Guess who's back?

Not much guessing required...since this is quite obviously MY blog and the person who's back has got to be...well me!

The reason i'm back after a month-half hiatus is due to this fantastic movie i watched yesterday. Shootout at Lokhandwala. It has given me the inspiration to write again..well perhaps just for this one post, before i pull yet another disappearing stunt from the virtual world of words and thoughts. Or then again, maybe not.

Shootout is a movie based on a cat and mouse game of real-life policeman A.A Khan and his nemesis Mahendra Dolas, then most notorious criminal of the early 90s in Mumbai and supposed right-hand man to Dawood Ibrahim or Chhota Rajan. This bit is slightly hazy since there is no actual confirmation in reality whether Mahendra Dolas was in fact working with the D-Company or had sided Chhota Rajan immediately after the latter's split from the company. Chhota Rajan had came out to validate this claim, but as always was rubbished by the cops and media.

Anyway, back to the plot. Mahendra Dolas a.k.a Maya Dolas is the principal antagonist of this film and played astonishingly well by Vivek Oberoi. His most noteworthy role after Company. This just strengthens my belief that Vivek is meant to play roles connected to the reel-life takes on the D-Company. The character of Maya Dolas is one which is rather hard to understand. In many ways, he's an enigma. Did he do all those things he was said to have done simply because he enjoyed doing it and having all that power or did he do it to furthur his career, like any career-minded individual? Assasination, espionage and extortions are careers too..
albeit not ethical ones. The movie doesn't do justice to Maya Dolas i feel. His character keeps going through so many transitions, it was hard to figure out exactly what his motivations were. But then again, Vivek Oberoi lived as Maya for 2 months before doing the role. Perhaps he meant to potray Maya as an enigma. That's something which is up for debate i guess

Maya Dolas's right hand man Dilip Buwa is played by Tusshar Kapoor. While i agree with all the other reviews out there that Tusshar was hopelessly miscast in this role, he did make the character out to be slightly likeable and as such I, as part of an audience, was able to empathise with his death. The real Dilip Buwa on the other hand was a twisted character with no redeeming qualities.

The other two noteworthy members of Maya Dolas's gang are Fattu Fatim played by Rohit Roy and RC played by Shabbir Ahluwalia. The former was characterized in the movie as a seedha-saadha ladhka who was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time and fell into the wrong company and in the eventuality, ended up dying for no real reason except for his unwavering loyalty to Maya Dolas and his friends.

RC was perhaps one of the more intriguing characters in the movie. Well to me anyway. You don't really get an idea why and how he fell into the Underworld. But you do know that he feel remorse for each murder he committed. He refuses to stay sober simply because when he does, he sees 'ghosts' (hallucinations really) of people that he had murdered. This ultimately leads to his death.

There were two other members of the Maya Dolas gang as well, but i did not feel them to be noteworthy enough to warrant a mention in my review. Suffice to say, they died as well.

The main 'protagonists' were characterized by Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty and Arbaaz Khan who played ACP Shamsher Khan, Inspector Kaviraj Patil and Sub-Inspector Javed Sheikh respectively. These men need no introduction as actors and the depth of their characters is best explained along with the premise, plot and character development of the movie.

The basic premise of the story is quite aptly summed up by the title of the movie itself - Shootout at Lokhandwala. As described, it is a shootout between 300 policemen headed by ACP Shamsher Khan (modelled after real-life ex-policeman A.A Khan who also appears in the movie as the Commissioner) and Maya Dollas plus 5 in a residential block - Swati building located at Lokhandwala. The civilians were given NO WARNING when the shooutout first began with the police opening fire and no civilians were evacuated at any time during the shooutout. In fact, anyone seen leaving the complex after the lockdown had taken place, was mercilessly gunned down. It didn't matter one whit if he was a civilian, a member of Maya Dolas's gang or even Jesus-F-Christ, had he decided to miraculously appear and negotiate peace talks.

The background to the story begins with Operation Bluestar in 1984 where Sikh terrorists began establishing a base in Mumbai and the consequent police-terrorist interactions. Emboldened by his eventual lockdown on the Sikh terrorists, ACP Shamsher Khan sets up ATS - Anti Terrorist Squad, modelled after SWAT of the USA. The motto of ATS - "shoot to kill". The term loosely and might i add...VERY loosely used - Encounter. They might as well have said Execution and be done with it. That would have at least made some sense of the madness that was shootout at Lokhandwala.

