Song 03: Aarambh

Name of the Song: Aarambh

Album: Gulaal (OST)

Artist: Rahul Ram

Music & Lyrics: Piyush Mishra

Release Date: February 2009

Language: Hindi

Gulaal is a forthcoming Hindi movie directed by Anurag Kashyap (of Black Friday, No Smoking & Dev.D fame). The movie is based on student politics set in Rajasthan and stars Kay Kay Menon (of Sarkar, Shaurya and Corporate fame), Jesse Randhawa (of Fashion and No Smoking fame), and Raja Chaudhary amongst others. The movie is being released after a delay of 5 years.

The song being mentioned in this post can easily be classified as the song with the maximum impact in the entire album. Titled 'Aarambh', its sung by Rahul Ram who is the lead singer of the Indian rock band called 'Indian Ocean'. The song is sung in an extremely peculiar manner which sounds almost like a discourse but enchanting chorus effortlessly manage to create a strong grip. And with a few repeats the lyrics and the music (both given by Piyush Mishra for this song and the entire soundtrack) start growing and enraptures the listener.

Click Here to check Gulaal on Wikipedia and Click Here to check Gulaal on IMDB 

Also, Click Here to view the trailer of Gulaal

Manish :)

P.S.: The lyrics of the song Aarambh from the soundtrack of Gulaal sung by Rahul Ram are as follows:

Aarambh hai prachand

Bolein mastakon ke jhund

Aaj jung ki ghadi ki tum guhaar do

Aarambh hai prachand

Bolein mastakon ke jhund

Aaj jung ki ghadi ki tum guhaar do

Aan baan shaan

Yaa ki jaan ka ho daan

Aaj ek dhanush ke baan pe utaar do (Repeat Chorus)

Aarambh hai prachand

Man kare so pran de

Jo man kare so pran le

Wahi to ek sarv shaktimaan hai (Repeat Chorus)

Krishn ki pukaar hai ye

Bhaagwat ka saar hai

Ki yuddh hi to veer ka pramaan hai

Kaurawon ki bheed ho

Ya paandavon ka neer(d) ho

Jo lad sakaa hai wohi to mahaan hai

Jeet ki hawas nahi

Kisi pe koi vash nahi

Kya zindagi hai thokaron pe maar do

Maut ant hai nahi

Toh maut se bhi kyun darein

Ye jaake aasmaano mein dahaad do

Aarambh hai prachand

Bolein mastakon ke jhund

Aaj jung ki ghadi ki tum guhaar do

Aan baan shaan

Yaa ki jaan ka ho daan

Aaj ek dhanush ke baan pe utaar do 

Aarambh hai prachand

Woh dayaa ka bhaav yaa ki

Shaurya ka chunaav yaa ki

Haar ka wo ghaav tum ye soch lo (Repeat Chorus)

Yaa ki bhoore bhaal par

Jalaa rahe vijay ka laal

Laal ye gulaal tum ye soch lo

Rang kesari ho ya mridang kesari ho

Ya ki kesari ho taal tum ye soch lo

Jis kavi ki kalpana mein

Zindagi ho prem geet

Us kavi ko aaj tum nakaar do

Bheegti maso mein aaj

Phoolti ragon mein aaj

Aag ki lapat ka tum bhaghaar do

Aarambh hai prachand

Bolein mastakon ke jhund

Aaj jung ki ghadi ki tum guhaar do

Aan baan shaan

Ya ki jaan ka ho daan

Aaj ek dhanush ke baan pe utaar do (Chorus)

Aarambh hai prachand

Aarambh hai prachand

Aarambh hai prachand

Hai-Hai-Hai-Hai-Hai-Hai-Hai-Hai-Hai-Hai (fades)

Song 03: Aarambh

Movie 09: Omkara (2006)

Choosing to adapt a movie based on a story written by a legend named 'William Shakespeare' is a commendable effort in itself and living up beyond expectations is truly an honorable achievement which not many people can experience in one lifetime. Having said that; a maverick director like Vishal Bhardwaj (Makdee, Maqbool fame) just did not try to experiment with the idea which many directors would dread to even imagine, but also managed to do so with a great degree of panache with a movie like Omkara. Although he'd tried playing on similar lines with Maqbool which was based on Macbeth, he pushed the envelope with Omakara. Just in case if creating a movie which would naturally call for extremely high expectations within audience and loads of publicity within the media circle was not enough, Vishal shouldered the responsibility to single handedly manage an ensemble of most reputed and popular actors within the Indian film industry to transcend an idea into an unmatched cinematic experience. 

