Music Concert : Red Bull Tour Bus #OffTheRoof

Music Concert organised by Redbull , which is part of world wide bus tour called "Red Bull Tour Bus#Off  the Roof at Richardson & Cruddas mill & fabrication yard compound at Byculla.

Venue seems to be looks like an odd place but old factory big tin shade turned out to be a perfect place.I always enjoyed these English music concerts although I don't follow English music closely except played by Kids during drives.Best part of these live concerts is the environment & million Decibels and escatacy & energy , which is in contrast with the Indian music which I also enjoy .

Groups were ;

Pentagram
Raghu Dixit Project
Bhayanak Maut
Skrat
Ankur and Sidd
Madboy/Mink
Sound Avtar x DJ Sa

Bhayank Maut as usual are the loudest at full throttle however unable to catch single word , but overjoyed. Raghu Dixit & Pentagram by Vishal Dadlani were also very good & full entertainers as usual.Raghu sang in Hindi & in Kannada.

Sid with friends & Nicx with me had enjoyed every bit of the high Octane extravaganza.
Link :RedBull Tour Bus Mumbai

A medley for the sound by Geetu Hinduja @ The Bandra Base

The Bandra Base *(link)  : My 1st ever experience with such live music at some unexpected location at  Bandra , place was like any 2,3 BHK flat (see pic) , but environment inside was just electric , seating on floor or on dari , total may be approx 50-60 audience  ,Fantabulous . Last moment it was decided to go for
this programme , Nicx agreed, to my surprise she too thoroughly enjoyed retro , soft rock n folk ,
Geetu Hinduja * link (vocal n Guitar) who also wrote these compositions were just amazing , after a long time I have seen such a graceful Granny with tomboyish silver hair , just luv the way she looks , such a graceful unforgettable face n persona ,She was totally in love with herself  n her music , things to learn , how to be happy n enjoy life .

Song we both had enjoyed the most was "White Flowers" , it sounded like ;

"A young boy had gone up to her
holding up strings of mogras
offering it to her with a smile
She held them , she paid , she fixed it in her hair
.....
Girl on scooter  with white flowers on her hair
..   Traffic signal chaos , commotion all around .
She was sitting on a scooter ............"

It was almost 2 hrs of pure soft  music ,at such a beautiful non commercial place , other musicians were also good , like Bandish this time also I enjoyed Flute by Ram.

After music we both went to have Chocolate  desserts , then  went to Band Stand @ 1 AM , it just rained there  .
I always keep on telling myself why I love Bombay ? live music , late night drives ,energy ,  Bombaytes , crowded Restaurants at midnight n above everything it is Sea that fascinates me ,specially at night (looks clean) ,just sit there n listen sound of waves ..

Bandish : Talat Aziz live in concert @NCPA

Mirza Ghalib and Faiz Ahmad Faiz presented by Talat Aziz

It was better than expected , as I know only few Ghazals sung by Talat Aziz, sometime it is better to listen to  unknown compositions , that also live , some old songs like

" agar aur jeete rehte yahi intezar hota" Ghalib
" Dil-e nadaan tuzhe hua kya hey"
It was almost 3 hrs of pure music , overjoyed , also some unknown facts n stories about Ghalib , his sense of humor , concert was ended with Umrao Jaan's "  Zindagi Jab Bhi Teri Bazm Mein ..." on popular demand.I also enjoyed Bansoori with Ghazal , he seems to be quite young , beautiful..Talat Aziz , almost no sign of ageing.Somehow Being at Tata /NCPA theater  always gives me some thrill ,a sort of belonging with Bombay .
P.S. : It rained heavily , We somehow managed to reach there , car breaks , clutch paddles all partially submerged , water inside car!! It's worth afterall!

Kala Ghoda Arts Festival

Kala Ghoda Art Festival was held from 2-10 Feb 2013 at South Mumbai .We went there on last day , it was crowded  , I specially liked that being an art fest , it just not remained an exclusive arty affair , in fact it was attended by all walks of society , kids , young , old , all class ,we  mango people , amazing.found tooo many young photographers with their SLR's , a golden oppu for them may be mass media students or passouts. We were interested in Salim Merchant live show , held at Asiatic society steps , unfortunately being a small place or rather mis managed , it was barricaded , and entries were closed as it was already full ,we remained standing for more than 1 1/2 hrs , tiring.Anyways it was a good exp.
Special mention for the class pic The Godfather as our own Thakur , wo bhi ek carry bag mein , fantastic , creative.

