My friend's wedding...a dream in the world of reality!!

Please note that this is a dream and there are relations to people I know and have been associated with. I have changed names, for my sake.

On Tuesday morning, as I was getting ready to go to office, I got a call from this school friend of mine, Mary. She was getting married. I was ecstatic as I was asked to be the maid of honor.

Our friendship goes way back to the days when we used to live in the same lane in Delhi. She and I went to the same school and were in the same class, different sections though. We are Telugu Brahmins and hers is a Christian family, but that was never a hindrance in our friendship as our parents were also equally thick friends.

Mary has an elder brother, Thomas. He considered me as his sister, in the same way he considered Mary. So we were more of a family than friends. Those were really some good days.

Being in different sections and then moving to different places increased the gap in our friendship. We slowly became hi-hello friends. In spite of that, she called me to inform that I was her maid-of-honor was really an honor for me.

To top it all, attending a proper Christian wedding was my dream. Actually getting married in Christian style is my dream, but attending also is great. This gave me an opportunity to fulfill a part of it, though. So I was happy.

I agreed to it immediately and started contacting all my friends in Delhi. Most of them agreed to attend since this gives us a great chance to meet after like almost a decade.

Also Mary being my school friend, she was their friend too J.

Next day, Mary called me to know about my itinerary and inform me about my stay. I told her that Mom was coming along with me. The news made Mary’s mom happier than anyone. It would have more than 20 years since they saw each other. After Uncle’s demise, we did not get to meet Aunty and this could be an apt occasion is what Mom also felt and agreed to accompany.

I reached Delhi on Saturday morning. The ceremony was due on Sunday. So I had the whole day to myself, to meet my friends, hangout in our favorite places. Thomas received us and gave us another big surprise, the wedding was to be held in the school.

This was superb news for me, since I have been attached with my school. I love everything about the place, the teachers, my classmates, even the principal and vice-principal. And not to forget the non-teaching staff who were most supportive to us. I jumped at the news and rushed to the school. As a maid of honor, it is my responsibility to oversee all the arrangements and ensure that everything goes on without hiccups. Frankly, the real reason was to revisit my school and relive some memories, if not all.

The feeling was overwhelming, the moment I entered the building. There were many changes to the place, but the essence was still intact. I became nostalgic when I was just wandering around the primary section, the foundation of our lives.

There is a way to the playground from this section, the place where the wedding was to take place. The preparations were going on in full swing.

Sometime later, I really don’t know, after how much time, Thomas came and took me to the hotel. Mom had directly gone to the hotel, to check on Aunty, if she needed any help. Surprisingly, there was a Haldi ceremony, which usually takes place in a Hindu wedding ceremony. But looks like Mary liked that ceremony so much that she wanted it as a part of her wedding as well. And Mom was there, so she was guiding Aunty on how to go about that ceremony. I was standing at the end of the garden, enjoying the happiness that Mary had on her face.

Soon I was joined by my school friends. The reunion felt great, after a hectic work schedule, a sudden relaxation of this stature is a boon to one’s life. And I was no exception. Thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with them, reliving old days.

In my heart and I am sure in hers, Mary knew that I was longing for a break like this. So she let me have my share of fun with my old buddies, I totally loved her for this!!

There was kumkum, haldi, bangles, coconut and all in a Christian which was an amazing blend of cultures. So there we were, enjoying the ceremony, where out of nowhere, Meena comes out hurling abuses at me. I was appalled, dumbstruck with no idea why she was scolding me like that.

Thomas jumped into the scene like a samurai and handled it all too well. He sent me back to the hotel and asked others to take care of Meena.

Meena was a classmate but not a very close buddy. We were always on good terms, so a sudden bombardment of this sort was shocking for me. I was still in a state of shock when I reached my room. I could not understand why she behaved like that. The biggest surprise was, no one stopped her!! She kept shouting but no one opposed her. I could not understand why!!

