The Common Man Speaks

Travel Post: Goa is not exactly what we see in Bollywood!

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By: Keyur Seta

Three weeks back, I finally got a chance to visit Goa for the first time in my life. Since I had never seen the place before in real, all my knowledge about the place came from Hindi films. As almost all Bollywood films have portrayed the place in the same manner (except few films like Dum Maaro Dum), not since years but decades, I kind of developed an image of the place from what I have been seeing on celluloid.

This is how Hindi films have portrayed Goa:-

  • Goa is all about beaches. In fact, beaches are the only things worth seeing in the place.
  • The place is thronged by hardcore party lovers who consume as much beer or some liquor as we consume water. Of course, some of the males have to be topless and the females, skimpily clothed.
  • Every now and then you will come across a person humming a song in English or their local language while playing a guitar. It is mandatory for the person to wear a typical Goa shirt (with pictures of coconut trees), shorts and of course a big hat made out of cane.
  • Locals add the word ‘man’ after every sentence while speaking Hindi. Examples – 1) Hi man! 2) Kaisa hai man? 3) Kya baat kar raha hai man? 4) God tumhara prayer zaroor sunega man.

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A calm and picturesque lake in Goa (Click to enlarge)

Due to such portrayal of Goa, I wasn’t too keen on visiting the place, more so because I am not fond of beaches and I simply can’t stand these so-called parties with liquor. But since I badly needed a change, I went ahead with the trip. And today as I look back, I think it was one of the best decisions of my life. The reason I am saying this is because Goa is much, much more than what Hindi films have shown us. Of course, the above mentioned scenarios are experienced over there but, from what I saw, not often.

As surprising as it may sound, I found Goa very serene and peaceful. I experienced this not only in the locality where we stayed (Calangute) but also in the places we visited – the peaceful Thivim Railway station, Avenida Dom Jao Castro Road in Panaji, Sinquerim Beach, Fort Aguada, Vagator Beach, Dona Paula, Basilica of Bom Jesus, Shantadurga Temple and lastly Margao (Maybe you can feel the same in the pictures posted here). A lot of calmness is also felt while travelling from one destination to the other as one could see the beautiful small houses or huts, local shops, a group of locals chit chatting under a tree in villages, lakes, forests, picturesque mountains, small roads of small towns, etc.

I firmly believe that the beauty of a particular place multiplies if the locals are warm hearted and sweet. After my experiences and interactions with the locals in Goa, I can surely say the same for Goa. This definitely adds on to the peace. The big example of this was our guide Ramakant. Although he was hamming his way while explaining the places, it was his sweet and friendly nature that stood out.

Beautifully maintained city of Panaji (Click to enlarge)

But another thing that hugely impressed me is the cleanliness practiced by the people (even on the beaches) and the civic maintenance in every part of Goa. I hardly saw any litter or waste lying on the roads. I don’t even recollect anyone spitting on the streets. Although this increased my respect for the place, it also made me feel bad thinking about the state of my hometown Mumbai where people consider the whole city as a dustbin, toilet and what not.

And talking about the civic body of Goa, I feel the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) is a big joke in comparison to it. The former not only makes sure the place is clean and tidy but also puts in lots of effort and money to add beauty to the place. So henceforth, I would laugh at anyone who would label Mumbai as the most developed city. Insanely building more and more skyscrapers, letting miscreants destroy the city and unnecessarily buying cars thereby adding on to the traffic is certainly not development.

So regardless of what Hindi films show, the real Goa is seen only after visiting it. From the points mentioned above, it is needless for me to say that I will visit the place again.

