Stars : Eddie Murphy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige and Kevin Bacon

Watch on : Netflix

Gosh, the first of the ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ movie series that we saw, was way back in 1984, an incredible four decades ago and Eddie Murphy was the coolest dude who was as funny as the slick cop as he was dead-centre in the action & chase sequences. So the instant we came across this latest one, we thought we’d binge on it with soda & chips like good old days. If you aren’t an Eddie Murphy fan, this one is fine but it’s no classic.

Serving as the fourth installment in the ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ film series and as a sequel to Beverly Hills Cop III (1994), Eddie Murphy (now also the producer) reprises his role as veteran cop Axel Foley, with Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, and Bronson Pinchot reprising their roles from previous films in the franchise, while Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige, and Kevin Bacon star in new roles.

What’s interesting here is a slightly transformed Axel who with age has become a bit reflective and mature (if that’s at all possible !) because here he’s now playing the father to a very independent minded daughter Jane with whom he’s estranged. She’s a lawyer representing Enriquez, framed for the murder of an undercover officer Copeland. On getting disturbing information, Axel returns to Beverly Hills because his daughter’s and his old partner Billy Rosewood’s lives are threatened and offers to be by her side.

The father-daughter’s discordant chats & humorous banter in the initial stages between Axel and Jane are fun to watch and so are Axel’s attempts to control his daughter’s love life and relationships which have soured. However, she and Axel team up with her ex-boyfriend Bobby Abbott and his old pals, John Taggart and Serge (both looking senior but as nutty as before ) to uncover a conspiracy masterminded by actor, Kevin Bacon. The Foley action and the car smash ups in the chases have all been duly incorporated !   

Loyalty factor leads us to force-watch certain films, it doesn’t take enlightened critics to opine ‘Beverly Hills Cop 1’ was the best, as it happens where many sequels follow !

An amazing time has passed by, Making us all, years younger,

As you’ve been fast growing up, Versatile, smarter and prettier,

A(Adorable), B(Beautiful), C(Cute ), You’ll soon be Pretty Lady,  

Grandchild you’re precious, Your world is getting ready,

It’s your time to grow & excel, Take joy in knowing & learning,

Chances will come your way, None can stop one’s yearning, 

Remember on the way, it isn’t easy, To decide what’s right and wrong,

Moving on, only take good values, And only choose – the right song,   

Apple of our eyes, whose every little, Play-acting was so heartwarming,  

What can we give you grandchild, Except Love and all our Blessings !

Somnath Sinha

Stars : Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Joseph Wiseman and Jack Lord

Watch on : Prime Video

It sounds presumptuous to attempt review of such an iconic and vintage spy film that possibly all cinema buffs from our generation (1960-70s ) would have seen, some like me quite a few times for the macho ‘Bond’ genre. In fact ‘Dr. No’ is the first film in the James Bond series that started out with the splendidly suave Sean Connery (as  he’d say ‘’Bond, James Bond”) and who’s remained ingrained in our hearts as best ever ‘Bond’, though many good actors followed him to keep the legend of ‘007’ alive and fighting !  

It’s pretty cool of Prime Video to start airing ‘Bond’ flics which in our time was shown in theatres with an ‘A’ rating and the posters of Sean Connery with the gun in one hand and a ravishing girl on the other, quite fascinated us as students. In fact my first ‘A’ film venture was a Bond film ‘You Only Live Twice’, but incidentally to which, the fussy Theatre Manager denied entry as I looked too young to be exposed to Bond’s escapades. Undeterred, I & my buddies persisted in bonding with ‘Bond’ for the next few decades.   

True to tradition that continued in all the earlier Bond movies with Connery (& later Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan and others) this first film has the usual suspects – the inscrutable Intel Chief ‘M’ entrusted by England to save the world with Bond’s help, Ms Moneypenny , the redoubtable secretary, who has a crush on ‘James’, the gadget genius ‘Q’ makes a brief appearance. There’s an array of beautiful women who Bond inevitably engages with. Here there’s also glamourous star Ursala Andress as ‘Honey’ & there’s a cool scene with her emerging from the sea that male audiences all over, still rave about !     

