Author Archives: Keyur Seta

World Cup Final: ‘Win The Toss, Win The Match’ Situation For India?

Experts often use the phrase ‘Win the toss, win the match’ by taking the nature of the pitch and other conditions into account as it is believed that the team that wins the toss will most probably win the match. This phrase can be used for Team India for their all important final match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 at the Wankhede Stadium against Sri Lanka on Saturday April 2, 2011.

If India wins the toss and decides to bat first and puts up a challenging score, they have a great chance of grabbing the World Cup. This is simply because Sri Lanka has struggled to chase challenging totals in recent times. This can be attributed to the fact that they have a long tail. Sri Lanka’s number 7 batsman Angelo Matthews, who hasn’t been in that good form, is followed by 4 bowlers, Lasith Malinga, Rangana Herath, Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Murlitharan, who are mug with the bat.

Lanka was affected by their long tail in their match against Pakistan when they were unable to chase a challenging score of 277. They have won chasing twice in the tournament against Kenya and England. In the first instance, they had to chase just 143 and that too against a minnow. And against England, they were chasing a non-challenging score (230) which their openers managed alone. So, if India bats first and puts up a total close to 280 or more, it will be huge ask for the 1996 World Cup champions.

Apart from that, looking back at all the one-day internationals played at the Wankhede Stadium, team that bats first and scores more than 250 has always won the match. No team has won batting second when the team batting first has gone on to score more than 250. This statistic, coupled with the fact that Sri Lanka has a long tail, clearly indicates that India has a mammoth chance batting first. Hence, if we win the toss, the ICC World Cup 2011 could well be ours!

India hasn’t beaten a Test-Playing team (except B’desh) in WC since 8 years and 10 matches!!!

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After India’s disappointing loss to South Africa in their group B match at Nagpur on March 12, questions have started rising whether India really has in it to win the World Cup 2011. Before the start of the WC 2011, the cricket fanatics in India and a section of the media undoubtedly labeled India as the biggest favorites to win the cup. In fact, there was a common assumption that only Dhoni’s men can win the cup.

But after India’s performance in the ongoing world cup and a shocking statistic which it gives rise to, one can conclude that India needs nothing short than a miracle to lift the cup. The shocking statistic is that India hasn’t beaten a single test-playing team (except Bangladesh) in a World Cup match since eight years! In other words, India hasn’t defeated a strong team in their last 10 WC matches! So can they still be called even near favorites to win the cup?

India’s last 10 performances in WC matches are as follows: –

India v/s Kenya (2003 WC Semi Final at Durban) – India beat Kenya by 91 runs
India v/s Australia (2003 WC Final at Johannesburg) – Australia beat India by 125 runs
India v/s Bangladesh (2007 WC Group B match at Trinidad) – Bangladesh beat India by 5 wickets
India v/s Bermuda (2007 WC Group B match at Trinidad) – India beat Bermuda by 257 runs
India v/s Sri Lanka (2007 WC Group B match at Trinidad) – Sri Lanka beat India by 69 runs
India v/s Bangladesh (2011 WC Group B match at Dhaka) – India beat Bangladesh by 87 runs
India v/s England (2011 WC Group B match at Bangalore) – Match tied
India v/s Ireland (2011 WC Group B match at Bangalore) – India beat Ireland by 5 wickets
India v/s Netherlands (2011 WC Group B match at Delhi) – India beat Netherlands by 5 wickets
India v/s South Africa (2011 WC Group B match at Nagpur) – South Africa beat India by 3 wickets

We can also say that in India’s last 6 games against test playing teams (including Bangladesh); India has managed to win just once and that too against Bangladesh! It was against New Zealand in the Super Six stage of 2003 WC that India last beat a strong team in a WC and that was on March 14, 2003 (exactly 8 years ago).

So, forget winning the World Cup, India first needs to beat a strong test playing team. And to win the cup, India needs to beat 4 strong teams in a row. But it looks like our captain cool Dhoni isn’t aware of this as he looks satisfied beating minnows. When it was pointed out to Dhoni that India struggled to beat a team like Netherlands, he said, “Look at the scorecard. It says India won by 5 wickets.” Such a huge achievement to beat Netherlands, Dhoni?

Will we be able to win the World Cup if we are just satisfied beating teams like Netherlands? Considering India hasn’t beaten a single strong team in their last 10 WC outings, will they be able to beat 4 in a row? It looks tougher than climbing Mount Everest especially with our bowling attack. Of course, being a strong Indian supporter, I will be highly glad if I am proved wrong by Dhoni’s men.

