Aaaaalll IZZZ Welllll

Yeah... I'm back... Sooner than I expected... Courtesy the return of my soul-mate, a more relaxing work and family environment, and ... an unconditional acceptance of life, the way it is.

So, I guess I can safely say AAAAAALLLL IZZZZ WELLLLL :-)

Yup, checked out 3 Idiots the day before. The movie, in one word, is EXTRAORDINARY.

What else do you expect from the brilliant Aamir "Perfectionist" Khan? The man has his own benchmark of excellence to live up to... And just as he says in the movie, "Aspire for excellence, and success shall follow anyway." He's definitely gona amass success in this venture, and how.

You know I'm a die-hard fan of Shahrukh - not just of his films but also of his personality and character. But that doesn't stop me from saying that Amir and Amitabh are the best things to have happened to the Hindi film industry. The guys have a league of their own, and they're above any kind of competition, man!

3 Idiots brings back the freshness of Sanju-baba in Munnabhai, and the background is the same - a college with a khadoos dean and a Southie guy at whose expense most jokes occur; an engineering institution this time, similar to Chetan Bhagat's Five Point Someone. The movie is based loosely on the book, and quite a few jokes are taken from the hundred of mails and smses that we come across every other day. However, these are minor hiccups that one can easily ignore given the magnanimous way in which the entire plot is handled.

The 3 Idiots (titled so by Director of ICE, Boman "Virus" Irani) are Sharman Joshi, Madhavan and obviously Aamir Khan. I know Sharman could not make his mark on Bollywood as an independent actor, but I somehow find him very endearing, be it in Golmaal or Style. He can crack jokes as effortlessly as he can shed a tear, and I loved him in this movie though he made me bawl more than a few times! R. Madhavan reminds me of the very genuine, very lovable Maddy in RHTDM, and I feel his role has been underplayed in this movie.

The film undoubtedly belongs to Amir "Rancho" Khan who breezes by making the lives of people around him very funny, very enlightening, and very live-able. He uses his brains in a way not many of us do, and the way he applies his knowledge is stunningly basic. No wonder then, that his college mates love him and his teachers hate him. Very Taare Zameen Par, eh? You bet. Special and unforgettable nevertheless.

Amir's love interest is played by Kareena. Now you know I don't admire snooty Bebo on teeny bit, but she's cute in this one. No nakhra no tamasha, she plays the simple bespectacled, helmet-wearing younger daughter of Boman Irani, who is at his usual best. With a movie comprising some of the finest talent in the industry, how could the production NOT be fantabulous? Even the minor characters have done an excellent job - like Mona (urf Jassi), Millimeter (don't know his name/lineage), et al.

The plot is simple - young students with different backgrounds, out of their own desire or their family's, land up at Imperial College of Engineering (ICE) with the aim of becoming a sought-after engineer. Life is tough and life is fun, and the audience is enchanted into the real lives of the thousands of youths who cannot withstand the pressure and end their lives, or mug up their syllabus to impress and triumph, or just go along with the flow even as their hearts lie elsewhere. And in this crowd comes the unique diamond, a single student who studies for the love of learning and leaves a mark on others' lives by being selflessly caring. So, even as the headmaster screams "Life is a competition", this miraculous boy goes around helping people in distress. Of course he scores top marks and bugs the hell outta the senior students and profs! He even delivers a baby using his keen intelligence and his doc gf's instructions... No points for guessing who this might be... A scientist in the making, who later starts a school with a unique teaching/learning methodology, and registers over 400 patents. Funny name, though... Oops, have I given out way too much?! :D

The movie is lengthy according to the usual standards, but trust m when I say you won't grudge it. The scenes are so beautifully created and enacted, you will find it hard not to like the film! I myself was a little anxious, given that the reviews I'd heard were outstanding, and each time I go with high hopes, I fall flat on my face. Yet, this movie didn't fail my faith. You MUST watch it. I insist. This is a 10 on 10!! Any less, and Aamir will commit suicide :-P

(If he reads my blog, I'm sure the 10 will look unreasonable to him; he must be expecting an 11 or 12!)

So, that's the movie review for you... Especially for Parimaula :-) Thanks for writing in.

What else have I been up to? Well, I visited a new place called Club Ecco in Fatima Nagar, Pune. I loved the ambience and "house" music, though there wasn't much crowd to appreciate it. I hadn't been to a disco in ages and I let my hair down (literally) like never before! Even won a holiday package as a prize for dancing well :-)

Belated Merry Christmas, fellas, and I hope you're planning for a dazzling new year celebration! I'm still looking out for go-able party places. Well, that didn't stop me from buying a uber chic tube top to wear for New Year's eve :-P

Drop a word if you know of any gigs in town!

Cheerio!

Princess