And the Oscar goes to....!

If you are a Movie Aficionado , you truly are as excited as I am then. And Academy awards are definitely the most prestigious award an entity on Celluloid can receive , not that the other awards are not important but an Oscar is indeed the maximum you can go.

So , yeah they are just a couple of days away , and I had this urge to write a post depicting my excitement and off course some guesses are on the way too.

Like we do for our home awards like IIFA ,Stardust etc. For me , Farhan Akhtar’s role in the Biopic was a clear winner and also a definite favorite for many too. Wasn’t sure about the best actress in a leading role , my top considerations would have been Sonakshi Sinha for Lootera and Deepika for Ram-leela I guess. But was sure about the Best film though , It had to be Bhaag Milkha Bhaag for it’s direction and screenplay . I personally wanted “The Lunchbox” to win the Best film award, but then again since I know how the Jury have been in the past years, odd were against it. A little commercial touch has to be there , to make it to the top. People say , Indian audience needs to be mature now, I say “Jury , you guys be mature first”. My best Bollywood films from the year 2013 are : The Lunchbox , Madras Café , D-day and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. And the movie that I can watch again and again, has to be Yeh Jawaani hain Dewaani , don’t know why but lately that movie is definitely my feel good movie after Zindagi Na Milegi Dobaara .:D

Now, coming back to the 86^th Annual Academy Awards , the year 2013 has indeed had some epic roles/performances  and there have been movies being tagged as “Cult” Classics. Plus  the movies this year being nominated are not particularly that exact “Oscar type” material as many may see. It’s like when I ask one of my friends  to tag along for a academy award nominated movie , he says“ I am not in for that slow,  boring , sadistic stuff man , I would rather sleep here on this couch”. It is the case with many , most of us think that an Oscar movie has to be Slow and extremely boring . But that is definitely not the case ,ones who appreciate it as a work of art rather than just  a commercial stuff would know the difference for sure. And what I could feel this year was , most of the movies being nominated are equally enjoyable too. Like American Hustle , The Wolf of Wall Street, Gravity, Her, Nebraska ….these movies were intriguing and engaging to almost everybody.

And from last couple of years , I do make sure I watch every single movie nominated for the academies. It’s kind of a ritual now. :p At least all the ones being nominated for Best Picture, I make sure I cover ‘em.”Watch ‘em all before the Red Carpet event”. So unlike last year I successfully watched every single one of ‘em this year . It gives you a feeling of content when you are actually watching the award ceremony and you can know who’s being acknowledged for what.

So here are my guesses or let say my gut feeling about the main event.

Best Picture – 12 years a slave

Best director – Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity

Best Actor Male – Matthew McConaughey  for Dallas Buyers Club

Best actor Female – Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine / Sandra Bullock for Gravity

Best Actor Supporting male – Jared Leto for Dallas Buyers Club

Best Actor Supporting female -  Jennifer Lawrence for American Hustle

Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen/Original Screenplay -  Her

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year – Frozen

Best Achievement in Cinematography – Gravity

Best Costume – American Hustle/The Great Gatsby

Phewww….that’s a hell lot of guesses . Yeah , let’s see what’s in store for us.

Sadly ,there are chances that  Leonardo Di Caprio will miss out again , after yet another worthy performance for the Academy Award.  The Aviator and The Wolf of wall street are his career best performances so far,according to me.  On one side we have Leonardo Di Caprio , who hasn’t got an Oscar yet , and on the other hand we have Meryl Streep being nominated for the 18^th time now, though she has won 3 Oscars. Yep , you heard that right , 3 Oscars for real. Caprio , it’s not like your career has been torpedoed by other performers , it’s just hard luck man . We all know you are one of the finest actors and we do understand your level of frustration too (by the sarcastic  comments he made on some actors) , so there….there…I sincerely wish ,you get it this year.

P.S. – I know people , for whom watching an Oscar winning movie scares the living daylights out of ‘em. But it is not true from a last couple of years atleast. They are deserving and equally enjoyable too. J

I still consider myself as naïve in watching some serious stuffs , but over the years I have learned to enjoy ‘em .

