Schumi, now an occasional motorcycle racer, gets an additional pair of wheels.Michael Schumacher aka Schumi is making his foray into Formula 1 yet again. This time too, his chosen steed will be a Ferrari . Ferrari wants Schumi to fill Massa's spot for a while.
Felipe Massa has established himself as one of the top drivers in the world with all the glory he has achieved after joining Ferrari last year. The Brazilian was hit in the helmet by an errant from another car and crashed into tyre barrier at about 120 mph during qualifying race of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
While Massa recovers from the skull fracture and concussion, Ferrari announced that Schumi will replace the former till he is fit to race again. Schumi will have an intensive training session before the European GP and once again have a go at points. He will have to undergo a fitness test after the prep programme before he can be entrusted with the car in Valencia. Schumi, being a Ferrari loyal, was more or less present in all the GPs post retirement as a Ferrari consultant and is abreast with team strategies etc. Though he may not be in the thick of things, for a talented driver like him, it should not take more than a few test sessions to vroom away in the F60.
Interestingly, there are quite a few top drivers who entered F1 after Schumi retired in 2006. The Vettels and Hamiltons have a lot to look forward to. Michael was one of the youngest to win a title when he was 25. Now, time will tell if he can become the 'oldest' to win a race atleast! Though, he may not be able to win immediately, but this mototsport icon will definitely hunt down the chequered flag before the end of the season.
Lance Armstrong won the Tour De France after a gap of three years. Michael Jordan came back and won after he had hung up his boots once. Can Schumi repeat the feat in F1?
Lets hope that atrophy has not set in and celebrate this return of the legend.
Hail the German speed God!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Schumacher Reloaded
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Movie Review: Jodha Akbar
Movie befitting a Shehaeshah! Ashthosh Gowariker has delivered this jewel by simplifying the elaborate complexities in the royal love story. In his unique way of movie making, he has taken care of all the nuances to give it the most authentic feel without overdoing any bit of it. The couple were betrothed only for political reasons but thereafter cupid sets to work and Ashutosh Gowariker portrays very well.
Like Lagaan, this period film, starts with Amitabh's baritone setting the story in motion with 15th century India's map on screen. After Baadshah Humayun's untimely death, Prince Jalaluddin had to accept the weight of ruling Hindustan on his early teens. Bairam Khan, the fiercely loyal general of Mughals, set his eyes on expanding the Mugahl Empire for Jalal. Hrithik (born to play Akbar), lights up the screen as the teenage prince becomes the Shehenshah.
The youthful Jalal intends to take his own decisions after a battle with the Rajputana Kings who refuse to surrender their kingdom. Bairam Khan is sent on 'exile' to Mecca and the vanquished Rajput king spared to rule his kingdom under Jalauddin. Its been a long time in Indian cinema that we saw war sequences so elaborately set. The number of people marshalled to recreate the Mughal force was a treat to watch. Another Rajput king, Raja Bharmal, played by Kulbhushan Kharbanda, visits Jalal and proposes him to marry his daughter to save his kingdom from his nephew Sujamal's conspiracy.
The taming of a wild elephant scene by Jalaluddin is fantastic and one of the many 'not to be missed scenes' in the movie. It was very well shot and depicted the bravery Mughal Emperors possessed. Very unlike the usual Bollywood, the hero did not have 'extraordinary abilities' to jump as high as an elephant but used his mental ability to jump atop the animal.
When fate gets Jalaluddin and Jodha betrothed, the political drama ceases and gives way to the romance which blossoms in an unconventional way. Jalal, being a just Emperor gives his wife the honour she deserves and also allows her to follow her religion inside Agra fort. This leads to vehement opposition from one particular Mullah/preist in Akbar's court whom he later sends to Mecca (was it Akbar's hobby? :)). The love blossoms within the walls of Agra Fort though it pricks the eye of many including Jalal's foster mother, Maham Anga, played villianously to the core by Ila Arun.
The movie ends with a hand-duel between Sharifuddin, Jalal's vile conspirator brother-in-law. Though, the villian is shown to be more muscular and well sculpted, Akbar's dialogue sets his intentions straight even before the fight begins - 'Hindustan ko mein galat haathon mein nahin jaane de sakta'.