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Some more pictures: –

Vagator Beach in Goa (Click to enlarge)

Avenida Dom Jao Road at Panaji, Goa (Click to enlarge)

Basilica of Bom Jesus at Panaji, Goa (Click to enlarge)

View from Mandovi Bridge at Panaji (Click to enlarge)

Vagator Beach. The place where Ek Duke Ke Liye was shot. The lovers in the movie had inscribed their name on the sand. Shockingly, around 30 years later, the name is still visible. (Click to enlarge)

Shantadurga Temple in Goa (Click to enlarge)

Aayna Ka Bayna (Marathi Movie) Review

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Direction: Samit Kakkad

Production: Manju Paras Porwal, Amar kakkad and Pushpa Kakkad

Writers: Story – Raju Khuste, Suchita Sawant, Screenplay – Samit Kakkad, Dialogues – Bhalchandra Jha, Pradeep Rane, Hemant Edlabadkar and Sachin Darekar

Cast: Sachin Khedekar, Amruta Khanvilkar, Raqesh Vashisht, Ganesh Yadav, Siddhesh Pai, Amit Rokade, Pravin Nair, Rahul Kulkarni, Anand Chavan, Dinesh Kamble, Akhilesh Vishwakarma, Nikhil Rajemahadik, Sanket Farad

Music: Ajit-Sameer

Genre: Drama

Rating: * * * *

Plot: Warden of a children’s remand home Harshawardhan Sathe (Sachin Khedekar) is a firm believer in the use of the stick in order to control the juvenile criminals over there. Naturally, his name ignites fear and hatred among all. But with the entry of the counselor Shivani (Amruta Khanvilkar), the young inmates find a new meaning to their lives.

Apart from showering the children with love and care, Shivani uses the dance therapy to counsel them. As the adolescents start mastering the art of dance, they develop a sense of fulfilling their dreams. But Sathe is hell bent to transform their dreams into nightmares!

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Review: If children or adolescents are forced to indulge in some sort of crime, they should be taken care of to make sure they become law abiding citizens in the future. Treating them like hardcore criminal shouldn’t be an option at all.  Debutant director Samit Kakkad gives this strong message successfully in Aayna Ka Bayna. But what makes the message more appealing is the fact that it is put across while presenting an applaud-worthy dance extravaganza. The end result is an inspiring humane saga that touches your heart.

The writers deserve applause as it would have been difficult at the start to define two starkly opposite characters (Sathe and Shivani) and portray the life at the remand home and, at the same time, take the story forward. The flashback portions of few inmates are nicely included by keeping it brief and to the point. Even the emotional or painful moments, thankfully, don’t appear depressing.

Picture courtesy – AKB Facebook page

When dance plays an important part in a film, there is a danger of the makers going overboard by including too many dance sequences. Fortunately, that doesn’t appear here. The dance scenarios and songs constitute an important part of the narration. Of course, there is a long dance sequence at the end but by this time; you develop a liking for the characters thereby making you root for them.

Although there aren’t big flaws, the film does become predictable later on. Also, a funny dance scene involving one of the main characters (won’t reveal the name) should have been shortened.

Sanjay Jadhav’s camerawork perfectly captures the dance as well as the action sequences. Like his previous films, he continues his good work. Without such brilliant dance sequences, the film wouldn’t have created such an impact. For this, choreographers Umesh Jadhav and Rohan Rokade deserve thumbs up. Ajit-Sameer’s peppy music suits the genre of the film. From the songs, the title track stands out. The editing and background score are adequate too.

Sachin Khedekar shows his brilliance by perfectly getting into the skin of the character of a ruthless warden. He generates the fear and hatred which was vital. Amruta Khanvilkar gives a strong performance. She manages to speak through expressions and is perfect during the dance sequences. However, her dancing skills should have been exploited more.

Ganesh Yadav is brilliant as the cop. The scene where he interacts with the media will have audiences in splits. Decent support is provided by Raqesh Vashisht. Lastly, the nine young debutants – Siddhesh Pai, Amit Rokade, Pravin Nair, Rahul Kulkarni, Anand Chavan, Dinesh Kamble, Akhilesh Vishwakarma, Nikhil Rajemahadik and Sanket Farad – deserve high applause for their super dancing skills and as well as acting. Some of their moves are overwhelming! Santosh Juvekar is likable in a cameo.