Sula Wine n Music Fest 2013

Been to SULAFEST 2013 on Saturday 2^nd Feb.2013 , after 140 KM drive from Thane we reached there around 1:30 PM , entry fee was 1400 Rs , there was no welcome drink or anything , Bar at 1^st floor was crowded , it was like musical chair ,snacks were too expensive, I found BPO crowd only there , maybe I am now biased with NH7 Weekender , which was an unforgettable experience ,there were 10-12 food stalls just at the entrance, food was OK , also reasonable priced but open area seating  was quite uncomfortable as it was quite hot. After a session of wine , than Lunch we again went back to the bar as there was no choice either , had another round , finally at 5 Pm only we came down to see music programs , names not important as both the Indian bands were really bad , almost dead volume , no energy  , we decided to left the place which seems to be just getting warmed up  as more n more people seen coming, but found it boring. it was decided to go to nearby river side, clicked few sunset pics , that’s it. 

Quite disappointing experience , Expensive for the services offered , bad music.

Gulzar : Times Literary Carnival

What a Rocking weekend , ISKON temple ,Dev Anand statue at Band Stand promenade,Time literary carnival at Mehboob studio , listening Gulzar Saheb , seen him at such a close distance , also seen Waheeda Rehman , tried to talk to her , but too much rush , then Sabir bros Sufiana sham ..

Times literary carnival was held at Mehboob studios , Bandra 7-9 Dec.2012 , almost 120 authors , writers took participation .Event I attended was auto biographical book titled "Dil Dhoondta Hey" ,Penned by Nasreen Munni Kabir on Gulzar’s life , and question answer session hosted by Times Filmfare editor Jitesh Pillai , Gulzar Saheb told that he will prefer to answer in Hindi , that is why I also thought that why not write this post in Hindi.

टाइम्स ग्रुप literary carnival जो की महबूब स्टूडियो में रखा गया था , 7 से 9 दिसम्बर 2012, फ्री एंट्री , रजिस्ट्रेशन इन्टरनेट या फिर महबूब स्टूडियो .मेरा इंटरेस्ट था गुलज़ार साहिब के प्रोग्राम में , जो के 9th दिसम्बर शाम 5:30 पर था , में अमिता और Nicx , तीनो 5 बजे ही पहुंच गए महबूब स्टूडियो , स्टेज बाहर गार्डन एरिया में ही था , 5:30 के थोडा पहले देखा तॊ वहीदा रहमान भी वहां ऑडियंस में एक लेडी के साथ आय्यी थी , वहीदा रहमान इतने नज़दीक ,वाह क्या कहें बाद में गुलज़ार , मुन्नी नसरीन कबीर और Filmfare के एडिटर जितेश पिल्लै स्टेज पर आए , जैसा की होता हे ऑटोबायोग्राफी “ दिल ढूँढता है ” को लॉच किया गुलज़ार साहिब ने .

बाद में सवाल जवाब का दौर चला , जिसका जवाब दिया गुलज़ार & नसरीन कबीर ने , काफी इंटरेस्टिंग सेशन  था , और खासकर जो nostalgic experience शेयर हुए वो यादगार रहेंगे जैसे की , 1st ब्रेक मिलना बंदिनी में “ मोरा गोरा अंग लेयेले " जब गीतकार शेलेन्द्र ने गुलज़ार जो की विमल रॉय को असिस्ट कर रहे थे से कहा की एक गाना आप लिखो , .गुलज़ार और पंचम की दोस्ती के किस्से जैसे की चाभी और फेमस लगेज वाला किस्सा मतलब “ मेरा कुछ सामान ”,

गुलज़ार साहेब की हमेशा से एक अलग स्टाइल रही

जैसे की कजरारे का “ आंखे भी कमाल करती हैं personal से सवाल करती हैं “

या बीडी जलाए ले जिगर से पिया ,

या जा पडोसी के चूल्हे से आग लेयी ले ” ,

और “ हमने देखी हे उन आँखों की महकती खुशबू ..