A.R.Rehman cannot stop making good music relevant to the theme. Though the music is not catchy from the moment you listen to the songs in the movie, you will have it on your tongue sooner than you think. The Sufi song Khwaja Mere Khwaja, is shown without slightest pretense of being what it is not (a regular movie song). The Sufi singers wear the authentic clothes complete with upturned flower pot like hats and sing as if they were the real Sufi singers of 15th century(or so it makes viewers feel). 'Kehne ko jahsn-e-bahaara hai..' is another cherry in the cake baked by Rehman. The lyrics are well written too. The entire kingdom hails Jalal and confers him the title 'Akbar' with the song 'Azeem-o-shaan shhenshah', which is the catchiest song of the movie. It is complete with aerial shots of dance sequences (a la Replublic Day parade by different states of India).
The pure urdu and chaste hindi used in the movie is not very easy to understand for everyone but does adds to the charm of the love story. Hritik looks as handsome as ever and Aishwarya is unparalleled in beauty on screen. This might be the one of the best performances of the duo.
I am unsure if Ashutosh Gowariker has taken any historical liberty and modified facts but the movie is an entertainer. See it for Hritik, See it for Aish, see it for Mr.Gowariker's direction and see it for the love story -see it for yourself.
If 5 stars is the scale you prefer, I would give it a 3/3.5 undoubtedly.
Like Lagaan, this period film, starts with Amitabh's baritone setting the story in motion with 15th century India's map on screen. After Baadshah Humayun's untimely death, Prince Jalaluddin had to accept the weight of ruling Hindustan on his early teens. Bairam Khan, the fiercely loyal general of Mughals, set his eyes on expanding the Mugahl Empire for Jalal. Hrithik (born to play Akbar), lights up the screen as the teenage prince becomes the Shehenshah.
The youthful Jalal intends to take his own decisions after a battle with the Rajputana Kings who refuse to surrender their kingdom. Bairam Khan is sent on 'exile' to Mecca and the vanquished Rajput king spared to rule his kingdom under Jalauddin. Its been a long time in Indian cinema that we saw war sequences so elaborately set. The number of people marshalled to recreate the Mughal force was a treat to watch. Another Rajput king, Raja Bharmal, played by Kulbhushan Kharbanda, visits Jalal and proposes him to marry his daughter to save his kingdom from his nephew Sujamal's conspiracy.
The taming of a wild elephant scene by Jalaluddin is fantastic and one of the many 'not to be missed scenes' in the movie. It was very well shot and depicted the bravery Mughal Emperors possessed. Very unlike the usual Bollywood, the hero did not have 'extraordinary abilities' to jump as high as an elephant but used his mental ability to jump atop the animal.
When fate gets Jalaluddin and Jodha betrothed, the political drama ceases and gives way to the romance which blossoms in an unconventional way. Jalal, being a just Emperor gives his wife the honour she deserves and also allows her to follow her religion inside Agra fort. This leads to vehement opposition from one particular Mullah/preist in Akbar's court whom he later sends to Mecca (was it Akbar's hobby? :)). The love blossoms within the walls of Agra Fort though it pricks the eye of many including Jalal's foster mother, Maham Anga, played villianously to the core by Ila Arun.
The movie ends with a hand-duel between Sharifuddin, Jalal's vile conspirator brother-in-law. Though, the villian is shown to be more muscular and well sculpted, Akbar's dialogue sets his intentions straight even before the fight begins - 'Hindustan ko mein galat haathon mein nahin jaane de sakta'.
A.R.Rehman cannot stop making good music relevant to the theme. Though the music is not catchy from the moment you listen to the songs in the movie, you will have it on your tongue sooner than you think. The Sufi song Khwaja Mere Khwaja, is shown without slightest pretense of being what it is not (a regular movie song). The Sufi singers wear the authentic clothes complete with upturned flower pot like hats and sing as if they were the real Sufi singers of 15th century(or so it makes viewers feel). 'Kehne ko jahsn-e-bahaara hai..' is another cherry in the cake baked by Rehman. The lyrics are well written too. The entire kingdom hails Jalal and confers him the title 'Akbar' with the song 'Azeem-o-shaan shhenshah', which is the catchiest song of the movie. It is complete with aerial shots of dance sequences (a la Replublic Day parade by different states of India).
The pure urdu and chaste hindi used in the movie is not very easy to understand for everyone but does adds to the charm of the love story. Hritik looks as handsome as ever and Aishwarya is unparalleled in beauty on screen. This might be the one of the best performances of the duo.