Overall, Aayna Ka Bayna gives a strong message through the art of dance without going overboard. Since it is released with Talaash starring the powerful Aamir Khan, it is in need of some prolific word-of-mouth.

Talaash Review (Spoiler Free)

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Director: Reema Kagti

Producers: Excel Entertainment, Aamir Khan Productions and Reliance Entertainment

Writers: Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti

Cast: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukerji, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Raj Kumar Gupta

Music: Ram Sampat

Genre: Thriller

Rating: * * *

Plot: A Bollywood superstar is killed in an accident under mysterious circumstances. Police Inspector Surjan Singh Shekhawat (Aamir Khan) takes up the investigation of the case. As he digs deeper into it, he finds himself entangled in a web of confusion and mystery which becomes worse due to his troubled married life with Roshni (Rani Mukerji) and the constant haunting of his dark past.

Shekhawat’s investigation gets him in contact with a prostitute Rosy (Kareena Kapoor). He also gets to know that a roadside criminal Taimur (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) is linked with the superstar’s death. Will these two leads be enough for Shekhawat to solve the case?

Review: (No spoilers whatsoever) In every whodunit thriller, the suspense at the end needs to be both shocking as well as convincing. In the case of Talaash, while the writers (Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar) manage to get the shocking part right, they disappoint with the conviction of the finale. This is the biggest reason, along with others, for Kagti’s film falling in the strictly one-time-watch category, which is surely below expectations.

‘Muskanein Jhoothi Hain’ song sets the right mood for the film right at the start. Apart from the lyrics, the picturisation is truly praiseworthy! The main point is brought soon which leads on to an intriguing narration in the first half as the case gets more complicated. The pace is deliberately kept slow but that in no way gives rise to boredom. In fact, it helps in building up excitement, mostly due to the sub plots. Some of artistically crafted scenes are a work of brilliance from the point of view of both writing and filming.

Picture courtesy – Talaash Facebook page

Unfortunately, the script starts going downhill in the second half with more importance being given to Shekhawat’s personal life than the case in question. The prolonged scenes between Shekhawat and one of the main characters test your patience. Lastly, the all important suspense at the end doesn’t live up to the excitement. Of course, there is no doubt that the final revelation will shock you and might even jerk you out of your seat but it lacks believability and conviction. (Personally, I feel the final outcome is harmful for the intellectual development of India!)

For the way she has filmed the story, Kagti deserves applause though. She is just let down by the proceedings of the second half that stop the film from being a commendable thriller. Another disappointing factor is that the main ‘hero’ is hardly given any heroics to perform. This is largely felt at the ending moments.

Mohanan’s cinematography is one of the biggest plus points. He has even captured the dark underbelly of Mumbai with perfection. Ram Sampat’s background score adds thrill. The editing is adequate. Songs don’t have much scope in such a film. ‘Muskanein Jhooti Hain’ is the only track that has a strong effect.

Aamir Khan succeeds in carrying the film on his shoulders. However, he is not at his best. The writing should be blamed for this for keeping his character too serious and depressed at times. Rani Mukerji does full justice to the character of a traumatic wife and mother. Kareena Kapoor is the one who steals the show. She perfectly moulds herself into the character of a prostitute and even manages to speak through expressions.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui once again shows why he is currently one of the finest character artists. He deserves many more films! Raj Kumar Gupta, Shernaz Patel and Sheeba Chaddha give mature performances in supporting roles.

Overall, Talaash is good but unfortunately it falls in the could-have-been-better category. Due to the hype and Aamir’s popularity, the film will garner very good collections at the box office.

Talaash Box Office Prediction

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Director: Reema Kagti

Producers: Excel Entertainment, Aamir Khan Productions and Reliance Entertainment

Writers: Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti

Cast: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukerji, Nawazuddin Siddiqui

Music: Ram Sampat

Genre: Thriller

Release Date: November 30, 2012

Analysis:

Star Value: Aamir Khan is not only a highly respected superstar but he is also someone who keeps his exclusivity alive by appearing onscreen just once in few years. These two factors, plus the fact that the film also has big stars like Rani Mukerji and Kareena Kapoor, make sure that the star value for Talaash is sky high!