“One can’t please all.” This statement, I could never understand and believe. I could never handle someone not liking me. Though there were people I did not like, but I could not tolerate if someone said they did not like me. I would continue to pester the person asking them for a reason for disliking me. And now this, in public was more of embarrassment for me. I spent the rest of the time in the room crying. I did not go back to the venue so that I do not trouble Mary with this situation.

Though I did not like what happened, the next day, I put everything behind and went to the school. This was Mary’s day and as the maid of honor, it was my duty to ensure nothing went wrong. As soon as I reached the school, I was spellbound. The ground was decorated with flowers; the stage was setup for the ceremony. Everything was just so beautiful and perfect. The ground was getting watered and the morning sun shone to the water droplets creating small rainbows around. There could have no better place for Mary to get married and I was so happy for her!!

Suddenly, a coconut from yesterday’s Haldi ceremony came hurling at me. I just missed it. I turned around to see who and from where it came. Just then Meena came running with another coconut in her hand. She threw me on the ground and shouted at me, asking me if she should throw another one at me. I was speechless; I did not know why she was shouting at me like that.

This time, I shouted back at her, “Haan mar de..tere dil ko bhi tasalli mil jayegi. Lekin kyun…yeh toh bata de???”

She replied, “mere papa ko maarne ke time pe yeh pata nahi socha tha kya tune?”

********************************* The end *********************************************

My affinity with this number: 102

I have this history with this number: 102.

Sometimes life just does some things to remind you of yesteryear and put you in a state of nostalgia.
I was dropping my father-in-law at the bus stop when the number just flashed in front of me as the pillar number. I did not realize till then that this was pillar number: 102. Suddenly, memories came bombarding at me, memories of the days I would love to go back to.

Those were the days when I had come from Delhi to Hyderabad after my class XII board exams. I was staying at  my grandparents and was preparing for EAMCET. I was taking coaching (super short term, if you want to call it, it lasted only for 20 days) for it in an institute in Narayanaguda.

From my grandparents' place, there exists a direct bus to this place, but one rarely sees it. So my only solace was this bus number: 102. This would take me directly to the institute location.
Thus started my journey with and in this bus. :).

20 days and done, gave my EAMCET and went back to Delhi. After counselling, joined a college which was unsurprisingly en-route this route 102. All my friends used to board this bus to come to college. Anytime that I had to go to their places', this was the bus I used to board.

3rd year of engineering arrived, CAT coaching started. Guess the place where I had to go for coaching, somewhere near Narayanaguda (grin). And the bus I had to board (no points for guessing).

My class started at 6:15 a.m. So I always used to board the first service of this bus, so much so that the driver used to wait for me to come to the bus stop if he saw me walking towards the bus stop. The conductor as well as driver had become good friends of mine :). 
The same thing repeated when my sister joined me in Hyderabad. She also had to board the same bus :).

It has been a while since I used this board owing to my change in location, but the memories remain!!
Thank You 102 :)..

He is truly a gentle man...Gentleman Review!!

Finally, I get to write the review for this movie :).
And I am all happy to do that.

This film is definitely different from the other Nani movies that we have already seen. We have seen him in nice, homely, forgetful boy roles, which we have immensely liked. But this one, is different. This one brings out Nani as a true actor.

There would be no fun if the story of the film is revealed. So I will talk about the other stuff only.

Indraganti sir had an amazing cast and super story. He capitalized it to the max and gave us a delightful movie. The weaving of the story was top-notch.

The good part first:

• NANI - No words, classic!!
• SRINIVAS AVASARALA(SA) - He stood out like a charm. Nani and SA bring out great stuff together. They have done it repeatedly and have never disappointed.
• NIVEDITHA THOMAS - She is magic on the screen. She has done her job amazingly well. Crisp and smart, truly admiring
• STORY - A good story always wins, Proved once again and how!! Simply wow!!
• The part in Kodaikanal - one of the most romantic pieces that I have seen in some time.