In an attempt to curb Maya Dolas's spreading influence in Mumbai, ATS headed by Shamsher and his two goons - Kaviraj and Javed - do everything it takes to corner Maya Dolas and co. It goes to the extent where the supposed right side of the law abuse the power given to them and start threatening the families of those involved in the gang.

But does Maya give up? Of course not. He and his merry band of followers hit right back at the cops and their families.

It is at this point that the audience starts questioning the motives of the police. The duty of the police is to protect the innocent and apprehend the guilty. In here, that line was so thin.. they stomped all over it and shredded it to a million pieces. Suniel Shetty as Kaviraj Patil was particularly appalling.

Now we get to the actual shootout. As mentioned earlier, innocents were not protected. Hell no. If anything, they were at more risk then the actual gundas themselves..because really, what does a civilian know of AK-47s? His first instinct would be to run, not to hide. That's basic survival instinct. Unfortunately, no civilian knows that the bullets of an AK-47s are incredibly deadly and there is quite frankly no way of escaping.

Now to the gundas. This part's a little tricky because there are so many versions floating out there about what really happened (despite a live telecast of the incident on CNN during that time). So, i'm just going to the stick to the movie version, which is apparently the police's version. Even their own version doesn't cast them in a good light.

The constitution of any democractic country states that once a criminial surrenders or is relieved of his weapon, he is in no position to fight back and thus should be apprehended and handed over the court of law for judgement. Shooutout completely disregards this and ACP Shamsher Khan takes shoot to kill very literally. It doesn't matter if the guy has no weapon. It doesn't matter if the guy is comatose and near death anyway after having a TV smashed through his head. It doesn't matter if the guy is begging to surrender. We shoot them anyway. Summary-style execution. Riddle their already dead bodies with more bullets until they are rendered unrecognisable. The sheer brutality of the police in this movie will send you reeling and thinking. This is what happens when we as people given any organisation too much power. Absolute power corrupts. This movie showcases that extremely well.

Maya Dolas was a criminal. No doubt. He was a fucktard who ought to have been hung. But that is for the court of law to decide. Not for some fucktard policeman who was getting his jollies off by having that much power in his hands! Dilip Buwa was already half-dead. Yet he was dragged down several flights of steps like an animal and executed simply because he was still able to take a few breaths. That man would have died anyway with the kind of injuries he had! Was it that necessary to give him such an ignoble death?

We give our cows, chickens better deaths. And yet humankind through so many centuries has still not evolved enough to want to treat members of his own species with the kind of respect and dignity we willingly give members of the 'lesser' species.

The best part? After an utter sham of an inquiry, ACP Shamsher and co. get off scot-free. Where's the justice in this, i ask you?

Shootout at Lokhandwala is not a perfect movie. No movie really is. But it gives one a good understanding of how fucked up the humankind can get. And for that, i say, give it a watch.

Subz out! I'll be back...when i'm back!

Why wont this month ever end?

I'm so incredibly tired. It's all down to my peculiarity complex i tell you. Yes. Peculiar. Most people enjoy having time to themselves. They may spend it by watching tv, slacking, chilling out with friends by indulging in ridiculously overpriced coffee...

Me on the other hand?

I'm giving SEVEN tuitions. With school and work.. i'm lucky if i have time to bloody sleep.

Why am i doing this to myself again?

Ah yes... it's all down to my peculiarity complex. Like i said.

Bugger it all

this month ever end?

Hubba Hubba

Ok, so apparently i suck at maintaining a blog. My posts are about as irregular as a pubescent girl's menstrual cycle (way to gross people out!) - but watch out world! 'Cos i'm back! Uh-uh! Nod your heads y'all!

---No more Soul-jah boy for me---

In case you are wondering what that statement is about... have you guys heard that REALLY CRAPPY song soul-jah boy? That's about the only discernable word in that entire song. Sometimes i think hiphop should be abolished as a genre. But then we'd have nothing to dance to in the clubs.

Alas, but i am resigned to my fate.

I have so many things to blog about, i don't even know when to start!

Well ok, so this week's been relative madness. And shaping up to be even more mad if my lineup of social gatherings is of any indication. I have plans to meet people every week of the day. WHY DOES EVERYONE COME BACK HOME NOW!? Of the lot of gatherings, im most excited about meeting Shandong boy and the IBM girls. Hanging out with the IBM girls has always been a blast and i'm quite excited to see Kanz again. Accidental run-ins in the MRTs don't quite cut it for me!