Hype: Just like every Khan movie, Talaash has been in the news before the shoot commenced. And as expected, the promos garnered high excitement for the film’s release. A unique feature noticed is that the hype for this film is not about instant gratification which we see for Salman Khan’s movies. People are expecting a high degree of satisfying experience from this motion picture.

Music: The music hasn’t been that popular yet but it is expected to climb the music charts if the film does well. The song ‘Muskaanein Jhooti Hain’ is becoming known though.

Prediction:

It is easy to guess that Talaash will get a very good opening at the box office. This is a type of film that is expected to stay in theaters for a longer duration if it impresses. It won’t follow the silly trend of cashing in on the first weekend by booking almost every theater in the country which a lot of big budget movies do these days. This can also act as an obstacle for Akshay Kumar’s Khiladi 786 which releases on December 7. Like all Aamir movies, this one caters to both multiplexes and single screen theaters. Even if it gets decent initial response, it will surely enter the Rs 100 crore club.

Picture courtesy – Talaash Facebook page

Jab Tak Hai Jaan Review

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Direction: Yash Chopra

Producers: Yash Raj Films

Writers: Aditya Chopra and Devika Bhagat

Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma, Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Singh, Anupam Kher

Music: A R Rahman

Genre: Romance

Rating: * *

Plot: Samar Anand (Shah Rukh Khan) is a happy-go-lucky Indian living in London. He does odd jobs and struggles to make ends meet but that doesn’t lower his spirits. One day, out of nowhere, Meera (Katrina Kaif) walks into his life. The couple fall in love but as fate would have it, they are separated. Years later, Akira (Anushka Sharma), a carefree youngster, is moved to tears after knowing Samar’s story. Will Akira help Samar and Meera reunite or will she fall for Samar?

Review: Being a Yash Chopra-Shah Rukh Khan combo coupled by the fact that it is the last movie of the former, there were expectations from Jab Tak Hai Jaan. However, the hugely awaited film is nothing but a mixture of all done-to-death clichés that one could associate with typical love stories found in Bollywood. Sadly, that is not all. The film also suffers from a lack of logic, apart from a dragged length. It is only SRK’s greatness that makes it a somewhat watchable affair.

Anybody who has been following Bollywood love stories over the years would be able to predict the entire movie after the initial ten minutes. So when you know exactly what is going to happen throughout, you at least expect the story to be narrated in a convincing manner. Unfortunately, that is not the case here. The typical boy-meets-girl saga in the first half looks half baked. The way the story is narrated looks straight out of Ghajini. Later on, the film also reminds you of Chopra’s last Veer-Zaara. But what is worse is the separation under idiotic circumstances.

(Review continued after picture)

Picture courtesy – JTHJ Facebook page

The second half, thankfully, has some smile-producing moments due to the conversations between Shah Rukh and one of the actresses. But soon we are subjected to some unconvincing twists and a not-so-perfect as well as predictable climax. Although the film has some winning moments but they don’t manage to overtake the negative points at all! The three hour length (excluding interval) doesn’t help either.

Considering it to be an effort from a master storyteller, it is also highly surprising to see disregard being shown for logic. From a number of such incidents, this is felt the most when a man doing odd jobs in London is, after few years, seen as a Major in Indian Army who diffuses deadly bombs to earn a living. Of course, so no matter which wire he cuts, it will turn out to be the right one. Lastly, the two accidents, that move the story forward, are very silly!

From the songs, ‘Challa’ steals the show completely but the rest of the songs fail to amuse much. The combo of Gulzar-A R Rahman doesn’t live up to the expectations. The use of sleaze in ‘Ishq Shava’ appears questionable considering the film is targeted at family audiences. Anil Mehta once again proves why he is one of the best cinematographers in the industry. The background score is apt while the editing could have been tighter.

