Brahmastra - A movie meant for the big screen

1. Brahmastra is a bloody fantastic visual treat - one not seen in Bollywood and for that I’ll give it a long applause. It’s the first Hindi that we’ve ever worn 3D glasses for and watching it in IMAX 3D is just splendid. 

2. Making people go back, google out theories and wonder if they spotted Easter eggs is a first for Hindi movies - the storyline is good, not gripping, but definitely worth watching out for Part 2.

3. Brahmastra is not awesome because of Ran-lia, it’s awesome DESPITE the two of them being in it.

4. Alia says Shiva Shiva more than a pandit on Mahashivratri. The time she’s not saying Shiva, she’s asking him Tum ho Kaun. I mean just say Kaun hai Woh jisne dobara mud ke mujhe nahi dekha and be done with it already.

5. The dialogues are utter trash. The worst I’ve seen ever and I’ve watched a Hindi movie called Vivah where Shahid Kapoor was offered “Jal”. 

6. Shah Rukh Khan is an utter treat to watch. Despite his hackneyed lines and jokes even he wouldn’t laugh at, he reminds you why he’s the God of the silver screen. 

7. The ‘Gurukul’ has FIVE inmates. Any PG in BTM Layout has more. Among the inmates, One happens to be Bihari, one North-Eastern. They’re not just selective in hiring; they’re also adhering to current political mandates.  

#enoughsaid

8. Mouni Roy, I thought might be the weakest link in this but she’s infact quite the opposite. Superbly pulls off Junoon - great casting building on her Naagin looks too. Do feel bad that she had maybe two costumes in the entire movie and Alia changed three during a walk in Varanasi. 

9. There’s a huge ass Pandal IN THE MIDDLE OF MUMBAI. So big, Wankhede will be put to shame. I would like to visit this magical place some day! 

10. There’s connections to Game of Thrones I discovered - Agniastra which cannot be burned aka Daenerys. Amitabh Bacchan keeps calling Ranbir “mere dragon” aka of course the dragons from GOT. Ranbir, the child of Jal-astra and Agni-astra aka A song of ice and fire aka Jon Snow. Thank God the end was not as trashy.

Sharmaji Namkeen and my Papa Namkeen

 

Papa watching his ice cream being beaten to death at a stone creamery, seriously contemplating life choices - His son, doing the very same. One of my favourite candies of the two of them.

Papa was a Rishi Kapoor fan, so much so that he had started wearing his watch on the right hand when he was young even though he was right handed because Rishi Kapoor made it cool to do that! Rishi Kapoor passed year before last of a prolonged illness, Papa passed last year (cannot believe we can say it was last year), of a sudden heart attack. Watching Sharmaji Namkeen last weekend made me tear up for the both of them. 

Sharmaji is the story of a newly retired daddy finding his ground after he has no office to go to every day. It’s amusing how he keeps himself busy but endearing how he packs his sons’ dabbas every day. My Papa was an amazing cook himself - one scene especially where Sharmaji adds garam masalas to a potli and puts it inside the kaali dal, reminded me of how Papa would ask me “Tumko pata hai Chhole black Kaise banate hai ye hotel wale?”. And I knew his answer (Chai Patti in a potli when the chhole are boiling), but I wanted to always hear him say it like a magnificent revelation and I would gasp in surprise and tell him we should totally try it when we make Chhole next - only to most often get shot down by the others. 

Papa was an excellent cook - in his last few years, he would take on Chhole and Rajma duty especially which he would make exceptionally well. I would joke and tell him how he should teach his son cooking and he would tell me how he and his brothers learnt from Dadi and they were all a very independent bunch. He made some kick ass Masala Pepsi, cut Kaddu so neatly like you won’t imagine and basically could make everything except Rotis. He had a great sense of taste - He could tell if the salt is off by even a little bit, what went wrong with a sabzi, what trick went into making something as tasty as it was. When I would cook, I would always force him to tell me how it was though he would not volunteer criticism generally. He would tell me “Good” and that would be my medal. Some times he would tease me master chef style and say “Sab Badiya, bas thoooooooooooooda sa Dhania Hota toh perfect hota”. He was quite an all-rounder, My Papa Namkeen. 

Papa and I would jokingly have conversations about starting a pop-up restaurant - Sometimes it would be Mummy making parathas, or sometimes it would be about me making Chili Paneer in a food truck. I’d joke and tell him he would be my CFO, billing people and collecting cash, managing all the money. We would make such Khayali Pulaos ever so often and laugh it off. When I watched Sharmaji, it resonated with me how hard it must have been for Papa also to retire from a life largely dictated and possessed by work. I felt awful watching his kids mock him for cooking for people and trying Zumba - I would’ve been Papa’s biggest cheer leader if he did anything how ever offbeat if that made him happy. Though conventional in up bringing, I do feel he would have encouraged us to do what made us happy too. 

If you have a daddy around - Firstly, thank god a million times and go give him a hug from me. Secondly, If he’s retired or retiring, be his rock, be his BFF. Don’t try and be a prude police man trying to dictate what he can or cannot do. Family is all we have - Family is supposed to be there for you no matter what, no matter what choices, no matter what circumstances. Go out there and be the best family he needs.