Adapted from Othello, Omkara is set against the milieu of Indian political warfare in the interiors of Uttar Pradesh state. The title role of Omkara is played by Ajay Devgan of Gangaajal, and Company fame. The movie is based on Omkara's passionate love for Dolly played by Kareena Kapoor of Jab We Met and Chameli fame and the annihilation that arises when seeds of jealousy, doubt and deception are sown in the relationship. Other prime characters of the movie include Keshav 'Kesu Firangi' played by Vivek Oberoi of Saathiya and Kaal fame; Indu played by Konkana Sen Sharma of Mr. & Mrs. Iyer and 15 Park Avenue fame and Naseeruddin Shah of A Wednesday!, and, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen fame. The movie also has a special appearance by Bipasha Basu of Jism  and Dhoom:2 fame. Besides all the characters mentioned above, Omkara proved to be the turning point in Saif Ali Khan ’s (of Being Cyrus and Parineeta  fame) career due to his flawless and unmatched portrayal of Ishwar ‘Langda’ Tyaagi. His proficiency as an actor and skill to bring life to the character was accentuated in this movie. Saif Ali Khan set an example which clearly stated that the audience could laud, extol and appreciate the antagonist with equal exuberance as they’d appreciate the protagonist if the actor did complete justice to his performance.

Since the tone of the movie is set in a rustic mode, the dialect and accent of characters throughout the movie blends with the tone of the film. Although many complained and frowned over the sheer number of profanities and incessant use of crude expletives throughout the movie, but that’s just the way how conversations take place in that region of the world.

Omkara is a movie which might not cater to everybody palette of entertainment, but if you don’t mind a movie filled with strong characters and exemplary performances, Omkara is one movie which you’d surely not want to miss.

Surreal Nirvana readers can choose to buy the DVD of the movie through Amazon  via Surreal Nirvana Store. Please note that the DVD of the movie are available in limited numbers so make sure you get your copy soon.  To know more about the Surreal Nirvana Store, Click Here.

Click Here to buy the DVD of Omkara

Click Here to check Omkara on Wikipedia and Click Here to check Omkara on IMDB.

Manish :)

P.S. Readers can also check the links below to view other movies based on Othello:
O (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Othello

Movie 09: Omkara (2006)

Movie 07: Swades (2004)

I’d like to start by saying that Swades is not a movie but a master piece. This statement might seem too strong to start with but I guess once you watch the movie, chances are you might agree to the fact that calling this movie a master piece is actually just an under statement. There’s also a possibility that you would choose to stop reading this post further considering the fact that Swades as a movie, when it released in 2004 was panned and criticized heavily by reviewers all around. So if you wish to know what makes me take the difficult path to challenge all those who don’t like the movie as much as I do, please continue reading.

Although Swades, the movie is story of one particular Indian, I’m sure every Indian identifies and connects with this movie at multiple levels and that’s what makes this movie far from ordinary. It’s a story of a character named Mohan Bhargava played by Shah Rukh Khan (one of the most popular Indian actor of Chak De! India, Veer-Zaara, Devdas fame) who’s an Indian scientist working in NASA as a project manager. He returns to India on a quest to find his childhood nanny. And then starts journey of an Indian who witnesses his country and relationships like he’s never seen it before.

The USP of this movie is the format in which multiple layers of the story line unfold and with every layer peeling off the audience stop sympathizing and start empathizing with the situations and experience the grief as if it were their own. The story of the movie is the core fabric which balances all the other elements together. The characters of the movie are well written and have been enacted gracefully by the actors. The second most important character of the movie after Shah Rukh Khan is that of Gita played by Gayatri Joshi who runs a local village school.

