS was enacted in the present and hence missed out on the Schindler's List-ian sweeping saga. Parts played eminently real and fleshy. Still, the usual one-dimensional Britisher ( who is this bloody Bug-at Singh ? ) and a very enervated and inept Gandhi. Not a megalomaniacal movie, and I guess that was the saving grace. Thought Sushant Singh ( who plays the dreaded dacoit in Jungle ) was very good --and the Court scenes looked idealistic and far-fetched--the director has something for court scenes ( r'ber Damini ).
The Russians have flooded the ladies draw and Spain seems to have taken over the men's --Federer destroyed Hewitt, and maybe there is a lesson from the Hingis episode ( without power, you just cannot win ) . My favourite girls--the stupendous doubles team of Virginia Ruano Pascal & Paulo Suarez) are out of the singles and I've not watched their doubles match as yet. Clijsters not playing dubs and hence Ai Sugiyama stuck with a poor pardner ( a la Paes ). Could well be an all-Belgian affair again and Fed Vs Rod in the men's --mouth-watering prospect.
Verrrrrrrry cold here ( about 5 C ) and not. the most conducive for anything other than the Heater & the Quilt
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Completed (the Hilary route ) of THE EVE-R-EST HOTEL. A story well told. Not really cut out for a bestseller and I doubt that it was too. ( I was nonplussed by the perceived similarity to a serial called DOOSRA KEWAL. )The changing months metaphor was well-etched and acrried through well and the back-to-the-origin kinda ending made it a wistful and poignant book.
Picked up AYN RAND's " the Anti-Industrial Revolution"--one of a cornucopic series of tomes that are merrily perched in the confines of the library here--waxes eloquent on the solecisms of the Free Speech Movement--the whys and the wherefores, even stuff like who was attracted to it, right now it seems like a Varsity saga with no clear rationales emerging.
The Sunday papers were full of the usual banalities and platitudes--a couple of good articles asking some basic ( and hence unanswered) questions like Why are we a Republic ??What is there to celebrate etc
Caught a couple of movies on the telly--Hungama --a Priyadarshin film, and The Legend of Bhagat Singh, by the underrated Rajkumar Santoshi ( TOI's phrase, not mine ! )
Hungama was not a rip-roaring comedy but some inspired characters, in the one played by Rajpal Singh ( some classic Wodehousian touches there ) . On the whole , too many characters and not enough situational comedy. The Dhoots got a raw deal though--why does the system have som many problems so soon.
TLOBS was enacted in the present and hence missed out on the Schindler's List-ian sweeping saga. Parts played eminently real and fleshy. Still, the usual one-dimensional Britisher ( who is this bloody Bug-at Singh ? ) and a very enervated and inept Gandhi. Not a megalomaniacal movie, and I guess that was the saving grace. Thought Sushant Singh ( who plays the dreaded dacoit in Jungle ) was very good --and the Court scenes looked idealistic and far-fetched--the director has something for court scenes ( r'ber Damini ).
The Russians have flooded the ladies draw and Spain seems to have taken over the men's --Federer destroyed Hewitt, and maybe there is a lesson from the Hingis episode ( without power, you just cannot win ) . My favourite girls--the stupendous doubles team of Virginia Ruano Pascal & Paulo Suarez) are out of the singles and I've not watched their doubles match as yet. Clijsters not playing dubs and hence Ai Sugiyama stuck with a poor pardner ( a la Paes ). Could well be an all-Belgian affair again and Fed Vs Rod in the men's --mouth-watering prospect.
Verrrrrrrry cold here ( about 5 C ) and not. the most conducive for anything other than the Heater & the Quilt
