BABULNATH aka BHOOTNATH

WHERE DOES IT HEAD: - There’s nothing wrong in making a film targeted for kids as long as you can entertain the kids. Director Vivek Sharma’s Bhootnath merely comes across like a mystified effort - at the end of it, we don’t know who he’s intended the film at. Shahrukh khan, who works on a cruise liner, comes to Goa with his wife Anjali (Juhi Chawla) and son Banku (Aman Siddiqui). They hear stories about the bungalow they have leased for a year, being ghostly, but move in anyway. The father settles his family in and leaves for his job. But the in house spirit Kailash Nath aka Bhootnath (Amitabh Bachchan) doesn’t like anyone living in his bungalow and generally has a affinity to scare people away. Initially, he tries to scare Banku too but after a few failed attempts, they become friends. Trouble starts when his mother finds out that her sons been hanging around with a ghost. Father is summoned back from the cruise and Bhootnath’s son returns too, with his own program. Together, they take care of the spooky problem.
THE RIGHT: - The first half is cute and engaging; it moves at the right direction and in the initial reels, director seems to get it precise. The director captures the companionship between Bhoothnath and the Banku rather well, without which the film would have fallen plane. Exceptional points for making the children act their age. The special effects are first rate. Amitabh bachchan, as usual, is an apex and has carried the motion picture on his shoulders. Juhi Chawla is in the top form. The little boy Aman is natural and the King Khan stands out in his tinnie minnie role.
THE WRONG: - The problem with Bhoothnath is that it’s puzzled about his character. It starts out being a children’s film and at some point, it turns into a sad saga of dukhi father and his nikkema beta just like B.R.Chopra’s Baghban. The other dreary parts are the songs that have been packed in. But what I fail to understand is that if Bhootnath scares people away from the bungalow, where was he lost for two days when Srk was present in the bungalow with his wife Anjali and son Banku helping them to settle the house? Do you think Bhoothnath got scared of Srk and thus came to scare Banku only after his father left for his job : - )
WHERE SHOULD YOU HEAD: - watch it but there is no urgency to rush to the cinema. Wait and rent a DVD and watched the ghost kiddy or daddy flick at home.

D8t's gonna b Gr8

"What do I wear on a date?" I was asked.
Well, to start with I wear a charming, relaxed smile in my face. No fashion label can give you as much confidence as a pleasing demeanour. But then, cannot only wear that to a date can I? So let's talk about the clothes that go with it.
'Horses for courses' is my mantra for deciding what to don on a date. If it's a classic evening candle light evening with the special someone then it needs to be a formal pinstripes to go well with her elegant evening gown. But then one doesn't do too much of that these days now do we? One has to be ready for the relaxed evenings when the only agenda is to float together aimlessly. Have you tried that? It can be real fun when you know that there is no destination. You enjoy the journey together so much more.
On such occasions comfort gets precedence over vanity. A well worn jeans along with a white cotton t-shirt suits me fine. One can walk on the beach with the legs rolled up, stroll along the promenades of Carter road, letting the breeze flutter the fabric, as it blows her hair or do just about anything. If you are comfortable, it shows on your face.
Then there are those off beat dates when decide to go for a swim under the star filled night. Don't have to wear much for those. The swim is normally followed by a barbeque next to the pool with the towel draped around the shoulders.
Equally off beat are our late evening drives to the nearest village where we sit on the khatiyas of the rustic dhaba and dig into the baajre ki roti and kaali daal. Trendy shorts, comfortable tshirts are my favourite ensemble for such evenings. Shorts on a date, you may ask? Well, if you are unconventional enough to take your date to an outskirt dhaaba, you can get away with anything ;)