Ashutosh Gowariker (Lagaan, Jodhaa Akbar fame), the director has displayed his prowess with this movie by capturing the truest feelings and emotions of characters throughout the movie. The movie has many noteworthy scenes which creates an instant connection with the viewer. Some of the scenes worth a mention would be:

• Mohan’s confrontation of various problems faced in India with the rest of the villagers during a school function
• The Hydro Electricity generator scene
• The trip Mohan takes to collect money from a creditor and the glass of water scene on his way back to his village (the scene with maximum impact and extremely emotional moment in the movie)

Yet another part worth a mention about this movie is the music of the movie which is given by A. R. Rahman. The music of this movie cannot be compared to music of any other commercial Indian movie but the music blends perfectly with the theme of the movie. The song ‘Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera’ sung by A. R. Rahman is believed to have made many Indians living in different parts of the globe reach for a tissue to wipe a tear during the movie. The lyrics, vocals and the music of the song are truly Hindustani.

Although the length of the movie can be discouragement (189 minutes) along with the slow pace of the movie, but I’d still strongly recommend you to watch this movie at least once with an open mind to experience it. I hope every reader of this post watches the movie and shares the perspective and the ideology of the movie and likes it to be recommended to others.

Surreal Nirvana readers can choose to buy the DVD of the movie through Amazon via Surreal Nirvana Store. To know more about the Surreal Nirvana Store, Click Here.

Click Here to buy the DVD of the movie

Click Here to check Swades on Wikipedia and Click Here to check Swades on IMDB.

Manish :)

Movie 07: Swades (2004)

Movie 05: Guru (2007)

Mani Ratnam (of Bombay, Roja fame) is a jewel in the crown of Indian Film Industry. He's one of the very few Indian directors who have the conviction to create believable stories, the skill to pen those stories and the talent to translate the same vision which started as a fragment of imagination into a splendid piece of art which is celebrated on celluloid and treasured by all.

Because of his vision and perseverance, Mani Ratnam successfully manages to create movies which are not just contemporary, but also end up being classics in their own right and Guru, to me is one such movie.

Guru as a movie has a very simple storyline. It depicts the life of a boy named Gurukant Desai fondly called Guru from a small village from the interiors of Gujarat who creates history by establishing one of the biggest companies of the country. The movie subtly moves through various phases of the protagonist’s life right from 

• The time he graduates school and decides to migrate to Turkey, to 
  
• The hardships he faces once he returns to India and tries to start a small business in the market which was almost impenetrable due to the stringent government regulations and corporate lobbying which was the order of the day during the early years of India’s independence
  
• The blinding pace and growth achieved by the protagonist
  
• The turning point just at the intermission right till the end of the movie which manages to keep the viewer engrossed and entertained
  

Recommendation of this movie is incomplete if two more facets of the film are not mentioned i.e. the actors and the music. Abhishek Bachchan (Sarkar Raj, Bluffmaster!) who plays the character needed just a movie like this to display his talent and true prowess. This movie and a few movies of the actor which released around the same period declared the fact that Abhishek Bachchan is a director’s actor and can mould him into the character precisely the way his director wants him to. He played the character so well that every viewer accepted the fact that probably nobody else could've played the part as well as he did. I’d want to bring audience’s attention to the pre-climax speech delivered by Abhishek when he is being prosecuted. Stupendous dialogue delivery personified. Guru, in more ways than one was a turning point in Abhishek’s career after his yet another critically acclaimed performance in yet another Mani Ratnam movie called Yuva. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Taal, and Bride & Prejudice) who plays Abhishek’s love interest in the movie portrays a role of a perfect soul mate. Other actors like Mithun Chakraborty, R. Madhavan, Vidya Balan amongst others do complete justice to their roles.

A. R. Rahaman who’s rightly called a genius in his own right holds the credit for music in the movie. The soundtrack of this movie adds an additional flavor to the story. A special appearance made by Mallika Sherawat for a song (Mayya Mayya sung by Maryem Tollar) in the movie is people’s favorite since it’s so unique and different as compared to the regular Hindi movie soundtracks. Also the background score compliments the mood and is a perfect fit.

Although needless to say but to sum it all up, Guru the movie must not be missed because no reason is good enough.

Surreal Nirvana readers can choose to buy the DVD of the movie through Amazon via Surreal Nirvana Store. Please note that the DVD of the movie are available in limited numbers so make sure you get your copy soon.  To know more about the Surreal Nirvana Store, Click Here.

Click Here to buy the Double Disc Edition

Click Here to buy the Single-Disc Edition 

Click Here to check Guru on Wikipedia and Click Here to check Guru on IMDB.

