Jab We Met (2007)

What would you do if the train you're trying to catch seems to be out of reach, picking up speed but leaving you behind with an unknown and paralyzing fear. It is the fear of losing the one chance you have in life of making the right choice!

'Jab we Met' is a warm love story of a Punjabi girl, Geet (Kareena Kapoor) who runs away from home to be with the man she loves. On the train to Shimla, she meets a handsome but depressed businessman, Aditya (Shahid Kapoor) who has been dumped by his girlfriend and who has walked out on his family business. What ensues is a beautiful movie of finding love amide the lush fields of Punjab and the majestic hills and gushing streams of Shimla. The music is warm and mellifluous and will have you tapping your feet to some great Punjabi music.

What better way to enjoy this movie but to dig in to hot parathas laden with ghee and accompanied with a Patiala lassi!
And something to hum along to -


Word for the day:-
asterism - a prominent pattern or a group of stars that is smaller than a constellation

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

The year is 1947. Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is a banker by profession leading a normal, peaceful life. But it all changes when he is convicted of murdering his wife and her lover. Despite his claims of innocence he is sentenced to two life terms at Shawshank. It is here that Andy meets and befriends Ellis Boyd Redding (Morgan Freeman) and they forge a bond of friendship that will last them a lifetime. 
During his 19 year stint in prison, Andy helps fellow inmates graduate high school, he opens a library, he assists the prison employees with their financial matters and helps the warden in his money laundering scheme.

Ellis aptly describes Andy when he says, "Some birds aren't meant to be caged, their feathers are just too bright".
So how long can Andy stay in prison and risk losing his sanity for a crime he hasn't committed? Can he escape to freedom and to a life on the golden sands of a beach in Mexico that fondly beckon?
The movie is slow but surely ends with a bang. A must watch!

Word for the day :-
Fragonard - French artist whose rococo paintings typified the frivolity of life in the royal court

Bawarchi (1972)

When the golden threads binding each relationship gets tarnished  with the dust of ego, arrogance and unforgiveness, the resulting lack of communication and misunderstandings that arise thereof leave in it's wake a dysfunctional  and unhappy family. This movie is about the Sharma household, residing in Shanti Niwas, in other words an 'abode of peace',  which is anything but peaceful. This joint family is notorious for not being able to retain a cook  or a bawarchi for more than a month. Unexpected and a welcome surprise is Raghu's (Rajesh Khanna) smiling face early one morning, knocking at the door seeking employment. He is intelligent, a jack of all trades and bubbling with wit and humor. Raghu soon wins over the family and peace and happiness descends on Shanti Niwas. But hiding behind all the laughter and cheer Raghu seems to have a hidden agenda. An Indian take on the affable Mary Poppins.

A light, delightful movie, inspired from a Bengali film, this movie was directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee.

My happy number -

Word for the day :-

effete - over- refined

Julie & Julia (2009)

"Is there anyone out there who's reading this?", says novice blogger, Julie.

Julie and Julia is a beautiful tale of two women who couldn't be more different. They hail from different backgrounds, different worlds and even different time periods but both lives are inextricably intertwined by one common passion, their love for food. 

Julie Powell (Amy Adams) has  moved to Queens and is not loving it there. The apartment that she and her husband are renting over a pizzeria is small with a tiny kitchen and that doesn't help. She feels stuck in her job that seems to be going nowhere, cramped in a cubicle day after day, listening to heart-rending stories of callers reeling from the 9/11 tragedy. To break the monotony that's become her life, Julie takes on a bold project of cooking 524 recipes over a period of 365 days - all recipes inspired from her favorite cook, Julia Child.
Going back many years we follow the life of Julia in her youth. While Julia (Meryl Streep) was in France, while on one of her sojourns with her husband, she starts culinary school to become the only woman to join Le Cordon Bleu in the 1940's. She became an accomplished cook and published author of  "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". Her passion and perseverance making her a legend.
This movie is about love - the love for food and sharing it with the ones you hold dear and of course butter, something that defines good French food. 
Kick back with a lovely glass of red🍷, roasted garlic with some brie on baguette and as the French say, "Bon Appetit"!

