Alpha - the movie review

Alpha the movie has stunning visuals and a background score which moves you in more ways than one . The relationship which this movie explores between the father and the son as well as the lead character and the alpha has to be seen to be believed . Each shot in this movie has so many layers to it . This movie has a strong subtext to it and in today’s day , age and time .. it’s extremely important and relevant . This movie is a visual masterpiece and every frame talks even though it’s not in the language of your choice which is English . Every minute detail in terms of the clothes worn , the locale , the dialect has been looked into . This movie in a nutshell talks about the relationship between human beings and animals and how we need to co exist together instead of trying to kill each other . Last but not the least when the alpha female wolf looks into the lead characters eyes .. there is only love around and if there is one message which this wonderful movie is trying to convey .. its unconditional love always .. period. 

Bosch Advanced Aquatak Launch in Cochin

Sharp, Sturdy and precise are the kind of names one would give  to Bosch Products and on one particular overcast morning I was flown into the beautiful , pristine and green Ramada Resorts in Cochin. There were cars which had weathered time desperately needing a scrub waiting for our presence. The clean up area was abuzz with excitement. Everyone wanted to channelize their Holi  pichkari moves using the latest line of Bosch Advanced Aquatak Launch . The products ergonomically and aerodynamically designed would have pleased the hearts of a lot of motorbike and car enthusiasts for the ease with which it could be handled.

The products in question were the Universal Aquatak 120, Universal Aquatak 125, Universal Aquatak 130 , Universal Aquatak 135 , advanced Aquatak 150 and advanced Aquatak 160 high pressure washers and they were doing a splendid job in terms of removing stubborn dirt under tough working conditions. The high pressured washers differed from one another in terms of water flow rates of 350 to 410 liters per hour as well as maximum pressures that range from 120 bar to 135 bar, thereby offering the versatility and the power needed for different cleaning applications.

Links on a video whilst travelling and using the Bosch Products- 

https://www.facebook.com/shekhar.vijayan/videos/10158644355917037/

https://www.facebook.com/mcshekharvijayan/videos/211160586080961/

Users have a plethora of options, they could chose  from a tried and tested fan jet , a rotary jet and now a new high pressure pencil jet which was particularly useful in removing dirt all over. This enabled the cleaning foam produced to be evenly distributed evenly and quickly over the surface to be cleaned. With the advanced Aquatak 150 and advanced aquatak 160 , Bosch is stretching the limits with two powerful and robust tools for cleaning of dirt anywhere and everywhere. The two models in question  feature a four cylinder “ Quad “ pump which is efficient to the core and has been designed very effectively. The advanced models are light, compact and can be moved and transported easily.

As an influencer and as a blogger I could get my hands dirty- literally, figuratively and metaphorically  whilst using  the high pressure washers in  cleaning up all the cars and bikes on display using minimum effort . One felt like an European artist who just had the precise tools to make a difference and clean the dirt all around. The product is priced reasonably well across the length and breadth of india from INR -7,600/- to INR-35,000/-

Last but certainly not the least The team from Bosch were extremely supportive and sporting (game for a plank too)..Yeah that kind of day 

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar - a name to reckon with

Sachin , Sachinnnn , Sachinnnn,Sachinnnn,  wherever the pint sized curly haired gem goes that victory chant will always follow him .

