India at Rio Olympics, 2016

The quadrennial games came to an end day before yesterday and the nations of the world are celebrating the victories of their champions.
One such country is our own, that is India.

Being one of the most populated countries in the world, around 121 athletes participated in this year’s Olympic games held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Out of the contingent, only 2 of the athletes could get our country 2 coveted medals (one being bronze and the other being silver).

Here are the key points to be noted by the Indians from this year’s Olympic games –

– Women reigning this Olympics.
– Dipa Karmakar being the first female from India to qualify for finals of Vault gymnastics.
– Sakshi Malik winning bronze medal in Women’s Freestyle Wrestling (58kg).
– PV Sindhu winning silver medal in Badminton Women’s Singles.
– Aditi Ashok finishing at 41st in Women’s Individual Golf at the age of 18.
– Yogeshwar Dutt missing out on his victory in wrestling.
– The Susheel Kumar vs Narsingh Yadav drama.
– Narsingh Yadav’s 4 year ban for failing doping test.
– Saina Nehwal’s early exit.

Phew!
That’s something…

Hats off to the Indian women for proving their prowess at an International level and defining their strong foothold in sports. The whole of the country is celebrating their victory today, from a boy aged 6 to a granny aged 65-70 are talking about them and not to forget the monetary benefits, rewards, and the compliments that the Olympians are getting.

It is a glad sighting to see that the Olympic games made our country to shift from being Cricket frenzy to Sports frenzy overall. The craze for women’s badminton finals was indeed an example.

But…
These things happen only if they WIN! That too of the highest order.

We all know the rewards, compliments, appreciation, benefits that PV Sindhu is getting (which she absolutely deserves). But what about Sakshi Malik, Dipa Karmakar and the marathon runner Jaisha who fainted during her run because of the apathy shown by Indian officials at the Olympics?

Why do we, as a nation come together only during victory but not during defeat/failure? Even if we do, why is the support unsubstantial?

There are innumerable athletes in our country who aren’t even given the very basic amenities to train under supervision. Dipa Karmakar herself had stated that the facilities at the training center wasn’t of good standards. Now being a gymnast, poor facilities such as these might as well cost her life if she misses a jump! Shouldn’t we be tending to these things before hand?

I personally feel every winner should be treated equally irrespective of their position of victory. The International Sports Federations are already taking care of the prize money that each winner will be getting. Once a person wins, they join the elite group. It is an impediment that we appreciate them in the same manner.

Trying to replace Gopichand so that PV Sindhu can get better training for her further tournaments and brands those are trying to sign the winners as brand ambassadors to capitalize on their popularity to promote their products shows the greediness of our system.

Why not shifting the focus towards training many more athletes and prepare them for 2020 Olympic games? Yes, this will be happening, but I definitely don’t see the right moves being made on this as of now.
2 medals of 2016 may as well get converted to 20 or even more in 2020 if we collectively act upon it!

To make the LEGENDS of tomorrow, the stars of today have to consciously support fellow participants by curating them on a daily basis.

Do we support our athletes throughout?
Are they getting all the amenities that they require to practice day in, day out?

I wish I had answers for these questions….

Ps – Congratulations to all the winners. You make us PROUD!

In other news, Deepika Pallikal and Sourav Ghosal have won Silver at World Squash Championship held in Australia.

Now, how many of us knew about this?

‪#‎RioOlympics‬ ‪#‎Olympicgames‬ ‪#‎Dipakarmakar‬ ‪#‎PVSindhu‬ ‪#‎SakshiMalik‬‪#‎Rio2016‬ ‪#‎IndianOlympians‬

Pokémon Go!

If you have been an active user of social media, then it’s pretty sure you would be aware of the phenomenon called “Pokémon Go”.

  

As you all know, it’s an augmented reality game which allows you to go in search of pokemons, collect them and build your profile. All of it packaged in a very intuitive, enticing and activity ridden user interface.

Whenever a trend is being set or followed by the millions, there will always be a faction of people who are totally against it. Either you love it. Or you are plainly against it. There is no middle ground. 

I, for a reason, am neutral in this aspect.

Nintendo has surely come up with one of the best mobile games of the era and it is exhilarating fun. In short, they’ve hit a jackpot with this one. 