Word for the day :-
carrion - dead and decaying flesh

The Bridges of Madison County (1995)

Could you possibly live a lifetime in four days? That's what Francesca and Robert did.

Francesca (Meryl Streep) an immigrant housewife from Bari, Italy is now residing in rural Iowa. Carefree and free-spirited she feels imprisoned, living a predictable and drab life. Fate plays a hand when her husband and kids take off for a few days to attend the Illinois State Fair. Alone and not sure what to do with herself Francesca has a chance visit from Robert Kincaid (Clint Eastwood), a footloose photographer for the National Geographic. Robert is on an assignment to shoot covered bridges in the neighboring area. What follows is a whirlwind romance that lasts all of four days but one that forever changes the lives of these two individuals. Heartbreakingly gorgeous Meryl and the ever dashing Clint ...

So come, fall in love!

Doe Eyes - Love Theme

This romantic drama was directed and produced by Clint Eastwood himself . A definite collectible!

Word for the day :-

fusillade - a series of shots fired or missiles thrown all at the same time or in quick succession

Taare Zameen Par (2007)

An outstanding movie made by an exceptional actor, who has proven himself to be a brilliant director. Kudos to, Aamir Khan!
When I watched this film, my cousin accompanied me to the movies. He was to join a boarding school that academic year and interestingly, in Panchgani too (the same place this movie was shot).  Going to boarding school was not a thrilling prospect having lived an extremely sheltered life thus fa. Did the movie help, I'll have to ask him ...

This movie has explored the unchartered waters of ‘dyslexia’, in India and revolves around eight year old Ishaan Awasthi (Darsheel Zafry), the younger of two children in the Awasthi household. Ishaan is so adorable, with soulful eyes, two buck teeth and brimming with talent when handed a paint brush and an easel . But, and that is a big one, while Ishaan's  older bother is good academically and is an accomplished sportsman, Ishaan is a poor performer in school. His life is filled with colors, dancing alphabets and numbers. Frustrated beyond measure and hoping to straighten out his "way ward" son, Ishaan’s father decides to send him to a boarding school in Panchgani. This decision is a blessing in disguise. Ishaan's substitute art teacher, Ram Shankar Nikumbh (Aamir Khan) is a god send and he is able to secernate Ishaan’s inherent problem. With a well of patience  and love, Ram Shankar brings out the best in the little boy. After the many tears shed, Ishaan now has a reason to smile.

The movie is touching, gripping. and a definite must watch. 

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012)

Outsourcing? We all know what that is! But wait - retirement?

A group of British retirees have chosen to take flight into the unfamiliar and though the prospect is daunting, a sense of adventure could spin a different perspective on embracing life and grabbing what is on offer.
Welcome to India - The land of snake charmers and elephants, the Taj Mahal and beautiful forts, the yogis, the vibrancy of color and music ... Meet Sonny (Dev Patel), who decides to use his business acumen and converts the old and crumbling but beautiful family home in Jaipur into a hotel. He hopes to make it a success and  eventually marry the girl he's in love with. But in all things he must stick to his guns, stand up to his overbearing mother, and trust his instincts despite all odds.
Here is a movie about seeking and finding love  - age being no barrier. One may have spent a whole life loving someone who has now passed and left them to pick up the pieces. It is not easy to sum up the courage to find love again; Could you travel miles to seek the love of a past life after spending a lifetime in the closet?; you could be married for a long time, but could you sum up the courage to walk away from a relationship that has left you feeling trapped and that threatens to suffocate you?
Walk into the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and find out.

Word for the day: -

syncopated - displace the beats or accents in (music or a rhythm) so that strong beats become weak and vice versa