Renovated Devi Cineplex - A terrible experience

I would never forget this Diwali. No, not for good memories but for the most terrible experience in my all these years of movie going.

It all started with me seeing the paper Ad by Devi cinemas stating the theatre complex have been renovated with online ticket booking facility. I, since got used to Satyam Cinemas' online ticket booking system, was jumping in joy to know Devi has caught up to the trend. I was remembering all the, not many but few, movies I saw in Devi and the past days experiences.

I decided to go watch movie in the 'renovated' Devi. So, I booked for Blue @ Devi Paradise, 10:00 PM show on Diwali day. The movie was icing on the cake for my day's experience. I'll write about it in another post - got so much about that movie actually.

So, I was there at the gates of 'Devi Cineplex' at 9:30 PM only to join an already lengthy queue of vehicles that occupied half of Mount Road. Reason - Gates were closed coz the previous show was still running and there was no parking space for vehicles! After 15-20 minutes of wait, the gates were opened and we were allowed inside. As you guessed right, there was a chaos situation as all the vehicles wanted to get in instantly [including me!]. I had to watch out for people & two-wheelers that were criss-crossing. After 5 minutes of waiting in the queue for parking, which is normal, one good security personnel was kind enough to ask me whether I booked the parking online, which I did [Thank God, I did!!!]. So, I was asked to park @ slot no 101 but the slot allotted for me was 119 - I regretted a lot for this post movie.

Done with parking, proceeded to ticket counters. There were 3 active counters, out of which one was for ladies. The fun[?!] part began when securities in the remaining 2 counters started routing us to each other - All we wanted to know was "Where to collect the tickets booked via internet?". Finally, both finalized on this and asked us to go to 3rd counter where already ~30-35 people stood. I waited in the queue, collected the tickets, got to the screen, found my seat & looked at my watch which showed 10:30 on it. Alas, 30 minutes of the movie gone already!

At 11:00 PM, 30 minutes after I got in, it was Intermission time. I got out to get Popcorn/Pepsi - my next mistake! I had to pay at one counter and get the eatables at another. First part was easy, but the later... There were only 3 of them behind the counters to attend to what seemed like an easy 50 people crowd [may be coz of night show?]. By this time I got a hang of this 'waiting mania' and what else, just waited. After I successfully managed to get my popcorn/pepsi and went back to my seat, it was, hmm... 11:25 PM and ending credits started rolling in next 35 minutes

I literally watched just one hour of the movie while the actual running time was ~2hrs.

After all this, I reached the parking to get the car and there it was, a Wagon-R parked just in front of my car blocking the way, well not completely though [again, Thank God]. What a parking system!!! With the help of two other guys, who could take their car out only after I do, and my friend Muthu [who stood by me through all these crazy things] I got out of the parking area and out of the 'Cineplex' in another 10 minutes, phew...

I assume it was the first day after renovation and the inauguration of online booking. But still, my humble request to concerned people is to PLEASE fix all these stuff and then call yourself the 'MULTI-LEVEL STATE OF ART CINEMAS'.

Come on people I can't help comparing. Satyam Cinemas, I missed you a lot baby. I need to go there as soon as possible to get over my experience with Devi.


-Jeeva

The Man who re-'Wrote' cricket in India

Photo Courtesy: http://www.topnews.in

23rd Apr

DLF IPL Match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals

RR set a target of 151 to KKR

KKR required 7 runs from last 6 balls with Ganguly in truly awesome form that he ever been in this season and Agarkar just joined him at the crease.

KKR were looking to win the game comfortably when the 18 year old Kamran Khan [RR] started of the over with a wide. But for some unknown reasons Ganguly and Agarkar were scoring in 1's and 2's and after 4 balls the equation said 2 runs required from 2 balls.

That was exactly when, unfortunately, the cameras focussed Lalit Modi, the commisioner of DLF IPL, when out of anxiety he was saying to the people around him

"Bowl out, guys! Cheer for bowl out!!"

and we knew the fate of the game then. Yes, Ganguly got out the next ball - would you believe it? And a predictable runout of the last ball when running the second-impossible-run, what can you expect out of Ishant whom we never seen batting with great skills?

And yes the match went to the Super Over, not bowl out Mr. Modi please stand corrected.

I now starting to think if this whole IPL is well written and being 'played' by the players according to the script.

So, as I type KKR completed their Super Over with 14/1. Let's see what role RR has to play in this climax scene. If I assume the script right, RR gonna win this match!!!