I am unsure if Ashutosh Gowariker has taken any historical liberty and modified facts but the movie is an entertainer. See it for Hritik, See it for Aish, see it for Mr.Gowariker's direction and see it for the love story -see it for yourself.
If 5 stars is the scale you prefer, I would give it a 3/3.5 undoubtedly.
Friday, November 09, 2007
Happy Diwali!
Happy Diwali and a prosperous new year!
While you enjoy the fireworks and sweets, do spare a thought for the child labour in Sivakasi. Dhanunjay captures their plight in his Diwali blog here.
While you enjoy the fireworks and sweets, do spare a thought for the child labour in Sivakasi. Dhanunjay captures their plight in his Diwali blog here.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Whale of a time in Wales
One sunny Saturday, we set out for Wales from Reading. After a few initial hiccups, the journey started off enthusiastically. 3 cars-15 bachelors- a splendidly smooth M4 motorway....needless to say was the fire-cotton-oxygen combination. Once we were on the highway, the straight stretch of smooth silky asphalt compelled us to test the cars' potential. It was hard to keep the dictum 'Speed thrills but kills' in mind. Almost everyone was envious of the one in the driver's seat. A rotation policy was set in place, so that everybody gets to control the car for sometime before reaching Wales.
The huge hanging 'Severn Bridge' across the Atlantic was our gateway to Wales from Bristol, England. After a burger break at wayside service 'Welcome Break', we were on our way to Swansea. Trying to interpret the English meanings of welsh signposts and traffic rules on the road, kept us engaged and entertained till Swansea. We gathered and remembered that 'Araf' means 'slow down' and 'Arafwch' means 'Slow down now' by the time we reached Swansea(still unsure on how to pronounce that).
Swansea is a beautiful city with a few beaches, green landscape and mainly the cliffs directly opening into the sea. The sea breeze at Swansea Marina with the vast expanse of water for a view was pretty relaxing, considering, the usual other scenic encounters we have are the windows screensavers. We learnt that Swansea is also called 'Abertawe' or the mouth of river Tawe! Photographs in ‘poses like our Darwinian forefathers’ and a beer or two later, everyone decided to head to Cardiff, the Welsh capital.
The drive again was a heavenly endeavour and we reached Cardiff Bay. The Cardiff bay was in midst of a summer festival. The folks were blithe listening to live band and carousing. The Wales Millennium Centre was the most dominating structure of the bay. It is a centre of Welsh performing arts. The bronze colour of the dome was beautifully different from the regular buildings, it being created with steel treated with copper oxide. The welsh words on the dome proclaimed "Creating truth like glass from the furnace of inspiration" and in English it said "In these stones, horizons sing". Though it looked a jumble of letters when read there (thanks to the alien welsh language), a simple search on Google cleared the clouds. A wishing well in the compound was a good place to spend some one penny coins we abhor to carry around.
We went around the Cardiff Bay taking in the gala atmosphere. Cardiff bay was lively with every pub, bar and restaurant overflowing with crowd in festive mood. When our stomachs reminded us of their existence, we found a fantastic Italian restaurant called ‘Bellinis’ near ‘Signor Valentino’. The chardonnay we ordered was best we all had ever had and was enough for couple of us to say no to car driving for that night. After gorging on a sumptuous dinner, like sharks in Wales (pun intended), we made the two birthday boys with us, cut the cake.
We were on the road once again. This time, the destination was ‘Blacksheep backpackers’ in a small village of Abergavenny in Monmouthshire town. The adventure was about to begin. We knocked (and later banged) on the door of the hostel, called them on the phone, but to no avail. Couple of us managed to peep through the back window and bang on it to awaken the sleeping watchman while the rest were revving the cars and discussing the features as if they were to appear in Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson. After about half an hour of toil, the watchman woke up but swore he would never let anyone of us enter. As we were planning to drive back to Reading, the cops appeared out of nowhere and parked their cars so close to ours, so we couldn’t move without hitting it. Luckily, for us, we had the booking printouts handy and cops managed to get us inside the hostel while the watchman apologised (supposedly, the manager hadn’t informed of our arrival). Whew! The double decked bed was inviting after a rapid day full of interesting adventures.
Sunday morning brought with it clouds and showers, though it was quite bright luckily. With 15 of us in one small backpacking house, it was almost felt that we had taken over the place. The owners gladly filled the empty racks with cornflakes and bread and made us feel at home. Our next plan was to see Pembroke and head back to Reading.
