Roadshow Romeo : 5 1/2 Thoughts

Didn't really think could get around to doing a post during Diwali break. But here I am...typing hard on the clanky keyboard while Neo sleeps...

1. Saw Roadside Romeo yesterday - Neo, his mama and myself in a theatre in Patna called Ashok - Rajdhani Ka Gaurav. It's a 59 year old theatre that doesn't hide it's age. Musty, somewhat smelly but full of happy memories from my childhood!!

2. You can read a quick review by Subhash K Jha here...

3. I enjoyed the movie and so did Neo. Though not sure, who liked it more...LOL. Technically, (with my limited exposure) I feel it's perhaps the best made Indian animation fillum till date. The Disney magic touch is definitely there. And the arranged marriage between Yash Raj films and Disney has worked!!

4. Though it's a bit difficult to slot the movie for any particular age-group. It's needlessly romantic/ syrupy for a kiddy film. 5 year old Neo was yawning through the second half...Too simplistic and linear for the movie buff. Too Bollywood for the animation purist. But I guess this is the first of a new wave. The Bollywood effect on animated movies has just begun. Maybe this is how Bollywood could enter the global movie market.

5. Javed Jaffrey as Charlie Anna is just too good. His seasoned voice brings great vigour and vivacity to the slum-lord's role!! Maybe there is life beyond the movie for Charlie Anna.

51/2. Neo has declared he will watch it again on VCD, so there you are - the TG has given a thumbs up! But the Rajdhaani Ka Gaurav didn't have pop-corn(Unpardonable)!!!

Aap Bhi Taj!!

In the celebrity starved/ craving world of Indian brands, there was one refreshing endorsement that had stood the test of time. That of the tabla maestro - Ustaad Zakir Hussain's endorsement of Taj Mahal chai!

Am a tea drinker who never really liked the product. But was a great fan of Zakir saheb! The endorsement was so apt. Chai has a certain Indian-ness, a certain nazaakat which the Ustaad epitomised with his flavourful presence, his tabla recital and the 'Arrey Huzoor Wah Taj Boleye' tagline.

Of course, age had caught up with the Ustaad. He looked jaded. And so the brand has decided to replace him with the 'now-in-heavy-demand' Saif. Decent choice.

However, I - the non-user of the brand will miss Zakir Saheb, who was among the most recognisable and long-term celeb faces of any Indian brand!

Thinking aloud - Was there a brand story in passing the baton from Zakir Saheb to Saif Ali that the agency didn't fully capitalise.

Does the brand owe an explanation to its loyal fans on the choice of a new endorser?

In an age of intimate conversations with the brand, consensus, interactivity and user generated content was it the right thing to suddenly replace the iconic brand face with the current-heavy-in demand celeb face?

Or is the thought just plain nostalgia drivel!!

Kool Kareers @ Bollywood

With so much of Bollywood around us, it's impossible to ignore it. In ET today there's an article on the cool careers that stars are role playing on-screen. One did have a feeling that unlike the 'berozgaar hero' of yesteryear's that did the rounds of offices in chappals, with his 'degree and certificates' in a file under his arm, hunting for 'naukari' to help his 'booddhi maa', stars are at the cutting edge as far as their on-screen careers are concerned!

Cut to the new millennium, we have stars all with jobs, living in palatial houses( even in Bombay), engaged in cool jobs(including advertising:-)

In Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, Preity is a fashion editor, hubby SRK is a foot-ball star turned coach, Abhishek is a top PR guy arranging hot parties for dad - Sexy Sam!!

In Don2, Arjun Ramphal is a 'hacker'; in Krrish - Priyanka Chopra is a TV producer; in Lagey Raho Munnabhai, Vidya Balan is an RJ; Saif is an architect-turned-celeb-chef in Salaam Namaste and girl friend Preity is a med-student turned RJ!!; in Hum Tum Saif was a cartoonist and Rani was a fashion designer and SRK as a NASA scientist in Swades...

Some in-the-pipeline-films from UTV have the star as a footballer(Goal), as a call centre executive(Metro), etc.

It's difficult now to decide from the pace at which Bollywood is adopting 'hatke careers' what is driving what! Is Bollywood driving real life or vice versa.

Looks like once again Bollywood is at par with advertising(Wagon R, Saif in the Royal Stag ads)when it comes to depicting cool careers or maybe ahead of the curve yet again...And even in real life, you have a Karan Johar who is a film-director-cum-producer-cum-chat-show-host-cum-entertainment-channel-CEO all rolled into one!

Then again the comparison may not be fair. As ads have a shrinking time-compressed aperture of 20-30 secs whereas Bolywood has the luxury of 3hrs.

You could also check out - The Future of Bollywood