Also now i'm highly excited about seeing The Taj Mahal play. TWB's v.good friend's the lead actress in it and from what i've heard, rehearsals are everyday. Which means alot of effort is being put into the production. Which should translate to a fan-fucking-tastic performance. Yay! I do hope the script does justice to the mughal empire and the amazing persian culture. Alot of Hindu scriptwriters tend to embellish details of the mughal era due to their their own bias towards the muslim pre-dominance of that time. It's probably a good thing that Singaporean Hindus are quite far removed from such sensitivities. Well...my generation at least. I can't speak for the older generations.

So yay yay for everything! I'm determined to enjoy this week to the fullest since the nightmare begins next week. I'd be going MIA for awhile - give or take 3 weeks -...but don't give up on me yet!

Cheers with much love from my end!

Man and his best friend

A conversation between me and The Widdle Bestiekins (TWB) about men and dogs.


TWB says:
i mean, most of the stupid men on the street are pretty much talking dogs.
stupidity is a narrow sense heritable trait says:
so true!!
TWB says:
they need attention, hump stuff, cant pee straight, have poor hygiene, eat alot.
stupidity is a narrow sense heritable trait says:
oh and they pant after you if u refuse to throw them a bone
stupidity is a narrow sense heritable trait says:
or in the case of men... give them a boner

Men-bashing can be so much fun!

23 years i have lived.

*Of the i will nots..*

I will not pander to your judgement calls.

I will not live by your moral code.

I will not surrender to those i deem not worthy.

I will not entertain your boring, stifling ideas simply because you attempt to subdue my natural wilder instincts.

I will not compromise. Not for you. Not even for myself

*Of the i wills..*

I will do exactly as i please, whenever i please and whomever i please.

I will listen to only one person - myself.

I will cut you out of my life anytime i wish to - just so you know.

I will hold the strings like always. - To hell with you if you cannot deal with that.

I will fly free. For now and forever.

There, the emo birthday resolution list has been put up. Not much of a drastic change from how i've always been like though. Nevertheless, since being this way works for me.. so, sense in changing things eh?

Promises to expound on the birthday weekend in the next post. With plenty of pictures too! I'm in abit of a reflective mood at the moment, so the motivation to write isn't quite there.

I've been listening to this one song on repeat for quite awhile. Check out the lyrics and the song itself, if u can find it on youtube or cooltoad. The genre is goth metal and the singing style veers towards opera-ish.. the overall effect is rather addictive

Nightwish - Sleeping Sun

The sun is sleeping quietly
Once upon a century
Wistful oceans calm and red
Ardent caresses laid to rest

For my dreams I hold my life
For wishes I behold my night
The truth at the end of time
Losing faith makes a crime

I wish for this night-time
to last for a lifetime
The darkness around me
Shores of a solar sea
Oh how I wish to go down with the sun
Sleeping
Weeping
With you

Sorrow has a human heart
From my god it will depart
I'd sail before a thousand moons
Never finding where to go

Two hundred twenty-two days of light
Will be desired by a night
A moment for the poet's play
Until there's nothing left to say

I wish for this night-time...
I wish for this night-time...

OF punctured tires, skinned knees and jagerbombs

It's been a week and more since i've updated! I'm as slow as molasses, i know! Apologies to my legions of readers (a lass can hope!) for the delay. I am back! Not quite unlike a lysogen :D Fellow science dorks, clap your hands and say aye!

I shall start of my blog with the more pleasant of events.. Clubbing on the eve of Vesak day! It started with N and I heading down to Brahaus at United Square for a couple of beers. They have an interestingly varied selection of beers over there and the ambience is perfect for a chill-out session. Brewerkz, i find, can get grating on the nerves, no thanks to loud, drunk middle-aged ang mohs and the equally loud but not-quite middle-aged youth clientele. I had the Floris Chocolate - a chocolate flavoured beer. I quite thought it tasted like cough syrup but N swore that she could taste a hint of chocolate. I'd reserve judgement for now, i reckon. Viggalo joined us an hour later and after a round of beers - Kilkenny for me! - we were coaxed into joining his group of friends at Attica for clubbing. Not much coaxing needed at my end since i was pretty much raring to have fun but i might have had a hand in persuading N. :D

We headed down to Attica. Entry was free because Viggalo's friend A, is friends with the someone in the management team. It's brilliant having contacts yeah? Soon, other friends K and Nesh joined us together with a couple of other girls. I won't bother going into the details of the night. Suffice to say, there was alot of alcohol, alot of dancing and i'd be speaking on behalf of everyone when i say we had heaps of fun! Oh! And i had a jagerbomb! Awesome stuff really. I was bouncing of the walls all night long! To the uninitiated - jagerbomb consists of a shot of jagermeister ( which is naturally in a shot glass) dunked into a glass of redbull and the whole concotion has to be downed in one gulp.