The not so good part, (Oh yes! I am biased, I am a BIG Nani and SA fan, so there will be no bad part)

• LENGTH - I felt the screen play could have been quicker. I felt it got a little dragged in the second half.
• Vennela Kishore - A mockery was made out of him. I felt the jokes around him could have been better.

The music was ok, did not enjoy it much, but people have responded well to it. I still hum the songs of Bhale Bhale Magadivoy :).

A special mention about Srinivas Avarsarala, never before did I see him in an antagonist role. So this one was new and he has charmed us all with his incredible acting skills.

I will recommend everyone to go and watch this movie. 

My rating for this movie: 4/5 :)!!

Udta Punjab - My review

I got the privilege to watch a very honest movie called Udta Punjab. A very bold and crude movie, it is. 

The story is as depicted in the poster of the movie. Shahid Kapur is a drug addict rockstar. Kareena Kapoor Khan is a doctor who also runs a rehabilitation center. Alia Bhatt is a Bihari migrant in need of money, accidentally gets hold of a drug packet, worth lakhs. Diljit Dosanjh is a SI with Punjab Police. 

The story has been beautifully written to interconnect all these characters. And everyone has a brilliant role and been sketched beautifully. The chemistry between them also is amazing. 

The best part is not even a single frame there is, where the actual motto behind the film, i.e. drugs problem has been missed. The screenplay really needs to be commended for it. 

The music is okay. It just suits the essence of the film. 

I particularly liked the way Diljit played the part, very subtle yet strong. He gets full marks for his brilliant acting.

I will not reveal the story at all.  I would request everyone to watch this film. It is hard hitting yet true.

My rating for the movie: 4/5. 

The Conjuring 2 - My review

First experience is always special. So was this!!
My first horror movie in the theater with my husband.
I was always scared of watching horror movies, but of late after having watched numerous movies at home, I have gotten used to watching horror flicks. And so I gathered enough courage to watch "The Conjuring 2".

I may not be able to give a review like a critic or some one as I am just a novice in the world of horror movies.
So as a regular viewer, this is my review of the movie.

The story is simple and the usual, a family in London is suffering from disturbing paranormal activities at home. Ed and Lorraine Warren rescue them from it. But before that, they are asked to visit a home in AmityVille where Lorraine gets a premonition about Ed. That is where the story gets connected to London.

In London lives a family of 4 kids along with their mother, trying to make ends meet. They start to experience some strange situations in the house that scares them. Then the younger girl is confiscated by the ghost who is causing issues in the house and causes further problems.

There are some inhibitions that the family is faking all this, in a pursuit of better house.

One of the local professors who lost his daughter in an accident and still feels that she is around him, understands the pain the family is undergoing and requests the church to help the family. The church asks the Warrens to validate the situation and they come to London to check.

This connection to Amityville is interesting and well directed. I particularly liked the usage of one of the most beautiful Elvis song, "I can't help falling in love with you". I totally love this song and its presence in this movie was heartwarming. 

Coming to the horror part, it was scary and innovative. I really pity my husband for his hand must have hurt real bad after the movie, as I had held it real tight, thanks to the scary situations. The sound effects are good, and all the actors have done a great job.

All in all, a good movie, a horror movie lover will enjoy it.

My rating for the movie: 3.5/5

One moment (Kshanam)...My review!!

This was one movie that I wanted to watch from long but could not. And I regret not having watched it earlier.

This is the plot in a nutshell: A girl asks her ex-boyfriend to help find a girl, who she claims is her daughter.

The movie, right from the start, intrigues the viewer. The plot is crisp and the execution is accurate. The film moves at a good pace. There is not a single scene where the viewer gets bored. The film has some good and some predictable twists and turns. Don't expect me to reveal any of it. I want you all to watch it :).

The story is the main protagonist and the actors do complete justice to it. I have started to like Adivi Sesh even more now. I first liked him in Size Zero :). 

If you haven't watched the film till now, please go ahead and watch it. I am really starting to like the kind of films that the Telugu Film Industry is bringing out these days. They are fresh, good and sensible. Kudos to everyone out there and keep the good job going!!