Bond films must have a ‘larger than life’ evil character who’s out to destroy or dominate the western world. Here Bond is sent to Jamaica to investigate the disappearance of a fellow British agent. The trail leads him to the underground base of Dr. Julius No, who is plotting to disrupt an early American space launch from Cape Canaveral with a radio beam weapon. As he himself explains he’s adopted the title of Doctor and changed his name to Julius No to symbolise his rejection of his father, whose name was Julius. 

Being the first of the series, I felt that we’ll find Bond a bit subdued than his later more  violent and amorous avatars in the subsequent films but Connery in elegantly tailored suits and showing droll humour, is debonair as ever. We mustn’t forget to mention the edgy signature music that accompanies ‘Bond’ films and his vodka ‘shaken not stirred’ ! It  launched a genre of secret agent films that flourished thereafter and Bollywood got spy films like ‘Farz’ and had gadget loving evil ‘Gang Lords’ thriving in exotic islands !  Should you revisit a dated film like ‘Dr No’? Yes, as Sean was forever- our James Bond !

The public utterances and claims by the rich, powerful and famous which at times reek of hubris and arrogance are accepted as the rightful domain of those who’ve achieved material success &  attained positions of  authority. Who’s to question the exalted status and misplaced sense of propriety of the high and mighty and incur their wrath !

When the ‘Gentle Giant’ of Indian Industry, Ratan Tata, passed away recently, there’ve been glowing tributes for the exemplary business leader, innovator & philanthropist that deservedly poured in from every quarter  but what’s been most talked with deep respect and admiration by all sections of society were his gentleness, simple life style, modesty and lacking any pretense. It’s a huge comeback for ‘humility’ to be acknowledged as a virtue to be inculcated and  which seemed to have lost it’s meaning in the cacophony of media-hyped personas, self-praise and indulgent promotions through vested interests.

It’s nobody fault if one is now taught from a young age to be pushy & aggressive and not gentlyd submissive if one were to succeed in life. Bragging is an art that’s picked up in school from the bigger (rich bullies) friends out to dominate. Teachers in old-world style education would admonish pupils trying to ‘show off’ their affluence or intelligence. In texts the meaning of ‘humility’ has been spelt out as not being proud or haughty and not believing that you are superior to others ! In the larger context it’s about accepting things with grace, even if it causes you great discomfort and loss at times.

It’s not just the way we interact with others, but how we interact with the world and the environment around us. Celebrities and erudite personalities often after an ovation for  their achievements say words like ‘I’m humbled at..’ to convey having the self-esteem to understand that though one is doing well, he or she does not have to brag or gloat about it. Humility is actually a strength. It allows leaders to listen to others, learn from their mistakes, and develop empathy for their team members. As a result, humility fosters an environment of trust and respect, two essential ingredients for any successful team.

It is difficult to be modest in a ‘Me-only’ world where every successful step needs to be publicized first by fawning parents and self and on hitting big-time, by agents hired to market them. Because, humility needs other qualities to go with it, such as empathy and compassion to others. Those who are humble are more likely to consider others’ beliefs and opinions. It offers the opportunity to become less self-involved and more attuned to the feelings of others. If you can be happy for others and their accomplishments and not be consumed by jealousy & self-pity, it’ll help you develop more positive relationships.

We wonder how the icons put on a pedestal like Demi-Gods (Read Big B & Sachin) stay grounded & appear so normal. My Dad believed that the really great don’t need to show their greatness, the world accepts. Idols he’d refer were the legendary singers KL Saigal and Md. Rafi for their utter simplicity. Roger Federer and Rahul Dravid, retired sporting legends, still charm fans with modesty. Can our leaders learn something from them ?  

