Awesome Saturday Part II

'3 Idiots' has been making waves back home. And having just finished a couple of years in a place that made me feel like an idiot more often than not, I could relate to the idea a lot. Also, this was going to be my first desi movie in ages. With such awesome friends to boot, a great afternoon was in store.

I liked the movie for the scene following the examination, the crazy bathroom dance sequence, the beautiful locales of Leh and Laddakh (I still suspect some of the scence were shot outside India, but I am pretty sure I am wrong, the hills of India are a treat to the eyes) and for some well timed humour. However, I was expecting a classic Raju Hirani comic product but came out a tad disappointed. The movie was light hearted and did make for a nice outing. But it was too predictable, some jokes were stale, and the ending was just out of the Great Cook Book of Bollywood. As our post-movie dissection concluded, we also agreed that a lot of issues, deeds and attitudes were projected unrealistically. I can't see how a totally vella dude can top all the exams. I was vella yes.. and no, I never topped the exams (far from it, ahem! ... but that's got be another story). Nice one overall, but I still can't understand the super duper hit status that it has been awarded back home.

The icing on my awesome Saturday was the potluck following the movie. Masala dosa, Sambhar, dal, rotis, cake and gooseberry pie, with ice cream made for a mouthwatering feast. Strangers became friends over food and by the end of countless rounds of mafia, everyone seemed to have known everyone else for ages.

The desi gang in Oak tree is getting closer with each bite!

Incarnating ideas

What you see is what you believe, or does it go the other way? The netbook on my lap is there, but only because I think it is there. Would it disappear if I refuse to believe in its existence? Or would that amount to running away from the truth? In a world experiencing a tumultous knowledge revolution, the very meaning of reality seems to be changing every single minute. So much so that virtual reality games are selling like hot cakes.

Avatar provided the latest unreal experience to me. Sitting on the same seat, yet feeling like I was transported to another planet, this was one grand celebration of visual imagery and technological excellence. Come to think of it, the plot is a rather simple one: guy meets girl, they fall in love, villain wants to ruin their world, guy becomes hero, saves his girl and a small part of her world, and they live happily ever after. You don't need a James Cameroon for this, do you? Our famed Indian film industry must be dishing out tens of releases with such storylines every Friday. What sets this movie apart is the unabashed use of imaginations, colour and special effects to create a virtual world that the onlooker loves and lives in for the couple of hours that the movie lasts for.

The 3-D effects leave their mark right from the first shot. Be it the flutter of a butterfly, the buzz of a bee, the drone of the choppers, or the jaw-dropping fights between the monsters of Pandora and the protagonist, Avatar is a treat to the graphics junkie, the movie buff and the curious biologist - and am pretty sure Mr. Cameroon must be singing his way to the bank already.

From the trees of Pandora to the streets of Bombay, movies have come to be one of the strongest means of affecting opinions and actions across the globe. In my brief stay outside India till date, there have been numerous occasions when I have been quizzed on the authenticity of Slumdog Millionare. That one movie seems to have brought India closer to the world than anything else I can think of.

At the end of the day, a movie remains the manifestation of but one person's vision (or lack of it!). It is the power of cinema that magnifies this vision and brings it into the minds of millions across the planet, influencing ideas and ideals.