Manish :)

Movie 05: Guru (2007)

Movie Trailer 07: Delhi-6 Teaser Trailer

Delhi-6 is a forthcoming Bollywood film to be directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra of Rang De Basanti that will star Abhishek Bachchan of Sarkar Raj, Guru and Bluffmaster!; Sonam Kapoor (this would be Sonam's second movie after her debut in Saawariya); a veteran actor like Om Puri who's been a part of movies like Charlie Wilson's War, Yuva, East is East; Atul Kulkarni of Rang De Basanti, Corporate, Page 3, and Divya Dutta of Veer-Zaara, The Last Lear. 

The movie is about American-born Roshan (Abhishek Bachchan), who brings his ailing grandmother back to India. Little does he know that the quick trip will turn into the longest journey of his life - a journey within. The backdrop of the story is the ancient walled city of Delhi, a character in herself. She represents the chaos, religion, beliefs and ethos of the Indian people. The pin code of the city is 110006, and with pride of love they call her Delhi-6. Rakeysh Mehra has given us a master piece like Rang De Basanti which has become a cult hit over the years. Expections with Delhi-6 are sky high and I hope the moviemaker does a great job with this movie as well.

Click Here to check Delhi-6 on Wikipedia and Click Here to check Delhi-6 on IMDB 

Manish :)

Movie Trailer 07: Delhi-6 Teaser Trailer

Movie 03: A Wednesday! (2008)

In Hollywood, a movie made by a team which is not associated or affiliated with the big banners is called as an Independent Film or they are popularly called Indies. In the recent past, Indian film industry has seen releases of many movies which primarily belong to this genre but since the demarcation of such films is still unclear in the India, they're referred to as 'Multiplex movies'. A major reason for terming these relatively small budget movies as 'multiplex movies' is because they're been made for a niche audience and production of such movies became viable only after multiplexes were introduced in India a couple of years ago. Generally movies like these are not targeted towards general public at large but the movie being discussed here according to me should be a clear exception to the rule and I'll try to explain why. 

'A Wednesday!' at the outset is a fairly simple movie. The publicity of the movie can't be compared to any of the major blockbusters but the impact of this movie is so strong that it makes many other movies seem just about mediocre. The movie works at an easy going pace only for the first 15 minutes and that's the time when the filmmaker tries to introduce all the major characters of the movie. The basic premise of the movie is how one man jeopardizes the entire system. 

This movie can be described as a crazy cat-mouse race wherein the Commissioner (Anupam Kher) with his full force and the best men try to stop the nuisance and havoc that can be created if an anonymous caller is not stopped. The way decisions are taken under extremely high pressure situations to meet the deadlines and get satisfactory results every time by one man are inspiring.  Similarly, it's remarkable to see the determination and precision with which how a single man (Naseeruddin Shah) manages to shake the system by its foundation and make it look like a child's play. But what caught my attention the most is this monologue delivered by Naseeruddin Shah in the movie. For the benefit of the readers who've not seen the movie I'd just like you to remember a cue wherein Naseeruddin Shah is in a conference call and he tells Jimmy Shergill to put the phone on loudspeaker and starts by asking a question what do you do when a cockroach enters your house? That single monologue delivered by Naseeruddin Shah proves the prowess of actor. Truly an applaud and an award winning performance. Also I must mention that every actor in the movie does complete justice and plays his/her part extremely well. An actor like Jimmy Shergill seems wasted in other movies after watching his performance in this one.

Not watching this movie is just a juvenile decision. A Wednesday! at no point seems like an end product by a debutant director. Hats Off! Neeraj Pandey. I'd request all my readers to buy the original DVD of the movie or rent it from a legitimate DVD rental service. At least in India the movie has been recently released on home video at an affordable price. So please buy original and help fight piracy.

Click Here to buy your copy of A Wednesday!


A Wednesday! on IMDB 

Manish :)

Movie 03: A Wednesday! (2008)

Theatrical Trailer of Chandni Chowk To China

Theatrical Trailer of a highly awaited Hindi movie titled Chandni Chowk To China; directed by Nikhil Advani of 'Kal Ho Na Ho' and 'Salaam-e-Ishq' fame starring Akshay Kumar and Deepika Padukone. The movie is slated to release on January 16, 2009.

Manish :)

Theatrical Trailer of Chandni Chowk To China