Yesterday was the last day of the Durga Pujas this year, while some argued it was a day earlier than other years. Goddess Ma Durga departed with the traditional immersion ceremony again, leaving behind a void which can best be signified by the silence of the omni-resonant drums that resonate throughout the festivities right from the arrival of the Devi.

Whether Bengali or not, every Indian gets into the Dusshera festive mood heralding through the mild fragrance of shiuli flowers, the sound of dhak, dhunichi nachh (dance with the pot with embers), the anjuli puja – the triumphant return of the Mother Goddess to earth while the cities, towns and villages get set to worship her with all the zeal and grandeur from Mahasaptami to Mahanavami.

As a child (and even now ) one was always fascinated by the mystique of the rhythmic beat of these drums ( called Dhak ), what they conveyed, who were the drummers (dhakis) who tirelessly played them tied around their necks, where did they emerge from and then disappear after Doshumi – only to reappear again next year with renewed vigour…

For the benefit of the uninitiated, no prayer or ‘aarti’ can commence at any Puja pandals organized unless a dhaki starts playing the dhak as they form an integral part of this festival. The dhak is a large drum that trained dhakis hang around their necks and play with two thin sticks to infuse the frenzied rhythm into listeners. Those enchanting beats are enough to conjure up the sights and smells of Durga Puja, festival of joy and victory !

Most of the dhakis come from districts like Bankura, Malda, Purulia, Mushidabad, Asansol in West Bengal only to earn some money during the Puja. The nuances of playing the drums are like other forms of instruments, they are nurtured early and handed over from one generation to another.
A few of the Dhakis even travel to countries like the US and UK to play dhak as Durga Puja celebrations are immensely popular among the huge Indian diaspora spread across the globe. But what of the rhythms played ?    

Delving more one learns that different beats are used for specific aspects of Durga Puja, as for example chokhhu daan’ (eye presentation), patha bali’ (goat sacrifice), bisarjan’ (immersion ceremony), sandhya arati’ (evening offerings), sandhipuja’ (worshiping at the conjunction of two phases), and so on. However, expectedly with changing cultural ethos, the old rhythms of these traditional drummers are undergoing changes and the rhythm is no longer as slow as in earlier generations.

Moving on after ‘Doshumi’, we convey respectful regards to elders and wish and greet each other ‘Shubho Bijoya’ or the colloquial equivalent “Happy Dusshera’. Whatever our age or belief, the ‘sounds of dhaks’ are those remnants of our culture and customs that will never cease to amaze and inspire as does the power and glory of the spirit of Ma Durga ! At the same time, let’s resolve to maintain our  virtues of  love, compassion & humanity.

When the biggest icon of Bollywood turns a young 82 ( and is still charming people in his latest ‘KBC’ 2024 avatar ) it is a national event – though the suave, sagacious, senior-most superstar, Big B, would play it down with his customary humility and continue his normal routine, as just another day !

For innumerable fans, including we two senior citizens, the mood is always celebratory as we watch KBC shows and also listen to his popular songs being rendered by talented singers on a TV Channel. The discussion with friends turns to what’s new about him that’s not known. Much has been and will continue to be spoken, researched, analysed of an amazing and timeless persona and elegantly attired appearance and the astonishing body of work, and of  exemplary work ethics, punctuality, professionalism and resilience.

Going back to the 70s, we decided to list out some of his greatest films but this was not easy. Debate ensued on every choice that I made, since like all besotted women, my wife is still stuck with the strong, stoic ‘Jai’ of ‘Sholay’ that brought much accolades to the legend ! To make things simpler, we

broke it into two parts, pre and post 2000 (there was a break in-between) :

Pre-2000 : Anand, Zanjeer, Namak Haram, Deewar, Chupke Chupke, Abhimaan, Mili and Amar Akbar Anthony, Don & Satte Pe Satta – chosen for wide range of roles, histrionics, image changeover from the ‘angry’ to ‘funny’ young man. We add ‘Do Anjaane’,‘Bemisal’,‘Jurmana., lesser known but our personal favourites and last two again from his preferred Hrishi Da. There’s ‘Kabhie Kabhie’ with ‘shayari’ and dialogues in his famous baritone.