So do watch ‘em if you get a chance. :D

Another Important thing : When can you catch the event screening live?....If you are in India then make sure you do ‘ve a strong …strong cup of coffee for the event ‘coz you gotta tune into Star Movies  at 5:30 a.m.3^rd Feb March 2014 Indian time and 2^nd Feb March 2014 8:30 p.m U.S. time.

P.P.S – Eagerly waiting for “And the OSCAR goes to….” J

Sometime a “NO” works just fine! –> Part -2

Note: No connection with the first part as such , you can even go ahead and read the first part( if you haven’t already) after you read this , if you think it’d be worthwhile reading J :D

“Asking the same question over and over again , doesn’t change the answer , does it?”

People have a habit of testing other people’s patience by stating or interrogating the same things , again and again and again. I don’t know about you but that does bother me “at times”.

It’s like : “What is your name?”

“Nikhil”

“Ok , then , What is your name ?”

“Nikhil”

“Ahh , I get it..Cool , So what is your name?”

“O_O”

Not that the above conversation has ever happened ,it  kinda serves the purpose :p I used to go ahead with a “Yes” nod , all the time. I still do. But there are times when it is just not the right time. And you know what I mean by that. Being an extrovert has it’s advantages but more of disadvantages in this particular case. You , a people pleasing person can’t just say “No”. It’s like a Priest chanting Satanic prayers. You can use it to your advantage as well . If an extrovert  says “No” , they would feel a little taken aback , but they will just let it go because they know you are a type of person who can say anything to everything .So you refusing  is gonna fade away as a joke eventually and does serve your purpose too. :p

“You are a people pleasing person doesn’t mean you go ahead and do something that makes you unpleasant.”

So here are some funny , sarcastic ways or Voiceovers(the lines playing in your head) that I found from various places and some are added by me too ,so it goes like this :

Ø  I will take a pass. I have some personal work.

Ø  I hate seeing the outside world after 5...it freaks me out.

Ø  I have been very busy lately....so would rest for sometime maybe.

Ø  Can’t lend you that , might need it this weekend.

Ø  Have already promised somebody else.

Ø  It isn’t something I really dig.

Ø  Yeah..it seems cool but done that already!

Ø  Feel like just doing some indoor stuffs today.

Ø  My “God” wouldn’t be cool with that

Ø  I’m shipping out of here on a cargo rig

Ø  I just got crop dusted and have to flee

Ø  I’m too high to even step out.

Ø  Ohh , can’t give it you , “xyz” has already asked for it.

Ø  Two words: licking batteries

Ø  Already crazy enough thanks

Ø  Lets table that for the time being

Ø  Lets circle back to that

Ø  Not a good time, maybe next time.

Ø  You must be talking to one of my other personalities

Ø  I don’t do anything that isn’t virtual

Ø  Will you wear this?

Ø  My fly eyes are indicating a “no”

Ø  I am actually inventing a new color at the moment

Ø  Probably not

Ø  I’m not really talkative

Ø  I actually don’t like other humans

Ø  Go die over there

Ø  Will get back to you on this later , but not today.

Ø  Not in a good mood. Later on this month for sure. :p

Ø  “No”

Saying a “No” doesn’t mean that you are an arrogant , rude person. It just makes you say “Yes” to yourself most of the time. But if you are in a position where an individual needs your genuine help , then don’t even take a second to say “Yes”. I guess we all would do that without even thinking about the consequence. And such consequences are worth it , I’d say. J

“Be helpful or useful , not used!”

 Peace out!

 P.S. – You can check out the first part here : Sometime a “NO” works just fine! –> Part -1

Being thankful maybe the key!

Note : Though the title suggests that there must be nothing new that this guy has to offer and that maybe true to some extent. But the way I see it & jot it down or the way you read it , does make a vast difference. “Perception can change anything to everything”

Are we thankful enough for the things we have?