मणि रत्नम ऐ .र रहमान की कुछ बातें, स्काइप के बारे में , और खास कर संजीव कुमार के बारें में जिसे वो प्यार से हरी भाई कहते थॆ का किस्सा नमकीन के टाइम उनकी लेट लतीफी को लेकर और जब तीनो महान हेरोइनेस वहीदा , शर्मीला और शबाना ने फैसला किया की वो हरी भाई से बात नहीं करेंगी लेकिन वो कैसे तीनो  अपनों को रोक नहीं पायीं जब हरी भाई ने एक एक्सीलेंट शॉट पूरा किया और तीनो उनसे गले मिल गयीं .

कुछ और जो विषय ,जैसे की पार्टीशन , शहर , बंगला डायरेक्टर्स , काफी इंटरेस्टिंग डिस्कशन रहा और बीच बीच में कुछ शेर , कविताओं की कुछ पंक्तियाँ , कुछ यादगार लाइन .

जैसे की , “ जब तक लहू न निकले में हर जख्म को ....“

खयालो का कोई वीजा नहीं होता सपनो की कोई सरहद नहीं होती ......हर रात सरहद के उस पार मेहदी हसनसे मिलकर आजाता हूँ ....

फिर जिक्र हुआ विशाल भरद्वाज का , जो की गुलज़ार साहिब के शब्दों में “ की वो मेरा एक एक्सटेंशन हे “

वहीदा जी जो की खुद वहां मोजूद थॆ के बारे में वो नमकीन के टाइम का गोबर वाला किस्सा , की इतना भी रीयलिस्टिक होने की जरूरत नहीं की गोबर ही भर दो पूरा .

सवाल काफी अच्हे थॆ , साथ ही दाद देनी पड़ेगी नसरीन कबीर की ये ऑटोबायोग्राफी उन्ही ने लिखी हे , के इंटरप्रिटेशन की , ऑटोबायोग्राफी मैं ऐसा नहीं की बस कुछ भी जो इंटरेस्टिंग हुआ हो वो लिख दो ,हो सकता हे  उस्ससे कई लोगों को चोट पहुंचे ,

एक अलग ही तुजुर्बा रहा , लगा की जीवन सफल हुआ , गुलज़ार साहेब और वहीदा एक साथ ..

Sufi music by Sanam Marvi : NCPA

Pic by Kavitha MH

Thanks to Mumbai Hangout , it was a wonderful , Gr8 Sufiana experience , It was my 1st ever such  experience , that also @NCPA with decent crowd ,she has a great voice , I heard her Pak Coke Studio performances are worth listening ,Sanam Marvi is quite popular there . My fav. for the evening was Ali Maula. Sad part was it was only for 2 hrs , not enough for such a shaam.

Dev Anand Statue Unveiled by Waheeda Rehman

Dev Anand Statue was Unveiled by Waheeda Rehman & is placed at Bandra Bandstand Promenade as a part of Walk of the Stars.
Waheeda Rehaman was in tears as she unveiled a life size brass statue of the legend Dev Anand , now he will join showman Raj Kapoor & Shammi Kapoor , who are already beutifying the promenade.
Reason to go to Bandstand & get clicked with idol  this weekend.

Hey Nicx letus go , Okeis...

So here it is       Me n Dev Anand

99th Post :Zindaagi Rocks @ Bacardi NH7 Weekender Music Fest Pune

It was not planned , while having morning tea & scrolling thru news papers on leisure last Saturday morning  , Sid suggested for this Musical extravaganza @Pune, I said Yes , Nicx as usual, was ready for any outing nd long drive, she was too excited for her 1st ever music live fest..I was not knowing that it may turned out to be one of the best Weekend or rather memorable weekend ,I ever experienced  In fact after reaching home back on Saturday night at 2 AM after 4+4 hrs long drive , we again got up Sunday morning & went for Grand Finale  & reached the venue on time @4:30 PM.

What a place "Amanora Park" signature Hiranandani dome building , artificial lakes ,Thai huts (pic) with legs submerged , 6 stages , parallel shows , for which I was not happy as we had to choose between 2 fav. performers  i.e. Indus Creed Vs Kailash Kher as both were schedule for the same time slot , anyways ..

