Toofan & Sarpatta

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Yesterday I watched two films about boxing. First I watched 'Toofan' on Amazon Prime. It is a nice film and I liked it a lot. I love Farhan Akhtar a lot and whatever he does simply amazes me. The way he speaks, his body language and the honesty in his eyes are really fascinating. This film has been directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra who has given us interesting films like 'Aks', 'Rang De Basanti', 'Delhi 6' and 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag'. 'Toofan' is a good film though not an outstanding one. Paresh Rawal and Mohan Agashe are brilliant in the film. Mrunal Thakur looks too cute and has acted really well. The storyline is good and the ups and downs along with the physical configurations in the protagonist's life are interesting. Overall I was happy to watch this film.

The second boxing film that I watched was the Tamil film 'Sarpatta' on Amazon Prime. This film is of epic proportions. This film is fascinating and leaves a lasting impression on the viewer's mind. I was completely blown away by this film. This is a period film set in the year 1975 during the days of the Emergency. All the actors have done a tremendous job. Arya in the protagonist's role is simply awesome and has given a mesmerizing performance. The storyline is amazing and the ups and downs along with the physical configurations in the protagonist's life are brilliant. The set design is too good and it feels that the viewer has been transported back in time to 1975. This movie is a must watch for any film buff.  

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First Time @ College Street Coffee House

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The first time I went to the College Street Coffee House was in the year 1995. I was thirteen years old then. I went there with my father. Before going to that place, I had heard many things about the Coffee House from my father and other relatives. I had also heard Manna Dey's song 'Coffee House-er Shei Adda-ta' on radio too. So I was really looking forward to visit this place. I kept on asking my father for months to take me to the Coffee House. 

Finally one day he agreed. I was really thrilled. We went there in a cab. In those days the Ambassador cabs of Calcutta were painted in yellow and black colours. My father also had an Ambassador car in those days but he did not take his car to College Street because of parking problems. Anyways as soon as I stepped inside the Coffee House and walked up those ancient stairs, I immediately fell in love with the place. It was a weekday evening but still it was crowded. We were lucky to get an empty table on the first floor. I clearly remember that I had ordered chicken kabiraji and infusion. My father also ordered an infusion and fish fry. I looked all around the huge hall and was mesmerized by it. I also eavesdropped on the conversations that other people were having at the surrounding tables. We spent around one hour inside Coffee House and then left the place. 

Once we came out of Coffee House, we heard rabindrasangeet being played at a nearby shop. We went to that shop and my father enquired about the singer whose cassette was playing there. Most probably the name of that shop was Parlo-Phone. The shopkeeper told us that the name of the singer was Srabani Sen. My father immediately bought the audio cassette. I looked around the shop and saw Anjan Dutta's 'Purono Guitar' cassette. I asked my father to buy it for me. He initially denied my request. Then I kept on insisting and finally he agreed to buy it for me. I still have both the cassettes with me even to this day...

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Jagga Jasoos & Bobby Jasoos

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Recently I watched 'Jagga Jasoos'. Loved this film tremendously. The way this film has been made is magnificent. I think that this is the first time that a film has been made in this way. I think this is Anurag Basu's best work till date. I am a huge fan of the French director Jean Pierre Jeunet. 'Jagga Jasoos' has the look and the feel of a Jeunet film. Also this film looked like it came straight out from the world of comic books, especially the world of Tin Tin. I have been a fan of Tin Tin since my school days and its really nice to see a Bollywood film shift away from the regular Bollywood-ish stuff and give us something unique. Hopefully Anurag Basu will make a sequel to this film soon... 

Recently I watched 'Bobby Jasoos'. The film was okay for a one time watch. As usual Vidya Balan was very good in the film. Also loved watching Ali Fazal and Arjan Bajwa. The storyline was okay, nothing great and the film was neither too funny nor too interesting. Hopefully the makers of this film will not try to make a sequel. And even if they do then hopefully it will be better than this film...

   

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Kala

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Recently I watched the Malayalam film 'Kala' on Amazon Prime. I was completely blown away by this film. The action sequences in this film are magnificent. The cinematography is captivating. The direction is brilliant. The editing is crisp and stunning. The plot is simple but the way this film has been made is simply mind blowing. This film is not for the weak hearted. I loved this film so much that I watched it twice on the same day. And I just loved the ending...