Those who hate, can hate it. It’s not going to stop those who love it already. But before you write it off, do give it a try and then make your decision. It’s okay to enjoy something “so silly” as few of you may call it. 

Having said that, it also is mind boggling to see the kind of impact it has had on the kids and the grown ups alike.

These are few of the incidents that have taken place: 

• A man who quit his job just to play Pokémon Go.

• A girl who caught her cheating boyfriend. 

• People who were lured to certain spots and got mugged. 

•A car crash because of the driver who was playing Pokémon Go.

Well, enjoying a game optimally is tempting. But one has to draw a line when it comes to the virtuality aspect of it.

It is as if we are all caught in a maze and infected by a disease which has no medicinal cure. The main reason being, it’s only spreading more and more.

Events like these makes me feel overwhelmed and also underwhelmed. Overwhelmed because of the success it has achieved.Underwhelmed by the fact that we could be so easily influenced and addicted to it.

I hope most of you feel the same! 

And, for the record, I haven’t played Pokémon Go yet. 😛

 

BATMAN vs SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE Review

Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Jessie Eisenberg, Amy Adams, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne

Director: Zack Snyder

Music: Hans Zimmer & Junkie XL

Initial Release: March 25th, 2016

We all know that it would be an unfair battle between Batman & Superman. The odds pitted against Batman for his lack of genetic superpowers over Superman gives Superman an evolutionary advantage. Theoretically it is near impossible for batman to defeat superman, but thanks to Zack Snyder’s adaptation of Batman. It’s the character that none of us wanted Batman to evince. Yes, The Dark Knight kills in this movie.

Having a sublime story, Batman V Superman (BvS) never utilizes the evangelistic narrative to its maximum potential. When it scores high in its brilliant film-making, it fails miserably in the screenplay and succumbs to predictability. Thanks to the trailers which gave away all the surprising elements in the movie. It turns out to be a vexing drivel considering that it is unbearably long at 2 hours and 33 minutes.

The biggest problem with BvS is that it takes too long for the plot to gain some steam. It delves in the criticism of Superman for major part of the story and never does it give much weight-age to the Bat vigilante albeit the Batman having a well established tale.

Coming to the action sequences, it’s all a savagery mess lest to say. The self-driven and narcissistic indulgence of the superheroes which brings them against each other is silly if not convincing enough. When the movie reaches the ultimate showdown, supposedly the greatest gladiator match of all time, we all are forced into a state where we just want to get over with it. Probably it’s because of the fact that it comes too late into the movie and we are left wanting for more.

Ben Affleck as Batman is convincing enough. Maybe the fact that Christian Bale is irreplaceable as Batman clouds our decision to accept Ben Affleck as The Dark Knight. Sadly, the movie doesn’t offer much for him to explore his competencies as Batman. All in all it is an okayish portrayal.

Henry Cavill as Superman lacks the charm and has a serious smug face all the time. Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor turns out to be one of the most boring and annoying antagonists that a superhero movie can have. The director then again doesn’t give a clear depth in the plot which will lead to the motive that the nemesis wants to achieve inveterately. The Doomsday finale is an incorrigible mishmash of the action pieces from MAN OF STEEL and a chaotic clutter. Gal Gadot as the Wonder Woman has the most fun of all. She’s charismatic, formidable & intimidating even though she doesn’t have much screen time.
The remaining characters like, Amy Adams as Louis Lane, Diane Lane as Martha Kent & Laurence Fishburne as Perry white acts as an auxiliary to take the story forward. They play to their cards and that’s about it.

BvS is a big disgrace of a movie per se and deserves no critical acclaim for its grotesque depiction of the two of the greatest superheroes of all time. When all of us were expecting an amalgamation of THE DARK KNIGHT and MAN OF STEEL, both the movies which redefined the characters: Batman & Superman, Zack Snyder puts it all together to give us another WATCHMEN and SUCKER PUNCH which were dark, gloomy and painfully sombre. BvS will go down in history as one of the weakest superhero movies of all time.

This movie is nothing but a slugfest between two super weights. Neither does it make sense nor does it entertain. Superman fans will be left disappointed. Batman fans, even more!

Save yourself from this altercation by watching all the trailers in 5.1 surround sound sequentially. That’s the only best thing about this movie as it has the best moments of some of the riveting sequences. Also, thanks to the amazing score by Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL. If not for them, I would have walked out of the theatre half way through.

