The last Harry Potter movie. Premiered.

This was Trafalgar Square yesterday where hundreds and thousands of Harry Potter fans

camped for the World Premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: II. This photograph in particular makes me so happy that there are people who share the same madness for Harry Potter

as I do. 

If I could, I would travel 7000 miles and more just to watch the world premiere of this amazing movie

franchise of the book that has influenced me to the core. The premiere date for India is about a week away, and I kind of dread that day.. because I know I will end up crying in the movie theatre 

when the last scene of the movie will end.. something beautiful that just kept evolving into 

bigger and better things, is coming to it's eventual end.. there will be no more waiting for new

HP trailers, waiting for the DVDs, then waiting for some trailers again.. my heart knows 

this is not the end, but still, for the ultimate Harry Potter fan, this is the end of another journey. 

The eternal journey continues, for Harry Potter and his friends, live on in my heart.

Gem of a movie #1 : Truly Madly Deeply

Now, whenever I come across a movie that must be written about, no matter how old it is, I shall spread awareness about the same through my blog. After watching Alan Rickman as Snape in the Harry Potter series and also after watching him in Die Hard (by chance), I was eager to see his other works.. and the first one that I lay my hands on was a 1990 classic called Truly Madly Deeply.

Truly Madly Deeply (TMD) is about a woman trying to come to terms with the loss of the man she loved - Jamie (Alan Rickman) and how she almost 'wills' him to come back and voila! he returns.. but she knows not what is in store for her.. just when she thought her world revolved around Jamie, life (and Jamie) had other plans for her..

A beautiful film about loving, losing and living.. with superb performances from Alan Rickman and Juliet Stevenson and a supporting act by Michael Maloney, this movie is a great watch. If you are one of those who has truly loved and lost someone, you will value and treasure this movie but no matter what frame of mind you are in, this movie will make you love your loved ones, just a little bit more :)

Timeless..

Some things never age, they are simply timeless. One of them is the movie, "My Fair Lady", made in 1964 

starring one of the most gorgeous women to ever grace the screen, Audrey Hepburn and the dashing 

Rex Harrison, this movie just cannot be reviewed or rated, it simply has to be experienced at least once

in your lifetime.

A simple story about how an arrogant, phonetics professor takes on the challenge of 

passing a flower-seller on the street as a Duchess at an upcoming Royal Ball through change in her language

and speech, My Fair Lady touches your heart through it's simplicity, it's stress on the intrinsic

qualities of human nature, the gamut of expressions on display and through the terrific performance

by the entire cast. 

Though Rex Harrison went on to win the Oscar for his portrayal of Henry Higgins later

that year, it baffles me that Audrey Hepburn did not win an Oscar for her performance

in this movie, which was nothing less than exemplary. The supporting cast was also nominated for Oscars.

Not many may know, but a famous Marathi play by the name of Fulrani is an adaptation of 

My Fair Lady, being written and edited for marathi audiences by the legendary Pu.La.Deshpande. 

That's very good for trivia, but I would urge all you movie-lovers out there to watch this gem of a movie,

and if time permits, read Pygmalion, the book by G.B.Shaw, on which the movie is based.

Movie review: Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai

Title: Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Kangna Ranaut, Prachi Desai, Randeep Hooda
Director: Milan Luthria
Producer: Ekta Kapoor

Yes, Mumbai is spelt that way in the movie's title and I am sure this 'spelling' has been edited because of Ekta Kapoor and her immense belief in numerology. That's it - that's the most I can attack Ekta Kapoor after watching Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai because she has proved her point, she has shut up her critics, and how!

OUATIM (Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai) is a movie all about the power tussle between two 

men who rose to power in Mumbai set in the 70's through questionable practises and dealings. 

The two main characters are Sultan Mirza and Shoaib Khan, whose characterisation borrows heavily from the real characters of Haji Mastaan and Dawood Ibrahim respectively. 

Set in the 70's, OUATIM begins with the story of Sultan Mirza (Ajay Devgn), who, taking advantage of India's closed

economy, started smuggling things which were much in demand in India. Transistors, Two-in-ones, watches, soaps, television sets - all luxuries that the common Indian was deprived of because there were no foreign brands available in the country at that time. Though shown as a smuggler, Sultan has 

been shown as a principled man, a la Robin Hood - who steals from the rich and helps the poor.. certain scenes in the movie highlight this just and kind shade to his character, making it very interesting

and real. 

As the story progresses, the viewer is taken through a tale of power,ego,money,drugs,murder and smuggling as Shoaib Khan (Emraan Hashmi), starting off as Sultan's protege rises to challenge

his power and position in the 'trade'. I will not let out anything more about the plot as the real fun lies in watching all this unfold. 

Getting the looks and the details for a movie set in the 70's was not an easy task but full marks to the costume designers for getting the look right, for each and every character. Be it the hairstyles or the shoes, everything fit in perfectly.. one little gripe though - Emraan Hashmi's 6-pack did not quite fit in the scheme of things set in the 70's.. a normal 'healthy' look would have been better as Shoaib has been shown as a petty thief in the beginning sequences. 

Another delightful feature of the movie is the dialogues and the screenplay. The dialogues are so 

powerful that they remind one of those written for old Amitabh Bachchan classics like Zanjeer and Deewar. Rajat Arora does full justice to the 70's theme by writing power-packed dialogues, don't be surprised if you find yourself clapping in the theatre! Apart from that, the writing, again by Rajat Arora is crisp and taut. Well done, Mr.Arora!

Supported by well etched central characters and a nice storyline, the movie is taken to an altogether 

different level by Ajay Devgn's performance as Sultan Mirza. Borrowing from Haji Mastan's character, the similarities are too easy not to notice - the white clothes, the fling with a superstar, the ideals, the political angle.. however, Ajay Devgn breathes life into the character, making it very believable and powerful. Whenever he appears on screen, you are bound to get piqued - such is the power of his performance. Using his best assets,his eyes, to the maximum, Ajay Devgn adds one more role to the long list of brilliantly played serious roles in his career. Ably supported by Emraan Hashmi, Ajay and Emraan share a curious chemistry on screen, which is another strength of the movie.  Prachi has a miniscule role but is good.. same for Kangna, who has put up a decent act, looking ethereal throughout 

the movie.

After Taxi no 9211 and Hattrick, Luthria makes a great comeback with OUATIM while Ekta Kapoor adds one more good film to her kitty after Shootout At Lokhandwala. Overall, OUATIM is a great watch and will tell you lots about India in the 70's... watch as the film makes you rewind to the 70's, in style!

Rating - 3.5/5