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Salaam Seth

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'Jeete Hain Shaan Se' released in 1987. I was five years old back then. I saw this film on my uncle's VCR. The film was a typical Bollywood masala film and the songs were good. The song 'Julie Julie' had become a superhit in those days. I loved this song very much. However my personal favourite song in this film was 'Salaam Seth' which was sung by Anu Malik. In those days I was madly in love with this song. I really loved the starting part of this song. I really loved Mithun Chakraborty's dance and the way he played the piano accordion in the starting portion of this song. Also loved Mithun Chakraborty's colourful shirts and colourful high boots in this song. I was scared in the portion where Mithun Chakraborty walked on top of the high wall. I wondered what would have happened if he somehow accidently fell down from the high wall. And I really felt sad in the portion when Mithun Chakraborty visited the church. The lyrics inside the church were very heart touching...

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Two Seconds

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'Henna' released in 1991. I was nine years old back then. I saw the film in VCR at my uncle's house. I really loved the film. It had an unique storyline. The songs were very good. The music was by the great Ravindra Jain. I especially loved the song 'Der Naa Ho Jaye'. This song was really amazing. As a nine year old child I noticed how in the middle of the song, it just stops for two seconds, the camera takes a close up of the faces of Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Reema Lagoo, and then after those precious two seconds Lata Mangeshkar starts singing the part, 'Aaja Ve Mahi Tera Raasta Ho Dekhdiya'. The way this song restarts, first with the music and then with the vocals, after the gap of those two seconds is simply brilliant. Even today whenever I watch this song on Youtube, I always look for the silence of those two seconds...

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Woodland Boots

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I was studying in Class XI at St. Xavier's in the year 2000. That year during Durga Puja I saw a pair of Woodland Boots inside the Woodland showroom at Esplanade and immediately wanted to buy them. But the shoes were very expensive and back then unfortunately I did not have enough money to spend on a pair of Boots. Therefore instead of buying the original Woodland Boots, I bought a similar kind of Woodland-ish rip-off Boots from China-Bazar near Bentinck Street, whose price was quite within my means. Years passed by and every year, during Durga Puja, I thought of buying the original Woodland Boots but somehow never ended up actually buying them because of one reason or the other. 

Then on 24th September 2017, after seventeen long years, I finally bought my life's first Woodland Boots from the Woodland shop at Golpark. They were giving a discount but still the price came around four thousand rupees. I was really happy to buy these Boots. I started wearing them almost every time I left my house and went outside. I have been regularly wearing them for the last four years and they are still in good condition... 

   

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Kabir Singh & Flight

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Recently I watched 'Kabir Singh'. One of the worst films that I have ever watched in my life with the worst storyline ever. The only good part of this film was to watch the beautiful Kiara Advani and the songs were good too. Hated this glorification of toxic masculinity and also hated all the controversy surrounding this film. Really a waste of time.

Anyways the scene where Kabir Singh takes the moral high-ground and confesses to being really drunk in the operation theatre and accepts the punishment reminded me of a similar scene from Robert Zemeckis' 2012 film 'Flight'. Denzel Washington gave a superb performance in this film. I really loved the way this film progressed slowly towards the climax...

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Super Deluxe

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Recently I watched the Tamil film 'Super Deluxe' on Netflix. Loved it very much. This is 2019 film directed by Thiagarajan Kumararaja. It features Vijay Sethupathi, Fahadh Faasil, Samantha Akkineni, Ramya Krishnan, Mysskin, Gayathrie, Ashwanth Ashokkumar, Bagavathi Perumal and Mirnalini Ravi.

The storyline is unique. The plots are fascinating. The acting is superb. The direction is flawless. Loved the whole theme and message of the film. And really loved the alien in the film. The most beautiful alien woman that I have ever seen in my life. If possible then I would love to marry her and stay with her for the rest of my Life. I am bored with women of the homo sapiens species. I really need inter-galactic Love...

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Praay Kafka

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Recently I watched 'Praay Kafka' on Hoichoi and liked it immensely. In this episode the story, screenplay, dialogue and direction are by none other than the great Chandril Bhattacharya. Anindya Sengupta, Amrita Chattopadhyay, Aindrila Sharma and everyone else have acted superbly here.

 

I have always been a fan of Chandril Bhattacharya. I love his lyrics. I love his columns in the newspapers. I love the way he speaks. Many years back I was completely blown away by 'Y2K Othoba Sex Kromey Asitechhey'. Also loved his short film 'Talent'. 

If you have not watched 'Praay Kafka' then please watch it on Hoichoi. I will not write anything about the story here and spoil your surprise. Believe me, you will really like this funny story. I have watched it five to six times and cannot get enough of it. Chandril Bhattacharya must make more such films in the future...

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