All that being said, those who still consider watching this movie in theatres, go with least expectations. The brilliant opening sequence and the classy ending might entice you just a little bit. BvS lays a solid platform for the further superhero movies to come. This is the only good thing about it.

Verdict – Marvel fans can rejoice. BATMAN vs SUPERMAN: Dawn Of Justice is not a marvellous superhero movie after all.

Rating –

Batman Vs Superman: Final Trailer

Airlift Movie Review

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Nimrat Kaur, Kumud Mishra, Prakash Belawadi, Inaamulhaq, Purab Kohli, Avtaar Gill

Director: Raja Menon

Release Date: 22nd January, 2016

Airlift is the story of Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein on August 2, 1990, which led to the Gulf war. Told in the eyes of a wealthy Indian businessman (Akshay Kumar as Ranjit Katyal) in Kuwait who played a major role in aiding the evacuation of 1,70,000 Indian men, Airlift remains authentic to the original events conveyed in a simplistic way.

A movie such as this needs to be constantly engaging so that the audience do not lose track of what’s going on. Airlift exactly does that. Often riveting with brilliant and underplayed performances, the movie is a true gem when it comes to an amalgamation of both storytelling as well as meticulously planned film making.

Akshay Kumar sheds off his massy, over-dosed commercial image that he is known for and portrays his character with such ease and dedication that makes us relive those events without any such effort. Nimrat Kaur (as Amritha Katyal), on the other hand, takes her time to blend in to the movie’s scope until a monologue where she stands up for her husband’s actions and acts as an emotional support. She aces it with her homely, yet powerful performance.
Backed with gritty and taut sequences, amazing cinematography, extemporaneous screenplay and well-guided acting by the supporting characters, Airlift leaves you with an emotional high when the end credits start rolling.
Undertaken for more than 59 days, over 488 Indian airlines and Air India flights and bringing almost 1,70,000 Indians home, it is the largest evacuation that has ever happened. Though slow at times, the movie is full of passion and patriotism, which makes us leave with a full-heart when we come out of the theatres.

I’m going with three and a half stars out of five. Other than the occasional drags in the screenplay, Airlift deserves a watch for its earnestness and brilliant performances by its cast.

Rating –

THE DOPPELGANGER THREAT!

Who are you? What is your purpose in life? What character do you exhibit? Are you living a life true to your potential? Are you happy?

These are few of the questions which resound in our minds every now and then. It is like a structure programmed in our brains which keeps repeating itself in an infinite loop all through our lives. These are the questions which do not have answers – because once we do – the very meaning and purpose of life would come to a halt.

It is a fact that most of us do not achieve the success that we deserve because we all are curious to know what is happening in others’ lives. We tend to peek into others’ persona and get judgemental about all that we lack compared to our envious counterparts.  And this is a vicious cycle. It gets back at us eventually.

It is said that we have seven look-alikes in the world .Irrespective of us comparing ourselves with others, what would you do if you end up meeting one of your look-alikes?

Consider that you have met one of those seven look-alikes of yours.

The questions in anyone’s mind would be who is this look-alike? Is the double a twin of yours that your mother never spoke of? Or is he/she just a random person who is a look alike? You could even possibly think that you are hallucinating or dreaming. Crazy human minds, you see!

You would be in a state of shock with ever increasing heart-rate, surprised, perturbed, taken aback, and with a millions of questions in your mind.

And assume that your doppelganger is a better version of you. He/she is successful, charming, wise, intelligent, and is a person who does not quit. The lookalike may even be living in the same place as you do.

How would you react in that particular situation? Would you be happy for your double? Or, would you feel insecure about your identity? How would anyone comprehend this precarious circumstance?

And if the look alike was exactly what you wanted to be in your life, won’t you be encroached and demotivated?

In reality there is always a doppelganger living right along with us. But this doppelganger has no physical presence, but an apparition, a phantom that we have created in our minds. This phantom that we have created is the perfect representation of what we want to be. This phantom is always wise in taking decisions, has broadened set of horizons, funny, dedicated and compassionate. This lives with us in parallel – but – virtually. We all hope to be that person one day. The version 2.0!

It is up to us to tap into that doppelganger within us and rise above adversity. Just like the saying, “Nothing can dim the light which shines from within”.