Boredom

And it all finally settled down and it took a while for all the emotions to sink in. Whenever Federer and Nadal fought their gladiatorial battles, the hearts of people watching always vouched for Federer and minds, Nadal. And so was the case today. It all went to the wire but at last, the heart had its victory and probably the sweetest one. Earlier in the day, I was going through 10 of the greatest matches list b/w these two and Federer at conclusion of one of his wins could see the future when he said that he wanted to win all he could before Nadal could have his say and although Federer never went away (as He won today), Nadal, Djoker and Murray all arrived. Nadal never became the king of jungle like Federer but it was Djoker, not Federer who trumped him in the race. Federer was still playing sublime tennis but it was a scant reminder of all the beautiful time in front of power tennis of Djoker. His power game also proved too much for the persevering and waiting game for Nadal but th...

Sci-fi adventure films coming out of Hollywood in last couple of years are exhibiting the elements of an art-project combined with a dark theme and very strong ethereal, emotional appeal. They are catering to an individual, rather than a group of spectators. These tales are more personal yet the elements they are associated with are universal. They are unifying force. They address a universal problem in general and being film-narratives always come out triumphant. As much as I was disappointed over my inability to discern the meaning and patterns of Nolan's Interstellar, I was equally fascinated by the scope, creative imagination and emotional schemes of it. It was an unforgettable cinematic experience. And the hero of the film, although personally despondent, was working for the benefits of humankind. In 2015, it was Deux-Ex Machina. Oscar Isaac and Alicia Wikander headlined it. It explored the narrative of AI-run-Robots and what they could possibly do to us humans if badly treate...

Cricket is all we like to see, feed and munch on during our day-to-day lives. And if that cricket is happening in a picturesque country such as New Zealand, we feel almost cheated and absolutely gutted to miss out on it. But this is what has been happening to us die-hard cricket fans in India for last three years starting well before the 2015 World Cup. Earlier we saw it as a one-time occurrence, even a technical glitch from a designated broadcaster for a particular series but then it became a trend and now no Indian broadcaster gives a damn about what's happening in NZ home summer. They definitely think of Australia as it's a bigger market for TV audience in India and worldwide but NZ for me at least is no average Joe and when you think of them one of only 10 full member nations to play cricket in world, no broadcasting for their home matches in a country as lucrative a market and as praiseworthy of good cricket and entertainment as India is SIN. I have started to hate this no...

I believe people who are trolling Harshvardhan Kapoor on various social media outlets on his venting anger over Diljeet Dosanjh's Filmfare Best Male Debut award haven't even watched Mirzya. They just saw it's Box Office nos which were no doubt very disappointing but this was the film hogging all the limelight for better part of last couple of years. It's first trailer left everyone confounded but everyone believed that it's songs, acting and cinematography were outstanding. People were finding it mystical and then there was the presence of Rakesh Omprakash Mehra and Gulzar Saab with Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy helming it's wonderful lyrical journey. Everyone praised the acting of Saiyaami Kher and Harshvardhan too but when the film bombed big time at the BO, the same everyone got incensed with with everything that was earlier wonderful in it. Harshvardhan then got compared to her 'lesser-talented' sister who earlier in the year was unequivocally praised for her b...

'Finding Juliet' is the second book by our author here, Mr. Toffee. It's target audience is exclusively Gen-Y Indians. It's blurb gives the readers fair bit of idea about what's going to be in front of them and how it's gonna all end. Still, if you opt for it, you are going to cling to it in order to find out its ending just like you have been doing to all your Bollywood titles throughout your lives. It's fairly predictable and only its nice sketches of characters keep you hooked till the very end. Character development and smart first-person narrative are thus two high points of this book for me. Its protagonist, Arjun wants to find one true love in his life. There is nothing wrong with him and it might have to do something with today's generation of girls or the changing atmosphere (read SWOT) of our society that such guys aren't deemed very likable. So here is a serious issue and more of a mental block for Arjun to address and he really doesn...

After Pakistan's scarcely believable 2nd innings performance in Gabbatoir, everyone expected them to give the Ozzies a run for their money in MCG and SCG. Although their bowling looked limp throughout the series, they looked very credible with the bat unlike the other subcontinent teams. But Pakistan, ever a champion of totally unpredictable and ultimately disappointing Cricket, lost both in MCG and SCG at the last days with 10 and 9 wickets in hand respectively. Subcontinent teams always find it very hard to win in Australia and thus even a respectable draw there amounts to a tremendous 'moral' win. But Pakistan made a royal mess of two perfectly Golden opportunities and that's when two of the more memorable innings of recent times in Azhar Ali's 205 and Younis Khan's 175* were played by them. They simply had to bat time on both the last days and they were playing totally stupid shots and taking unnecessary and imaginary singles when there were no need. The tre...

Our Cricket World is never too far away from a sad incident. Kyle Abbott, a hardworking, honest fast bowler who always likes to wear his emotions on sleeves, has opted for a KOLPAK deal with Hampshire. A 100,000 British Pounds earning deal each year for three years including insurance and he left his beloved country, South Africa, for playing in English County Set-up. A White man doesn't get too many opportunities to play for South Africa in current set-up. Some couple of years ago, this wasn't the case but racial tensions have always been an undercurrent phenomenon of SA Cricket. Apartheid happened for a reason. Nelson Mandela fought for a reason and that reason was giving the majority population of South Africa which is predominantly black and mostly colored, a fair (and some might say, better) chance of representing their country on global stage, proudly. Cricket and Rugby have always been recognized as two spectator sports in which South Africans are outstanding. And that...

You probably haven't heard of Sixto Rodriguez yet. Even in this era of ubiquitous Rock 'n' Roll music and hundreds of Music artists acting like demigods. You don't live in USA, you don't live in South Africa either. You also haven't managed to see Academy Award Documentary Winner, 'Searching for Sugar Man' for all the wrong reasons. You can beg pardon. You can YouTube Rodriguez. You can watch this amazing film and get overwhelmed. You can live happily thereafter. Start with Wiki. A suggestion. Rodriguez had the potential to become Bobby Dylan in 70s when Bobby Dylan wasn't even Bobby Dylan. He made two albums. His producers swore by them and him, considering both the greatest creation of Musicology in early 70s. But albums didn't sell. Probably 50 odd copies for both in his home country of USA. Even the black artists raised the hell in US Music Industry but a Hispanic personality, elusive at most of the times with a name like Rodriguez had no ...