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is quite like Amitabh Bachchan ( his favourite actor ) aka Vijay Dinanath Chauhan from Agneepath which is also his favourite movie . Sachin was the angry young man with a cause taking on the opposition by the scruff of the neck inspiring many with his conduct on and off the field . There are many Sachin moments for all of us - the desert storm where The late Tony Greig with his animated and magical voice letting us know Sachin has arrived and how , the World Cup in 2003 where Sachin battled personal issues and set the record straight on the field and that one innings in New Zealand when Sachin came out as an Opening Batsman and hammered the living daylights of the kiwi Bowlers ( quite sure Danny Morrison will agree )  I for one absolutely love his straight drive which ticked  all manners of conventions showing the makers name with pride during the full follow through . The cover drive was copybook material straight out of a owners manual and when the bowler did try his version of a perfume ball .. Sachin responded with a pull or a hook . Sachin makes India tick .. don't believe me ...how many of us have switched on and switched off the idiot box when Sachin is in form or out , there will always be a debate around whether he was the best or not , the bowlers he faced .. every single one of them from the miserly curtly Ambrose to the fast and furious Dale Steyn had just no answer to the great man's pryotechnics .. the answer lies right there . Sachin is arguably known as the god of cricket . I would say his game is meant for the gods and even the gods  would  have been happy to watch him play showcasing his full repertoire of tricks a  la desi version of Troy . Well destiny certainly was his and and he chose a canvas as big as the cricket field to paint it with all the strong colours possible .
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar - he came , he saw and he conquered and I dare say .. still conquering and while he is at it .. happywala birthday Sachin Tendulkar . Have a good one . 

Smaaash - this one really knocked the ball out of the park

I was invited by Smaaash to get a flavour of what their entertainment Center is all about and boy was I in for a ride of a different kind . The Smaaash entertainment Center has a staff which is dressed in shades of blue and they can lighten up your day and drive your blues away like a snap of a finger . The staff is on point , knowledgable and know the Center inside out.

I am a bigggg cricket addict and given a chance I would love to play cricket day and night against bowlers of all shapes and sizes . The Smaaash cricket game has different levels and you get to play bowlers of the pace of Wasim Akram , Brett Lee , Shoaib Akhtar , keioron pollard and also face the spin and guile of Shane warne , Muralidharan, Anil Kumble and Sachin . It's a virtual game you play against these bowlers with live commentary and score . This is the closest you can get to playing bowlers of this pedigree and the experience is priceless.

The finger coaster is another ride if you like a little bit of a rollercoaster in your day ( bangalore traffic can do that to you ) . What I liked about this ride is the fact that you could customise with your fingertip and you can't blame anyone but yourself when you go through this virtual reality game.

I like the idea of seeing tall buildings but walking a plank on the 15th floor of a building to another building with the environment playing truant .. well it tested me  and I came out tops - this was the star attraction - a virtual reality game called Vertigo - walk the plank
The arcade zone has games for the child within you ..whilst the twilight bowling is quite a sight when you bowl the nine pins down . If you have nimble feet and are blessed with focus you might fancy the game which tests your dancing skills.

A word on the in house restaurant which is aptly titled mighty small .. the servings are mighty and made with minimum of effort.

 If you are looking at having a smaaashing time with your family or friends  or want some alone time .. then Smaaash - India's first Urban Sports Center might just work for you 

Rishabh Pant wins heart and the Royal Challengers Bangalore plays Bold

Rishabh Pant ,the south paw who announced his arrival in IPl 2017 with a six has the kind of presence which Sir Vivian Richards will be proud of . His half century was worth its weight in gold ..coming in the circumstances it came in because of a personal bereavement , it deserved nothing less than a win . The rest of his team mates though seemed happy to be in the dugout playing musical chairs with each other losing wickets in a flurry , trying to become millionaires with their shot selection.

Royal Challengers Bangalore with the kind of support they get across the globe and in a city which was once known as the pensioners paradise came to the party at last. The absence of the charismatic Virat Kohli , the hard working KL Rahul and ABD - the man who defies geometric conventions with his audacious shots were sorely felt. It's also an opportunity for the other lesser known team members to make their presence felt and like that line in the trippy movie - Sholay-"Loha Garam hain mar do hatoda" loosely translated as "strike the iron when it's hot" .. Kedhar Jadhav did just that . He played unconventional shots all across the park racing to 69 off just 37 balls giving the Bold army the impetus to cheer the home side all the way through. RCB ended up with 157 for the loss of 8 wickets and from the looks of it on a batting paradise like the Chinnaswamy Stadium one felt they were 20 -30 runs short .. but then destiny has other plans.