Who is this Subramanyam...Yevade Subramanyam? (My Review)

Sometime back, I happened to watch this movie, Yevade Subramanyam . It is a very refreshing movie with the heart in the right place. I like Nani for the movies he does. The stories look real and so does he :).

Coming to this movie, the story, the idea behind the movie is superb and very apt in the current world. Nowadays everyone is running the rat race looking at just his own progress and not very worried about the other person. In such a scenario, Nani’s friend asking him to accompany him to Doodh Kashi is simply out of question, But circumstances arise where he is forced to go. The journey as expected shows him the real world. How he realizes who he is during the journey is the rest of the story.

The story is good but the execution failed us. Nani as usual played his part well. But the loose ends in the script does not make the viewer very happy. The lead pair do not have any chemistry between them. They both look great separately, but as a pair in the movie, did not impress me at all.

Rishi, Subbu’s friend is the most refreshing character that I have seen in a long time. The actor Vijay Deverkonda has done a great job. Avasarala Srinivas, I am starting to like you more and more everyday, with a small but an important role in the movie, you really make an impact. The other technical aspects are all okay.

I believe one must watch this movie for the freshness that it gives. The film looks beautiful with picturesque locations and good looking characters.

My rating for the movie: 3/5.

Great expectations...

The Sunday morning, instead of my usual lazy self, I took my son to the audition of a children based programme.

And I saw a plethora of varieties of kids and parents alike. The parents eager to see their on the television, and the kids..wooh..don't even ask!!

Some kids eager to go and show their talent on the screen. All dressed up, with makeup. You are right, all made up. Dress and looks, and all. I must say, I was impressed with the amount of effort put by both parents and the children.

And then there were some kids who did not want to go in at all. The parents persuading them, but the kids were relentless.

Well luckily my son did not put up a show, thanks to my mother-in-law, who had prepared him. Also it was because of her interest that we went for the audition. But when I asked my son how did the audition go, he had a simple answer for me. I forgot. :). Then again I did not want to become that nagging mother who kept asking him questions. I thought if he was really good, then he would be selected. :).
Fingers crossed.

To dad with love...(Nanaku Prematho)

The title reminded me of the book by E.R. Braithwaite, To sir with love.  It is a book that is very dear to me. The book made me realize the importance of a a teacher in a student's life and appreciate them more.
I had the same feeling when I heard the title of this film, as my dad is one of the most important persons in my life, and I am my dad's pet. So with this aura I went to watch the movie.
The director Sukumar's last movie, 1 Nenuokkadine was a very intelligent movie. Though the film flopped I enjoyed it a lot. The story was way ahead of its time.

I can only jot down the good and the bad about the film, Nanaku Prematho in points:

The Good:

1. The story, intriguing
2. Jagapathi Babu, he is doing an amazing job as a antagonist. His work was on par with Jr. NTR. I am biased, yes, but I am helpless :). 
3. The entire look of the movie. Jr. NTR's look was nice and different.
4. Rakul Preet Singh did a good job. Her efforts did show up on the screen.

The Bad:

1. The execution of the story. It had a lot of potential. But it was just not well done.
2. Silly mistake: In an earlier scene, NTR tells JB Nov. 1 is his last day as a rich guy and in a later scene, JB calls NTR and tells him that today is Sep. 1??? What happened here??
3. Too many calculations, reminded me of my Physics lectures! Was it necessary?
4. Too much weightage to Jr. NTR. Other characters were not given their due.
5. Srinivas Avasarala was completely wasted in the film. He could have been given some more screen space and dialogues please. He is a good actor.
6. Rajiv Kanakala was also not given his due.
7. Music and songs, totally unnecessary. They were there just to add masala.

Jr. NTR did a superb job, no doubt but Mahesh Babu would have done better, IMHO.
It is a Sukumar's film so I will not reveal any part of the story. I will want people to go and watch it. 

But my rating for the movie would be: 3/5.