My First World Cup Experience: Popats Do Happen!

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I have seen a number of matches in the stadium but on Sunday March 13, 2011 it was special as it was the first time I saw a one day international in the stadium and that too a World Cup match, even though it was an unimportant tie between New Zealand and Canada. Also, this was the first international match at the Wankhede Stadium after a major renovation.

There were strict instructions written on the ticket that patrons won’t be allowed to take any accessory or articles that has a battery inside the stadium. So, it was kind of difficult and unusual for me to keep my mobile phone at home as I have never kept it away from me since last 5 years ever since I started using it.

But my uneasiness because of the absence of mobile phone disappeared as soon as I entered the stadium. The newly revamped Wankhede Stadium was a treat to the eyes! New stands, jazzy interiors and the roof appeared royal and overwhelming. Just few minutes inside the stadium and I was convinced the stadium is the right choice for the World Cup Final. Another thing which amazed the cricket lovers was the price of the snacks and beverages. The rates were way below the cricket match standards.

But all wasn’t hunky dory: there were huge layers of dust on the seats. Such a scene for the first match after the new seats were placed was just unexpected. But the biggest negative point was that the screen just didn’t show anyone from the crowd! If crowds are shown in each and every venues then why not in Wankhede??? I hope this is not repeated in the next match and most importantly in the finals.

New Zealand, who were put in to bat by Canada, piled off a mountainous 358 for 6 in 50 overs courtesy a century by opener Brandon McCullum (101) and a quickfire 74 by Ross Taylor. Canada in reply looked as if they would be bowled out cheaply after losing quick wickets. However, skipper Ashish Bagai (84) and Jimmy Hansra (70*) led a tremendous fight back to help their team reach 261 for 9 in 50 overs. It’s a big thing for a team like Canada to reach that score after being 4 for 2 in 4 overs.

Not a close or interesting contest by any means but at least I can tell my grandchildren that I saw a World Cup match in a stadium (lol). But I certainly won’t tell them that I was without a mobile phone for 10 hours 15 minutes when mobiles were actually ALLOWED in the stadium. Yes, just before entering I got to know that the instructions behind the tickets meant for gadgets like cameras. Well, popats do happen!

Ireland At ICC’s Mercy

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By: Keyur Seta

The whole cricketing world is going gaga over the heroics achieved by Ireland in the ongoing 2011 Cricket World Cup despite being just an associate nation. And why not? The men in light green have rubbished off the title of ‘minnows’ associated with them by their infamous world record victory against England and by showing fight and determination against other teams as well.

But Ireland’s success story reminds us of the heroic feat achieved by Kenya in the 2003 World Cup where they shocked everyone and managed to reach the semi-finals. (Even their victory against the West Indies in the 1996 World Cup is still fresh in cricket lovers’ minds). This was considered as the rise of the Kenyan cricket by many and a possible chance of gaining a status of a test-playing nation. Sadly, that was not to be. Kenya never really managed anything after their World Cup fairytale.

The obvious reason for this appears Kenya’s poor performance. But I strongly feel that the International Cricket Council (ICC) is mostly responsible for this. For a well performing associate team, it is necessary that they continuously get international exposure and that too against strong opponents. Right after the 2003 WC, Kenya played just a four nation series in Sharjah and that too because the Indian team wasn’t available. But after that series, Kenya played just two one-day internationals in the next three years (Wikipedia)!

By ignoring such a well performing associate team, one is forced to question whether the ICC wants the game to spread in more and more countries. On and off, these associate teams do play against other associate teams but if they really need to grow as a full-fledged cricket team, they need to play regularly against stronger test-playing nations.

In the summer of 1998, there was a triangular series in India featuring India, Kenya and Bangladesh. Such series are the need of the hour for associate teams. Surely, it shouldn’t be difficult for the ICC to hold such tournaments regularly. Audience attendance won’t be a problem as one can see large number of supporters of Ireland, Netherlands, Canada, etc thronging the stadiums during their matches. So, revenue won’t be a problem for the ICC, if that is what is bothering them.

And all that talk of scrapping the associate teams from playing in World Cups is annoying! Only those who are against the growth of the game can think this way. Agreed, the matches can be boring when a strong team thrashes an associate one. But then, you have every option of not watching such matches; no one is forcing you.