The Delhi innings was all about Pant .He showed a lot of heart and spirit to fight till the end whilst his team members did not show the alacrity to partner with him to weather the Rcbian bowling which was top notch. RCB was in control of the game right throughout making the moments count . The spinners making the ball mumble a bit , the pacers with sheer pace and variations unsettling the Delhi batsmen. 21 runs were needed off the last 2 overs and the  penultimate over bowled by Shane Watson was a template on how to bowl right at the death . He gave nothing away and Amit Mishra swishing his blade like Zorro in thin air managed just two runs . The last over was a master stroke by the captain , he gave the ball to left arm spinner Negi . 19 needed off the last over and Pant tried hitting Negi out of the park ended up losing his leg stump and  the game was in Royal Challengers Bangalore's pocket. This win could just be the shot in the arm for RCB to kick start their winning ways and let their numerous fans across the globes rejoice with cheer and unbridled excitement 

My moment with a Martian ( on screen )

My moment with a Martian

I was invited for the life movie premiere which was presented by Sony Pictures in association with Rubin Raj Productions in a city which prides itself in being second to none  in terms of technology and I might just add in vehicular density. The movie premiere was a star studded affair with people from the creative space converging in an hour before this science fiction thriller was showcased at Fun Cinemas in Bangalore City . The backdrop , the selfie station and needless to say Sony Pictures and Rubin Raj Productions were head and shoulders above the rest . The people selected to come and watch this thriller were a right mix of the enterprising community of bangalore .

Life - the movie in a nutshell tells the story of six brave scientists aboard an international space station who have just discovered extra terrestrial life on Mars . All six of them have a destiny of their own which is unravelled as the movie orbits on a course of its own . Let's just say The extra terrestrial from Mars who is named Calvin for all sorts of friendly reasons doesn't turn out to be as friendly as the name would sound . There are lot of defining moments in this thriller and the first encounter the lead doc has with the extra terrestrial in a controlled environment is a scene  to watch out for. This movie keeps you on the edge of the seat and tells how life really is in outer space through the eyes of these passionate and emotional scientists dealing with an enemy from "within ". The movie ends on an open note and whilst you leave the theatre .. you are thinking what if this really happens and thank your stars that at times being too emotional might just not be a good thing whilst dealing with extra terrestrials from Mars.This thriller  was more of a emotional ride than a scientific one for me and on that note I would rate it as 3.5 / 5 with 0 being the lowest and 5 being the highest .

See you at the movies

Trappedthemovie - the review

Rajkummar Rao has bled literally , figuratively and metaphorically in this movie . Trapped the movie works on the premise which has happened with all of us .The lead actor quite interestingly goes by the name of Shaurya and from the looks of it the only brave deed he would have done is asking the girl in his office out for for a butter soaked pav bhaji which becomes an inspiration in the end .Rajkumar through a sleigh of misfortune  gets stuck with a tricky situation which is a test of character for him on all levels . The movie shows how the protagonist navigates his way through this ordeal dealing with a power struggle , deaf people around him and under him and a rat  . One particular scene where Rajkummar Rao goes through the entire gamut of emotions whilst dealing with the aggression of fire and the calming influence of water stays with you .  This movie is not for the faint hearted ... catapults , cardboard boxes , cockroaches and pigeons have more than a passing shot in this thriller. As a viewer you see the film through the tiring but brave eyes of Shaurya .. and let's face it .. if you are stuck in a similar situation what would you do ?This movie is similar and dissimilar with films like castaway and 127 hours as they dealt with nature .. here he is right in the middle of a concrete jungle
and trapped . That's the irony of it . The movie is edited in a crisp manner with the background score adding it's own flavour .It goes without saying Rajkumarr Rao brings blood , sweat and toil in this role .