Many things!

Got some time today and I'm determined to post....about a lot of things, movies that I have seen, the India-Aus series etc etc.

Saw a telugu movie by name Gamyam a couple weeks ago. After a long time, one telugu movie that I recommended to everyone I met once I had seen it. Inspired (in the strictest sense of the word) from Motorcycle Diaries, this is one movie that had its heart in the right place. Neatly made, it did bow down to the diktats of the commercial movie framework at some places, but at most others was very well written. It once again dispelled the myth that you need a superhero to carry a film, the film rests on the able shoulders of its script. Superlative performances by Sharwanand and 'Allari' Naresh and a good one by Kamalini Mukherjee (who of course is hampered by the fact that she does not understand a word of what she is made to mouth) make this movie a delightful watch. Go check it out, you will not regret it. Well done Krish, we hope to see more from you.

And then I saw Jodha Akbar...and people were right when they said it was too long. It was indeed very long an I had no idea what Mr. Gowariker intended to make at the end of the movie. Did he want to showcase the life of Akbar? Did he want to show the lovestory between Jodha and Akbar? Did he want to show us how fickle alliances were in that period or how Akbar had to tackle so much intrigue and treachery from inside and out all his life? I was frankly confused as he just kept meandering along all through the length of the movie from one track to another. But one thing that made the movie worth watching was the lead players. Hrithik and Aishwarya were made to look so ethereal that one could hardly take one's eyes off the screen when they were there. As Baradwaj Rangan wrote in his review, if Akbar and Jodha looked remotely like these guys did, how beautiful must the baby Humayun have been?

And finally about the best thing that happened in the last couple months. First we level the test series and the victory we secure comes at Perth, supposed to be their stronghold. Then we beat the World Beaters (Chuckle) in the CB series, three consecutive victories over them giving us the title. The greenhorns, as they were termed before the series suddenly emerged World Beaters and India has a fantastic leader to look forward to.

MS Dhoni deserves an entire post, but I will post a few impressions for now. For one, when after a particular match, where he had insisted and included Piyush Chawla in the eleven and that move paid off, he was asked how he always made the right decisions. This crafty man refused to take credit for the decision and instead this is what he said:
"It is not about me taking the right decisions. It is about the individual responding to the situation. I saw the pitch and thought Piyush would do well here, but if he had not risen to the occasion and put in such a fine performance, you would have been slamming me. So, it is thanks to the guys who have been repaying the faith I have in them."

That statement is a masterstroke. By saying a thing like that he is putting the onus right back on the players, he is telling them that he is willing to put his neck on the line for them and they have to pay him back with a good performance. And a person who would not perform in the face of such confidence imposed in him does not deserve to play international cricket.

Crafty man Dhoni...we doff our hats to you. Looking forward to greater victories!!!