One just hopes Ireland doesn’t follow Kenya’s fate because of ICC’s cold-shouldering. After all, organizing exciting and interesting cricket matches is not just all. Spreading this great game far and wide is equally important.

Director Ashutosh Gowariker Enthralls Symbiosis Students

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(I was overwhelmed when my dear friend Padmanabh Subramanian aka Pady requested me to post this article of his on my blog. It’s a matter of pride for me that someone considers my blog as a platform to share his or her experience.)

The ‘Lagaan’ director was at Symbiosis Institute Of International Business, Hinjewadi, Pune for a discussion on management & film-making.

By: Padmanabh Subramanian

Leadership skills, ethical practices, effective planning and execution, human relations, emotional quotient, etc. are key managerial skills, MBA students aspire for. Cinema and process of film-making have always been closely associated with these managerial aspects. Such qualities are best-depicted through films and therefore, today movie-scripts are often used as case studies in educational institutes and the corporate world. Director- Mr. Ashutosh Gowariker is one such film-maker whose protagonists Bhuvan (Lagaan) & Mohan Bharghav (Swades) changed our perception of the conventional ‘hero’, by bringing about a revolution through lateral thinking, with patriotism as the backdrop.

On 18th February 2011, Symbiosis Institute of International Business, Hinjewadi Pune (SIIB) invited Mr. Ashutosh Gowariker for a guest lecture on “Management & managerial aspects of films and film-making”. Dr. Rajani Gupte, Director, SIIB and Dr. Vidya Yervadekar, Principal Director, Symbiosis Society, were also a part of the programme.

Mr. Gowariker began the session, with his early experiences as an actor, gradually moving towards film-making, which involved financing, operational issues, film-promotions & marketing, etc. He then spoke about how he zeroed down ‘leading actors’ for his films, based on the character’s temperament. He also threw light on how a film’s success and failure both are equally important for a film-maker.

Highlights of the session:

The simplicity, humility & straightforwardness with which Mr. Ashutosh put forth his points, thoughts, ideas and experiences, wrapped in humour, had the audience in splits.He came down to the level of youngsters which set the comfort level of the audience. The journey of his gradual evolution from an actor to director, director to a producer and finally from a producer to writer, with confusion and chaos at every stage, is something every youngster faces at this point of time, and could therefore connect to the transition process instantly. The interaction was the USP of the show, since people actually came out with frank, open queries, and having most of the questions answered much to their satisfaction.

Overall, it was a highly interactive, humorous and interesting session, and the audience enjoyed every bit of it.

Indian Fans Denied India Victory!

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Indian cricket fans are citing a number of instances that denied India a victory in their 2011 World Cup clash against England in Bangalore (Bangaluru). These include poor fielding, batting collapse in the last 3-4 overs and the biggest one being the leg before review turned in favour of batsman Ian Bell when he looked absolutely plum in front of the wicket. But there is a much bigger reason which denied India a victory and helped England fight back chasing a mammoth total of 338. As crazy as it may sound, it’s the crowd cheer I am referring to.

Before you rubbish off my point as ridiculous, let me get it straight. During the early overs of England’s batting, opener and captain Andrew Strauss got an outside edge off the balling of Zaheer Khan which was gleefully collected by India’s captain and wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

I heard a loud nick while watching it on TV and even the commentators did. And the numerous replays confirmed that it was an obvious edge because of the clear sound it made. But shockingly, neither the bowler nor the wicketkeeper or anyone for the matter appealed to the umpire. Why? Simply because they couldn’t hear any nick in of the loud noise of the crowd!

At that time, Strauss was not even on 30 and later on the man goes on to score 158! Imagine Strauss getting out so early in his innings. Obviously, India would have won and they might have even beaten the opposition comprehensively.

Crowds come in large numbers and cheer in loud voices as they feel that will help their team win. I used to agree with this but not anymore after this India-England tie. What’s the use of such loud cheer if it denies your team a win?

In a place like India where cricket is a religion and the victory of the national team is considered divine, it is practically impossible for the crowd to keep their voices down. But after this match-turning instance, I feel they should keep their voices low at least when the bowler delivers the ball. Well, even I am finding this idea funny. But I couldn’t help not sharing this when a victory is denied because of such an ironical reason!