I know many people (even I am one of  them at times) who keep repenting on things that they don’t have. Why having regrets when you haven’t committed a sin?. Regrets…like What if I had this? What if I would have grabbed that opportunity?. Trust me , it wouldn’t have made a difference .Won’t change the fact that you are such a cry baby all the time. Even If you finally did get that , then you would want something else & something more later.  Whatsoever we currently have, will always be less for us & that’s good in only one way ..we tend to strive for more ..we work a lot harder…we have a goal to achieve more!. That’s it! That’s just it! Other than that , no point in wanting more if you are not appreciating what you currently have.

When we get up every day  …are we thankful for yet another day that lies ahead of us? When we have our breakfast , thinking about the delicious meal that awaits us for lunch , are we thankful for the daily bread?. On your daily commute to and from the workplace where you have enough  time to think , when you pass by a slum , we aren’t thankful for the wonderful homes that we live in (Not house , I did mean “Home”). Are we thankful enough to our family members who make us realize the difference between a house & a “Home”. Your current life’s a boon mate, so cherish it. I can’t even start to state the things that we have & others can’t even dare to wish.

Thinking about the future …planning things…feeling happy about the things that we are gonna have in the near future is nice..very nice…but what’s the point in that if that’s just a transition for a next distant future just like our present. If we are today thankful to the things that we currently have ..appreciate the current feeling that makes us feel alive today, then & only then the future cravings or the needs are worth it. So ,being thankful right here right now maybe the key to our life ,to our happiness that we always urge to achieve. Have that amazing feeling now …Live that amazing feeling now!:)

P.S – When you have so much to get you through each day , please think about the one’s who pray “God , give us this day our daily bread” and still don’t have much to meet their daily obligations.Let us all think about them & be thankful.

There’s a saying: “You need not have more to be thankful , you just have to be more thankful”

Peace out!

Dexter

[NOTE: “No spoilers!” ( You can trust it when a big fan says it…;) ]

“Tonight’s the night. And it's going to happen, again and again!”

The pilot starts off with a slight plot description & when I hear the above mentioned words for the first time…I knew back then only (5 years back) that I was totally hooked but little did I know ,”to this very extent”. Never thought that  after watching an episode from a T.V. Series (most likely the finale)&I would ever go to a state of profound cogitation. This show changed that particular thinking of mine, plenty of times. One word for this show : "Smart".

The year was 2009 I guess , when I first started watching the season 1 of DEXTER which had it’s pilot aired in 2006. Everybody has his/her fav. TV – Series. I have many but DEXTER  is certainly a much worthy contender for the top spot. Frankly speaking, the character holds a special place. Over the years I have followed this show  religiously. Yep , you heard that right . I have watched it carefully & religiously. “No food or disturbance when Nikhil’s  watching Dexter” my roommate would remark. I have watched plenty of shows & like I said choosing the best is certainly not possible but Dexter , as a character has been ,is & will be my favorite character.

Dexter :  “People fake a lot of human interactions, but I feel like I fake them all, and I fake them very well. That's my burden, I guess.”

The plot – Dexter Morgan (Michael .C.Hall), a forensics technician(blood spatter analyst) for the MIAMI METRO is a serial Killer who only kills a certain kind of people …like the one’s who have escaped justice .Dexter believes the world is better off without such ,who are a disgrace to the society & a threat to the one’s who compose one. Debra Morgan(Jennifer Carpenter) is Dexter’s Sister who also happens to be a Detective working for the MIAMI METRO. Dexter’s Dad , Harry Morgan plays an important character as well. Actually the complete cast is just too good.

How Dexter manages his social awkwardness , maintains the balance between his lives, how he plans a kill, how he executes one & how he evolves as a human being is definitely a treat to watch. My one of the favorite things about this show is the narration. What he(Dexter) thinks is played out loud. It’s like you can hear his thoughts. The voiceover as we call it . You as a viewer eventually start viewing things the way he perceives. It amazes you & at the same time thrills you. Sometimes you feel sorry for the guy & the next moment you feel ..nope..chuck it ..the guy can take care of himself real good. The dialogues are dark .. sarcastic …sometimes witty(best termed as dark humor )..most of the times thought provoking….at times heartwarming too.

