Deshdrohi

KRK – Kamal Rashid Khan is here with a mission. His acting launch pad Deshdrohi is hitting screens on November 14 competing with Dostana. The publicity for Deshdrohi is no less than it was for Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, which was a launch pad Aamir Khan. In fact, Himesh Reshammiya can take a tip or two here, Karzzzz publicity was nothing compared to this. 

 

Sample this. Kamal Rashid Khan is everywhere. I switch on the TV to watch cricket, I see him. I watch a news channel, I see him. He is definitely on all music channels and all entertainment channels. He is out on the hoardings and I can’t miss him when I am driving. I try and hide in the safety of mall, and I see OOH media screens with KRK! Worse, he follows me to work on the screens in my cafeteria.  I give up. The man is unstoppable!

 

Deshdrohi is a topical film based on the current migrant situation in Mumbai. Serious agenda, but I guess watching the promos make me feel that this is going to turn out to be a laugh riot. His clothes could probably set a new fashion trend, those leather jackets and all… His gun skills are going to be the journals of reference for generations to come. And KRK’s dialogue delivery is icy cold; it can freeze tiger’s blood! We have been fortunate to catch some of his gems on TV. I am sure the action is going to be awe inspiring. The glam quotient is high with Gracy Singh (who started her career with Aamir Khan in Lagaan, followed it up with Sanjay Dutt in Munnabhai MBBS and Ajay Devgan in Gangajal), playing the romantic lead, from what I hear. And not to miss some sizzling item numbers by Kim Sharma and Saif fame Rozza.

 

Issme action hai, drama hai, romaans hai, tragedy hain aur haan, bhaiyyo aur beheno, issme comedy bhi hai (which I am sure is not intentional!!). Aaiye, dekhiye, ek laakhon mein ek samajik sachchaiyo par adharit filum, jo aapko sochne par majboor karegi. What sochna, we don’t know. To each is own like KRK!!!

Love Love Love

With the redevelopment of older buildings in my neighbourhood is gathering speed and with lesser people now populating the area, I am noticing a new development also happening. In a space starved Mumbai, couples find all sorts of places to koo-chickoo!!! One such place happens to be a corner of my building, which after nightfall provides a safe haven for love birds to flock.

 

With no watchmen to shoo them away, our cars and bikes provide seclusion and shield them from the prying eyes of the world. The solitary tube light entrusted with the task of spreading light to the environs of this particular corner somehow now supports these couples, refusing to come out of its slumber, thus providing the cover of darkness as encouragement. Everyday, when I get back from work, I see some couple or the other utilising the facilities which we have benevolently provided. Some are also playing soulful numbers by Himesssss, or Atif Aslam to create the mood. Kehte hain, paani aur sacche pyaar ko koi rok nahin sakta.  

 

I am reminded of my childhood days when we used to visit the lush green environs of Empress Garden. Empress Garden – Pune – is a botanical park with a huge cover of greenery sprawling over a huge area. There also happens to be a small stream flowing through it adding to the charms. We used to go there on Sundays to generally have a good time lazing around playing cricket and badminton or just running around through the stream. This place is also full of huge trees, as also bamboo groves. Every tree had at least two lovelorn couples “engaged” in affection. Bamboo grooves were even better. These were a perfect camouflage for snakes and couples alike, all of whom used to have intertwined bodies. We innocent minds never understood why people had to hide and talk to each other. Since we were fed on a diet of hindi movies, we thought that love was all about singing songs in the garden around trees. So we used to wait for these people to start singing. But alas!

 

Anywhichways, we soon understood why these guys did so. When we started going to college, we were exposed to many such couples canoodling around. And that too in college since our college – Fergusson – was blessed with plenty of isolated spots which did not remain all that isolated with the ever growing love industry.

 

And the more adventurous ones and of course the innovative ones used to pick up places such as the Lovers’ Lane. This was a lane that connects Law college road to somewhere inside and runs parallel to Prabhat road (for the guys from Pune, if u wanna ever use this!). And yes, there was this amazing technique. You hire a rick. And you pay that guy some money to park the rick very close to the dense growth of trees in someone’s bungalow. And use the rain curtain on the other side. And yippee, you had a private room to yourselves.

 

In Mumbai, though since trees and gardens a rarity, in addition to the spots like my building couples stick to Bandstand, Worli seaface, Nariman Point, Marine Drive and some other places where there is a potent combination of the sea and rocks! It’s very easy to sea that they have a rocking time!!!