7 Khoon Maaf Review

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Rating: 3 out of 5

Cast: Priyanka Chopra, Vivaan Shah, Neil Nitin Mukesh, John Abraham, Irrfan Khan, Anu Kapoor, Aleksandr Dyachenko, Naseruddin Shah

Director: Vishal Bhardwaj

Music: Vishal Bhardwaj

Producers: UTV Spotboy, V B Films

Vishal Bhardwaj is known for making dark and unusual pieces of cinema. And after watching the promos of his latest offering 7 Khoon Maaf, it looked that this is the darkest and the most unusual thing to have come out of him. And as expected, this is indeed the case. Because of this and the final culmination, 7 Khoon Maaf will appeal only to a selected class audience and not to the masses. Having said that, Bhardwaj deserves accolades for his impressive creativity as a director and also for some out-of-the-box narration.

Based on writer Ruskin Bond’s novel Susanna’s Seven Husbands, the story focuses on Susanna’s (Priyanka Chopra) encounter with her husbands – Major Edwin Rodrigues (Neil Nitin Mukesh), rock performer Jimmy Stetson (John Abraham), poet Wasiullah Khan (Irrfan Khan), Russian Nicolai Vronsky (Aleksandr Dyachenko), inspector Keemat Lal (Anu Kapoor) and Dr Modhusudhon Tarafdar (Naseruddin Shah) – and how and why she gets rid of them. Arun Kumar (Vivaan Shah) also becomes an integral part of Susanna’s life.

Although in each story Susanna ends up killing her husband, the tales are as different from each other as chalk and cheese and so are all the murders. In fact, the unusual and witty way… (TO READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW, PLEASE CLICK HERE)

Why Over Optimism For 2011 Cricket World Cup?

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The World Cup is back in India so one can expect high levels of excitement from a cricket-crazy nation. But more than the excitement, all we can see is a huge mountain of expectations being laden on the Indian team and especially the Little Master Sachin Tendulkar. The cricket fans of India have subconsciously assumed that India will lift the trophy with the help of Tendulkar.

Expecting your team to win the cup is natural and there’s nothing wrong in it. However, having a pre-occupied notion that India will reach the final and win it and not ready to accept or expect any other result can have dire consequences.

One should not forget that there are 14 teams participating in the World Cup. Out of these, six teams, apart from India, stand a chance of winning the cup. But it seems people of India feel that the rest of the 13 teams are as good as Canada or Netherlands, judging by the way they are expecting India to win.

And Tendulkar has never had such a huge load of expectations from the public as he is having right now. We should also not forget that although he is considered as God of cricket, he is a human being after all.

Right now, people are buying Indian team’s t-shirts in large number and displaying their support in every manner possible. However, God forbid if India fails to lift the trophy, the same people will burn effigies of the team while giving all kinds of filthy abuses. We have witnessed such terrible and shameful scenes during the last few world cups.

Even though maximum numbers of cricket fans are in India, there are very few who understand the game and are ready to accept any result by being a true fan of the game and a true supporter of team India.

I understand there is a huge amount of disappointment after India loses but why can’t we be open minded and accept that it’s a game where one team has to lose? If we are true supporters of team India then why we can’t show support when our team loses since that is the time when they need maximum support? Being a true supporter of team India, I will pray for our team but I am also ready to accept any result.

The schedule for the 2011 World Cup – (taken from http://cricket.yahoo.com)

