Vishal's Blog

While on a self-imposed hiatus, I sat sipping coffee near the window of my hotel room overlooking Lake Pichola and had a postcard-perfect view of the famous City Palace. The lake was possessed of a mesmerizing charm and looked stunning in the early morning light. The surrounding temples, ghats and hotels made it look more dramatic. I was in Udaipur  – the city chosen as the best in the world in a poll by Travel + Leisure magazine in 2009, where history, culture, architecture and style intersect in an unparalleled environment, and home to people from the Rajput clan whose favorite pastimes are horse-riding and polo. We reached Udaipur from Pushkar. While travelling in Rajasthan, you can visualize the beauty of everyday village life. Young and gentle women wearing colorful clothing and living in incredibly small houses still manage a serene smile on their lips – something incredible in itself. It was as if I was transported to a never-seen-before India. Udaipu...

Well, Yes. You got to give it to Taj Aguada for being really warm and hospitable. We had been to this place in the month of July (considered an off-season) when monsoon is at its peak in Goa. Most of the beaches have red flags fluttering on them indicating choppy waters and a strict no-no to tourists to wander nearby. Since it was raining most of the time, we stayed put in sea-facing hotel room watching rain drops falling from above. Our holidays are normally packed with activities but this was something unusual for us as we spent 6 days not doing much (except reading novels) without getting bored. Thanks to ambience of the hotel and the greenery surrounding it. They definitely were more than enchanting.                                               ...

                                                      Movie Review : Fast and Furious 6                              What I thought was most impressive about Fast and Furious 6 was the end of the film in particular which provides an inkling about the sequel with Jason Statham. As he warns Dominic Torreto (Vin Diesel), fans have already started speculating what his role would be. Talking about this one, the current crew members of the film who were present in the previous version also really impress - one and all. The one-liners by Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson (popularly known as The Rock) are simply superb. The film begins with Torreto and his family - Brian O'Connor (Paul Walker) and Mia (Jordana ...

PAST FORWARD: Sunset Special: A photo essay of my personal voyages Sam: Jaisalmer Sam is easily the most visited place in Jaisalmer but sadly has turned a bit commercial now. Most tourists come from far off places to watch the sunset at the Thar Desert sand dunes which at times look like a belly of a dancing damsel. Be aware that the camel care taker may at times rip you off for the fare to watch the sunset. But watching the sun alter its length here is a life time experience nevertheless. Most hotels around Sam arrange for a camel ride into the Thar followed by Rajasthani cultural programs every evening. We stayed at Chokhi Dhani for 2 nights and I definitely recommend it for a sojourn of at least a night. The sunset hues are absolutely breathtaking and the sky is brilliantly filled with stars once darkness takes over. While in Jaisalmer, miss Sam at your own peril.                  ...

                                                DJANGO UNCHAINED : FILM REVIEW When you think of cow-boys and gun toting action, Clint Eastwood movies immediately come to mind. I have been a huge fan of his movies especially - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Django Unchained too is a similar kind-of movie wherein the director dwells in the civil war America when slavery ruled and the slaves were treated like dogs. But then there always emerges a Hero be it fiction or real life – as Coelho puts in his book ‘The winner stands alone’. Django is a blood soaked story of a slave turned bounty hunter who fights white men to win back his love. The prime deficiencies to me were too much violence used to exaggerate those bloody effects and unusual length of the film. After about 120-150 minutes (normal leng...

                                    OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN - FILM REVIEW  In all good v/s evil showdowns in Hollywood movies, when you think of a kidnapping scene, Bruce Willis' Die Hard immediately comes to the mind. The Antonie Funqua directed film Olympus has fallen too like many other films has derived inspiration from this all time best movie. Well, there is no Bruce Willis in this film but Gerard Butler does a pretty good job to keep the baddies at bay. And the stage is set. More so, the location which the baddies attack and keep people hostage is no ordinary building but the safest building on the planet - The White House. Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) is one of the top most security agents in the American President's security team. He has a personal relationship with the first family espec...

THE CALL With the IPL going on, movie goers like me are starved of choices. But watching a movie like The Call is definitely a pleasant experience. I do love watching thrillers but with an irresistibly charming Halle Berry in it.. the fun just doubles! Jordan Turner (Halle Berry) works as an operator in the the department of LAPD - 911. She gets a call from a teenager seeking help as a man enters her house. While Jordan is on the call with the girl, her intelligent and purposeful tips help the girl to hide away from the intruder. However while they are on the phone, it suddenly gets disconnected before Jordan calls her back. The phone rings alerting the intruder who succeeds in finding the girl. The girl is kidnapped and is murdered later on. This incident leaves Jordan devastated and puts her in a horrid state of mind. She refuses to take calls and works as an instructor preparing new joinees for the emotionally draining operator job. On one of those OJT's (On Job Tr...