Unconditional Love

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is to love and be loved in return." I had heard it somewhere but in this case I am hoping that reel life is aping real life. Hoping that enough people exist who feel this for it to be written and filmed .Love, a striking word, might have a different meaning for everybody. But just try to say the word 'love' aloud. It brings so much of peace and joy to our hearts.From childhood I have been a romantic at heart. I have seen people express their love in so many diverse ways. I realised that love is a very individualistic emotion and it manifests in equally individualistic ways.A love between mother and child; the loving bond between father and daughter; the naughty love between brother and sister; an argumentative love between two friends; an unconditional love between a Guru and a disciple and what would you call a love between a girl and a boy?Is it always supposed to be a impractical love. No I think it can be the love of compassion; love that compliments each other. A love that is not fickle and changes with time...that is what I call love.When I talk about Love it reminds me of a beautiful story of Radha and Krishna, which I heard from my mother in my childhood. For me it is a beautiful version of "Dil To Paagal HAi". When I heard the story I thought can love be so pure?I have seen many Bollywood and Hollywood romantic flicks but I feel this is the most romantic story I have ever heard about true love.Once upon time in the heavenly kingdom, everyone were making fun of Krishna that he is more in love with Radha than his wife Rukmini. They continued telling him that you love her so much that if your disciple is in pain and he chants "radhe radhe" you reach for his help. Krishna,being the eternal charmer that he is, just smiled at all of them. One day when Krishna saw Naradmuni coming in his kingdom, he decided to play a prank on him. As he saw him coming Krishna kept his hand on forehead and cried in pain. Narad was shocked and asked lord "what happened to you my lord?"
Krishna replied " I have a terrible headache" Narad made a confused face and asked "how is that possible that you who help others to get out of pain can suffer from pain yourself?" Krishna looked at Narad without saying a word. Narad lowered his head and said "but lord don't you have a remedy for it?"Krishna smiled a little and told Narad " get me a pinch of mud from the feet on any of my loved ones, mix it in water and give It to me to drink and I will be cured" Narad laughed and said " that's all you need lord, I will give it to right away?"Since everyone knows that Narad loves Krishna till ecstasy he put his hand on his leg to take the mud but then he realised that if he makes Lord Krishna have mud from his feet he will go to hell. So he decided to go to Rukmini as she would be the right person who will give pinch of mud for Krishna.He went to Rukmini and told her the remedy and asked her to help him. Rukmini lowered her head and said " I am sorry Narad but I cannot give pinch of mud from my soul, as Lord Krishna is my husband if I do so then I will lower myself and I will go to hell I will be punished."Narad went to en th number of people but they all had similar replies. He went back to kingdom to Lord Krishna and told " you are the master of universe how will anyone give me a pinch of mud from their feet to mix in water, so that you can drink. They will surely go to hell and will be severely punished if they do so."Krishna acted as if he was in terrible pain but yet smiled and said " you went to en' th number of people, but did you go to my Radha?"Narad replied "No I haven't"Krishna said, "I m in deep pain please do visit her now and tell her I am in pain and that is the only remedy I have which can cure my pain""I will go but I am sure she will have the same reply too", Narad cried
Narad flew to Radha. As he reached the river bank he saw her playing with her friends, she was dressed in simple ghagra choli, her skin radiating. With a heavy heart he went near Radha. She saw him and smiled as she knew there was a reason for Narad to come. The reason was none other than Krishna"What brings you here?" Radha smiledStammering a little he replied "Lord is in pain"She laughs "the one who runs the whole universe and takes the other peoples pain is in pain himself. Anyways but how can I help?"Narad lowers the head and answers "yes! There is a remedy but its quite tough. Lord wants a pinch of mud from the feet of a person who loves him; he has to mix it in water and drink it""That's it? For that you have come travelling all the way" she smiles.Without wasting a minute further, she puts her feet on the wet sand and then fills her fist with the mud on her feet and gives it to Narad. "take this and give it to my Lord and ask him if he needs anything else I am there"Narad flies back to lord Krishna and gives him the mould of mud mixed with water. Lord Krishna drinks it and is Krishna drinks it and in a second is relieved of the pain.Krishna smiles and tells Narad " now you know why I run to my disciples when they say Radha Radhe?""yes my lord I know but I yet want to hear it form you…" "you all love me but yet when I was in pain and I need mud from your feet the first thought that came to everybodies mind was that of personal consequence. But for radha my pain was worst than going to hell."He laughed and said with a natkhat smile. "She never thought of anything at that time except for relieving me of my pain. That is what I mean by unconditional love.When you love somebody there are no conditions. With conditions you are in hell anyways. Heaven and hell both are within us.
We heard these stories in our mythology we see it in our movies but do we believe that in reality such love exist? I do!!Someone somewhere out there loves you unconditionally. When you love somebody, say it! Don't waste time. As every Krishna has their Radha waiting for him, she is just waiting for him to tell her…..As Yash Chopra portrayed so beautifully in "Dil To Paagal Hai": Someone… somewhere… is made for you!I totally agree!!Someone….somewhere ….is waiting for you!