Food stalls , 2 Bars by Bacardi & Eristoff , Food stalls ,Music store & other handicraft & merchandises, accessories ,lush green garden , just sit there in groups n enjoy ,pleasant November weather, what else one can expect .

OK that was about the venue , now the show ,Million watts of thunderous blast , Piccadilly lighting , Lasers ,Variety of musicians from India & abroad ,We specially liked Australian "Karnivool" for their high voltage music n  well Synch lighting  ,Buraka Som Sistema fr Portugan with their fusion Techno beats with Afro-Kudroro genre music,  Bombay Metal Project  , for their high octane metal sound with non understandable lyrics,Rob The Bank DJ for dance ,DJ Michal Merent ,Indus Creed was rather not up to the mark, 

Vir Das"Alien Chutney was good in  well timed jokes & funny Lyrics e.g. Pappe you're a dude if u got the Man boobs & comparison between Delhi & Bombay girls , funny Harry potter and Himesh Reshm'a etc.

Whole environment was electric , charged , Young beautiful well dressed guys n gals in shorts , minis , almost  a fashion fiesta .Here we feel proud of being part of the well behaved Bombay Pune crowd as there was not a single awkward or indecent incident happened in spite of close proximity , darkness , booze , smoke etc. etc. Luv u Bombay ...Fantastic.

Such a great satisfying rocking experience , Yahhooooooooooo.

Die Virte Macht:(Germany) :The Fourth State

Die Virte Macht:(Germany) : The Fourth State 

A fast action packed political thriller , truly a movie 

Par excellence ,brilliant acting by lead & supporting actors , geo political plot , insight view of Russian so called Federal Democracy , Story revolves around a German journalist who's late father was also a renowned rebellious journalist , who wanted to expose state sponsored terrorism.

After moving to Russia from Germany Paul Jensen (Moritz BleibtreuHe ) used to work for a celebrity tabloid,owned by his father's friend , tabloid is cater to nou·veau riche population, problem starts when he witnessed murder of a senior journalist and met fellow journalist Katza (Kasia Smutniak ) who is a rebellious & wanted to publish facts about the murder of the journalist by the federal secret service , she manages to convince Paul to publish the facts, who then publish the murder story in his celebrity tabloid without taking prior approval & got fired & become Bête noire for going against the system. Russian government has imposed strict censorship on media & his action puts his tabloid & jobs of his colleagues on stake.

Actual story unfolds after a bomb exploded after his meeting with Katza near same bus stop & nine people got killed including Katza ??.He was arrested on charges of involvement in terrorist activities and having linked with his few meeting old lady love Katza's activist brother , whom he casually met at an anti government rally and at a drinks party , he was sent to the prison where he met Chechnya leader who knows his father , as his father took his interview which was never got published ,Movie also portrays inside of prison horrible , inhuman conditions and torture to suppress Chechnya rebels .Somehow with the help of his Uncle he manages to get himself freed & on suspicion of getting killed in an encounter he escapes & surprise to know involvement of his own people including ...    he came to know about the conspiracy to nab him for his article as well as for being a son of an anti government journalist , he finally able to find the CD his father left for him , where he finds all the evidences of a multi story building bomb blast which infact was carried out by the federal  agencies to divert peoples attention from the corruption charges , oil money & to attack Chechnya to regain power ,which actually helped the ruling party in getting land slide victory in elections .Movie was shot in Moscow & Ukarine & pace of the movie keeps you engaged through out.This was my last movie at the film festival which turn out to be the bestest at least for me.

There was an interesting dialogue which justifies the terrorist activities by the agencies " Only during terror threats people of a country gets united & country can flourish".

Kasia Smutniak

Now another reason for my Blah Blah for the movie is

 Femme fatale    Kasia Smutniak   ( Katza) , what a face n personality to die for or to go to prison , lean, tall ,expressive , pout .She is a Polish supermodel , acted in many international movies like "La Passione" and "From Paris With Love" & is a fashion diva .She speaks fluent Polish, Russian, English and Italian and is a mother of an eight yr old daughter , she had also hosted the Opening Ceremony at the 69th Venice Film Festival in September 2012.