One more highlight feature about this T.V. Show is , the quality graph increases & just keeps getting with every new season. One season finale you think “No other season can beat this one” & the next season you are totally blown away. No kidding!

In short , Dexter ‘s every single episode is simply 60 minutes of top notch & well directed i.e. “crafted to perfection” material that sets high standards for T.V. viewership. It is bound to leave you with many quotable moments. So would  conclude with one that I recently heard & still remember.

Dexter: [voiceover] –" I've lived in darkness a long time. Over the years, my eyes adjusted until the dark became my world and I could see .Then someone came & turned on the lights. Now I’m blind”

P.S. – Missing Dexter is like missing out on one of the best T.V. Shows in Television history.      Highly Recommended!

P.P.S – Do watch out for the opening credits. The theme is just too good.

As smart as the series is, its opening sequence is its own mini-masterpiece, and, after all 8 seasons, still one of the best on TV. After all these years , I never skipped a single one throughout.

 Total Seasons : 8. And 12 episodes per season.  

Were you always like this?

“Were you always like this Nikhil or all this is a recent change?”

And my reply to this was…. (Wait for it…will tell you later in this post)

A couple of days back, to be exact it was yesterday that I was having a conversation or more like a discussion (a serious one this time :p) with one of my dear friends. She was all addled and said “I am sick of  this coding stuff & I am in a dilemma ..and very much confused with what to do next “

And frankly speaking most of us are( & that includes me as well). We all at some point or the other in life tend to think about “What’s next in store for me?”. And that’s ok. Not everyone enjoys what they are currently doing with their life. After a while of doing something new you ought to get this feeling eventually. If you love what you are doing then you are truly a lucky person, mate & keep doing it with the same zest & zeal.

“Were you always like this Nikhil or all this is a recent change?”

I replied “ I have always been like this ….I maybe self boasting…but what do you think gal…always or recent??”

To this she says “ How will I know re..I mean always being positive & enthusiastic ..dreaming the same dreams..wanting the same thing …with some it dies over the years ….and for some exceptional cases it’s always the same”

At that moment I thought being an extrovert has it’s  own advantages too ;) It can lead people to think awesome things like this about you. :p. But yeah jokes apart.. I felt really happy when she said that .That she thinks I am a person with the qualities of an optimist. But it is not cent % true. I do kinda act  naive at many situations.  At times life can really piss you off & all you wanna do is stand on the highest possible point around (accessible to you :p) & scream your heart out “F@#$ all this sh*@ & screw you life”. But yeah that is just a passing thing & sooner or later that phase just fades away.

Dreams do change & that is not a wrong thing. But make sure the dream that you have been dreaming for a long, long time now ..is at least met at some crossroads in your life.  Make sure to live it for at least a day or even for some moments  & then moving on is all okay! Dreams do change but believe me you.. it better change after you achieve at least a part of it, is what I would say.

I sure doesn’t say achieving 100 % of your dream is not possible, for some it is & for some they just move on eventually forgetting about it. So this is for the other folks “Dream on….. At least try achieving a part of it….move on & then again Dream on you dreamer!”

And my friend, who’s actually the source for this post…her what’s app status reads “ Someday all your dreams & all your nightmares will be a reality…be prepared to embrace both of ‘em with the right attitude” ;)

This post is truly dedicated to people like us who wish to Dream On…On …and On! J

P.S. – And specially to the person who made me think about this & this post is what resulted when I pondered the question of what exactly the future has instore for us?….Don’t you worry gal…Eventually you will come to a decision which will change your life for good. Kudos to dreams…Hold on to ‘em ….you ought to achieve ‘em….Kudos to life!!!

P.P.S - Lines from the movie , The Pursuit of Happyness: “If you have a dream , go for it! Period”

It's been a long time.....

It’s been a long time since I wrote something

Since we’ve  talked

Since we saw each other

Since I have felt my existence

Since I have rested  but I am not tired

It’s been a long time but I am content with something inside

It’s been a long time but still the time just flew by

It’s been a long , long time coming

It’s been a long time but I did realize

Deserted maybe my soul

It’s  been long  because it’s been a long travel.

