Review of Jodha Akbar

The most awaited film of the year, Jodha Akbar brings many surprises and brickbats, despite disclaimers clearly stated at the beginning of the film. And the endorsement on the animal rights is impressive, given the fact so many animals were used the making of the movie, the producer left no leaf unturned to ensure the best for the film.

Director Ashutosh is well known for this oscar nominted Lagaan and critically acclaimed Swades. His latest efforts in bringing magnificence and grandeur to the mughal king's life story is impressive, shows how versatile Ashutosh is in potraying different lifestyles and emotions to the camera. The lavish costumes and sets are hardly a typical Ashutosh material, but he's pulled it off with pinache.

In most areas JA is very well done, Hritik looked and acted fabulously, and most believable as a King. One can hardly imagine it is the same mentally challenged guy from Koi mil gaya... Aishwarya's naturally wooden worked to her advantage acting as princess who was forced to get married to a muslim King.

Character actor Ila Arun shines among the rest, Sonu Sood is a close second.
Music is at it's minimal, and best, although the background score was recycled from the songs very often. 'Azeem-o-Shaan Shahenshah' is the best song ever made in the praise of a King.

JA is not flawless, due to the nature of the story inherited the lengthiness and various subplots and due to that the pace was so fast in some scenes that its hard to catch up. And thanks to the english subtitles, i was able to understand the bombastic urdu and hindi throughout the film...

Disney Idols

Move aside American Idols, there is a new breed of Idols in town, and that is the Disney Idols! While American Idol conducts auditions all over America to tap talents, Disney Idols has loaded of talent in their own home.

Remember how Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake started off their singing careers and got attention through the Mickey show? And you'd have thought that was history... The new teen pops like Hillary Duff and Lindsay Lohan have made it to the center of attention through the acting in Disney produced shows, and now they are among Hollywood's most famous stars.

With the success of High School Musical, it seems that we are gonna have more teen pop stars cutting albums and making hollywood movies. But of course, if you are a celebrity you can never runa way from controversies... HSM star Vanessa Hudgen was in a big soup recently, which probably worked for HSM2's advantage.

However, the pioneer Disney Idol, Britney's screwed up personal life is all over the news, and before you can say 'Disney', we also have Lindsay Lohan making trips to the rehab like entering shops in the mall... is there another Disney Idol screw up in the pipeline? I sure hope not, because teens nowdays have enough bad influence around them.

Why is JB/SG better than KL

The last weekend I spent in Klang Valley made me realise something really important. The weather there is so hot, and if you are outdoors it is like a oven turned on to the max. While being in Singapore or JB, early morning walks can be such a pleasant journey because most often the sun is shining, and there is cool breeze blowing... and usually the weather follows till afternoon.. it could get more sunny, but the wind is very cooling and makes walking under the sun a pleasure. Definitely this weather has not always been here, perhaps it is the global warming causing such conditions here, whatever it is, at the risk of sounding selfish, I'm loving it!

10 reasons

10 reasons why Malaysian transportation system is below world standard:

1) Untimely schedules, it seems like the trains and buses operate on their own schedule as they like
2) No standardization on taxi charges, regardless of peak hour or non peak hour
3) Lack of maintenance on trains and buses, they appear so old and rusty, you dread to even touch the bar, but you got to choice in order to survive the turnings they make... even the air conditioning sometimes dont work, and if you are in a bus then you can still have some ventilation by opening the windows, but if you are stuck in a train, you will come out steamed
4) Bad station facilities, they are as dirty and old as the vehicles themselves, eg Puduraya...
5) Lack of funding, dont know where is the profits being channeled to, they could earn extra bucks by advertisement spaces inside or outside the bus/trains
6) Ineffective communication to the commuters in the case of cancellation or delays (which happens very often) leaves commuters curious and furious all the way
7) Irresponsible drivers, some smoke in the closed bus, bring their personal problems to work by shouting and scolding the passengers for small problems
8) No prepaid access system, you gotta pay as you ride, except for the commuter trains that allow touch and go cards. Hence the long queue at Putra and Star Lrt stations...
9) Insufficient coverage, the train system in KL only covers within a small vicinity, likewise the buses have systems that are not efficient in covering all the areas
10)Too many foreign workers travelling... oh wait... thats not their fault

The return of Paris Hilton

While serving her sentence in jail, Paris Hilton made news all over media on her enlightenment, spirituality and the plan to involve herself into more social causes, which you may recall in one of my previous posts.

Upon her release, Paris did uncover her enlightenment to fans and critics all over, but not on spiritual being but on fashion statement right from the first step she took out of prison. Soon after Miss Hilton came back to her notorious life, and now making news with her new sexuality, that is, lesbianism.

Here were are, (at least me) thinking that this lady in her mid 20s would turn over a new leaf and do something good in her life that would earn her the true respect she deserved, but I guess people dont change, especially if you are a Hilton.

I only hope that she does not end up psychologically disturbed like Britney Spears, cos I do like Paris tad a little more than Britney... oh well... what would we do without these hollywood stars, there would be no gossips or headlines to talk about.

Astro Ad, Pathetic Attempt

I only managed to catch the new astro ad in bits and pieces, thanks to channel Zee, my mom hardly gives me any time to watch anything that I like. It was only recently i actually caught the whole ad in one piece.. and it make me wonder.. what were the makers of the video thinking, taking the audience for a ride?

A couple with their daugther arrive at KLIA, driving somewhere through the highway to a kampung (village). Dad tells daughter not to talk english to Tok Wan (i supposed thats referring to grandma) cos she wont understand... girl gets scared at the sight of a little lizard thinking it is a dinosaur, and surprised at Tok Wan's malay song skills... i mean like.. what the fish?

Is the ad trying to associate KLIA with some kampong? or is it just showing that city kids have never seen lizards before? Or simply, city folks are so ignorant of their origin that they remember to teach the word 'tok wan'to their kids but forget to teach them their native language? Even still, lets assume that this city grown girl is ignorant to her own culture, language and family, but which century is she still living in thinking that dinosaurs are still alive? I think i know why, Tok wan was lucky to have Astro for general knowledge but little girl was deprived of this facility, perhaps cos she was living outside Malaysia.. pray, why?

We know Astro provides a lot of exposure and education through the discovery channels, but hey, i think i prefer the other ad better where the young couple is constantly bugged by their young cute chubby boy, at least that did not challenge my intelligence and lifestyle living in a metropolitan city.