In ‘Do Anjaane’ he plays a simpleton betrayed by a close friend and from whom he extracts revenge, much in classic genre of ‘Count of Monte Cristo’.

Hrishikesh Mukherji’s ‘Bemisal’ is a remake of Uttam Kumar’s Bengali classic Ami Se O Shakha . The protagonist of this film is a noble individual, an ideal hero, who knows that everything he has in life, is owed to a family and when he finds himself in a situation where he has to give up his love and profession, he doesn’t look back.

Post-2000 : Multitude of senior roles, of which some with gravitas and deep meaning have come to Big B in various shades and hues as in Baghbaan,  Sarkaar (1,2 & 3), Black, Paa, Piku and Pink. A few more recent delightful films (including those on OTT) are worth mentioning like ‘102 Not Out’, ‘Unchai’ and ‘Goodbye’. Also, there was a beautiful Bengali film ‘The Last Lear’ of the late Rituparno Ghosh of Kolkata.

His best role – don’t be surprised at the choice of a senior citizen. For us,  it’s the clueless father of three thankless sons in ‘Baghban’ and his fightback to redeem dignity for himself and his wife and restore his place in society !

Stars : Anupam Kher, Annu Malik, Mahima Chaudhary, Manoj Joshi

Watch on :  Zee 5

When the choice on OTT is between a frothy comedy and a moving human drama, the coin generally flips for the funny one. At times we opt for learning how to look at the vagaries of life with the right perspectives. Directed by Gajendra Ahire, ‘The Signature’ is a film that’s touches the raw nerve with sombre intensity and it’s heart-wrenching story-telling, yet with the most relatable feel that most of us may have gone through.

Many facets of a senior citizen’s traumatic experiences get conveyed through the eyes and actions of the protagonist, Arvind who’s blissful after 35 years of settled married life with devoted wife Madhu, around whom his life revolves. Fate strikes a cruel blow and she suddenly falls critically into a coma and requires life support and medicines endlessly called for at exorbitant cost.

Arvind cannot dream of life without her & doggedly pins faith on the medical treatment with unrelenting hope of her recovery. But with mounting medical costs things start falling apart as his own kith & kin question pursuing of a hopeless cause, putting huge financial stress on them. The Doctor simply explains ‘being clinically alive’ is different from ‘becoming normal’.

Somewhere after first half, as the film becomes heavy footed & viewer feels emotionally as drained as Arvind (constantly ‘clutching at straws’ since he’s morally bound not to ‘give up’ despite repeated setbacks), a new character breezes in like a breath of fresh air. Ambika is an old friend from young days and their beautiful relationship is revived as they exchange notes on what life has given them. But listening to her travails yet a stoic acceptance of it all, Arvind gets a new perspective at how he should be looking at things.

Anupam Kher (as Arvind) carries the film on his shoulders like a colossus and proves yet again that he’s a master of his craft. For fans, there’s likely to be an implicit reference to the memorable role he played in Saaransh (1984) as an idealistic, retired school teacher who despite his personal loss, finds purpose in fighting insolent might and injustice. Many brilliant award winning performances have followed therafter.

In this film he poignantly depicts the moral dilemma that epitomizes devotion in a difficult and cruel world. Mahima Chaudhary, famed yester year’s star who comes in a lovely cameo as Ambika, is a big surprise & lights up the screen. Annu Kapoor as a loyal friend is naturally amiable and the other supporting actors are impressive.

Finally, like all good things it reminded of us our early philosophical lessons – of a heart-warming tale that we had read in school called ‘Gift of the Magi’ by French writer Guy Du Maupassant about the irony of life. As Ambika says in the film, be happy and grateful for what you’ve got and learn to accept what comes your way ! ‘That is Life’. Live it !

