Its Oscar time! With the 2nd of March nearing, Oscar fever has reached dizzy heights. When we think of the Academy awards, the expectations are usually sky-high. In its 86th year now, the Academy awards ceremony is one of the most anticipated TV events of the year. A star-studded red carpet, a witty host who should be funny throughout while trying not to over-do her act, the media frenzy, the glitz and glamour, the countdown to the ceremony, the speculations about winners in each category, the special tribute given to worthy artists – are all part of the whole Oscar viewing experience.

Where Fast & Furious 6 differs from its predecessors is that it gives due importance to character development. In a very succinct way, it manages to link many of the characters from the previous editions in order to bring a logical end to many of the open threads. However, this may not sit very well with some viewers as it tends to shift the focus of the narrative away from the adrenaline pumping high speed car sequences in an attempt to give more depth to the recurring characters in the franchise. Surprisingly, everyone gets enough screen time to showcase their abilities and emotions.

When a film, like Bombay Talkies, claims to be a tribute to 100 years of Indian cinema, it raises the expectations of the audience. Although Bombay Talkies doesn’t fall flat, it barely manages to stay afloat all through.

When viewed in isolation, without the burden of the insanely high expectations, Bombay Talkies is a good movie. It is a good movie because it is a brave and a crisp attempt to venture into uncharted territories, with each of its four stories.

It’s that time of the year when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes and rewards members of the film fraternity who have made their mark in the year that has gone by. Millions of viewers eagerly wait for The Oscars to be televised to see if their favorites are going to win it this time (last year, The Oscars was broadcast live in more than a 100 countries). “Who would win the Best Actor?”, “Which film will walk away with the maximum honors?”, “Will the Academy follow the Golden Globes or the BAFTA when giving out the awards?” – and many more of these questions run through our minds as we wait …

The author takes an unconventional route in presenting the content in each of the chapters – hilarious illustrations, FAQs (of a different kind) and application of management models on mundane everyday situations. This style of delivery is what clicks and retains the interest of the reader till the very end. Had it been in the conventional prose format, it would have been hard to retain the reader’s attention past the first few pages.

I have always been under the impression that it takes an amazing amount of time, money and dedication to make any difference in this cruel world. The world around me, however, has been telling me otherwise. Apparently, I can make a difference at my own convenience, and in more ways than one – ways which I was unaware of until the recent past. Since I am aware of them now, I feel that it is my moral duty to enlighten you as well.

I had always been a typically old-school firm believer of the fact that a phone should be used only to make and receive calls. I always doubted the utility factor of these so-called smart-phones. I imagined a smartphone to be just another electronic device that would eat a part of my day, just the way the laptop and the television do. It would be another screen that I would be staring at for a substantial part of the day. It was only after a lot of pestering by friends, and the fact of my existing phone giving way, that I reluctantly went ahead and bought a smartphone (an expensive one if I might add).

As I was wading through the Monday evening traffic on my way home, I happened to notice a simple yet beautiful moment at a traffic signal. To my right, was a kid sitting on the back seat of a motorbike, holding his new bicycle.

In that brief moment, as we all waited for the signal to change from red to green, I could see the glint in his eye, the anticipation, the eagerness to reach home as soon as possible and ride his new bicycle. That one look brought about a flood of memories of the good old times.

The movie is a time-slice of Ruth’s life where she struggles hard, both as a foreigner in native land and as someone who is lonely and longs for unconditional love. How she manages her job, her eccentric boyfriend, the gangster who comes out of nowhere, the cop, the regular customer who cares for her, and the passport office officials makes up the rest of the movie. Kalki’s attempts to learn Hindi and her sustained efforts to look for her father seem genuine and you can’t help but sympathize with this girl in yellow boots.

There were a lot of apprehensions when it came to watching plays in an auditorium. Will the dialogues be audible? Will the tickets be too expensive? Will I be able to follow what’s going on if I zone out for a moment or two during the play? Would it be too hard to understand the intent and the purpose of the play? Will I be able to get a good look at the actors if I get a seat in one of the last rows?Yes, I did have these and many other equally bizarre questions looming in my head even while I was booking the tickets for this event.