-Jeeva

Jai Ho is now the new Jaya He for Indian Youth

Photo Courtesy: www.charlotteobserver.com

Phew... and after all those anxious waiting days, hours, minutes, seconds, there stood A.R.Rahman with, not one, but two golden statues in his hands. That, looked like, what was the JAI HO moment in my life.

Yes, he deserved an Oscar. However, I don't think the movie/song for which he got the awards was not his masterpiece but then I take that as a belated honor that he should have gotten for many of his previous works.

What not he gave to this country and the people?

Right from Thamizha Thamizha [Roja], Vande Mataram, Pray For Me Brother [against Poverty], One Love [for Taj], Jiya Se Jiya [for Peace & Love] and now with Jai Ho [fulfulling every Indian's Oscars dream] - I'm just jumping over many many incredible works of him, the list is huge - these are just a few high notes that went right inside the veins of every Indian Youth.

I grew listening to his tunes. I love him a lot not just for his music but also for a person who he is. And I want to see him going even greater heights than Oscars. For A.R.Rahman, Oscars should just be another pit stop, not the Finish Line - I knew he knows this as well.

Keep going Rahman ji. We have got enough voice to cheer you whenever you make us proud.


-Jeeva :-)

Hello Mr. Moral Police...

I just don't understand one thing in the entire Mangalore episode yesterday. The thing is, what were you up to? Your chief says 'Maathru devo bhava' is our culture and he claims that we need to 'save our mothers & sisters' - wow, I perfectly agree with that. But are you such insane to beat up your mothers & sisters so that no other person dare to touch her? I don't see your point there.

Well, you could turn up and say that your chief had already apologized to the incident saying "The way has been wrong. I apologise for this. The way should not be like that.". Would a statement like that make up to whatever happened to your sisters out there who were molested by their own brothers [as you guys claim]?

If that does, then I've been taught since my childhood in my school that 'All Indians are my brothers & sisters', so I would also want to cure some of my brothers who are out of their minds and want to try the same way as you did. Oh yeah, I have my statement ready even before I act - "The way in which I treat could be wrong, I apologize for that. But it is our right to save our own brothers".

You also claim that pubs, drugs, strip dance are not our culture - true, I might agree that if you wold have gone ahead and beaten up any one politician for one of his scams since scam, corruption are not our culture either. Ok, not even to that level - have you beaten up any corrupted official who takes bribe from an innocent citizen? Oh, you wouldn't do that coz that's our very own culture isn't it?

Hold a second, would any moral police be reading this ever - coz I doubt if blogging is our culture? Is there any guidelines that they circulate across the country saying what are all our cultures and what shouldn't we do here after? Hello, anyone out there.....???


-Jeeva

True Champions never give up.

It was 4th round of Australian Open '09 and 2nd seeded Roger Federer was down 0-2 against 29th seeded Tomas Bedrych. The way Bedrych was playing the second set, I thought
Federer is gonna be out of Australian Open this year.

But hold on, what I forgot at that moment was it's FEDERER - winner of 13 Grand Slam titles, dude. And there he was - started the third set with a bang winning the first game & thinking that the match only started just then. There was no looking back for Federer from then on. He gave it back to Bedrych in his own style.

He made Bedrych run both extreme of his court to win every point and in the process succeeding in forcing Bedrych to take a medical time out to get his cramped leg worked out by his physio. When Federer started the final set, the body language of Bedrych showed that he gave up already & that's where I thought Federer won this match - by winning the opponent psychologically.

That was one of the finest matches of a champ who is currently my favorite to win the title in Australian Open this year.


-Jeeva

Jai Ho A.R.Rahman

I was blessed, I thought, to see my most favorite Music Composer with Golden Globe in his hands and with that humble smile. How I felt when I heard him saying 'God was so kind to me' - got goosebumps all over.

Look at this man, standing their tall, the sole Indian ever to reach that stage and get the hands to that coveted award but still humble & with his trademark shyness. I admire that in him a lot.

I wouldn't want to talk about whether the song 'Jai Ho' for which he got the Golden Globe is really his masterpiece, no never. I'm sure there are & will be many people talking on that topic. But what I want, rather every Indian movie freak dream about, is to see an Indian movie personality win in the Oscars. I'd say A.R.Rahman is gonna make that dream come true for every Indian. Again, the point is not whether he is being awarded for his masterpiece or the best of all songs/background scores that came out last year but the global recognition for Indian movies & Indian technicians.

For now all I can say is Jai Ho A.R.Rahman and bring home the most coveted Oscar to India. We're waiting for that golden moment.


-Jeeva