As mentioned at the start, Shah Rukh Khan carries the film on his shoulders with a brilliant act. He plays two starkly opposite characters with maturity and ease. Like most of her films, Katrina Kaif struggles with her diction and dialogue delivery. Things would have brightened up if a talented performer was in her place. Anushka Sharma is superb as she perfectly fits into the character of a modern, bubbly young girl. Rishi Kapoor shines in a cameo. Neetu Singh and Anupam Kher are adequate.

Overall, Jab Tak Hai Jaan is let down due to a poor script. At the box office, it will surely earn high profits and will certainly reach the Rs 100 crore mark. It isn’t a big deal if your film has a big superstar and you book almost every theater in the country.

Son Of Sardar Box Office Prediction

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Direction: Ashwani Dhir

Producers: Ajay Devgn Films, Viacom Motion Pictures and Eros Entertainment

Writers: Ashwani Dhir and Robin Bhatt

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha, Juhi Chawla

Music: Himesh Reshammiya, Sajid-Wajid

Genre: Action/ Comedy

Release Date: November 13, 2012

Analysis:

Star Value: Ajay Devgn and Sanjay Dutt are two of the biggest superstars of Hindi cinema. This fact coupled with Sonakshi Sinha’s presence makes sure that the star value for Son Of Sardar is very high.

Hype: There has been a good amount of hype for the movie due to the interesting promos. But the film’s controversy with Yash Raj Films’ Jab Tak Hai Jaan has also indirectly helped in the publicity.

Music: The music is becoming known. Apart from the title song, ‘Rani Tu Main Raja’ is making heads turn. The track ‘Po Po’ is also gaining popularity recently due to Salman Khan’s presence.

Prediction:

Son Of Sardar will surely get a very good opening. However, since Yash Raj Films’ have gone bezerk while booking theaters for their highly awaited Jab Tak Hai Jaan, the Ajay Devgn starrer has managed to get only few screens. What’s worse is that it has got very few single screen theaters where it is expected to do best business.

Plus, SOS will also face very tough opposition from the Shah Rukh Khan starrer due to the high excitement for the latter. Hence, it is vital for the movie to impress with its content. So a film which could have enjoyed high returns in the first few days due to the hype has to now rely on its content to make high profits. Overall, SOS has a chance, particularly in north India, but the collections will be highly affected due to the presence of JTHJ.

So far Devgn has entered the 100 crore club thrice (Golmaal 3, Singham and Bol Bachchan). SOS could have easily been his fourth if it was a solo release. Now it looks difficult although not impossible.

Book Review: The Bankster

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Author: Ravi Subramanian

Publisher: Rupa Publications

Pages: 358

Price: Rs 250

Genre: Thriller

Rating: * * * * ½

By: Keyur Seta

A not-so-perfect romantic novel can manage to get some appreciation from the target audience if it has enough heart-touching or mushy moments. The same leeway is enjoyed by comic fiction books if there are a good number of rib-tickling incidents. However, whodunit thrillers don’t have this advantage for the simple reason that after building up a thrilling scenario, the killer moment at the end has to be up to the mark. In other words, the presence of some well written thrilling or intriguing moments won’t hold much value if the main suspense at the end turns out to be predictable or unconvincing.

Ravi Subramanian need not worry about this as he has used all the necessary elements needed in a thriller intelligently in The Bankster and presented a page-turner which is an absolute must-read. Good books satisfy the target audience while great books go beyond the target audience. The Bankster surely falls in the second category since it has the capacity to impress those who aren’t much into thriller novels.

The book presents three unconnected stories taking place in three different cities of the world: –

  • Angola: A covert CIA agent travels to the dangerous interiors of Africa to exchange weapons of mass destruction for priceless diamonds. The deal goes through smoothly and the agent is now ready to go ahead with another such mission.
  • Kerala: Krishna Menon has been protesting against the Trikakulam Nuclear Power Plant since a decade as he is deeply concerned about the safety of the people in his vicinity. The reason why Krishna is more emotionally involved in the protest is because of a promise he made to his dying son.
  • Mumbai: It is a daily routine for the top level employees of the Greater Boston Global Bank (aka GB2) to indulge in cheap politics and manipulations to achieve selfish gains. All hell breaks loose when their employees are found dead one after the other under mysterious circumstances.