( Those Icons called ‘Greatest of All Times )

In a world with ever-changing vocabularies and new slang being generated with every meme, rap song, and vine video, it’s hard (but important!) to keep up with everything the Gen Z and today’s generation of whiz-kid netizens on the block, say these days. For a long time I was afraid to use the term ‘FOMO’ with my young nieces and nephews, lest it meant anything impolite, till someone younger and wiser explained – that’s the reason why we check our mails, chats & breaking news first thing, it’s the ‘Fear of Missing Out’ !      

Much in vogue today is a massive acronym “GOAT” that took some time getting used to. Sometimes we have to go back to our ‘ROTE’’ schooling and unlearn to be relevant. Our teachers would eulogize the less talkative pupils and say ‘Look at him/her, as quiet as a lamb’ (or a docile goat !). Later while growing up with elder siblings, I’d overhear them exchanging talks ‘He Get’s My Goat !’ and showing disgust. It would make me wonder ‘Why the poor goat, again ?’. Studies revealed that it meant making someone annoyed or angry. This expression reportedly comes from a tradition in horse racing – thought to have a calming effect on high-strung thoroughbreds, a goat was placed in the horse’s stall on the night before the race. Take goat away and the horses lose their cool ! 

That however, has nothing to do with ‘GOAT’ we are now alluding to and with immense awe and respect. It is a kind of title obviously reserved for an incomparable legendary figure. The back-story of ‘GOAT’ as an acronym for “(the) Greatest of All Time” (also considered as a noun) originally referred to Muhammad Ali, one of the greatest boxers of all time. Ali himself  is reported to have publicly and immodestly proclaimed -‘I’m the Greatest’ and we are also informed that first written usage is from 1992 as G.O.A.T. Inc., the name of a company incorporated by Muhammad Ali’s wife. 

In our young days, ‘GOAT’ term hadn’t appeared but our parents & seniors were staunch fans of their idols from different fields. For my Dad, KL Saigal, the legendary singer of the 1930s was the ultimate in music but today’s generation would hardly know of him. ‘GOAT’ in true sense should relate to an era and to say ‘Greatest for all times’ may not work as choices, styles and technology evolves over time. To choose between ‘GOATs’ like RD Burman and AR Rahman, both masters of fusion music, wouldn’t do justice !  Rarely there’s universal acceptance save for icons like Tagore, Ray, Lata Mangeshkar. To focus on the ‘Greatest’, we need to wisely pick from different eras & diverse fields !

In the extraordinary world of politics, ‘GOATs’ may have champions while others may be detractors and tacitly putting any leader on a high pedestal is akin to idol worship. In school, some boys would claim ‘My Dad is Bigger than Yours’- that seems to have been adopted by the followers with the ideological slogan ‘Our GOAT is Better than Yours’ !   

Stars : Yul Brynner, Steve Mcqueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Eli Wallach, Robert Vaughn & Horst Bucholz 

Watch on : Prime Video

Some films become classics of their genre and this ranks as one of the best in Westerns that were followed by many others including the ‘Clint Eastwood’ series later. For those watching it for the first time, the plot and the rugged locales for this action-packed film  would seem familiar. That’s it became the inspiration for at least two Indian movies that explored and adapted it’s rustic feel and the tough terrain for a powerful tale of revenge.

The first Hindi movie that virtually lifted it’s story was the brilliant ‘Khote Sikkey’ (1974) which starred Feroz Khan as a kind of ‘Lone Ranger’ with a pack of second-string actors, each making an impact and the well-made film was a fairly successful. However, it was the other, Ramesh Sippy’s magnum opus ‘Sholay’ (1975) that broke all box-office records and became a all time cult film for its action, script, dialogues & huge ensemble star-cast in memorable roles. Not acknowledging it in their recent bio-series ‘Angry Young Men’ acclaimed script writers of ‘Sholay’, Salim-Javed must’ve been inspired by this classic !

