After so many years, there is this one thought from my grad days which still haunts me. Just the thought of how mysteriously it had changed my student life.

It is  related to my roll number in fourth semester of grad – year was 2002. In the same semester, I had met with road accident (one of regular road accidents which have been meeting me throughout my life – once for every different vehicle I ever drove). So I was on leave for first month of the semester. Then there was this deadly subject in this semester which had record of highest failure rate among all degree subjects throughout all the previous batches. A semester which was known for bringing least aggregate among all semesters. And then there was Numerical Methods subject on the name of only computer subject – the most boring subject among all existing computer subjects, according to me (a subject which made me realize that I can score less even if it is something related to computers).

The last nail for me came in form of the exam roll number for that semester. It was fourth semester and I was twentieth student in my class. Roll number that I got was 420. I didn’t bother much even during exams as I believed that I was doing well as compared to the horror which was there in place for that semester and actually I had done quite better than I had expected.

The only disappointment which still troubles me is the final result of that semester. Just like everyone, I was expecting for my batch to ditch all the myths for that semester and it happened but I became victim of my own roll no. Although I cleared all the exams but in all the subjects, I got as minimum as I could get for any subject in whole grad. It turned out to be lowest percentage I ever got in any of the exams in my life (still it was first division, to have feel of some relief). And all that appeared to me and to my good friend circle as the reason for this kind of weird happening was my unusual roll no., a number which stands for a fraud in general and it was assigned to me purely randomly and unexpectedly for that particular semester, just to turn that term as sizzling memory of my study days, a memory not to be forgotten so easily and a time to be remembered as a teaching that even if everything is going in one way for you, your own luck can turn in other direction.

And I got reminded of 420 when I was coming out of Big Cinemas after watching Badmaash Company because there was something related to that in the movie as well…

House Full is a House Flop because one it has got no story and secondly, it has got same usual typical comedy flavor of Akshay Kumar – nothing new. Knew it already but had to go and watch for one reason or other. Never going again for this team’s another movie for any reason.

Rating: 2/10

Badmaash Company – A big idea makes a business big and it has been shown in practice here, in this movie (though they forgot to mention hardship and smartness). A team which makes, leaves and restarts their businesses – all based on different new ideas. Some of those ideas make sense while others are non-sense, none practice in today’s date. Still you love this movie for its liveliness, speed, cheerfulness, love, hate and above all, truthfulness in the relationships. Someone truly said that once you feel trust in a relation deep inside, it can never diminish, no matter how weak it becomes sometimes.

A fully entertaining movie, and all of us who watched this movie at Big Cinemas, Deepak, Saurabh and me, liked it, loved it and appreciated it. Good work by debutant writer and director.

Rating: 7/10

Based on background of a school based on values and morals, Paathshaala is about commercialization of schools in today’s India. It shows how standards of Indian schools have changed and why the main focus has shifted from study to extra-curricular activities. The sufferings of teachers, students and parents is shown in quite equally innovative way which makes one rethink about today’s education system and how it can be improved.

Though the school is shown to be one of the idealistic schools which don’t happen anymore in India, the main problem is shown as the degradation of culture and values. Though director has tried to show the different views of today’s school culture but still he has left quite much desired to be shown which might had made this movie look much better.

Music is superb and if you have good taste for music, you will find one or two songs outstanding.

And yes, those children, SVM, teachers and hard-soft principle brought back lot of beautiful memories! So even if I would want to, I can’t give it bad marks!!

Rating: 6/10

Amitabh Bachchan started researching about Theory of Probability

from Sholay

through 3/6 Gabbar-Kalia Goli act

and

he concluded his Probability Research after 35 years

in Teen Patti

by proving it in Casino environment.

This year watched almost 200 movies. Out of these, 14 were watched at PVRs/Multiplexes and 186 were watched in home-theatre. I have been making resolutions to cut-short on movies watched in a year but it appears like it is keeping growing. Again one of my resolutions for this year is to bring down the number of movies watched.

Here is the list of last 100 movies watched in home theatre -

Y.M.I. Yeh Mera India – It was released last year but never got to hear about this movie. Happened to watch actual India, the real picture and the reality through this movie. Many of us would deny this reality but still it holds the way it is. There are so many issues and so many vantages highlighted in this movie. Perhaps I had never liked N. Chandra had this movie not been made. An eye opening and provoking flick for today’s young generation.

Few things which still occur extravagance are such as Good News behind every Bad News (the way tagline goes) and so many things happening in one day around selected personalities (can’t be imagined in any such scenario – even many such inordinateness movies are also being prepared in Hollywood and so are they disliked)

Rating: 7/10

The Hangover – Another One-Day comedy movie. Was hilarious at many places.

Rating: 7/10

The Other End of the Line – Quite unrealistic but showing quite realistic cultures. The core theme of Love Aaj Kal resembles with this movie.

Rating: 5/10

District 9 – Movie about accommodating alians on earth and the problems they can pose. Quite naive and dirty in the way slum of aliens is shown.

Rating: 5/10

Sleepless in Seattle – Gone are the days when such romantic movies were made. Another recommendation from Sunshine and turns out to be marvelous. Meg and Tom Hanks – one beautiful on-screen couple which always makes you smile, no matter whatever the ground of story is. This one is quite much about luck in love and once again reminds me of Serendipity.

Rating: 7/10

My Mom’s New Boyfriend – Wanted to watch it for Meg and finished it only for her otherwise nothing much like fun provided Antonio Banderas is also there. Perhaps only bad movie of Meg I watched so far.

Rating: 4/10

Marley & Me – An average comedy around a man, his family and his dog – all raising together. Couldn’t get much interest provided i like pets at zoos.

Rating: 6/10