SLIDES FROM A ROLLERCOASTER WEEK!

Would you believe that it's almost the end of the first month of the year! And what a week it has been so far! It's been a rollercoaster ride on the work front as well as the personal too! Not only did the pile of scripts on my table increase, but also a TV channel seemed interested in the pilot episode of our first, non-fiction TV show! Which, of course, demanded meetings galore and editorial changes! And then there was the script writing, and of course, the beginning of our fourth season of Strut The Dancemakers classes! Between all of this, I squeezed in time for the preview of our (Dharma Productions) film Agneepath, my blog, then for a very dear friend, Viraaj's brother's engagement, and another party, meeting my newly married friends Rubal & Warren... And the week's not even over yet! The highlights of my week so far...? 

Here they are: 

With Raza (my right) and the eye candy!

The crazy (and that's an understatement!) dinner for Raza Beig, hosted by Niranjan at my humble abode! It was one of those rare occasions when I had cooked and also got to enjoy the party! It also had some eye candy! 


The Gujju & Continental food at Viraaj's brother's engagement! Indian food, and even the Continental, at most wedding buffets tend to be overtly rich and heavy. Oddly, the Indian food (a mix of Gujarati & Punjabi) was just right. The Surti Oondhiya with Puri was to die for and so was the Amritsari Chhole. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about the Continental cuisine. The pastas looked sad! Any pasta soaking in a lot of heavy sauce makes it soggy and unappetizing! 



Meeting the newly weds - Rubal Walia and Warren Carvalho (one of my best friends, whom I have known for a decade)! Meeting them was always fun, but meeting them after their wedding was even more exciting. The stories of their wedding... who was drunk and who wasn't, who threw up & who killed it on the dance floor, watching the photographs and videos... made for interesting time. But what hit me was that my two Boat Club friends had finally tied the knot! A Sikhni marrying a typical, Goan boy, who can't look beyond his grandmother, and her cuisine, is quite an event!  Yes, according to Warren, no chef can match her culinary skills. 

Hrithik in Agneepath!

The preview of Agneepath! Let me go back a little to the original, Amitabh Bachchan starrer, Agneepath. A lot of people look at me like I am mad when I say this, but I hated the old Agneepath. In fact, I couldn't bear Amitabh's voice and performance. Which is why this new version piqued my interest. And I have to say; this young, new and contemporary version is million times better than the Amitabh starrer. Hrithik shoulders this action film brilliantly and makes a far better Vijay Dinanath Chauhan! Sanjay Dutt is fantastic as Kancha and truly creeps you out. And what makes this filmworth watching is the way it's shot, especially the Mandwa portions. Shot beautifully, it has a very gothic, Batman, The Dark Knight feel. 

The versatile Kate Winslet in Mildred Pierce

Talking of remakes, another remake that made a huge impression on me was the Kate Winslet starrer Mini Series for HBO, Mildred Pierce! This new version of the 1945, Joan Crawford starrer may not be as noir as its predecessor, but it had a brilliant screenplay, a new perspective on the story of this troubled mother and her obsession with her daughter. Kate Winslet is outstanding and whatever the critics may have to say, I truly believe if that if a movie can move you... make you smile, laugh, cry or cower in fear, overwhelm you, then it's a great film! I don't give a rat's ass to the critic's dry, analytical two bits. 

Now everything cannot be good always and once a week (sometimes all through the week!), shit happens! It's up to you how to deal with that shit! So I was told the 2012 Gay Pride Week is happening over this weekend. Last night, as we chatted over drinks, my friends Shamun and Ambrish, insisted that I walk at the Pride. I told them I would join them only if they were willing to walk the pride without masks! Now, what I don't like about the queer community is the hypocrisy. If you want to walk for the Pride, do so, but at least have the balls to walk without a mask! You have no problem entering gay parties, making out with random strangers in the dark of the night, but you're ashamed to show your face at the Pride. You fear that once your sexual preference is revealed, your family and the equally hypocritical society will not accept you? Then I would suggest be `PROUD' of who you are and walk that talk at home first!

Mumbai Gay Pride 2011! Boys behind masks!

Then of course, there was the so-called pre-Pride Salvation party last night. The party was 

in the heart of Worli Village, at a very wannabe-Goa restaurant called Cool Chef Cafe. We paid 750 bucks for cover charge and twenty minutes after we entered, the bartender informed us that he had run out of alcohol. There were only beers available! How can you boast of being a great pre Pride party and run out of alcohol! And then have the audacity to serve warm fucking beer! Do we have 'FOOLS' emblazoned across our foreheads? 

Having said that, it's been a good week so far and I hope it ends so...! I hope the weekend has more excitement to offer... better parties, great laughter and lovely, glorious food!