The Mumbai Film Festival 2012

Had been to Mumbai Film Festival (18-25 Oct.2012 )  , Total 254 movies from all over the world were showcased under following categories ;

International Competition

Above The Cut

World Cinema

Busan Selection

Rendez-vous with the French Cinema

Celebrate Age

The Real Reel

Film India Worldwide

Celebration of Italian Cinema

Restored Classics

Celebration of 100 years of Indian cinema

Kabul Fresh: New Voices in Afghan Cinema

Dimensions Mumbai

New Faces in India 

CinemaIndia Gold 2012

I was able to watch 13 movies & would like to mention some of  them which I really enjoyed . It was not a well management event , specially at INOX, Nariman point where maximum nos. of movies were shown in all 5 cinema halls, they used to issue tickets for each n every show inspite of having ID which was issued for the whole event ,. any movie , any where ,.There were long ques & watching back to back movie was really painful .Cinemax Versova & Tata NCPA had no such system, just go n sit, first come first., anyways that's how we are.

• Die Virte Macht ( German) or The Fourth State : Deserves a Separate post .

Aprés Mai (French) or  Something In The Air :



















This French Movie is about an adolescent 17 yr old high school student who is an artist , a new age painter and who is also a part of a small revolutionary school students group who revolt against school management & wanted more freedom  , Group of 5-6 students paste anti management posters & graffiti on university wall during night time , while escaping from the university campus after being chased by the guards they hit one of the guard who got seriously injured , and one of the fellow student got implicated , Later on this small student revolution which happened in 1960's , sparked mill workers to fight for their rights , freedom and to take participation in managing the factories which is called 1960's revolution. which later on spread to other neighboring  countries like Italy, Poland etc.This young movie is about portrayal of  French society in 1960's , students life ,social activism , philosophical ideology & French art works.Portrayal of Protagonist school boy Gilles journey as a student of the painting when France had art forms called "Pop Art" , which has painting of attractive nude women , his affairs with 2 girls who are strong & have their own concept of life, specially Alain who is in love with Gilles but prefers to remained committed to the revolution & leave him to join other activist  group .Film has portrayed free society  , artists workshops on media and  cinema,tons of smoking , booze , nudity , sex , hasish ,hippies like culture but what I liked is the artistic essence & philosophical aspect of the life , teenage boy n girls involvement in the social movement , who are very clear in their thoughts and goals & work hard to achieve what they feel is right for them ,movie is like admiring a masterpiece art where individuals can interpret same painting in their own way.. An artistic movie , insight of French & Italian society ,so different then conventional movies , Fantastique ,a must watch.

La Vie D'Une Autré ( French)  :Another Women's life :


















Movie is centered around  Marie (Juliette Binoche)  who awakes one fine morning and realizes that last thing she remembers that has happened  15 yr back ,means she forgets everything whatever happened in last 15 years , the last thing she remembers is her 3rd meeting with Paul whom she fell in love with . She later on finds out & feels happy that Paul who is a cartoonist is her husband & he works from home and having  office at upstairs only , but her joy vanishes as soon as she came to know that she is not the same women in fact she is a famous business women and managing a large company  & has separated from the man she loves. She is now known as a   shroud business  women , who never visited her ailing father who is no more now & never supported her mother .She then tries to become who she was 15 years back & wants to bring Paul back in her life & spent time with her 7-8 year old son & support her mother..An unusual plot and acting by French movie goddess Juliette is just beyond comparison.

Die Wand ( Austria/Germany) :The Wall : 

Based on a novel by Marlen Haushofer , brilliant creative story , with every scene we expect something will happen , a women trapped inside invisible walls some where in picturristic Alpine jungle  and only has a dog, cat n a cow as her companion & things visible on other side of the walls has no life , everything is stand still ,Movie has beautiful cinematography , and shows human survival in such horrific conditions ,Complicated .. yet  , concept was highly innovative but lacks events & slowly you loose hope for any surprise , then it just ends ..In my personal layman views there was enough scope for a fast action packed mysterious thriller , an idea just remained unutilised forever.A sought after movie in the festival due to artistic contents & unique theme.