How these three utterly different incidents cross paths, forms the rest of the story.

Like every tantalizing thriller, The Bankster has a watertight story which is told in a manner that makes the reader very curious to read further. What makes it more intriguing is how Subramanian has managed to keep the stories unconnected till more than 80% of the book. And once they are connected, you get a satisfying kick as all pieces fall into place. He has delayed the turning points as much as possible which is a mark of excellence. The only kind of predictable part is that whenever a character goes into a discussion or does something which looks immaterial to the story, it ensures a thrilling twist. But that generates more excitement for you anxiously anticipate something once you figure out his writing style.

The politics in a banking organization and the day-to-day conversation between the characters, which forms the main part, appear truly real! The language used is rich but at the same time very simple which makes even the common man understand the proceedings easily. This is very unlike some writers who leave the readers confused on few occasions while flaunting their cool language skills.

One also can’t help but laud Subramanian’s remarkable knowledge on various aspects like police investigation, forensic (CCD bill incident), the area specific knowledge of different cities, modern technology (an almost technologically illiterate person thanks you for the iCloud explanation), politics and lastly, the banking process. The last one, along with the working of the corporate world, is made understandable to someone like me who has almost zero knowledge of both.

The story has a number of important characters and each is defined clearly and developed properly. It would have been better if their physical appearance and features were explained slightly which would have helped more in visualizing. Apart from this, the other possible negative factors are the length and an act committed by a main character in the end. However, these are just minor issues that won’t affect your overall satisfaction while savoring this unmissable book.

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Jab Tak Hai Jaan Box Office Prediction

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Direction: Yash Chopra

Producers: Yash Raj Films

Writers: Aditya Chopra and Devika Bhagat

Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma, Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Singh, Anupam Kher

Music: A R Rahman

Genre: Romance

Release Date: November 13, 2012

Analysis:

Star Value: Needless to say, when a film has Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma as main leads, the star value of the film is supremely high. And since Yash Chopra has directed it coupled by the fact that it is his last film, it adds more star value to Jab Tak Hai Jaan.

Hype: Naturally, the hype for the movie was created ever since it was announced. As expected, the hype kept on increasing when the promos and the music of the movie were released. I feel sorry to say this but Chopra’s tragic death has made the film more popular. However, the film hasn’t created one of the highest excitements ever which was expected.

Music: The songs of Jab Tak Hai Jaan, mostly ‘Challa’, ‘Saans’, ‘Ishq Shava’, ’Jiya Re’ and the title song, have been appreciated by the audience as expected. But none of the song has become an anthem which is expected from such a romantic film.

Prediction:

Jab Tak Hai Jaan will surely get a very good opening at the box office. It has a chance of scoring in both single screen theaters as well as multiplexes. The six day Diwali holiday period will make sure it earns very well and even reaches the Rs 100 crore. Its business from Monday (November 19) onwards will be determined on whether it has succeeded in impressing the audience with its content. We also can’t rule out the fact that its collections will be affected by Son Of Sardar, which is releasing alongside.

Picture courtesy – Yashrajfilms.com

Bhandarkar launches Bhagwan dada biopic Albela

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A number of interesting, humorous incidents from the legendary actor’s movies and life were shared at the event

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Acclaimed filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar recently said in an interview that he used to run a video library during his growing up days in Khar, Mumbai. But on Saturday he got further candid by revealing that his lot of 70-80 video cassettes always used to have few prints of Bhagwan dada’s popular movie Albela.

“There was a lot of demand for Albela. People watched it again and again. Sometimes I used to urge my customers to watch it again and they used to happily oblige. Even I have seen the movie many times. I also have fond memories of watching Bhagwan dada a number of times in a small restaurant in Khar where he used to shoot his films.” said Bhandarkar.