 

Traveller : Haiku # 2

                                                                    Left another place
                                                       quite blurry when I look back

                                                                 Tear’s  thicker I guess

Liebster III , IV & V . :D :D :D

Readers …I feel you & I feel for you too. I know for sure that you are terribly bored of reading the post where I am showing my excitement after winning another award & go on with the rules,trivias,yippity yappity stuff..blah ..blah..& blah. I thought I wouldn’t post a yet another thank you post acknowledging the award but then again I realized eventually that I owe it to the awesome fellow bloggers who nominated me on the first place,who consider me worth the appreciation & might be expecting at least a post. So for them , I am actually ok to be considered as a bore for a while but trust me readers , I will make it up to you soon & in sometime soon will post some worthwhile kick-ass reading material. (Even this one is, if you can bear with me for some minutes :p)

 

Liebster III – Now if I say , I got nominated for a liebster by a national bestselling author , would you believe me. Nope you woudn’t ,’coz I am just a rookie , a newbie.Even I can’t believe it myself. But trust me when I say , yep I did get a nomination from such a great , supportive , awesome fellow blogger who happens to be the writer of the national bestseller “The other side of the bed”. He is none other than Bhavya Kaushik. And do checkout his wonderful space”Walking barefoot on broken glass” here . Thanks Bhavya for the award & the continuous support & suggestions you gave to make my blog better.This person has always answered to every single query that I have chipped in , nomatter how busy he is ..he surely get backs to you. You are humble & a great human being. Keep rocking.

Answers to Bhavya’s Q’s

1.     Why did you start blogging?
      Sometimes I have this urge to write .Needed a channel to jot down my thoughts & make it a worthwhile read for others.

2.      How did you choose the title of your blog and how is it relevant to what you write?
      I came across this word when I was going through an article & I kinda liked the sound of it. Couple of years later when I decide to start a blog , don’t know why but this seemed to be an apt title ‘coz I am a total movie freak. I love books..more like a bibliophile who has a good reading habit(I try :p). Travelling has always fascinated me..have led a trekking group more than once now & I kinda feel I am good at the travelling thing. I like trying new delicacies. So there were so many things & “Aficionado” seemed an apt title for the blog.

3.     If you could travel anywhere in this world, where would you go?
      Now this has to be the toughest one. Because I want to see the world atleast 80% before my last breath. For the time being I would settle with let say , Buenos Aires ,Argentina. Just have a lot of good reviews from my peer group.

4.      What is your favourite book and why?
      Haven’t read many yet ..but so far City of thieves by David Benioff which I read recently comes to my mind. His writing style is quite impressive & I am a fan of this author who happens to be the writer of “Game of Thrones” , Stay ,Troy , 25^th hour. All the work that I have enjoyed a lot.

5.      Who is your biggest inspiration?
      A Traveller. Eventually he/she tends to be at peace with anything to everything in life. I Like that. A specific inspirational figure :I would have to say “Sachin Tendulkar”. He is calm, composed, determined,ethical & specially down to earth after being such a famous/known person in India & across the world.

6.      If you were writing an autobiography, what would the title be?
     The title would say something like “ Hey you! Nikhil here”

7.     Do you have any short term/ long term goals that you’re working towards?
     Short term…hmm…to be good at whatever that I am doing right now,make my loved ones happy & to be a lil.responsible :p Long term  - Want to write a lot. Travel a lot . Live life “ a lot”. J

8.     If you could pick one character from a book to be your best friend, who would you pick and why?
          It certainly would be the genie(Jinn) from The Arabian Nights. I used to admire his loyalty &    friendship towards Alladin.

9.     How long have you been blogging? What was the experience like?
      It’s almost 3 months. And the experience has been “Legend” …wait for it …”dary”.. Legendary , awesome & great. My blog is 3 months old & so far I have won 5 Liebsters & 3 Versatile Blog Awards.:)

10.  What is one of your fondest childhood memories?
      I used to purchase a lot of gums,wafers & stuffs just for the free stuff that you get as an offer or   something. The happiness when I get my hands on ‘em..ahh.. .Simply amazing!

