Say Cheese & Die!!

Well, certainly not a nice thing to say if you are photographer.

To rest the confusion, Say Cheesse & Die is a book/novel in the goosebumps series by RL Stine ( never heard of him?? same here :O ) . The story revolves around two kids who get a camera which when used depicts terrible events which eventually occer. Quite a premise.

No, I haven't read the book and this post is not about it either.

Remember standing in a group ready to be photographed, when we were kids ? Yes, you get the picture right. Saying Cheese, and holding on to "Saying Cheese" till the photographed clicked away was one of the most arduous and unsurmountable things to do during schooldays.

I mean, the act was so unnatural, that I always dreaded the day when the school group photographs were to be distributed. Trust me. And during the photographs, that itchy feeling to either widen it, skew it .... and God knows what ... certainly scary ...

I dont remember when i stopped "Saying Cheese", but I am happy I did and I hope I dont do that to others :)

More on saying cheese :

"By saying "cheese", most people form their mouths into what appears to be a smile-like shape. Additionally, the absurdity of saying "cheese" for no apparent reason can incite glee in some persons"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Say_cheese

Lake Joka

You cant miss them. Seven of them in a campus of around 150 acres. Not 'lakes' in the true sense of the word, but surely bigger than what people usually call a pond. Simply put, anything thats bigger than a pond is a Lake :)

This is the satellite image of IIMC. As u can see, there is island like patch of land surrounded by the lakes on all sides. I have a strange feeling that the island is artificial. Might be. Well, that island is the Academic Complex, er ...sorry, the lecture halls and the administrative office. So to get to the lecture halls we have to follow the roads along the lakes.

Its quite an experience, especially the nights in winters, with a light mist on the surface of the lakes. And in the summers, when the lakes are still and the lights from the library make a clear reflection, its even more enchanting.

Now the waters are green and the lakes are full. Blame the monsoons.

I showed these pictures to my friend, and she felt that the lakes looked ominous. Well, it was the time you see, 6 in the morning.

Nevertheless. Lake Joka.

~Living Room Breathe Easy !

A Little Less Sugar And Lots Of Bullets

No, I am not talking of some mumbaiya dish. Nor am I talking about some presentation that I have to deliver this thursday.

Its about this weekend. Two movies in two days. Cheeni Kum and Shootout at Lokhandwala. Hence the title for the post. Not that clever you say? well, maybe.

Cheeni kum has a brilliant performance by Amitabh Bachchan, if you are a fan ( not necessarily a BIG fan ) then you must watch this. The way he has grown as an actor and also as an individual is clearly evident in his portrayal. Its not just the portraying of the nuances of a egoistic 'old' man but also the air of having lived in London for more 20 years that makes him so special. He seems more comfortable speaking of love in more 'physical terms' than most other actors ( younger, of course ) would be. Tabu flounders once or twice, but otherwise she's as graceful as always. That swagger and easy going charm.
Cheeni Kum also scores high on my scorecard because of its excellent script, especially the way it highlights the sarcasm of Amitabh and the naughtiness of Tabu. And then there's the acceptance that physical attraction is an integral part of the process of two people falling in love. Believe me, thats quite a departure from the usual Indian movies and it DOES feel good.
But it fails in the second half. Stereotyped people, stereotyped ending, stereotyped emotions.

Overall , definitely worth a watch.

Shootout at Lokhandwala is a forgettable movie. Its pacy, but there are too many sidetracks at the wrong times, like those bar dances, like those 'emo' scenes the policemen have with their wives and the gangsters have with their kins. It can give you a headache. Only good thing - Vivek Oberoi. Back to Company days, eh? Hopefully. Luckily for me, there was a rock music piece ( though awfully placed in the movie ) which actually rocked. The movie didn't.

Overall, you should rather spend the time reading my blog than this movie :D

Leaving you with pictures of the ' Breakout Zone' of my office. Nice place.

Breathe Easy.

Rosso.