Madhur Bhandarkar during the launch of Albela (Pictures – Ashish Desai)

The Chandni Bar director went into the flashback mode during the launch of the Marathi movie Albela, which is based on the life of the late yesteryear superstar Bhagwan Abhaji Palav aka Bhagwan dada. Produced under the banner of Kimaya Motion Pictures, the film is directed by Niranjan Patwardhan. The event also marked the launch of Isak Mujavar’s Marathi book Ek Albela, which is also based on the dancing superstar.

Patwardhan, himself a big admirer of dada, said he is eager to spread his art. “I was highly surprised when I realized nobody has ever written even 30 pages on him. If people had known even fifty percent of his talent, he would have been considered the biggest showman,” he said. This is Patwardhan’s first film as a director. He has earlier worked with Bhandarkar in Corporate, Traffic Signal, Fashion and Jail.

Various other guests spoke about dada’s greatness which turned out to be very informative for youngsters who don’t know much about him. “While working with him in any film, we always felt as if we have come for a picnic. His dance was remarkable. In fact, dada’s dancing style is also visible in Amitabh Bachchan’s dance steps,” said senior actor Viju Khote. “It is not possible for the current actors to match his dancing skills,” stated filmmaker Kiran Shantaram, son of the late legendary V Shantaram.

Some funny incidents about the actor were also shared by Mujavar and the yesteryear Marathi and Hindi film actress Sulochana Devi, who launched Mujavar’s book. “He had an unusual habit of sleeping while standing. But when the shot was announced, he used to automatically wake up and start acting,” laughed Sulochana.

Mujavar added, “Once during our train journey out of city, he fell down from the upper berth. So I was told to occupy his berth while dada was given the lowest berth. But in the morning, we realized he had fallen from the lowest berth as well.” He also revealed that some of his movies had the same basic plot but despite that, each film succeeded in keeping the audience engrossed.

Attendees also included dada’s son Arun Palav, yesteryear actresses Jeevan Kala and Leela Gandhi, Uday Chipalkatti and others. The event surely generated a lot of curiosity for the biopic. But one has to wait till 2013 to see how the film turns out to be.

Sulochana Devi launching Isak Mujavar’s book Ek Albela

Green Building Congress 2012: Promoting Sustainability & Eco-Friendliness

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With global warming creating havoc and natural resources getting depleted, going eco-friendly through sustainable development seems to be the only option for us. Such eco friendly measures are encouraged and helped by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC). The main aim of IGBC is to promote the use of Green Buildings in order to build homes, offices and other such building through eco-friendly measures.

A green building is the one which uses less water, optimizes energy efficiency, conserves natural resources, generates less waste and provides healthier spaces for occupants, as compared to a conventional building. Through Green Buildings, they are trying to revisit traditional Indian architecture based on five basic elements of nature – Agni, Jal, Vayu, Prithvi and Aakash – known as Pancha Butaas.

Some examples of traditional Green Buildings:-

  • Hawa Mahal in Jaipur: Its articulated windows provide cool breeze in a desert area.
  • Golconda Fort in Hyderabad: Ventilation is designed to let in fresh cool breeze, in spite of summer.

IGBC was formed in 2001 to try and achieve the goal of sustainable environment for all by 2015 through its ratings & events. Green Building Congress is one such event that they have organized to spread the message of going eco-friendly. It will be held from October 30, 2012 to November 1, 2012 in Hyderabad.  Complete Address: – Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC), Novotel & HICC Complex, Near Hitec City, PO Bag 1101, Cyberabad Post Office, Hyderabad – 5000081, India. Phone No: 91-40-6616 3000, 91-40-6682 4422.

If you are in Hyderabad, you should grab this opportunity as the event will help you easily understand on how to save water, power, have healthy spaces and use renewable energy. And if you are not in Hyderabad, you can at least spread the message. After all, the type of environment our future generation will get to live in depends on our present actions!

Event Brochure (Click to ENLARGE)