#	Date & Time	Match	Venue
1	Sat 19 Feb 02:00 PM IST	IND vs BAN	Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
2	Sun 20 Feb 09:30 AM IST	NZ vs KEN	MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
3	Sun 20 Feb 02:30 PM IST	SL vs CAN	Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota
4	Mon 21 Feb 02:30 PM IST	AUS vs ZIM	Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium, Motera
5	Tue 22 Feb 02:30 PM IST	ENG vs NED	Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur
6	Wed 23 Feb 02:30 PM IST	PAK vs KEN	Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota
7	Thu 24 Feb 02:30 PM IST	SA vs WI	Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
8	Fri 25 Feb 09:30 AM IST	AUS vs NZ	Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur
9	Fri 25 Feb 02:00 PM IST	BAN vs IRE	Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
10	Sat 26 Feb 02:30 PM IST	PAK vs SL	R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
11	Sun 27 Feb 02:30 PM IST	IND vs ENG	M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
12	Mon 28 Feb 09:30 AM IST	ZIM vs CAN	Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur
13	Mon 28 Feb 02:30 PM IST	WI vs NED	Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
14	Tue 01 Mar 02:30 PM IST	SL vs KEN	R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
15	Wed 02 Mar 02:30 PM IST	ENG vs IRE	M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
16	Thu 03 Mar 09:30 AM IST	SA vs NED	Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali
17	Thu 03 Mar 02:30 PM IST	PAK vs CAN	R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
18	Fri 04 Mar 09:30 AM IST	NZ vs ZIM	Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium, Motera
19	Fri 04 Mar 02:00 PM IST	BAN vs WI	Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
20	Sat 05 Mar 02:30 PM IST	AUS vs SL	R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
21	Sun 06 Mar 09:30 AM IST	SA vs ENG	MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
22	Sun 06 Mar 02:30 PM IST	IND vs IRE	M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
23	Mon 07 Mar 02:30 PM IST	CAN vs KEN	Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
24	Tue 08 Mar 02:30 PM IST	PAK vs NZ	Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
25	Wed 09 Mar 02:30 PM IST	IND vs NED	Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
26	Thu 10 Mar 02:30 PM IST	SL vs ZIM	Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
27	Fri 11 Mar 09:30 AM IST	WI vs IRE	Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali
28	Fri 11 Mar 02:00 PM IST	BAN vs ENG	Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong
29	Sat 12 Mar 02:30 PM IST	IND vs SA	Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur
30	Sun 13 Mar 09:30 AM IST	NZ vs CAN	Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
31	Sun 13 Mar 02:30 PM IST	AUS vs KEN	M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
32	Mon 14 Mar 09:00 AM IST	BAN vs NED	Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong
33	Mon 14 Mar 02:30 PM IST	PAK vs ZIM	Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
34	Tue 15 Mar 02:30 PM IST	SA vs IRE	Eden Gardens, Kolkata
35	Wed 16 Mar 02:30 PM IST	AUS vs CAN	M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
36	Thu 17 Mar 02:30 PM IST	ENG vs WI	MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
37	Fri 18 Mar 09:30 AM IST	NED vs IRE	Eden Gardens, Kolkata
38	Fri 18 Mar 02:30 PM IST	NZ vs SL	Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
39	Sat 19 Mar 09:00 AM IST	BAN vs SA	Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
40	Sat 19 Mar 02:30 PM IST	AUS vs PAK	R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
41	Sun 20 Mar 09:30 AM IST	ZIM vs KEN	Eden Gardens, Kolkata
42	Sun 20 Mar 02:30 PM IST	IND vs WI	MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
43	Wed 23 Mar 02:00 PM IST	A1 vs B4 (1st Quarter Final, C)	Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
44	Thu 24 Mar 02:30 PM IST	A2 vs B3 (2nd Quarter Final, D)	Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium, Motera
45	Fri 25 Mar 02:00 PM IST	A3 vs B2 (3rd Quarter Final, E)	Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
46	Sat 26 Mar 02:30 PM IST	A4 vs B1 (4th Quarter Final, F)	R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
47	Tue 29 Mar 02:30 PM IST	Winner C vs Winner E (1st Semi Final)	R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
48	Wed 30 Mar 02:30 PM IST	Winner D vs Winner F (2nd Semi Final)	Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali
49	Sat 02 Apr 02:30 PM IST	SF1 vs SF2 (Final)	Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji Review

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Cast: Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Omi Vaidya, Shazahn Padamsee, Shraddha Das, Shruti Haasan, Tisca Chopra

Director: Madhur Bhandarkar

Music: Pritam

Producers: Kumar Mangat Pathak, Madhur Bhandarkar

Rating: * * * 1/2

After earning a name in movies based on serious issues and women oriented films, director Madhur Bhandarkar tries something altogether different in Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji as he steps on to a romantic comedy. Questions started doing the rounds whether Bhandarkar will succeed in treading on a path where he has never put his feet before. However, in Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji, Bhandarkar proves that if one has the right vision, talent and determination, one can succeed in any genre.

A not-so-happy Naren is getting divorced from his wife (Rituparna Sengupta). In order to kill loneliness during this tragic time, he shifts to his old house and finds two roommates, Milind Kelkar (Omi Vaidya), a conservative Maharashtrian and Abhay (Emraan Hashmi), an out-and-out playboy.

During this time, Naren falls for his new office colleague June (Shazahn Padamsee), Milind finds love in RJ Gungun Sarkar (Sharddha Das) after a chance meeting with her and Abhay enters into a relationship with an elderly woman Anushka (Tisca Chopra). How Naren and Milind try to complete their love story and how Abhay’s life takes a dramatic turn forms the rest of the story.