                          
                                         Thanks again , Bhavya. It means a lot ! :D

Liebster IV -  They say three’s the charm but fourth is a lot better. I got nominated by a true fanatic Divya , the blogger of “Fanatic’s Farce”. She has a lovely blog & is a Big boss fan as well. Her writing according to me is elegant & simple yet so powerful. Do checkout her blog to know more.

Answers to Divya –

1)       What is your favourite place and why?

Dehradun , ‘coz I did my engineering there & have so many awesome memories attached to that place plus it is indeed the best place to settle down once you grow old. As in a tourist destination , would love to go to England sometime.

2)       What would be that one wild thing you intend to do in your lifetime?

Hmmm…that’s “actually” tough to answer. I intend to do a lot of wild things(remaining from the list :p) in my complete lifetime. I am not sure whether it counts as a wild thing but I  always wanted to have a tiger or a jungle animal as a pet. I am not sure it’s allowed here but I would love to. Or would like to cover all the countries in this world before my last breath. ;) Now one of’em atleast is a wild thing.:p

3)       How do you define serenity? Illustrate with examples.

According to me ,Serenity is when you feel content & happy. I mean..at peace even if it’s for a moment. I feel like that when I am visiting some place that I have always wanted to check out , getting my hands on a book that I always wanted to have , listening to a song that I feel like putting on repeat ,watching my all time fav.movies on a holiday afternoon after brunch & offcourse some quality time with my family.  

4)       If you were to ask only one question to an alien, what would that be?

Are you guys actually that brilliant & intelligent or it’s just the movies that creates the hype ? :p

5)       Light shades or dark colours? Reasons?

Dark colors. ‘coz I think it looks awesome.

6)       What is your dream job?

Not one. Would like to juggle between a part time traveler ,Writer ,movie critic ,software guy i.e. A full time Aficionado. I don’t think they have jobs for people like me. 

7)       Describe your favourite birthday experience.

Every b’day has something special but one that stands out is when I surprised my mom , by knocking on my home door an hr before my b’day, when I was actually suppose to be miles away from home.

8)       Given a chance, what will you change about the planet earth?

Would love to change it’s revolution in such a way that Nights become longer than Days :p

9)       What do you do when you have absolutely free time?

Hmm…I watch movies.

10)   What is it that you don’t like in someone?

Not living their life to the fullest. Life is definitely worth being lively.

Liebster V – Five is my lucky number by the way. I have always lived with this thought. It’s either 14 or 5. So , yaa…my fifth nomination came from the lovely journalist Parvathy from “Speak Out”.I like her writing style which expresses rich & subtle meanings so easily. I love reading the real time experiences that she shares so wonderfully.If you don’t believe me just check out “Speak Out” to see what I am talking about.:)

Answering the questions asked by Parvathy –

1.      What is more important -- being competitive, or being compassionate?

Being compassionate.

2.      Why did you start blogging?

To fulfill my urge to write.

3.       How does blogging help you?

Helps me satisfy the urge as mentioned in the previous answer. I feel content.

4.      If you could change something about you, what would it be?

Naah …nothing I am just perfect :p

5.      Who is person you think about when you close your eyes?

It depends on the moment when /where/why I am closing my eyes.

6.      What is your favourite dish?

Steaks in any form is my fav. dish.

7.      Which is your favourite sitcom?

Friends/The Big bang theory.

8.      Which book are you reading now?

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

9.      What are your hobbies?

I am a movie freak who loves reading books, playing cricket, table tennis & visiting places.

10.  What does this award mean to you?

It makes me realize that starting a blog was definitely one of the best decisions that I have made in my life so far.

P.S. – Bhavya , Divya & Parvathy . My apologies. I am extremely sorry for the delay caused. I know it’s almost a month since the nomination. But I do accept this award with great pleasure, honor & gratitude. Thanks for the support. J J

NOTE: I just got to know about a rule recently. It says,you can’t share your liebster more than once. So yeah..I won’t be nominating anyone but frankly speaking I wanted to. Anyways, will keep the names intact for the next big thing. J