Manto…Ismat Haazir Hain!

Why did two of Urdu literature’s best writers face a court case for their stories? I watched the play Manto…Ismat Haazir Hain! by Motley Theater Group at Celebrate Bandra to find out.

Manto…Ismat Haazir Hain! features two short stories by Saadat Hasan Manto and one short story and essay by Ismat Chugtai. Naseeruddin Shah has picked up two of the most controversial stories of the writers which almost put them in the prison. The slice-of-life stories revolve around a memory or an incident. What makes them beautiful is the word play. Read more...

In the lap of luxury @ Le Meridien, Coimbatore

On 11.11.11, Starwood Group of Hotels launched their 100th Le Meridien brand of hotels in Coimbatore. I attended the grand opening and explored this luxurious hotel in the middle of a small town in south India.

If you are surprised what this French brand is doing in Coimbatore, don’t be. The city is on its way to become an IT hub in South India and truly deserves five-star luxury. It’s also in close proximity to Chennai (about 8 hours), Bangalore (about 6 hours), Kodaikkanal (about 4 hours) and Ooty (about 2 hours) and with Le Meridien opening here it’ll soon become a favourite weekend destination. The hotel has hosted numerous corporate events within a year since it started operating in phases. Read more...

Deool - Movie review

Incase you are wondering whether or not to watch the latest Marathi release Deool, here's my review for the film. I watched it during the Mumbai Film Festival. I am not a native Maharashtrian nor do I understand the language still I absolutely loved the movie. For me a good movie is something that goes beyond the barriers of language. However, the length of Deool is something that bothered me because when you are making a film for the International audience you have to keep it tight (which it is) and short. 

Marathi cinema is several notches ahead of mainstream Bollywood. This has been proved time and again with films like Shwaas, Dombivali Fast, Harishchandrachi Factory and Natrang. Deool, which premiered on the second day of Mumbai Film Festival, can easily be listed in the same category.


The story is of a simple village youth called Kesha (Girish Kulkarni) who has a vision of Datta (God) under a tree. What follows is how the local netas publicise this for their own political benefits. A temple is built instead of a hospital. The village becomes a pilgrimage centre and gets crowded and dirty. The temple’s committee starts raking in money from the devotees and splurges on alcohol and celebrity dance shows read more