California Solo : 

A Scottish expatriate running from his past & would like to settle in southern California , working as a farm manager & selling organic products , who is a musician as well , once he was a lead guitarist of  a popular British pop band "The Crank" , which got dimanttled after death of his older brother Ted, due to drug overdose , he wanted to forget his past  and is living life in total isolation , until he was caught by the local police for drunken driving which made his life more complicated as he had no money for the legal proceedings & is now facing threat for getting deported back to Scotland . Unwillingly he takes his divorced wife's help to get out from this mess, there he meets his teenage daughter and they both share some good moments , I was so involved with the movie that I just wanted that he should gift the guitar to his daughter who also used to play guitar ,in stead of selling it to meet his legal expenses.Performance by the lead actor Robert Carlyle is the soul of this beautiful movie, his rustic looks also suits the character he played of a pop musician.

Smashed (USA):



















Kate who is having a good life , partying , drinking , music & having a loving husband , One day, while teaching in her class, she finds herself in a difficult situation when her elementary school kids find her vomiting & ask her is she's pregnant? and to hide the truth about her over drinking habit she lied to them & also to the principle , after realisation of her uncivilized acts at a grocery shop and sleeping at some strange places ,she then joins a group called AA who helps individuals to get rid of the alcoholism.Although theme of the movie is " I am an alcoholic " but for me it is about an individual fight with herself/himself , to tell the truth and got fired , and realisation that her non working alcoholic husband infact wants her to remain alcoholic so that he also can escape from his responsibilities.

 My Brother The Devil (UK , Arab) :

I was looking for an Arabic Egyptian  movie , which turns out to be a British Arab movie of 2 Egyptian brothers who are growing up in  backyards of down town London   & involves with drug trafficking , younger brother admires his smart and strong handsome elder brother until he finds a bitter truth about him , quite similar to our own Hindi movie , but with stealing  performances by young actors.ie , looks like Indian movie , nothing much.

Do-nui Mat : The Taste of Money ( South Korea) : Korean movie 

.

L'Intérvallo (Italy) : The Interval :

A young girl was kept as a prisoner by a local goon  inside some old factory as a punishment for her involvement with the rival group guy , an ice cream ( Ice Gola) mobile small time vendor boy named  Salvatore was forced to accompany her and to make sure that she remained there .A light slow movie and no romance , they both share things about their life , struggle at this young age .No heroic incidents and girls finally surrenders and accepts her fate.

Salvatore ....  . name reminds me of one of my Italian colleague , with whom I really shared some good professional time during  a project execution few yrs back.

Plan India- Because I am a Girl Rock Concert

I had been to a charity rock concert " Because I am a girl" at Andheri on Wednesday night, the show was organised by Plan India , an Indian NGO working to improve the lives of disadvantaged children, their families and communities. Anil Kapoor & Govind Nihalani were the chief guests & 6 rock bands have performed at the concert , Indian Ocean, Sona Mahapatra , Parikrama, Indus Creed , Papon & Euphoria.I personally liked Parikrama's ( >3:00 hrs) high Octane  , scintillating performance then Indian Ocean & Indus Creed , rest were just OK.
A perfect night out & I thoroughly enjoyed electrifying performances.

Dev Anand’s memorial service 16th Dec.2011.

Memorial service was held at Mehboob Studios in Mumbai,for the legendary actor, producer and director Dev Anand.

Hum Dono re release in color

Café Reminiscence

Watched Hum Dono  yesterday , gr8 , old magic by Sahir , delighted to watch  young Dev.
,also Sadhna's sacrificial role & her acting .
Real Locations , old house , old temple , all look realistic .
Famous cig Lighter .
Enjoyed !!



Link : Hum Dono re release in colour

Gata Rahe Mera Dil : Guide

Timeless romantic song.Won Filmfare award that yr.
Dev Anand has distinctive style of embracing women , loosely cross his hands above women shoulders , as seen in this song , also in Tere Mere Sapne....
Also class scene Waheeda is putting her hands on Dev shoulders while climbing up.
Well dressed Red Sweater , pink Sari , still look good in today's terms.
Goldie direction of this divine movie is beyond comparison & popular even after 45 yrs.
Waheeda was advised by her close one's ,not to do this film , as Roji character might harm her image.
Result : Guide was a block buster ,her acting was also critically acclaimed with Dev, also won best actress filmfare award .
Movie is also personally close to her , as expressed in many interviews.

Link :Gata Rahe Mera Dil : Guide