Some pics from the night..

Check out the 2 litre Asahi TANK. Cost-35 bucks. It's in times like these when i fondly recall that a litre of beer hoi amounts to only 4 SGD.

There - now that's over and done with... let's move on shall we?

So on the Saturday before Vesak day, Jos and I had the idea to meet at ECP for a spot of cycling and dinner after that. Her little bro-of-sorts G ended up tagging along as well as His Royal Highness - let's refer to him as HRH from now on yeah? Only 'cos i'm so buggering lazy. We really should have called it quits when Jos snapped her havianas a few minutes into cycling. We should have seen it as the omen it was. But nooo...we had to soldier on! We braved the crowded lanes, parked our bikes while Jos got herself a new pair of slippers and resumed our cycling trip.

To be quite fair, it was pretty non-eventful for a while after that. G and I were ahead of Jos and HRM and i'd dare say there was abit of friendly competition there. Keep in mind that G's a 13-year old boy.

But i digress. We eventually reached changi point and cycled on furthur till we were opposite T1. Took some lovely shots and all. It was during our return trip that everything went downhill. There was a mini accident where Jos crashed into G and the next thing we knew, the air from the front tire of the bike Jos was riding was slowly escaping out. HRM thought it was hilarious - that sod- and couldn't reel in those giggles. Well, looking back it was funny and i can laugh about it now..but it sure wasn't then. I had this sinking feeling that Jos and I were going to be stuck at ECP for a long bloody while. And there was no way in hell i was going to leave her alone there to fend for herself. The buggers at the bicycle rental shop were unhelpful. Seriously unhelpful. How the fuck were we supposed to bring the bikes back? Changi point is a good distance from ECP. But nooo.. in typical Singaporean fashion, the bastard bloke refused to entertain our call and slammed the receiver down on me. I was fuming. How prick-ish!

So, HRM took G back to ECP first on their (functional) bikes, whilst Jos and I padded back slowly.. Well, she padded..i was trying some weird slow-swerving-shit on my bike. It constantly amazes me how i'm unable to cycle at a moderately decent speed. It's either fast or BRAKE!!! So, we went on in a not quite merry fashion. Blokes of different ethnicities rode past us and flashed us looks of varying emotions. If they weren't looking at us with sympathy, they were smirking at us - probably thinking we were losers, those bastards!

Help finally came - in the form of a shirtless skater - Roy accompanied by his merry fellowship of cyclists. There was even a token female. To Jos and I, God hath just pulled up in his chariot and offered us each a boon. Jokes aside, i was totally taken aback when the guys (and token female) offered to help us. Firstly, Singaporeans are not known for being good samaritans. We need signs to tell us to give up our seats to pregnant women. And even then, a good portion of the population don't. So I was alternately impressed and amazed at this group of guys who came from nowhere, hauled up the useless bike, skated all the frikking way to the Yacht Club and waited with us to get a cab. Speechless. Amazed. Impressed. What do you know? There's hope left for Singaporeans afterall.

Big thanks to Roy and Co. It's people like you guys that give Singaporeans a good name. More of y'all...and what do you know.. We may just lose our reputation of being an unfeeling nation. Good on you guys!

Some pictures from the cycling stint.. even in face of minor tragedies, we never failed to stop for a few moments and camwhore. Being self-centered is an art we have mastered in its entirety!

T1
Random shot of G
Not quite random shot of me!
HRM thought it'd be funny to take a vid of me acting like a complete berk and put it up on flickr.. thus my revenge! A zoom-in shot!

.... Not much of a revenge though is it? I must really work on my vengeance. It's appalling how nice i am even when i'm trying to be all vengeful and snarky.

I've come to a conclusion from viewing my own pics. I think i prefer me without makeup. I tend to deviate into the realm of slutty with makeup on methinks. *ponders*

In other news, The Wittle Bestiekins (TWB for all future references :P) is back from Chennai! She tailored a punjabi suit for me there and i've got to say...it's so bloody pretty! I shall put up a pic of it soon..it's too pretty not to flaunt!

Anyway, that's all i have for now. My fingers ache from all the typing so i'm off for awhile.

I'll be back...when i'm back?