Having said that, lets come to the original ‘Magnificent 7’ that has a stunning line-up of great action stars coming together (you’ll find three actors who were in vintage war  film ‘The Great Escape’). This is a simple tale of hard working farmers in a remote Mexican village who are tormented by a band of ruthless bandits led by the cunning Calvera (played superbly by Eli Wallach) who steal their food, burn homes and kill men offering any resistance. The village folk have no means except to suffer being looted all the time. 

Out of desperation the village wise old man advises them to find ways to fight back and three farmers visit nearby town for help. They meet Chris an experienced gunslinger, who then forms a team with six other men in order to save the village from the bandits and Calvera’s domination.

However, each of the seven men have their own backgrounds and reasons for joining forces for this cause. They reveal their inner conflicts and the streak of humanity that exists in the gunmen. Being a cult Western, there are no item numbers like Helen’s ‘Mehbooba Mehbooba..’ or cameo-characters such as ‘Basanti’, ‘Chacha’, ‘Jailor’ & ‘Chachi’ and Chief Calvera isn’t quite as menacing as ‘Gabbar Singh’.   

Such was the success of this movie in it’s time that a sequel ‘Return of the Seven’ was later made and another adaptation in 2016 with a star cast led by ‘Denzil Washington’.  We’ve all seen ‘Sholay’ and know the crispy dialogues & crunch lines by heart. Now catch the American ‘Sholay’ of the 60s for its originality and powerful actors from that era led by the magnificent Yul Brynner  !

KBC Show & Styling : 

(16^th Season on Sony TV)

It would be audacious for ordinary mortals like us to embark on any commentary on the popularity of the ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ (KBC) and it’s ageless host almost in a new & different avatar, in get-up and dress-wise and with his charm and charisma intact, show after show. Over the years, viewers and doubtlessly the ‘hot seat’ occupants have been enlightened & entertained by the wit and style of megastar Amitabh Bachchan, donning many show-stopping outfits (no hats yet !) that have been the talk of the town.

Those sartorially traditional in taste (includes my late Dad & ‘woke’ me and some retired old-world friends), what’s fascinating is the range of wear that Big B carries off with the panache of a ‘Cary Grant’ or Ashok Kumar (Dadamoni) of the yesteryears. From three-piece suits, bowties, stylish scarves, and the more conventional striped suit and grey tie and occasional safari suits and plain shirt and coat look, it all sits so well on the icon !  

All this has led us to do a bit of research on this fine aspect of the amazing “KBC’ show and we read that stylist Priya Patil is the one-woman army who has been instrumental in making television’s favourite host look dapper every season. Remarkably, it’s a lady stylist who’s got such an eye for current male fashion trends, and keeps in mind the age and stature of the iconic persona who dons the clothes designed. Big B has the classic look and George Clooney could also take lessons on how he’d like to appear at age 83, but without giving the impression of a super-star who’s light fades away with time.

Quoting some lines from an interview given earlier by the stylist “He will be seen in classic three-piece suits, Bandhgalas and Jodhpuris, but am introducing a Colour Play which will be a contrasting combination of colours. To elaborate, waistcoats will have colour patterns like wine against navy, black and white, powder blue and navy, pinstripes with plains, checks with plains, and more” Oh, nuances of the sophisticated ! More importantly, however grand or resplendent or suave the dress is, it’s the man (or lady) wearing them, who must carry them off with aplomb & with consummate ease !   

There’s however, one or two small aberrations that I’d like to humbly point out after all the eulogy on Big B’s attire. How on earth can one wear sneakers and coloured/striped socks to go with a three piece suit ? My 37 year old son corrects me as that’s the in-thing. My other small charge is that Big B prides himself as part-Bengali having an very old association with Kolkata and of course our Jaya Didi being a Bong. Durga Pujas are on their way, why not have a Bong Moshai look also – White Dhuti, Punjabi and Shawl !