Every good director has to once in while dish out a shitty movie. Saawariya was Bansali's lousy dishing and Raavan is Mani Ratnam's.
The movie never manages to capture your attention at any point of time. It just flows very slowly through exotic scenery and unnecessary visual effects.
The actors have done their due, but the story never gets you going at all. Too much slow motion visual effects at all of the wrong times, takes the attention away from the story/situation itslef. Further, even the setting of the story is very unconvincing. The excitement and vigour that should be a part of a chase movie is completely absent.
The movie is not even worth a watch.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
PVR - Ticket Loot
Karnataka happens to be the only state in India, which does not have any ceiling on the pricing of movie tickets and PVR has been exploiting this fact to the hilt. Currently, during the opening weekend of a movie, the theater charges a cool Rs. 350 per head and even on weekdays, they are charging Rs. 250 per head.
The management has lost sight of the difference between pricing high and ripping people off. The thin line dividing the two has suddenly been erased.
Not only are the ticket prices high, PVR has also embarked on a program of bumping the price of pop-corn up by Rs 15 every 3 months. A large combo that earlier would cost Rs. 100 has jumped to Rs. 130 in the space of the last 6 months, through two price hikes. They buy burgers for Rs. 7 and sell it for Rs. 70. To top it, they are shameless enough to leave the vendor price on the burger.
The company is fast moving its revenue model towards what can only be deemed as rank extortion.
The management has lost sight of the difference between pricing high and ripping people off. The thin line dividing the two has suddenly been erased.
Not only are the ticket prices high, PVR has also embarked on a program of bumping the price of pop-corn up by Rs 15 every 3 months. A large combo that earlier would cost Rs. 100 has jumped to Rs. 130 in the space of the last 6 months, through two price hikes. They buy burgers for Rs. 7 and sell it for Rs. 70. To top it, they are shameless enough to leave the vendor price on the burger.
The company is fast moving its revenue model towards what can only be deemed as rank extortion.
PVR - Remodeled Loo
For the past 6 months one or the other bathroom at PVR Classic, in Forum, Bangalore, has been going under the hammer for the purpose or renovation. Once they did complete the renovation of one of the restrooms, I was aghast to see that there were no dividers between the urinals.
Apparently the design came from the woman, little wonder! When has she strut her modesty out to pee? Despite requests from the staff, the company is reluctant to do anything about the urinals, for which they have already spent a bomb (Rs. 30 Lacs, I am given to understand) and caused sufficient inconvenience to all.
Currently as the situation stands, its quite embarrassing to pee in PVR Classic cinema, Forum, Bangalore. The company that was once setting new standards for customer satisfaction seems to have gone astray.
Apparently the design came from the woman, little wonder! When has she strut her modesty out to pee? Despite requests from the staff, the company is reluctant to do anything about the urinals, for which they have already spent a bomb (Rs. 30 Lacs, I am given to understand) and caused sufficient inconvenience to all.
Currently as the situation stands, its quite embarrassing to pee in PVR Classic cinema, Forum, Bangalore. The company that was once setting new standards for customer satisfaction seems to have gone astray.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Raajneeti
As the heart of it the movie was quite good. There were some really good performances from various actors.
The movie is about a political family and the fight for power that ensues the moment the head of the family and the political party gets paralysed. Infighting ensues and two factions are formed.
The political moves that are played out thereon to determine who assumes power is the most interesting part of the movie. The performances by Nana Patekar, Arjun Rampal and Ranbir Kapoor are worth a mention.
Though I fail to understand why Katrina required so much of tutoring for delivering one line in the movie. She was just unnecessarily hyped.
Worth a watch.
The movie is about a political family and the fight for power that ensues the moment the head of the family and the political party gets paralysed. Infighting ensues and two factions are formed.
The political moves that are played out thereon to determine who assumes power is the most interesting part of the movie. The performances by Nana Patekar, Arjun Rampal and Ranbir Kapoor are worth a mention.
Though I fail to understand why Katrina required so much of tutoring for delivering one line in the movie. She was just unnecessarily hyped.
Worth a watch.
Global Investor's Meet
Last week, the government held, what can only be referred to as a chest thumping exercise, the Global Investor's Meet.
To begin with the only company that was not Indian was Arcelor Mittal. If one discounts this company for the fact that Mr. Mittal happens to be Indian, it was pretty much an Indian investors meet. So why call it Global Investor's Meet?
The entire two days, for which a whopping 1000 Crores were spent marketing, was spent signing MoUs. Nobody knows how many of these will actually get converted into real investments. The entire event was a waste and one that could have been completely avoided.
A poorly executed and miserable show.
To begin with the only company that was not Indian was Arcelor Mittal. If one discounts this company for the fact that Mr. Mittal happens to be Indian, it was pretty much an Indian investors meet. So why call it Global Investor's Meet?
The entire two days, for which a whopping 1000 Crores were spent marketing, was spent signing MoUs. Nobody knows how many of these will actually get converted into real investments. The entire event was a waste and one that could have been completely avoided.
A poorly executed and miserable show.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Optician gone crazy
I went to buy a new pair of glasses today, when I realized a truth about retail of optical solutions in India. Guess the price of a rimless frame!
Well if it has a brand name on it, it costs about Rs. 4,000 (USD85) and if it is one that is not branded it would cost about Rs. 1,500 (USD35). For two steel sticks which weigh less than 100 grams, the prices are quite ridiculous. The cost of fabrication of the product would be hardly a few hundred rupees, not to mention that most of these (branded and un-branded alike) are manufactured in China.
Understandably, a bulk of the cost goes to the retailers and channel partners. The margins that retailers and distributors get in this business are huge. Little wonder someone like Titan, who had no background in the business decided to foray into it through Titan Eye+.
It is just a shame that the margins are so high in a business that can be likened to healthcare solution.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Seb and Mark Crash
Sebastian Vettel On-Board
Mark Webber On-Board
It is amazing how from a third person's perspective it becomes so important to pin the blame on one or the other.
Last weekend in the Turkish Grand Prix, the two championship leaders had a crash that they both must be shameful about. But when you take a look at the on-board camera views of the two drivers, it becomes very clear that neither is wrong. They just assumed that the other would not get in the way.
It was just a racing incident. Had it been between two drivers of opposite teams it would have been brushed off as competition, but since the drivers are both from the same team, it is being drummed up a lot.
I think the press should just leave them alone.
Mark Webber On-Board
It is amazing how from a third person's perspective it becomes so important to pin the blame on one or the other.
Last weekend in the Turkish Grand Prix, the two championship leaders had a crash that they both must be shameful about. But when you take a look at the on-board camera views of the two drivers, it becomes very clear that neither is wrong. They just assumed that the other would not get in the way.
It was just a racing incident. Had it been between two drivers of opposite teams it would have been brushed off as competition, but since the drivers are both from the same team, it is being drummed up a lot.
I think the press should just leave them alone.
Shrek Forever After
I often find that Animated movies are able to communicate subtle lessons in life much better than movies with real people; the same is true with Shrek Forever After.
At the core the movie is about Shrek's mid-life crisis; wanting to go back to the life he once had. Shrek achieves his wish, soon to realise that he has been tricked by Rumpelstiltskin. As he long to get back to the family that he once had, he realises the value of what he had.
A delightful film, though not as funny as the first two parts, since the donkey has a much subdued role; it is a major improvement on 'Shrek The Third'. I would recommend it as a must watch for those who have followed all of the Shrek movies.
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