Pembroke castle was worth a visit as we were able to access the towers and view the panoramic beauty of Pembroke. Though, this was not among the best of the castles we’ve seen, castle with river flowing beside them always is a treat to see. Castle done, we reached the airfield where we had booked a helicopter ride. The anticipation of being in a helicopter for the first time was big for all of us. Weather played a spoil sport and only four of us could get a ride in the helicopter. The incessant rain hampered the flight and due to safety reasons, pilot decided against taking anymore on the bird.
Plenty of photographs later, we were off to Reading stopping by at the Pembroke beach to adore the scenic beauty of cliff falling straight into the sea. A drive on M4 was again exhilarating. Raring to have a go, all the cars raced against each other, though keeping safety first. The gang in Volkswagen Golf got a free picture taken by the speed camera.
Thankfully, everyone was smiling at the time!
The huge hanging 'Severn Bridge' across the Atlantic was our gateway to Wales from Bristol, England. After a burger break at wayside service 'Welcome Break', we were on our way to Swansea. Trying to interpret the English meanings of welsh signposts and traffic rules on the road, kept us engaged and entertained till Swansea. We gathered and remembered that 'Araf' means 'slow down' and 'Arafwch' means 'Slow down now' by the time we reached Swansea(still unsure on how to pronounce that).
Swansea is a beautiful city with a few beaches, green landscape and mainly the cliffs directly opening into the sea. The sea breeze at Swansea Marina with the vast expanse of water for a view was pretty relaxing, considering, the usual other scenic encounters we have are the windows screensavers. We learnt that Swansea is also called 'Abertawe' or the mouth of river Tawe! Photographs in ‘poses like our Darwinian forefathers’ and a beer or two later, everyone decided to head to Cardiff, the Welsh capital.
The drive again was a heavenly endeavour and we reached Cardiff Bay. The Cardiff bay was in midst of a summer festival. The folks were blithe listening to live band and carousing. The Wales Millennium Centre was the most dominating structure of the bay. It is a centre of Welsh performing arts. The bronze colour of the dome was beautifully different from the regular buildings, it being created with steel treated with copper oxide. The welsh words on the dome proclaimed "Creating truth like glass from the furnace of inspiration" and in English it said "In these stones, horizons sing". Though it looked a jumble of letters when read there (thanks to the alien welsh language), a simple search on Google cleared the clouds. A wishing well in the compound was a good place to spend some one penny coins we abhor to carry around.
We went around the Cardiff Bay taking in the gala atmosphere. Cardiff bay was lively with every pub, bar and restaurant overflowing with crowd in festive mood. When our stomachs reminded us of their existence, we found a fantastic Italian restaurant called ‘Bellinis’ near ‘Signor Valentino’. The chardonnay we ordered was best we all had ever had and was enough for couple of us to say no to car driving for that night. After gorging on a sumptuous dinner, like sharks in Wales (pun intended), we made the two birthday boys with us, cut the cake.
We were on the road once again. This time, the destination was ‘Blacksheep backpackers’ in a small village of Abergavenny in Monmouthshire town. The adventure was about to begin. We knocked (and later banged) on the door of the hostel, called them on the phone, but to no avail. Couple of us managed to peep through the back window and bang on it to awaken the sleeping watchman while the rest were revving the cars and discussing the features as if they were to appear in Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson. After about half an hour of toil, the watchman woke up but swore he would never let anyone of us enter. As we were planning to drive back to Reading, the cops appeared out of nowhere and parked their cars so close to ours, so we couldn’t move without hitting it. Luckily, for us, we had the booking printouts handy and cops managed to get us inside the hostel while the watchman apologised (supposedly, the manager hadn’t informed of our arrival). Whew! The double decked bed was inviting after a rapid day full of interesting adventures.
Sunday morning brought with it clouds and showers, though it was quite bright luckily. With 15 of us in one small backpacking house, it was almost felt that we had taken over the place. The owners gladly filled the empty racks with cornflakes and bread and made us feel at home. Our next plan was to see Pembroke and head back to Reading.