Although the story and the situations appear filmy, Bhandarkar adds life to the proceedings by adding some realistic touch to various scenes (for which he is known). The screenplay (Bhandarkar, Anil Pandey and Neeraj Udvani) and Sanjay Chhel’s dialogues play a vital role in keeping the interest alive and giving some good rib-tickling moments.

Special mention should be given to the climax, which, thankfully, is way different from other numerous romantic comedies and the one which surely brings a smile. In fact, the climax plays a pivotal role in making Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji special.

On the flipside, Emraan Hashmi’s love story with Shruti Haasan is far from convincing and appears half-baked. Also the plot looses some grip in the second half but the last 30 minutes and, as stated earlier, the climax make up for everything.

Pritam’s music suits the film perfectly. Abhi Kuchh Dino Se, which is already popular, Tu Khwab Hai and Tere Bin are melodious, pleasant and also have repeat value.

Ajay Devgn once again shows why he is one of the best actors in Bollywood. He plays a man with middle-aged crisis with maturity and sincerity. He displays intenseness in serious scenes and is also good with his comic timing. It’s tiring to see Emraan Hashmi play a bad guy again and again. However, taking nothing away from the actor, it should be said he plays his part with perfection.

After a memorable act in 3 Idiots, Omi Vaidya’s next performance was keenly awaited. Omi doesn’t disappoint his fans as he presents another lovable act. His funny dialogue delivery, unusual expressions as well as his act in emotional scenes is sure to impress all.

Shazahn Padamsee suits the role perfectly although she sounds childish at times. Shraddha Das shows promise and looks fabulous. Shruti Haasan is average in a role which is much less meatier than other two ladies. Tisca Chopra plays her part very well.

Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji is easily one of the best works of Madhur Bhandarkar which has a chance of impressing youngsters as well as grown ups. At the box-office, the film has a chance of clicking.

Unsung Heroes Of 2010

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I wanted to write a post about those films which I liked the most in 2010. But as I made a mental list of it I realized almost all of them are films which didn’t attain box-office success or critical acclaim which they so dearly deserved. So, I thought of coming up with a list called the ‘Unsung Heroes of 2010’. They truly are according to me.

Rann: Perhaps the only movie which exposed the nexus between TV news channels and politics and that too with a riveting story and an intense script. Unfortunately the pro-song and dance audience gave a cold shoulder to this one for being too serious. Even a superlative lead performance from the great Amitabh Bachchan wasn’t enough to even make this well made effort from Ram Gopal Varma even an average success.

Karthik Calling Karthik: One of the rare psychological thrillers to have come from Bollywood, Karthik Calling Karthik managed to churn out a suspense tale which just nobody could predict and one which keeps us glued throughout. It also had a mature and convincing act by Farhan Akhtar. However, Vijay Lalvani’s brilliant debut both as a director and a scriptwriter wasn’t noticed at the box-office.

Red Alert-The War Within: The film for which I feel bad the most! Ananth Mahadevan’s intense and flawless dark thriller brings to light the issue of naxals with an outstanding act by Suniel Shetty that can silence his critics forever. One cannot expect such films to be blockbusters but one can surely expect the class audience to take a look at it which didn’t happen. It’s also disheartening not to see Suniel Shetty’s nomination in any of the annual film awards.

Aakrosh: Those who have seen Aakrosh will agree that this is one of the best works of Priyadarshan. But how many of us did see this? Despite some great performances from a well known star cast (Ajay Devgan, Akshaye Khanna and Bipasha Basu), a famous director, a well publicized product and finally, a well crafted faced paced thriller, it only received ignorance from the audience.

Rakht Charitra (Part 1 and 2): Although it was a portrayal of late Andhra leader Paritala Ravi’s life, director Ram Gopal Varma made sure the film appears interestingly dramatic and highly impactful. It is understandable that a film with such brutal violence didn’t click at the box-office. However, I find it unbelievable that Vivek Oberoi’s career best performance and Surya’s sensational and mind-blowing debut weren’t nominated at a single awards ceremony.

I don’t mind if ‘no-brainers’ work wonders at the box-office. But I more than mind if all wonderfully made serious films or films based on hard-hitting issues go un-noticed (forget box-office success) and get a kick on the back. Well, because of this trend, we can see only films like House Full, Dabanng and Golmaal 3 becoming superhits. And it looks like the dirty trend is going to continue in 2011 too. So, see you again for a similar post after a year as I am sure there will be a number of well made serious films in 2011 too that will have similar fate.