Pembroke castle was worth a visit as we were able to access the towers and view the panoramic beauty of Pembroke. Though, this was not among the best of the castles we’ve seen, castle with river flowing beside them always is a treat to see. Castle done, we reached the airfield where we had booked a helicopter ride. The anticipation of being in a helicopter for the first time was big for all of us. Weather played a spoil sport and only four of us could get a ride in the helicopter. The incessant rain hampered the flight and due to safety reasons, pilot decided against taking anymore on the bird.
Plenty of photographs later, we were off to Reading stopping by at the Pembroke beach to adore the scenic beauty of cliff falling straight into the sea. A drive on M4 was again exhilarating. Raring to have a go, all the cars raced against each other, though keeping safety first. The gang in Volkswagen Golf got a free picture taken by the speed camera.
Thankfully, everyone was smiling at the time!
Saturday, September 29, 2007
The unsung great of Twenty20: RP Singh
Why is nobody talking about RP Singh? This lad showed potential par excellence, scalping wickets with fantastic variation in line and length. Three crucial Pakistani wickets were his gift to Indian cricket team in the finals and he did it with a temperament like a cucumber. His contribution throughout the series cannot be overlooked.
I have been googling to find out the awards showered on him and I am sorry to say there are barely any. UP Govt has announced one award(Manyavar Kanshiramji International Sports Award) which holds a cash award of Rs.10 lakhs and this is the only individual award he has been conferred.
The cash awards being recieved by the other players completely overshadow Rudra's achievements. Joginder Sharma, who was a dream bowler for any batsman, gets Rs. 21 Lakhs from Haryana government. This award is not because, he did his job right in the last over, but because Misbah commited a cricketing crime. The poster boy Yuvraj gets a deserved cash award for 6-sixes but isn't Rs.1 Crore a wee bit excessive?? These are but a few examples of cash and kind awards for the few popular ones.
If I was a certain Mr.Modi, I would have split Rs. 1 Crore between Yuvraj, RP Singh, Rohit Sharma and Irfan Pathan. Yuvraj and Pathan are mainstays of Indian Cricket for a long time now but RP Singh and Rohit Sharma should be encouraged.
We would not be so elated today if the contribution from RP Singh and Rohit Sharma was missing. Rohit Sharma atleast stole the thunder in Semi finals by hitting 50 runs but RP did his job to keep Australia from reaching that score. RP Singh is one of the most prmomising bowler in the phalanx of Indian pace bowlers and yet he is being neglected like a hockey player(yes, they are neglected in our country). RP Singh's reticient approach to cricket is the distinguishing factor. RP’s figure in semifinals 4-0-13-0 were the key in India reaching the finals.
Are the rich and famous, who can sponsor awards listening? Is BCCI listening? Is the government of UP listening? RP Singh is here to win matches and be a mainstay in Indian cricket and looks as bankable as any excellent cricketer can be.
I have been googling to find out the awards showered on him and I am sorry to say there are barely any. UP Govt has announced one award(Manyavar Kanshiramji International Sports Award) which holds a cash award of Rs.10 lakhs and this is the only individual award he has been conferred.
The cash awards being recieved by the other players completely overshadow Rudra's achievements. Joginder Sharma, who was a dream bowler for any batsman, gets Rs. 21 Lakhs from Haryana government. This award is not because, he did his job right in the last over, but because Misbah commited a cricketing crime. The poster boy Yuvraj gets a deserved cash award for 6-sixes but isn't Rs.1 Crore a wee bit excessive?? These are but a few examples of cash and kind awards for the few popular ones.
If I was a certain Mr.Modi, I would have split Rs. 1 Crore between Yuvraj, RP Singh, Rohit Sharma and Irfan Pathan. Yuvraj and Pathan are mainstays of Indian Cricket for a long time now but RP Singh and Rohit Sharma should be encouraged.
We would not be so elated today if the contribution from RP Singh and Rohit Sharma was missing. Rohit Sharma atleast stole the thunder in Semi finals by hitting 50 runs but RP did his job to keep Australia from reaching that score. RP Singh is one of the most prmomising bowler in the phalanx of Indian pace bowlers and yet he is being neglected like a hockey player(yes, they are neglected in our country). RP Singh's reticient approach to cricket is the distinguishing factor. RP’s figure in semifinals 4-0-13-0 were the key in India reaching the finals.
Are the rich and famous, who can sponsor awards listening? Is BCCI listening? Is the government of UP listening? RP Singh is here to win matches and be a mainstay in Indian cricket and looks as bankable as any excellent cricketer can be.
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